#ep: the fiery cross

[telomeke]

THE SIGN EPISODE 7 – NAGARUDA AND THE VISUALS OF SEX

The coming together of the naga and the garuda in The Sign was long foretold (since Tharn has the power of clairvoyance, and the series already showed us his sexually-charged premonition of Phaya and him coupling in the shower, in Episode 4).

(above) The Sign Ep.7 [5/5] 19.47

This post isn't about narrative analysis or the significance of any plot development though; I'm just noting down some of the visual details resounding rhetorically in the scene where Phaya and Tharn finally give in to the swelling sexual tension and get it on. 👀

The prelude (foreplay?) to their first sexual encounter (at least in this lifetime) was by the pool in Phaya's home. And the subtitles also tell us that the background music is echoing their fated bond through time:

(above) The Sign Ep.7 [5/5] 13.04

‌

By the pool of Phaya's house though, Tharn is already part-way in the water (his comfort zone) even as Phaya offers him liquid refreshment:

(above) The Sign Ep.7 [5/5] 13.21

While the pool may represent the naga (and his watery origins), the glowing lights on the trees and statuary in the background are symbolic of the garuda (given his alignment with the sun, flames and light). There is a respectful distance between these symbolic elements, even as there is still a respectful distance between garuda Phaya and naga Tharn.

But the lights are reflected in the water, and Phaya and Tharn have already exchanged colors (Phaya is in a murky sea-green top whose color reflects the naga's homeland, while Tharn is wearing a saffron t-shirt that calls to mind the warm glow of the fiery garuda). So we know that in this scene they are already inextricably in each other's business.

When they give in to their primal urges though, we start to see the various naga and garuda elements become more enmeshed and overlapping, even as the two breach their boundaries and unite physically.

They start things off in the shower, and the water is unmistakably a reference to the naga's overflowing passions.

(above) The Sign Ep.7 [5/5]

But all around them are candle flames, a sign of the fiery lust overpowering garuda Phaya for his fated lover Tharn:

(above) The Sign Ep.7 [5/5] 18.53

Even as water (symbolic of the naga) showers down upon them both, we see orbs of light (a reference to the garuda) flickering and overlapping the action. (I only recently found out that this out-of-focus effect with the lighting is called bokeh – a term of Japanese origin – from this super-excellent breakdown of the parallels between PhayaTharn's imagined and actual lovemaking by @wen-kexing-apologist, linked here; please do read it for more information on the lighting and its significance. 👍🤩)

Now a bit more about the lighting color though: many have noted that when Phaya and Tharn interact on a more elemental level, the lighting seems to turn very pink.

In my opinion, their previous encounters where more primal instincts held sway (e.g., at Ep.2 [4/4] 10.36 and Ep.4[3‌/4] 15.51) were actually lit with an interplay of blue light (calling out to the marine colors of the naga's homeland) and red light (a nod at the fiery garuda's alignment with the sun and flame). And the lighting was blue and red in the main, and only turned pinkish on occasion when the hues overlapped, just as moments of sporadic intimacy happened only randomly between the star-crossed but still separate Phaya and Tharn.

However, here in PhayaTharn's sex scene, we're not seeing separate blue and red lighting dancing around – the two colors have been blended, just as Phaya and Tharn's lovemaking has united them physically.

And technically the color is not pink. When blue and red light come together, we get magenta lighting, and that truly is the blended hue that bathes the conjoined PhayaTharn (nagaruda), as their bodies come together as one. The separate blues and reds are nowhere to be seen now:

(above) The Sign Ep.7 [5/5] 19.56

So The Sign then ends this sequence with an illuminated little flourish, at the climax of the scene (and presumably that of PhayaTharn's lovemaking too). As the naga writhes ecstatically on a bed of aquamarine, the garuda tenses and thrusts, and we see a brilliant flare of light, his elemental life-force, flash above the curve of his naked rear:

(top) The Sign Ep.7 [5/5] 20.04; (bottom) The Sign Ep.7 [5/5] 20.05

As always, the props, art direction and lighting have come together to tell a visual story in The Sign, and here they've strongly echoed the passionate and emotionally authentic coupling between Phaya and Tharn, fearlessly brought to life by Billy and Babe. 💖👍 I thoroughly enjoyed this scene, and not just for the reasons one might think. 🤩

‌

[ehh-is-the-name]

Pulling all this from me notes app yesterday:

Cobs and Mephone4 really are one in the same and I hate that ii16 ep proves it. Mephone uses the show as a form as escapism and Cobs ended up doing the same. They were always in cahoots. Like father like son and all but this is a lot to take in. The fact that MePhone slightly did what Cobs did to him. He created sentient beings with his purposes in mind, sure not to colonize a place, but still with a purpose in mind. He shaped the contestants into what he wanted them to be to have fun but still. Just because the method and purposes were different both Cobs and Mephone made sentient beings for their own purposes, and now they use them both for entertainment. This makes Mephone even worse than he already is- and as a Mephone apologist it's already pretty fuckin' hard. Like this just makes things so much fucking worse. Damn... Guess him and Airy are more alike than I first thought. Ahhh it's like ONE all over again but the opposite. Instead of context making him better it's making him worse- step the fuck back augh.... I might just pull a post-ONE 18 fan move and just ignore the finale. Every single fanfic that tried to be as canon accurate as they could is now fiery fanon. Which is still good, but Maaannn. Can't have shit in the OSC these days. Twists at every corner and not the good kind. I say that but I probably wouldn't be mad if I wasn't drowning in "fanon I consider canon" juice. Wait is that why the contestants could see the gemories? Since they weren't real to begin with?

Hope y'all know that I cried like twice between writing that on the 7th and now, and now I'm fucking sick because my immune system can't handle my waterworks-

"Drowning in 'fanon I consider canon' juice" is an understatement. To all ii fic writers our there, keep your headcanons please- I'm begging! Don't let the canon kill you, you're right to me </3 And man, this whole thing has me dying for real. To pull lines from Taco Tirade, I've lost more than I've gained, but I also know that feeling double crossed is part of dealing with a loss. When they said we weren't ready, they could never prepared me for that bombshell.

I've got so many questions.... Does Mepad know? I mean from the way he begins to care about the contestants and Toilet makes me think not and other scenes, but I can't be sure of anything anymore. Is Mephone kinda a dad but not? Are the contestants fully controlled by Mephone or is it a situation like Cobs and Mephone, where the creator gives free will only for things to go awry? I think it's the second one (I'm groveling to the OSC overlords that it's the second one.)

Once Mephone got his memory back he knew just how behind everything Cobs was because he himself knew the extent of the show... Side tangent, Mephone is a great actor then, grade A top of the line. Probably gets it from his dad, given the theatrical performance we saw- But no really, Mephone IS smart, a lot smarter than he gives himself credit for honestly. Even if I don't believe he was puppeteering the contestants, he still made a diverse cast of characters and subtlely brought them together and tore them apart all without him hinting to the audience that he knew he made them. Sure the hints came along the way, but not directly from Mephone. Or at least I don't think so, please feel free to prove me wrong about that- I seriously don't know anything about this show anymore.

acutally going through the stages of grief because of a parody iphone- wtf is living. Am I even real?

[simply-whump]

Royal Rumours (花琉璃轶闻) - Whump List

Whumpee : Ji Yuan Chao played by Jeremy Tsui and Yun Han played by Richard Lee

Synopsis : Ji Yuan Chao is the ice-cold Crown Prince of a powerful kingdom whose safety and prosperity owes much to the loyalty of a clan called Hua. He shows no emotion no matter what crosses his path and this has won him a reputation for coldness and indifference. However, he appears to have met his match when he encounters the military general's daughter Hua Liu Li. This woman is every bit as haughty and strong-minded as the Crown Prince, although she - at first glance - seems to be as meek as a lamb. But as these two fiery souls collide, could love bloom between them? (MDL)

Genres : Historical, Comedy, Romance

Warning ! Possible spoilers below !

