#did i just riff off dead flag blues?

[icarus-suraki]

Hey. If you're like me and have to deal with avolition, depression, executive dysfunction, and fatigue--or any number of other situations--and doing dishes is Just Too Much, let me remind you:

Disposable dishes are okay.

I remembered this only recently and my life is already better. I got some paper plates and paper bowls. So now, if I Just Can't Deal with washing dishes, I can still eat halfway decently. In fact, I can eat a lot of what I already had around for low-energy days (hooray for frozen foods) now that I don't have to wear myself out with dishes.

(For me, washing silverware isn't such an issue. YMMV, of course, so consider disposable utensils too if that will help you.)

bUt ThAt'S nOt SuStAiNaBlE!!!!!1one

To you I say

SHHHHHHHHHHHHHhhhhhhhhh.........

Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...

Shhhhhhhhh... Shhhhhhhhhhhhh... Shhhh... Shhhh... Shhh...

Shhh............................................

We are trapped in the belly of this horrible machine We are ALL trapped in the belly of this horrible machine And the machine is bleeding to death And the machine is called Capitalism and it does not know love

So if you're low on metaphorical spoons but still need some real spoons, please remember that disposable spoons are okay. If they make your life easier, it is okay. We're all just trying to get along here.

[1ddotdhq]

🎤Wed 9 Dec ‘20❄️

LOUIS!!!!!! I am posting this from beyond the dead because Louis’ trailer KILLED MY MIND! But THEN, it brought my body back to life because I HAVE to be around on Saturday to see this show go down. NEW LOUIS SONGS!!!! I AM NOT READY!!! First Eleanor kicked off promo for the livestream day by modeling Louis' purple Balenciaga windbreaker for us with a caption about her “BF”. I mean, it’s a look! No dogs today tho :(. Oddly though after posting herself in the outfit and saying that she was going to go out in the get up, she didn’t! Changed right back into her own clothes after all. Just like how Louis liking her post a few weeks ago was the first sign of action, this too was an indication NEW THINGS COMING! And boy, did they come! After Louis this posted his fifteen (15) second long clip, which included at least one full second each of an as of yet untitled song, KMM, Too Young, Walls, and a badass unidentified riff by Michael Blackwell (POP OFF, dude)! Louis was NOT done there though; fans were wondering what the unfamiliar songs in the trailer were. In what seemed to be a hint, Louis tweeted “copy of a copy of a copy”, which, when googled, turned up with two musical results. The only one that matters is the song ‘Copy of A..’ by Nine Inch Nails (“I am little pieces. Pieces that were picked up on the way, invented with a purpose, a purpose that's become quite clear today”). According to the band, this song is about breaking out of an image that no longer fits you: “How dare you have the audacity to not perform in the role you have been placed in”. Nine Inch Nails has also been really vocal about the importance of artistic freedom and the struggle to maintain it in the face of label interference, which I’m sure Louis can relate to. But! It turned out the untitled song that fans were wondering about isn’t ANY of these, it is, instead a “New song. Not a cover!” according to Louis himself! Let’s be clear: this does not mean that he WASN'T tweeting that lyric about doing a Nine Inch Nails cover, just that the snip in the teaser ISN’T ‘A Copy of A…’. Okay guys, I didn’t say this when the show came up, but now I will: I am IN LOVE with 12/12!! Last year, we got Fine Line on the 12th, and THIS year, we get BRAND! NEW! LOUIS! SONGS!!!!!!! This is one trend that is welcome to keep continuing!

And, for the TRUE piece de resistance: LOUIS’ HAIR! It is long long long, and slightly curly at the ends, and “HIS HAIR” (in all caps) was trending under “Beauty” immediately after the trailer was released. As it SHOULD! It’s BEAUTIFUL! And, in the middle of all of this, we got pictures of Louis from outside his rehearsal studio two weeks ago - OP said he said not to tell anyone about his hair, so they posted them the second after the trailer went up like “well if HE'S showing everyone..' They also scribbled out his hand. People asked does he have a new tattoo?? A ring?? Nope! It seems that he was probably holding a beer, which was edited out because yes certainly fans should jump in to take on the role of 1D management circa 2011 and preserve Louis' squeaky clean teen idol image! If Louis didn't want to be photographed with something he wouldn't come out to do fanservice holding it, give me a break, you really think he's sharing actual secrets with you? Grow up! Anyways, while on twitter Louis followed Isabella Signs, who he met through the charity work that she does for her younger brother. She has a YouTube channel by the same name and does A LOT of really cool SSE (Sign [language] Supported English) covers of all the boys plus 1D, check her out!

The Naughty List music video is OUT! It is a #quarantinevideo made with the green screen that Liam talked the other day about having had set up in his living room for days and how much he disliked that. It features Liam in a Snow Globe and Dixie and her friends dancing in a photobooth in colorful outfits (Liam in a red sequin vest with nothing underneath anyone?), pastel and glittery backgrounds, and lots of Christmas cheer! More than Liam had today, that’s for sure! Dixie loves Christmas, but Liam said that if it wasn’t for his son “pfft, Christmas can pass me by” in the joint live Liam/Dixie did to introduce the video. Steve the Manager (who made Liam’s naughty list for “making him work today”) spent most of the time feeding Liam questions for Dixie and trying to keep him on track. Liam and Dixie shared stories of Christmas presents (Dixie’s best Christmas was when she got a four wheeler), who made their Naughty List this year (Dixie: No one, Liam: “NIALLLL” - no he did not say why), and if they’d ever been kissed under the mistletoe (Dixie was when she was 12, Liam has not yet because he’s “a loonneeelyyyy boyyyy”, but then went on to say, “Mayaaaa you gotta kiss me under the mistletoe!!” so I guess that’s that).  Steve the Manager kept cutting Liam off before he could even TRY to do his Harry voice, so we didn’t get any of that, but we did get a nice solo Liam alarm to wake up to this morning, where he did a meditative bit and reminded people that it’s almost Friday!! And he's added some signed Naughty List single CDs to his store and merch! Really cute hoodies-- I'm not personally sure I want my chest to say Naughty List all over it but Liam can work it and it is a cute design. He also went on a radio show (not Roman’s) to promote Naughty List and revealed that he had NOT done any Christmas shopping yet, which IMMEDIATELY put him on their naughty list. Not to worry Liam, I think you’re still pretty nice!

And my favorite larrie is BACK: we got a sneak peek of Harry’s Jingle Ball set and, surprise, surprise, it’s the pre-recorded set with the Free Nationals! The description is, “Harry Styles and the Free National light up an LA backyard celebration with a hit-stacked set”. So, uh, I guess he’s not going to be playing in front of a blank wall - it’ll be a garden with a camper van, little blue flags, and fairy lights strung up. His shirt matches the small flags in being That Color Blue, and my one and only prediction for the set is that he’ll be covering Blue Christmas. I gotta say that I have NEVER seen anyone as dedicated to that - or ANY color - as Harry is. He still hasn’t popped up anywhere, but this is EXCITING! A new Fine Line set!!

Zayn made Martyre’s Instagram story again, and though you STILL can’t see his face, it’s his neck this time instead of his hands! I think that he’s meant to be modeling the necklace he’s got on, but the picture is too blurry for me to make it out. Alas. Anyways, I’d love to see some pictures of his FACE if Martyre has those? Please? Meanwhile, Niall promoted  a beloved Doncaster native musician... no it was Yungblud! On Instagram, of course: he did tell us he wasn't going to be on twitter for a while! 

[bthenoise]

We’re Starting To Lose It So We Made A Fake Music Award Show To Remember The Quarantine By

We are losing our minds and we aren’t talking figuratively like The Pixies. Every morning waking up in quarantine feels like an episode of Punk’d. 

Where is Aston Kutcher -- oh right, it’s 2020 -- Where is Chance The Rapper? we ask ourselves as we peel ourselves out of bed for what feels like the millionth time.   

Seriously, though. We know you guys are feeling the same way too. We read the tweets. We see the TikToks. Ya’ll are losing your goddamn minds just like us. 

The good thing is, to help with this sense of craziness as best as we possibly can (which isn’t saying much, we aren’t doctors after all -- shout out to all the amazing medical teams out there!) we have constructed the first and hopefully last 2020 Noise Quarantine Awards.

Featuring highly coveted awards such as Best Soundtrack To Fuel Your Hatred For The Government and Best Song To Steal Toilet Paper To, the awards below are meant to shine a light on all the positive things to come out of 2020. 

We know it sounds like an impossible task to put “2020″ and “postive” in the same sentence but somehow we did it. 

Check out the awards below.   

Fantastic Features Award

Silverstein - A Beautiful Place To Drown

Honestly, there are probably about ten different awards we could give Silverstein’s sensational LP A Beautiful Place To Drown. From start to finish, this is hands down one of the band’s best albums yet. However, for the sake of this very serious and very made-up award show, we are happy to present the scene staples with the Fantastic Features Award. 

