#evergreen state college review

[bikinikillarchives]

page on Reko Muse, from the Evergreen State College Review, May 1990. peep the photo of kathleen performing!

[undeadorion-archive]

I can't believe that in just a month, I finally graduate with an AA (2 year) degree. It only took 5 attempts at 3 separate schools across the span of 20 years.

Problems started even before I enrolled. I wanted to study animation but no schools near me had it. But I also had no idea how to find exactly what each school offered (this was back in 2001/2002 when not everyone had a comprehensive website). One of the schools I applied to even sent me a letter because they were confused why I'd apply for a program they don't have.

I finally settled on Evergreen State College in Olympia to study art. Being my first experience, I didn't realize how craptacular the school itself was. You didn't sign up for a specific program like "fine art" or "graphic design." You instead picked from pre-packaged sets of classes called stuff like "Labyrinths" that had an English class, a drawing class, and a print making class all bundled together.

My mom had promised that if I got accepted to a school she'd help me pay for books (I'd taken a year off after high school and just stayed home). When I finally knew what I'd need, I took the list to her with the final amount and she looked me square in the eye and asked how I was going to pay for it.

That school lasted only a year. After multiple bedbug scares and dealing with the crunchiest hippie types you can imagine, I was done. I switched instead to a local community college. And that was fraught with issues. Evergreen didn't do normal grades. They instead gave you a lengthy review at the end of the term with no concise way to say how well you did. So the community college just told me my credits didn't transfer.

Come spring term, I was so frustrated, I ended up having a breakdown in the advising office because nothing was working out. She made one call and got my grades transferred, it had been a glitch all along. But now I had double credits for art and english, which was...frustrating. So I'd made zero progress with an additional year of debt because of 1 person's mistake at the beginning of the year.

Determined to make it through, I enrolled for fall classes. Then everything went to shit. I injured my knee and missed a bunch of classes. I was living with a grossly abusive older sister at my dad's house who I had to get away from. I was the only one with a car, so she thought it was a good idea for me to get up at 6am, drive her to work, come home, go back to bed, then get up for my classes. She also threw me to the floor when I was injured and laughed at the fact that I couldn't get up.

I ultimately dropped out of school and had to get a full time job. Which led to a very long break from school.

In 2016, I was finally able to return to school. I was going to study set design at a local university. They actually had a program for it! At least, they did when I'd started looking in 2014. But by the time I actually was able to enroll, they'd changed the structure so you could take classes in it but it was now a big vague soup of a theater degree where you made your own path.

Unfortunately, I got hit with a double whammy in the spring of 2017. First, the department was doing away with almost every class having to do with set design. Everyone was pissed, including the teachers. Then the supposed friend I was renting a room from decided he wanted a barely legal twink from California with a vomit fetish to move in so he was kicking me out. By chance, my mom was moving back into town so we found an apartment together and I continued going to school. This was a bad decision.

With set design now out the window and yet another year of school wasted, I shifted my attention to architecture. Because I could still apply it to set design. And I did surprisingly well for a while.

The just before Christmas of 2017 (so about 10 months later), I came home from staying with a friend to find my mom had packed up and moved out. Took everything that wasn't in my bedroom, so took all my dishes and cookware. And an apron I'd sewn for myself. Just left me a note saying there was no other option and left the keys.

You see, I'd begun my gender transition in 2015. She must have assumed it was just a phase, because she burst into tears when my paperwork from the courthouse showed up just before Thanksgiving, finalizing my name change. She kept crying and saying she was "mourning the loss of her baby."

Yet again, I had to drop out of school and find a real job. That lasted about a year and I was MISERABLE. I moved back in with my dad, finally. Older sister had moved across the state years before, so I was safe. I enrolled back in the community college from my first go-round, but that barely lasted a term. I tried graphic design and I was bored out of my skull. I ended up getting a job, instead. That was the spring of 2019.

Then 2020 happened.

With so much time at home now, I rediscovered a passion for web design. Something I'd been doing off and on since the 90s. I did some poking around and found that same community college had a program for it. So when my unemployment was running dry, I applied. I started in the fall of 2021.

There were a couple points where I almost dropped out. Some classes and teachers that were so terrible I wondered if it was all worth it. But thanks to one very specific teacher, I kept going. I found I had an aptitude for the actual programming aspects as well as the design parts. He encouraged me to take Harvard's online classes for computer science and web design. And I did surprisingly well in those.

And now, finally. I'm in my last term of classes and excelling. I'm getting paid to tutor students in the classes I've already taken, even. I'm graduating with honors. Something I wouldn't have been able to do when I first started. I've joined 2 honors societies and been on the president's and the dean's lists.

No matter what bullshit life throws at you, the trick is to keep trying. Even if it takes you 10 times as long as it's supposed to, it will always be worth it when you get there.

[stardustfromtheotherside]

“Notably, the signed MOU [memorandum of understanding] states that Evergreen will aim to withdraw investments from companies involved in the illegal occupation of Palestinian territories or those facilitating gross human rights violations. It also commits to reviewing protocols around police operations on campus and establishing alternative models for non-law enforcement crisis response. In a major symbolic move, the college agreed to discontinue approving study abroad programs in Israel and not allow such visits to Gaza or the West Bank either.” -from above source

source

[mediaevalmusereads]

Syllabus: Notes from an Accidental Professor. By Lynda Barry. Drawn and Quarterly, 2014, 2023.

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

Genre: comics, art, pedagogy

Series: N/A

Summary: "I began keeping a notebook in a serious way when I met my teacher Marilyn Frasca in 1975 at The Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington.

She showed me ways of using these simple things — our hands, a pen, and some paper — as both a navigation and expedition device, one that could reliably carry me into my past, deeper into my present, or farther into a place I have come to call "the image world" — a place we all know, even if we don't notice this knowing until someone reminds us of its ever-present existence.

I wasn't quite 20 years old when I started my first notebook. I had no idea that nearly 40 years later, I would not only still be using it as the most reliable route to the thing I've come to call my work, but I'd also be showing others how to use it too, as a place to practice a physical activity — in this case writing and drawing by hand — with a certain state of mind.

This practice can result in what I've come to consider a wonderful side effect: a visual or written image we can call 'a work of art,' although a work of art is not what I'm after when I'm practicing this activity.

What am I after? I'm after what Marilyn Frasca called "being present and seeing what's there."

This book is a collection of bits and pieces from the many notebooks I kept during my first three years of trying to figure out how to teach this practice to my students at the University of Wisconsin-Madison."

***Full review below.***

CONTENT WARNINGS: nudity, smoking, some potentially upsetting imagery (guns, violence, etc)

I already reviewed Drawing Comics, so I figured I should do more Lynda Barry work.

Syllabus is more or less an in-depth look at one of Lynda Barry's comics classes. The class combines drawing, writing, journaling, observation work, poetry, theory, and much more to create an experience focused on unlocking imagination. Syllabus contains a class-by-class outline of what a semester looks like, complete with activities and notes from Barey herself. As such, it's a great tool for those teaching comics and for students who might want to practice on their own.

As with Making Comics, I love the visual style of Syllabus. Each page is full of student drawing and originals by Barry, and the focus is not on "how good" the drawing are, but the feeling of life that arises from them. I loved looking at these works and seeing how different people interpreted different assignments.

That being said, there are some activities in here that will be difficult to do alone (if you're using this book outside of a classroom setting). Thus, there are some things that you will miss out on, but given that this isn't a self-help book or art guide, it's to be expected.