Ji Yuan Chao

Ep 1-5 : None

Ep 6 : Someone falls on him, falling to the ground (comedic)

Ep 7-9 : None

Ep 10 : Drunk, sitting on the ground, half asleep

Ep 11-14 : None

Ep 15 : Drunk

Ep 16-17 : None

Ep 18 : Drunk

Ep 19-20 : None

Ep 21 : Crying

Ep 22 : None

Ep 23 : Attacked, protected, fighting, runs away to lure the enemies — Fighting a lot of people at once, kicked to the ground, cut on his shoulder, surrounded, keeps fighting — More fighting, pinned against some stairs, kicked, groaning in pain — Keeps fighting, kicked to the ground, exhausted, eyes red, saved at the last second, concern for him, hit by a dart while protecting someone, falls from a cliff

Ep 24 : Wakes up at the bottom of the cliff, injured, worried for someone, crying — Found, moved on a stretcher — Hit on his injury, wincing in pain (semi-comical)

Yun Han

Ep 1-10 : None

Ep 11 : Leaning on a chair, bleeding from the mouth, weak

Ep 12-13 : None

Ep 14 : Fighting, arm cut, kicked , running away injured, weak, collapses — Unconscious in bed, looked after — Still unconscious, agitated, wakes up, wincing in pain, struggling to sit up, given medicine

Ep 15 : None

Ep 16 : Still recovering in bed, coughing, given medicine 

Ep 17-18 : None

Ep 19 : Collapses, bleeding from the mouth

Ep 20 : None

Ep 21 : Stumbling, collapses, bleeding from the mouth, passes out

Ep 22 : Drinks drugged tea, vision blurry, passes out — Imprisoned, unconscious, tied, wakes up, whipped, spits blood, released, almost kills himself, stopped, crying

Ep 23 : Fighting — More fighting, kicked, blood at his mouth, collapses on one knee, concern for him — sitting exhausted and injured, almost passes out, collapses in the arm of his loved one, concern for him, passes out

Ep 24 : None

>> More Whump Lists

[goldenfox3]

Hey I'm Dusk (21+, they/he) and this is where you can view the depths of my F-Zero obsession 🌀🏎

My stuff: comms | fics | art | cosplay

Other links: Redbubble | Ko-fi | carrd

Fic WIP/idea list + tagging system + 🔞 blog under cut 👯‍♂️

Guide to how I tag things: here

Ongoing Series:

A Thousand Fiery Stars (ATFS) series: Andy/Robert, old friends turned to lovers

Aflame: Bart/Ryu, conviction and tenderness

Dead Heat series: Roger/Beastman gradually becoming friends...and perhaps something else as well (ft. Draq the shipper on deck)

Glamour and Gold (G&G) series: Falcon/Stewart, fantasy AU. The married misadventures of a world-renowned bounty hunter and his very capable healer (who just so happens to be a magical fox)

Living in the Fast Lane (LITFL) series: SNES era Falcon/Stewart, the slow, denial-ridden transition from rivals with benefits to lovers

Persona non Grata (PNG) series: Blood Falcon's miscellaneous adventures after breaking free from Black Shadow. Crosses over with Thousand Five verse.

Sword and Scalpel (S&S) series: Goroh/Stewart established relationship, various shenanigans ft. grouchy Goroh and teasing Stewart

Thousand Five: Falcon/Stewart slow burn ft. Falcon annoying Stewart, dealing with Champion's Belt consequences, and searching for the meaning of life (currently on c14)

Ideas and WIPS:

As Snow in Winter: Drabble collection continuing after FZerovember for Deathborn and the AX pilots

Don't Fear the Reaper (DFTR): Task Force Ryu/Shinigami Jack slow burn. AU where Jack wasn't recruited into the Task Force and remained with the Bloody Chain as the Shinigami.

Effigy: Andy/Robert (past), Robert/?. After Andy's death, Robert acquires an android to help him around the house...one that happens to resemble a certain dead man.

For Want of a Shovel (ATFS series): Clank gives Robert the shovel talk on Andy's behalf. Both Andy and Robert find this more adorable than threatening.

Iterance (PNG series): Outsider POV. The observation log of a BS Group scientist assigned to follow along with the various Blood Falcons

Möbius (ATFS series): Andy/Robert, time travel. Robert in mourning post ep 51 is unceremoniously dumped back to when he'd first met Andy, but to what end? (ft. young Andy falling head over heels for Rob even faster than the first time)

Perihelion (ATFS series): Andy/Robert, PWPs (currently on c3)

Simulacra: Doug, Andy, potentially Doug/Andy (yeah). Post-GX Falcon accidentally saves Andy from his death at the Dark Star, unexpectedly finding a kindred spirit in a man with no higher purpose to drive him anymore.

Smoulder (Aflame series): Bart/Ryu, Ryu tries to be romantic. Bart throws a wrench in his plans, but it all works out in the end.

Sweet Surrender: Falcon(Andy)/Ryu, sex pollen

You're My Addiction, Contradiction (LITFL series): Falcon/Stewart, nurse outfit and lingerie fun times (currently on c2)

Dunks my 🔞blog down here too so it's not just hanging out there at the top lmao (no minors pls)

[independentartistbuzz]

Drop It First (ft. Members of Our Darkest Days) release ‘Where The Wind Blows’ video; Debut album coming soon

Quebec City, early 2023, Vince Fournier and Jam Gosselin, the powerhouse singer and bassist of Our Darkest Days, crossed paths with Mathieu Hébert of Go Great Guns. Mathieu unveiled a batch of raw, electrifying songs he had just penned. Blown away by Mathieu's undeniable talent and fueled by an unquenchable fire for melodic punk rock, the trio decided to join forces to craft the ultimate punk rock album. They knew they needed a second guitarist and a drummer to complete their vision, and they wasted no time in the hunt.

By spring 2023, Jo Thivierge, a long-time friend of Vince and Jam and a multi-instrumental dynamo from Persistence and Exhibition, was locked in as their drummer. With the heart of a rookie but the chops of a seasoned pro, Jo plunged headfirst into the project with unwavering enthusiasm.

Just a few weeks later, the final piece fell into place. Maxime Larouche, a young and fiery musician, emerged as the lead guitarist. His raw drive, exceptional skill, and magnetic personality made him the perfect fit.

After months of intense discussions and relentless searching, the band christened themselves “Drop It First.” The name strikes with a fierce, distinctive edge that perfectly captures the quintet’s relentless pursuit of sonic perfection.

Their highly anticipated album ''Fundamentals'' is set to drop on January 17th 2025, under the independent label Thousand Islands Records. Collectively, the five members boast an impressive arsenal: 10 EPs, 11 LPs, 10 music videos, and over 1250 live shows.