Not only did the band include familiar favorites such as Beartooth’s Caleb Shomo, Simple Plan’s Pierre Bouvier and Underoath’s Aaron Gillespie, but they also went out of their way to include other artists such as emerging rapper Princess Nokia and Intervals’ guitarist Aaron Marshall. Now if that doesn’t deserve an award, we don’t know what does.  

Back Off Pit Daddies Cause This Song Slaps Award

A Day To Remember - “Mindreader”

But there’s no breakdown! How am I supposed to mosh to this? Would you quit your whining? It’s pretty much impossible for A Day To Remember to write a bad song. And sorry to break it to you pit warriors, they definitely didn’t start with their newest track “Mindreader.

Best Album To Eventually Soundtrack The Next Matrix Movie

Code Orange - Underneath 

Does this one really come as a surprise? Essentially creating their own genre of technology-influenced metalcore (computer core, maybe?), Code Orange’s Underneath is the perfect soundtrack to any type of action-packed, dark web-based, sci-fi thriller like The Matrix trilogy. Now would you like the red pill or the blue pill?  

The Welcome Back, We Fuckin’ Missed You Award

The Ghost Inside - “Aftermath”

A world without new music from The Ghost Inside is a world we don’t want any part of. Thankfully, for the first time since their tragic bus crash back in 2015, the metalcore maestros have returned with the hard-hitting and incredibly emotional track “Aftermath” taken from their soon-to-be-released self-titled album. So for that, the least we could do is present the band with the Welcome Back, We Fuckin’ Missed You Award.  

Honorable Mention: D.R.U.G.S (aka Craig Owens) - “King I Am”

Best Song To Listen To On Repeat And Realize You Successfully Killed Two And A Half Hours Of Your Quarantine

Loathe - “Screaming”

There is nothing made up about this whatsoever. We seriously thank Loathe for creating mind-altering music that transports you to a new dimension.  “Screaming” is a gem and the band deserves to be awarded for it. Oh, and also, I Let It In And It Took Everything is an amazing record everyone needs to hear ASAP.

Best Album To Get Drunk And Talk About Your Feelings To

Violent Soho - Everything Is A-OK

We’re not sure exactly what it is about Australia’s Violent Soho but they always seem to bring the deepest and darkest emotions out of us. Their latest LP Everything Is A-OK is no different. From track one to track ten, the band’s first new album since 2016 is an emotional magnet attracting feeling after feeling leaving us desperate for a drinking buddy and a good cry.

The If It Ain’t Broke Don’t Fix It Award

August Burns Red - Guardians

August Burns Red has been a prominent staple of the heavy music scene for years. Since bursting out of Lancaster, PA with 2005′s Thrill Seeker, the two-time Grammy-nominated act has been a constant source of inspiration with their bruising, top-notch musicianship. Fifteen years later, with the release of their ninth studio album Guardians, the metalcore vets are still as heavy and hard-hitting as ever deserving of our If It Ain’t Broke Don’t Fix It Award.   

Best Album To Eventually Soundtrack The Next Season Of Black Mirror

Enter Shikari - Nothing Is True & Everything Is Possible

Enter Shikari is easily one of the most unpredictable bands in our scene. One minute you think you have them and their eclectic sound pinned down, then the next they release their genre-shattering LP Nothing Is True & Everything Is Possible. With cinematic twists and turns from the rock-oriented opener “THE GREAT UNKNOWN” to the cosmic tornado that is “{ The Dreamer’s Hotel }” and circus-themed “Waltzing Off The Face Of The Earth,” Enter Shikari’s spellbinding LP is a perfect fit for something just as fascinating as the next season of Netflix’s Black Mirror.

Best Album To Get Your Medical Degree To

Vermicide Violence - The Praxis Of Prophylaxis 

We understand it’s not easy to comprehend deathcore lyrics. However, if you’re in need of a good study buddy while you prepare for the boards, look no further than Jarrod Alonge’s new parody album The Praxis Of Prophylaxis. Covering high-end medical topics such as vaccines, gingivitis, asthma and more, Vermicide Violence’s new LP is sure to help a lot more than those Grey’s Anatomy re-runs.    

The Tasmanian Devil Award

Rotting Out - Ronin

The Tasmanian Devil award is a highly coveted prize (possibly one of our most coveted) given to the album with hands down the most circle-pit-inducing tracks. While there have been some pretty good options this year, the record that stands out the most is Rotting Out’s first new album in over seven years, Ronin. Without going too far into detail -- because honestly, it’s pretty obvious why we picked this record -- if you’re able to stand still while listening to these fiery ass songs, you’re probably a cop.

Best Album To Get Drunk And Talk About Your Feelings To Part Two

Spanish Love Songs - Brave Faces, Everyone

Really? You’re gonna complain we used the same category twice in a made-up award show only created cause we’re stuck living fucking Groundhog Day over and over again? Instead, how about you put that same energy into enjoying Spanish Love Songs’ brilliant, tear-jerking album Brave Faces, Everyone. You won’t regret it.

Best Soundtrack To Fuel Your Hatred For The Government

Anti-Flag - 20/20 Vision

Regardless of if you’re really into politics or not, it’s practically impossible at this point to not swear at our so-called “leaders” up in Washington DC. So if you’re looking for the best album to fuel your hatred for the Head Cheeto In Charge and all his helpless minions, look no further than Anti-Flag’s powerful 20/20 Vision.

Honorable Mention: The Homeless Gospel Choir - This Land Is Your Landfill

The Album Most Likely To Get You Out Of Mosh Pit Retirement

Polaris - The Death Of Me

This record is the definition of “slaps.” From beginning to end, Polaris’ punishing new album The Death Of Me is a heavy-duty rollercoaster ride that will leave you with a melted off face and an endless desire to jump back in the pit and crack a few skulls.  

Best Album To Rip A Phat Riff To

Hot Mulligan - You’ll Be Fine

Hot Mulligan are a bunch of jokesters but there’s nothing funny about their new album You’ll Be Fine -- alright, maybe a few of the song titles are a little silly. The band’s latest release is a guitarist’s delight with ringing mathcore-like riffs that will leave you both jubilant and jealous. Case in point, give the infectious opener “OG Bule Sky” a spin and get back to us.   

Honestly, Fight Us, This Song Is A Bop Award

All Time Low feat Blackbear - “Monsters”

We know what some of you cool cats and kittens are thinking: But this isn’t pop-punk!? Since when does Blackbear get a scene pass? Listen up. No, this song isn’t “Dear Maria, Count Me In” but who cares? It’s 2020 and musical genres are dead. Enjoy the good music while you can before we’re all dead too, okay?

Honorable mention: PVRIS - “Deadweight”

Best Song To Steal Toilet Paper To

The Chats - “Drunk N Disorderly”

If you haven’t had the fear of potentially wiping your ass with a washcloth over the last few months, this award probably isn’t for you and your 30 extra rolls of toilet paper. However, for us regular folk who have a limited supply of TP, The Chats’ fast-paced High Risk Behavior track “Drunk N Disorderly” is the perfect song for stumbling into someone’s home and swiping a roll or two.  

Wow We Didn’t See That Coming Award

Falling In Reverse - “The Drug In Me Is Reimagined”

Ronnie Radke has never been afraid to push boundaries musically. Whether it’s rapping on a track or dropping an upbeat, synth-laced single like “Bad Girls Club,” the former Escape The Fate frontman always seems to have something new up his sleeve. This year, to help celebrate 2011′s The Drug In Me Is You becoming gold-certified, Radke and Co. released an epic piano-lead version of their fan-favorite title track. The results? A majestic dream-like experience worth repeating over and over again.

If You Hurt Mother Earth One More Time We Swear You’re Dead Award 

In Hearts Wake - “Worldwide Suicide”

There’s been a lot of talk about global warming over the past few years. Recently, while we’ve all been stuck at home, skies have become clearer than ever as wild animals roam the barren streets. This is a dream come true for earth-friendly metalcore act In Hearts Wake. 

Now as some cities start to reopen, let us remind you: If you even think about going back to your wasteful, pollution-heavy ways, we and In Hearts Wake will come for you with the same force and brutality as heard on their newest track “Worldwide Suicide.” Watch your back.

Sure It’s Different But Still Kicks Ass Award

The Used - Heartwork

This isn’t The Used you knew in junior high. Bert McCrackin and Co. have returned with a fresh-faced 2020 LP that is sure to make you feel some type of way. Featuring guest appearances from members of Blink-182, FEVER 333 and Beartooth, The Used’s latest is a heavy-yet-dancy addition to their beloved-and-never-stale catalog.  

