#ep: reckless club

[cecilysass]

Mulder’s Depressed Vampire Sex: Me on 3

You know, I like the episode 3. I mean, not the casefile part of 3, which is whatever whatever, but the important part: the blood fetishist lady has her way with Mulder and then he cries.

I definitely loathed the episode back when the show was airing. Back then it seemed like it was intentionally hostile to the ship—like going out of its way to be hostile, having Kristen tell Mulder shit like “I can tell you’re missing someone, but attention please: just a friend. Definitely not more!!!” I honestly kind of felt like she was looking out of the screen directly at me when she said it.

But looking back, knowing that MSR was endgame (and that fans kinda took over the narrative anyway), I definitely see the episode totally differently.

From a Mulder character arc point of view, this episode is all about him being a sad, sad boy. It is all about his depression, his hopelessness, his grief for Scully. It’s also about his drive to try to save women and girls in order to save himself. And he so often seems to fail at this when it is someone he cares about (or even when it is someone he has a fleeting connection with, like Kristen). And that’s so, so devastating for him. In that sense, this episode is a really desperate expression of his grief and frustration.

The HIV/AIDS angle to this ep is super important, too, so we have to make sure we’re getting into the full 1994 mindset on this. Mulder says in alarm to Kristen back in the club, when she’s playing fast and loose with blood: “AIDS. Aren’t you afraid?” (To which she responds that she wants to die.) Mulder knows that HIV transmission through sharing fluids is no joke in 1994 (it probably really shouldn’t be now either, but that’s not today’s lecture). Yet later, when Kristen is shaving him and he’s nicked, he allows this to be the catalyst for sex, even as he makes attempts to stop her from tasting his blood.

So his choice to have sex with Kristen is depicted as reckless, with someone who has been shown being careless about HIV. And he is doing it not just because he is turned on, but because he is being intentionally reckless with himself, clearly knowing the consequences. He shows concern for her, yes, but he’s also self destructive. He wants to fuck the hot vampire, but he also wants to fuck with death.

In other words, there’s a difference between what the episode tells us about Mulder’s relationship to Scully and what it shows us. And what the episode shows us about their relationship is that Scully is central enough in his life that everything is fundamentally affected by her abduction. He’s broken. He’s visibly depressed. He makes decisions that risk his job and his life. All the while he is actually choosing to wear her cross: a symbol that traditionally wards off vampires, as Kristen observes, but also keeps Scully’s presence in his mind constantly and in every frame of the episode he's in. And the episode ends with him looking like a hero in a romance novel mournfully casting his eyes to the hills clutching her cross in his hand.

None of this obviously communicates “I miss my work friend,” right? No objective observer would see this and say, “ah, he clearly is missing someone—most likely a friend, I would say.” But probably that’s exactly why they included Kristen’s “just a friend” line. They knew his grief in this episode was reading very powerfully, and they didn’t want it to seem overtly romantic.

I also feel like it’s kind of significant that the only time we actually see Mulder have confirmed sex with someone (besides Scully later) is when he’s depressed and Scully is gone. Linking his grief for Scully to his very-rarely-seen acting out on sexual desire like this also seems kind of psychologically sus to me, but I don’t know, I read a lot of fanfic.

Speaking of which, I did a little fanfic search for 3. And unless I am missing obvious fics (always a possibility), it was kind of difficult. Partly because this is a stupidly hard episode to look in search engines for. (No one should ever name episodes after numbers, although this one I will forgive because it’s from 1994 and they couldn’t have fully understood about Google and AO3.)

But also I just think there hasn’t been a ton of 3 fanfic, probably because this episode isn’t very well-liked. And listen, I get that Scully isn’t in it, which is often unappealing for writers, and there is Mulder/other, which people don’t like. But I feel like there are a lot of possibilities for story ideas here that don’t necessarily take place during the events of the episode. Like: how does it affect them later? Personally I like fics where Mulder and Scully discuss the events of the episode long after (actually I wrote one, which I included in my recs because I’m not that cool). I also think Mulder’s angst and depression has a lot of ways it could go—not to mention it’s the last canonically confirmed time he has sex before like 2000 or something. And it seems like AU takes on what happened to Kristen could be interesting. So what I'm saying is: maybe try writing 3 fics.

3 Fanfic Recs

Three is a Crowd - wendelah1 Mulder has sex with Kristen but can’t stop thinking of Scully.

Analgesic- settledownfrohike Mulder has sex with Kristen but can’t stop being a self-loathing, self-destructive mess. And thinking of Scully.

The Woman In His Heart - Spangle This shorter piece frames Mulder’s time with Kristen as a revelation about his feelings. Angsty and nicely observed. A 2005 Spooky winner, evidently.

False Dawn - emmbright A sharply etched portrait of how Mulder moves through his life between 3 and One Breath. For me this fills in the blanks perfectly.

Dreams - Characteristically_Exuberant This is actually a (great) post-ep for Field Trip, and the events of 3 aren’t the main focus of the fic. But I like how this author discusses what happened with Mulder in that episode and contextualizes it for both agents.

We’re Not Here To Get Involved In Personal Problems - cecily_sass This is mine, also not really a 3 post-ep; it’s an X-Cops post-ep. I feel a little silly including it. But I had them discuss the events of 3 in this fic in a way that sort of lays out my own thesis of the episode, and I thought, hey, it’s my list. Mulder and Scully walk to a gas station in Willow Park in Los Angeles the morning after X-Cops; they discuss plenty.

Any others? I feel like I probably missed some.

[xf-cases-solved]

S1E14: Gender Bender

Case: In what is arguably one of the most "why did you write this??" plots so far, our dynamic duo (per Mulder's request, I might add) investigate the deaths of five victims who appear to have, like... been fucked to death? Or something?

Actually I have to interrupt my own summary here, bc I just looked up the Wikipedia page (yes, bc I was trying to remember the state, shut up), and Glen Morgan is apparently quoted as saying he wanted "an episode with more of a sexy edge." How that ended up being this particular episode, I cannot say. That is an X-File in and of itself.

But I digress. People are dying of mb really high levels of pheromones caused by super mind-blowing sex. Sure. Also no one is sure if this killer is male or female. (They somehow manage to not even entertain the idea that any of the victims might have been gay, which I thought was an impressive feat of elephant avoidance.)

ANYWAY. Their investigation leads them to Massachusetts, where a bunch of sci-fi not-Amish people are chilling out doing not-Amish people things. Stuff kind of just snowballs from there. Mulder jumps down into the not-Amish people's ritual cellar with no backup and then proceeds to reprimand Scully for being reckless; Scully (for the first, but unfortunately not last time) almost bangs someone bc she is being manipulated due to some supernatural phenomenon; I laugh A LOT alone in my work office bc I had forgotten the stupid twist ending; and Nicholas Lea is a starving artist who has to take the roles he's offered if he ever wants to be bumped up to recurring character status. Sigh. Hustling the club scene used to be so simple...

Does someone die in the cold open: Yes. He is fucked to death. Or something.

Does Mulder present a slideshow: Yes! Of dead people! Who were fucked to death! Or something!

Does the evidence survive the investigation: The evidence doesn't even stay on this planet.

Whodunit: A horny alien cosplaying as a gender fluid Amish person. No, seriously.

Convictions: Zip.

Did they solve it: No. This is my very first explicit no with no qualifiers. They 1. did not figure out the cause of death definitively, 2. did not apprehend the suspect, 3. lost literally all of their evidence, and 4. the government wasn't even hiding anything this time, they just got outsmarted by some horny aliens and were left with nothing. In fact, I bet they actually know less now than when they started. Failure from top to bottom, guys, good work.

[how do i determine if a case is solved? check the scale here: x]

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Get clenchin'!

***

General Total Stats:

(green means stat has changed since last ep; red means new stat added to list)

Total Cases *Definitively* Solved So Far: 6 (streak ended. brutally)

Total Number of "Mulder/Scully, it's me" phone calls: 1

Total Number of Times Scully Has Conveniently Not Seen Something Crucial: 4

Total Number of Times Mulder Has Been in Mortal Danger: 5

Total Number of Times Scully Has Been in Mortal Danger: 4 (upped it another half point, bc i don't thiiiink the guy coercing her intended to put her life in danger. he just ("just") wanted to sexually assault her, but also apparently fucking those guys kills you, so. another toss up)

Total Number of Sexually Charged, Uncomfortably intimate, and/or Flirty Moments Between Friendly Coworkers: 8 (for an episode that was meant to have a "sexy edge," it was deeply unhorny all around, even between our good good coworkers. they should have brought back that horny fire expert from episode 12 to bring up the heat, pun not intended)

Total Number of Autopsies Scully Has Performed On Screen: 1

Total Number of Times Scully Plays Doctor: 1

Total Number of Times Mulder Talks to an Informant: 5

Total Number of Times People Making Out in a Car Are Hurt or Killed: 2 (when i made that stat, part of me was like "mb i am misremembering how often that happens, and it won't even come up that much," and then it happened in the very next episode)

Total Number of Nosebleeds: 4

Total Number of Times Mulder Has Tasted/Sniffed/Touched Something Questionable Without Following Proper Safety Procedures: 2 (don't touch and sniff the weird alien goo wall??? i know for a FACT you keep rubber gloves in your pocket)

Total Number of Times Someone Says "Trust No One": 1

Total Number of Times Someone Says "I Want to Believe": 2

Total Number of Cigarettes Cigarette Smoking Man Has Smoked: 2

Total Number of Maggie Scully Sightings: 1

Total Number of Alex Krycek Sightings: still 0, but like, uh... definitely the closest we've come so far

Total Number of Times I Had to Look Up What State the Episode Takes Place in Even Though I Literally Just Watched It: 4 ½ (yeah i couldn't even pretend that i paid attention)

Total Number of Times I Had to Look at an Episode's Wikipedia Page to Fill This Out Because It Was Fucking Confusing and/or Too Boring for Me to Pay Attention: 2 (i didn't need to, but i did read the wikipedia page anyway just out of pure curiosity, bc why did they write that episode? i mean like, i was entertained, which ig makes it a win, but also just... why?)