[tvrundownusa]

tvrundown USA 2024.12.11

Wednesday, December 11th:

(exclusive): Queer Eye (netflix, season 9 available, all 10 eps), One Hundred Years of Solitude (netflix, series premiere, all 8 eps), This Is Not Hollywood: Avetrana (hulu, Italian true crime dramatization, all 4 eps), Dream Productions (dsn+, animated 'Inside Out' spinoff limited series premiere, all 4 eps)

(movies): "Maria" (netflix, opera soprano Maria Callas biopic, ~2hrs+), "Makayla's Voice: A Letter to the World" (netflix, autistic teen documentary short, ~25mins)

(streaming weekly): Shetland (BritBox, season 9 opener), Bad Sisters (apple+), Shrinking (apple+), You Would Do it Too (apple+, "Tú También lo Harías" season 1 finale), Light Shop (hulu, next 2 eps), The Fiery Priest (hulu), Buy It Now (APrime), Are You Smarter Than a Celebrity? (APrime), Pop Culture Jeopardy! (APrime, next 3 eps), Ink Master (Para+, season 16 finale), The Ultimatum: Marry or Move On (netflix, next 3 eps)

(also new): "A Neighbor's Vendetta" (LMN, Lifeteime original movie, 2hrs), "A Motown Christmas" (NBC, music special, 2hrs)

(earlier - hour 0): Max & The Midknights (NICK) / . / NFL Slimetime (NICK)

(hour 1): Sullivan's Crossing (theCW, season 2 finale), The Masked Singer (FOX, penultimate), The Challenge (MTV, 90mins), Survivor (CBS, penultimate, 2hrs)

(hour 2): Sistas (BET), Inside the NFL (theCW), The Floor (FOX), The Challenge (MTV, contd), Survivor (CBS, contd)

(hour 3): Average Joe (BET, 2hrs)

(hour 4 - latenight): Average Joe (BET, contd, season 1 finale)

[musicarenagh]

Amanda Holley Spices Up with “SEASONING” When the gods of music bestowed upon humanity a spice rack, Amanda Holley chose saffron for her latest concoction "SEASONING." Much like this rarest and most delightful of spices, this track unfurls sensuously against the palate, disentangling with sweet-sultry rhythms that suggest both ancient soul traditions and mischievous modern perturbations. https://open.spotify.com/track/2GoQzIbWUzGQt5EFeYmNKz Imagine an audio cauldron where Nina Simone's deep reverberating lament marries Britney’s pop-infused chirps under a full moon; that’s how “SEASONING” straddles worlds. Holley isn’t just singing—she constructs layers upon flavors of audible frames: at its core beats an earthy clump of zeitgeist deemed R&B/Pop, but listen closely to hear whisked-in glimpses of divine feminine ethos stirred ferociously into each lyric strand. Holley conjures verses as if they are inscriptions on age-old scrolls intended to bind hearts across epochs. Her message—a balmy embrace encircling fiery passions and gourmet aspirations—sears itself onto the listener’s mental sheaf. You come away feeling more than heartened or entertained; you feel catered too in mind & rhythmique capacities alike. Here lies her wizardry: blending incantatory themes about cross-cultural affection within stanzas structured like resonant poetic threads known only to those attuned well beyond casual listening. [caption id="attachment_56317" align="alignnone" width="768"] Amanda Holley Spices Up with “SEASONING”[/caption] Was Da Vinci merely splotching colors when he filled forms on canvas? Similarly, ponder whether Amanda is “only” compiling chords when she mixes such brewed symphonies into our sensory peripheries. It becometh evident—the tribute offered unto auditory mediums by such artistry belongeth alongside any celebrated piece beneath Florence skies. This single produced by GRAMMY-winning Andre “GC” Fennell and penned along with Emmillienne Bellaire decidedly disrupts mundane sonic landscapes much as Dali might throw clocks over branches — requires unusual sight yet curiously thought-provoking! As we await Holley's forthcoming EP odyssey poised perhaps towards Grammy nods again...let it linger in your ears: does ‘SEASONING’ simply enhance taste or entirely redefine experience? Follow Amanda Holley on Website, YouTube and Instagram

[lizzygrantarchives]

Complex, August 2014

Lana Del Rey knows what you think about her. And she’s learned to live with it.

Satin gowns, fast cars, pills, and parties are the lifeblood of American glamour. Red carpets, unbridled opulence, and the kind of elegance that looks amazing in high-contrast black-and-white photographs are its marrow. Icons like Sinatra, the Kennedys, Elvis, and Marilyn Monroe appeared to be beacons of the good life, but behind the velvet rope was a darker, less-than-pristine reality: one rife with gossip, addiction, betrayal, and violence. In 2014, no artist embraces both that world’s intoxicating glow and frayed seams more acutely than Lana Del Rey.

On her 2012 breakthrough, Born to Die, Del Rey cast herself as a tragic pop star from a bygone era. Her music videos were epics: on Born to Die’s title track, she begins perched regally on a throne flanked by Bengal tigers, and ends with model Bradley Soileau carrying her bloody body from the fiery wreckage of a 1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1; in “National Anthem,” she plays Jackie O to A$AP Rocky’s JFK. Where many of her contemporaries reveled in little-known subcultures and outsider artists, Del Rey went for icons. “Marilyn’s my mother/Elvis is my daddy/Jesus is my bestest friend,” she wrote in the introduction to her Anthony Mandler-directed short film Tropico, released last year. Del Rey’s 20th Century nostalgia (cloaked in beats provided by Emile Haynie, Kid Cudi’s original producer, and Kanye West-collaborator Jeff Bhasker, among others) proved immensely successful. Only four albums released in 2012 outsold Born to Die, which went platinum in the U.S. and charted in 11 countries. Del Rey sold more than 12 million singles globally, received two Grammy nods (Best Pop Vocal Album, for her EP Paradise; Best Song Written for Visual Media, for “Young and Beautiful”), and sold out a North American tour.

Her arrival also attracted visceral criticism. The New York Times review of Born to Die savaged her aesthetic and artistic “pose.” Pitchfork likened her debut to a “faked orgasm.” The media seemed fixated on anything but the album’s actual music: the supposedly incongruous early recording career under her real name, the life cycle of the internet hype machine that birthed her, or the aggressively ridiculed Saturday Night Live performance that made her a household name.

In 2012, Del Rey moved from Brooklyn to L.A., and one year later began work on the full-length follow-up to Born to Die. Released in June and produced by the Black Keys’ Dan Auerbach, Ultraviolence eschews the home-run pop melodies of Born to Die for stripped-down piano intros and reverb-heavy guitar solos that give her soulful, low-register vocals space to shine. Lyrically, though, Del Rey’s stance remains uncompromising, with titles like “Money, Power, Glory” and “Fucked My Way Up to the Top” explicitly referencing her image, and taking aim at her myriad detractors. And some of her old critics have changed their tune. In its review, the New York Times called the criticisms levelled against Born to Die “inaccurate,” and lauded Del Rey’s “retro sophistication” and “guileless candor;” Pitchfork called her “a pop music original,” adding “there are not nearly enough of those around.” Despite modest radio play for the lead single “West Coast,” the album debuted No. 1 on Billboard, selling 182,000 copies in its first week (more than twice as many as Born to Die), a testament to her growing fanbase.

Sitting on the roof of Brooklyn’s Wythe Hotel for our interview, the 27-year-old “pop star” is dressed more like a suburban teenager, in light wash low-rise jeans and a tight, white, short-sleeved polo with lavender horizontal stripes. She has perfect posture and crosses her legs neatly. There’s a grace to the way she chain-smokes Parliaments and says “fuck” when she chips one of her pointed purple acrylic nails. If it’s all a show, well, it’s a good one. The cracks in the veneer of glamour humanize her and are one of the reasons she’s been able to mix self-serious writing about true love and death with provocative, pseudo-comical lines like the infamous “My pussy tastes like Pepsi Cola.”

For the next 60 minutes, Del Rey muses about sexual gamesmanship in the music industry, Marilyn, Elvis, and Jesus, and the jagged reaction to her emergence on the pop scene. And words. Del Rey is a writer—not just the subject, but also the director of her own drama. The only mark of her wealth is a gaudy diamond-encrusted choker with a cross pendant hanging just above her sternum. Its sparkle evokes the cartoonish shine of costume jewelry, though it’s every bit as real as she has turned out to be.