Better Not Sleep On This Record Award

Charmer - Ivy

Look, you literally have nothing but time on your hands. Why not spend it discovering new music from bands who deserve your attention? Seriously, turn off Love Is Blind and Too Hot To Handle and give Charmer’s moody 11-track release Ivy a try. You can thank us later.

Honorable Mention: Big Loser - Love You, Barely Living

Holy Shit We Can’t Believe That Just Happened Award

Dance Gavin Dance - “Calentamiento Global”

Four words we’ve all been thinking since Dance Gavin Dance dropped their highly anticipated album Afterburner: Tilian can speak Spanish!?

Giving the entire Swancore community a jaw-dropping moment with their new experimental track “Calentamiento Global,” in the song, DGD’s brawny frontman shows a little latin flavor with lyrics like “Te adoro, mi reina. Eres la única que veo.” Unsurprisingly, like most Dance Gavin Dance (or should we say Baile Gavin Baile) experiments, the post-hardcore act totally nailed it. 

The Back To Basics Award

The Amity Affliction - Everyone Loves You... Once You Leave Them

The Amity Affliction caught a lot of flack for their experimental 2018 release Misery. While entirely unwarranted as the metalcore vets were just looking to expand their sound, for their 2020 LP Everyone Loves You... Once You Leave Them, the Aussie outfit returned to form with their breakdown-heavy musicianship and brooding lyricism. Still have doubts? How about you give “All My Friends Are Dead” a spin or two.  

Skankin’ Pickle Award

Skatune Network - Ska Goes Emo, Vol. 1

Here’s a fun one. Adding to the list of things we never thought we’d see in 2020, go ahead and add a ska record covering some of your emo favs like My Chemical Romance, Paramore and Blink-182. Already known for his creative covers, Skatune Network really outdid himself this time around with his Ska Goes Emo LP. Who would have guessed you could skank so well to “I’m Not Okay (I Promise)?” 

The 2020 Glow-Up Award

The Word Alive - Monomania

The Word Alive has seen a lot of change over the course of their ten-year career. From 2010′s hard-hitting album Deceiver to this year’s impressive LP Monomania, the band has really grown into who they are today. For the first time, instead of putting out the music they’re expected to release, the Arizona act really stepped out of their comfort zone and dropped the music they wanted to make resulting in one of this year’s freshest and best so far.

Chocolate Covered Cranberries Award

Four Year Strong - Brain Games

For five long grueling years, we went without new music from easycore noisemakers Four Year Strong. This February, that all changed with the release of the band’s killer seventh studio album Brain Pain. Bringing the guitar-lead heaviness fans have come to love over the years along with their infectious pop-punk-leaning songwriting, Four Year Strong’s new record is the perfect balance of sour and sweet -- like chocolate covered cranberries! Who’s hungry?    

[disinvited-guest]

3/5/2020 Milwaukee

 I snagged a spot to the left of the keyboard, far enough over to see Marty across the stage.  I was happy to notice that the venue had evidently been putting my “Historic Preservation Fee” to good use.  What had been a flimsy floor of plywood over an open pit in front of the stage was now relatively solid ground.  Since the plywood floor had bounced and shook during the 2018 show, I didn’t miss it.  We were very close to Marty’s Quiet Storm setup as the crew was prepping for the show, so as Fresh took it back offstage, we noticed that he wasn’t wearing any fancy socks!

Only a few minutes after eight, the lights dimmed and a gif of the flag from the Flood Promo was displayed on the projector.  The crowd began to cheer, but it was several seconds before the pre show mix was replaced by Gyspy, and late into that before They took the stage.  Finally, there they were!  Both Johns, Danny and Marty came on and as the cheers died, kicked off the evening by playing Dead.  As they finished, Dan came onstage ready to go.

From Dead they went straight into They Might Be Giants, beginning an absolutely amazing set.  Dan and Danny were kidding around the whole time, Flans was all over the stage, Marty was making the best drumming faces, and Danny was dancing as he played.  All the things I had missed about going to shows were there in abundance, and it was wonderful.

Without pause, they moved on to the always exciting Twisting, and then We Want a Rock.  During the latter song, Danny glanced over at me and did a double take, then gave me a big smile and a nod of recognition.  I think maybe he didn’t recognize me immediately with my longer hair.

Flans had a bit of trouble with his part on Want a Rock, and after the song was over and he had greeted us all, he told us “I just did the musical equivalent of falling down the stairs, so this seems like a good time to remind you that there will be no refunds.”  He continued on, telling us that they had just finished a “four-song rock-block” and that the first set this evening would be all Flood, and the second set would have two songs from Flood, making it “arguably the best set.”

During all this, Danny was upstage dealing with what was apparently a cut on his right thumb, touching the spot and exclaiming “ow!” although he didn’t treat it in any way for the rest of the set.

Meanwhile, Flans continued his introductions, “We are only They Might Be Giants act that matters and from the original members of the band, we’re glad you’re here.”

Linnell then explained that tonight he was debuting his new keyboard stand, and that he’d had his old one for 25 years. Flans told us all that people had tried to tell him to change it, “but I said ‘leave my buddy alone about his keyboard!’” this was said in a tight growl of a voice, crowding the microphone in a truly hilarious, faux-aggressive way.  Linnell went on to explain that no one in the crew had said anything about the stand to him, but when he brought it up to them, they had said that he really did need a new one.

Flans then excitedly chimed in to explain that the keyboard stand was like many men’s second wives “because it is much like the old one.  You are just showing you have a type.” Linnell seemed a tiny bit taken aback by the comparison, but replied that it was “under the hood” that it was different.  The new keyboard stand is a light blue with silver buckles on the sides and removable black legs.  The keyboard on it for this run of shows was white with wood-grain panels on the side.

As their conversation about the keyboard stand wound down, Flans mentioned that he didn’t know what song was next on the setlist, so he moved away from his mic to check his copy upstage.  Watching him go, Linnell said drily “Well you need to be at the mic for it.”

Flans did return to the mic quickly, allowing them to play Minimum Wage. Several people in the crowd, myself included, did a whip-cracking motion at the appropriate time, which felt awesome but looked hilarious.  From there, they played Your Racist Friend, meaning Curt came onstage to blow us all away.  He stayed onstage as they started Particle Man.  Flans showed everybody how to clap, but the crowd had mostly stopped only a few lines into the song, with the few who had stuck with it eventually losing momentum. During the interlude, they played Sun Ra’s Rocket Number Nine, which I had never heard before, and thus had no idea what they were doing.  It sounded very awesome though, and it was clear why it had made it into the show, with Curt rocking out on the euphonium, and an excellent accordion riff on Linnell’s part.  Curt kept the euphonium for the next song, Hearing Aid.

Flans told us that the next song they were going to play was a short one, and that they were going to do it two ways. He encouraged us to “Listen when we do it this way so you can spot the difference,” and they played Sapphire Bullets of Pure Love.

After the song was over, Flans seemed slightly at a loss to explain what came next, “The next part of the show, it’s not really justifiable.”  He decided that we did need an explanation before they played it, but passed off the task to Linnell, “You do it.”

Linnell told us all “It was a dare actually, we lost a bet, that's why we’re doing this.”

“But you need to tell them what we’re doing,” Flans interjected.

“I think you explained it well,” Linnell answered, causing Flans to make a face. “We’re playing the song we just played backwards.”

Regaining his way with words, Flans told us all “If you could record this- and I’m not saying you could- you could take it back to your fancy recording studio, in your McMansion way out in the suburbs and play what we are about to play backwards and it would sound exactly like  the song we just did.”

And with that, they began Stilloob, which was truly amazing in a way the video I had watched of it simply could not capture.  There was a wild energy in the air, that of people who know what they are doing is both beautiful and ridiculous.  Both Dans and Marty were glued to the sheets of paper with their parts on them, and were visibly relieved once the song was over, although I think they did an amazing job with it.  As they moved straight on into Letterbox, Dan moved up onto Curt’s riser, then caught Danny’s attention before striking a ‘rock pose’ for him. 

I believe it was at this point in the set when Flans told us all how trying not to touch his face has just made him realize how much he touches his face.  Linnell responded with a wonderfully bizarre rant about other people touching his face “They tell you not to touch your face but don’t say anything about other people touching your face.  I would like to ask the members of the band to stop touching my face, you know who you are!”

It was hilarious, but marred slightly by a few drunk ladies in the crowd screaming that they would like to touch his face.  Eventually, they subsided, and Flans got back to the subject at hand, how trying to touch his face “just made me aware.  Like adult onset-”  he stopped here, clearly at a loss, then continued “I was going to say adult onset OED, but that would be a good thing.”

“It would be a good thing to have the Oxford English Dictionary,”  Linnell answered.  “I have that other thing”

“The opposite of that,” Flans shot back

“I have the opposite of the Oxford English Dictionary,” Linnell agreed.