[afterhours-system]

omg transbipolar tips please? (if that's ok ofc!) if u do ty sooooo much (and no worries if not! ty anyway 4 being on tumblr :3)

hiii hello :33 heres some transbipolar tips from a cisBP II guything :D

general tips!!

track 👏 your👏 mood 👏!! i'd suggest one mood tracker for the moods/emotions you're actually experiencing (to track progress for example) (i use Daylio, it's great!) & one for the moods/episodes you want to experience! for BP specific moods (mainly depression/mania) i use Bipolar UK!

exaggerate your regular daily moods! if you've been in a good mood all day but suddenly feel a bit down play it up! i've gone from cruising in a very high mood (perhaps even bordering on hypomanic) to absolutely crashing for days because of one bad mood swing :P

hypomania & mania tips!!! (note: ive yet to experience a 100% manic episode, so i dont have as much personal experience there!)

hypomania: hypomania is characterized, for me, by very very high energy, high productivity (but never finishing anything), lots of inspiration & creative drive and feeling wayyy more social than usual!

also, completely losing track of my finances, needing less sleep (like. 2-3hrs & i feel well rested where i usually need 8-9,,), less need for food, almost no actual feelings of hunger (once in a month long ep i only ate One Piece Of Bread per day with the occasional (once a week max) pizza & was "fine") & being more open to drinking (and/or considering trying to get my hands on 'harder' stuff like psychedelics) where i usually straight up dont like alcohol!

i'd recommend going off of what's alr there for you; so if you notice you've been in a pretty good mood recently, say that's a hypomanic episode now! go out a lot (clubbing if you want to/can!), make efforts to meet new ppl & make friends, be very motivated & high energy and do everything (and i mean everything!) in excess (talk fast af & never stop talking, be restless and pace around, constanty occupy yourself w/ smth bcs otherwise you'll be understimulated af)

for mania: crank up everything about hypomania by about 300%. it's like there's a million bees inside your bones, you feel restless cant be still do a thousand things in a day, lose all sense of responsibility & become extremely reckless, either due to your extremely elevated mood or because of delusions or other psychotic symptoms.

oh yeah, psychosis! in a mixed ep i spent a day convinced i had somehow accidentally ingested alcohol (i hadnt)! intrusive thoughts, extreme anxiety around it, physical, olfactory & taste-based hallucinations around it, the whole package.

other BP based psychosis ive experienced: visual hallucinations (insects & spiders for me), jumbled & rapid thoughts (it felt different to adhd fast thoughts it was so weird lol)

see this article (link) for other psychotic symptoms during manic (or depressive!) episodes in pwBP!

i'd probably recommend "picking a theme" for delusions & halluciantions & the like, to make it easier to focus on them? tho i havent experienced psychosis enough to know if i have a 'theme' :P

depressive episodes!!

my least favorite (also, i feel like more things are known abt depression) (ALSO- i have seasonal affective disorder too which influences my BP episodes)

depressive episodes mean extreme lethargy for me. im tired 24/7 no matter how much sleep i get (& i'll be getting way more than usual. 10-12 hrs on average with the occasional 13 hrs 🥶).

very little movement. physical, mental, emotional, metaphyical. i often get stuck in bed, if not physically then mentally. spending my day anywhere but in my bed will feel weird & wrong. i will feel pretty numb/wont have access to my emotions anymore & often compltely stop thinking abt & processing my day-to-day life

^ this usually results in strong amnesia around depressive episodes but that might be a plural thing so. take it w a grain of salt lol

depressive episodes also make me self isolate as fuck. im talking forgoing my physical needs if theres a Chance i'll run into my roommate.

oh, yeah, also i just stop taking care of my basic physical as well as i do when balanced. i need to be starving to be able to get up & eat smth, & god forbid i want to actually cook smth rather than eating frozen pizza or eating out/ordering in

i also usually stop doing anything more creative than daydreaming (hashtag immersive daydreaming gang/silly) but even those are less immersive and less frequent. i'll be artblocked 24/7, have no inspiration or motivation and probably wont even miss drawing :P

& thats it! i hope you can find smth usefull in my rambling :3c /gen

and good luck & have fun with your transition!! you have my full support :D /gen

[whyamiheretumbled]

TMNT Smarts(Spoilers for IDW!)

@smudged-kaleidoscopeThis part will be about TMNT and how the fandom and creators view their smarts! And how it can be extremely weird..

Everyone assumes that Raph is genuinely too rash and reckless to make good decisions.now,Raph is reckless and easily stressed(even in 1987 or Rise), but that doesent mean he's stupid compared to Leo, which a lot of ppl *seem* to think

Raph is protective of his brothers, and is constantly shown that they shouldn't follow his behaviour(Seen when Leo allows Karai to enter the Turtle's car in 2012,the Pizza Puffs ep of 2018,or even in 2003,City at War!)

While he IS reckless, it seems he really wants his brothers to just stay on the damn task and get the job done. Not to mention, he tries to keep them safe. While he can be irrational, that doesent mean he wants to watch them follow his behaviour(2003 Raph says, "I hate when Leo starts reminding me of myself",not a direct quote)

Raph's smarts are less analytical focused and way more SURVIVAL focused, which actually brings us to Mikey <3

First of all, Mikey has never been a baby. In mirage, his anger and violence actually rivaled Raph's,Dr.Feelings and Delicate Touch both exist, in 2012 Mikey straight up punched someone hard enough to break their nose, hell, he threw a couch out of a window.

Mikey is constantly underestimated due to his baby face, gullible tendecies, empathy, etc, bcuz adding on to being genuinely the youngest, he is ALSO the most optimistic out of his brothers, and the one who understands emotions the best

Mikey is typically street smarts, or emotional smarts, seen in Mutant Mayhem with his Improv Club, or seen in 2003 where he instantly gets along with kids, or 2012 and the whole Acne episode

Mikey isn't stupid by any means. Sure, he may not pay attention or have a difficult time understanding stuff, but even in Bayverse he's shown to have smart moments. Unfortunately,due to his silly persona,he is constantly downplayed(Though The Last Ronin shows what happens when Mikey needs to focus because he's lost everything)

If Mikey had more motivation, say for example, being tricked into sex and having babies(mirage),he would probably try to be way smarter. But either way, it's constantly shown he picks things up easily and can think quickly! 2012 and Rise are both great examples <3,as well as moments in 2003

Now, we all know Donnie is smart. That's his big thing, his smarts. But he's his own special kind. He uses his own pros to his advantage, and while this can also slow him down due to not wanting to change his ways, this can also help him!

Seen in IDW, Donnie uses his flaw of ignoring Leo's orders and his pros of his tech to trick the Shredder, I won't go in full detail, but it comes at a price.

Anyways, Donnie is shown to havequick thinking at least, when he can anyalze a situation. He is actually VERY reckless, seen in 2003 building missiles into his car, or 2012 going on a killing rampage.

When he can't anyalze something, he jumps into it.Unlike Mikey, he lacks the ability to quickly access a situation, but he gains the abilities unlike his brothers to quickly map out a plan using logic,common sense, and his brain

Now Donnie had his dumb moments, because he DOESENT WANT TO ACCEPT THAT OTHER PEOPLE CAN BE RIGHT. you may think no, he wants to listen to others, but being so smart he sometimes thinks he's better than other people and superior,shown in multiple iterations, highlighting Rise, 2012,1987,and IDW.

Donnie's smarts run way deeper than knowing mathematics and engineering and etc, they stem into being able to study a problem and find out an efficent way to solve if, unfortunately,he doesent always want to realise he's allowed to need or want second opinions...

Leo's will be very short. He is a analytical and strategic thinker. He maps out plans, focuses on the battlefield, uses people like chess peices, highlighting in 2012 and Rise. I'll go deeper another day(that's what she said)

AHEM. Now, people constantly assume because Leo's brothers aren't the same type of thinker he is,that they're not smart. They're easily stubborn, can be tricked, not fully access a situation, doubt themselves, etc...

