#but its a fun ep and the numbers are all bright and happy and it makes me smile. also i love how great cedes is and how generous

[mee-the-people]

SISTAR: How the Kpop Queens of Summer Stay ‘So Cool’ 4 Years After Disbandment

Summer 2021 marks another summer without a SISTAR comeback. As every SISTAR fan, (and hopefully every KPOP fan knows) SISTAR disbanded in May 2017, after releasing their final EP Lonely. I only really got into KPOP in 2018, so I discovered SISTAR much later, but when I heard their 2013 summer hit, Give It To Me, I knew I was going to be dragged into the rabbit hole that is SISTAR’s discography. I loved everything about that era… as a fashion enthusiast and someone with a background in dance, I always look at the WHOLE era, as well as the song, of course, when I’m making my assessment of a KPOP era. That’s what I did first with SISTAR’s Give It To Me.

GITM gives the audience a Moulin Rouge vibe, which I thought was so unique when I first watched the MV and stage performances. That’s one of the things I always loved about the original “summer queens” themselves, SISTAR- their summer concepts were always fresh, original, and unique. It’s easy to think that there’s only so many summer concepts/ideas a group can pull off or when people think of summer concepts, they only think of songs with beachy vibes. But SISTAR pulled off a number of (always classy) sexy, summer concepts- whether it was the flirty, retro theme that Shake It bought upon us in Summer 2015 or the mature, sophisticated theme that was presented by I Like That in Summer 2016. (One of my favorite SISTAR eras overall!)

Shake It reminds me of the “comic book aesthetic” with the bright, flashy colors and the bold-lettered art themes. There’s a minor storyline in the MV, which adds to the songs charm and definitely “feels” like a retro summer, although I couldn’t get over the fact that this song doesn’t really have a bridge or substantial verses. I think this song is simply meant to be fun and not a song where you think too deeply about the lyrics, so in that way, this song excels, because it’s incredibly catchy and whenever it comes on my playlist, its upbeat rhythms always give me a boost of happy.

Like GITM, I Like That is one of my absolute favorite SISTAR eras. The song, choreography (which seemed more complex compared to their previous era dance routines), outfits, and concept in general were unique and unlike anything they had done previously. I also really liked the lyrics in this song, because even though it’s about finding out about a cheating boyfriend, instead of just blaming the douch-y boyfriend, SISTAR blames themselves for thinking that they can “change him,” (A concept that every woman, including myself, has thought in regards to a man… moral of the story: don’t fall in love with potential! But I digress…) which is actually a self-aware twist to something that’s (unfortunately) so common in relationships.

One of the things about I Like That that I liked (😊) is how they made use of props in the most effective and efficient ways in both the MV and the stage performances. There’s something to be said about props being used properly- in my opinion, if you choose to have props in your stage performances, it kind of makes or breaks the performance, because if those props are just a waste of space, it will show. Luckily for SISTAR, they not only used props to enhance the performance, but they made sure to have control over the setting and not the other way around. I especially liked how they used their long flowing skirts as curtains, making it part of their routine, and the stage props (as well as the MV props) didn’t feel too close together or “tight,” adding to the song’s glamour.

Despite all of the good things I Like That had to offer, my only complaint is that member Bora didn’t get enough of a rap verse. With most K-pop songs, l normally don’t think the rap goes with the song, but in I Like That, I thought Bora’s verse actually went with the song, so I wish she had gotten another rap verse in place of the somewhat awkward bridge (“I’m so fine, I’m so fine…”) that seems out of place compared to the melody and rhythms of the song.

If we’re talking about “conventional summer themes,” I would say Touch My Body and Loving U would be the most “summer-y” when it comes to the traditional K-Pop summer concept, but even when they went the conventional summer route, SISTAR stayed true to their unique group flair. Even though the navy crop top and floral print shorts from the Touch My Body era is an ensemble that you could probably buy at Target, it’s still an iconic outfit and one of the stage outfits I think of when I think of SISTAR. 2012 summer splash Loving U is certainly a bop and the outfits from that era seem like laid-back and casual summer outfits that you would wear to the beach or to an amusement park. In terms of the song, it’s a good song if you’re looking for a light pop song, but it’s not on my top 5 list of favorite SISTAR songs.

By this point, I knew I was a fan, and as I was discovering more of SISTAR’s songs, I came across their debut song from 2010 called Push Push. It’s a catchy enough, electro-pop song, which is decent, but if that was the first SISTAR song I listened to and not Give It To Me, it may have taken me longer to get into SISTAR’s music. There wasn’t a discernible “concept” surrounding Push Push, so it’s hard to really place it on the same level as some of their other summer jams. I will say that one of their live performances of this song was at an amusement park (which you can easily find on YouTube), and that was a cool aesthetic and it must have been a fun experience for the girls.

A song that’s less popular, but still one of my favorite SISTAR songs is 2010’s Shady Girl. It received moderate success when it was released in August 2010, and SISTAR were still a “rookie group” at this time. (It had only been 2 months since they debuted in the industry at this point!) I thought the flight attendant theme was a little cliché, but the outfits were still on point. Most SISTAR choreography is fairly easy, and Shady Girl is no exception. This era is still one of my favorites, despite the fact that they went the conventional route and it wasn’t really the “sexy summer” theme that SISTAR are known for; however, I think because this group was still trying to find their footing in the Korean entertainment industry as rookies, this concept tended to be “safer” than some of their other concepts.

And of course, the song that put SISTAR on the map and defined their superstar status was none other than 2011’s So Cool. So Cool is a dance-pop tune that stayed in the Top 10 for 5 consecutive weeks and was the first number one single by this group. If you watch the music video and the stage performances, you’ll notice that the choreography in the music video is different from the stage performances, because of a dance move in the MV that was deemed inappropriate in South Korea’s conservative society; hence the slight choreography change for the stage performances. I like the general idea behind the lyrics of the song- that idea being the way to get revenge on a horrible ex-boyfriend is to look amazing (which they do! I love ALL of their stage outfits during this era…) and to remind yourself that you’re “too cool” to waste your time being sad over him. So, in a way, I like the sexy, empowering theme behind this song; however, while the song is catchy, it is easy to get tired of after a few listens.

Spring 2012 brought Alone upon us. Although this comeback was not during the summer (obviously), it was different than what SISTAR had previously done up until this point, and when I discovered this song, I was here for it. The black and red combo for the concept pictures really suited the vibe that the song gave. Alone is a ballad that talks about heartbreak and the feelings of loneliness that you experience afterwards, which is not only real, but it is also a universal feeling that anyone can understand and relate to. While I liked the outfits during this era, I thought they were purposely made “plainer” to emphasize the jewelry, which is a fashion statement in and of itself.

One of the things about SISTAR that I find so admirable is that they were able to hold their own against artists from the “Big 3 Companies.” Any K-Pop fan knows that if a group hails from SM, JYP, or YG, that group is almost guaranteed to be successful in the K-Pop industry, because of the resources, connections, budget, and experience that the CEOs of these Big 3 Companies have managing (successful) artists in the industry. It is a well-known fact that SISTAR is not from one of the Big 3 Companies- they were managed by a smaller company called Starship Entertainment. Even despite the fact that their success wasn’t guaranteed when they first started, they were still able to “sell the concepts” for every one of the songs that Starship churned out when comeback season came.

A girl group from a smaller company was able to, not only compete with girl groups from Big 3 Companies, they were also able to become the most streamed girl group EVER with over 1 billion streams in their 7-year career together! And not only that, they have THE MOST consecutive #1 singles by a K-Pop girl group EVER with 9 singles under their belt. Not bad for a girl group that came from a smaller entertainment company. I think it is human nature to root for the underdog, so it really speak volumes about how hard SISTAR had to have worked to compete with girl groups from the Big 3 Companies, which makes me even prouder for them when they achieved their success together.

Most K-pop fans know that summer isn’t the same without SISTAR, but going back and listening to their comebacks certainly feels like summer...

[shemakesmusic-uk]

Jorja Smith has unveiled a standout new video for latest track ‘By Any Means’. The powerful video (directed by Otis Dominique and Ellington Hammond) shines a spotlight on communities across the UK, complimenting the track’s vital message around social issues and the civil rights movement. As noted by Jorja about the track: "The inspiration behind 'By Any Means' really came from going to the Black Lives Matter protest and leaving thinking, what can I do to keep this conversation going? It’s not just a post on social media, it's life.” ‘By Any Means’ is the first track to be unveiled from a new project titled ‘Reprise’, curated by the team at Roc Nation with the sole aim of bringing awareness to social justice issues. A portion of proceeds will go to funding organisations that support victims of police brutality, hate crimes, and other violations of civil rights. [via Dork]

Madison, WI-bred and Chicago-based band Slow Pulp recently announced Moveys, their self-produced debut album, and shared its first single 'Idaho.' Now the band shares another song off of the forthcoming record, entitled 'Falling Apart.' The track, featuring Alex G collaborator Molly Gemer on violin, is accompanied by a fantastical music video about feeling lost in a familiar landscape. Director Jake Lazovick, places Emily in a transient world, surrounded by flying objects and missing pieces. The clip features nostalgic animations, body doubles for social distancing purposes, and an homage to Massey's background as a ballet dancer. Read more about the song from Massey below: "As we were finishing up writing the album my parents got into a serious car accident and I came back home to help take care of them. A couple of weeks later COVID-19 started getting worse in the US, and quarantine began. Life felt completely surreal, everything had drastically changed and at such a rapid pace. It was especially strange because everyone was experiencing the same thing at the same time, but couldn’t be physically with each other to support each other. I felt like I couldn’t process any emotions I had about the whole ordeal because I had to keep it together to take care of my family. It became easier to stay numb, and create a facade that I was doing ok, than it was to release any type of healthy emotion for a long time. Luckily I did allow myself to have a full on breakdown induced by a stubbed toe and confusion over taxes, sometimes it’s the littlest things that finally get you."

Soap Detox met a party, and somehow their friendship sustained during the lengthy hangover that followed. A frisky Swedish three-piece with a lust for melody and good times, their raucous garage-pop is already making waves in their homeland. A full EP is incoming, with Soap Detox trailing this with their irresistible new single 'Give Me Gore'. A three minute fuzz pop wonder, it's a clanking, cheeky, subversive statement from a group who thrive on such things. The video features their shorn-headed lead singer in full form, accompanied by her band mates. Directed by Evelyn Del Carmen and Ebba Sylvan, you can check it out above. [via Clash]

It’s been a decade since we’ve heard from multi-hyphenate musician and producer The Angel, who last made a splash as a musician in 2009 with her single 'Ultra Light,' which featured the singer/producer Jhelisa on vocals. Focusing more on her career in film/TV composition and music production in recent years, she’s planning to return to recording her own music later this year with a new LP entitled Xtra Sensory Goodness. Now we’re getting the first taste of this project, which is yet another collaboration with the vocalist Jhelisa. “Jhelisa and I have become close friends over the years,” she explains. “There’s a lot of sisterly love and mutual respect between us, so Jhelisa already understood the mournful weight of the track before I asked to feature her. I’m always grateful that she’s willing to experiment with me because it’s not something she does lightly. Jhelisa beautifully channels the essence of whatever emotion needs to come through in the most evocative and visceral way.”  The song arrives beautifully packaged with an entrancing video directed by none other than Mark Pellington (along with co-directors Sergio Pinheiro and Sweeten), known for his concert docs for Pearl Jam, INXS, and The Flaming Lips, as well as an extensive music-videography including iconic visuals for Public Enemy, Nine Inch Nails, and plenty more artists. “I wanted the song to sound like a memory, like you’ve entered someone else’s dream space,” The Angel continues, noting how the video perfectly syncs to the song’s mood. “The emotion is contained, very internal, so I juxtaposed a vocal vulnerability against a driving, incessant rhythm, where you can feel the underlying tension at the same time as experiencing the gentle plea, ‘Where’s my shelter…?’” [via Flood]

A few weeks ago, Ciara gave birth to her son Win. Last night, she shared a video that she evidently recorded while she was very, very pregnant. Ciara’s new song 'Rooted' is a statement of Black pride, a clear statement of solidarity with the protest movement that’s swept across America and the rest of the world these past few months. It’s a hard, kinetic track with vocals from the songwriter Esther Dean. But the song, at least right now, feels more like a vehicle for the video. Like a lot of Ciara videos, the 'Rooted'” clip is built around bodies dancing. In this one, though, one of those bodies belongs to Ciara, who dances with her belly exposed and who looks like she’s about to give birth any second. To watch someone dance this hard while that pregnant is an actual marvel, a near-superhuman feat. The 'Rooted' video is full of Black iconography, and it features the faces of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor. All throughout, Ciara presents an image of motherly strength. Annie Bercy directs. [via Stereogum]

Hazel English releases the new video for her single ‘Five And Dime’ taken from her debut album Wake UP! which is out now on Marathon Artists. ‘Five and Dime’ is a woozy, idyllic view into Hazel’s world, which is built on timeless-sounding melodies, retro-tinged soundscapes and a knack for resonant lyrics. The mid-tempo number is reminiscent of the playful love songs of ’60s pop, as Hazel frustratedly muses on a love interest who is consuming her thoughts and detracting from her focus, “Gotta get away cause you’re taking up all of my time / You know I need my space so I’m heading to the Five and Dime.” Speaking about the new video, Hazel says: “'Five and Dime' is about longing for escape and freedom so I thought it would be fun to create an idyllic beach vacation, constructed from a set with cardboard cut out waves and fake palm trees. The idea behind it is that while I'm fantasizing about escaping to a tropical place, it's clear I'm just kind of stuck in this pretend version of it. I wanted to evoke the nostalgia of Hollywood musicals from the '50s and '60s, complete with dance choreography and bright colourful costumes.”

Katy Perry has released her second video for 'Smile,' featuring the pop star playing a video game version of herself as she battles giant spiders, circus trapeze acts and more while dressed as a clown. Much of the video is in CGI, with a live-action Perry playing the video game in her house (while also dressed as a clown). [via Rolling Stone]

Global superstar, Miley Cyrus has unveiled 'Midnight Sky,' a track that showcases a new direction for the always evolving artist.  The song, which was inspired by the past year of her life, is accompanied by a video that Miley self-directed.  In creating the song and video, Miley drew from strong female musical icons, like Stevie Nicks, Joan Jett, and Debbie Harry, who have always been so generous, and have been her greatest allies and inspiration.  The video showcases Miley as her true self: unapologetic, diverse, sexy, confident, experimental, and strong. The video takes viewers through Miley’s creative vision which displays her complete control of the narrative often told through the mouths of the media. Miley is at peace with who she is and has nothing to prove. As a musician she continues to push boundaries and experiment with her sound and look. Miley has proven to be many things, but boring is not one of them.

Chelsea Collins is nonconformist pop singer with a vision. For the captivating new 'Water Run Dry,' a collaboration with rapper, singer and fellow Bay Area-native 24kGoldn, Collins's infectious pop melodies glide over a hypnotic beat. Relatable lyrics about a faltering relationship reveal a depth of experience for the 21-year-old, with a wistful chorus lamenting, "there's no good in goodbye." The Roxana Baldovin-directed visuals for the track are an eyeful — Collins and 24kGoldn play house in an oversized, colorful California dollhouse, interspersed with images of a little girl playing with literal Barbies. The message? "I wanted this song and video to execute the world that's inside of my head — somewhat similar to a weird vintage rom com where at first the drama of love is so toxic, passionate and thrilling but eventually my lover and I have a happy ending," Collins tells NYLON. "Unfortunately reality isn't as fun and it kinda feels like some cranky dude is controlling your path, who's lowkey salty whenever something feels too amazing," she continues. "My intuition will tell me to run, but I'm notorious for acting like a Stepford wife, trying to recreate my past feelings yet they're all super robotic. Maybe one day I'll get lucky and love won't have to be so bittersweet, but until then I'll learn to smile even when things blow up in my face." [via NYLON]

Kali Uchis shared the visuals for her latest single 'Aquí Yo Mando' on Monday. Featuring a verse in Spanglish by Rico Nasty, the single is Kali's first release since her TO FEEL ALIVE EP from earlier this year. The Phillipa Price-directed clip finds the pair on a weapons-filled rampage, dropping bodies in underground parking lots and filming each other along the way. With co-production by reggaeton hitmaker Tainy, the booming track sees Uchis assertively laying some ground rules over trappy 808s. "Haces todo lo que diga (You do everything that I say)," she raps. “Si estás conmigo solo mando yo (If you’re with me, only I call the shots).” [via The FADER]

[rqs902]

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enyu’s mom calls him "公子哥" is he rich or is this a JOKE LOL and his mom is at a bar IM CRYING HAHA 

i just get a feeling youku eliminated shiwei for dramatic effect... 

but aw xue en crying over weihao and mxy saying star master kids are all worthy to lin mo 

L O L i was gonna be like oh thats nice enyu’s dad asked about his friends, he’s really been paying attention but then he starts throwing these

L O L I SEE WHERE HE GETS HIS REALNESS FROM HAHAHHAHA

LOL NOW HE KNOWS HOW IT FEELS

omg xikan wanting to call luo zheng!!!! im grateful theyre still close, theyre doing such different things now

awww mubo !!! being all supportive and protective of zuo ye 

hHAHAHA omg fan yu talking on the phone to renyu is so cute, so expressive with the gasp when renyu says they just recorded elims and then the AHHHH and OH MY GOD when he says he and zaixi were eliminated and the ALSKJLAKS and loud sigh when renyu reveals he just tricked him hahahaha theyre so cute omg can fan yu pls show up at the next perf, id die

lin ran’s “new world new me” im cry

lol renyu’s getting roasted by his team mates but at least they didnt really ditch him 

what is this set up anyway? theyre given a mission to leave, so theyre allowed to run around... but not? who planned this lol youku......