From there, they played Lucky Ball and Chain, during which Danny followed Dan around looking over his shoulder at his guitar while Dan tried to move away.  After a few moments of this, Danny went over to look at Linnell’s keyboard then came back to Dan and pointed an accusing finger at Dan’s guitar.  I’m not sure what he was looking at.  

From there, they played Hot Cha and then Women and Men, which is a personal favorite of mine.  During the next song, Someone Keeps Moving My Chair, Danny mouthed along to a few of the lyrics.

There was a pause as Linnell went over to get his accordion and returned to the mic.  There was a moment of confusion as Linnell, off-mic, asked who started the next song.  Flans, who was already checking the setlist for what song was next, replied also off-mic. “You do, John,” making everyone onstage crack up.  This began Whistling in the Dark, followed by the always high-energy Birdhouse in Your Soul.

“We have one song left, and then we are going to take a 10 minute break that lasts 45 minutes.” Flans explained to us after Birdhouse ended.  “We’ve played, as I’m sure you’ve been keeping track of, 16 songs off of flood and we’re going to play 2 in the second set.”

The last song in the set was Road Movie to Berlin, which included the King of Liars verse, which caused a few audience members who hadn’t heard it before to laugh.  Marty played his tambourine diligently throughout the song, and Dan and Danny, who only play at two brief points, were off the stage before Flans was done singing.  Marty and the Johns finished out the song, then walked offstage to join them.

As the lights came on and the crew began setting up for the Quiet Storm, it became apparent Fresh must have changed his socks sometime during the first set, as he was now wearing socks with the 9;30 Club logo printed all over them.  I also learned during this break that they had switched their ‘cue song’ meaning that even though Girl Don’t Come was in the playlist, there were a few more songs between it and the end of the break.  

The Johns and Marty were back onstage before very long though, to the ominous Godzilla Intro.  Marty was really playing up the tone that it created, with stoic looks and deliberate movements as he came on and got ready for the set.

Before playing anything, Flans greeted us all; “Welcome to the Quiet Storm portion of the evening, the part of the show when we play all the quiet songs.”  A man in the crowd booed in response to that statement, and Flans, looking out in his general direction, told us all “We would like to dedicate all our songs to the guy who just booed.  This next song is from the difficult middle 30s of They Might Be Giants.”

This led into 2082, which was, of course, amazing.  Linnell sang the year 2415 instead of 3415 as he was listing off the progressing years.

Flans didn’t know the album the next song was on, and banged his forehead on the mic in frustration before introducing the song as Music Jail.  The song was so incredibly rocking for the format, and I was truly amazed.  I had heard this song with the full band setup before, but this different version truly felt new and special.

Linnell moved over to his keyboard for the next song, Wicked Little Critter, and there were no lights on him because of it.  It was a bit strange, but didn’t detract from the song.

Instead of moving on while the setup was taken offstage, like they had in 2018, the Johns and Marty all went offstage so the crew could take away the Quiet Storm setup (and so Fresh could wear the cover like a cape).  While they were doing this, they projected the Underwater Woman video for the audience to watch.

The band was back on quickly to finish out an amazing second set.  Before beginning, I have a few general notes.  This set was really bass-heavy and Danny did an absolutely stellar job.  He was amazing to watch!   Also, I think he liked seeing my reactions to the songs I didn’t expect them to play, I could see/feel him watching me during some of the intros.  The crowd had obviously taken full advantage of the break to refill their supply of alcohol, and were a bit rowdier and less coherent.

  Coming onstage, Flans rushed straight to the mic to announce “This song is not on streaming sites because we like sabotaging our own career!”  This got a huge cheer as they began The Communists Have The Music.  I believe it was during this song that Dan reached over and tried to poke the body of Danny’s bass, which he quickly jerked out of the way before they moved apart with big grins.

Next, they played Wearing a Raincoat.  I’m always overjoyed to hear anything from Spine, and was completely surprised they had pulled this song out of the vault!

I believe it was here that Flans pointed out the balconies, and went on a diatribe explaining how it was their job to get people excited, but in venues like this you didn’t want the people in the balcony getting too excited.  I believe that Linnell chimed in to mention the Modeska, and not getting sued by the children of lawyers.  Finally Flans sternly warned the people in the balcony that they were only allowed to be “85% rocking out.”  The folks in the balcony cheered, and Linnell relented “Well, okay, 90%.”

At this point, someone in the crowd shouted out a request.  Flans, a bit peeved, moved his mic stand forward and demanded to know “Is there anything else?”  Then spent several seconds arguing with the incomprehensible mess of many crowd members shouting out song titles.  “I’m telling you! We don’t take requests.”  While all this was going on I, embarrassed, had taken off my glasses and hid my face in my hands.  When I looked up again, Danny was watching me, amused, and we shared a rueful smile over the situation.

Eventually, Flans stopped arguing with the drunken masses and they played Pet Name, which sounded amazing, then moved on to Spy.  I had expected new samples from Linnell for his part of the ending, and I wasn’t disappointed.  He had an Eagles’ sample of “take it to the limit” which he had repeated several times opposite the band.  The beauty of this sample is that, because that line repeats in the song of origin, you aren’t absolutely sure it is repeating sample until the 3rd or 4th time.  Not limiting himself to that, Linnell also played the same sample slowed down, which sounded appropriately monstrous.  Eventually, he switched directing over to Flans, who had trouble controlling the crowd in his bit, eventually giving up on us.  Instead of finishing the song, he stopped everyone playing, then began the intro to Older, which was incredible.

After Older, which included the always-humorous long pause, they went straight on to Let Me tell You About My Operation.  The highlight of this song was, as always, Flans’ energetic delivery and non-stop movement around the stage.

Finishing Operation, Dan left the stage and Linnell went to get his accordion.  I had no idea what they were going to play, not even after it was announced as being a song from Apollo 18, until they actually began the song, Turn Around!

Afterwards, Linnell went to the other side of the stage, presumably to put the accordion down, but came back to his mic still holding it.  Meanwhile, Marty and Danny were telling Flans he needed to stall.  At this point in the setlist, All Time What was listed, but they never ended up playing it, so I assume the trouble was somehow related to that.

Flans returned to his microphone and told us a story to stall as requested.  Apparently, he used to have a job where he worked at Grand Central Station.  A bunch of the city’s electrical wiring is located under the city, and the heat from the wires attracts a lot of roaches.  Flans shared a changing room with the exterminator, who was there one week every six months.  One day Flans struck up a conversation with the guy and they were “bonding over having shitty jobs,” when Flans noticed the guy had a roach on his jacket. “So I pointed it out to him and the guy went ‘Aaah!’”

There was some scattered laughter from the crowd, then an awkward pause.  After a moment, Flans said “There’s no punchline to this story, I just think that if you have that job you should maybe have a different relationship to bugs”

Linnell further explained “That would be like if we said, ‘we’re going to play another song Aaah!’”

They then played Museum of Idiots with Linnell on the accordion, a change from when he played it on the keyboard in 2018.  I will never get tired of hearing this one live; feeling the bassline in my chest and hearing the raw emotion in Linnell’s voice is truly wonderful.

The issue that had delayed the show was clearly not yet fixed, so as Linnell put down his accordion and returned to his keyboard mic, Flans prepared to stall some more “So when you worked for the NJ Port Authority-”  He was cut off by Danny, who had come up between him and Linnell, presumably telling them that they weren’t going to be able to fix whatever the problem was and had to move on.

Linnell then responded to Flans’ original comment by saying there was no rearview, and that they had to look forward and not back.  He then told us all “‘Aaaaggh! We’re going to play another song.”

They played The Guitar, with Linnell and Curt on the Future of Sound.  I do enjoy FoS, but I will admit I slightly prefer the live version of The Guitar that has a bass solo in the middle.  I may be a teeny bit biased though.

After the Guitar was over, Linnell had to go and grab his accordion AGAIN, while Flans introduced Dan on the keyboard and told us all that this would be their last song of the night.  He said something about having the best audience ever as well, but I didn’t catch all of it.  Dan, having made it up to the keyboard, was staring, confused, at the settings.  Linnell eventually went over and changed the settings for him before they started Doctor Worm.

They left the stage to thunderous applause.  Eventually, Dan came back on alone, starting the intro to Istanbul, which the audience began clapping along with.  While he amazed us all from in front of the drum riser, the other guys crept onstage quietly, so they were all in place to start the song.  There were two fake endings, one with Dan and Curt switching off, which is always my very favorite part of the song, and the real ending with Curt displaying his talent, meaning we got to be amazed by Curt and Dan both at different parts of the song!  After the song was over, there was a mass exodus as Marty, Dan, and Curt walked offstage, although Curt returned right away.