But Leo struggles with many of these things, the narrative is just pushed to make it seem like he's always in the right, however, he does almost always go through character development(at the cost of his childhood)

Leo is can be emotionally stunted, act manipulative(seen in 2003),jist be plain rude(2012),because he's leader/strategic,and wonders why no one would listen to him.

If he allowed his brothers to have input,it would be beneficial for the four of them, as they all contain qualities needed to make good plans.,and are all smart,and while I hate this saying, they're smart in their own way.

Mikey can answer philosophical questions, he doesent have the general care for others or his own regard like Raph generally does, Raph has survival skills but doesent know when to be calm, etc etc

[simslegacy5083]

NSB (Straud Legacy) Gen 9 Ep 81: Settling Differences

Luigi’s excitement about his new relationship hadn’t made him forgot his vow to make amends to sims hurt by his previous reckless behavior.

The first sim he wanted to mend fences with was his co-captain. Since being paired up to lead the E-Sports team they’d hung out a few times to talk strategy and Luigi had come to appreciate that Beau was a fantastic judge of character who hid a kind spirit behind his spiky demeaner.

Thanks to Peppino’s curious generosity, he would have an excellent opportunity to chat when he handed over the fertility clinic refund.

Any chance that Luigi might catch Beau before practice was cut off when a second pregnant teammate intercepted him on his approach.

Jade’s obvious excitement when he arrived had him frantically calculating, wondering if her “condition” could possibly be a result of their one-night stand. He set those odds at impossible just as she opened:

“Looo-eeegeee! Look! Brice and I are expecting a new little gamer!” With a much friendlier demeanor than when they’d last parted ways she continued more quietly. “Hey, I’m sorry about last time we talked man. I wasn’t in a great place, but this little pea…” she stroked her belly lovingly. “Really brought Brice’n me together y’know? Really put what matters into perspective. I’m glad you and me didn’t get entangled in anything complicated.”

Luigi expressed happiness for her, certainly overjoyed that Jade’s baby had helped focus her back on her own family, and off giving him trouble.

Luigi escaped Jade’s enthusiasm and began what turned out to be a fantastic practice session, finally finding a chance to chat with Beau at the end.

His teammate offered a small “go ahead then” gesture when Luigi asked to speak to him. Leading them to a quiet corner of the large open multipurpose workspace he presented Beau with Peppino’s gift, smiling as his eyes went wide with surprise when he realized what was inside.

When Luigi saw Beau’s shock turn into embarrassed anger instead of happy acceptance he started talking fast, pouring out a hasty explanation of the idealistic nature of wealthy ancient mages. Beau’s attitude mellowed: “Hmm, well of course your highness would find this kind of thing natural.”

He stowed the simoleons away safely and added “Thank your old family friend for everything, on behalf of me, Brianne, and our tiny tot to be.”

Glad to have delivered the gift, even if the exchange was unexpectedly tense, Luigi skated past the topic of his “suspiciously lucky” family line, as Papa Jack had advised him time and again. Instead, he took a deep breath and launched directly into his planned attempt at deepening their relationship.

“Beau, I know we got started off on the wrong foot, but since we’ve been “stuck together” as co-captains I’ve truly come to think of you as a friend.”

“So, I just want to put out there, again, that I’m really sorry about hurting your arm that night at the club. I didn’t mean for it to happen, but that doesn’t excuse how I acted. I wish I could undo the past, but more usefully, I want to show you that our future is going to be better.”

He wasn’t sure how Beau would react and was immensely relieved by the comfortable smile that broke out over his friend’s face. “Don’t be so full of yourself. If I hadn’t had a Mt. Komorebi sized chip on my shoulder, our Spooky Day fight wouldn’t have happened, but then I wouldn’t have met my wife. So, screw your wish to undo our past! If I had to, I’d fight you all over again to keep it!”

A relieved Luigi wished Beau a good evening, but his friend brought him up short with a sassy: “And where do you think you’re going!?”

Seeing the twinkle in the other sims eye Luigi fired back “I was heading home before I have to watch you drop that baby right here in the commons!”

Beau countered “You won Spooky Day fisticuffs, and I just demolished you in our first Scuffle of the season. “No-one’s leaving or getting born until we settle this with a tie breaker!” So, I’m thinking… Ping Pong is just physical enough to give you a sporting chance despite your raging lack of skill.”

 “If you really want your unborn child to witness your hopeless loss, I am happy to oblige” Luigi replied, following him downstairs to get started.

View The Full Story of My Not So Berry Challenge Here

[bengiyo]

Kiseki: Dear to Me Ep 3 Stray Thoughts

Last week, we started a new Taiwanese BL. This one features a gangster who has blackmailed a college scholarship student into letting him stay in his apartment while he recovers from injuries. The gangster is rather charming, and our medical student is pissed that he kissed him. Meanwhile, the gang is looking for Fen Zhe Rui (the gangster) and using it as an excuse to beef with their rival, who is played by Wayne Song. Huang Chun Chih.

I like how Zong Yi knows himself.

Ai Di is always tormenting someone whenever we check in with him.

Chen Yi is really wearing a Hellfire Club shirt.

Bai Zong Yi attends the school of Talk Shit, Get Hit!!

Why does seeing the boss require them to disrobe and go to a bath?

Seven dead and 13 injured seems like quite a big problem to write off as recklessness.

OMG it’s the Be Loved in House: I Do leads!

Clearly everyone is gay in this show.

I would not be texting my location if I was in hiding

Leaving right as he finally gets you the cake. Now that’s drama!

How lonely is Bai Zong Yi that this man was able to trigger his abandonment issues?

 LOL. “He’s a cat. He’ll be back when he’s hungry.”

Man, this felt short. I’m with @lurkingshan that these should release two a week.

[kingofthewilderwest]

Your tags on the 'whose smarter' poll made me flashback to that episode of DoB. Final ep, I think, Cast Out prt 2? And anyway it literally ends with Snotlout (disobeying Hiccup) and acting recklessly with his plan. Hiccup tells him "You proved sometimes recklessness can be courageous" and I just remember being like "THIS from the kid who took on the Red Death on one dragon with a flammable tail fin. Like the similarity/hypocrisy got me--when Hiccup went after the Red Death he was a hero.

I love this. It's really about framing. The HTTYD series provides us certain narrative perceptions, lenses, by which they have us view the characters. Going outside the lenses to look at characters's actions more objectively, and there's that... bias... haha, yeah!

Hiccup constantly doing reckless things is treated as more permissible by the show's framework. His reckless and/or impulsive decisions are treated as gutsy, genius solutions rather than haybrained schemes. And Hiccup tends to be rewarded for those wild plans narratively by having those succeed.

Even though Hiccup gets semi-called out on unnecessary recklessness in RTTE - like testing a flight suit - it's portrayed narratively to viewers as humorous rather than flaws to learn from (as per Snotlout). And when Hiccup makes mistakes, the narrative treats feedback from "equals" like Astrid or people in greater authority like Stoick as what we viewers should care most about. It's not that Ruffnut, Tuffnut, or Snotlout lack feedback about Hiccup's decisions, but it's not treated as criticially. We're not "meant" to reflect on it, most of the time.

"You just proved sometimes recklessness can be courageous" is so much a part of Hiccup's choices that the phrase could be etched on his tombstone. But it's Snotlout taking a moment of gumption that's called out as so risky it's potentially "dumb." And frankly, across the entirety of DreamWorks Dragons, Snotlout brings up many points of prudent caution.

There's a hierarchy the narrative gives us - Hiccup the leader, Astrid and Fishlegs as "more competent" members of the group, and the twins and Snotlout as "less competent" members of the group (our comedic relief). The narrative wants us to sometimes treat this as a gang of equals, especially by RTTE, but the way conversations and situations get presented, solved, and saved means that this internalized hierarchy never leaves. That means that who the audience members take most seriously gets impacted.

I mean, as you said yourself, it's Snotlout disobeying Hiccup - a word that carries authority, as Hiccup is the leader of the Dragon Club during the early DreamWorks Dragons series. In HTTYD and HTTYD 2, Hiccup disobeying Stoick, while ultimately resulting in good ends, also carries consequences. Hiccup disobeying Stoick resulted in the village nearly getting killed. Hiccup disobeying Stoick brought Drago's attention onto them. But by the TV series, I think Hiccup's disobedience is usually seen as a good (by my shoddy memory), but Snotlout's disobedience is seen as him not being "as good as" Hiccup - but is that actually, objectively the case, outside the show's framing?

I don't have the Freaktastic Knowledge I did in ye olde days of analysis where I could list off three hundred specific examples to prove my points, but this is my memory impressions of the series. Snotlout balks at Hiccup's plans lots of the time - and he doesn't not have a point. In another series, Snotlout would be correctly identifying three hundred things that could go wrong, might have gone wrong, or will actually, in fact, go wrong. But Snotlout as a comedic relief character, and then a defiant character opposing Hiccup the Hero who comes up with the correct plan because he's got protagonist armor... means sometimes Snotlout's legitimate points get lost to viewers.