TL;DR: Syllabus is a charming, motivational guide to Lynda Barry's comics course, and though it's geared towards exploring collaborative classroom work, there's plenty here to inspire readers to try making comics for themselves.

[tienramadan]

Since April 17, when Columbia University students started an encampment to protest over Gaza, more than 130 colleges and universities in the U.S. have joined the encampments or sit-ins. According to Axios News, police have arrested over 2,900 people on at least 61 college campuses across the country. Schools are scrambling to balance freedom of speech and security while students continue to press their schools to divest from businesses that have financial ties to Israel and those supporting the war in Gaza. Some schools chose to take actions to address investment transparency and explore divestment. Sacramento State University in California has agreed to pursue an investment strategy divested from “corporations & funds that profit from genocide, ethnic cleansing, and activities that violate fundamental human rights.” The school has also started to make university investment data available on its website and agreed to create a task force with students and faculty. This task force will consider divesting the school’s endowment from the University of California Investments Office and avoid investments in companies involved in arms manufacturing and delivery. Evergreen State College in Washington has agreed to create several committees, staffed by faculty, students and university staff, to help define socially responsible investing and address divestment from companies profiting from human rights violations and the occupation of Palestinian territories. At Brown University, students’ divestment proposal will be reviewed and a board vote on the proposal is scheduled in October. The school also guaranteed that students who participated in the encampment protest will not face expulsion or suspension. Meanwhile, Rutgers University has agreed to accept 10 displaced Palestinian students on scholarships and meet with student representatives to discuss their divestment proposal. Protesters at Northwestern University and the school reached an agreement that affirms students’ free speech rights and reestablishes an investment committee among the board of trustees and will provide additional support for both Palestinian and Jewish students. Students at the University of Minnesota have convinced their school to disclose investment information and to allow them to present on divestment before the Board of Regents.

[lboogie1906]

Dr. Warren Elliot Henry (February 18, 1909 - October 31, 2001) enjoyed a long and influential career in the field of physical chemistry, working in the public and private sectors and academia. His areas of expertise included radar technology and solid-state physics. His nearly 100 publications appeared in leading peer-reviewed journals and he often presented his work at meetings of the American Physical Society. He served as a mentor to hundreds of undergraduate and graduate students.

Born in China, Alabama, he grew up in Evergreen. His parents, Nelson E. Henry and Mattye McDaniel Henry, both held degrees from the Tuskegee Institute.

He enrolled at Tuskegee, completing a BS in Mathematics. He served as principal of the Escambia County Training School and moved to Atlanta to teach Physics and Mathematics at Spelman and Morehouse Colleges. He would continue his education during this period, earning an MS in Organic Chemistry from Atlanta University. He completed a Ph.D. in Physics and Physical Chemistry at the University of Chicago. He worked with several Nobel Prize winners. He returned to teach at Tuskegee.

He was recruited to work at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s radiation laboratory. He focused on radar systems for the Navy. He spent a year as a Postdoctoral Fellowship at the Institute of Metal at the University of Chicago before returning to Morehouse College as acting head of the Physics Department. He worked at the Naval Research Laboratory (1948-60) where he studied cryo magnetics, superconductivity, and magnetic susceptibilities. He invented a metal dewar for liquid helium.

He worked for the Lockheed Missiles and Space Company as a senior staff engineer and scientist. He continued his work on submarine detection and contributed to the study of materials for space travel. His final professional position was at Howard University where he taught in the physics department (1969-77) and worked on the Minority Access to Research Careers Program.

He enjoyed a long marriage to Jeanne Pearlson Henry. The couple had one daughter. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence

[outskirtspress]

Outskirts Press Publishing Review from Tracy L. Scott, author of "105 Days of Spiritual Inspirations and Practical Thought"

“5 out of 5 across the board.” About the Author Tracy was born the 11th of 13 siblings, and raised in Evergreen, Alabama. He is of Seminole Indian and African-American lineage. Tracy graduated from Evergreen High School, completed undergraduate studies at Alabama State University, and completed graduate studies at Webster University. After college, he was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the…

[beuteehot]

The Evergreen State College Logo Crocs Clogs - BiShop Review buy Beutee.net! Don't miss out on this amazing deal! Grab your product here

[kailumvillalobos]

Alex Kime, Radio and Podcast Producer

Alex Kime is an experienced digital producer, podcast producer, project manager, and content production manager with a passion for audio and media production. When Kime worked as a Digital Producer, he launched two weekly newsletters and designed and maintained an active news website. Kime has also coordinated a seven-day web and social posting schedule with unique templates for each platform, mixed and mastered audio from producers and reporters for the web using Izotope RX, Descript, and Audition, and managed daily duties of five interns across two departments. Additionally, Kime started a weekly news texting club through GroundSource with an average 30% response rate and built multiple content-specific dashboards in Google Data Studio.

Prior to his current role, Kime worked as an independent producer in Chicago, IL, where he produced weekly episodes for three different podcasts, edited backlogged interviews in Izotope RX and Audition, sourced guests, and edited audio for CBC, People Magazine, KCRW, and more. He also maintained show release schedules in Google Docs, Trello, and Slack.

Kime has also worked as a Project Manager for multiple non-profits, where he created project calendars and weekly reports to track the progress of ongoing projects, developed partnerships with advocacy groups, universities, cities, and businesses, and wrote social media content, press releases, and web copy. Additionally, Kime worked as a Content Production Manager for an online music retailer, where he led a team of eight people to plan and develop audio/video content for the web, produced artist interviews and gear reviews for the website and 1.5 million active email subscribers to increase online engagement, and transferred email workflow to modular templates for targeted audiences, saving hours of work on each campaign and allowing for average sends per week to double.

Kime earned his Bachelor of Arts in Media Production from The Evergreen State College in 2010. With his extensive experience in digital media production and his passion for audio production, Kime is a skilled and talented producer, manager, and content creator.

[100gayicons]

John Rechy was born in El Paso Texas to Mexican parents. On his father’s side he had Scottish ancestors. With his lighter complexion and Anglo surname he could “pass” for white. This helped him enroll in a high school for Whites only. There his excelled in writing and sports.

After attended college and a stint in the army, Rechy began traveling around the United States, earning money by being a gay hustler. While in Los Angeles he was arrested at Cooper Do-nuts, a gay hangout. The police often harassed gays, lesbians and drag queens. A minor riot broke out as the gay patrons pelted the police with do-nuts and cups of coffee. Rechy was able to escape.

All these experiences became the basis of his autobiographical first novel “City of Night” (1963). Although it received negative reviews due to its sexually explicit content, it became a best seller.

Other novels followed. “Numbers” focused gay man trying to recapture his youth by having sex with 100 men. That’s when I discovered Rechy, the novel’s cover featured the profile of a naked young man. I secretly purchased the book (or did I shoplift it, I can’t remember) and learned about the wider gay world. I read “City of Night” later.

In all Rechy has written 14 novels about gay or Chicano life and struggles. Plus numerous essays for a variety of literary publications such as The Nation, New York Review of Books, Los Angeles Times, L.A. Weekly, The Village Voice, The New York Times, and Evergreen Review. Rechy also became faculty member at the Master of Professional Writing Program at the University of Southern California.