LOL jin fan tryin to reason why theyll be ok going to guangzhou 

did their group just get special permission bc director li hao?

hahaha ayyy zhan yu jumped first, you go child! not surprised somehow that he’d love it

lin mo’s group went to the same place? LOL but also they seem so much more under control LOL such a guai group 

LOL WHY ARE THEY SO LOUD HAHAHAH i dont think ive ever seen people that loud on a roller coaster LOL 

LOL why am i not surprised enyu is the one carrying xzx 

i cant with xzx and his heelys omg

leave it to csp to relate bungee jumping to some great deeper meaning for zlj’s personal growth hahahah but good on the kid for going through with it. interesting that zixin said he sees himself in zlj so much

HAHAHHAHA THIS FACE

when reminded he’s the hormone representative his face changed so fast im crying 

ycw is laughing his butt off and i love how it says “children’s playground” in the background

when ycw gets thoroughly ignored

HAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHA OSCAR’S SSHHHHHHHH AND XUE EN TELLS HIM TO WATCH HIS “LANGUAGE LANGUAGE” HAHAHAHHA 

i just realized theres an english speaking line in this group :’) syh, xue en, oscar 

awwwwwwwwww them all planning to sing him happy birthday on the dot and setting it up so he can be at the top at that moment awwww thats so fun

LOL the way that oscar cursed his way to the top and is sweating so hard LOL the poor kid omg HAHAHHA

aw he can tell syh drew the card

LOL ITS OKAY OSCAR I STRUGGLE WITH READING TOO 

get you a friend like ycw who’ll tell you that you can decide how to pronounce words right, just because its your birthday 

struggling to read xue en’s handwriting LOL 

HHAHAHAHHAHAHA HOW DOES XZX RECOGNIZE IT’S HUANG ENYU BY FEELING HIS PECS HAHAHHAHA

i feel the need to just say huang junrong looks so adorable in his bright yellow outfit hahah

there’s two types of kids in this group: hjr and enyu screaming their butts off, and lin mo and xzx wallowing in regret of their life decisions

hjr and enyu always saying its too short when the ride ends LOL

lin mo talking real talk over dinner about their feelings BC HES A REAL LEADER and knows how important it is to address this. these concerns are obviously very present in his mind, even when theyre out having fun to relax, and he’s still trying his best to figure out how he can help them and motivate them. 

makes sense that they would include enyu interview clips bc hes surely spouting the real talk, but i think its interesting its mainly him and lin mo getting screen time. 

enyu would be the one to speak up and say something when lin mo is trying to talk to them though. i think theyre both right though, im guessing lin mo is in part too nice, bc he doesnt feel comfortable enough with them to be as strict as he normally is, bc he knows they have reason to not be motivated and he feels bad for them. but at the same time, he brings up a good point that they themselves need to have their own motivation. it cant just be him putting in effort. and i HUGELY respect that he is telling this to them straight up bc its a hard conversation to have, esp bc im sure he wants them to like him as a friend. but i respect that he knows if they have problems they have to air them out bc lack of communication will be too costly. 

momo is lucky he has someone like enyu on his team who’ll actually talk to him with real opinions rather than just hide in fear of disrupting the status quo. literally enyu is the one voicing that he doesnt want takeout and he doesnt want to stay up late, and other people agree, but the surprise on lin mo’s face just tells you that he wouldnt have even realized these are things that are bothering his teammates unless they straight up told him, and thankfully enyu did, bc lin mo thankfully is reasonable and willing to change his habits for the sake of the group TO HELP THEM. hes willing to do anything he can to help them, as long as they tell him what they want from him. huang enyu’s lesson in communication, dont let people guess, just tell them straight up 

its interesting bc its clear enyu respects lin mo a lot, says he has the experience and the skill and the right to yell at them to get it together, but hes still not afraid to tell lin mo he thinks lin mo should be more strict with them. and then i respect lin mo for not backing down when being criticized and for strongly insisting that they need to put in effort themselves too. he cant force them to do anything they dont want to do themselves. they themselves have to want to do well. 

lin mo is really out here taking care of his group of children and leading them and helping them and looking out for them and im just floored by his leadership yet again. i really hope they can pull it together. 

lin mo is a dork and stanning him leads to mostly either second-hand embarrassment or disappointment. from qcyn to snzm, it just always feels like he’s being mistreated and taken advantage of and stepped on, and sad things just keep happening to him. but then he has these moments where he reminds you of why he’s worth stanning. why it’s worth waiting for something good to finally actually happen. and why he deserves those good things. its just so nice to see hes getting some appreciation and recognition for the things he does. at least youku let us see his leadership in action. 

aw 

totally not surprised akey is there to drive the conversation for their group’s real talk time. tyger co-leader translates clearly hahah

LOL LI HAO TOTALLY FORGOT THE SNZM DANCE LOL

im like not surprised xikan’s group got the least adventurous adventure bc hes not afraid to show how serious hes taking this competition, but also somehow still feel like hes not getting better treatment relative to being number one?? maybe im just overthinking 

honestly all things considered im okay with this being the debut group

i mean i love ycw and zry but i feel like this makes sense to me.

this looks scary lol lin ran wyd

but yea even the way they framed the cliff hanger for next week... why do i just feel like xikan is not being treated with the respect he deserves?? 

anywayyyyyyyyyyyy for 少年營業��

LOL gz’s impression of zlj watching scary movies sounds so accurate im ded

zixin is so adorable!! i love his outfit too ahhah 

LOL gz’s sassy response to zlj responding when xue en says he’s gonna talk about a cute trainee with highly regarded visuals 

why am i totally not surprised xue en didnt get scared but zixin got scared AGAIN lol 

why do i suddenly get the realization that we hardly ever see ycw and zlj interact 

it just feels weird to see them together even tho they obviously have overlapping friend groups lol....

poor shiwei isnt even here and they keep talking about him LOL at least theyre not even really roasting him LOL ycw and yzx too nice for that

im just DYING at the cto gege’s laughing SO HARD HAHAHA 

and ycw’s face LOL 

xue en’s laugh made this ep worth it LOL

wow should i be happy that lin mo is finally in the next ep of this side show, or sad that jin fan never got to appear and itll be the last ep :( im also excited to see lin ran again! wow its weird to think that snzm is ending soon, it felt like the first 7 eps were like a slow burn and now its a mad rush to the end 

[fyeah-redvelvet]

[!] RED VELVET IS THE GIRL GROUP K-POP FANGIRLS HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR

There’s no question that Korean pop music has long outgrown the niche scene it was once relegated to in the U.S. Just this past year alone, some of the biggest male groups in K-pop have hosted sold out concerts, from the Staples Center to the Novo, and multiple groups have reached unprecedented milestones like having an album’s artwork nominated for a Grammy, holding one of the highest grossing shows of the summer. And though these acts strengthen K-pop’s impact in the West, one should wonder: Where are the girl groups?

Slowly, but surely, female K-pop acts are making strides of their own, and 2019 seems like the year it all finally comes to fruition. Prior to 2019, U.S. shows by a K-pop girl group were extremely rare, often only being able to perform short sets at festivals. That’s why Red Velvet’s Redmare in USA tour is cause for elation. Together with Oh My Girl (who had a five stop tour in January), BLACKPINK (who are playing Coachella this year and have yet to specify the dates of their North America tour), and a few other soloists who have already announced upcoming shows, Red Velvet is repping it for female representation by having a full solo tour of their own. Red Velvet has previously performed at KCON LA, KCON NY, and the Korea Times Music Festival, and hosted a fan meeting event in Chicago, but this will be first time they put on their full show. “[The] North America concert tour means a lot to us,” main vocalist Wendy told the Weekly over a call from Seoul. “Everyday we know we get lots of love from fans, not only from Korea, but from fans overseas.”

Red Velvet is one of the first girl groups to have, not only a full solo concert, but an entire tour since Apink in 2016. Prior to that, 2NE1 held two shows in 2012 and the Wonder Girls had a full-fledged tour in 2010. They’ll be visiting often overlooked cities like Miami and Dallas, and most of the stops sold out in minutes. According to Subkulture Entertainment, the tour promoter, tickets for the Los Angeles stop sold out instantly. And because of the high demand, a second date had to be added.    

“[I] really, really felt pride that the LA show sold out within a minute,” Seulgi commented via a translator. “It’s really awesome. It kind of makes [me] feel like the group should work harder to give back to the fans for all the love [we]’ve received.”

Red Velvet debuted as a four piece act in 2014 under S.M. Entertainment, home to some of the biggest names in K-pop including Girls’ Generation and EXO. As a concept, Irene (born Joo-hyun Bae), Seulgi Kang, Wendy (Seung-wan Shon), Joy (Soo-young Park), and, added half a year later, Yeri (Ye-rim Kim), play with the duality in their name. “Red” represents a bright, bubbly side, while “Velvet” is reserved for a sultrier moment. They shift between fun and bubblegum pop tunes like “Red Flavor” and “Dumb Dumb,” and smoother, R&B tinged tracks like “Automatic” and “Bad Boy.” Having a wide range of styles and concepts, Red Velvet has made its impact in the K-pop world by being one of the most popular girl groups in and outside Korea.

Despite women making up a larger part of the K-pop fandom, their support largely lies with the boy groups. K-pop girl groups are generally marketed specifically to men, and the prevailing trend among them is a cute and innocent image. However, female fans supporting a girl group is not unheard of in K-pop. Girls’ Generation has had one of the strongest female fronted fandoms for over 10 years. Moreover, disbanded groups like 2NE1, 4minute, and Sistar had huge female followings given their stronger and empowering concepts. And though the cuter image prevailed as new groups debuted, the interest was recently renewed by the emergence of the so-called “girl crush” image. Red Velvet’s “velvet” releases fall under the girl crush tag and are far more experimental, both conceptually and sound-wise, and less saccharine, thus resonating more with female audiences worldwide. By alternating their concepts, Red Velvet smartly reach a wider fanbase while also getting to embody more than just one thing.

“If you listen to a lot of Red Velvet songs, they’re about being confident, bold, being yourself. So [I] think that’s kind of why that message —that kind of confident message— is what appeals to female fans in particular,” Joy says. “But on top of that, Red Velvet is known for their bright, happy energy, so that’s kind of the universal appeal to both male and female fans.”

2018 was an especially big year for Red Velvet, and their duality took center stage. Their quirky electropop summer release “Power Up,” with its playful and colorful music video and earworm lyrics, got the group the first “perfect all-kill” in their careers, meaning they topped all Korean streaming platforms. The EP, Summer Magic, debuted at number three on Billboard’s World Albums chart.

On the other hand, released earlier in the year, “Bad Boy” went onto become what will probably go down as a K-pop classic. Produced in part by The Stereotypes, who have worked on hits for Bruno Mars and Justin Bieber, “Bad Boy” is a haunting yet smooth, melodic femme fatale anthem. It was the group’s first sexy and most mature concept, and fans and critics alike reveled in its lush synths and vocals reminiscent of ‘90s R&B. By the end of the year, “Bad Boy” ranked within the top five of many best of K-pop year-end lists from the likes of Paper Magazine and Dazed, and even took the number one spot on Billboard’s. “Bad Boy”’s impact also broke the K-pop barrier by placing 43 on Billboard’s best songs of the year list.

“It was unexpected, especially considering how much reaction [we] received from fans overseas regardless of [us] not promoting it overseas, per se,” Joy says with a laugh about “Bad Boy.” “It kind of gave [us] more confidence in terms of trying that kind of genre.” Summer Magic included an English version of “Bad Boy.”Also notably —and very badass— “Bad Boy” was one of two songs Red Velvet performed at a diplomatic inter-Korean event in Pyongyang attended by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and South Korean president Moon Jae-in.

Last year also saw their debut in Japan with #Cookie Jar, which peaked at number three on the Oricon album chart, the country’s most important music chart. And though it wasn’t the whole group, main vocalist Wendy collaborated with John Legend on the heartfelt ballad “Written in the Stars.” “I couldn’t believe he wanted me to collaborate with him, and I still feel like it’s a dream,” Wendy, who lived in Canada for many years and speaks English fluently, reflected back. “If I had another chance, or had a chance to go back to that time, I wish I talked to him more. It was a great, great memory, though.” And to finalize their aim at global domination, their last EP of the year, and latest, RBB also included an English version of the single by the same name. The acronym stands for “Really Bad Boy” and is a sort of sequel to “Bad Boy” and is horror film themed. RBB hit number two on the World Albums chart, their highest position to date.  

For many K-pop boy groups, it’s much easier to hold a concert or fan meeting event in the U.S. no matter how long they’ve been active or what they’ve accomplished so far. Red Velvet, who are going on their fifth year together, had to kill it consistently and have the biggest year of their careers before going on their first multi-stop concert tour in the states. “We can’t really explain how much energy we get from doing the concert. Especially the moment when you share that connection with the audience,” Wendy shared. “That feeling you get, you can’t really explain it… It can’t really [be] beat[en].”  

As to future music, Yeri teased more coming in English. “If the fans really love the English versions of [our] songs, maybe [I] could bring it up to the company and just make it seem like, ‘Hey, we should release an English album,’” she says, making the rest of the members laugh. “That’s something that [we] obviously think about a lot, especially because of the reactions from the fans overseas,” she added.

With things going as fast and successfully as they are for the group, Irene, the leader, noted that they’ll always be the same “hard working Red Velvet.” “Every year [we] grow and mature, so in that sense, [we]’ll be different. But in terms of always challenging [our]selves, always working hard, [we]’ll be the same group.”

cr; OCWEEKLY

[rontra]

do you have any recommendations on how to like. Take In Umineko. I think it looks really cool and I’d like to get into it, but there’s a lot of things that are confusing (like all of the different games, the manga, the anime, ect.) and I’m not really sure where to start watching/reading it. Do you have any advice on where the best place to start is?

HOH BABY NOW THIS IS A GOOD ASK

Basically, a lot of this depends on you and how you prefer to take in media. People are different after all; some people like reading long novels, some prefer comics, u know! So let’s just go over all the avenues and how to get at them, and the rest is up to you!

I’m gonna make this post very long. VERY VERY LONG. IM SO FUCKn SORyr

First, I’ll talk abt what umineko is; then I’ll discuss the various media; finally, at the end, I’ll write down what I typically recommend to newcomers! SCROLL REALLY FAST TO THE HEADERS IF U HAVE NO TIME FOR MY RAMBLING LOL

So…here we goooo

READING UMINEKO: UNTANGLING THE WEB

OR: what the fuck is umineko and why do you want me to read it, diesel?

Since this is a general To Whom It May Concern post: Umineko no Naku Koro ni (Or Umineko: When They Cry, alternatively When The Seagulls Cry) is a murder mystery/fantasy/metafiction visual novel published between 2007 and 2011. I know “murder mystery” and “metafiction” sound pretty boring when you combine them, but trust me–Umineko’s unlike anything you’ve seen, and defies explanation. Still, I’m here to do my best!

Umineko is about a rich and complicated family, and their annual family conference–and the year it goes super duper badly. On an isolated island, in the middle of a typhoon, tragedy befalls the family–on a massive scale! Someone is killing them–all of them–and the only answer that seems to be rising is–

“Beatrice did it.”

But Beatrice isn’t supposed to really exist. Not for real!! No one by that name is on the island. It’s just a story! She’s made up–Beatrice is a legend. A witch who has lived for a thousand years–who loaned the family patriarch ten tons of gold, an insane amount of wealth, in exchange for his soul. Now she’s collecting on that loan, taking everything back, with interest–the lives of the family included.

Is the culprit a human, or not? Does the witch exist, or not?Is the culprit one of the 18 people? Does a 19th person exist? Or…?And, most importantly–when the typhoon passes, will anyone remain alive on the island?

[YouTube: Umineko opening]

I’d super-recommend Umineko if you enjoy: strong characterization, a solidly built mystery (with plenty of smaller mysteries to try your brain with along the way ;) ), complex and nuanced characters, hype magic fights, Logic-Based Combat(???), deep discussions of trauma and its consequences, large casts of characters, Genre Fuckery, coping, Meta™, and milfs Complex Lore

I would, however, NOT recommend Umineko if you are triggered by/can’t stomach reading about: body horror, gore, death, trauma, child abuse, bullying, discussion of suicide, discussion of sexual assault, etc (you can message me for a more complete list of warnings; I’m happy to provide super-specific ones if there’s something specific you’re concerned about, or even give you specific scenes to watch out for. I kept this vague on purpose, but if you message me off anon or via DMs here or at @aceyasu, I’ll be happy to answer anything!)

Overall it’s a pretty dark, emotional story, with a lot of Themes™–but it’s also full of love and genuine heartfelt Feelings. I don’t think any story has touched me the way Umineko has! Of course, everyone’s experience is very unique to them, but I think Umineko has something for everyone (provided, of course, that we’re taking into account the content warnings and excluding people who can’t/don’t want to encounter those things!). The characters, music, story and message–it all has a lot of heart and it all is very important to me as an individual. Obviously no media is flawless, but I think Umineko’s good outweighs its bad…YMMV though of course :p

Also, hype magic fights.