There's a reason why, even now, ROB's Defiant One's conversation between Hiccup and Snotlout still resonates clearly in my memories.

Snotlout: Oh, you are so smug! Hiccup: Me? Snotlout: Hiccup's so smart! Hiccup's so brave! He killed the Red Death! He trained the dragons! He's got the metal leg! Hiccup: Metal leg? That's what's bothering you? That's where you're going? Metal leg? Snotlout: No! It's everything the leg is attached to!

Snotlout made mistakes in Defiant One. Let's not forget that context. But while Snotlout yelling at Hiccup can be read as Snotlout not being "as good as" our hero Hiccup who saves the day... it strikes me because it shows the imbalance of treatment between Snotlout and Hiccup. "Everything the leg is attached to" is the prioritization of Hiccup and - by this point - Hiccup expecting to be prioritized.

Actually listening to Snotlout is a fantastic way to experience the TV series. He's bitter. He's grumpy. He's defiant. He's downer. But that's because he sees holes. He has a **PRACTICAL** side that butts heads with Hiccup. I'm someone whose thinking processes are similar to Snotlout - it's easier to shoot down a solution for its mistakes than come up with a new one - but it's an important role to have. In an actually existing friendship group, you need someone who's down to earth enough to make sure your out-of-the-box thinking friend (Hiccup) doesn't come up with something so wild it's not really going to work. We need an intelligence that sees holes. Otherwise, we start floating off into things that won't work as we expect them to, or adopting ideas that haven't been tested with robustness.

Snotlout's a legitimately smart guy. The fact that Astrid and the others shoot him down is partially because of his character, partially because sometimes he can be a dummy (as can we all), but partially because of their own flaws. Listen more to Snotlout, y'all. Some of Hiccup's plans work because Luck.

Similarly, we can talk about the framing of Fishlegs spewing facts (treated as providing information) versus the Thorstons spewing facts (treated as a novelty quirk rather than intelligence). Just because the Thorstons do it in a dorkier, more trollish matter does not negate the fact that they are BRIMMING, purely BRIMMING, with an ENORMOUS amount of factual knowledge! Does Fishlegs actually have more factual knowledge than them? No, it's just a different area. He's got concentrated knowledge on dragons. They've got in depth, niche knowledge of a large variety of topics. Fishlegs, Ruff, and Tuff are all dang smart.

From a meta standpoint, the twins's intelligence is treated inconsistently. But I prefer me my smart Thorstons who just have spacey heads, trollish senses of humor, and thrillseeking behavior.

[whiskeyswifty]

People compare rep and lover a lot. To me lover is the superior album. I feel like lover has a lot of ups and downs (maybe even more ups than downs) but rep has only 2 ups (delicate and getaway car) and 13 absolute horrible songs lmao

i'm definitely aligned with this! tbf, i think rep and lover lend themselves to being compared more so than most of her works. the light v. dark, the exploration of falling in love v. after falling in love, the fact that they also are sequential lol. and i think you can draw a lot of parallels between songs across those two and how over time her perspectives and priorities have shifted, due to circumstances but also how aging from your 20s into your 30s really rewires your brain without realizing it (which is lost on a lot of younger fans, but that's fine! don't rush it! you'll get there!). they're fascinating texts to lay out side by side and see how they're in conversation.

and i think they're both equally conceptually messy, sonically messy too, in what you could call her murky middle period as of right now. trying out lots of different sounds and personas, however ill fitting, and helming her albums as the EP for the first time and growing into herself. they're also albums made during periods of severe personal distress unlike anything she'd experienced before; being the kanye induced snake-gate and her mother's cancer diagnosis and subsequent battle. you can see the darkness of those experiences seep through as she's trying to navigate a life she now views as precarious where she maybe once was reckless with it. i think i even said at the time that lover was the first time she ever acknowledged she had to work on herself as person and how she had played an active part in her own unhappiness in the past (see the archer). those incredibly painful growing periods in someone's life sometimes make for great art, but other times can make for artistic work that is as full of confusion and lack of clarity as those real life periods of metamorphosis can be. that's where they both fall for me anyway, but when the bright spots shine, you can see glimpses of Her in there! halfway formed and wobbling on new legs, but ambling shakily towards that more solid and fully formed version of herself.

I also pretty much agree with you on lover being superior, and your reasons are completely aligned with what I feel and often say as well. lover is definitely full of very high highs and very low lows, but the highs are sooooooo much higher than anything on reputation. and getaway car is the runaway favorite peak for sure, insaaanely high ranked in her song sorter for me given that the rest of reputation is notably absent from the top half. and i really love delicate, but i think i'm more amenable to more rep songs than you. however even the ones i like, gorgeous, don't blame me, dress, dwoht, and lwymmd (if only for how it played when you're trashed in the gay clubs at the time and how i love the video lol) i only like, but don't love. and the lows on reputation are so low, there are a few songs i couldn't tell you all the lyrics because i listened to them once. sooooooo adkljfadlkfj. even my most hated lover songs i can tolerate, unwillingly but i'll soldier through it if it comes on shuffle and i'm too lazy to skip.

[touchmycoat]

Temptation Tuesday oh I love it: a list of the ideas distracting you from your current WIP (tagged by @authenticaussie)

fic ideas pouring out my brain (all Only Friends TTT):

sequel to everyone bleeds, Sand catches Ray & Boeing at the hotel and has a Fucking Moment. Ray gets to see Sand's insecurities up close and personal.

Ep 12 fix-it where BostonNickBoeing bang at the club, Nick goes with Boston to the nye party, and Sand apologizes to Boston in front of the whole friend group about stealing the recording. This disrupts the "Boston needs to apologize to everyone" flow and Cheum gets competitive apologizes too for the Atom thing. BostonRay bff agenda, and as everyone gets progressively more drunk Mew also comes around. Ray and Mew catch Boston & Cheum up on the whole Boeing situation and Boston demands to see a pic. Nick is horrified he sucked Sand's ex's dick 'cause that's not Bro Code.

OF x Not Me crossover where once upon a time, Sand helps a random street artist escape pursuit by cops and as luck would have it, Dan's one of the arresting officers at the Halloween party. Problem is, Dan's more interested in shutting Sand up than taking Top's money so he finds an excuse to take Sand away (a la Dan just kidnapping Yok out of school & taking him to an abandoned building). This is where all my dark fantasies can go but point is, no good deed goes unpunished for Sand yet again and Ray has to contend with the fact that Sand's bearing the consequences for his recklessness.

Another Not Me crossover but it's just a Sand/Ray/Yok threesome, 'cause Sand trusts Yok and Ray deserves to be the filling in a First sandwich

OF x The Shipper crossover where Kim's working in heaven as *handwave* a junior in the Grace department (in exchange he gets to watch his loved ones grow old and move on, at least for a little bit, until he feels like he's got closure). He develops a little program based on A Christmas Carol and yoinks Ray to purgatory to show Ray past, present, and future: Sand's past with Boeing to explain why Sand reacted the way he did when Boeing came back into the picture; the present, some of the little things Sand does because of Ray that Ray doesn't know about; a vision of the future where eventually Ray's inability to exercise patience & self-destructive tendencies results in him really hurting Sand again. Ray gets frustrated at this point at Kim putting all this blame on him. Kim reveals that Sand's been his client this whole time, not Ray; it's Sand who needs a bit of grace. Ray's even more panicked at the prospect of failing Sand so he asks why Kim didn't just tell Sand all this instead of him. Cue Kim monologue about how he just wanted to prove something, how he'd immediately seen Sand was the type to stupidly carry the whole world on his shoulders and how he just wondered if someone Sand loved would be willing to share the burden.

Don't know if this would be a part of ^ fic or a separate relapse fic but Ray & Kim having a conversation about suicidal thoughts. Something about how Ray imagined his death would bring people relief vs. Kim imagining his death would bring about regret, very vindictive how does it feel to lose everything I do for you huh? vibes. And ultimately how both their thoughts stem out of the same desire: I wish I could stop. Ray wants to stop fucking up and disappointing his loved ones. Kim wanted to stop taking everything onto himself and resenting the world for it.

I don't fucking know I just have so much unresolved grief about Kim I want to rotate him

Tagging YOU who sees this (so I can scramble to a work meeting nsklfasjdbfksd)

[storiesofsvu]

Happy thursday.

fair warning, if you care about svu spoilers at all, make sure you're staying FAR away from social media until you've watched it.

WOOF

spoilers under the cut for all three l&o's and not really for CME, but just some minor thoughts

Thursday Thursday… here we go!

As usual Ayanna looking like a fucking bomb snack in her suits

Ian doyle get your crusty ass face off my fucking tv. Like, im literally writing Emily fic as I’m watching organized crime, this is NOT THE TIME.

Okay, not surprised the snitch is already dead.

Ah… and we’re back to the sleazy casino manchild. Amazing.

The more we find out about jet, the more I love her.

Wait… bobby’s MARRIED??!? Did we know this already and I just forgot or is this new information? Or is the new info just that he’s married to a mob boss’s niece?