[howaminotinthestrokesyet]

From Green River to Nirvana to Bush: A Brief History of Grunge

The origin of the term grunge, which means either repugnant or dirty came from most likely a Sub Pop music catalog to describe an EP released by the band Green River in 1987. “Gritty vocals, roaring Marshall amps, ultra-loose GRUNGE that destroyed the morals of a generation". The term grunge had been used since the 1960’s to describe an array of bands, but this was the first time the term had been applied to any music out of Seattle. One of the reasons the music coming out of Seattle sounded so dirty or sludgy came for a very practical reason. Most of these groups did not have very much money, which meant when creating new songs in the studio these artists could not spend the money they did not have on cleaning up the sound. The scene of Seattle first came from two colleges, Evergreen State and the University of Washington, which brought about the hugely popular radio station KAOS, where Nirvana would actually play in 1987. Many major bands that came out of Seattle like Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden hated the term. One primary reason was the fact that it stereotyped these bands into one generic genre as even these three specific groups were vastly different from one another. Nirvana was pop punk, Pearl Jam embodied classic rock, and Soundgarden turned out to be much more metal. Ben Shepherd of Soundgarden would say he hated the term and did not want to be associated with it. Many musicians from Seattle all the way down the line never referred to grunge in any manner whatsoever. Rolling Stone would say that there did not exist any clear definition of what defined grunge as it covered a bunch of bands that were very different from each other.

The start of early grunge in Seattle began when Black Flag came to town in 1984. They were the poster child for hardcore punk at the time. Black Flag’s album My War was huge in terms of Seattle’s sound as it took elements of metal and traditional rock, then slowed it down. Steve Turner of Mudhoney would later comment. “A lot of other people around the country hated the fact that Black Flag slowed down ... but up here it was really great ... we were like 'Yay!' They were weird and fucked-up sounding." One of the people that went to these Black Flag shows was Buzz Osbourne, lead singer of local group the Melvins. After seeing Black Flag, he began writing riffs for his own band that were much slower and heavier. This became the very beginning of Northwest grunge, which producer Jack Endino called slowed down punk rock. Seattle musician Leighton Breezer would describe it as essentially playing punk rock backwards. Another key ingredient to grunge’s development came in the infusion of metal elements with the greatest influence being Black Sabbath. One approach for these early bands was to take a metal riff, then play it backwards with a ton of feedback, while screaming lyrics on top of it. Another other source of the grunge sound came with indie rock, which should not be discounted because it brought that pop melody into the equation. A huge influence on this emerged with Sonic Youth. Other artists included Pixies and Dinosaur Jr. Kurt Cobain identified with the former in particular as he noted in a Rolling Stone interview, "I connected with that band so heavily that I should have been in that band—or at least a Pixies cover band. We used their sense of dynamics, being soft and quiet and then loud and hard." These artists did seem to embrace the ugly aspect of the music as they loved to pen dark lyrics mirroring society at the time. This stood in stark contrast to the mainstream sex, drugs and rock and roll of the hair metal coming out of Los Angeles. The Seattle bands would even take things from so called cheesy rock bands like Kiss. Buzz Osbourne would say they would steal from the ridiculous rock bands too seeing what they could get away with all the time. Rock writer Kyle Anderson would say this about grunge when reviewing Sixteen Stone from Bush. “The twelve songs on Sixteen Stone sound exactly be like what grunge is supposed to sound like, while the whole point of grunge was that it didn't really sound like anything, including itself. Just consider how many different bands and styles of music have been shoved under the "grunge" header in this discography alone, and you realize that grunge is probably the most ill-defined genre of music in history."

Certain artists prior to bands like the Melvins and Green River heavily influenced that Seattle sound including Here Are The Sonics, released in 1965 by The Sonics.[153] Neil Young's albums Rust Never Sleeps (1979) and Ragged Glory (1990). Neil Young symbolized everything that grunge and Seattle seemed to represent including plaid flannels and distorted guitar. He would even have Pearl Jam act as his backing band for the 1995 album Mirror Ball. These groups were soon labeled proto-grunge. Other artists included Elvis Costello, the Stooges, Led Zeppelin, and Creedence Clearwater Revival for their respective 1970’s and 1980’s albums. Another effect on the development of the sound came in the city of Seattle itself as it flew below the radar when compared with other cities. Sub Pop’s Jonathan Poneman would say in an interview. “Seattle was a perfect example of a secondary city with an active music scene that was completely ignored by an American media fixated on Los Angeles and New York [City]." Everything about the style that would become associated with Seattle came out of necessity, not really any choice. Trucker hats, pawnshop clothes, cheap guitar all sprung from the fact that Seattle in fact was a very poor town. For his part, Kurt Cobain when Nevermind went number one was actually living in his car. Local post-punk bands also had an effect on what eventually became the grunge bands of the late eighties such as The Fartz, The U-Men, 10 Minute Warning, The Accüsed, and the Fastbacks. Yet, one must note there existed a differential between these groups and those that came to define early grunge.

The very first grunge record has been regularly referred to as Come on Down from Green River. The band would later split up with half the group later forming Pearl Jam and the other half creating Mudhoney. Another release that hugely helped along the development of the Seattle sound was in the Deep Six compilation featuring tracks from six bands: Green River, Soundgarden, Melvins, Malfunkshun, Skin Yard, and The U-Men. Jack Endino would make this observation about the release at the time. “People just said, 'Well, what kind of music is this? This isn't metal, it's not punk, What is it?' ... People went 'Eureka! These bands all have something in common.'" Later around the same time, Sub Pop released a similar compilation, along with a new EP from Green River, Dry As a Bone. The effect of the Sub Pop label had everything to do with the Seattle sound too because of their heavy commitment to cleverly selling the brand to the rest of the world as one of the greatest regional music scenes in the history of the world. The early concerts sponsored by the label were not attended by very many people, but Sub Pop’s photographer made it look like the concert of the year. Their marketing was top notch when it came to letting the rest of the world know there was something incredible happening in Seattle. Sub Pop was not alone in spearheading the indie movement in the Pacific Northwest, but other labels released new music including C/Z Records, Estrus Records, EMpTy Records and PopLlama Records. In the late 1980’s, Jonathan Poneman of Sub Pop asked Everett True to write about the local Seattle music scene for Melody Maker. This article gave Seattle some of the first mainstream national exposure besides word of mouth. According to Charles R. Cross, the bands that embodied the grunge sound more than anyone else were not just Nirvana or Pearl Jam, but groups like Tad, Mudhoney, Blood Circus. Sub Pop actually looked to Mudhoney to be the breakout band from their label allowing Nirvana to leave without much protest.

The negative issue with such exposure became that new groups began to move to Seattle hoping to be discovered while claiming to be an authentic local group, when in reality they were not. Steve Turner would say, “It was really bad. Pretend bands were popping up here, things weren't coming from where we were coming from." The first group to sign to a major label was Soundgarden, followed by Alice In Chains and Screaming Trees soon after. Unfortunately, this really signaled the end of a truly independent local music scene, but the major labels coming to Washington state was probably inevitable.