OKAY WITH THAT OUT OF THE WAY

Umineko’s story is told over 8 arcs–styled as “episodes”. I use “arc” and “episode” sort of interchangeably! Specific ones I just call “EP#” though. All you really need to know though is there’s 8 of them, of varying length, and you have to read them all for the full story.

Thankfully they’re numbered, am i right?? HAFDmgkdfmg

Each episode has its own focus within the overarching narrative and comes with its own fun mysteries and harrowing developments just for you! yay! But basically, the important thing is that they’re divided into the Question Arcs (1-4) and Answer Arcs (5-8).

Sometimes, to make things confusing, the Answer Arcs are also called “Core Arcs” or “Chiru”. I will use “Answer Arcs” here, but if you encounter those two elsewhere, that’s what they are. :p

ACTUALLY EXPERIENCING UMINEKO

(now that im done YAPPING)

The anime

Generally viewed as a poor product. It’s a bad adaption that fails as a standalone, too, because of the amount of important scenes that are missing. Don’t watch the anime first if you really want to get into Umineko. It’s a fun watch once you know how it’s supposed to go, though :p Covers the Question Arcs only, ends with EP4–so even if it was good, it would only be half the story… press f to pay respects. The opening fuckin slaps though, and all the VAs are solid.

The manga

Each Episode has its own manga adaption, usually done by a different artist (with exception of EP1, EP3, and EP8, which are all by the same artist). Generally solid; gets the most important parts. For people who want to get through quicker, the manga helps a lot.

The primary cost is that a lot of characterization doesn’t get to shine AS bright, as there’s simply no time to get into the nooks and crannies (still a great cast, though). However, the art is usually fantastic–since the artist changes every EP, it’s easy to deal with even if you don’t like a specific one’s style. It’ll be gone by next Episode!

A lot of moments get punched up by the more visual format of the manga. You really get a better sense of the characters interacting physically with one another! You do, however, run into the Scanlation Problem…..

I know, I know–most people, when given the option to, don’t want to pay for things. So when given the choice between fan scanlations and the official release, a lot of people would choose the scanlations. And they’re fine…for the most part…except for the parts that aren’t. Some parts (notably in the Answer Arcs) are…bad. Really bad. Even I can’t really understand it sometimes, despite knowing this story inside out… LOL

If you’re good at parsing Scanlation SNAFU or can’t afford/don’t want to buy it, you can find Umineko on MOST manga hosts! I don’t know which you prefer so I’m not gonna link ‘em hahahafkgmfh I usually use Manga Rock but that’s because I usually am reading on my phone and I like their app. The episodes are all numbered, so it’s pretty easy to find your way around!

On the other hand, if you have a hard time understanding poor translations, reading inconsistent typesetting/fonts, or simply Can afford it/prefer buying media, the manga is being officially released in English by YenPress! As is standard nowadays, you can get them in both physical volumes and digital e-books! However, YenPress’ release is currently ongoing–the first volume of EP8 is slated to release in March.

[YenPress link]

The visual novel

Ah, here we are–the head honcho himself…! This is the original version of Umineko. These are the ones we call “games”, and why we sometimes say u “play” Umineko, but. Really. It’s just reading. They’re kinetic novels. Its literally just reading. So I don’t know why we complicate things like that.

(“if she an .exe, shes a game”, I guess… xD)

This is where the characterization and voice of Umineko really shines! The style is often simple to read, sometimes even comically casual, but it cuts deep when it wants to. Even really simple lines can have a really strong impact–it’s a really pleasant style to read, IMO…pretty easy to understand most of the time, but emotionally resonant all the same!

Reading the VN is somewhat of an undertaking, because of the amount of hours required…It’s a far longer read. Depending on your reading speed and whether or not you pause to think/talk about things as you read, people clock in 100-200 hours to finish it.

But, on the upside–because it has so much more time than the manga, the VN can really get deep into the characters, their dynamics, and their inner conflicts. You really get a deep sense for everyone’s character and it makes most of the cast feel fleshed-out enough that you appreciate all of them to some extent (whether positive or negative :P)

Oh, actually–the original Umineko branded itself a “Sound Novel”….as opposed to a Visual Novel, where the emphasis is on, uh–Visuals–Umineko leans more heavily on audio to create its atmosphere. And the music? Fuckin rips!! The Umineko soundtrack is huge and has tons of absolute bangers. It’s easy to see why it decided to market itself as a Sound Novel rather than a visual novel–the graphics of the original PC version are simple, but the atmospheric sound effects and BGM really shines.

Here’s some enticing tracks to pique yr interest (be careful about the comments/etc though, there’s Definitely spoilers in there xD)[worldenddominator] [dead angle] [dir] [system0] [hope]

The VN nowadays is split into the two halves; if you get EP4, it’ll include 1-3 as well, essentially. Picking up Question Arcs (or EP4) and Answer Arcs (or EP8) gives u the whole 8 episodes. Easy peasy! Because we live in the future now, and retroactive inclusion of past games is just convenient!

There is an official English release now, which is a brand new luxury. It’s even on Steam! Wow! That’s the easiest way to get your paws on the hands-on experience. The translation has been slightly updated as well! Also, they added a new set of toggle-able graphics that are…um…I mean they’re certainly new…#BarelyContainedOpinionAlert

If you don’t want to pay or can’t afford it…uhhh….I used to have torrent links but they’re all dead. :T still, you can probably just find them, if you know your way around torrents. For the translation, you’ll have to either get a pre-patched version of the game, or use the translation group’s instructions to patch it yourself. 

If you can’t do either of those, or just don’t really have a preference, or…any number of reasons, you can also find all the games fully recorded and uploaded to YouTube (with or without commentary)!

As for the links, I’ve got them right h–

Wait–oh, sh–the graphics are bad?!? You think the graphics are bad? Or you think plain reading is boring? Y-you can’t understand what the background image in this scene is even supposed to be? Ah…the post-2007 struggle….

The visual novel, Part Deux: AH, THE JPEGS edition

OKAY SO I SPLIT THIS APART BECAUSE IT*S IMPORTANT

If you wanna spruce up your VN-reading experience, here’s the thing: they ported the game to PS3, with brand new graphics and–get this–full voice acting. Wow! There’s even CGs now…Jeez!

These are NOT the same graphics as the new ones from the official English release! That’s important!

SO, if you wanna spruce up the graphics a bit, or you enjoy voice acting with your novels, you can do that! People took apart the PS3 games and made patches for the PC version to enjoy the new graphics and voices. And now it’s available for the Steam version as well!

[SPRITE COMPARISON: ORIGINAL PC | PS3 | STEAM]You pick your favorite!

ALSO VOICE ACTING! WOW!! Remember how I said the anime got two things right and they were the OP and the voice cast?

SAME CAST, BABEY!!!! They are all excellent and do a wonderful job! It can really add some more interest if you struggle with staying focused on “plain” reading.

Okay so NOW the links:

You’ll have to dig up torrents yourself if you want those, bc its 6am and I’m too sleepy to… uzu

QUESTION ARCS[Physical Eng release] or [Steam page] +[PS3 PATCH]

ANSWER ARCS[Physical Eng release] or [Steam page] +[PS3 PATCH]

YOUTUBE[Non-commentated, with PS3 patch] you can find more just by searching but this one looks good to me :p

RONTRA OPINIONS / SUGGESTIONS

Personally, I favor the VN for most scenes, but the manga for my light casual reading. Y’know? The VN can be pretty…um…dense, at times.

Ironically, I think EP1 itself might be the biggest hurdle for total first-timers. It’s definitely paced as a “part 1 of 8″ for the first solid portion! By which I mean, it really takes its time establishing the cast and their individual situations. Which isn’t a bad thing–especially in the overarching scope of how long the story is–but if you aren’t sure about the premise, format, or if you’ll enjoy Umineko at all, it can be sort of…challenging.

It all really depends on the individual–things like attention span, investment, and personal preferences, imo. Some people just don’t enjoy reading that much text at once! And that’s fine! Some people love it and that’s fine! Some people think the intro is too long, some people think it’s intriguing from the start. Some really like watching character building, and some prefer to see action happening. Either way is fine, so it’s really up to you!

Usually, if someone isn’t sure, I suggest they try EP1 in manga form first, just to see if the general premise entices them; it’s fully possible to jump back and do the VN if you decide you like it! It sacrifices some characterization in exchange for exploring the main premise a little faster.

Similarly, if you just can’t get into the VN–you can read the entire thing with manga too, if you favor action over the deepest character lore. It’s still a good time and a good experience!

Though, in EP1′s favor–if you ARE sure about it, and are able to dedicate your attention to the first 10-13 hours of set-up, EP1 has one of the most rewarding escalations I’ve encountered! If you are able to sit and read a fairly long-winded introduction, you are rewarded with the most buck wild Popping Off you can imagine.

So there’s nothing wrong with jumping right in there with the VN, if you enjoy reading!

However, if you do find that the VN is dragging too much for you, you can go in reverse too–and finish EP1 by manga, then decide if you want to jump back to the VN or not. I promise, the novels pick up the pace too–it’s just getting all the introductions down that can be daunting, when the initial cast size is a staggering 18 people (plus the LORE has to be established too)!!

Just for you–if you want to get into Umineko, but struggle with EP1, I’ll offer my private archive of YenPress manga rips for EP1–read the manga, official english translation, for free thanks to your dealer friend, rontra,You will have to message me about it, though–off anon or via DMs, here or at @aceyasu.

My favorite setups when I play by myself are either Original PC Graphics + Voice Acting, or Full PS3 Patch. I personally really like the original PC graphics, but I understand some people think they’re kinda…um…Rough, to say the least xD PS3 graphics are a close second for me though.

I don’t really like the steam version’s new sprites. Some people don’t mind them, so it’s up to you what you prefer, but I think they don’t really convey the feeling as well as their counterparts sometimes… :/

But hey, everyone’s got their own opinions!

I also prefer the EP8 manga to the EP8 VN. If I have control over someone’s first playthrough, I always push over to the manga for EP8! In my opinion, it’s a rare instance where the adaption is better than its original. People have different opinions on this, of course, but since this section is My Opinions Central, that’s my opinioooon!!! :D

SO BASICALLY MY OWN PERSONAL PREFERRED STRUCTURE IS

->TRY EP1 (jump over to manga if struggling; if enjoyed manga ep1 until the end, hop back into the VN at EP2 and come back to EP1 if you want to later)

EP2-EP7 VN

EP8 MANGA(EP8 VN if desired afterwards, once the dust settles)

But you’re free to do what you want, of course. ;9

And then after that there’s some spinoffs that I didn’t talk about because that’s a post for another time. (There’s a fighting game! It’s packed full of spoilers.)

AFTERWORD

All in all, Umineko is…big. its very very big. it has a huge cast (the final count comes out to like, almost 70 characters!) and a huge story. and huge feelings.

The manga and the VN are the main avenues of getting into it. It’s easier than it looks at a glance; and yet, more daunting than it seems…

If you have the time and energy to pour hours of your time into it, Umineko is a super worthwhile story that tackles genuinely difficult material with a delicate but honest hand.

It clowns up sometimes and stumbles over its own demographic–see: Weird Vaguely Unpleasant Anime-brand Sex Comedy that springs up a lot in EP1, some in EP2, and then largely disappears save for a few dumb jokes here and there–but overall is a solidly built and solidly delivered story about trauma, love, loss, and getting your family ritual-murdered by a thousand-year-old witch who may or may not be real.

And if you have any questions at all (or just wanna talk Umineko), you can send an ask or IM me here or at @aceyasu–you can ask for my Discord too if you wanna really get into it. Or DM me on twitter! I’m happy to answer any question or elaborate on anything you’re confused about. I tried to go over this post quickly, so if I was too vague on something, feel free to ask!

The same of course applies to content warnings; if there’s something specific you’re worried about, I can answer it for you, whether it’s “does [specific thing] happen/appear” or “how much of [thing] is there, i can handle a little bit”! Anything! Of course I want people to read my favorite, but I also more than that want u all to be safe.

I’m very sorry that this post is literally three thousand words long. Umineko’s been my special interest for almost ten whole years. I get chatty! But hopefully my passion shines through and gets you excited!!!

LOVE, A BIG NERD

[taste-in-music]

My Favorite Songs of 2018 by Genre

There was a LOT of music this year that I still wanted to talk about but didn’t get put on the other posts I made, so I decided to put yet ANOTHER list together. (Read my top albums and EPs of the year lists if you want some context.) Buckle up, because it’s going to be a long one, folks. Here are the rules for eligibility:

The songs on this list most likely a) weren’t on an album that I loved in its entirety/didn’t feel that strongly about, b) were on an album that I didn’t have time to listen to, or c) were released as singles. 

No songs from the albums or EPs I’ve previously mentioned are eligible. 

I’ll try my best not to include singles that are for albums coming out next year (for example, I’m not putting Light On by Maggie Rogers or Party For One by Carly Rae Jepsen on the list.) Those songs will be eligible if I do a list next year. If I accidentally do put an album single on the list, it’s because I didn’t know ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Now, presented in no particular order, let’s get to some tunes.

POP

Used to You by Dagny: If you’ve been with me for a while, you know that I’m obsessed with Norwegian pop star Dagny, who I learned about through a recommendation from a friend. This song is one of her best: uptempo but melancholy, with honest, vulnerable lyrics about a strained relationship. 

Crush by Tessa Violet: On the complete opposite end of the spectrum, we’ve got a bubbly sugar-pop song about having a crush on someone. It’s quite simple as to why I love this song: it’s just so joyfully adorable.

Sweet but Psycho by Ava Max: Okay, why is this not a hit the U.S.? It’s already gotten to number one in Norway, Finland, and Sweden, and is making a splash in the U.K. While I’m iffy on the lyrics, this song has one of the catchiest hooks of the year. It’s a giant guilty pleasure of mine. 

Sucker Punch by Sigrid: This was named the eighth best song of the year by Time magazine and it’s easy to see why. It has all the elements that make up a Sigrid song (catchy melody, her signature raspy vocals,) but has just enough quirky touches and eccentric details to it that set it apart from the rest of her discography. 

Do Right by Glades: Glades are so underrated, and I’ve mentioned them in a bunch of posts before. This song is them at their best, with one of the stickiest choruses of the year and a sweet synth riff. 

Batshit by Sofi Tukker: I first heard this song in an iPhone commercial, oddly enough. I’m not going to say that this song is good, because I’m fairly sure that it isn’t good. The chorus is literally the word “batshit” said over and over and over again. But somehow, it’s perfect? It’s simple while at the same time having so many cool elements that it’s never boring. The funky bass riff, lowered vocals, electronic drop are all so infectious. Sofi Tukker are my guilty pleasure band, so check them out if you’re into strange dance club music. 

Chasers by Bahari: This pulsating, electronic groove from California based trio (now duo :/) Bahari is like a dangerous lullaby. The twinkling production and harmonies keep the tone tense but enjoyable. I hope they release more music soon. 

Cause You Did by Willa: Willa exploded onto my radar with her powerful, ass kicking anthem Swan, which she released back in 2016. I was so excited to see that she had released new music. This song is a bit different from her previous work, swerving more into the pop lane, but is still charming as hell. (Fun fact, she was in an episode of Supernatural. 10.13 Halt and Catch Fire. The more you know, am I right?)

San Francisco by Fickle Friends: This is my favorite song off of the Broken Sleep EP (I think it’s an EP? It’s only three songs... Check it out regardless.) Fickle Friends’s sound is so summery and tropical, it never fails to put me in a good mood, and this song is a perfect example of that. 

F**k U by Kailee Morgue: A whole tell off anthem. Like her other material, this song balances darker material with a sweet and innocent sounding vocal delivery. Just make sure you listen to the uncensored version. Listening to the clean version is like listening to the radio edit of IDGAF by Dua Lipa or “Forget” You by CeeLo Green. It has no bite to it without the title word being said.

Emotion by Astrid S: When I first heard Such a Boy, I knew that Astrid S had the potential to be a pop starlet in the vein of Zara Larsson. This song is a lot of fun, with a whistling hook and Astrid S’s usual sassy delivery.  

Cherry by Rina Sawayama: This is a whole BOP, from the whispery intro to the rushing production to the melodic, get-stuck-in-your-head chorus. This song is much like its title suggests: bright and sweet with just enough of a twang to keep it interesting, just like a cherry. 

Baby Don’t Talk by LÉON: Of the two singles she released this year, I can’t help but like this one a little bit more (but don’t get me wrong, Falling is a whole bop and a half.) This song is just so likable, from the snappy percussion to the “ooOOooOOhs,” to the unforgettable melody. LÉON is so underrated, I can’t encourage you enough to listen through her three EPs and other singles. They’re all gold. 

Daughter by L Devine: I can’t tell you how shook I was when I first heard this song. It’s L Devine at her finest, with a catchy melody, relatable lyrics, and just the right amount of electronic elements. This song is the wlw bop that no one’s talking about that everyone should be talking about. 

Carousel by Skylar Spence: I found this gem thanks to Spotify’s Indie Pop playlist. The pulse to this song always makes me want to tap my toes. It’s like if the color yellow was a song. The lyrics are super cute, and the glitchy, robotic chorus just works somehow.  

R.E.M. by Ariana Grande: While I found Sweetener as an album a bit uneven in quality, it’s still by Ariana fucking Grande. She could sing What’s The Fox Say and it would sound beautiful. This track is my personal favorite, with the cute little “bum bum bums” and the all around dreamy atmosphere. There’s also a funny amount of self awareness in this song, with the whole “’Excuse me, um, I love you,’” and “does this end?” It adds a layer of charm and personality that elevate this song. Ariana Grande is definitely the pop idol we need in the hot 100 right now, dear Lorde.