Okay also…the mob boss woman was in the once upon a time in el barrio svu ep.. that’s where I know her from…

LOL to Jamie little white kid freaking over the food and bigger LOL to them having a giant pile of containers to take with him…

Murphy’s accent keeps slipping in and out which is weird cause the actor is irish… then again, if he’s been living in the us for that long it probably does that anyways

The girl playing Rika has defs been on svu before… but im not complaining… she’s hot.

Yeah she was in s19.

Bobby’s such a lil cutie.

“I deserve a lot more than that. But you’re going to spend it on me. Dinner, maybe some jewels…”  “buy you a house if it means I get to come home to you.”  ….things to file away for future fic inspo….

Jet… omg.. I love you.

Okay… but like… jet was being flirted with by a KNOWN gangster ,one who clearly wanted more time with her, whether that is pure intention or not (cause out on the street he did seem a bit genuine, esp once murphy showed up) and like, yes I get that she’s a cop, but WHY would she be left to walk to her car alone late at night. Like, im not talking police escort, but at the very least a “security” from the club or a bartender or anything like… there are some bars that don’t let their service staff walk to their cars alone….

Okay, im actually invested in this arc…  weird.

Now we’re onto mothership. Will I pay attention or will I focus on the prentiss smut I’m working on? Only time will tell!!

Shouldn’t this be a special victims case?

Cops walking up to a suspect muttering “don’t run, don’t run, don’t run.” Will always be hilarious to me.

“these Zumba classes are not working…”  “…I did all the running.” LOOOL that is some quality partner banter. Love it.

I literally just said “where tf are this kid’s parents.”  Like… he’s under 18..

God this is one of those cases that just has curveball after curveball…

Wait… barba upped a case to reckless endangerment and rita’s response was “really, now we’re talking felonies?!” but now RE means no jail time?? Brb while I go google some shit. Okay… It looks like its first degree vs second degree. I’ll accept that.

Samantha maroun and rita Calhoun go on shopping sprees together and I will not accept notes on this. They’re both always so colourful.

I feel like this case would be a super hard one to take to trial… like that jury is gonna be deadlocked no matter what, it would so likely be a mistrial.

Damn these lawyers are fucking smart and know their shit. Good job.

Holy FUCK another curveball. Damn. This is old school writing. Bless.

 Okay, svu time. I don’t know if I’m prepared. (and not because I ship it…)

Still cant get over that Oscar papa is a fucking TWINK

Awwwee sonny… sweet sonshine. I fucking miss you. Wish you were around more often.

Wow… timing.. Seriously? We couldn’t even get sonny in the room?? He had to zoom in? wtf?!

This aint the first time a perp has threatened her son.. like.. she aint fucking around anymore

Also… the fact that they were *actually* going for noah is terrifying and makes it like, so much more worse?!

Fuck.. Velasco… ive missed you…

A phoebe mention!! Can we see her again pls?

Still haven’t decided if I like Bruno or not. Wouldn’t be mad if he joined the team cause lort knows they need a bigger squad. Also really liked that other Bronx detective

Okay.. note on the commercial break… they’re making ANOTHER magic mike??? Is channing tatum that desperate for money??

LOL the “let me call you amanda from now on” line followed by “alright well tell carisi I’ll be home late.” Omg. Fin. Best one liners.

“all you white boys look alike to me” LOL.

Bruno my man, why TF you carrying around that much cash?!?

Yes… THIS ONE! The black girl detective from the bronx. I want more of her.

HANDS! Joe.. jfc calm yourself

Churlish! Okay… imma try to remember that name

….im assuming we’re not getting any muncy in this ep

YEESSS VELASCO playing dirty fake UC (well… kinda…) this should not be as hot as it is…

OH MY GOD ARE WE ACTUALLY IN COURT?! IT’S A FUCKING MIRACLE.

Man… testifying/prosecuting/being on the jury in a gang related case like this, like, my anxiety would be through the fucking roof for the rest of my life…

Im over here still trying to figure out just how dirty joe was playing? Like, if he was gonna go that bad why do it in front of a cop he doesn’t know that well. Like yeah maybe he has a hook with mcgrath but im just wary of shit rn. He’s not that ballsy….

Okay, this isn’t the first time that liv has made threats like this, and it wont be the last.

Yeah.. still so confused about joe… like he *knows* what he’s doing…. Right? Like at first I lowkey thought it was the two of them playing good cop bad cop like liv & Elliot used to back in the day.

“that an invitation?” DUARTE WOW WAY TO BE FUCKING BOLD (would probs prefer that to eo tbh)

Theyre flirting your honour

WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK??!!! ARE YOU FUCKING WITH ME?!!? I legit wish you could see my face rn. WOW SVU WAY TO FUCKING GO DARK THERE IS ONLY 10 MINS LEFT OF THIS SHIT AND THAT INCLUDES COMMERCIALS WOOOWW

 Are you fucking with me???

Wow… okay.. noted… pray for anyone named Mike on SVU

(but is he actually dead..  or is this gonna be a witsec thing?)

I WAS JUST STARTING TO LIKE HIM DAMMIT

Oscar’s got mommy issues… that checks

Okay well they prosecuted him for murder so… duarte’s dead… wow..

Her new apartment is gorgeous

Did we really have to go all dutch tilt for this scene?

LOOOOOLLL omg that promo had y’all fucking freaking your shit out and it turned into nothing. God bless. So proud of liv for saying no, that she can’t. like, not only did unstabler bring it up at a time that she was probably hella vulnerable, feeling the relief that she/noah were finally safe, like that’s gonna have her releasing emotions she didn’t even realize she was feeling. And then on top of that, someone, a friend.. a flirtatious friend maybe? Coworker? The SECOND person she’d worked closely with named mike be murdered a moment after she left their side, holds herself responsible. Like that is NOT the time to try to fucking kiss her my man. That is the time to wrap her in a hug, tell her that things will eventually be okay and let her cry into your shoulder, a light kiss on the head at most. Jfc. Read the room.

circling back to duarte.. they SERIOUSLY couldn't bother paying molly for like a half day of work to be in the waiting room? he was her captain.. she would be there...

ANYWAYS.

Uh,… CME summary?

Episode was meh. Like literally meh. I have basically zero good or bad points about it. AJ’s kids are so grown up now. JJ looks hot af as usual, and gay af, like the reboot really said “okay, jj is also gonna be secretly gay, don’t tell will”. Sick of the will they wont they with will being sick/dying, lets not tease this shit anymore. Also sick of the wardrobe dept giving Prentiss the exact same shirt in like 4 diff colours to wear and that’s it. Also please let Emily say fuck again. Also JJ. And Tara. Let the women swear pls. it’s not fair Rossi got the first like.. three… let’s hope next week is better!

[newmusickarl]

5-9’s Album of the Month Podcast – Episode 3 Coming Soon!

March has now come to an end, which means the next edition of the 5-9 Album of the Month Podcast will soon be live, in which myself, 5-9 Editor Andrew Belt, Check This Out’s Kiley Larsen and Blinded by The Floodlights’ Matthew McLister review five high profile album releases from the past month in music, and ultimately name one as our Album of the Month at the end of the discussion.

For a stacked March, the five albums we will be covering are:

Fantasy by M83 (Poll winner, thanks to everyone who voted!)

The Record by Boygenius

LIES by LIES

Rides On by The Nude Party

Praise A Lord Who Chews But Which Does Not Consume; (Or Simply, Hot Between Worlds) by Yves Tumor

If you want to listen to the February episode simply click the link below, but also be sure to follow 5-9 Blog on Instagram and Twitter for more news and polls relating to the podcast, along with other great content like film reviews, sports articles and more.

Listen to the February 2023 episode here

Album & EP Recommendations

Did you know that there’s a tunnel under Ocean Blvd by Lana Del Rey

A woman who needs no introduction at this point, one of the most hotly anticipated releases of the year so far finally arrived this month in the form Lana Del Rey’s eighth studio album – Did you know that there’s a tunnel under Ocean Blvd (which we can all agree is a peak Lana type of album title).

Having delivered her undisputed magnum opus Norman Fucking Rockwell (NFR) back in 2019, Miss Lizzy Grant has not rested on her laurels since, quickly following up with two more albums in 2021 – Chemtrails Over The Country Club and Blue Banisters. Whilst both records had their moments, the former more so, neither quite came close enough to the theatre, majesty and sheer perfection of NFR. However now back with her fourth album in as many years, Lana has once again hit some career best highs on Did you know…, albeit a record that still has its flaws.

Let’s start off on the positives though and there are plenty to talk about - particularly the entire first half of this record where the songs presented can easily stand toe to toe with anything on NFR. Opener The Grants welcomes the listener with some gorgeous gospel vocal harmonies, before Lana herself takes over with her inimitable vocals, exquisitely sharing memories of her family. The title track is then even better and already one of my favourite Lana tracks, with its stirring strings, anguished vocals and heartbreaking lyrics of self-loathing (“Open me up, tell me you like me, Fuck me to death, love me until I love myself”). As Lana is joined by a choir for the swelling “Don’t Forget Me” refrain in the song’s outro, you’d have to be cold hearted to not be greatly moved.