“We’re playing another song,” Flans announced, “I don’t know why those guys left!” Danny looked over at me and grinned at this, and I grinned back.  They played Theme From Flood, officially hitting all the Flood songs for the show, and then left the stage once again

When they returned to the stage this time around, Flans grabbed a copy of the Flood picture disk that had been sitting up against a case upstage.  He showed off the disk to us, saying that picture disks were controversial, and the sound quality was probably not as good but “It will be the best sounding zoetrope you’ll ever own!”  Unfortunately, while he was doing this, some folks in the crowd thought he was giving that copy away and started yelling for it, so I missed some of the nuances of his pitch.  Eventually, Flans put the disk back where it was, and they played End of the Tour, then an especially rocking New York City before leaving the stage for the night.

Danny and Marty were both back onstage soon after.  Danny gave out setlists, including one for me, and waved at me after he did, I waved back and felt a bit silly and a bit giddy.  He then grabbed a bunch of Flood stickers and started throwing them out into the crowd like  throwing stars.  It didn’t work very well in practice, with a lot of stickers going astray.  I eventually got one that landed on my shoulder before leaving the venue.  It was a long, windy walk back to my hotel, but I was glowing with joy the whole way.

[bountyofbeads]

How a racist tweet became a Trump rally chant in three short days

https://wapo.st/2M0Ga7o

Trump loved the chant 'Send her back' as he stood there as it was washing over him and smiling. Every bone in his body is racist.

How a racist tweet became a Trump rally chant in three short days

By Ashley Parker | Published July 18 at 6:50 PM ET | Washington Post | Posted

July 19, 2019 |

This is the story of how a racist suggestion — that four congresswomen of color “go back” to the “totally broken and crime infested places from which they came” — became an angry rallying cry in three short days.

On Sunday morning, President Trump awoke and, surprising just about his entire political orbit, targeted four Democrats — Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (N.Y.), Ilhan Omar (Minn.), Ayanna Pressley (Mass.) and Rashida Tlaib (Mich.) — in a trio of tweets.

Never mind that three of the four women were born in the United States and the fourth, Omar, is a Somali refugee who became a naturalized U.S. citizen at the age of 17. The ensuing controversy unspooled as if from muscle memory — with all Trump’s world a stage, and all the men and women within it merely players.

First, there was the early silence and pantomimed shrugs, especially from inside the White House and members of the Republican Party. Then, on Monday, came the exposition — part clarification and part double-down — in which Trump and his allies claimed he was simply saying that, if these women were so unhappy living in the United States, well, no one was forcing them to stay. 

“If you’re not happy here, then you can leave,” Trump said, during an event on the South Lawn of the White House, ostensibly about American-made products. “As far as I’m concerned, if you hate our country, if you’re not happy here, you can leave.”

Later that day came the political calculation, in which the president, his campaign and the Republican National Committee eagerly elevated the minority women, who call themselves “the Squad,” as the allegedly anti-American and anti-Semitic faces of the Democratic Party. It was an attempt to transform the feud into one of patriotism and to cast Trump — a commander in chief who has literally wrapped himself around the flag — as the red-white-and-blue-caped crusader.

Then, finally, the denouement — a previously planned rally in Greenville, N.C., on a hot, steamy July night, where the crowd took up Trump’s cause for him, chanting, “Send her back! Send her back!” as he railed against Omar. 

The president and his allies may have aimed for plausible deniability — he’s not racist and he in no way suggested that these women were somehow  “others” who belong elsewhere, came the refrain — but his supporters seemed to understand exactly what he meant. 

And they were more than happy to oblige. 

As Trump revved up his broadsides against Omar, a smattering of “Send her back!” calls broke out. But it wasn’t until Trump intoned that “Omar has a history of launching vicious, anti-Semitic screeds” that the entire arena at East Carolina University began to roar.

“Send her back!” the crowd shouted, the room thrumming with angry excitement. “Send her back!”

The president paused, as if to let the moment unfurl, to fan another gust of oxygen onto the fire of racial animus devouring his base. He let go of the lectern and turned his body to the left. He gripped it again with both hands and stared forward before swiveling to the right. 

For 13 full seconds, the crowd shouted that Omar — a U.S. congresswoman, a U.S. citizen — should be sent back to the country from which she fled. 

“Send her back! Send her back! Send her back!”

Trump used part of his rally — originally scheduled as counterprogramming for what was expected to be a day of congressional testimony from former special counsel Robert S. Mueller III — to go after each member of the Squad. His supporters booed at the mere mention of the “four congresswomen,” and the president delivered each of their names with a flourish, each foreign-sounding enunciation another opportunity for his supporters to howl their disapproval. 

The overwhelmingly white crowd booed Omar, they booed Tlaib, they booed Ocasio-Cortez, and they booed Pressley. Trump dismissed Ocasio-Cortez, the woman reverently known as “AOC,” by choosing a single surname: “I don’t have time to go with three different names,” he said. “We’ll call her Cortez.”

And then, in the messy aftermath, many in Trump’s orbit and the Republican Party squirmed and wriggled, sighing that perhaps the crowd had crossed a line but generally unwilling to condemn the president himself.

Sure, they might not always love the words he says, and they don’t necessarily appreciate the tweets he sends. And yes, well, they certainly wouldn’t have phrased it that way themselves. But, as Rep. Tom Emmer (Minn.), chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee, told a breakfast of reporters Thursday morning, “There’s not a racist bone” in the president’s body.

“What he was trying to say, he said wrong,” said Emmer who, when asked about the chant, decried “that kind of talk” and added, “I don’t agree with that.” 

Rep. Mark Walker (R-N.C.) also tweeted after the rally that he did not approve of the chants. “Though it was brief, I struggled with the ‘send her back’ chant tonight referencing Rep. Omar,” he wrote, noting that Republicans should instead be focused on her “great disdain for both America & Israel,” rather than “phrasing that’s painful to our friends in the minority communities.”

Walker, the vice chairman of the Republican caucus, went further Thursday morning, telling reporters he felt the chant was “offensive.”

“That does not need to be our campaign call like we did the ‘Lock her up!’ last time,” Walker said, an allusion to a frequent chant at Trump rallies in 2016, referring to Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. 

Indeed, there was a time when calling for a political opponent to be jailed would have been extraordinary. But under Trump, it became just another rallying cry, like the calls to “build the wall!” at the nation’s southern border. 

There is a very real possibility that a chant, which began as a suggestion from a racist tweet, will simply be added to the panoply of greatest hits at his political rallies — another angry interlude in the Trump Show.

Trump’s dubious history on the topic of race — from nativist to racially charged to downright racist — is long and well-documented, even just from his time as a politician onward. Trump fueled his political rise in part on the lie of birtherism — the racist myth that President Barack Obama was not born in the country. During the 2016 campaign, he rolled out a Muslim ban and said that Indiana-born U.S. District Judge Gonzalo P. Curiel could not fairly rule on a case involving Trump University because of his “Mexican heritage.”

Once in office, Trump declined to condemn white supremacists following a rally in Charlottesville that left a woman dead, saying that “both sides” were to blame. 

On Wednesday night, Trump’s attacks on the four minority members were largely pre-scripted, delivered from the teleprompter and not the kind of off-the-cuff riffs that often plunge the president into controversy. Upon landing in Greenville before the rally, White House spokesman Hogan Gidley told the president’s traveling press corps that they would surely want to “tune in” later that evening.

After the “Send her back!” chants, the president seemed unrepentant. He continued his attacks on Omar and, roughly 15 minutes later, he turned his attention again to the four women he called “hate-filled extremists.” 

“They never have anything good to say,” he said. “That’s why I say, ‘Hey, if they don’t like it, let them leave, let them leave.’ Right? Let them leave.”

Trump continued: “You know what, if they don’t love it, tell them to leave it.”

By Thursday, Trump had injected the “go back” sentiment into the ether, with coverage of the “Send her back!” chants dominating cable news. And so the president seemed to attempt to seize higher ground: He disavowed the chant.

Asked by reporters in the Oval Office why he did not move to stop the chant, the president falsely claimed that he had. “I think I did,” he said. “I started speaking very quickly.”

“I was not happy with it,” the president said, without a hint of irony. “I disagree with it.”

[greasygyeom]

Highschool!AU

Title: Capture The Flag: The Absconding

By: GreasyGyeom

Summary: Two teams, a lot of snow & a simple common goal. The only problem is that you don’t really care about the game.

YugyeomxReader / Sad Fluff / SFW / Trigger Warning: Accident, Loss of family member

Notes: Hello everyone  <3 This is a part of my Valentines Day’ Collab for the @kpoptrashnetwork with the lovely Lys @kpopchangedme​ Read Capture the Flag: The Trade  for the full context <3

It was the deciding day - the day this mess would either be over or continue for the next three days. The blue team had succeeded in capsizing the red fort the first three days. If the blue team failed to get the flag today, then the game would go on until the they got their fourth flag — not like you really cared. You were only there because Jaebum  had been your best friend for more than 6 years and he needed a player.