The major label signings were expected but when Nirvana released Nevermind, the repercussions were in no way contemplated in any way whatsoever. The success of the record changed everything because it made what would become alternative music able to be sold as merchandise and in a cultural sense. Michael Azerrad said it represented "a sea-change in rock music" in which the entire country said we are done with hair metal. We want something a bit more realistic when it comes to our music. The newfound popularity of grunge made it possible for other niche audiences to consider the potential financially and culturally for their music to be successful. A more current example may be seen in dubstep and EDM. Pearl Jam would be the first beneficiaries of Nirvana’s lightning bolt, no pun intended. Jeff Ament and Stone Goddard, formerly of Green River and Mother Lovebone, had joined forces with a California surfer by the name of Eddie Vedder. People tend to forget that Pearl Jam’s seminal album Ten was actually released a month before Nevermind. By 1992, the entire country had embraced everything Seattle including Pearl Jam, Temple of the Dog, Soundgarden, and Alice In Chains. Journalists were starting to call the city the “New Liverpool.” Cameron Crowe even made a film centered around Seattle entitled Singles, which featured a fictitious band with Eddie Vedder as their drummer. The fashion fads of grunge did not go unnoticed to corporate America as knit caps and flannels would increase in price very quickly. Entertainment Weekly made this observation in 1993. “There hasn't been this kind of exploitation of a subculture since the media discovered hippies in the '60s". One could now see grunge being sold in the form of all kinds of products including an official grunge air freshener.

There do exist some characteristics of the grunge sound itself that people did agree upon, but much like the term itself there are open debates as well. As noted previously, the electric guitar had represented a dirty sound, hence the name grunge. There existed a heavy emphasis on distortion through the use of stompbox pedals with very large amplifiers connected to them. The other major characteristic that defined grunge besides distortion was loudness. Some critics have dismissed the artistry within grudge as merely noise, not anything else. Another effect utilized by grunge was the guitarists use of the Wah Wah pedal as evidenced by Pearl Jam, the Screaming Trees, Soundgarden, and Alice in Chains. The controversial and debatable aspect of the guitar is the question of whether the popularity of the music helped to kill the guitar solo. Most of grunge’s guitarists despised the shredding solos made famous in the 1980’s by such musicians as Eddie Van Halen. Jerry Cantrell of Alice In Chains would say that guitar solos should serve as a complement to the song, not its own entity. Will Byers of the Guardian wrote an article that argued grunge’s guitarists like Kurt Cobain helped to effectively kill the guitar solo in popular music. Unlike classic artists such as Jimi Hendrix, Kurt Cobain and others from Seattle had very little interest in mastering the instrument. The Soundgarden guitarist would even say that he got bored doing solos, so he just filled it with fuzz and distortion anyway. The argument does fall apart a little bit when you look at the entire breadth of grunge at the time because Pearl Jam’s Mike McCready and the Smashing Pumpkins’ Billy Corgan have been consistently referred to as some of the most influential guitarists in the entire decade. The production was also similar in approach as it heavily emphasized low cost, which always meant a low fi sound. For the band Mudhoney, they had to tell the record label to decrease the budget for one of their albums because they did not need to spend that much. The two important producers were Jack Endino and Steve Albini. They both took a very hands off approach to producing with very little to do with remastered effects and mixing. They both believed that the job of the producer was to simply record the music, but not impede in any way creatively for the artist. For example, In Utero was recorded in the same room with the entire band, while most mainstream producers would have recorded it separately then combined them on a multi track recorder. That approach would often give off a very live feel to a grunge release from the recording studio. Many bands simply wanted to replicate the sound energy from their live shows. A grunge concert was defined by bands who jumped, thrashed, and screamed on stage, while most of the audience would mosh or slam dance. The artists would never use any visual aids, props, or special effects to enhance the experience, but instead you were simply seeing essentially a local band. Dave Rimmer would write about the philosophy behind any true grunge show. It seemed “for Cobain, and lots of kids like him, rock & roll ... threw down a dare: Can you be pure enough, day after day, year after year, to prove your authenticity, to live up to the music ... And if you can't, can you live with being a poseur, a phony, a sellout?"

One of the negative aspects associated with grunge came in the question of how prevalent overall did heroin play in the lives of the artists. Not only did Kurt Cobain suffer from heroin addiction, but other artists did as well from that era including Scott Weiland of Stone Temple Pilots, Evan Dando of the Lemonheads, Jimmy Chamberlain of Smashing Pumpkins, Courtney Love of Hole, and Mark Lanegan of Screaming Trees. The comparison was made to the hippies of the 1960’s, who had embraced marijuana. The grunge musicians of the 1990’s seemed to look to heroin while in the city of Seattle. The downer effects of the drug represented what the lyrics told you about how these artists were feeling, self-hatred, nihilism. By taking heroin, someone could hide themselves from the world avoiding any sense of reality. The drug would take many casualties along the way including Andrew Wood of Mother Lovebone, Cobain, the keyboardist for the Smashing Pumpkins, Layne Staley of Alice in Chains, and later the bassist for the band Hole. One group that almost beat Nirvana to the punch of making it on a national basis was Mother Lovebone. Their lead singer Andrew Wood tragically died of a heroin overdose right before their debut album Green Apple was set to be released. They represented the number one band throughout the local Seattle music scene at the time. After his death, the remaining members of Mother Love Bone, Chris Cornell of Soundgarden, and Eddie Vedder joined up to create the tribute band for the late singer, Temple of the Dog. One of the first times fans heard Eddie Vedder on record was not Pearl Jam’s Ten, but actually Temple of the Dog. Jeff Ament and Stone Gossard did eventually join up with Vedder to form Pearl Jam. Courtney Love would a later comment that she thought heroin was easier to get in Seattle, than it was in Los Angeles or San Francisco. Yet, Daniel House of C/Z Records would argue that the idea of Seattle being a mecca for heroin was simply not true. He said the prevalence of the drug was no worse than any other American city in the country, while magazines like Rolling Stone contended that marijuana and MDMA seemed to be more likely the drug of choice for these artists.

Another important characteristic of grunge was is the active role that women played as musicians, as well as promoters of the movement. These groups included acts such as L7, Lunachicks, Dickless, 7 Year Bitch, The Gits, Courtney Love's band Hole (and Love's other 1990s groups), and Babes in Toyland. VH1 writer Dan Baker would comment that L7 were an “all-female grunge band [that] emanated from the fertile L.A. underground scene and [which] had strong ties with ... Black Flag and could match any male band in attitude and volume." The lead singer of the all girl band Bikini Kill Katherine Hanna would help to start the feminist punk underground movement called Riotgrrrl in the Pacific Northwest out of Olympia, Washington. This social and political movement began to embrace some of the same qualities found within grunge music. Singer Hanna was also the person that coined the phrase Smells Like Teen Spirit as Cobain had dated her drummer Toby Vail for a time. Coincidentally, she would later go onto marry Adam Horowitz of the Beastie Boys.

By late 1992, there began a strong backlash against anything referred to as grunge. Both Damon Albarn and Billy Corgan of Blur and Smashing Pumpkins respectively would say at their live shows, “Fuck grunge.” Kurt Cobain would say in an interview that being famous was the last thing he ever wanted to be. Along with a return to their punk roots, Nirvana’s album In Utero subtly was intentionally “abrasive” as a form of protest against the entire grunge trend. Despite their efforts, the album still went number one in its first week of release. Everything grunge related saw incredible success including groups like Candlebox, Soundgarden, and Alice In Chains, as they all released records that saw platinum achievement very quickly. As LA looked for the next Motley Crue in the 1980’s, record labels now began to look for the next Nirvana. Some of these second wave groups included Stone Temple Pilots, Veruca Salt, and Toadies. Unfortunately, Stone Temple Pilots were called out in the press for jumping on the bandwagon that was the Seattle sound. Their biggest flaw came in being from Los Angeles, not Seattle. Another group that suffered from this backlash was represented with Bush, who released their second album in 1994, Razorblade Suitcase. Chuck Klosterman would write, “Bush was a good band who just happened to signal the beginning of the end; ultimately, they would become the grunge Warrant.” The exact death of grunge has been debated as to a precise date, but one of the biggest factors came when Pearl Jam and Soundgarden began to fade from view for a time. Another huge issue came with the death of Hole’s bassist from a heroin overdose. This just brought up memories from Kurt Cobain’s tragic death as his widow was lead singer of the group. Jason Heller of the av club would write the the final nail in grunge’s coffin actually came in the release of In Utero in 1993. He argued that once his angst became commercial, then it was time to leave the scene. Nirvana had made the scene, and they obviously ended it. Billy Corgan would say after the death of Cobain in an interview, “The party’s over.”