When you’re writing, what comes first? Song titles, melodies, music?

Well it took me a long time to write the album as it’s listed. I was writing a lot since the last record came out, but for some reason, 70% of what I was writing didn’t feel right for me. So if I’m lucky enough to have an experience that really impacts me, it comes with a verse and a melody. From there I ad lib it. But they come together, the melody and the words come together. But it happens rarely for me.

What do you mean?

Actually having that happen, where it just sort of comes. I remember with “Carmen,” I was out really late and walking to the tempo of my own rhythm, and then I just started singing, “Carmen, Carmen doesn’t have a problem lying to herself cause her liquor’s top shelf.” And it was an easy cadence. The whole thing just came, and I think I was in a really good place then, so it was like things...it was really easy to channel.

What defines being in a good place?

Feeling really happy and just circumstantially like nothing’s going wrong, which becomes more difficult but that’s only my experience. I think a lot of people think the whole thing is really great. Making Brooklyn my home base for the last two and a half weeks has really helped me out, like I’ve actually started thinking conceptually that I have this addition, an addition to this record that could come really easily. That hasn't happened in a long time. Not since I wrote that Paradise addition to Born to Die, which I really loved.

Did you miss Brooklyn?

I missed Brooklyn. I missed the people.

How are the people here different?

They’re not different. I’m a little different. The vibe is the same. I met some guys from here last week I had never met before, and they were just really easygoing. All artist types—writing during the day and hanging out at bars at night. I miss that, I like that. I haven't really found that in California yet. I relocated there because my record got a little bit bigger, but I didn’t really find a music scene that I was a part of. There was something happening—there was kind of a reemerging Laurel Canyon sound. Jonathan Wilson, Father John Misty, and I really liked those guys. I felt like maybe I had something in common with them and I slipped right into that atmosphere really well.

Let’s talk Ultraviolence. The crop of the photo on the album cover is similar to the crop of your first two album covers.

I liked that, I wanted the continuity. I didn’t have that for the album cover at the time and I wanted it to be a continuation of the story. I did like the idea of it being in black and white so that there was, literally and figuratively more to be revealed. Even color-wise.

You wanted a continuation in aesthetic for this album cover, is that something that was important to you musically for Ultraviolence as well?

Yeah. Not being misleading in terms of your personal aesthetic, like your psyche coming through design-wise and musically—I like continuity.

You have this way of exacting your creative vision through so many different parts of your art—music videos, lyrics, tone and the melody, style of dress. Are those things that you plan ahead when you think about an album? Is it a concept that grows from one idea?

I don’t know. I was in college at Fordham when I was 18. I was living between Brooklyn and New Jersey and I was working with this guy who was more famous than anyone I had met at the time, this producer David Kahne. I had that record—you know they shelved it for two years—and I had all this time to think about what was really important to me and what I actually wanted to do if I had the opportunity to do what I wanted. I knew that I wanted to make life easy for myself in the way that I would always be living in a world I constructed and whatever felt true to me, regardless of however that appeared to other people. That definitely extended to song titles, whether I shot in black and white, hair color, things like that. It’s not really something that I planned ahead. I had a sense that I wanted the world I lived in to be really personalized to what I liked.

When I hear the words “ultra” and “violence,” I think about WorldStarHipHop. What does the phrase mean to you?

That’s funny. I feel connected to two emotions—aggression and softness. I like that luxe sound of the word “ultra” and the mean sound of the word “violence” together. I like that two worlds can live in one.

What’s the relationship between violence and love?

I like a physical love. I like a hands-on love. [Pauses.] How can I say this without getting into too much trouble? I like a tangible, passionate love. For me, if it isn’t physical, I’m not interested. Everything I do feels so organized: touring, playing a show night after night with a couple months in between to make a record, and being in charge of all of it—mixing, mastering. Sometimes I meet people with a lot of fire and energy. Mentally, maybe we’re not that similar. Telepathically, we’re not on that same wavelength. If there’s a physicality and a chemistry, that ends up winning for me every time because it’s the opposite of what I have every day.

Who’s the last person you met who made you feel like that?

Dan Auerbach, for better or for worse.

Do you think a “guilty pleasure” is a real thing?

Yes, but I don’t have many of them musically. I have tons of them in life.

Do tell.

Well, smoking is one of them. Sugar, coffee. I must have 13 cups a day. It’s a shame about the health consequences because a lot of great things happen over coffee and a cigarette. A lot of great songs were written.

Why did you choose to cover Nina Simone’s “The Other Woman” on Ultraviolence?

[Sings, “The other woman has time to manicure her nails, the other woman is perfect where her rival fails.”] I relate to being the person who people come to for “such a change from the old routine,” but not being the main thing. I had a long-term relationship for seven years with someone who was the head of a label and I felt like I was that change of routine. I was always waiting to become the person who his kids came home to, and it never happened. Obviously I had to seek other relationships, and I felt like that became a pattern. I was younger—24, 25 at the time. I had known what I wanted to do for a long time. I had been serious about music since high school, and I stopped drinking when I was 18. By 24, I was a pretty serious person. I thought I was a writer, and I was a singer. I thought I knew what I wanted my path to be. The people I was drawn to were already established, but they were probably looking for someone more on their level, age-wise. But I love the idea of wrapping up the record with a reference.

Many artists use obscure references to try to prove individuality and originality. Why do you go for icons like Marilyn, Elvis, and Jesus?

When I had put out only “Blue Jeans” and “Video Games,” I caught a lot of grief from journalists asking me why I was being so literal and obvious. I referenced things like Marilyn without trying to be accessible. I have a personal relationship with my perception of who Marilyn was. She was the kind of female who was really warm and giving. I like that type of girl who’s friendly and easy. I was always looking for girls like that as friends. I felt like I knew her in that way. And Jesus—I mean, being raised Catholic, it was just a way of life. Spirituality and religion were strong. I was in Catholic school until I was 13. Like a lot of other people, I think foundationally I was hymn inspired—musical hymns, not Him, Jesus. [Laughs.]

How did you meet Dan?

I met Dan at The Riviera strip club in Queens. He was with Tom Elmhirst, who’s an amazing mixer, and I was with Emile Haynie. Emile asked if I wanted to go hang out with them and I had a lot of fun for the first time in a long time. Dan had been mixing Ray Lamontagne’s record with Tom down at Electric Lady studios. And he left by the time I was there—Lee Foster gave me Electric Lady all by myself for three weeks.

Wow.

It was incredible. By the end of the three weeks I thought I was done. Then I met Dan and he said, “Why don’t we just go to Nashville and see what happens?” I went because it sounded like a good time. I didn’t want the party to end. I flew there with Lee and we rented a farm for six weeks. We drove to Dan’s studio on 8th Street every day and I loved it. He was what I was looking for, because he was a facilitator. He said “yes” a lot. If I was like, “I only want to sing this through once,” that was normal to him. It was natural that someone would like what they got on the first try. He was cool like that. [Lights a Parliament with her plastic purple lighter.]

You’ve been smoking cigarettes on stage a lot.

Dude, I have to. I can’t get through it.

Is it an addiction?

Yeah. I’m a chain-smoker.

How long have you been smoking?

Since I was 17. It’s crazy. That’s why I try to play mostly outdoor festivals. [Laughs.] Because 45 minutes into the set, when you’ve still got 45 more minutes to go, you need to smoke.

That’s a long time to be standing in front of people.

It’s a long time. If people come and see you at a show for 80 minutes they literally know everything about you. With 5,000 people coming, they film you so the people in the back can see you on the screens. There isn’t a moment when you can turn around and gather yourself. Everything you feel, everything you’re emoting, is just there. I have toured so much more than I thought I would; I thought I would be more of a studio singer. But I toured Europe for two years.