“Don’t space out.” Bambam nudged, as you wished for literally anything that would help you slip out of this game. Physical activity, of any kind, was not your strongest suit. “I know you’ve not been playing”

“What?”

“You’ve slipped out within fifteen minutes of the game, every day.”

“What of it?”

“Jaebum will notice, you know”

“No he won’t. He’s too focused on winning. He didn’t notice the last three times”

“Yeah, but this time I’ll tell him”

You glared at Bambam. If you hadn’t known him for as long as you had, you’d have shoved his face in snow by now.

“Bammie, I will kill you if you say a word”.

“Not if he kills you first”

“Pfft... Jaebum? He’s terrified of me”

“I know, but he’s going to feel all bad and get moody. Do you really want that?”

You rolled your eyes, “I’ll buy you pizza, you dweeb. Just cover for me”

He smirked as you whacked his arm.

At a short distance you heard Youngjae clear his throat, and start explaining the rules for the fourth time this week. As always, no one paid attention but he diligently followed his role as the referee.

Bambam cackled next to you, when he was called out for using fireworks the previous day. There was no remorse on his face, whatsoever.

Everyone around you screamed when the score is announced; 3–0 for the Blue Team. Jaebum beamed proudly, throwing his hands in the air and you sulked a little more. It was too noisy, and that was some statement coming from a metalhead. But you’d take the guitar riffs over this howling bunch of idiots any day.

You just wanted the commotion to start so you could slip out again.

When the siren cut through the cold wind, it was mayhem on the ground. Jinyoung cornered you as soon as the snow started flinging in all directions.

“I need you to snowball as many red caps, as many times you see them at a height higher than you. Got it?”

“I cannot believe you found a way to make a snide comment about my height while strategising for a game I give no fucks about.”

“I don’t have time for banter, munchkin. Just do as I say okay.”

You punched him, making him squirm in pain. “You’re an asshole.”

As soon as you could, you crawled away from his line of vision. All you had to do was inch towards the edge of the playground so you could vanish into the forest. Luckily it was right behind your side of the fort.

Going around it without being caught by Jaebum was the real problem.

You scanned the ground for an escape route when you felt a pair of eyes follow you around, but the snow made it impossible for you to make sense of anything.

You spotted Bambam on the left side of the fort, guarding one of the three entrances.

“You never saw me.” You whispered to him as you went around him to the back of the fort.

“Make it two pizzas and we have a deal!”

“Oh, you’re so dead after this is over” you scoffed but didn’t have enough time to stay and argue. At the right moment, you vanished into the slip road that led to the heart of the forest. Thanks to all the times your elder brother had taken you on his bug treks, you knew the area inside out.

You walked through the trees, avoiding bumping into the snow-clad branches, when you heard an echo of footsteps behind you.

“Who’s there?” You asked, turning around. It was a stupid question really. If someone was following you to hurt you, it was highly unlikely they’d answer anyway.

You couldn’t see anyone within your vision, so you trooped ahead, dismissing it as your imagination; towards the little clearing where you and your brother always ate lunch after he was done looking for new insects.

You really missed him.

It was a clean patch of grass, except right now it was covered in white.

Sitting down by a tree, you looked up. The sun hadn’t set yet, so you couldn’t see the stars, but streaks of cotton clouds filled the bright blue sky and it warmed your heart.

You heard footsteps approaching you again, just as you were about to plug in your headphones.

Alarmed, you jumped up, expecting to see something ominous. There were no animals in the area so you were sure someone had followed you in. Grabbing a stone nearby, you readied yourself to run for your life.

“Oh my god, it’s just you!” you exclaimed, breathing in after what felt like excruciatingly long minutes. “Damn, Yugyeom, you scared me. What are you doing here?”

“I saw you slip out, so I followed you.”

“Why? Just go back to that game, alright?”

The tall boy stood unmoving, simply looking at you. He took of the red cap and ruffled his silver-ish hair.

“I don’t want to.”

“Then go somewhere else.”

“I don’t want to.”

“Well, I don’t want you here, so leave me alone.”

“I won’t bother you.” He shrugged and took the spot opposite to you. “You can throw the stone now — just don’t throw it at me.”

You made a face at his smartness and sat back down.

You didn’t like intruders in your space but you couldn’t really make him leave either, so you ignored him to your best capabilities and went back to doing what you were supposed to before he’d interrupted you.

He sat with his gaze fixed on you, a little pout settled on his face.

“What?”

“I didn’t say anything”

“But you’re looking. Don’t look”

“Why are you always so angry? I’ve always seen you frowning. Don’t you ever laugh?”

He really knew how to get on your nerves.

“So much for not being a bother.” You sneered, pulling your leather jacket closer to your body. “Whatever, I’m leaving.”

“Wait, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to —

“— indirectly call me a bitch?”

“I’m not calling you a bitch. See you’re doing it again!”

“Doing what?”

“Being mean, for no reason.”

“I have a reason, you followed me in here!”

“Because I wanted to spend some time with you... alone”, he replied rather sheepishly.

His answer confused you. You knew him through Jaebum and Bambam, because he frequented underground dance battles with them. But you never actually had held a proper conversation with him.

“Me? Why? I thought you thought I was a bitch”, you teased this time, easing your tone.

He got up to take up even more of your personal space and dropped his weight on the ground next to you.

“I didn’t say you could sit next to me.”

“You didn’t say I couldn’t either”

It took every ounce of your patience to not actually smack him.

“So, why do you come here?” He asked, resting his head on his hand and looking at you expectantly. There was this softness in his face that made you feel comfortable.

“I like it here. It’s always quite and calm here. And I can see the stars”

“Your parents let you come here alone?”

“I don’t tell them, they have enough to worry about.”

“I’m sure they would want to know though.”

“I’m sure...” you trailed off, looking away. You hated crying in front of people.

“Hey... hey I’m sorry.... we don’t have to talk about it or anything. I’m sorry I didn’t mean to make you cry”

“I’m not crying. I just – nevermind”

He didn’t push you further but could see you were hurting.

“Want to see something beautiful?” He asked

“Like what?”

He pulled out his other hand and showed you a ladybird walking on the back of his palm.

It made you smile, but it also unstitched an old wound. You sniffled, in an attempt to not cry, but it was futile.

Hiding your face in your knees, you sobbed as silently as possible. Yugyeom froze, not knowing what to do—whether to stroke your head or say something comforting.

He chose to scoot closer and sit in silence, feeling absolutely awful.

You took a few minutes to calm down and he finally asked if you were okay or not.

“No, not really. I’m sorry for crying like this.”

“You want to talk about it?”

“I just... really miss my brother. He.... he’s in a coma. This spot is his actually. Whenever I was sad he’d get me here and teach me about insects. Did you know ladybirds bleed from their knees when they feel threatened?”

“Really? I didn’t even know they could survive winters ”

“Yeah, they can. They usually hibernate though. He taught me all this when I was 9.”

“I’m really sorry. I said some mean things. I shouldn’t have said all that”

“It’s alright. It wasn’t untrue. I am always angry. I’m angry at the drunk driver who jumped the light. I’m angry at my parents for not letting him go. I’m angry at myself, at him, at the everything.”

You leaned onto Yugyeom’s shoulder for support and he gently stroked your hair.

“Being angry won’t make the situation any different. You’re only hurting yourself like this.”

You couldn’t believe you had just spilled out your guts to a boy you had met five minutes ago and that now he was giving you advice about your life.

“Feeling angry is a lot better than feeling useless”, you dryly replied, pulling yourself together. “I’m sorry for laying all this on you.”

He nodded and you stayed resting your head on his shoulder for several minutes. Your thoughts swarmed around your brother and how if it hadn’t been for him you would never have met Jaebum and eventually the rest of them. You sighed dismissively.

“You’re not scary at all.” He finally spoke.

“Wow you’re excellent at complimenting people”

“That’s not what I mean.... everyone discouraged me from talking to you. They told me you would probably punch me if I tried.”

“Well, I was ready to fling a stone at you”

He chuckled and it made your heart flutter like a butterfly. You hadn’t felt this relaxed in the past year; not since your life had turned upside down.

“I like being scary. Normal people don’t come near me.”

“Are you calling me stupid?”

“I’m calling you strange”, you laughed.

“It’s okay, I don’t mind being stupid for you” he replied, giving you a peck on your cheek.

The warmth you felt took you by complete surprise, and you shyly looked away at the sky, begging your heart to stop racing.

A stray streak of red sparks in the sky caught your attention, giving you the diversion you needed.

“Oh! Looks like your team won. I guess we better head back.”

“Do you want to?” He asked, holding your hand as you got up.