After the sweeping heartache of Sweet, seven-minute epic A&W is another career highlight which sees Lana detail “the experience of being an American Whore.” It’s vintage Lana, with the first half stripped back and centred around her sublime, hushed vocals, before it steadily morphs into a rumbling, trap style beat as she sarcastically sings “Your Mom called, I told her, you’re fucking up big time.” Just superb.

After an interlude from social media preacher Judah Smith, the Jon Baptiste featuring Candy Necklace then delivers another big album highlight, as a simple piano arrangement beautifully glides off Lana’s vocals on the poetic chorus of “You’ve been acting pretty reckless, dancing like the young and restless.” After the extended Jon Baptiste outro, Kintsugi strikes a similar chord with just Lana singing live alongside a piano – again just stunning and really spotlights what a special artist she has become.

However, as I mentioned the album isn’t without it’s flaws and it’s around the midway point these start to become more noticeable – the main one being the album’s length. This is Lana’s longest record to date and whilst the songs in the middle section like Paris Texas, Grandfather… and her collaborations with Father John Misty and Bleachers sound great in isolation, you may find yourself weary of Lana’s singular pace by the time you reach this portion of the record. Twice whilst listening front-to-back I found myself falling into a bit of a lull during these tracks, but returning to them individually afterward helped me to connect with them. Also for me, these songs just don’t quite match up to those in the first half – at least after a few plays.

Thankfully though Lana pulls it back around at the end, thanks to the infectious trap groove of the album’s most pure pop moment, Peppers. This is then followed by closing track Taco Truck x VB, which brazenly morphs halfway through into a remix of her own classic track, Venice Bitch from NFR. Is this a lazy finish or a cool flex? I’ll let you decide.

So whilst I’ve seen a lot of people saying Lana has knocked it out the park again with this one and possibly delivered her best yet, I’m not quite in that same boat. I do however think it’s definitely in the top half of her discography, and the first half of this record in particular is as good as anything she has ever done. I do still feel that Lana may have oversaturated her catalogue somewhat, and if she had just waited to combine the best half of this record, the best half of Chemtrails and the gems from Blue Banisters like the title track, Arcadia and Nectar of the Gods, she may have had another NFR level masterpiece on her hands.

That said though, I admire the work ethic and frequency at which Lana is delivering new music and I’m not going to complain too much about having a mountain of music from her over the last few years. The fact she’s been so productive and still served up some of the very best work of her career, really it can only be admired.

Listen here

SCARING THE HOES by JPEGMAFIA & Danny Brown

An album that thankfully went from rumour to reality pretty quickly, the last few weeks has also seen hip hop sensations JPEGMAFIA and Danny Brown release their much-anticipated collaboration album – and it doesn’t disappoint.

Opener and lead single Lean Beef Patty basically captures everything that you can expect from this record in a nutshell - a sub 2-minute hurricane of hard electronic blasts, masterful production from JPEG and mesmerising lyrical wizardry from both artists. For 36 minutes, SCARING THE HOES is just an absolute blast of fun, thriving on chaotic beats, cheeky samples and ice-cold bars – everything you would want and expect from a project featuring these two cult superstars.

In terms of moments of magic there’s plenty too, with the first half boasting the dazzling and wittily titled Steppa Pig, the energetic, jazz-infused title track and the Kelis-sampling Fentanyl Tester. Then the back end sees Maryland rapper Redveil join the duo for the oddly enchanting Kingdom Hearts Key, whilst the pair then spit over some wildly distorted lounge piano on the bizarre yet brilliant, Jack Harlow Combo Meal. That said, my personal favourite track is the emphatic, horn-backed Burfict! which is so gloriously triumphant, I’ll be very surprised if we hear a better hip hop beat this year.

Overall, this record is just a tonne of fun and a real early 2023 standout from the hip hop genre. Here’s hoping we get more from these two in the future!

Listen here

Live At Bush Hall by Black Country, New Road

Carrying on after losing a founding member is never easy, and these next two albums both come in the wake of such a moment for these two bands - albeit in two very different circumstances.

Firstly we have an outfit still relatively in their infancy - art-rockers Black Country, New Road (BCNR). Having earned a Mercury Prize for their debut For The First Time before then blowing critics and fans away with their deeply moving, beautifully crafted sophomore record Ants From Up There (one of my Top 5 Albums of 2022), BCNR looked to be on the verge of big things. However, with frontman Isaac Wood stepping away from the band for mental health reasons prior to Ants From Up There’s release, the remaining six-piece collective were suddenly seemingly sent back to square one.

Promising to not perform any of their music prior to Isaac’s departure ever again, the band instead began to play a few shows of entirely new music, which is exactly what has now been captured in this Live At Bush Hall release. This live album feels like the perfect next step and rebirth for BCNR, showing that although Isaac was a huge loss, they still have plenty to offer both as a live force and as songwriters going forward. If you don’t believe me, check out the full live performance for yourself below and pay particular attention to epic tracks The Boy and Turbines/Pigs which are my early favourites from Black Country, New Road Mk. 2.

Watch the full Live At Bush Hall performance here

Listen to the live album here

Memento Mori by Depeche Mode

Written and recorded amidst COVID limitations before then being released following the tragic sudden passing of founding member Andy Fletcher in 2022, Depeche Mode’s fifteenth studio album was seemingly destined to be a hefty, emotionally charged listen. Haunting lead single Ghosts Again remains one of the best singles of the year so far and offered fans an early window into the thematic and sonic content of Memento Mori. However even with this, I’m sure not many expected the final result to be Dave Gahan and Martin Gore’s best work since at least 2005’s Playing The Angel – possibly even earlier.

Perfectly balancing the darkness in the lyrics with uplifting electronic-driven melodies, the band have also enlisted the help of Psychedelic Furs vocalist Richard Butler who elevates tracks Don’t Say You Love Me and Caroline’s Monkey. There’s also some late career classics from the duo, with the neon-soaked melancholy of Wagging Tongue, the industrial-backed vulnerability of Before We Drown and the exhilaratingly anthemic Never Let Me Go all standing out.

Overall, this is a towering work from a band now well over 40 years into their career, which helps make it all the more impressive. Using the pair’s own description, Memento Mori runs “the gamut from paranoia and obsession to catharsis and joy, and hitting myriad points between" – and if that doesn’t sell you, nothing will.

Listen here

That Sweet Breath EP by Lowmello

Then on the EPs front this week, Santa Fe label Mama Mañana records are continuing to kill it with each release and this latest one from indie-rock multi-instrumentalist Abel John, who goes by the alias Lowmello, continues their hot streak.

Starting initially on a trippy vortex that even Kevin Parker would be proud of, Abel’s powerful raw vocals and buzzy guitars soon cut in on opener Red Lipstick, bringing some welcome unique flavour to proceedings. It’s a scintillating start which soon makes way for excellent single Fool, a track inspired by Abel’s own arrest for drink driving a few years back. Turning this embarrassing mistake into a shareable lesson, Fool is the result of an artist turning a corner and finding clarity in what they want to create, with the song wonderfully channelling Pretty Years-era Cymbals Eat Guitars for a grungy yet poppy belter of a track.

After that brilliant opening one-two combo, I’m pleased to say the EP doesn’t let up from there. 26 is a soaring, sand-dusted anthem of the ilk that made The Killers global superstars, whilst Andrew is a charmingly reflective ode to Abel’s own family and upbringing. The EP’s title track then triumphantly wraps things up in a haze of swirling guitar riffs, inspired by an enlightening hot yoga session and carrying with it more than a few callbacks to The Strokes.

Overall, this is a fantastic EP from Lowmello that delivers 5/5 on the indie belters front. If you love your guitars and have 15 minutes to spare, don’t sleep on this one.

Listen here

Rides On by The Nude Party

“The Nude Party is now back with their third full-length record, Rides On, an auditory trip through the late sixties and early seventies, with their barn studio serving as the time machine. For those familiar with the band, this may not sound like much of a change from their first two records, and you’d be correct. The thing is, The Nude Party is one of those groups that pick a lane and choose to barrel down the highway in a tank (with flowers shoved in the cannon, of course).

At the same time, this is the first album with The Nude Party self-producing at their upstate barn, like The Band at Big Pink, and it might be why Rides On is more relaxed and playful than their previous work. Things are much bluesier this time, like the barroom tack and harmonica on “Polly Anne” and the closer, “Red Rocket Ride.” We even have a magnificently greasy cover of Dr. John’s “Somebody Tryin’ to Hoodoo Me” for one of the record’s best moments.”

Read Kiley Larsen’s full review here

Listen here

A Fistful of Peaches by Black Honey

“Almost two years to the day since their last album release, the quartet are back with a new focus on third effort A Fistful of Peaches. The Brighton band’s new one is their most personal and open album yet…Black Honey’s third album is full of heavy guitars and big choruses, sprinkling some sweetness throughout. Make no mistake, this is an alt rock record to be played LOUD. Albeit the lack of variety is off-putting. At least initially.