There was a time after Paradise came out when you said you weren’t sure that you were going to make any more music. What changed?

A year after Born to Die was released, a lot of people asked me what the new record would sound like and when it was going to come out. I said, “I don’t know if there will be another record.” I didn’t have songs that I felt were good or personal enough. Dan Auerbach changed things for me, and I have no idea why. He was just interested in me. That made me feel like maybe what I was doing was interesting. He gave me some confidence back. He listened to songs that were folk songs at the time, and he thought that maybe, with some revision, they could be more dynamic. I started to see a bigger picture. For me, if I don’t have a concept it’s not worth writing a whole album. I don’t like it if there’s no story.

There are a few different ways to take your song “Fucked My Way Up to the Top.” Is it about people not wanting to give you credit for your success? Or is it about fucking people to get to the top?

It’s commentary, like, “I know what you think of me,” and I’m alluding to that. You know, I have slept with a lot of guys in the industry, but none of them helped me get my record deals. Which is annoying.

What’s the worst relationship advice you’ve received?

That love doesn’t come easily and that relationships are supposed to be a struggle. Everything else is so hard; hopefully love is the one thing that is actually fun.

That reminds me of an Eartha Kitt interview clip you once posted. Asked about love and compromise, she says, “What is there to compromise? I fall in love with myself and I want someone to share it with me.”

She was so right-on with that. It’s nice to have a fiery relationship that enhances everything you do, that doesn’t feel like part of it is not what you want.

What is the most valuable thing that you’ve destroyed in life?

In terms of money?

It doesn’t have to be, but that works.

I don’t know. I don’t think money has had an influence on things I’ve sabotaged. But there are things.

What’s something you’ve destroyed that’s actually valuable to you?

Probably the relationship I’ve been in for the last three years. Definitely demolished that through tons of depression and insecurity. Now it’s just an untenable relationship, impossible because of my emotional instability.

Sometimes people do their best writing when fucked up.

And I am a little fucked up. This whole experience has fucked me up.

Fucked you up how?

I don’t know. It’s been hard. I was in a good place when I wrote my first record because I wrote it for fun, but then, I felt like everything that went with the record was heavy. I was also trying to deal with stuff with my family. The world was heavy for a couple years. That’s why I liked Dan: He was casual. It didn’t have to be so serious.

Speaking of non-serious, what restaurant has the best red sauce in the world?

That’s a good question. I go to the same place in Los Angeles all the time, Ago on Melrose. I order the same thing every time, penne alla vodka.

What were you listening to when you were writing?

I love jazz. I love Chet Baker’s documentary Let’s Get Lost, which influenced my video for “West Coast,” which Bruce Weber shot. I love Nina Simone and Billie Holiday like everybody else. I have a ’70s playlist that I listen to daily. A lot of Bob Seger, who I love. He’s probably the main person I listen to, and also the Eagles and Chris Isaak, Dennis Wilson and Brian Wilson. I like Echo and the Bunnymen, “Killing Moon”—just like single tracks.

Do you have a guilty pleasure song on that playlist?

No, they’re all pretty good.

You experienced a level of scrutiny that was very personal. How has that affected you?

The good thing about catching so much grief from critics is that you literally do not fucking care. It put me in a mind frame where I expect things not to go right, because they generally don’t. But it’s not a pessimistic place. The music is always good, in my opinion. That’s what I expect now from my career, that the music is going to be great and the reaction’s going to be fucked up.

Why do you think they reacted so vehemently to what you were making?

If they thought it was supposed to be categorized as pop music, that was the first mistake. It wasn’t made to be popular. It was more of a psychological music endeavor. I wasn’t out to make fun, verse-chorus-verse-chorus songs. I was unraveling my history through music. People were confused as to why I would stand on stage and just sing and not perform. To me, performing is just channeling and emoting through inflection, cadence, phrasing. That’s pretty different from what’s popular, so I think maybe they thought it shouldn’t be popular. What do you think?

It felt like you were being critiqued not as an artist or even a pop musician, but as a celebutante. You presented such a comprehensive, seemingly calculated project—the videos, the styling, the references, etc.—that people felt compelled to pick it apart.

It’s funny, because my process was natural. I remember making “Video Games,” and I did my makeup as I did it every day. I put my hair up like I did. I was wearing a dress and filming myself. I didn’t think that the juxtaposition with this found footage that I had taken from people’s honeymoons on Super 8 would get the reaction it did. The reaction to everything six years prior to that, from the day when YouTube was actually born, was a non-reaction. People just didn’t care.

Do you feel vindicated?

I feel a sense of relief, but I don’t feel vindicated.

How come?

I don’t feel like things have gone well. It’s not the way I would have chosen them to go. So it’s not like I feel everything’s turned around and it’s great.

You’ve got quite a few gold records, and a handful of platinum ones.

Yeah, but I still didn’t find that community of people I was looking for, like the way Bob Dylan found his friends, or the respect of being a writer. Because that gold and platinum stuff, it doesn’t mean as much if you’re walking down the street and you can hear people saying things about you. That doesn’t even out.

Originally published on complex.com with the headline Against the Grain.

Outtakes

Lana Del Rey’s third album, Honeymoon, is out today, just 15 months after her sophomore release, Ultraviolence, solidified her place in iconic American history. This past year she has proven her staying power both as one of the most beloved pop singers in the world,and one of its most candid speakers. When she talks to the press, an activity that is becoming increasingly rare, she seems to inevitably ignite conversation. Notable examples this past year include her comments about dying young and being disinterested in feminism—both of which Kim Gordon responded to with some choice words in her memoir—as well as meeting inventor/mogul/future-enthusiast Elon Musk.

When I interviewed her for the cover of Complex’s August/September 2014 Issue, we touched on the media. But Lana was less concerned with the chatter, and more concerned with finding a group of collaborators who respect her artistry and perspective as a writer, “like the way Bob Dylan found his friends.” From the outside, it looks like she is closer than she’s ever been, working with her sister, photographer Chuck Grant, for the Honeymoon promo art, teaming up with “Shades of Cool” director Jake Nava for the literally explosive “High by the Beach” music video, contributing to the debut solo album of close friend Emile Haynie, who executive produced Born to Die, and finding new artistic synergies with artists like the Weeknd.

The more we learn about Lana, the more complete a portrait of a living, breathing human being we are able to piece together. In celebration of the release of her third album, we revisit some of the unpublished quotes from our interview that took place May 12, 2014, on the roof of Brooklyn’s Wythe Hotel. Read them below.

On Doing “Ride” With Rick Rubin

I was writing that Paradise edition, and originally was writing it as a follow-up record, but nobody wanted to release something eight months later. It ended up being a re-release-slash-second edition, and I loved this demo I did with Justin Parker, who I wrote a lot of things with like “Video Games” and “Born to Die,” “National Anthem,” and Ferdy Unger-Hamilton at EMI hated the song. So I think him and Rick had been talking and Rick was like, “What’s going on with Lana? Can she come over, I hear she’s in L.A.” I think I had been over to say “Hi” to him first. Just to say “​hi.” We took a walk in Santa Monica—he takes the same walking route every morning. Then a few weeks later I brought him “Ride,” and he really liked it. Working with him was good, I was still in my old car, my old Mercedes that was barely making it down that hour-and-a-half drive down to Shangri-La Studios in Malibu, and it was really good. He has this sprawling lawn with all these bunnies and palm trees. He was very relaxed. It was good.