Sue Me by Sabrina Carpenter: What a fricking BANGER! This song rocked me to my core. Sabrina Carpenter is one of the best singers to come out of the Disney machine, and she’s always had potential for greatness (remember Thumbs? That song slaps.) There’s something visceral and inexplicably powerful about this song, I feel it right in my gut. It’s my favorite off of Singular Act 1, @eleanorschidis thank you for convincing me to listen through the album.

Love The Lie by Call Me Loop: I don’t feel like I can communicate why I’m so obsessed with this song, but I’ll try. It’s catchy as fuck, the twinkling guitar riff, the beat and melody... it’s all just so perfect. You know what? I can’t do it justice. Just listen to it. 

Drink About by Seeb ft. Dagny: This might be my favorite pop song of the year, and I both do and don’t know why. On one hand, the lyrics are repetitive, it’s simplistic, and it’s just another club dance song. But on the other hand, there’s something about it that elevates it beyond that. First off, there’s Dagny, who I’ve said before I LOVE, and her performance brings so much emotion and pain and personality to the song. Then there’s Seeb’s production, managing to make an unforgettable drop and chorus out of only a handful of lines. There was a period of time where I would just listen to this song on repeat, and it never got old or tired despite its repetition. It’s like a rush of euphoria whenever I hear it, and I can’t recommend it enough. 

R&B/HIP HOP

Honey Dew by LION BABE: Like Say Lou Lou, I first learned about LION BABE by reading about them in Teen Vogue. I put off checking them out for a while, and when I finally did, I wasn’t disappointed. This songs is one of the chillest I’ve heard this year. Jillian Hervey’s smooth voice and the twinkling pianos and shuffling percussion of Lucas Goodman’s production just meld so perfectly together. 

After the Storm by Kali Uchis ft. Tyler, The Creator and Bootsy Collins: There’s something about Kali Uchis’s voice that is so unique and so sultry, I can’t help but get sucked into her music. This song mixes together her lovely crooning, a rap verse from Tyler, The Creator, bubbly production, and uplifting lyrics, and I can’t help but feel happy whenever I hear it. This song feels like emerging from a cold lake, it’s that refreshing. (Also, count In My Dreams as an honorable mention, that song is great too.)

The Kids Are Alright by Chloe x Halle: The song is awe-inspiring, from the powerful harmonies of the opening to the rhythmic switch-ups present all throughout the song. I love the “we are we are we are” mantra that repeats all throughout the song. It almost sounds like a poem put to music. 

Blue Lights by Jorja Smith: Mixing a spoken word style hip hop and reggae elements into her usual graceful sound, Jorja Smith manages to craft a pretty sounding R&B song with a meaningful message behind it. Her debut album Lost & Found isn’t what I usually listen to, but I enjoyed it quite a bit. Also, can Jorja Smith drop her skincare routine? How does she get it so dewy and smooth? She’s so hecking pretty, I can’t even. 

Honey by Raveena: YouTube played this song as a commercial before a video I was watching, and I fell in love with it. Raveena’s voice is so delicate, fragile even, and just lovely paired with the simple but glistening production. 

Summer Pack by Childish Gambino: Okay, I’m putting both songs on here. My only explanation for this EP is that Donald Glover took the entire season of Summer and managed to distill it into two R&B songs. Summertime Magic has a watery, tropical mood that’s always refreshing to hear (am I the only one that is reminded of Wii Sports Resort?) and Feels Like Summer makes me feel like I’m sitting on my front steps in the middle of August with a melting orange popsicle. 

ALTERNATIVE/INDIE/ROCK

Baby by Bishop Briggs: While more pop leaning than her usual content, the blatant sexuality, personal lyrics, and Bishop Briggs’s usual powerful vocals sell this song. Also, the music video is AMAZING. I’ve put it on my animated music videos that give me life series, but I can’t reiterate enough how great the animation is. Holy hell. 

Gold Rush by Death Cab for Cutie: This song is downright ethereal. It sounds like it’s lulling you to sleep, but in the best kind of way. It isn’t boring, it’s soothing. Hearing this song on the radio is what got me into this band, and while I haven’t heard their entire discography, I know that this song will remain one of my favorites.

Hand It Over by MGMT: Just like Gold Rush, this song is so soothing it’s practically therapeutic. Every time I hear it, I just melt right into my chair. I’d say I’m a casual fan of MGMT, (I haven’t heard their less mainstream albums,) but I really like Oracular Spectacular and Little Dark Age. This is one of my favorite cuts off the latter album.

Idaho by Gorillaz: While The Now Now didn’t leave a big impression on me, this song makes me glad that I decided to listen to it. The production has this swell to it at the chorus, which is just so calming. I really like how the song is dappled with nature sounds, too. It makes me feel like I’m in a cabin next to a lake in the middle of the woods and it’s raining outside but I’m cuddled up in a cozy blanket with a cup of peppermint tea.

Baby You’re A Haunted House by Gerard Way: I’ve never listened to My Chemical Romance, so I didn’t know what to expect from this song, but holy crap. It’s a total banger. The guitars on this track are so fuzzy and aggressive in all the right ways. This was what I had on repeat all throughout Halloween. 

Blood and Bones by TRACE: The only word I can use to describe the song is entrancing. TRACE’s smooth vocals and the laid back production always make me feel so relaxed, and the funkier electronic touches and glittery piano riffs add just enough to keep it all interesting. 

Nobody by Mitski: I told y’all I be mentioning Mitski on one of these lists! While the entirety of Be The Cowboy was lovely, Nobody stands out as one of the catchiest, strangest, and most depressing songs of the year. How can a song about crushing, isolating loneliness that literally has a lyric about the hypothetical aliens living on Venus bop to the gods? I have no clue, but Mistki pulled it off. 

Fruity by Rubblebucket: Speaking of weird lyrics, this one takes the cake: “I said I’d make it to the party / But I’ve got a lot going on / The lioness gave a feast for forty off her body / Then slept on the ground till a flower grew out.” I have no clue what the hell that's supposed to mean, but it works. The little “lalala”s and the whispered vocals make for an interesting listen. Thanks, Spotify’s Discover Weekly!

Pristine by Snail Mail: The brain child of nineteen year old Lindsey Jordan, Snail Mail is one of the most intriguing indie rock acts I’ve heard this year. Her debut album, Lush, is full of awesome songs, but Pristine has got to be my favorite. The lyrics about the monotony of party culture, accompanied by an upbeat guitar riff and communicated through her raw vocals, all come together to form a song that you can both headbang and relax to. 

She’s Kerosene by The Interrupters: I don’t listen to ska punk, but this song is a just a ton of fun. There’s a sweet saxophone solo, and holy crap does Aimee Allen have a ton of personality on the vocals. Even my dad liked this song.

Body Talks by The Struts ft. Kesha: AND I MEAN THE KESHA VERSION. The original is fine, but when you’ve got a version of a song with Kesha on it, do you really need to hear the other one? This song has such an explosive and rocking chorus and Luke Spiller of The Struts and Kesha have great chemistry. I hope Kesha ventures more into the rock genre in the future, because she, well, rocks at it.

Midnight by Black Honey: A grimy banger complete with bold vocals, a chorus that will get. stuck. in your. head, assertive guitars, and a kick ass synthesizer solo? Yes, please. I loved Midnight from the first time I heard it. I might have mentioned before that I heard of this song through YouTube recommendations, and I’m so happy to have come across this song and this band. 

Lavender Bones by Stand Atlantic: As I mentioned in my artist recommendation post, this song is the update to Misery Business by Paramore that I never knew I needed. It’s noisy, it’s angry, it’s so goddamn catchy. I’m not always into the whole punk sound, but this song surpasses its genre. It’s just so good. 

Shame by Elle King: Since hearing Ex’s and Oh’s back in 2015, I’ve been obsessed with Elle King’s debut, Love Stuff. It’s one of those albums that I can put on and listen to all the way through. Her follow up, Shake The Spirit, was also pretty good, showcasing her gritty, powerful voice intertwined with rock, blues, and country elements. This song is the standout, explosive, boot stomping, and a whole lot of fun. 

Uh Huh by Jade Bird: This song is the epitome of a headbanger. It was a tossup between this song and her other singles, Love Has All Been Done Before and Lottery, for this list, but this one just had to be on it. This is one of my most listened to rock songs of the year. The energetic guitar gives the song an electric pulse, and Jade Bird’s vocals... holy shit does she have pipes. Her voice reminds me of Alanis Morissette. This song sprints at full speed, as over as quickly as it started, and a hell of a rush too. 

Fireworks by First Aid Kit: I’m not a big fan of country/folk music, but this Swedish sister duo have surpassed my usual genre bias time and time again. This song is my favorite off of their album Ruins, (they dropped the EP Tender Offerings this year, too. It’s a lovely little slice of folk that I’d definitely recommend y’all check out.) This is a grand, soaring ballad, showcasing the sisters’ harmonization and a showstopping string instrument. Just gorgeous. 

Reasons Not To Die (Demo) by Ryn Weaver: Ryn Weaver was one of the first artists I listened to when I was first defining my taste in music. Her album The Fool is what got me into the indie pop and alternative genres. While hopeful that she’d drop more music, I was also pretty sure that it wasn’t going to happen for a long, long while because she doesn’t currently have a label. Then this song came along. Everything about it is beautiful: Ryn’s vibrato-rich voice, the melody, the lyrics, guys. This song’s lyrics are so personal and authentic. As the song continues, it builds up to this crescendo, and Ryn’s voice gets more powerful and yet more vulnerable at the same time, the music swells... and then it drops back down again. This song makes me teary whenever I hear it, and that doesn’t happen that often. Please, Ryn. Drop more music. Lorde knows we need voices like yours in the current music scene. 

Listen to the complete mix of all these songs HERE. What were your favorite songs of 2018? Any artists, albums, singles, etc. I should know about? Leave your thoughts and recommendations down below.

[dustedmagazine]

Dust, Volume 4, Number 8

Sad Baxter

For the latest installment in our often-monthly roundup of shorter reviews, we've got an elusively rare CDR, a brief discussion of "Mallcore," the merging of Arabic tones with a free jazz style of performance, and some lovely, understated Aussie songwriting. Contributors include Bill Meyer, Jonathan Shaw, Jennifer Kelly, and Justin Cober-Lake

Anne-James Chaton/Andy Moor —Tout Ce Que Je Sais (Unsounds)

Tout Ce Que Je Sais (All That I Know) is the fourth cohesive recording project by vocalist Anne-James Chaton and guitarist Andy Moor, and the second under their Heretics project. Sonically, it comes full circle to the strengths of their marvelous debut, Le Journaliste. Stripped back to what the two men can do live, certain strengths come to the fore. Moor’s guitar playing, an amalgam of chugging riffs, melodic permutations and those emotion-overloading near-explosions that have been his gift to the Ex for decades, is simply fantastic. You could just listen him do his stuff and the only thing you’d be missing is the way he shadows, underlines and propels the stark unfuckwithable authority of Chaton’s delivery. The Frenchman sounds undeniable reading the contents of his wallet, but the contents here — Francophone texts borrowed from or written about heretical figures that have endorsed the idea of undoing something — can’t help but add gravity to the music. Simultaneously freewheeling and unmovable, no matter what you’ve been listening to lately, this is one record that you really ought to know.

Bill Meyer

Neon Tiger—Accessorize (Bogus Collective)

Accessorize by Neon Tiger

Mallcore is a thing, it seems, so much so that multiple, competing subgenres lay claim to the label. One doesn’t know whether to laugh or weep. Neon Tiger’s recent EP sure doesn’t clarify anything. A few of the tracks scan as celebratory invocations of the climate-controlled corporate space of the late-twentieth century shopping mall, and the various consumer pleasures to be had therein. A few tunes feature weirdly distorted baritone vocals (including “Waiting in Line,” which turns out to be a couple sections of Tina Turner’s “What’s Love Got to Do with It?” chopped up and slowed down a cycle or three; perversely, it’s compelling listening). The distortion misshapes the vocals discomfitingly enough to suggest a measure of critical distance from all the logos and fluorescent lighting and foodcourt linoleum. But it’s hard to say for sure what attitude Neon Tiger takes toward its subject matter. In that way, the EP is a perfect postmodern object—mystifying surfaces, ambivalent values, with only the commodity form as a legible presence.

Jonathan Shaw

Luke Stewart—Works for Upright Bass and Amplifier (Astral Spirits)

Works for Upright Bass and Amplifier by Luke Stewart

There was a time when you had an excuse to not know who Luke Stewart was if you were not hip to Washington, DC’s jazz scene. Given his membership in the fiery improvising-for-justice quintet Irreversible Entanglements, that time is coming to an end. But that’s only one rock on a veritable heap of live-performance and community-building work that dwarfs his still-slender discography (debut efforts by Heart of the Ghost, Heroes are Gang Leaders, Mean Crow, Trio OOO). To that you can add the 31-year-old bassist’s solo cassette. Rather typically, his voice on his instrument is strong, but it does not speak alone. First comes a burrowing feedback tone, which morphs and recurs throughout the nearly half-hour long first piece as if to say that even when you’re alone, you’re not alone. Sometimes Stewart uses that continuous presence as a springboard for knotted, bursting figures; others he lets the amplification add a red, ragged glow to sprinting pizzicato forays. Turns out that the upright bass and amplifier make good company when Stewart’s giving out the working orders.

Bill Meyer

Leo Mullins—Being Here Is Everything (Self-Released)

Being Here is Everything by Leo Mullins

Leo Mullins, an Australian songwriter also affiliated with the Small Knives, makes a low-key but excellent folk-tinged full-length here, with shimmering spiderwebs of acoustic picking and soft shadowy melodies. “Weight of the World,” with its quietly gorgeous harmonies, is maybe the pick of the litter; it is melancholic and uplifting at once, and the guitar cuts through shifting vocal textures with a clean, sure resonance. Mullins brings in Amy Galloway and Kirti Mills to add subtle, pretty embellishments to a couple of songs, the slyly percussive “This Paper Boat” cushioned and softened with dual vocals at the chorus (that’s Mills), the drone-y mysteries of “Linger On” enhanced with Galloway’s wavery unisons (she also sings on the very lovely “Weight of the World"). This latter cut is one of two to feature Mick Turner of the Dirty Three on guitar. He bows his instrument on “Linger On,” adding to the VU-ish mesh of tones and undertones that flicker through that cut. “Let the Light In” also bears his imprint, though unassumingly, in the glittering lattices of picked acoustic that are hemmed in with bells. The songs take shape slowly out of mists and aura and tone, shiver like rainbows for a little while and then subside into the air, all the prettier for their evanescence.

Jennifer Kelly

Finn Loxbo—Eter (Gikt)

Apparently Finn Loxbo is a restless sort. The Swedish musician has played punky electric bass in the jazz trio Doglife, navigated his electric guitar through the busy traffic of the Mats Gustafsson’s Fire Orchestra and recorded an album of pensive folk-rock for Kning. Now comes a solo CD, the first release by the Stockholm-based Gikt label, comprising solo improvisations on the steel-stringed acoustic guitar. Is this the real Finn? Probably not, anymore than any one good thing you do sums up the real you. But he’s pretty good at it, and it concentrates talents he’s likely developed in his other endeavors. Loxbo seems to have prepared his instruments strings and mic-ed them closely, yielding gamelan-like sonorities on one piece, Derek Bailey meets razor wire fence sound-spikes on another and soft abrasions on a third. Each of the album’s seven tracks proceeds with a lucidity that suggests his songwriter’s mind does not shut off when he puts away the vocal microphone. File this with the work of Bailey, David Stackenäs, and Norberto Lobo, but don’t just file it away.

Bill Meyer

Mutilation Rites—Chasm (Gilead Media)

Chasm by Mutilation Rites

This record completes Mutilation Rites’ transformation from a black metal band flirting with death metal, to a death metal band that sometimes plays black metal riffs. When Mutilation Rites began dallying with deathy rhythms and chunky chords on Harbinger (2014), it was worrying stuff: it suggested a band flailing for a sense of identity, and the resulting record was uneven, at best. Mutilation Rites’ more significant commitment to death metal on Chasm turns out to be an enlivening move (pun intended, hardy-fucking-har). This sort of music isn’t supposed to be fun, but on Chasm the band sounds loose and confident, like they’re enjoying themselves. Maybe that’s partially due to their decision to cut the tracks for the record at Brooklyn’s Saint Vitus, a venue the band plays regularly. In any case, Chasm is a good record, and folks who really loved Mutilation Rites’ first few EPs needn’t fret: “Putrid Decomposition,” the longest track on the album and ironically the one with the most death metal title, has the fleet, jagged riffing that captures the band at their blackest.

Jonathan Shaw

Shelton/Mofjell—Uncovered short run CDR (Singlespeed)

Uncovered by Shelton Mofjell

Ole Mofjell kicks off Uncovered with a blast of force. Unrelenting but texturally varied, it makes this clear; you’re not in for an easy ride. In short order Aram Shelton joins him, blowing so hard and low that you might ask, “who’s the tenor player?” Ride the wave into the next track and the pitch territory moves upward, and then the question changes to, “how does he make an alto sound like that?” Time and experience have darkened and deepened Shelton’s instrumental voice, which has shed the diamond brightness that he wielded in various Chicago-based ensembles in the earliest years of the century. But his fluency has increased, and there’s no better place to hear it than in the company of a drummer like Mofjell. Each player shifts tone and tack in a second, using silence as well as motion to give the other room to take deep dives into the complexity of interactions with their instruments and each other. Caveat — the physical edition of this album is a pressing of 100 professionally duplicated discs that you might only be able to get by attending one of Shelton’s concerts or contacting him directly via his webpage or the Singlespeed site. But if you’re not into keeping the international postage racket afloat, there’s always Bandcamp!