“Not really, but I don’t wanna fight with Jaebum — or worst, Jinyoung — about it. Won’t your teammates be mad if they couldn’t find you on the ground?”

He stood up, at least three heads taller than you and smiled; before briefly brushing his lips with yours.

“Noona will probably kill me. But, it was totally worth it following you here.”

You blushed a bright crimson. “If you tell anyone about today I will push you off a cliff. But I’m glad you followed me here too.”

You couldn’t wrap you head around the familiarity you felt, but even as you walked towards the playground, holding this strange boy’s hand, you felt no fear.

And in that brief moment of invincibility you knew, he was going to be someone special.

[bellboy905]

On Sunday morning, President Trump awoke and, surprising just about his entire political orbit, targeted four Democrats... in a trio of tweets. Never mind that three of the women... were born in the United States and the fourth... is a Somali refugee who became a naturalized U.S. citizen at the age of seventeen.

[...]

Then, on Monday... Trump and his allies claimed he was simply saying that, if these women were so unhappy living in the United States, well, no one was forcing them to stay. “If you’re not happy here, then you can leave... As far as I’m concerned, if you hate our country, if you’re not happy here, you can leave.”

Later that day came the political calculation, in which the president, his campaign and the Republican National Committee eagerly elevated... “the Squad” as the allegedly anti-American and anti-Semitic faces of the Democratic Party. It was an attempt to transform the feud into one of patriotism and to cast Trump, a commander in chief who has literally wrapped himself around the flag, as the red-white-and-blue-caped crusader.

Then, finally, the denouement... [a] rally in Greenville... where the crowd took up Trump’s cause for him, chanting, “Send her back! Send her back!”

[...]

The president paused, as if to let the moment unfurl, to fan another gust of oxygen onto the fire of racial animus devouring his base. He let go of the lectern and turned his body to the left. He gripped it again with both hands and stared forward before swiveling to the right. For thirteen full seconds, the crowd shouted that [Rep. Ilhan] Omar, a U.S. congresswoman, a U.S. citizen, should be sent back to the country from which she fled.

[...]

Trump fueled his political rise in part on... birtherism, the racist myth that President Barack Obama was not born in the country. During the 2016 campaign, he rolled out a Muslim ban and said that Indiana-born U.S. District Judge Gonzalo P. Curiel could not fairly rule on a case involving Trump University because of his “Mexican heritage.” Once in office, Trump declined to condemn white supremacists following a rally in Charlottesville that left a woman dead, saying that “both sides” were to blame.

On Wednesday night, Trump’s attacks on the four minority members were largely pre-scripted, delivered from the teleprompter and not the kind of off-the-cuff riffs that often plunge the president into controversy.... After the “Send her back!” chants, the president seemed unrepentant. He continued his attacks on Omar and, roughly fifteen minutes later, he turned his attention again to the four women he called “hate-filled extremists.”

“They never have anything good to say... That’s why I say, ‘Hey, if they don’t like it, let them leave, let them leave.’ Right? Let them leave... If they don’t love it, tell them to leave it.”

By Thursday, Trump had... disavowed the chant. Asked by reporters... why he did not move to stop the chant, the president falsely claimed that he had. “I think I did,” he said... without a hint of irony. “I disagree with it.”

[rockrevoltmagazine]

Doyle to Join GWAR The Blood of Gods Tour; AS WE DIE Tour 2017 Dates Announced

Beginning October 20 in Richmond, VA, Legendary Misfits Guitarist Doyle Wolfgang Von Frankenstein will be joining “the Scumdogs of the Universe”, GWAR, on The Blood of Gods Tour, along with Ghoul and U.S. Bastards, for 13 dates spanning the East Coast and Midwest up to the Sioux City, IA show November 4. DOYLE then continues his reign of terror with his AS WE DIE WORLD TOUR 2017 supporting the band’s new album, As We Die, an EMP Label Group/ Monsterman Records release in stores or online at Doyle Official and EMP Merch. Picking up November 6 in Fargo, ND, the tour finishes up November 11 in Flint, MI (more dates to be announced).

GWAR The Blood of Gods Tour W/ Ghoul, Doyle and U.S. Bastards Dates: 10/20 @ The National – Richmond, VA 10/21 @ Agora Ballroom – Cleveland, OH 10/22 @ Opera House – Toronto, ON * 10/23 @ Mr. Smalls – Millvale, PA 10/25 @ Arizona Petes – Greensboro, NC 10/26 @ Rams Head Live – Baltimore, MD 10/27 @ Toad’s Place – New Haven, CT 10/28 @ Palladium – Worcester, MA 10/29 @ Trocadero – Philadelphia, PA 10/31 @ Irving Plaza – New York, NY 11/01 @ Town Ballroom – Buffalo, NY 11/02 @ Mercury Ballroom – Louisville, KY * 11/03 @ Pop’s – St. Louis, MO 11/04 @ Hard Rock – Sioux City, IA 11/05 @ Granada – Lawrence, KS * No DOYLE

Doyle “As We Die” Tour 2017 11/06 @ The Aquarium – Fargo, ND 11/07 @ Big’s Bar – Sioux Falls, SD 11/08 @ Whiskey Junction – Minneapolis, MN 11/09 @ Every Buddy’s Bar – Chippewa Falls, WI 11/10 @ The Forge – Joliet, IL 11/11 @ The Machine Shop – Flint, MI

About Doyle:

Facebook | Official | Twitter

Lodi, a small borough of Bergen County, New Jersey, is just over two square miles. There’s not much to suggest that the small village would be the birthplace of a world famous, blood-soaked form of music known as horror punk. Legendary acts The Misfits, Samhain, and Danzig all have their origins in Lodi, and something monstrous indeed lurks there. The poster child and originator of the genre, himself, has once again unleashed an evil noise on an unsuspecting world: Doyle Wolfgang Von Frankenstein’s first release, Abominator, by his eponymous band, Doyle.

Released on Doyle’s own label, Monsterman Records, Abominator is a sonically thick and lyrically evil slab of metal that finds Doyle expanding in a logical progression upon the genre of music he helped create. Doyle’s first band, the infamous Glenn Danzig-fronted Misfits, helped create the genre of speed/thrash metal with their last album, 1983’s Earth AD/Wolf’s Blood– in fact the record has been revered as one of the blueprints for the genre by many of its most respected players, as evidenced by countless groups covering the album’s songs, not the least of which being Metallica. Abominator is not the sound of some punk guitarist gone metal- it’s the roaring return of one of extreme metal’s original architects to his blood-splattered drawing board.

Coming from a legendary band of almost mythological proportions, and having first worked with one of the most talented and respected vocalists of the century (the infamous Glenn Danzig), Doyle’s new project would need a singer with brass balls, cast-iron pipes, a suitably twisted mind, and his own vocal delivery style. Enter Alabama’s Alex Story of Cancerslug, a Southern fiend who’s sand-blasted scream opens the record, and the evil doesn’t relent until the ending growl of “Hope Hell Is Warm”, the album’s defiant closer. The man can scream and sing, and employs both styles to great effect, switching seamlessly from raw-throated roars to rough-edged, yet melodic, clean vocals. Alex’s live performances can only be described as unforgettable, disturbing and strangely addictive – a perfect complement to the already mammoth stage presence of Doyle himself.

The unmistakable sound of Doyle’s signature Annihilator guitar cuts through on every tune like a sonic fingerprint, starting with the snarling opening title track Abominator. The Annihilator’s tone is sharp as a butcher’s knife in the wrong hands and just as nasty- fans of the Misfits will recognize it right away. On tunes like “Headhunter” and “Land of the Dead” the riffs are relentless, and if a riff could be described in emotional terms, remorseless. “Dreamingdeadgirls” brings a blackened-blues swing, and the doom-laden “Love Like Murder” shows a healthy appreciation for all things Sabbath. “Blood Stains” moves from primal sludge to ripping off-time thrash with ease. The album is just that- an album, a cohesive and well executed piece of work that takes the listener on a journey; albeit a bloody journey to places some fear to tread.

As befits songs as musically dark as Abominator‘s, the album’s lyrics are not for the faint of heart. Throughout the entire record, there is absolutely zero attempt to balance its evil with any sort of good counterpoint- penned entirely by Story (probably in blood), Abominator‘s lyrics are entirely and uncompromisingly dark. Music fans looking for feel- good anthems had best look elsewhere- those who enjoy strolling through the shadows will be greatly satisfied.

So how did this Jersey devil and crew wind up with a Dixie-bred howler? “After I had written all this music, I realized I had to get someone to sing this stuff- once I’m done recording guitars, all I can see is myself just playing that riff, ya know? That’s my thing, not lyrics and singing,” Doyle says, with typically blunt candor. “I’ve known Alex for a while, so I called him up, then sent him a bunch of the tunes. Two days later he sent me back ‘Mark of the Beast’, just like it is on the record. I said ‘That’s exactly what I want!’, and the rest is history. I only wrote the word ‘abominator’- all the rest of that stuff is Alex. He’s just crazy, man”.