On Being a Fan of Rufus Wainwright

I love him. I had this terrible experience with Rufus Wainwright actually. I was like, a long time fan of him and his sister. It’s actually why I signed with my initial label, 5 Points Records, because the boss there, David, was great friends with Loudon, their father. I thought that was amazing. Anyways, I had been waiting to meet him for a long time, and I was singing at the Montreux Jazz Festival, I think two years ago. I had a really bad show. I couldn’t hear anything on stage because my in-ears stopped working. I was having a moment backstage and Rufus came to say “Hi,” and I was trying to compliment him in between stifled sobs. I think he thought I was insane.

On Being a Fan of Martha Wainwright

She’s one of the few females I totally relate to. I love the way she uses her voice in a way that kind of explains things. The words aren’t the only things that tell a story, it’s her inflections too. That’s why I really like Cat Power. She’s my biggest female inspiration in a way. I signed with my first manager because he was managing Martha six years ago, Peter Leak, and I always hoped I’d meet her. Hers was one of the few shows I saw at the Bowery Ballroom.

On the Most Important Person She Ever Shared a Cigarette With

Probably my manager, who is still my manager, Ben Mawson, over the last four years. He doesn’t smoke anymore, but he used to smoke more than me and drink 12 beers a day. I met him, he told me to just come to London and I did. I just went and met him. I think they were at Shoreditch House, so we went on the roof and had a cigarette. He felt like I was really worried about everything, and he told me that he had a plan and that everything was going to go OK and not to worry. He was very aggressive, and he was such a believer. So probably with Ben, I guess.

On Making Art Vs. Satisfying the Major Label Machine

I came in in a unique position in that “Video Games” had so many views, and that was the reason why Jimmy Iovine at Interscope and Ferdy Unger-Hamilton at Polydor had called me on that day and wanted to revisit the record and hear it again.

So I got signed on great terms because the discussions we were having were that it was always going to be my way. I liked coming from this DIY place where if I had a single that they really felt like they wanted to put money behind or promote—I liked knowing it was an option that I could make my own video at home for it, like I did with “Video Games.” Eventually I tired of that, graduated to working with other people. But in that way I was in a really good place after the record was done with its cycle.

I think the label was half-and-half on this record [Ultraviolence] because there were a lot of jazz undertones and West Coast references. I think they were happy that I was happy with it and that I made it. I don’t think they felt like there were singles that could work at radio. And I kind of felt that, because I have such a good relationship with Jimmy and Ferdy. I’ve been working, “working” [makes air quotes], singing, for years. So the people I’m closest with are like my product manager and the video commissioner, because they’re really good girls. The A&R guys—Larry Jackson and John, if I go out at night I probably go out with them. We’re pretty flexible with each other, but it always come down to differences. For example, the bonus tracks on this record I didn’t feel like had any relation to the atmosphere of the record itself. I think iTunes was like, “You would have trouble promoting a record if it didn’t have a deluxe edition,” so, there’s stuff like that.

On the Worst Relationship Advice She Ever Received

That love doesn’t come easily and that relationships are supposed to be a struggle. I think that everything else is so hard that hopefully love is the one thing that actually is the fun part of it. [I] have had some very practical, down-to-earth advice about love that I choose not to follow. It’s the same with money too. You’re supposed to work your whole life, work really hard for everything you get. I think maybe a better strategy is to just fall in love with what you do and hope that whatever you make from that monetarily is enough to have an easy life.

Originally published on complex.com on September 18, 2015, with the headline Lana Del Rey Talks Idolizing Cat Power, Looking Up to the Wainwrights, and Ignoring Bad Relationship Advice.

[becauseimanicequeen]

RANDOM THOUGHTS: We Best Love: Fighting Mr. 2nd ep. 2 (rewatch)

(These are my random thoughts from my rewatch on the 30th of March 2024)

Since my rewatches may contain spoilers, I’m putting my random thoughts after the “Read More” link.

I’m expecting more fiery chemistry between Shu Yi and Shi De in this episode. And some salty moments from Shu Yi, because that’s my favorite Shu Yi flavor.

Everyone needs a friend like Zhe Yu, someone honest enough to tell you they would rather crush their betrayer’s heads (yes, both of them) than forgive. Everyone needs a friend who wakes up and chooses violence.

The way Shi De is trying to act cool and aloof even though he overheard Shu Yi’s plan to get back at him…

The close-ups of their faces and eyes to show off their emotions (especially Shi De’s) are so well done. The shots move closer until their eyes take up most of the frame. It’s like the shots are trying to emphasize how they’re both trying to keep up a facade and keep their secrets hidden (which Shu Yi is better at in this scene). It’s like the shots are making me question if (in particular) Shi De will crack and if his facade will fall apart. And just when you think he will crack, we get a full upper-body shot of him and he manages to keep himself from revealing his secrets. (At least this time. But he will crack soon.) It’s an amazing sequence even though it's a simple one and without much dialogue.

You’ve got to admire Zhen Xuan’s dedication (or obsession) considering he was looking for Pei Shou Yi for 12 years.

And here is the scene! The scene where Shi De cracks. It’s so intense, raw, and emotional. The only thing Shi De wants is to be close to Shu Yi (akin to the first season) and to clear things up (which doesn’t really happen, yet). And the way Shu Yi struggles to keep his facade, which almost crumbles when Shi De is breaking down (but he manages to keep it up when he thinks Shi De is messing with him) but then crumbles when Shi De is kissing him. And the music playing in that scene is beautiful (I can’t even count the times I've listened to that song, just trust me when I say many).

Sure, we could discuss that Shi De is drunk and how boundaries are crossed. We could also discuss how Shi De uses his physical strength to keep Shu Yi there and how Shu Yi tells Shi De to stop. There are things here to unpack, but that deserves a post on its own.

Considering Shi De doesn't remember what happened last night, he deserves the hangover he’s having.

And here comes the culprit! It’s funny how he is the one who reveals that he and Shi De know each other and that they had a deal.

I loved this episode. The tension and emotions are running high, the yearning is thick in the air between Shu Yi and Shi De, and the beginning of the reveal of why Shi De has been gone for so long (which leads into the next episode). These characters are cracking, and I love it.

[concerthopperblog]

Heart is the Hero Tour 2023: The Wood Brothers live at the Georgia Theatre!

In the late nineties, there was a jazz fusion/acid jazz/jam band/soul jazz group named Medeski, Martin, & Wood (MMW) that caught my attention and quickly became one of my favorite modern jazz groups. On bass for MMW was Chris Wood who I considered one of the premier bass players in the modern jazz genre. Fast forward a few decades to 2004 with the formation of The Wood Brothers by brothers Chris Wood (upright bass) and Oliver Wood (acoustic and electric guitars) with Jano Rix (multi-instrumentalist). Grammy-nominated The Wood Brothers music is considered folk rock/roots rock/blues rock/Americana with a twist of gospel and some elements of jazz (thanks to Chris’ time with MMW). The Wood Brothers have released nine (9) LPs with Heart is the Hero being the latest release (April 14, 2023).

Incidentally, on June 21st, The Wood Brothers announced a winter tour entitled Heart is the Hero Tour 2023 that would begin on October 18th in Marietta, OH at The Peoples’ Bank Theatre and conclude December 8th in Charleston, SC at the Charleston Music Hall. Lucky for Athens, GA, the Georgia Theatre made the cut on the night before the last tour date on December 7th. This would be my first time seeing The Wood Brothers and I was excited to see them finally perform live. This tour stop just so happened to occur on the same evening as the downtown Parade of Lights in Athens, GA. to add a little holiday festivity to the mix.