Bill Meyer

Sad Baxter—So Happy (Cold Lunch)

So Happy by Sad Baxter

Sad Baxter’s “Sick-Outt” does the mid-1990s ramp up from relatively quiet, melodic verse to screaming, crashing, unhinged chorus in a way that few bands even attempt these days, and if you’re thinking Hole, that’s because Deezy Violet’s a girl. The real reference is Nirvana, here and in the slow building guitar-and-cymbals firestorm that is “Wash,” a transformation from clamped down palm-muted tension to full on feedback fused noise. Violet’s partner in all this, Alex Mojaverian, builds a bristling, shivering dissonant wall of percussion and amp buzz around a voice that snakes around curvy melodies like the Muffs’ Kim Shattuck or, more recently, Speedy Ortiz’s Sadie Dupuis. Sweetness and melody lurk in the intervals between bursts of splintering noise, hooking a finger to lure you in for the kill.

Jennifer Kelly

Manas—Live At (Null Zone)

Live At by MANAS

This cassette, which was recorded last summer at Fresh Produce Records in Macon GA, drives home a point that’s never exactly been a secret. These guys are punks. Guitarist Tashi Dorji may have been raised in Bhutan and he and drummer Thom Nguyen may operate within the realm of freely improvised music, but they're writing their own rule book. This half-hour performance rolls, slashes and rumbles in some pretty rocking ways; they play with an improvisers’ faith that their music will create its own form, but also with an abandon that suggests they really don’t care if someone doesn’t get it; they sound really loud; and out of all the places where they could have made a record, they picked a shop that (per photographic evidence sourced from a Yelp review) puts all four Kiss solo LPs on the wall. That’s plenty punk enough! Sobering up for a second, the music on this tape evinces more nuance and space than other Manas recordings, and sports their clearest recording quality to date. Rock on.

Bill Meyer

Gordon Grdina's The Marrow—Ejdeha (Songlines)

Gordon Grdina's been merging his jazz-based guitar work and his oud studies for a decade and a half now, finding his way into Middle Eastern traditions while integrating his own voice. With his Marrow quartet, he's expanded the strangeness of what he does by opening space for bassist Mark Helias and cellist Hank Roberts, each of whom toy with the function and sound of their own instruments on new album Ejdeha. “Idiolect” lets each of the three musicians shine (percussionist Hamin Honari mostly stays steady here) while revealing Grdina's gift for composition. The track ebbs and flows, trading melodies and shifting intensity across its eight minutes before its surprising end. The piece relies on Arabic tones, but feels like a free jazz approach to performance, the sort of blend that Grdina can deliver in a way that's both comfortable and alien. “Ejdeha” pulses in a different way, its heavy beat thumping through as the quartet finds an unlikely groove. Grdina and his bandmates have figured out how to keep a grounding in various traditions while still sounding surprising.

Justin Cober-Lake

[ewanreviewin]

  Song: “Slide” by LPX

In <100 Words: Cheating a bit since this came out the end of last year, but I didn’t listen until the EP. “Slide” almost feels like a MS MR single if you didn’t know that Lizzy was doing her own thing these days, with its powerful drums and – so far at least – fairly clear vocals (on the verses). THEN Lizzy starts to belt about the lack of warning her heart gave regarding heartbreak. THEN she and her band bust into the incredible, dancey chorus. You’ll be screaming along with Lizzy by the end of the bridge.

Fave Lyric: “The sweetest love in life cuts you like a knife, ripping your insides, leaves you paralyzed.”

I Also Recommend: “Tightrope” has been and still is my favorite LPX track so far with the absolute shredding of that guitar. “Red Queen” is my favorite “new” song from the EP.

The EP Overall: It’s quite a banger of an EP and really makes me excited to see what the LPX project has to give in the form of a full-length album.

What This Sound Like: My heartbreak coming to life and screaming at me, with sick guitars playing in the background.

Song: “My My My” by Troye Sivan

In <100 Words: Writing a good love song is actually a super underrated skill. As is creating a great pop song. Troye Sivan, luckily, has the ability to handle both under his belt. “My My My” is so unabashedly happy. Troye sings to his lover to just let go and enjoy the moment of being in love – and in a world where love has so much pressure put on it, why don’t you?! Bring on the album, baby.

Fave Lyric: “Now let’s stop running from love.”

The Video: It’s sexy. It’s pretty. It’s gay. Come on – how can you not love it.

What This Sound Like: Running through a field at night as a rainbow – somehow – appears in the sky.

Song: “Supernatural” by BØRNS

In <100 Words: This is a bit of an underrated song from Blue Madonna. I am obsessed with the multiple drum play going on (I even hear bongos) and the strings in the post-chorus. There’s even a theremin solo in the bridge. Hell. YES. Lyrically, “Supernatural” falls on the second half of the album (right after the interlude actually) where Mr. Born seems to be over the heartbreak and is moving into a more introspective view of his previous relationship. It’s all dreamy and just lovely.

Fave Lyric: “Is it love or am I fooling around trying to find the truth?”

I Also Recommend: “Faded Heart” still holds up quite well, the witty and bright, yet bitter and cold “Second Night of Summer,” the rock-tinged “We Don’t Care,” and the empowering “I Don’t Want U Back.” I’d include the interlude, “Tension,” but it’s ONLY AN INTERLUDE!

The Album Overall: I’m really happy that he went down a route that was less energetic and… polished as Dopamine, even though I really enjoy that record too. It’s a great follow-up, though at the same time I feel like he’s yet to achieve his full potential. I have a feeling that will come with the next record.

What This Sound Like: A montage of going to the mall, but on an alien planet, but everyone’s happy.

Song: “After the Storm” by Kali Uchis (feat. Tyler the Creator & Bootsy Collins)

In <100 Words: Kali expands her resume a little by venturing into the deep funk of “After the Storm.” Tyler name drops his newest record & the Disney deer Bambi in his mellow & very fitting verse. Kali sounds great on the track too – singing very sexy & empowering lyrics as she likely speaks to herself in a mirror. The highlight of the track is easily the production. The bass is excellent & the groove slows down a bit towards the end before picking right back up & leaving you wanting more once the track draws to a close.

Fave Lyric: “So you gotta be careful baby, and look both ways before you cross my mind.”

What This Sound Like: Laying in silk sheets dressed in your softest robe.

Song: “King for a Day” by Anderson East

In <100 Words: This song is quite cheeky and I didn’t realize! The opener for Encore is actually a “let’s-get-it-on” song because I’d rather hook up once than be strung along as an unrequited love for a long time. You would not think that’s what Anderson is singing about when you first listen to “King for a Day.” Tinged with some elevating trumpets in the bridge/end of the song & very traditional guitar/drum pairing, the instrumental of this track is quite infectious.

Fave Lyric: “Even if your heart can’t look away, even if our love can’t stay together, I’d rather be king for a day than a fool forever.”

I Also Recommend: The scandalous & energetic “Girlfriend,” “Surrender” which sounds like that “rollin! rollin!” song, the sweet but also jamming with the guitar “Sorry You’re Sick,” and my favorite mid/lower tempo track “This Too Shall Last.”

The Album Overall: It’s quite good Americana/blue-eyed soul music!

What This Sound Like: Wrangling cattle on the ranch as the sun is high in the sky.

Song: “Kissing Tree” by The Spencer Lee Band

In <100 Words: Whoa, WHERE did this song come from? “Kissing Tree” opens up for a while as just an acoustic guitar and a back and forth from higher pitched vocals to, who I guess is the main singer. The song builds up more and more with a few strings, and then a NASTY bass line once we get to the second verse. Lyrically, it’s probably what you’d expect from a song called “Kissing Tree,” but some lines in particular are quite clever. All the instruments being released from their cages in the bridge – oh yeah, favorite bit.

Fave Lyric: “Shake you like a leaf, break me off a piece, I got everything I need under the kissing tree.”

What This Sound Like: Unsurprisingly, like sitting on a tree & making out with someone.

Song: “Disappear” by Tonight Alive (feat. Lynn Gunn)

In <100 Words: In case you didn’t know, Lynn Gunn is the front woman of the awesome band PVRIS. She doesn’t hijack the “Disappear,” but rather she gives the track a little more fire to make it that highlight from Underworld. The song is liberating, fun, and also a bit detached.

Fave Lyric: “Why does it feel like home when I’m lonely?”

I Also Recommend: “Last Light” is one of the softer moments on the record that’s really needed. “Burning On” is another fun, upbeat banger, and the punk rock “Temple.”

The Album Overall: Jenna’s vocals are awesome on this record, but I can’t help but feel the sounds of the album have kinda been done before.

What This Sound Like: Getting out of your comfort zone to do something that you enjoy, by yourself.

Song: “Lottery” by Jade Bird

In <100 Words: What a great melody on this song, especially on the chorus. “Lottery” almost feels hippie/Woodstock ready with the soft guitar moments & jangling tambourine. However, the lyrics add a cool contrast to this, being filled with number-talk. Plus, her voice is lovely – like birds singing almost. Seriously, can I talk about the chorus again? The ending line has been stuck in my head for days now.

Fave Lyric: “You used to say that love is a game, but you got your numbers and you’re betting on me.”

What This Sound Like: Spending your time with a loved one in nature instead of spending your money inside a casino.

Song: “Bite My Tongue” by The Academic

In <100 Words: It can feel good to speak your mind, but sometimes it’s better to just sit down and shut up. “Bite My Tongue” seems to touch on the short-term joy (or potentially, in the end, long-term joy) of not holding back and also deciding to keep quiet for the sake of “not raining on your parade.” Meanwhile, this the band playing probably makes this the most upbeat track on the record – and it sounds great, especially on the chorus.

Fave Lyric: “My dear, what have we become? … So I’ll just bite my tongue.”

I Also Recommend: The track that directly follows this, “Fake ID,” sounds like going out for the night – kicking off the track with the opening of a door. “Permanent Vacation” and “Television” are two more upbeat bangers. I also enjoy “Different.”

The Album Overall: It’s a quick listen at 35 minutes, and while the songs on the record may feel too similar to each other, the pacing & length of the songs don’t tire you out at all. All-in-all, a good debut!

What This Sound Like: Driving with the top down by the beach.

Song: “Perfect” by Andreas Moss

In <100 Words: Andreas has a silky sweet voice that sounds best over non-distracting music. “Perfect” does a good job of this by having, essentially, just an acoustic guitar in the verses/bridge and a fairly subdued worbly bass in the chorus. If anything the shaking bass in the chorus pairs perfectly (lol) as Andreas hits the high notes in a swoon to the listener who “doesn’t have to be perfect” and is “worth it to me.” It really does take someone else to see the beauty in yourself when all you see are flaws.

Fave Lyric: “These are the moments when I see you – the purest form of you bleeding through.”

What This Sound Like: Blushing.

Song: “Stay Off My Mind” by Skott

In <100 Words: Immediately, you’ll hear “I’m thinking of you!” in some sort of ethereal, potentially self-sampling outburst that will catch your ear. The production kicks in as “Stay Off My Mind” enters the first verse with chirpy drums, guitar, and piano. Skott seems to throw in some autotune into the mix, which makes her sound pointedly distant from the listener who she wants out of her mind. The one moment of a back & forth of “still on my mind” in the chorus is really pretty. Lyrically, it’s more heart-wrenching than you’d expect – being about the death of a close friend. Damn.

Fave Lyric: “I’m left with the silence – there’s something about it, I don’t know, I don’t mind just sitting here alone.”

I Also Recommend: Snappy & groovy “In the Mood.”

The EP Overall: Because it’s so short I don’t have too strong of an opinion one way or another, but the two aforementioned tracks get me very excited to see what a full record would look like.

What This Sound Like: Wandering a city, with nothing to distract you from thinking about thoughts you were trying to avoid.

Week of January 12, 2018 Song: "Slide" by LPX In <100 Words: Cheating a bit since this came out the end of last year, but I didn't listen until the EP.

[moleofmetal]

GIG Review:  St Paddy’s Day - Tins4Tunes - Sky Giant/King Sloth/Immortal Omen

https://www.facebook.com/events/764095287295522/

Embarrassingly coming much later on in the year than normal. My first live gig or metal show of 2019, is also probably the first gig I’ve ever been to that a can of beans is a valid entrance fee. This gig, a charity show is all for a good cause: to help support my local community’s food bank with donations, while providing a few hours of live music too. Featured in a venue I’ve not covered before Church which is a fairly large venue with a terrific sound that I will no doubt be coming back to for GloryHammer and Discharge that is set to rock the place later this year. Watch this space for those!

On with the music after a sluggish start, the first band up and providing the deepest plunge into metal (my “normal” territory haha) of the night is a local and young upstart band: Immortal Omen. Now with a name that jams to together two famous names glued together with early band optimism, this band had all the hallmarks of a “my first band” effort with a lot more confidence than most. As for style think more of the last part of their name: Omen like the heavy metal band than the black metal titans of the former. Nothing too grisly here.

Presented on stage was a pleasant female fronted melodic heavy metal with a handful of thrash influence and a big bag of Iron Maiden badged Bass style. A nice package. With the bassist slap happy talented style that pulsed enjoyably as an undercurrent that set the mood nicely, though not quite reaching too far forward until about their third track when the satisfying rattle emerged to added impact.

The guitar work here was much more the focus, swinging into some speed metal melodic stomps, and galloping sections of thrash-like chops. Interesting yet un-pervasive, lots of style points but nothing you’ve not heard before. There was also some impressive soloing licks though, which shows that guitarist Frankie Perrie is quite the ginger wizard given the right breaks and definitely a deliverer of the goods when needed. While thrashing sections, while not frequent, were well executed with a step up in the heavy and made for some decent headbangs. Pretty fun and fast, how I like it.  

It was a night for drummers to shine with all the bands having some great sonic talent in the back row. Immortal Omen’s Adam Cashley was not one to let the side down on that front. Talented and strongly performed, although l could see he looked the most nervous person in the room, and this bleed through slightly with a few nervous points. Nothing too serious though, and there is more to like than dislike, including an interesting rim shot clicking styled riff on one of their new tracks made for a nice bit of experimentation. Good show from the back

Being a female fronted band, (another trend of the night) the vocalist: Eden Noon was not lost in the noise, having her own style and sway.  A restrained swagger to her singing, and adding a grungy flavor to the mix. Her melodic singing style hit the right points with all the metal around her while also doing her bit and giving a middling stage presence. Not the most imposing but more than passable. However, with the last track “Serpentine” she let out few punishing and piercing shrieks that shocked a few and startled many with its raw attack. Boosting the bands' memorability enormously! I would love to hear this developed further as she clearly has some mean side to her.

This my first time seeing all the bands on the night, but Immortal Omen was the one I was looking forward to the most (being the only metal on the bill helped too). And I can say they didn’t let me down. They did a good job giving out an entertaining set lacking only in confidence to push them forward. They made up for their mostly static movement on stage with some good tunes and ideas, despite some early jitters. For a young band though, I’ve heard a lot, a lot worse than these guys and I can tell they have the right spirit to make a success out their future. I’m happy to raise my horns to them. [7/10]

Get more from them here:

https://www.facebook.com/ImmortalOmen18/

King Sloth, the next band up, and what felt like a sharp step upwards on the skill level chart, but going on the fact some of the also work at the local musician’s shop (Kenny’s music) it felt a little bit like they were cheating a bit. They produced a super confident blend like kings of the forest floor in the high roofed venue. This band would fit perfectly with the annual Blue bonanza / Almost Blue fest in my city, as they had much of the feel of a cover band with their proficiency and laid back image and vibe and mostly sloth-like in motion. 

Playing a mash of old school rock flavors from the 60/70’s with stoner grooves and bluesy whiffs from the desert scene of the QOTSA bunch, and combining with just a splash or modern rock. Steeped in such a retro sound like the monsoon season in Vietnam just before the battles started, they started with a bang! With some delicate and precise key work on a Rhodes style affected keyboard they rocked, Hard! and suitably heavy for the style. Superb! While garage punk like riff grooves and rocking solos that were as interesting and as kick-ass the guitarist seems to have energy, for he was bouncing and all over the place on stage. A bit of a nutter is Daryl Robertson it seems. His playing style sloppy and blues driven boogie that had a few blemishes that seemed to make embellishments to his style. Wicked guitar work all around!

They even put out an astonishing mash-up of Hendrix/Phil Collins tune that merged nicely into a super highlight of the set and night. Great! The vocals from short fry Michael Carey did, however, take second fiddle to the instrumentals as they were not as distinct or a memorable as he sang the dulcet tones, but he made up for this by providing the most banter/lip of the night. Fairly funny and pretty honest. While having a dual role as bassist too, it seems he had is hands full as it did feel like the keys from Connan Watt were taking the place or covering for the perceived lack of strums in places. This is minor though as the tune the played where massive! 