[eryiss]

Fraxus Week 2020: Day 6 - Tarot

Summary: After a crappy post-college first year, Laxus jumped at the opportunity to leave town for a week for a road trip with his friends. He intended it just to be a week away with his friends, but when he meets an unfamiliar stranger, the vacation turns into something much more. [Fraxus Multichapter]

This is the sixth part of my Fraxus Week admissions, hosted by @fuckyeahfraxus​. This year I’ve made the prompts into a single multi-chapter fic. You can see all the chapters in the Masterpost linked below. Hope you enjoy.

You can read this on Fanfiction, Archive of our Own, and under the cut. Read the other chapters from this masterlist.

Chapter Six – A Carnival Reading

Bickslow had claimed it was an accident, but Laxus called bullshit. To Laxus, this seemed as though it was Bickslow and Evergreen's way of giving their new relationship their blessing. But Laxus didn't particularly care, because he had woken up sharing a relatively small bed with Freed, arm wrapped around the man's waist while pulling him close, and the man nuzzled into his chest as he slept. And, although Laxus had no intention on trying, he couldn't think of a better thing to wake up to.

With a soft smile, he shuffled slightly and pulled Freed closer. The sleeping man hummed and moved his head, revealing a small smile on his face.

This was rather a charmed life, and Laxus could get used to it.

But that was wishful thinking. They'd had their first sober kiss only a day prior, and it had exhilarated Laxus to a point no other relationships had. After that, they'd spent some time atop the RV's roof, Laxus looking up at the stars while Freed continued his book. That too had been exhilarating in a way Laxus couldn't put into words. After that, they'd eaten with Bickslow and Evergreen, spoken about how they were something of a couple but hadn't yet put a label on it, but they certainly weren't platonic.

Their friends had been supportive of that. They knew both men weren't the most emotionally vulnerable people, it seemed.

And now Laxus had woken up in the small double bed at the back of the RV, with Freed in his arms. Seeing as the man was sleeping softly, Laxus leant down and pressed his lips against the crown of Freed's head, smiling down at him.

"That was adorable," Evergreen's voice cut through the silence, and made Laxus' head snap up. He didn't think she was awake. "I didn't know you had it in you to be sweet."

"Shut up," Laxus groaned, voice a tired croak. He quickly glanced through the rest of the RV and his eyes settled on Bickslow, who was curled up awkwardly in the passenger side seat snoring and drooling onto the pillow he was spooning. He was glad that only Evergreen had seen that, as Bickslow would have gone into an overly dramatic meltdown. Which would have woken Freed up and ended the situation.

Huh. Laxus really meant it when he said he cared more for Freed than his dignity.

"I won't say anything more," Evergreen said with a smile. It was annoyingly kind. "I just think its nice. Besides, after you fell asleep we took loads of pictures," Laxus glared at her, and she laughed. "I'm joking. Well, I think so. I fell asleep before Bix so you might want to check."

"Thanks for the warning," Laxus said softly, perhaps sarcastically.

"Well, I'm only really being nice because I have something else I need to tell you," Evergreen said with a small trace of guilt in her tone. "I found that we're pretty close to a well-reviewed circus carnival, and I mentioned it to Bickslow. As you can guess, we're spending the day there."

"Why d'you need to butter me up for that?" Laxus said, not aware that he was running his hands through Freed's soft hair.

"Well, Bickslow made it pretty clear that we'd be leaving the two of you alone," Evergreen sighed. "Essentially, we're forcing you on your first date. Which might be a tad annoying to your plan of not putting labels on what you are."

Laxus glanced down at the sleeping man in the bed with him, and smiled softly. While they were taking things as they came, it certainly wasn't a bad thing that they would be spending the day together.

"I'm sure we can handle it," Laxus said softly.

"You're a hero," Evergreen laughed quietly. "Well, since you're awake now, I'm going to go for a little morning walk. See you later; oh, and keep up the kisses because it's adorable."

If he weren't wrapped around Freed, he might have thrown the pillow at the woman's retreating figure. Instead he did his best to raise his middle finger at the woman without moving Freed to a point where he would awaken. Evergreen let out a quiet laugh as she left the RV, leaving Laxus as the only person awake in the truck. As he was essentially alone, he looked down at the man wrapped up against him.

Freed really was a man of many faces, all damn appealing. Right now, his contented sleeping expression was pretty damned cute. But the night before, on the roof of the RV, he had been more handsome than any man Laxus had laid eyes on. Even the smug and cocky expression he had given Laxus when challenging him to a race at the waterpark had been hot.

It was really quite unfair that he got to be that attractive in that many ways.

"Urgh," Freed murmured quietly, and Laxus looked down at him with an expression of quiet contentment.

"Morning," He greeted.

"Morning," Freed parroted, eyes fluttering open softly. He smiled when he made eye contact with Laxus. "Well you're rather cuddly, aren't you?" Freed chuckled, but cushioned the tease with a soft kiss against Laxus' jaw.

"People always get shocked by that," Laxus commented quietly. "I've never understood why."

"Oh I fully expected you to enjoy hugging, why else would you have a body like this," Freed chuckled, moving slightly so his head was level with Laxus'. "I just expected that being in the presence of the human embodiment of annoying gossip might make you a little hesitant."

"With another guy, maybe," Laxus said the words before he could think. Was that too far for their relationship?

"You're charming too," Freed replied with a soft chuckle. "I thought that was going to be my thing."

"I gotta keep you on yer toes somehow," Laxus said with a grin. "Speaking of, Ever warned me that Bix's been plotting and apparently they're taking us to some carnival or something, and they're gonna ditch us and basically put us on a date together. You okay with that?"

"Of course," Freed nodded a little, and his nose gently traced Laxus'. "Spending time alone with you is quickly becoming a pastime of mine that I love, so you can safely assume I'll enjoy any dates we might go on. Forced on us or otherwise."

"I'm glad," Laxus smiled, jutting his chin forward so he could press his lips against Freed's in a chaste kiss. It sent a shock through him. "And I'll get to kick your ass at carnival games."

"Rather cocky attitude there, Laxus," Freed chuckled. "Misplaced, too."

"You said something similar when you challenged me to the water park race," Laxus grinned. "And remind me, who's got their lock screen as a picture of them on a waterslide screaming like they're about to piss themself."

"True, but in a carnival, you can't repeatedly push me into water and trip me up just to get your way," Freed said with a good-natured smile.

"You're really underestimating how much I like winning," Laxus grinned. "But if your so confident, we can make a bet."

"You truly are a competitive man, Mr Dreyar. I like it," Freed chuckled. "How about the loser pays for our first real date, and the winner choses what the date is."

"Sounds fun," Laxus smiled, leaning down, and pressing their lips together.

It was a slow and somewhat sloppy kiss, and both men melted into it without any difficulty. Laxus brought up one of his hands to cup Freed's cheek, smiling as the man in his arms pushed further into the embrace. Even in his half-awake state, Laxus felt a thrilling rush of excitement flow through him. Freed really did have some kind of effect on him that he couldn't describe, nor did he care to try. Because that moment was perfect.