A Fistful of Peaches is darker and heavier both in sound and lyrical themes addressed. This, of course, creates an unavoidable contrast to their last. Written & Directed was incredibly immediate but perhaps lacked the substance to revisit long after its release. Here the opposite is achieved. If you aren’t taken by this instantly, eventually you’ll get there and come around to the record’s many earworms.”

Read Matt McLister’s full review for Gigwise here

Listen here

Also worth checking out: Praise The Lord… by Yves Tumor, Fantasy by M83, So Much (For) Stardust by Fall Out Boy

Tracks of the Week

Eucalyptus by The National

Having been left somewhat underwhelmed by The National’s first two singles for their upcoming album First Two Pages of Frankenstein, I’m pleased to say this latest single has thankfully raised my personal hype-o-meter ready for the album dropping next month. Propelled by the Dessner brothers and riding an anthemic chorus of “You should take it, ‘cause I’m not gonna take it”, this is simply the National at their best.

Listen here

No Reason by The Chemical Brothers

When it comes to The Kings of Electronic, you can always expect them to deliver – without even going back to their 90s heyday, just look at 2019’s exceptional No Geography and 2021 single The Darkness That You Fear. Now No Reason continues their recent renaissance, with an instantly danceable groove that shimmers along until it erupts in a blitz of pulsating synths towards the back end. Hopefully a new album is on the way because we want more!

Listen here

Black British by V V Brown

I had completely forgotten about singer-songwriter V V Brown, until the moment I saw this week that she had released her first new music in eight long years. As a big fan of her previous work, particularly 2013’s Samson & Delilah, it’s fantastic to have V V’s talent back in the limelight and Black British is a simply outstanding return. Soulful, urgent and provocative, it’s a song that you simply need to hear.

Listen here

Spellbinding by Smashing Pumpkins

The legendary rockers have already released two thirds of their monster new album ATUM, which is set to clock in at a whopping 2.5 hours and 33 songs once fully released. On sheer probability alone there was always bound to be something worth listening to in that mountain of music and one of those tracks is the first taster for part three of the album, Spellbinding. Living up to its title, it combines playful pop synths, rip-roaring guitars and a hugely anthemic chorus for one of their best songs in years.

Listen here

Stupid by bexx

Retro-banger manufacturer bexx has already proved she is one the most exciting voices emerging in pop music right now, but if you’ve somehow not been convinced yet then her new single Stupid is sure to do the trick. With a (sadly!) relatable sentiment at its core and an instantly catchy earworm chorus, you’ll be singing along in petty rage at your ex in no time. Best experienced with the fun rom-com inspired music video which you can watch below too.

Watch the video here

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Errors and Repairs by Codice Ego

Something a bit different now, Italian alt-rockers Codice Ego have released their latest single Errors and Repairs this week, with the narrative centred around one of their band member’s experiences dealing with the fallout of a life-changing illness. Dark, industrial and an unsettling tone throughout, it’s shades of Placebo by way of Metric.

Listen here

Beatnik by Fake Turins

North London’s premier disco-psych 11-piece Fake Turins continue their farewell victory lap, having officially announced they will be calling it a day on the 8th June, a date which is set to host their final show at London’s Village Underground. Thankfully they are giving fans one final parting gift, in the form of their Inheritance EP, which is due out a month earlier on the 9th May. Following on from their excellent previous single Yr Made of Gold, the collective have now released the second taster of their upcoming EP. Titled Beatnik, it is a hypnotic barrage of mind-melting riffs, hip-shifting grooves and ominous dread.

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Lumoflove by Sad Boys Club

We are just over one month out from indie up-and-comers Sad Boys Club finally releasing their debut album, the intriguingly titled Lullabies From The Lightning Tree. Whilst all the singles for the record so far have been great, Lumoflove may just be the best yet, centred around a stirring piano arrangement and a jaw-dropping vocal performance from frontman Jacob Wheldon.

Listen here

She’s A Star (Orchestral Version) by James

Over a decade on from their last highly acclaimed orchestral tour, Mancunian indie legends James will be hitting the road next month accompanied by a gospel choir and 22-piece orchestra for what will surely be one of the live shows of the year. This time around, the band will also be releasing an album titled Be Opened By The Wonderful, featuring these orchestral reimaginings of their biggest and best songs. 90s classic She’s A Star is the first to undergo the treatment and it’s every bit as magical as you would expect.

Listen here

2am (Dan Carey Dub) by Foals

And finally this week, Foals are busy prepping a Dub remix of their brilliant, sun-soaked seventh album, last year’s Life Is Yours, which will be released in a few weeks’ time as part of Record Store Day 2023. The first taste is this mind-altering version of one of the best songs of 2022, remixed by none other than producer of the moment, Mr. Dan Carey. The result? Certified banger!

Listen here

Also worth checking out: In My Head by Nell Mescal, Mommy by Miya Folick, Good Lies by Overmono

REMINDER: If you use Apple Music, you can also keep up-to-date with all my favourite 2023 tracks through my Best of 2023 playlist. Constantly updated throughout the year with songs I enjoy, it is then finalised into a Top 100 Songs of the Year in December.

Add the playlist to your library here

[jokin-izar]

BALANCE OTOÑO 2022

- - - LIBROS - - -

   “Aguacates en el bunquer”, M. Markusen.    "Altar”, Catherine Lacey.

   “Cuento de hadas”, Stephen King.

   “Desde el otro lado”, Bernardo Atxaga.    “El bazar de la cebra con lunares”, Raphaëlle Giordano.

   “En la casa”, Philip Le Roy.

   “Ese día cayó en domingo”, Sergio Ramírez.

   “Horizonte de estrellas”, Víctor Conde - Guillem Sánchez.    “Huesos olvidados”, Preston & Child.

   “La cosecha pálida”, Josan Mosteiro.    “La llama de Focea”, Lorenzo Silva.    “Nieve en Marte”, Pablo Tévar.    “Punto ciego”, Paula Hawkins.    “Read zombie”, Diego G. Andreu.    “Sobre hormigas y dinosaurios”, Cixin Liu.

   “Todo arde”, Juan Gómez-Jurado.

   “Tren bala”, Kotaro Isaka.

    - - - SERIES - - -

     “1899”     "Apagón"    “El Club de Medianoche”

   “El Gabinete de curiosidades” 

   “Heridas abiertas - Sharp objets”

   “Historias para no dormir” T2    "Infiniti"    "La Brea"    “La Casa del Dragón” 

   "La novia gitana"     “Los anillos del poder"

   “Manifest"  T1 - T2

   “Miércoles" 

   “She-Hulk"    “Star Wars - Andor" T3    “Star Wars - Crónicas Jedi"    “The Devils Hour"    “The Peripheral"

    - - - PELÍCULAS - - -

    “Attack the Block”    "Cerdita"    “Déjame entrar”

   “El espíritu de Bridge Hollow” 

   “El teléfono del señor Harrigan ”

   “Enola Holmes 2”    "Freaks"    "Jaula" 

   “Logan”    "Los renglones torcidos de Dios"        “Lou"

   "Mad Heidi"    "Mañana es hoy"    “Men”    “Un Mundo Extraño”    "Padre no hay más que uno 3"    "Pasajero oculto"    "The Innocents"    "Troll"    "Valerian"    "Vesper"    "Wind River"    "Zona mortal"   

     - - - - - - - - - - MÚSICA - - - - - - - - - -

Octubre 2022

ANTI-CLONE - "Human"  [EP] (2022) BJÖRK - "Fossora"  (2022) PARKWAY DRIVE - "Darker Still"  (2022) NEOMAK - "Neomak"  (2022) GOLD, FRANKINCENSE & MYRRH - "Framing My Perception"  [EP] (2022) BUSH - "The Art Of Survival"  (2022) NEROARGENTO - "Land Of Silence"  (2022) QUEENSRYCHE - "Digital Noise Alliance"  (2022) STRATOVARIUS - "Survive"  (2022) RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS - "Return Of The Dream Canteen"  (2022) ORIANTHI - "Rock Candy"  (2022) ELLEFSON-SOTO - "Vacation In The Underworld"  (2022) RED ELM - "Arena"  (2022) THE ELECTRIC ALLEY - "Apache"  (2022) CELLDWELLER - "Satellites"  (2022) LACUNA COIL -  "Comalies XX"  (2022)

Noviembre 2022

ALTER BRIDGE - "Pawns And Kings"  (2022) COLLATERAL- "Re-Wired"  (2022) WARCRY - "Daimon"  (2022) HÄMATOM - "Lang lebe der Hass"  (2022) CHAOSEUM - "The Third Eye"  (2022) MICE - "Lautada"  (2022) THE PRETTY RECKLESS - "Other Worlds"  (2022) MEDINA AZAHARA - "La Cápsula del Tiempo"  (2022) FRONTSTREET - "Moving Balance"  [EP] (2022) SOEN - "Atlantis"  (2022) RAMMSTEIN - "Adieu" (2022) -videoclip- THE SMASHING PUMPKINS - "Atum, Act I"  (2022) LEATHERWOLF - "Kill The Hunted"  (2022)