The drums (from Jamie Butler) like the rest of the band was top notch and helped to make the whole band sound huge while adding his own bold flair and stylistic technical points to the music to great impact. This was, overall a stellar performance and well worth sticking around for. Busy, yet laid back set, full of great tunes for retro fans and modern sounders alike to get behind. Super! [8/10]

Get laid back with them here:

https://www.facebook.com/KingSlothBand/

Taking the headliner spot and up next was Sky Giant a terrific band of students from Perth College that have already made a bit of splash in the area. And I can see why. They were quick to take things in a new and possibly more extreme direction. This female fronted Post-hardcore 4-piece had a clear Mathcore / Math rock influence with some impressive tapping guitar and bass work, and wild angular riffs. Echoing of a Protest The Hero’s style while much more restrained in the guitar noodling department. Guitar work of Andrew McAllister was a real treat to see. Powerful riff work and fascinating sounds burled outward from their amps, providing a complex sound but not too far-out to be grasped and enjoyed for its melody, and its catchy hooks

A well-chosen stealth cover song was snuck within their early set too, that felt so much in their style that it landed greatly in their set without much notice, fitting in perfectly with their own well-written material. Nice move and skillfully done. Sparse and post-rock atmospherics where not skipped over either providing much needed dynamic to their tunes and breathing space between the waves.

The bass from the only provided Irishman in for St Paddy’s day in the night, Brian Connor skillfully handled the 4string with noteworthy passion, will adding subtle vocal backing too. The Exodus clad drummer, Marc James thrashed madly in the back shining bright with his crash symbol abuse. Giving speedy fills and added a metal crunch to the mix, wickedly done!

Sky Giant, although not the heaviest, they did swing into when they needed to. This is post-hardcore on the surface but with a large belly of alternative rock underneath as they kept the vocals clean and melodic. Starting with more blues-like in the beginning for vocals with smokey tones, before going into more tuneful, in a moderately powerful way, combing some floating moments, and with a pop-punk feel in places. It seems that Eleanor Hickey has a lot of versatility only just below her surface. 

The night for Sky Giant seems to be about carrying on momentum. The momentum of their energy on stage as well from the success of their latest EP launch, but they had one more trick up their sleeve. A la A Day To Remember: playing easycore iconic anthem-like cover of Kelly Clarkson (You know the song.) that was faithfully adapted but the vocals had the grip of karaoke vibe bringing down some minor points, (not helped by my own over-listening of the song). A fun number to play though, and it got quite a buzz from the audience. However, the show stopper original track they ended on was something special! A track that covers all the elements of their sound in one concise in brilliant fashion. A fabulous set, and very complete and fully entertaining band, that I won’t be surprised if they go on to greater heights from here. Go on! Go touch the sky, you delicious giants! [8/10]

Head into the Sky with them here:

https://www.facebook.com/skygiantband/

https://skygiant.bandcamp.com/releases

[calamity-bean]

American Gods 1.01

AT LONG LAST, after literally YEARS of waiting and waiting and clinging to the faintest of rumors, two of my favorite flavors of weirdness -- Neil Gaiman and Bryan Fuller -- collide on screen. The result is as bizarre as expected, in an extremely exciting way.

Not everything in the premiere worked for me. I reckon there will continue to be things that don’t work for me. But honestly, I’m just so dang HAPPY that one of my favorite books is in such capable adaptation hands, and I can’t wait to see how elements get translated to screen. Regarding the first episode, here’s my very personal & informal take on what was good, what was not so good, and what made me glance around nervously and giggle, “What the fuck? What the fuck???”

Spoilers for episode 1 and for a few comparisons to the novel, but only to book material that was covered in the ep.

The Good

The CASTING. Of everyone, so far. I actually wasn’t really familiar with Ricky Whittle before this, but dang — that man can carry so much emotion in just the twitching of his jaw and the trembling of his hands as Shadow spends a large part of the episode alternately numb and quaking with suppressed grief and rage. Ian McShane is not as rugged in appearance or wolfish in manner as I always imagined Wednesday, but he’s got this charm that is at once oily and debonair and very intriguing. I approve.

Pablo Schrieber, meanwhile, is just so fucking fun to watch as Mad Sweeney — always one of my faves. He’s got this infectious streak of madness and high-spirited but mostly good-natured bloodlust that you can truly see shining in his eyes even before he unleashes his fists. The coin tricks and the bar fight were both two of my favorite parts of the episode, and I also love his whole character design, particularly his hairstyle. Yetide Badaki, likewise, is enchanting to watch, absolutely radiating sensuality, mystery, and a hint of deep vulnerability -- a neediness that is partly a show but partly genuine. I’ve always had a soft spot for Bilquis, and her sex scene is honestly incredibly hot except for all the ways in which it’s not.

But my favorite so far may actually be Jonathan Tucker as Shadow’s cellmate. Like, his eccentric mannerisms, his bad teeth, his accent and rapid speech ... On one level, all of that so strongly telegraphs that this is some kind of backwoods petty criminal, one of those twitchy, kind of hillbilly guys. But it's all anchored by that perfect dagger-sharp, lopsided, mischievous smile. I really liked how Shadow “sees” him in the airport; I wonder if that’ll continue to be a thing?

On that note, I’m glad they managed to fit in the “don’t piss off those bitches in airports” anecdote. Giving it to Tucker’s character was a smart choice. A good lesson for us all, and again, I loved Tucker’s delivery of it.

Wednesday’s introduction was, I thought, an example way of showing things that the novel largely tells at first. The show gives his and Shadow’s initial meeting a lot more breathing room and space to play out in, and the sharp contrast between when we first see him -- disheveled and seemingly senile -- versus his smoothness on the plane serves both as a great establishing character moment for the audience and as an excuse for Wednesday and Shadow to connect over the fine art of the con.

Shout-out also to the poor beleaguered waitress at the Crocodile Bar. She expected better of you, Shadow. She expected better.

The cinematography. Visually, of course, the show is stunning. Gorey and gritty and high-contrast, like an extremely color-saturated noir. Unsurprisingly, it reminds me fondly of watching Hannibal, which is never a bad thing. The vikings’ battle in the prologue was a bloodbath of straight-up “Mizumono” proportions, and just as beautiful, in that very special way that bright, vivid splashes of slow-motion blood splatter are.

And the titular bone orchard! Eerily gorgeous and fascinating. I want to visit. Probably not the smartest travel decision I’ve ever made, but also probably not the worst.

The music. I had a notion that I’d probably be pretty damn into the music on this show; the first trailer set my expectations high by using Fantastic Negrito’s version of “Black Girl,” so I’d been hoping that the overall auditory landscape of the show would likewise be in keeping with my tastes. The verdict: heck YES it is. I need this soundtrack stat.

Oh, and did I mention Ricky Whittle is great? Cause he’s great. My mum and I have been fan-casting our perfect Shadow for years, but I don’t know if we ever hit on someone who does such a good job of combining Shadow’s imposing physicality with his soft-spoken and often gentle demeanor. And then to see his reserve shatter at Laura’s graveside, as he’s speaking to her and finally lets his heart pour out ... I loved that scene. Right up until the moment I didn’t.

Which brings us to...

The Not So Good

*sighs* Audrey.

Apparently, the only reason that scene didn’t actually progress to the proposed blowjob is that Neil Gaiman, bless his heart, threatened to throw himself in front of a bus if it took place. Thank you, Neil. In the original, fellatio-filled version, was Shadow supposed to be into it, I wonder? Or would it still have been sexual assault? Because that’s what we got on screen, at least: Audrey aggressively and physically assaulting him, though thankfully all she managed to do was shove him around.

I don’t entirely know what the point of that scene was meant to be, in terms of character or of narrative. Audrey, poor drunken Audrey, spends all of her appearances stumbling back and forth between sympathetic and repugnant — which is actually exactly how her character should be. But was it really necessary to do that by having her alternating between assaulting and hugging Shadow?

In the novel, Audrey’s shocking moment is at the funeral itself, when Shadow sees Audrey walk up to Laura’s open casket and spit on her corpse. I’ve always thought that moment extremely effective. It’s a much smaller gesture than trying to revenge-fuck Shadow, of course, but that’s kind of what I always liked about it. Not a grand, aggressive assault; instead, a small but stunning slap. And directed against Laura herself rather than at a proxy.

I don’t know. That whole scene just felt immensely uncomfortable, which I know was the point, but also unnecessary. Moving on, though—

I also did not particularly care for the Technical Boy’s goons. Their costuming / character design was weird and ineffective, imo, and doesn’t it rather undercut the entire nature of the Technical Boy — whose big threat is to delete Shadow, to literally overwrite him in the programming of reality, such that he never was — that he follows up that deletion threat by having his “children” just ... kick and lynch Shadow instead? That’s ... not really in keeping with his theme. Technology has advanced a lot since this novel was first published back in 2001, and although some aspects of the Technical Boy’s scene, such as the virtual-reality-limo interface thing, reflected that, the “children” and their methods felt incongruously low tech.

Overall, though, I didn’t really have many legit complaints with the episode. Just some things that made me cackle with incredulity, horror, and delight:

The WTF

An ARM flew through the SKY with a SWORD in its hand and STABBED A MAN in the THROAT.

It was VERY ELEGANT and AMAZING and I LAUGHED OUT LOUD.

Also laughed out loud at the viking who became a human quiver. I’m honestly so baffled by that. It’s a striking image, but it doesn’t make a lick of sense. That honestly seems like more arrows than any locals were likely to have on hand, and even if they did, why would they shoot them all into one person. For the sake of my sanity (and the show’s dignity), I have chosen to believe that things like this and the arm did not, in fact, happen; that they are merely embellishments on the part of Mr. Ibis, who has a lively and imaginative mind, after all, and who possibly has watched a few too many action movies.

And then there was That Scene. The one I had been eagerly awaiting above all others. The Bilquis Scene.

Bilquis’s first chapter is one of those moments in literature that fundamentally changed me as a person. I had a life before I first read the Bilquis scene, and I continued to have a life after, but it was not the same life as before. Ever since this series finally started moving forward, my number one question has been how the HECK they were going to execute it, and ... well. They executed it, by golly. They really really did. I think I’m pleased by how they executed it, but also deeply, viscerally disturbed, which is as it should be, I suppose.

Overall? A really interesting and promising start. Even though I’ve read the book many times, I still feel as though I don’t truly know how to expect, which ... is honestly a delightful feeling, considering how much faith I have in the creators. (It is not always a delightful feeling. Even before GoT surpassed ASoIaF, I increasingly found myself uncertain what to expect from it, too, but in a much more aggravating and disappointing way.)

Whatever happens, this is going to be a wild ride. The book is also kind of a wild ride, but the show is, I suspect, going to be even wilder. And I’m all for that. Now where is that soundtrack? I need it in my ears.

[singingrainbows]

Tag Thing

Nicknames: No nicknames (but I do go by Molly in games and such)

Star sign: Scorpio (also my chinese zodiac is a dragon :D )

Height:165,5cm (I think *shrug*)

Time right now: 01:39(start)

Favourite music artist: It's unusual for me to like more than a few songs pr artist lol, so I guess the ones who are the exception to that could kinda be called my favs, even if even that's a stretch for many. I do very much adore the Danish artist Kim Larsen he's like one of our national treasures. He's kinda like wierd cross between Bob Dylan, David Bowie and Elton John among others lol. So yeah I love Kim Larsen. I also love a lot of music by the danish Rasmus Seebach. I have a fondness for Backstreet Boy's second album (I think it was second, the one with the ”everybody rock your body” song (my first ever cd actually)), I really like a lot of Eminems work too; I really love most of Westlife's old works (they also did one of my top fav song of all time Flying Without Wings), I also have a fondness for some of Avril Lavign's old works. Gah let's just say my fav singers/bands off the top of my head are Kim Larsen, Westlife, Rasmus Seebach, and Yui (japanese). I listen to little bi of everything. From Fallout Boy and the occasional Lincon Park and Evanescnese; to Neon Trees, Paramore, and even those two one direction songs (best night ever, and perfect); to oldies like Dolly Parton, and Bob Dylon (yeah prolly add Dylan to fav list too). I like a few Gwen Stefani and Beyonce songs, and even a Taylor Swift songs. I also love Bruno Mars (yeah he should prolly be on the list, maybe, Iunno). I like classic musik and some opera, I like some rap, I folk songs, and country and old and some new. My fav song to listen to atm is prolly All Of You/Me by John Legend (which may just be the most romantic song I've ever heard). I DON'T like synths, and autotunes and all the horrible thing like that, which is sadly the norm in so much music today. I've very rarely seen it used well. It grates, and while some of it may be ok to dance to in a club (like the unholy racket that was crazy frog, actually kinda fun to really dance to on a sugar high) but the problem is that it's never kept there. It bombards the radio stations, which in turn, bombards shopping malls and recntly my god damn grocery stores! WTF? D:  So yeah I fucking HATE modern club music! I literally hurts my ears, and stabs at my head. FUUUUCK! (sorry for the rant ^^; ) Not much for Disco, I find the majority of Elvis songs kinda boring, and I'm not much for punk. I do love a good rock song, and I have a fondness for most of the hits thats came out when I was a kid. I like exactly one Spice Girls song (three guesses which, lol) but I REALLY do like that one. I love Aqua and while Barbie Girl will always scream ultra Nostalgia my fav is Doctor Jones. The VangaBoys too, Boom Boom, and Ibiza stand out lol. Achy Brachy Heart will always be fondly smiled at, and Over My Shoulder is still one of my favs (for some inexplicable reason, despite its subject matter being sad, it never fails to make me smile. Must be the upbeat melody, lol.) The danish band Shubidua was played to redicluous levels in my early teens, someone was always putting it on, lol. (That and Kim Larsen.) Their silly, silly songs made us laugh and smile and sing along. Also the Danish song Videoman. I Swear by All 4 One evokes memories of when my parents were still in love and not estraged divorcees, (while I don't regret them splitting in hindsight, no kid likes going through a divorce. Let alone moving a country away and leaving one parent behind. *forget ”every other weekend” I saw my dad 2-4 weeks a year if that.*) that song reminds me of simpler times (not that I long for them, I like my life now, but still). The Soop Shoop Song aka In His Kiss by Betty Everett is and always will be awesome. Las Ketchup was rediculous but fun. Yeah I  could go on, but I think that's beyond enough lol. Sorry long babble is long. XD

Song stuck in my head: Can't remember for a blessed moment and I want to keep it that way lol.

Last movie watched: Uh. Prolly a drama or some scifi movie.

Last TV show watched: Underground, Handmaid's Tale, American Gods, so many more. (Also, Game Of Thrones needs to start NOW not in two weeks :O )

What are you doing right now: Writing this, reading an awesome Naruto fanfic, arguing with my cat, smiling at my cat, enjoying that my cat is currently not screaming his head off and hoping lasts, considering attempting to gather my sweet kitty for a cuddle, watching a few anime Hero Academia, *just finished a few too* just started the first ep of Spiral; cat's yelling again ”be quite I'm not giving you a snack! Top scratching the table gah!”; quiet again, please last; playing Pokemon Sun.

When did you create this blog: Uh, like last year I think. It's fairly new.

What kind of stuff I usually post: Mostly reblogs. I'm planning to start psoting some fan theories, musings on stories, and maybe a review or two, I dunno. Who knows.

Do you have any other blogs: Twitter (my primary hang out) and Deviantart.

Do you get asks regularly: No

Why did you choose your url: Uh.

Hogwarts house: Swings between Slytherin and Hufflepuff, with the potential but not really the desire for Gryffyndor.

Pokémon team: I think it was Valor, but I dunno. Also, if I really lived in the pkmn world my occupation would totally be treasure hunter/adventurer.

Favourite colour: Pastel/baby/pale pink and pastel/baby/pale/sky blu are tied for first place, second  is pastel/baby/pale purplish blue and pastel lavenderish. I just love pastels, and I'm fond of all lighter shades of blue. I like some reds too. Bright orange and yellow in nature. If it's found on a real rainbow I likely have a fondness for it. Flowers and nature make me happy. I love the sky, and bodies of water. My dream is to live near a lake and a meadow. (I hate grey.)

Average hours of sleep: It swings. But for an otimal nights sleep I require around ten hours min.

Lucky number: 7

Favourite Character: Lucy Heartfilia from Fairy Tail (probably one of the best female characters (and characters period) ever; Naruto Uzumaki (pre Tobi ”reveal”) from Naruto; Sakura Haruno (pre Tobi reveal), various other Naruto characters; Madoka from Madoka Magica, Usagi/Sailor Moon; various Madoka Magica characters; various FairyTail characters; various Digimon Characters; Harry Potter from HP; various HP charas. A ton of others too, but this list is long enough.

How many blankets do you sleep with: Two summer duvets (sometimes I forgo the one if it's REALLY hot, but my body goes into super shut down mode when I sleep, so I get super chilly. This is not fun on a plane.) In the winter I sometimes pile on one or two or even three blankets. (Then despar when I wake to one or more on the floor.)

Following: 6

Followers: 11 but not because tumblr spazzed out. The real number is iffy. :P

I was kinda tagged by Amarevia. I tag those who wanna give it a go.