It’s a match made in hell. But no metal band would be complete without a complete animal behind the drum kit. Brandon “The Crusher” Pertzborn (of Black Flag) delivers all the aggression and insanity necessary (and then some) with his exquisite musicality and showmanship.

So what can fans expect at a Doyle show?

“To get fucking pummeled, man. And then go home and ask themselves ‘What the fuck just happened to me?!?’, hahaha…” he replies with a laugh that this time, no joke about it, actually sounds evil. Loud, aggressive, and technically proficient, Doyle and crew are set to show the world how true horror metal sounds today.

So crank up Abominator until your speakers blow, check out Doyle on tour, and let the beatings begin!

written by: Randy Blythe of Lamb of God

Doyle to Join GWAR The Blood of Gods Tour; AS WE DIE Tour 2017 Dates Announced was originally published on RockRevolt Mag

[ricardosousalemos]

Black Flag: Damaged

As the last song on Damaged begins, Henry Rollins introduces himself. “My name’s Henry and you’re here with me now,” he says. Then he growls, as he does on and off throughout the rest of the song. “I don’t even care about self-destruction anymore.” The song ends, and he’s nearly breathless. “Damaged, my damage!” He sounds like he’s gone through several lifetimes of torture. “No one comes in. Stay out!” It’s 1981 and he is 20 years old.

Rollins joined Black Flag less than a year earlier when he was just a fan who viewed them as hardcore punk godheads. In his memoir, Get in the Van, Rollins wrote of watching the band perform: “It was one of the most powerful things I’ve ever seen,” he said. “All the songs were abrupt and crushing. Short bursts of unbelievable intensity. It was like they were trying to break themselves into pieces with the music.” At that point, Dez Cadena was the vocalist, with bassist Chuck Dukowski and guitarist Greg Ginn handling the songwriting. When Cadena decided to move to rhythm guitar, Rollins was recruited to try out. Offered the spot, he accepted, and quit his day job managing a D.C. Häagen-Dazs store to moved to California to be the new lead singer of Black Flag.

In the trifecta of early ’80s hardcore, alongside Minor Threat and Bad Brains, Black Flag crystallized what hardcore could do at its most crowd-pleasing. Minor Threat was more existential, and Bad Brains more romantic. Black Flag took the ethos of fast and loud and made it into a lifestyle. Though they’d achieved success as a band before Rollins, it’s the tone of his voice, simultaneously conveying anger and empathy, that elevates Damaged to its rightful position as a cornerstone document in the history of punk.

Thirty-five years on, Damaged still sounds absolutely berserk. Though made up of what is easily identifiable as “songs,” the record is at its most formidable when it becomes chaotic. Bassist Chuck Dukowski’s bass sounds like rubbing two giant sticks together to start a fire. His playing often feels like the way a Cro-Magnon man might approach rhythm, harsh and mean. Guitarist Greg Ginn is a wizard, playing his guitar like it’s a dental drill. With Cadena keeping some semblance of structure, Ginn shreds riffs apart, extending them into mini-solos across half a verse. He’s closer in spirit to Jerry Garcia or Sonny Sharrock than other hardcore guitarists. His playing is violently virtuosic, sliding between wild, fuzzed-out abandon and the immaculate conception of the chug that makes hardcore so exciting. While Cadena and Black Flag’s parochial drummer Robo establish a basic lifeline of stability, Ginn throws paint on the canvas straight from the bucket.

Damaged does have its semi-traditional moments, and they all suffer from the band trying too hard. Consider the fairly crappy pogoing punk number “TV Party,” something of a cult classic for its singalong chorus. It’s perfectly banal, this dumb little song taking potshots at normies who want to “watch TV and have a couple of brews,” which may or may not have posed a threat to the way of life of Black Flag and their fans. But on an album that is otherwise adventurous, sarcastically shouting out “The Jeffersons” and “Hill Street Blues” is an unnecessary tug back to earth. These are bad details. The more they seem like feral animals, the better.

They’re at their scuzzy best on songs like “Spray Paint,” which is just 32 seconds long. It begins with a second or two of feedback, like an engine revving, before taking off. “It feels good to say what I want/It feels good to knock things down/It feels good to see the disgust in their eyes,” Rollins sings. When the chorus hits, Robo stomps the crash cymbal, and the band screams the refrain: “Spray paint the walls!” They’re the kids of Lord of the Flies with guitars instead of spears.  

So thank god for Henry Rollins, a beacon. Previous singers of Black Flag are cult favorites, but none could penetrate through the wall of sound like him. His desperation is the centerpiece of the album, pleading with you—with himself—for release from pain song after song. His clarity of tone balances out Ginn and Dukowski, and he acts as a sort of ringleader pulling in tentative listeners and converting them into fans. On songs when he’s hurting, particularly “Damaged I,” he can be hard to listen to, but he is always impossible to ignore, like an actor dying in convincingly dramatic fashion on screen.

It’s the album’s inherent violence—both self-inflicted (as suggested by the cover image of Rollins punching out his reflection in a mirror), and that which is brought to bear upon well-deserving abusers—that makes the album’s hate and danger so attractive. Hardcore has continued to evolve, and the adrenaline offered by Damaged has been absorbed wholesale by hundreds of other groups. Straight edge hardcore groups utilized Black Flag’s scorched-earth approach, abandoning subtlety for unadorned aggression. Grindcore and thrash bands traded heaviness for speed; listening to them is like cheering on a car race. From Los Crudos to G.L.O.S.S., bands have narrowed the rage present in the lyrics of Damaged and used them to motivate political action, where Black Flag just kind of seemed to be bothered by unfairness.

When Damaged emerged, though, it was an anomaly. In the 1981 LA Times review of the album, Robert Hilburn compared the band to melodic punk rock group X five separate times. Though he loved the album, he noted, “The group’s grinding guitar attack … still lacks the brightness of X’s often rockabilly-accented arrangements.” That may seem like an absurd comparison now, but in 1981, the cultural and sonic space between a poppy band like X and one like Black Flag was not so large. The many shades of grey in between had yet to be defined in detail. Damaged was such a leap forward for punk, the only point of reference was miles behind.

That’s changed. Hardcore was just beginning in the early ’80s, evolving out of punk rock. This was a time before the genre splintered in a million fractions, and they were essentially all contained with Damaged: trash, grindcore, youth crew. None of those really existed in ’81, whereas now they all have a deep canon of often absolutely brutal-sounding records. We’re not yet at the place where a record like Damaged sounds quaint, but Black Flag have a lot more competition in their bid for catharsis through intensity now. And even forgetting hardcore entirely, rap is often the place wild teens look for thrills.

I first heard Damaged in the mid-’90s, when I was 12 or 13. Every song was an anthem. Black Flag railed against “them”; for me, that equaled teachers, parents, jocks. Authority is authority is authority—smash it all. now, as an adult, would I find it as remarkable as I did then? Listening to Damaged now sometimes feels as much an anthropological experience as much as a visceral one. There is a certain pleasure in reverse engineering the album’s controlled chaos. Over time, Black Flag has achieved a mythological status, and searching for the source of their timeless potency can lead to a wormhole of ephemera. Their music alone may not have sustained such fervid devotion.

In a sense, then, Damaged has survived more as a historical living document than as a piece of art. Should it be considered as it was written in the early Reagan years on the cusp of a technological revolution? Just like a well-armed militia has a very different meaning now than in 1776, perhaps the way we heard Damaged has, and should, change. Hardcore, at its most potent, has always dealt with problems pertinent to the time and place we live now. Most of the hatred expressed on Damaged is vague, “They hate us/We hate them.” The utility of that unspecificity may have run its course. We don’t live in forever, we live in a very volatile now.

Perhaps the best way to experience Black Flag was as Rollins once did: in concert, something Damaged can only imitate. Head to YouTube for a show in Hartford in 1982 and watch a shirtless, scruffy, and jacked Rollins roll around on the floor, arching his back like getting he’s getting zapped back from the dead. Dukowski smacks the bass strings more than he plays them. It’s basically impossible to see what Ginn is actually doing, his hands up and down on the strings, back and forth on his guitar neck, like he’s playing some kind of demented game of catch. The audience sings the words, comes up on stage, hangs out there. No one in the band minds. Or maybe they don’t even notice, zoned out on their own planet. Watch them play in Philadelphia in 1982. Rollins keeps getting punched by a member of the crowd. He leans into it. After a few rounds of getting hit, Rollins clocks the daylights out of him. It’s a real baptism by fire. For the wrong listener, Damaged may be just noise. But for the right one, perhaps it is too.