The Wood Brothers revealed that for this tour they would bring special guest The Watson Twins out on tour with them for their sixteen (16) shows tour to close out 2023. The Watson Twins are an Americana/indie folk band that formed in 2006 and consists of sisters Chandra and Leigh Watson. The Watson Twins have released six (6) LPs, one (1) collaboration LP with Jenny Lewis, two (2) EPs, five (5) singles, and one (1) compilation. The Watson Twins version of The Cure’s “Just Like Heaven” is incredible and I was crossing my fingers that they would play this at the Georgia Theatre.

Their latest release, Holler, was produced by Grammy nominee Butch Walker and released to rave reviews on June 23rd on Bloodshot Records. The Watson Twins started off the evening for the excited and eager crowd who braved the traffic of the Parade of Lights traffic with “The Palace” which is off their latest release. “Honky Tonk Heart”, “Hustle and Shake”, and “HOLLER” were three of my favorite songs that The Watson Twins performed during their fiery set.

Check out The Watson Twins setlist from this evening below:

·         “The Palace”

·         “Southern Manners”

·         “Honky Tonk Heart”

·         “My Name”

·         ‘Hustle and Shake”

·         “Devil in You”

·         “Two Timin”

·         “HOLLER”

Head over to The Watson Twins' official store and show them some love today!

The Wood Brothers took the stage at the historic Georgia Theatre, and you could hear the crowd roar as they cheered on the band. The Wood Brothers have a loyal fan base that travels very well when they tour. The Wood Brothers have developed a knack for sharp songwriting, adding their ability to weave intricate storylines and be musical virtuosos in the Roots music/Americana scene has cemented them as fan favorites. On this memorable evening at the Georgia Theatre, The Wood Brothers performed an exceptional set chock full of groovy songs for the fans. The Wood Brothers effortlessly performed songs such as “Pilgrim”, “Line Those Pockets”, “Little Blue”, “American Heartache”, and the crowd’s favorite sing-along “Luckiest Man”.

You can follow this link to The Wood Brothers' Official Store and show them some support. Although The Wood Brothers might be done touring in 2023, they already have some tour dates scheduled for Europe and the United States in 2024. Check them out below:

FEB 3 SAT                            Oran Mor                                                                            Glasgow, United Kingdom

FEB 4 SUN                           Deaf Institute                                                                     Manchester, United Kingdom

FEB 5 MON                         The Bodega                                                                        Nottingham, United Kingdom

FEB 6 TUE                            Lafayette                                                                             London, United Kingdom

FEB 7 WED                          Exchange                                                                            Bristol, United Kingdom

FEB 9 FRI                              TivoliVredenburg - Pandora                                         Utrecht, Netherlands

FEB 10 SAT                          Elbphilharmonie                                                               Hamburg, Germany

FEB 27 TUE                         Rialto Theatre w/Rainbow Girls                                     Tucson, AZ

FEB 28 WED                       The Sound at Del Mar w/Rainbow Girls                      Del Mar, CA

FEB 29 THU                        The Fonda Theatre w/Rainbow Girls                            Los Angeles, CA

MAR 1 FRI                           The Fillmore w/Rainbow Girls                                        San Francisco, CA

MAR 2 SAT                          The Fillmore w/Rainbow Girls                                        San Francisco, CA

MAR 5 TUE                         The Center for the Arts w/Rainbow Girls                    Grass Valley, CA

MAR 6 WED                       Arkley Center for the Performing Arts w/Rainbow Girls       Eureka, CA

MAR 7 THU                        Revolution Hall                                                                  Portland, OR

MAR 8 FRI                           Moore Theatre w/Rainbow Girls                                   Seattle, WA

MAR 9 SAT                          Wild Buffalo w/Rainbow Girls                                        Bellingham, WA

APR 3 WED                         Southern Theatre                                                             Columbus, OH

APR 4 THU                          Ryman Auditorium                                                          Nashville, TN

APR 5 FRI                             Old National Centre - Egyptian Room                      Indianapolis, IN

APR 6 SAT                           Clyde Theatre                                                                     Fort Wayne, IN

APR 7 SUN                          Orpheum Theater                                                             Madison, WI

APR 10 WED                      Englert Theatre                                                                 Iowa City, IA

APR 11 THU                       Madrid Theatre                                                                 Kansas City, MO

APR 12 FRI                          Minglewood Hall                                                              Memphis, TN

APR 13 SAT                         The Pageant                                                                      St Louis, MO

APR 20 SAT                         Moon Crush 2024                                                             Miramar Beach, FL

 Curious about Concerthopper? You can find more music-related articles, interviews, various photo galleries, indie music reviews, our ‘Bars & Bites’ section, our exclusive “She Said, She Said” column, or become a Concerthopper at www.concerthopper.com. Sign up for our monthly newsletter by following this link: The Setlist! Please ‘Like’ our page on Facebook and follow us on Instagram to stay up to date in 2023, on all music-related events/festivals such as Suicidal Tendencies plus special guests Live at The Ranch (Fort Myers), Blackout Tour Part 1: From Ashes to New w/ The Word Alive, Catch Your Breath, and Ekoh @ Rapids Theatre, Greensky Bluegrass Winter Tour 2024: Live at The Eastern, We The Kings: Live at Rec Room (Buffalo), 10 Years of Wage War: House of Blues (Orlando), Metalcore Dropouts – 2nd Semester: Fit For a King & The Devil Wears Prada Live at Town Ballroom (Buffalo), Zakk Sabbath w/ The Native Howl: Live at The Masquerade, Life Is But A Dream… North American Tour: Avenge Sevenfold Live at KeyBank Center (Buffalo), Shoot For The Moon Tour: Sierra Ferrell Live at The Eastern, Seasons World Tour 2024: Thirty Seconds to Mars & AFI Live at MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre, Dresden Dolls: Live at The Eastern, The Deathless Tour: Set It Off w/ Crown the Empire, Caskets, and Death By Choice Live at Water Street Music Hall (Rochester), and Crypta Live at Boggs Social & Supply by following us on all social media formats: Concerthopper on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. You can also follow my concert hopping on Facebook and Instagram.

[recordplayer70]

Transatlantic Teutonic Two Step Take 119 [Oct 11th 2023]

Please click Here if the music player widget does not appear

Tracks:

Skiftande Enheter - Öppna Landskap - Öppna Landskap EP (2022)[ Happiest Place - HP14]

The Fiery Furnaces - Norwegian Wood - The Fiery Furnaces/Ted Leo Split 45 (2005)[Razor & Tie - 79301-80858-7]

Bob Kuban And The In-Men - Drive My Car - Drive My Car 45 (1966)[Musicland USA - 20,007]

Die Monitr Batss - Blackout Cross - Matmos / Die Monitr Batss - Split Seven Inch (2004)[Ache - ACHE016]

Woodhead Monroe - Identify - Identify 45 (1982)[ Stiff Records - 6.13475 AC]

Pow! - Castle Of Faith (Mikey Young Remix) - Free Flexi w/ Crack An Egg LP (2017) [CASTLE FACE 81]

Maximum Joy - In The Air - In The Air 45 (1982)[Y Records – Y26]

Damaged Bug - Exit Vollmer - Flexi 45 (2021)[Sometimes Records - 001]

Cobra Killer - Try It - Right Into A Kick For More 45 (1999)[Digital Hardcore Recordings (DHR) - DHR 23]

Sparks - Profile - Get In The Swing 45 (1975)[Island Records - 16 153 AT]

Terry Malts - Disconnect - Terry Malts / Dead Angle Shit Split (2012)[Loglady - LL007]

Plasticland - In My Black And White - Flower Scene 45 (1985)[Midnight Records - MID 4510]

Plattenbau - Slave / Ship - Sleep / Paralysis 45 (2018)[Not On Label]

Bruce Haack - Incantation / Song Of The Death Machine - V/A Dig This 7 inch EP (1970)[Columbia - AS 3]

Roy Montgomery - It's Cold Outside - Double 7 inch s.t. EP (1996)[Siltbreeze - SB58/59]

John Updike - Reading From Pigeon Feathers "Lifeguard" (excerpt) - Reading From Pigeon Feathers "Lifeguard" 7 inch (1963)[Calliope Records - CAL 17]

[simslegacy5083]

NSB (Straud Legacy) Gen 8 Ep. 37: Romantic Encounters

The Story of a Family Told in Web Comic Format

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While on vacation with the boys, Peachy had been texting his old friend Kassandra, who he’d been chatting with off and on for a while. It was easier to flirt casually with his old friend than to confront his unexpected feelings for his partner on the force.