[rqs902]

now im watching last week’s ep of tco4 bc i havent had time to get to it yet and i need to take my mind off snzm 

UGH its sad to hear xy, fsc and xiao huang talking about their rankings rip but their laughing makes it even more sad

UGH NOT FRUIT PLANET I REALLY LIKE THEMMMM sigh i gotta face the reality that theyre likely gonna get separated... but PLEASE AT LEAST SOMEONE SAVE XIAO ZHI PLEASE THATS ALL I ASK, im not gonna be greedy :(

oof i respect ma zhe saying that he doesnt want to win bc he recognizes other kids like FRUIT PLANET KIDS, zy and xiao zhi, are so skilled. he knows winning is just a numbers game and would not serve as proof of his skill. thats a tough place to be in, and it isnt uncommon but i think i rarely hear a contestant say it like that. “i dont want to win bc im not worthy” “i dont want to win bc i know im not as talented” 

wow i was a little confused as to why they were doing these solo spotlights but actually this is really nice! its nice to see them really going hard at their strengths and really pouring their all in to show off a bit. it can be hard to do so in a group setting all the time, and really it reminds you that there a lot of really talented musicians among these kids. i think itll also be good to remind the kids who are picking later what the other kids’ skills are and what they’re capable of. 

oh whoa i thought about there only being 2 bassists, i didnt realize there are only 2 pianists too

hm maybe im just biased but i thought xiao li’s playing was a litttleee bit cleaner than szb’s heheh but i respect that they attempted to even play a duet from across the room, thats a challenge 

i respect muji’s playing 

LOL why do xiao huang and zhao ke’s voices singing together sound so strange to me LOL 

LOL switch to ljt’s group and im just !!!!! HIS VOICE !!!! I LOVE LIAO JUNTAO’S VOICEEE and also the cafe vibe is so him LOL this group is so him

wait so someone explain to me why ljt wasnt in the solo section? is he considered a vocal? but what about his guitar skills?? 

im kinda sad jym isnt smiling when drumming anymore :\ 

YAY FRUIT PLANET !! i love how happy xiao zhi and wsh look when playing hahah 

AW talking about xiao zhi being like a dad and 包容 and taking care of them im ughhhh UGH THIS IS A MINI XIAO ZHI FEATURE IM CRYINGGGG THIS CHILD DESERVES THIS “the one who’s left standing when everyone else falls down” hes just so supportive and warm.. ugh watching him break down crying thinking about all he couldve done better and you can tell he feel so guilty and blames himself that fruit planet isnt doing well

HAHAHAHA EVERYONE WANTS XIAO ZHI !!! except szb lol but at least i know if they do get disbanded, hopefully xiao zhi will still be safe :’) im glad they all recognize his talent and the importance of having a bassist!!! 

oof xiao xiong talking about hyt being overbearing and reminding him of his ANGRY DAD thats a big ouch. it is true that xiao xiong’s skill level may not be up to hyt’s standards, but i can see hyt doesnt respect him enough as a team member. the more familiar hyt gets with him, the more he isnt afraid to show his true feelings of frustration. esp bc theyre in such a stressful situation, it must be rough as a leader. also seems rough for xiao li to be stuck in between this. from the beginning hyt has shown himself to have high standards and he demands high quality so he isnt gonna be the soft, encouraging leader xiao xiong probably would prefer, unfortunately. ouch the way hyt straight up says “this is going to be painful” like theres nothing he can do about it and they just have to accept it. like ps says, he’s not good at understanding other people’s feelings, like he doesnt seem to be willing to try to understand xiao xiong’s. 

the way hyt lists what other people are doing and then asks xiao xiong “那你呢?” ouch........ that seems really mean? manipulative? harsh? but at the same time, we dont really know all the context so this is just want tencent wants us to think.

hyt also wants xiao zhi???? I cant imagine xiao zhi in this group, even tho itd probably be good for his possible debuting prospects, but xiao zhi gives me such a laid back, warm, taking care of everyone, creating a nice, supportive environment type of leader, and this group is literally the opposite of that??? ugh and yet, despite their superior group environment, fruit planet is at risk of getting disbanded... so sad. 

man with the way these votes are trending hyt is gonna win and ljt wont debut? :(

lol tencent cutting the speeches of less popular contestants not surprised 

wait wat. isnt qiang ge very popular??? what happened to his votes? wait what. im confused. what???

LOL FRUIT PLANET IS SAFE IM SO RELIEVED HAHAH okay i know i came into this show for ljt but xiao zhi has become one of my picks too, i cant deny anymore LOL and also xiao li -- but hyt’s group’s dynamic makes me feel uncomfortable at the moment. but yea ljt, xiao zhi, xiao li are my top 3... too bad they DEF wont be in the same group / wouldnt mesh well in a group together LOL 

i love fruit planet group dynamic :’) watching them talk to each other just makes me smile

OH MY GOODNESS XIAO LI IS LEAVING?????? i can understand though, this grouping is not ideal from a music making standpoint either, like why are there so many vocalists lol but also i respect that hes putting his music first and he knows what he wants and needs for his music. even if it means leaving hyt who is basically a guarantee for popularity on this show. im so surprised xiao xiong isnt saying he will leave too.. or even hyt himself at this point. theyre all just... crying.... but honestly how can they make music without xiao li??? 

AWH my heart.... xiao li asking xiao xiong “你會恨我嗎?” i have never felt “do you hate me” hit me in the feels like this before. its such an OOF. and xiao xiong saying hes super close to xiao li, you can tell hes been under such emotional duress and xiao li has supported him through and now hes just conflicted between betraying hyt (who he wouldnt be here without) and suffering with hyt without xiao li there to help. this is so sad to watch..... ok but honestly just seeing how in this emotional time, ma zhe and xiao xiong are talking to xiao li and NOT hyt says something about how theyre afraid to touch him. 

what xiao li says about hyt being kidnapped by his popularity makes so much sense, with what hyt said about chasing after his expectations and trying to live up to them. hes really not relaxed. ever. and i think thats what xiao li doesnt want to work with. i respect that he wants to be recognized for his music rather than just be recognized. 

wat is this show doing why did they just stop and let them wallow in their feelings for hours??? wtf?? i mean i appreciate they respect that its a difficult and important decision but shouldnt they make them move on more efficiently?? what a waste of everyone’s time...

lol hyt learning some eq? yes you have to take care of your group members’ feelings, theyre people....

L O L XIAO LI GOING BACK ON HIS DECISION IM DYINGG HAHHAHAHAHHAHA WHAT A WASTE OF EVERYONES TIME HAHAHHAHA WHAT IS THIS SHOW. but okay yes i respect xiao li for having the guts to say he wants to leave, bc that hopefully gave hyt the wake up call he needed. BUT ALSO i do think staying with hyt makes sense career-wise. gaining popularity first isnt a bad thing. and he can always (continue to) prove his worth and make all different types of songs in the future, whether during or after his time with hyt. but staying with hyt = exposure, and thats never a bad thing. its just... hopefully they can resolve their emotional issues from here on out.

technically the smart move is to pick a popular contestant like zhao ke, to boost your group’s popularity overall. BUT hyt is so popular it really doesnt matter LOL 

L O L xiao li being like well i cant get the group i want anyway, so idgaf lets just keep on “戲劇化” HAHAHAHHA he gives no effs anymore

but also i cant imagine them with another non-instrumentalist LOL and what kind of style will they have now? 

ok wait let me go back to look at this:

hm yea the only other person of choice that would be helpful for votes is qiang ge. but i also cant imagine him on fruit planet???? ugh i wonder if qiang ge turned them down bc he feels like he’d ruin them like he blames himself for ruining his past groups. 

i cant believe xiao li said he tried to talk to qiang ge for 3 hours until 6am... to convince him to come to fruit planet? wild. 

UGH so sad that fruit planet didnt get a successful pick but honestly i am kinda glad mty didnt agree bc i kinda really would like to continue seeing xiao zhi play bass..... but ofc i guess it would be nice for him to show other skills too, ah im conflicted. but he really looks so carefree and like hes having so much fun when playing bass, id hate to take that away

LOL BASICALLY SZB CONFESSING TO MUJI HAHAHHAHAHA IS THIS A HIGH SCHOOL DRAMA ALL THE SUDDEN HAHAHHAHA actually i havent seen them interact before but i can kinda see muji’s personality meshing with their group’s, like hes kinda quirky and strange too LOL its cool they do get along tho

OOF SO MANY REJECTIONS. but also muji’s right, last time he wasnt strong enough, so i respect that hes really trying this time. 

omg szb throwing a tantrum and trying to force muji’s hand is not very respectful to muji’s wishes and it makes muji look like a bad guy :( im glad muji’s standing his ground tho, this is not the time to indulge a child’s tantrum lol

on the bright side, i love xiao zhi’s laugh, so at least we got something out of this LOL

LOL xy so easily pulling fsc over LOL why cant they all be like this LOL save tencent editing time LOL 

i knew there were too many emotions on ljt’s team........ i cant believe as soon as szb is like marginally okay, jym is like NOPE....... L O L 

.....i cant believe..... they’re just.... cutting it off...... like this....... WHAT IS THIS SHOW AHHAHAHAH okayyyyyyyyyyyy thennnnnnnn 

oof wasnt 車站 ljt’s last song before elimination? i just got hit with a wave of sadness and memories oof i wasnt ready 

man its so interesting bc i feel like on other shows, the contestants are always like “i dont want to get eliminated!” but here its like “i dont feel like i can fit into their music, id rather be eliminated.” its an interestingly different type of setting. i respect that they respect their own music, but i guess theyre not thinking enough about their future career progression? if they really want to make it in the music industry? idk. its interesting bc i feel like ljt has struggled so hard since getting eliminated from the first season that i assume / hope he has more of a mindset of wanting to make it to the end.

anyway im kinda surprised fruit planet made it so high LOL but yay for them, i really wonder what will happen with them picking their 5th member. im surprised qiang ge’s votes are so low? itll be sad if he really leaves though. ugh only 2 out of 4 groups successfully regrouped and one of them took an extra 2 hours to decide.... lol. i still dont understand why that was allowed in the first place but okay. this is the most struggle elimination ep ive ever seen LOL 

[themathrockblog]

FESTIVAL REVIEW: STRANGEFORMS, WHARF CHAMBERS - LEEDS 2017

Having reflexively purchased a ticket upon seeing the immense line-up for last year’s StrangeForms only to find myself unable to attend, I was thrilled to witness the incredible festival for the first time this year. And what a year it was, making up for missing last year with a wealth of friendships forged, conversations relished and most importantly, great bands enjoyed with that mixture of attentiveness and bewilderment that math-rock always brings. In the early Saturday afternoon at the charming DIY space Wharf Chambers, tepid bursts of sunlight shone into the beer garden as punters gathered in surprising numbers to hear local lads Classically Handsome Brutes open the festival. Whopping guitar riffs and thudding bass made for an unsettlingly crunchy sound; the roaring songs always featuring stop/start stabs both as impossibly hard to anticipate as they were tightly performed. Next followed Lost Ground and a subtle change of pace. The first and most delicate vocals of the festival soared over intricate guitar parts, often contrasting with emphatic bass and complimenting jazz-tinged drum work. The set was emotional and engaging, with a sound more lustrous than the sum of its three-pieced together parts.

Off to a great start! The Real Junk Food Project was serving up exquisite food on a pay as you feel basis, fine pale ales were being liberally guzzled inside a venue with the most homely and vibrant feel. An assortment of merchandise and t-shirts colourfully wallpapered the gig room as everyone gleefully quizzed each other in anticipation of their prospective favourite bands to come.

From a line-up brimming with an assortment of three piece bands, Steve Strong stuck out as a tantalising prospect of hearing noises just as full, songs just as enthralling and some of the best drumming of the weekend. Guitar loops were tightly controlled and effortlessly built upon, stripped back from the mix and thrusted in again. Each time the cacophony had found its place, it was given new life by quick and breathtakingly pinpoint percussive work. A stunning performance and a unique chance to see how carefully chosen rhythmic changes can structure a song.

Back to three pieces, this one less time-signature twisting, more groove-fronted power riffs from Memory of Elephants. A tasteful ear for melody was wrestled with as the bass and guitar interlocked with precision to create beefy math-rock at its best. The balanced instrumentation was evident, as the bass shared as many central motifs as the guitar, both musicians tightly synced as if one brain splitting into four hands, blasting sounds through two octave pedals and smashing your eardrums to pieces one spasmodic riff at a time. ‘Who The Fuck Is Runcorn?’, the closer from their second EP, was the pinnacle of the set for me as each stop-start and stab shifted focus around the stage, from ballistic drum fills to bass thuds to guitar screeches. Drums drove the songs with tasteful builds and insanely tight flourishes atop the ride cymbal. Occasional roars demonstrated just how fun it was to be upon the StrangeForms stage. 

I took brief notes for the scarily brutal performance of Fall of Messiah, but they seemed so apt ill reproduce them here verbatim: “A voice so piercing a microphone is surplus to requirement. Sounds like This Will Destroy You thrown in a blender and turned up to 11.” That really says it all, I think. My next memory - of bands, not elephants - was of the hypnotically spacey, painstakingly crafted masterpieces that are Poly-Math songs at full tilt. Perhaps VASA, who I’m assured played before Poly-Math, were so jaw-droppingly awesome that they melted the part of my brain that makes memories, for a short period of time about as long as their set. Not to worry, Poly-Math were here to rescue my fragile constitution with warmly curated prog-rock. Bass and drums interlocked, jolting and grooving freely whilst a guitar funnelled through an expansive pedalboard turned neat riffs into spacey wails. The performance was mesmerising, as hands wandered along the guitar neck as if a man strolling along a boardwalk, only to find himself alone at the end, meeting the ocean in a frantic storm, in layers of rapturous guitar and pulsating beats. Take a standard prog song, put it through a washing machine on a spin cycle and you’ve got Poly-Math at their psychedelic best.

To continue the hypnosis, Gallops took to the stage. Technical issues were overlooked as a patient and jovial crowd took the time to ready themselves, using the respite to mentally prepare for the synth-driven, danceable anthems ahead. The wait was more than worth it. Such a carefully crafted sound pits layers of guitar against layers of synth, colliding in a maelstrom of warm noise so atmospheric and so colossal that it opened up a blackhole and sent them in a time warp back to the 80’s, picking up a few cues from synthpop along the way. Gallops make something like ‘tropical math-rock’, with drum pads crunching out over real drums, battled with and battered in the most rhythmic and danceable way. ‘Tropical’ is actually rather apt, as the smooth wash of electronic textures build and twist, the temperature rises and attendant bodies groove throughout the room; it’s not long before the breeze of a synth sound has spun in on itself and whipped up a tropical storm of electronica and massive guitar lines, warbling like the din of a cyclone. And with that, day one was over. The second half of this review will be written through much hazier recollections, as the Saturday night ambled on into the early hours and the Sunday left most feeling the distinct sting of tiredness. The double-espresso shot of noise everyone needed on the Sunday afternoon came in the form of the fearsome Irk. Post-hardcore mixed with mathy tropes, the guttural, raspy screams of the vocalist splattered out over the most tonally warped, gruesome sounding bass guitar I’ve ever heard. All in all, Irk brought warmth and colour to the pallid faces of the those hungover bodies that had dragged themselves down in time to hear it.

Ear-splitting kept to a minimum, the crowd picked themselves up for the contrastingly happy, upbeat sound of A-tota-so. Three musicians have never looked more in control of every note and drum stroke, as they intricately wound their way around tappy riffs and melodic bursts, before sinking into muddy noisy sections with equal control. Best snare drum sound of the festival goes to this set; what a piercing din was made, what a penetrating crunch from a batter head so tight the sticks pinged off it like a trampoline, atop which thrived a most gymnastic and dextrous display of drumming. Drums often proved more than a rhythmic backdrop for guitars to dance over at this festival, it’s only as much as you’d expect from thoughtful math-rock, but none did so more effectively than that of A-tota-so.

As a math-rock lover born in the flat, tediously homogenous farmlands of Lincolnshire, I used to find myself stranded away from festivals like this, lamenting the dearth of good bands in my area. Enter Bear Makes Ninja, Sleaford’s answer to the void left by the vocal driven math-pop-rockers of yesteryear. Think Tubelord at full ferocity, with harmonies abounding as a most bright and crisp guitar tone gives way to a most distorted one. All the while at the back of the stage, beefy drums were navigated with the most robotic, metronomic precision I have ever seen in such a noisy band, with pounding snare and cymbals laid down flawlessly. Not to mention this was done whilst the drummer simultaneously soared away with lustrous backing vocals. Stunning! Tackling parts this technical and channelling them into a fully structured song with three part harmonies and memorable hooks is a difficult task, but when they get it right, boy do BMN get it right. The ascending hallmark riff of 12345 (a favourite from our review of debut album Shenanagrams) was one of the most memorable parts of the weekend for me, and that is as high a compliment as I know how to give from a line-up so saturated with talent.

There were so many great bands on the Sunday that – although it’s too late for brevity – I’ll stick to my personal highlights. Taking to the floor, in the most literal sense, where Scotland’s finest post-rock, math-rock hybrid band, Dialects. With pedalboards this big and musicians using them as they wield guitars like proverbial axes – chopping and turning through the air with a dangerous energy – there was no room for math-rock this animated on such a stage. Standing at crowd level, guitars swelled with heart warming reverb, mind-melting tapping, frantic riffs filtered through delays and tones purpose-chosen; Dialects are an immense force on this scene, giving every ounce of energy to every song. Through the unique dynamic between the two guitars - one controlling and modulating the riff, one experimentally hacking at and bending strings - Dialects create cathartic songs to lose your mind, and all of your troubles, to. Just bring earplugs and watch out for the stray sway of a guitar neck whirling around (see below) as energetically as the riff it’s bringing to your ears.