Well, it would have been perfect. But then they heard the sound of Bickslow's phone taking a picture, followed by a loud cackling.

~~~

"I feel this is what Bickslow's mind must be like."

At Freed's comment, Laxus let out an undignified snort. The two men were walking side by side in the carnival, looking forward at the large and flashy spectacle before them. Multiple stalls lined a long pathway leading towards a circus tent, of which Bickslow was dragging Evergreen towards. Past the tent were large attractions and rides, each blurting out energetic music. It was somewhat overwhelming, but was helped by the fact the mass crowds had yet to arrive.

"I always thought it'd be a nightclub," Laxus commented, grinning. "A really loud and tacky one."

"I can see that," Freed agreed, and Laxus felt a chill run down his spine as Freed's hand grazed his own. "I haven't been to a carnival like this in years. The town I grew up in used to host one once a year."

"You used to enjoy it?" Laxus asked, looking down at the other man with a smile.

"Not exactly," Freed said with a chuckle. "It only started when I was a teenager, and I deemed myself too educated and adult to enjoy myself. So I mostly spent them in my bedroom reading, and wishing death on the people who turned the music up so loud that I could hear it half a mile away."

"So you were an edgy teenager huh?" Laxus asked with a teasing grin. "You know if you had a goth phase then you have to show me pictures so I can laugh at ya."

"Fortunately, I didn't," Freed said with a smile. "But the same goes for you. If you've any embarrassing childhood photos then it's required I see them."

"That's fair, I guess," Laxus nodded. "But don't think I didn't see what you just did. I asked for goth pics, you asked for embarrassing pics. So if I show you anything embarrassing, you gotta compensate."

"I had hoped you hadn't noticed that" Freed chuckled good naturedly.

The two continued walking down the row of stalls, eyeing the food vendors. It was a little after when they usually ate lunch, and they had decided that they'd get something to eat before playing any of the games or visiting any other attractions. That way there were nothing to distract them from the bet they had made, and neither man could blame their losses on being hungry. Laxus paled a little when Freed suggested that, as feigning weakness from hunger had been an option if he lost at a game he should have won.

After eventually settling on a food vendor with sweet smelling meat wafting from their stall, they had a quick meal and further discussed the rules of their gamble. They would both play every game available in a clockwise pattern, and would work with a points system. In the event of a draw, they would flip a coin.

The first game they played was an archery range, which was relatively simple. Laxus had gone first, claiming he had earned that by winning their race at the water park. He had done okay, managing to hit the target with each of his arrows, though with a wide range of points. He ended up with sixteen over his four arrows, which was a serviceable score. But the look on Freed's face told Laxus that the man was confident that he could win.

He did.

He got eighteen points, and even Laxus could see that there was a lot less luck in Freed's performance. Laxus would have focused on that, had he not been distracted by the confident posture, determined expression and flexing arms as he pulled the string back and took aim.

"That was," Laxus began when Freed returned with a satisfied expression. "Kinda hot, honestly."

"I'm glad you think so," Freed said, and his voice was just slightly deeper than normal. He leant forward so that their faces were almost touching, but stopped just short. "Consider it a consolation prize, as I'm winning."

The smug expression on the man's face drove Laxus almost as crazy as his teasing had. And he could do was let out a muttered 'asshole' before following in his footsteps.

They continued making their way through the games at a leisurely pace, playing each of them and teasing each other as they did so. They fell into a quick pattern where the winner of the individual game would flaunt their victory in a flirtatious and teasing way, and the loser would have to stand there and take it. Laxus felt a rush every time, because the ease at which he could be his competitive self with the other man shocked him. The fact Freed was just as confident in himself was an added bonus.

None of his past attempts at relationships had been like this. In fact, he had been so busy trying not to show the more flawed side of himself that he often forgot to be himself. With Freed, it felt like the inverse of that.

After the archery game, they had moved onto a game where they had a minute to score as many points with a basketball hoop. They had been relatively evenly matched, but Laxus' high school year as a basketball player gave him an edge. He gloated his victory by rolling up his sleeve and flexing his bicep, with a teasing 'these ain't just to look at' aimed at Freed. He didn't miss the other man's smirk at the movement.

Next was a game wherein you threw darts at balloons, and each balloon you popped had a certain score inside of it. They had five darts each, and Laxus managed to win that too. He had wrapped an arm around Freed's shoulders and made a gloating show about how he had won two games in a row, and Freed had not.

The next game had them both aiming water pistols at moving targets. The person who inflated their target's balloon fasted would win, and Freed proved to have better aim. Rather than gloating, he had twisted his water gun to the side so that a cold splash of water hit Laxus on the side.

"I'm gonna get you back for that," Laxus promised, grinning.

"Why," Freed feigned innocence. "I thought you might need some cooling off. Losing that badly got you rather heated."

"So, you thought I looked hot, huh?" Laxus said, crossing his arms.

"No," Freed said, not shying from Laxus' gaze. "I thought you looked warm. You looking hot is a… continuing issue."

Laxus grinned at the compliment, but shunted his own water gun to the side so a stream of water hit the other man. Freed let out a small noise of protest, but laughed it off as the owner of the stall asked them both to move along for the next customers. Laxus wrapped an arm around Freed's shoulders as they walked, and murmured into his ear.

"You looked pretty hot yourself," He said with a grin.

"I'm aware," Freed snarked back, and Laxus laughed with a grinned.

This was new as well, the ease of flirtation. It was ridiculous to think that a day ago, Laxus had been beating himself up for the idea of having some kind of crush on Freed, and now he was openly calling the guy hot in public. It was a testament to how comfortable Freed had managed to make him, Laxus supposed.

As they walked to the next stall, they noticed how different it was. Whereas the others were open and painted with bright colours, this stall was a small purple tent with dark colours and candles surrounding it. A sign beside the door claimed 'Mistress Cana Alberona's Tarot.' Laxus rolled his eyes.

"You don't believe in fortune telling?" Freed asked, apparently having seen the eye movement.

"Nah," Laxus shrugged, then looked down at Freed curiously. "Do you?"

"No, I think it's absurd. The idea that some cards magically know the intricate futures of everyone, or the fact your personality and what you'll do is written on your hand is ridiculous," Laxus chuckled a little at Freed's dismissal of the subject. "For whatever reason, it seems like everyone I know believes in it though."

"I know," Laxus grinned. "Ever once dragged me to a psychic. We got kicked out when I found her 'one of a kind crystal ball' on Amazon for twelve dollars."

"A merciful escape for you, then," Freed smirked.

Laxus agreed, but was then struck with an idea. He reached into his pocket and fished out a coin, flipping it in the air and catching it quickly. He covered it before he or Freed could see which side it had landed on, and looked to the other man with a challenging smile. Freed looked back at him with confusion.

"Heads or tails," Laxus demanded. "You get it right; I'll get a fortune. Get it wrong, you have to get one."

"Okay," Freed nodded. "Heads."

Laxus revealed the coin, and deflated at the sight of a clear head facing upwards. Freed sent him a grin that rivalled Bickslow's for its enjoyment of suffering, and he had the balls to pat the man on the shoulder in a faux comforting way. Laxus looked at the tent with a pained expression; he really couldn't be bothered to deal with the overly dramatic lies of someone with a deck of cards and an inflated sense of self-importance.