Diciembre 2022

NICKELBACK - "Get rollin' "  (2022) LEE AARON - "Elevate"  (2022) SAINT ASONIA - "Extrovert"  (2022) JEVO - "Fatality"  (2022) SU TA GAR - "Alarma"  (2022) MELIORA - "Aethereus"  (2022) KRILLOAN - "Emperor rising"  (2022) LEANDER KILLS - " Vérkeringö "  (2022) ASGARTH - "Zeldatik"  (2022) CIRCE - "Odisea"  (2022) ††† (CROSSES) - "Permanent Radiant"  (2022) CITIZEN SOLDIER - "Scarecrow" (2022) SOZIEDAD ALKOHOLIKA - "Mendizorrotza" (2022)

[noloveforned]

we've got a few weeks left before the holidays, so tune into no love for ned on wlur from 8pm to midnight tonight to hear something new. last week's show is below and streamable when you have time (or just stick around for the re-air at 10pm tonight)!

no love for ned on wlur – november 25th, 2022 from 8-10pm

artist // track // album // label marvin gaye // when did you stop loving me, when did i stop loving you // here, my dear // motown special interest // midnight legend // endure // rough trade pohgoh // now i know // du und ich // spartan marina fages // aventuras // épica and fantástica // joyful noise weekend // end times // sports // slumberland big joanie // what are you waiting for // back home // kill rock stars pretty sick // human condition // makes me sick makes me smile // dirty hit alien nosejob // coastal living two // stained glass // total punk nervous twitch // what the hell // some people never change // reckless yes dumb // pull me up // pray for tomorrow // mint phil and the tiles // elixir // phil and the tiles 7" ep // anti fade divorcer // highland park // nutty grotto cassette // (self-released) carla dal forno // mind you're on // come around // kallista body corp // react // unusual for us // bedroom suck sarah mary chadwick // all those things we'll never do // flipped it 7" // kill rock stars photay // current // an offering // international anthem jeff parker // july 8th, 2019, part two (excerpt) // mondays at the enfield tennis academy // eremite per husby septett // the peacemaker // peacemaker // barely breaking even surya botofasina // beloved california temple // everyone's children // spiritmuse the stylistics // betcha by golly, wow // the stylistics // avco cherise // sunrise // blue note re:imagined ii compilation // blue note r.a.p. ferreira featuring hemlock ernst // mythsysizer instinct // 5 to the eye with stars // ruby yacht contour // babe brother // onwards! // touching bass nicholas craven featuring navy blue // anchor // craven n three // goodfelons ezra collective featuring sampa the great // life goes on // where i'm meant to be // partisan tiana major9 // lucky // at sixes and sevens // motown melody's echo chamber // from pink they fell into blue // unfold // fat possum simon merle // girl on a cover // simon merle and friends // petrol chips eterna joventut // dime adiós // mucho amor // snap! clap! club air devi // ashrita // rooting for you cassette // devil town tapes guided by voices // damn good mr. jam // scalping the guru // gbv inc.

[simslegacy5083]

NSB (Straud Legacy) Gen 8 Ep. 160: The Downfall of Nancy Landgraab

Now that Peachy had proof of Nancy’s latest dirty scheme from her own mouth it was time to recruit their last, and most important, ally.

Peachy setup another stand-up gig with Alison and Jack invited Geoff out to the club to see the performance. Once Peachy finished his set they settled with the Landgraab Patriarch in a quiet corner of the busy bar for a discrete chat.

Peachy got right down to business. They knew a lot more about Nancy’s schemes than Geoffrey might expect for a brand-new police chief. They had, in fact, been collecting intel for years now, and not just from police evidence Nancy had the last chief bury. They knew about Geoffrey’s unique skill for keeping his wife out of trouble and from indulging in her most destructive and harmful schemes and hoped to come to an understanding with him.

If Geoffrey didn’t agree to help them rein in her reckless criminal empire, she’d be trading in her favorite orange skirt for an orange prison jumpsuit.

---------------------------------------------

Geoffrey’s shock quickly turned to anger. They had no idea what they were talking about, or of the good that Nancy and he had done working around red tape and pointless regulations century after century. Her genius for executing quiet projects was treasured by government and business alike!

Jack and Peachy calmly countered that while Nancy’s skilled manipulation got the job done, leaders seduced by her promise of quick results more often than not came to regret handing her the leverage, to say nothing of those like Jack she buried or broke.

The costs of her successes could be just as high, as Peachy’s scar from her little project researching alien plants in Strangerville showed. After providing several more graphic examples, Geoffrey broke down. He thought that she’d been more careful than that; maybe stronger oversight was needed.

---------------------------------------------

The next evening Peachy and Jack were invited back to the mansion to discuss “the most beneficial working arrangement”, but Nancy’s plans for locking down leverage on the new chief were suddenly flipped on her. Chief Lawbourne was playing ball alright, but it was definitely hardball.

Faced with an outline of the breadth of their knowledge, and with her husband urging compromise, she grudgingly agreed to pay far more attention to legal and ethical considerations in her business dealings. It was also plain that she thought she would quickly outlast these new restraints.

Peachy made no mention of his plans to retire, or his work in connecting Geoffrey to Fabian and other contacts at the precinct and S.I.M.S.. Let her spend her efforts plotting against him, what really mattered was building relationships and resources for her live-in conscience. She would outlast him, and possibly Fabian, but Geoffrey had loved both her and their SimNation for centuries and was set to protect both for centuries more.

---------------------------------------------

As the Lawbournes left the Landgraab residence together they shared a quiet smile of triumph at the successful execution of their long time project.

Keeping Nancy’s criminal empire in line wouldn’t clear Jack’s record, but he was retired, and everyone whose opinion mattered to him knew the full story already. The knowledge that no other dedicated detectives would face the same fate was good enough for him. As for Peachy, he looked forward to finishing off a few more good works in his law enforcement career, then moving onto comedy ahead of Nancy’s inevitable plots.

They had the rest of their lives to enjoy together, now free of the specter of Nancy Landgraab’s corrupt enterprises, and they couldn’t wait to get to it!

-----------------------------------------

Want To See More? View The Full Story of My Not So Berry Challenge Here

[bengiyo]

Playboyy Ep 3 Stray Thoughts

Last week, the Non/Nant plotline led us to a car wash that Porsche's family owns, and the especially rude sex worker works there now. Eventually, the twin located the Playboyy club and tried to seduce the manager who his brother was getting money from. The car wash sex worker was advertising his services online there, and Porsche cut that off, but not before having sex. Zouey did a whole sex thing with his dude involving paint that should never go in your mouth. First is ramping up his S&M play, and eventually painfully inserted a thermometer into ole boy. I forgot what Captain was doing. We left at First having a fight with his dad about his reckless behavior and then getting snatched, though that's also probably a sex thing.

Okay, as visceral as this feels, pretty sure it's still a sex thing.

Episode 3: Sacrificing Yourself

Okay, it was a sex thing.

Wait, pizza boy is supposed to support them now?? This has to be a long play on his part.

I don't recognize the boy with the computer.

Captain is an athletics gay. Interesting.

A knife!!

We have entered another porn sequence: the locker room plus hazing rituals. Unsurprisingly, Captain isn't out to others.

Give your bro a hand scene here we go!

Of course they were fucking with him.

Is this their team captain sniffing in the locker room?

I appreciate the TV limitations this show pushed against with all the groping.

First is a hot mess.

WAIT, DID THIS DUDE JUST SEE NANT?? WHAT DO YOU KNOW, PIZZA BOY???

Non, you are a terrible spy.

Is First really about to act surprised about Pizza Boy?

Membership is free if you give them your credit card info? Okay, sure.

Is this the same boy from before in this cam session?

Despite what he's saying, Zouey doesn't exactly look like he wants it.

Captain and Coach. Someone had fun when they conceived this dynamic.

Now, Teena, what was the point of discussing safe words with a first timer that is clearly uncomfortable if you're not gonna pay attention to him?

I'm probably most invested in Zouey's plotline, because it's some of what I hoped we'd cover with a Mew in OF. He seems especially sensitive about the compulsory expectations of sex.

I'm struggling with the pace that First and Soong have moved at. It's hard to get a sense of time.

Goddamn, Captain. You made revenge porn??

Hoping some of the kinksters can comment on Zouey and First plots this week.

If Soong was the one who was messing around with Nant, why would be hook up with First? Doesn't he know they're friends?

Ah, it was Prom, but then what does Soong know?

I am admittedly struggling with this show. I keep having moments where I'm intrigued by something it's thinking about, but I'm getting kind of bored with the Situations. The softcore porn nature of it isn't enough to really hold my attention.

[dailytalesofarcadia]

TOP 5 EPISODES OF SEASON 2 OF TROLLHUNTERS AS VOTED BY OUR FOLLOWERS

↳ 3rd Place: Reckless Club