Axes return to the stage was as fun a finale to the festival as anyone could have wished for. Remembering the intricacies of songs long since played live was a thoroughly entertaining process to watch; intimate and light-hearted, as cheery and spirited as the wonky riffs and jangling math-rock they willed themselves to construct. Thankfully, the audience had done their homework, urging in each new stab and stall to arise and break with head bobs of great precision. The band had a look of astonishment at the music their fingers were carving out of their fretboards. Twiddly, fast tempo riffs bobbled along over chunky bass rumbles, dipping in and out of different time signatures with formidable control and with a perfect balance between the two guitarists, wrestling with each other and both winning. A euphonic and emphatic finish to the weekend. Overall, my first time at StrangeForms did not disappoint. The music was incredible, of course, of this I could scarcely wish my expectations to have been passed, such was the brilliance of the line-up. But it was the atmosphere of the place I was thankful to have experienced. Here, there and everywhere people discussed the music and the musicians, the sets and the scene with voracious interest and excitement. Why is this scene so generous, warm, considerate and always the nexus of many an interesting conversation? Perhaps it is because many of the audience are in some way involved in the scene, creatively, artistically, from t-shirt designs to posters, PR and promotion, record labels, distros, videographers and writers – the passion is still somehow infectious in a crowd where everyone has already caught the bug. The joy of each head bang, of each pedal-tap induced wall of sound is lost on no-one; unique to this epicentre of musicians, artists and listeners is the feeling that everyone has taken time to totally immerse themselves in the scene. This noisy world is one of few where everyone is so friendly and familiar with everyone else, so buoyed in collective anticipation by a good line-up at the next of many events, from Bristol to Brighton, Leeds to London and beyond; there are no half-hearted math-rock lovers, and few are more passionate than Bad Owls about good music and good people.

Like every band that took to the stage, I’d like to heartily thank Stewart and Kerry and everyone else amongst the Bad Owls team for putting on such a great weekend of music! Words by Jonny Gleadell. Images by Tiago Morelli (http://feckingbahamas.com/author/tiago-morelli)

[bloomblitz]

Smurfs Lost Village

So after being on the edge about it, I finally went and saw it.

It’s a cute movie.

Now I grew up watching the old cartoon and rewatched dozens of eps about a month ago. This movie does a very good job keeping the feel of a classic Smurf cartoon plot (Smurfs having fun, Gargamel shows up and captures them, they escape) and that’s like half the movie right there. The other big part is the journey to the Lost Village, which is bright and colorful and fast paced. The actual discovering the Lost Village is in the final act of the movie, and so really the focus of the movie is NOT about Girl Smurfs, but about our gaggle of Smurfs (Smurfette, Brainy, Clumsy and Hefty) as they go on an adventure.

I really don’t get all the hate this movie gets? The Girl Smurfs get hardly any screentime, so they are not the center of the movie, and are not obnoxiously in your face. I didn’t see a ‘female Smurf for every male Smurf’, and I’m happy about that. That weird dance number in most trailers? Literally happens right before the credits roll. The movie is aimed at kids, but not little tykes, as there are a lot of loud sounds and, while not as...dark as the older cartoon (which by the way is not as bright and cheerful as we are lead to remember...), it has its ‘scary’ moments.

Now this is not to say that this film is without its flaws, as it does have some. For example, Brainy smurf spends his time inventing things???? He’s...a bit different...not as tattle-tale-ish as he was in the cartoon. Also the use of pop music is just distracting and wrong. If you have to do a modern song, just do the instrumental version, ok? Words only distract. Also...selfie bug? Really? I mean yeah its part of the plot but still!

And finally...Gargamel. Good gawd Gargamel.

He’s.....he’s not the Gargamel I grew up with. First off...that is NOT his voice. I understand this old VA has passed on, but they could’ve gotten someone who could do his voice! Rainn Wilson, your voice is decent, but Gargamel’s is raspy and creepy and just...when he laughs its cringeworthy. Wilson sounds like he could be Gargamel’s son or something, its too young. The Gargamel I grew up with wouldn’t leave Team Smurf to burn or to drown. He would’ve hunted for their burned little bodies to eat. He would’ve captured them when he was pulled onboard their boat. He wouldn’t care that he made Smurfette, after he got the hat from her he would’ve made dinner plans with her. Gargamel is a heartless prideful greedy competent wizard who will stop at nothing to get what he wants, and that makes him an actually decent threat. In the movie...what was his plan AFTER he got the powers? Was that just gonna kill the Smurfs anyway? Gargamel doesn’t even need more power, he has cast some pretty formidable spells in his time. There is one good thing I can say about this movie version though: you can tell Wilson is just eating up the part. He loves it, and it does shine through. Mainly after the initial encounter with Gargamel does it really show, and it carries through the rest of the film.

Also, I approve of the vulture. I’m surprised Gargamel hasn’t found Smurf Village yet with his eyes in the sky. Speaking of, that map didn’t have much room left to look. Not to mention he now knows the way to the Lost Village, so does that mean both Smurf tribes must co-exist in the Mushroom Village?

Also, why IS the forbidden forest...forbidden? Even for Gargamel? Is it the dangerous foliage? Something else? (and before you say ANYTHING about Papa Smurf keeping the Lost Village hidden cause he’s overprotective and doesn’t want his Smurfs hooking up with girl Smurfs 1) Pap Smurf loves all creatures and loves love and wouldn’t mind and 2)Smurfs do not reproduce! Baby Smurfs and brought via stork every blue moon. It. Is. Canon. So it wouldn’t matter is Smurfs hooked up or not!)

Anyway, that’s my two cents. Cute movie aimed for kids. If you enjoyed the cartoon growing up, either catch this at a discount or wait for the dvd. It’s not as bad as others let on; its not exactly a neon passifier. The Lost Village is a quick film about a small group of Smurfs on an adventure. 7.5/10 (if they had kept Gargamel’s voice and didn’t add the vocal music, it would be 8/8.5)

[yoongi-aka-agust-d]

20 questions tag

I was tagged by @puppyoongslike ten years ago and im finally coming around to it lmao, thanks for thinking of me ~

rules: answer the 20 questions and tag 20 blogs you would like to get to know better

nicknames: i dont really have any? my name is v short as it is. my nickname currently in the main group chat is ‘unapologetic’ but idk when it became that lmao 

gender: female

star sign: virgo

height: im not sure? i think its around the 5′4 mark

time right now: 00:31am

last thing I googled: ‘its never too late to be what you could have been’ quote

favorite bands: bts, the neighbourhood, i feel like my chem should get an honorary mention. fall out boy have pure bops. i also love exo, blackpink, red velvet and twice but im not like a hardcore fan, just a casual.i rly like don broco, and KARD look promising i mean both the songs so far have been absolute tunes 

fave solo artists: halsey, melanie martinez (yes i am trash), britney spears (shes fucking iconic ok), nicki minaj (the actual queen), troye sivan, the weeknd

song stuck in my head:down by marian hill and now or never by halsey

last movie I watched: zootropolis was the last film i watched in general (it was a rewatch w the fam and its a damn good film if you ignore the influence of furries), beauty and the beast was the last film i saw in cinema (twice so far. its so good!!)

last show I watched: i just watched the first ep of the new season of doctor who. brooklyn 99 was the last (and possibly only tbh) show i finished (repeatedly. its my fave. yall should watch b99)

when did you create your blog: i just checked and this blog has been going since august 2011 how gross thats so many years wasted on this god forsaken site. this is my main blog, i have an aesthetic side blog i created like almost two years ago.

what do you post: literally anything. there is no rhyme, reason, structure or rules. its a mess. it started off as aesthetic and disney, went through the bandom phase, the criminal minds phase, the marvel phase and is currently bts/kpop w some other random shit mixed in.

when did your blog reach its peak?: god i hope it hasnt tbh that would be a bit depressing. i think this is the most Peak its been since i started it though

do you have other blogs: ya boy i have my aesthetic side blog if any of yall are interested in all that jazz @existingmess

when i first started out i originally had a side blog on the books i read which i kept going until about three years ago, but it stopped being fun so i deleted it. (it was called the book count)

do you get asks regularly: n o honestly i never get asks why does no one like me T T i would be so happy if any of yall ever hmu

why did you choose your url: i had idontgiveafxxk as a reference to nevermind, but when the agust d mixtape came out i wanted a url that was more blatantly yoongi related and @not-jeongguk v generously gifted me a saved url

following: 453

posts: 43,983 how rank

hogwarts house: OKAY SO when pottermore came out i did the test TWICE and both times i got slytherin, and i was a v proud slytherin. until earlier this year or late last year, i took the test again to see what my patronus was, and i got ravenclaw???? i feel like ive been living a lie????? but seeing as i would have finished hogwarts by now im sticking w slytherin 

pokémon team: i have never done a gym in pokemon go so i havent actually ever chosen whoops

favorite colors: idk im bad at choosing stuff like this. i mean, def black. and red. at the moment im also very fond of bright orange,winnie the pooh yellow and pastel pink too.

average hours of sleep: who the fuck even knows w my sleep. it ranges from like none to twelve hours (i slept 12 hours yday)

lucky numbers: i dont rly have any so ill go w 6 and 9 bcos theyre my faves (ITS BDAY RELATED I PROMISE)

fave characters: gallowglass from the discovery of witches book series (HE DESERVED BETTER THAN THE LAST BOOK WTF). finnick odair (HE DESERVED BETTER THAN THE LAST BOOK WTF). every character from the brooklyn 99 tv show. Bucky barnes. peter pan. harley quinn.

what am I wearing now?: my new mickey mouse nightie i got for easter off my aunt

how many blankets do you sleep with: one duvet and if its cold one or two blankets on top

dream job: fuck me if i know

dream trip: i wanna go to south korea and attend a bts concert omg. failing that,, disney will work

im not entirely sure who to tag other than @not-jeongguk , so im just gon tag everyone i know @plaster-chief @jonathxnbyers @redeyes-ultimatedragon i do know others but ive forgotten their urls im sorry if u see this feel free to do it anyways ~

[thephotopitmagazine]

Back on April 7, 2019, Orlando FL was treated to one of the biggest parties hosted at Hard Rock Live. All That Remains and Attila’s co-headling Spring tour was wrapping up in Orlando. The fans were excited for it with droves of people coming out to the show that night. And there was a huge media presence in attendance that night. The atmosphere had the edge of excitement, like the moment you’re about to open a gift, as the fans waited patiently for the bands to hit the stage. And when they did, the crowd was very pleased.

Sleep Signals, the band from Minneapolis, MN have built a reputation as road warriors. With their high energy on stage performances and music to match, the band stays on the road often and has built a solid fan base. They’ve been supporting their EP At The End of the World and was recently in Tampa back in November 2018 with Atreyu, Memphis May Fire, and Ice Nine Kills. Sleep Signals is Robert Cosgrove (vocals), Sean Fitz (guitar),  Cody Hess (guitar),  Alex Nikolas (bass), and Clay Barnum (drums).

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

When they hit the stage with their bright lights and ripping guitar riffs they didn’t waste any time rocking on stage. Sean, Cody, and Alex moved around the stage from one side to the next, smiling, and playing up to the crowd. Clay ripping away at the drums with brilliant speed and skill was amazing to watch. And Robert’s vocals are truly something special. His range is wide, his power is strong, and he amazes the crowd with the notes he hits during the show. But, the best part I love about Sleep Signals is seeing how much they love performing for the crowd. The band plays up to the crowd and Robert is very charismatic when he engages the crowd. Some of the songs Sleep Signals performed included “Means”, “I’ll Save You”, “Suit & Tie Suicide”, and “Welcome To The Masquerade”.

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

Next up was the hard rock band from Las Vegas, NV, Escape The Fate. The band has been around since 2004 and quickly picked up steam with the release of their second album This War is Ours in 2008. Their success continued to build with their third self-titled album and a huge tour to support it. The band’s most recent album was I Am Human which was released in March 2018. Escape The Fate is Craig Mabbitt (vocals), Thomas “TJ” Bell (rhythm guitar), Kevin “Thrasher” Gruft (lead guitar), Robert Ortiz (drums), and touring musician Erik Jensen (bass).

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

The band hit the stage in a fury of rock and roar of approval from the crowd. Craig was all smile moving across the stage playing up to the crowd. Thomas and Kevin tore it up on stage with their fast-paced guitar riffs. The crowd was loving the performance and with good reason. Escape The Fate’s music is energetic, catchy, and makes you want to throw up some horns and bang your head. And as their set went on, the crowd was even more engaged, and Escape The Fate was playing even harder. When they wrapped up the fans were all cheering and screaming in approval. They provided a great fun set that evening continuing to set the tone that evening. Their setlist from that evening:

Do You Love Me

This War is Ours (The Guillotine II)

Ungrateful

Digging My Own Grave

Empire

Just a Memory

Gorgeous Nightmare

Broken Heart

One for the Money

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

Next up was the first co-headliner, Attila. The band out of Atlanta, GA formed back in 2005 and released a demo album titled Fallacy in 2007. By the next year, they would release their debut album Soundtrack to a Party and start touring. The band started touring more frequently with the release of Rage in 2010 and have been non-stop ever since. Their success built from there with their care-free, hardcore performances, their genuine interactions with the fans, and having fun on and off stage. Their 2013 album About That Life debuted at #22 on the Billboard 200 and Chaos from 2016 peaked at #30 on the Billboard 200. Attila released their latest album, Villain, on February 22, 2019. Attila is Chris “Fronz” Fronzak (vocals), Chris Linck (guitar), Kalan Blehm (bass), and Bryan McClure (drums).

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

I already heard that Attila had a large number of guests that night at the show. And when they hit the stage, you would have believed the entire audience was their guests based on their response. Attila didn’t waste any time getting the party started with “Perdition” from Villain with its thunderous bass and guttural vocals and followed it up just as heavy with “Three 6”. Attila came to throw down and party with the fans and the crowd was happy to go along with them. Crowd surfers started making their way to the front of the stage. Moshers were going heavy in the middle of the floor. And Attila kept on rocking encouraging the crowd to let loose and have fun.

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

A fan ended up throwing a bottle on stage at the end of a song and Fronz said to the crowd the only things that should be thrown on stage were drugs or bras and low and behold the bras came flying on stage quickly. Women in the audience had no qualms pulling out their bras from under their shirts and throwing them on stage. Fronz, Chris, and Kalan smiled and started hanging the bras on the mic stands and continued their performance. I truly loved how fan friendly the band was telling them how Orlando is part their home (as half the band lives there) and if they see them out an about they should go over and say hello to them. And even proceeded to tell the fans a story or two of their partying excursions right before performing “Bad Habits”. Attila wrapped it up with “Pizza”, which the fans adored, and thanked everyone for coming out. Attila had a fantastic setlist that night:

Perdition

Three 6

Toxic

About That Life

Bulletproof

Moshpit

Blackout

Middle Fingers Up

Party With The Devil

Bad Habits

Villain

Proving Grounds

Pizza

Last, and most certainly not least, co-headliner All That Remains was coming to the stage. The band from Springfield, MA originally formed in 1998 that Phil Labonte had as a side project while being the vocalist for Shadows Fall. After leaving Shadows Fall, he focused on All That Remains full time and the band released their debut album, Behind Silence and Solitude, in 2002. The album was considered more death metal than heavy metal they produce today. The switch came about with their second album, The Darkened Heart, in 2004. Their commercial success hit with their third album, The Fall of Ideals, in 2006. The band had tracks appear on the Saw II movie soundtrack and in the video game Guitar Hero 2. The band also was added to Ozzfest and Wacken Open Air in 2006. The band’s continued success through the years allowed them to release 6 additional albums. The band is touring on their ninth studio album, Victim of the New Disease, which was released on November 9, 2018. All That Remains is Phil Labonte (vocals), Mike Martin (rhythm guitar), Jason Costa (drums), Aaron Patrick (bass), and Jason Richardson (lead guitarist).

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

The lights went dark when All That Remains took the stage and then lit up as they kicked off with “Fuck Love” from Victim of the New Disease. Phil was killing the vocals, Aaron was backing him up smiling on stage, and Jason was smashing away at the drums. Mike and Jason were both very focused while they played with neither breaking a smile. They followed it with Blood I Spill from the same album. The band was ripping their way through their set to the cheers of the crowd. At one point, Phil paused to talk about the unexpected death of Oli Herbert, former lead guitarist, back on October 17, 2018. Phil talked about how it’s weird standing on stage and not seeing him standing there and how much he misses his friend. He also explained how fortunate they were to have Jason Richardson join them, as Oli had high praise for Jason as a guitarist, who became friends with the band. During the set, Phil asked the venue to turn off all the lights and for the crowd to light up the venue with just their cell phones. There weren’t any lights on at the stage either as they played and relied on the crowd to illuminate them. Their setlist even included “Everything’s Wrong”, “What If I Was Nothing”, and they wrapped up with “Two Weeks” from their 2008 album Overcome. The band took a bow and thanked the crowd once they finished. It was a much shorter set than I expected that night which was:

Fuck Love

Blood I Spill

The Last Time

Hold On

Chiron

No Knock

Six

Not Alone

The Air I Breathe

Everything’s Wrong

Wasteland

What If I Was Nothing

The Calling

Two Weeks

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

Overall, it was a very enjoyable show with a good mix of rock and heavy metal and great performances from all the bands.

From The Pit To The Crowd: All That Remains with Attila, Escape The Fate, and Sleep Signals – Hard Rock Live – Orlando FL – April 7, 2019 Back on April 7, 2019, Orlando FL was treated to one of the biggest parties hosted at Hard Rock Live.