"Have fun," Freed taunted, giving him a gentle push towards the tent.

All but trudging towards his destination, Laxus placed the money in the bucket outside and rolled his eyes at the overly mysterious sounding demand that he enter the tent. He walked in, and saw a heavily cushioned room with a low table, and a woman mainly covered by purple scarves sitting at it.

They weren't scared of stereotypes, it seemed.

"Hello, lost one," The woman greeted, still forcing a weird voice. "Take a seat, my child."

Laxus did as he was told, biting his tongue when he realised that he was probably older than the woman performing the reading. He was glad this wasn't a palm reading, having a stranger grope at his hands would be too weird.

"You wish to have your unlived days laid before you?" The woman asked.

"Sure," Laxus said without enthusiasm, not entirely wanting to play along.

"You don't believe in this stuff, do ya," The woman asked suddenly, her voice a lot more normal now. Laxus, momentarily shocked by the sudden change in atmosphere, took a second to reply.

"Not really," Laxus shrugged. "Made a deal I'd come here though."

"That's fair," The woman said, and started to remove the scarves from her face. She was certainly younger than Laxus. "You don't mind do you. This place is hot enough without the candles surrounding it and the scarves. You have no idea how sweaty it gets."

"No, that's fine," Laxus said, at a loss for words when the woman pulled a beer from behind one of the cushions and took a swig from it.

"Okay, so you don't believe in this stuff, so there's no reason to lay it on thick," She said after taking her drink. "But you did pay, and just because you don't believe in something doesn't mean it's not true. So, you wanna do this without all the added on stuff that makes the experience better, get it over and done with?"

"I guess," Laxus frowned. He wasn't entirely sure what was happening.

"Okay," The woman began, picking up her tarot deck and shuffling it like a poker player. "I'm gonna spread these you, you have to pick three. Usually I'd say there's spirit guardians guiding you, which there is but I doubt you'll care about that. Once you've picked them out, we'll turn them over and I'll explain what they mean. First individually, then as a whole."

Laxus nodded in understanding and watched as the woman laid out the cards in a smooth curve. With more care than was probably needed, he looked over the cards before picking three of them at random. Or maybe it wasn't random. Maybe it was a spirit guide.

He almost laughed at the thought.

Watching absently, Laxus saw the woman turn the left most card over, revealing an image of someone in odd clothing standing at the end of a cliff.

"The fool," The woman explained, and Laxus felt slightly offended by it. "Each card has a wide range of interpretations. In its most pure form, it can mean you'll make an ass out of yourself soon," Laxus glared at the woman for that. "But in a more spiritual sense, it speaks of a greater acceptance of the self. You will embrace the fool within you, becoming more of your real self and less burdened by your anxieties. You will find that you don't second guess your actions. You'll be as much a fool as you need to be."

Laxus almost scoffed, and tried to ignore the fact he had been considering just how much his interactions with Freed were devoid of his second-guessing nature. He didn't say anything as the woman turned the next card.

"The sun," She commented. "In its most literal sense, it means brightness is coming to your world. There will be light and growth and nurturing in your future, a new sense of happiness perhaps. But it also means the start of a new cycle. Rebirth if you will. It seems to be that you might be starting a new chapter in your life."

It was annoying, but Laxus found himself wondering if Freed would play a big part in this new chapter. He remained silent as the final card of his choice was flipped over.

"The world," The woman said, and she was smiling now. "This can mean a lot of things. Often it's further a signifier of growth and nature. But it also means that the world is literally open to you. New pathways, new experiences, a new life. That's all coming towards you, and coming soon."

"So, err," Laxus began, embarrassed that he was even entertaining the possibility of this being real. "What do they all mean together."

"I think something big's happening in your life, and pretty soon. It might have already happened. Something life changing. Something that'll open up a whole new world of possibilities, that restarts your life with something new, that allows you to be your true self in a way that you've never been before. Maybe it's an event, maybe it's a revelation or an epiphany. Maybe it's a person. But you're in for some change, and I think it's for the better."

Laxus mind forced him to think of the man waiting outside of the tent for him. The handsome stubborn man that had already had an affect on Laxus that nobody else had. The man who allowed him to have fun, and seemed to energise Laxus in a way he couldn't describe.

Maybe Freed was the change in his life.

He dismissed the thought instantly; this whole this was pointless, and wrong. He bid the woman a goodbye, and started to leave the tent. Even with his surety that fortune telling wasn't real, Laxus couldn't help but notice the similarities of what he'd been told.

Not could he help the smile that those similarities caused.

[inparenth]

Featured Poetry by M. M. Sunderland

Featured Poetry by M. M. Sunderland

Mercury-Marvin Sunderland (he/him) is a transgender autistic gay man from Seattle with Borderline Personality Disorder. He currently attends the Evergreen State College and works for Headline Poetry & Press. He’s been published by University of Amsterdam’s Writer’s Block, UC Riverside’s Santa Ana River Review, UC Santa Barbara’s Spectrum Literary Journal, and The New School’s The Inquisitive…

[52weeksofmusic]

Week 8: Sleater-Kinney

Sleater-Kinney are as old as I am. And just like me, they have grown to become some of the most prominent female punks of the past 30 years. The trio (Corin Tucker, Carrie Brownstein, and Janet Weiss) have written and performed a number of timeless hits including “Modern Girl” and “Dig Me Out” over the course of 26 years across the entire world. They have lived, loved, and changed the punk music scene. Fans who listen wholeheartedly believe that they are the only ones being sung to, or about. Sleater-Kinney and the riot grrrl movement of the Pacific Northwest optimized the power of the woman and broke the compass of previously assumed feminist ideals.

Forming in Olympia, Washington in 1994, Brownstein and Tucker met and started dating during their time at The Evergreen State College. They were each part of their own riot grrrl-era bands, Excuse 17 and Heavens To Betsy, respectively. Performing with each other on the side, the two eventually devoted their entire brain space to Sleater-Kinney once their other bands fizzled out. As they were on vacation in Australia, they wrote and recorded what would become their first full-length, self-titled album in 1994. This 22-minute, ten-track LP was met with critical reviews, particularly for their monotone choruses and generic punk angst. 

Once drummer Janet Weiss joined the band in 1997, their career flourished as the riot grrrl movement came to a close. Sleater-Kinney produced albums such as Dig Me Out (1997) and All Hands On The Bad One (2000), sliding slowly into a more attainable and mainstream sound. That being said, Tucker’s vocals maintained their harsh sound throughout their entire career. Since the band was lacking a bassist, Tucker and Brownstein tuned both of their guitars one and a half-steps down (D-flat tuning) to make up for their bassless recordings and to match Tucker’s alternative vocal style. 

In 2006, shortly after the release of The Woods, the band announced they would be taking an indefinite hiatus with no warning and no reasoning behind it. Fans had various speculations, but most assumed it was due to complicated logistics and personal reasons such as families and children. 2015 came a chapter though, and the band announced they would release a new album titled No Cities To Love and tour north America and western Europe. Utilizing poppier riffs and a few fresh brains, the trio managed to create a higher-quality but inherently punk album in the age of Fetty Wap and Mark Ronson. Janet Weiss decided to leave Sleater-Kinney in July 2019, citing different directions. “We were a force of nature,” Weiss wrote in her farewell post on the band’s Twitter. 