He still wasn’t sure about entering into a “relationship”, but when Kassandra called up and asked him on a date, he saw no reason not to give it a shot. What could it hurt?

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

Peachy wasn’t the only one at the park staying in touch, as Paul had also been texting regularly with Nikita, his sweet Strangerville sim from the library.

He felt like the luckiest sim in the world when she asked him to join her downtown at the flea market.

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When Peachy presented his date with a little Chef Gino figurine, she declared it the perfect excuse to take him to a pizza parlor for lunch.

The two sims spent a pleasant afternoon laughing, chatting, and getting to know each other better. Their shared interest in magic and the law made for easy conversation, as Kassandra was also an arbiter of justice, working as a paralegal at the law office downtown.

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Across town at the fairgrounds the other duo had decided to try the bubble hookah machine together.

Paul loaded up the giant cylinder with a passionfruit concoction and engaged his date with earnest and clumsy innuendo. Nikita seemed more than happy to be entertained and carefree, and while the pair found the bubble smoke to be more fiery then flirty, it was a great ice breaker either way.

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All good things must come to an end, and Peachy’s lovely cross between a date night and a reunion was no exception. As they both finally decided to head home Peachy took Kassandra’s hands in his, thanking her for a wonderful time and sincerely hoping they could do it again soon.

Climbing into bed that night Peachy reflected that maybe there was something to this love and relationship business after all!

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Paul was doing just as well. He and Nikita had cooled off their tongues at a nearby lounge that stocked many classy fizzes from team farm’s orchards. The young lovebirds sipped glasses of his family’s finest and traded stories about each others lives.

Nikita Bjergsen’s family had also lived in SimNation for ages, and like himself and August she loved reading through old histories. The two were well equipped to hunt for past connections together, scooting gradually closer for warmth and ease of intimate discussion.

When the late hour finally made them part to rest up for tomorrow’s adventures, Paul realized that he hadn’t felt anxious or awkward for hours. He didn’t know how she’d made him feel so natural and comfortable, but he knew he couldn’t wait to see her again.

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

[jamiemacdubh]

g h o i s t i d h

[herestoimagination]

I, uh, dinna imagine it's quite the wedding ye maybe dreamt of when you were a wee lass. Hmm, not quite. But, the best thing, I don't have to imagine you. It is a blessing you came to me. But having just gotten ye back, must I give ye away so soon?

[themackenzies]

Our family is here.

Journeycake was bonkers.  I’m confused and angry, and nervous about what’s to come for the MacKenzies in Season 6.

Roger, Bree, and Jemmy go through the stones.  How did we get here?  Let’s first back up a bit and look at how the writers have laid the groundwork for this, and then I’ll talk about whether I think this was a successful deviation from the books (hint: I don’t).

5.01

Roger makes a casual, seemingly out of the blue remark to Bree about having a second go at a wedding when they return to the future.  Bree appears hurt and confused by his comment.  There is no context given for why Roger would assume they’re going back.  Look at Bree’s face.

Here’s what I had to say in my 5.01 episode review.  

5.02

The question of whether Bree and Roger will return to the future is brought up in two separate conversations.  First, between Bree and Roger—

Brianna: You want to go back, don’t you?  You’re ready. [...] Our family is here.

Roger: You and Jemmy are my family.  James Fraser is my colonel.  

Brianna: And what about Mamma?

Roger: You don’t want to leave them.

Second, between Claire and Roger—

Roger: She’s happy here.  I think she wants to stay.  And why wouldn’t you - want to stay, that is, if you have all your family around you?  The Reverend was the last of mine.

Claire: [...] We’re your family, Roger.  And as much as I love all of you being here, I hope you don’t stay.  I would miss you all.  Terribly.  But it’s safer in the future, for all three of you.  And I know you feel the same way.   I’m doing everything I can to make this a safer time, but it’s not.  It’s my fault you’re all here.  And Jemmy, he could scrape his knee and get an infection, and I don’t know that I could save him because I don’t have something as simple as an antibiotic.  

Roger: Well, it’s a moot point, isn’t it?  Brianna and I can’t go back until we know whether Jemmy can hear those stones.  

Claire: That could be tomorrow.  Or a year from now.  

Roger: Or never.

5.05

After Bree and Roger fight about Bonnet—

Roger: I’m not going to ask you to explain why you didn’t tell me.  It doesn’t matter.  He...doesn’t matter.  Because as soon as we know if Jemmy can travel, we’ll use Bonnet’s gem to leave.  As you said, it’s our ticket home.

Should we stay or should we go?

The writers tried this season to portray Brianna and Roger as a united, strong couple.  But, they ultimately failed by continuing to have Roger and Brianna on opposite viewpoints here.  Scroll up and look at Brianna’s face in all those screen caps.  Does she look happy or even remotely fine with the prospect of returning to the future?  No.�� She wants to stay, and (in my opinion) her reasons for staying are more understandable than Roger’s reasons for going.  

The argument for staying: "Our family is here.”  

The argument for going: The past is dangerous and violent, war is coming, and...

Brianna’s Promise

It isn’t until 5.11 that Brianna’s promise to Roger is explicitly stated—

Jamie: Do ye really think they’ll go then?

Claire: Brianna promised Roger as soon as they knew if Jemmy could travel.

When did Brianna make this promise?  More importantly, why did Brianna make this promise?  It is this promise that provides the impetus for their leaving in this episode.  This promise is important.  And yet, we haven’t been shown this conversation at all.  By omitting mention of this promise until 5.11, they’ve made Roger look pushy and manipulative, and Brianna look...I don’t know.  It doesn’t make any sense.  At this point in the show, Jamie and Roger are on good terms.  Roger no longer views Jamie as just his “colonel.”  Roger is a part of Brianna’s family now, so why would he be holding her to this promise she made so long ago?  Everyone in this episode is just so chill about this, it’s infuriating.  Well, *shrugs* Brianna promised, so they have to go...I guess.  

Safety vs. Family

Outlander is about family.  The only reason Roger and Brianna go through the stones in A Breath of Snow and Ashes is because their daughter’s life was in immediate danger.  In the show, they go through the stones because of an inexplicable promise made off-screen.  There is danger and violence in the past, of course.  Brianna and Roger have been put through the wringer in the 18th century.  I get that they would be worried and concerned about staying in the past.  What I don’t understand is why they would choose (uncertain) safety over family.   How they arrived at this decision does not make sense to me.  

Every time they said goodbye to someone on the Ridge, I couldn’t help thinking about all they are giving up by leaving.  

Also, why didn’t we get a goodbye scene between Roger and Claire and Jamie??

I’m assuming we’ve seen the last of Roger and Brianna in season 5 and I’m salty about it.  I’m not even going to speculate what they might have planned for Season 6.  I have no idea, and I’m not wasting any energy trying to figure it out.  I would love to be able to give them the benefit of the doubt, but they have not been able to successfully balance Jamie x Claire and Roger x Bree in different timelines in previous seasons.  

[themusicsweetly]

THE CUDDLES!!! 😍💜

love was made for me and you.