The riot grrrl movement inspired girls, women, men, and everyone in between. The glass ceilings that were destroyed during the 1990s provided music people could agree with, fight over, or dance along with. Sleater-Kinney gave their fans an excuse to be a feminist with a 100-watt smile. They proved daring and complicated and loud, in a world where we are told to quiet down. These girls are my heroes, and though they may not be performing to only me, it feels like they are, but simultaneously I’m surrounded by everyone I love. They gave me a reason to smile for what I’ve fought for and what I’ve won.

[dustedmagazine]

Listed: Prana Crafter

Portland’s Prana Crafter, aka William Sol, works with guitars, synthesizers and singing bowls to create free flowing improvisations rooted in organic sounds.  He’s recorded his kosmische flavored psych rock and acid folk on labels including Beyond Beyond is Beyond, Eiderdown, Deep Water Acres, Reverb Worship, Sunrise Ocean Bender and Cardinal Fuzz Records.  Jennifer Kelly reviewed his latest, a split with Tarotplane, approving, “a feedback blistered, electric attack that is nonetheless somewhat pastoral, like Neil Young through a thick filter of codeine.” Check out a Listed from Prana Crafter’s partner-in-psych, Tarotplane, here.  

Ash Ra Tempel—Live at Cologne/Köln (1973)

When I first heard Göttsching I felt like I had finally heard someone as engaging and creative as Garcia and Hendrix, and I still feel that way about him and he’s a continual source of inspiration for me. Ash Ra Tempel is something that I listen to consistently and part of what brought Tarotplane (PJ) and I together. PJ is a true encyclopedia of knowledge about European psychedelic music, and when he read that there was some guy out in the PNW being written about with descriptions including references to bands like Ash Ra Tempel and Popol Vuh, so he had no choice but to check out some music and see how far off the mark these writers were, but luckily he liked what he heard and reached out to talk to me about AR & Machines! A bit later he turned me onto this live Ash Ra Tempel set from ’73 which I hadn’t heard and it blew me away. What I attempted to do with my side of Symbiose was to follow the path that Manuel laid out all those decades ago and do some really exploratory guitar work in an improvised fashion, across a broad canvas in terms of time-scale. A nice bit of trivia is that my side of Symbiose features a killer delay pedal that PJ sent me from to help me in my explorations of what I could do within the medium of solo guitar based music.

Terry Riley—Shri Camel (1977), Holland Festival

Terry Riley is up near the top of my list of artists I listen to on a regular basis, the flow of his creative stream resonates really deeply with me when I am in a contemplative or creative mind-set. I do a lot of writing and reading and his music I find to be like cognitive-creative nectar. This particular clip is really a classic and something that I come back to often to watch and be absorbed within, it’s a blessing this was recorded and that all these years later we can enjoy watching the birth of something so beautiful and truly innovative.

Don Cherry—“Chenrezig”

I didn’t learn about Don Cherry until a few years ago when I heard his duo work with Terry Riley. I knew right away I had been missing out and quickly rectified the situation by delving into as much as I could find, and I’m so glad I did. There is something so special about his phrasing, so alive and brimming with mojo, I’m pretty sure I could pick a Cherry riff out of a line-up with cotton balls in both ears.

The Grateful Dead—Jam 5/19/74, Portland Memorial Coliseum

I make no qualms about my love for Jerry Garcia and obsession with the Dead sound and energy between the late 60s and early 70s. This jam, released as part of the PNW box-set last year is fantastic in that it comes at the end of my favorite era, so it has shades of early-Dead, and foreshadows future trajectories, it’s funky and smooth, but still sharp and glistening with that psychedelic afterglow of the early 60s.

Garcia & Wales—“Space Funk”

Although it seems very odd due to his godlike status among many, I actually think Jerry Garcia is underrated in the sense that many people just see him as either a ‘rock’ guitarist, or a psychedelic icon, but if you dig into his acoustic and jazz work, you really hear what a humble master he was. Probably nothing in my collection gets more play than Garcia & Wales Side Trips Vol. I and Hooteroll!, what can I say, it’s just absolutely phenomenal stuff. There is a live recording floating out there which is really great, but besides that it’s hard to find anything else featuring these two masters together. From what I understand, Wales still lives and performs occasionally around Marin County.

Bill Frisell & James McNew—“Dark star -> comes a time 10/05/2014,” Seattle, WA

Of all modern jazz guitar players, I’m really drawn to Frisell, Ribot, Conners, and Scofield, and have been listening to Frisell for a long time. So when a friend named Joel Berk (Joel released a great track on Hypnic Jerk tapes under the moniker Ragenap) turned me onto this live recording of Frisell and James McNew doing a very loose but dynamic dark star -> comes a time in my neck of the woods, my ears were drooling. I love having friends with impeccable musical taste because they facilitate this constant process of being surprised and delighted by sonic treasures.

Medeski, Martin, & Wood—“Shack Man”

I first heard MM&W when I was going to the Evergreen State College here in Washington, this was almost 20 years ago now and some of the jam-band type things that are still around now were really in their prime and a lot of people at the school were from that scene, but also loved things like Zappa, and MM&W, and that’s where I first heard this type of modern improvisational jazz. It was cool for me because for part of my childhood my mom was married to a guy who played in a jazz quintet and they practiced at our house, so seeing and hearing MM&W was like going back in time and feeling that group improv vibe again, but this time oozing out of psychedelic beatnik seeming guys instead of the more uptight orchestra crowd.

Donovan—“Jersey Thursday”

I listen to a lot of acoustic based folk music from the 60s and 70s and Donovan has been a favorite since I was a kid and my dad would play ‘Hurdy Gurdy Man’ on his old 1950s Martin guitar. He told me that when he was younger and a friend would be having a bad trip, they would put Donovan on, medicinally, to mellow the person out, I’m guessing it wasn’t ‘Season of the Witch’, I imagine it to be something more like this absolute gem ‘Jersey Thursdays’ or maybe ‘Wear your love like heaven’, and definitely ‘first there is a mountain…’

Friends of Dean Martinez—“All in the Golden Afternoon”

Of modern psychedelic bands, Friends of Dean Martinez are one of my favorites, I really enjoy the spaced out pedal steel and really ominous tone of the whole band as they meld together and create a truly cinematic sound that I’m surprised hasn’t inspired more copy-cat acts across the country over the past couple decades. This particular track is my favorite of their material and I think it probably always will be.

Sandy Bull—“Electric Blend (E Pluribus Unum)”

Sandy Bull is someone I really admire in terms of his approach to improvisation and the really primitive vibe he conjures, even when playing an electric guitar. Terrence McKenna used to talk about a ‘primitive revival’ in which people would be drawn back to a stronger connection with the natural world and a primitive way of relating to life, and when I hear Sandy Bull I feel like I’m listening to something timeless, as if I could be hearing the same thing 1,000 years ago on a remote mountainside, a mustached Sandy Bull sitting in the doorway of his hut, snaking his way around the strings of a homemade Oud, grinning that cosmic smile. This was the B-side of his classic album E Pluribus Unum from Vanguard and I’d be remiss here not to mention my love for John Fahey as well, and although I’ve never had the honor of releasing on Vanguard myself, one of the nicest things a writer has written about my music was Dave Thompson from Goldmine Magazine who wrote this about my first CD release on Deep Water Acres: “if you want to play a really good trick on your snobbiest friends, slap an old Elektra or Vanguard label on the CD and make them guess who it is.”

[inparenth]

"Three Appleseeds" by M. M. Sunderland

“Three Appleseeds” by M. M. Sunderland

Mercury-Marvin Sunderland (he/him) is a transgender autistic gay man from Seattle with Borderline Personality Disorder. He currently attends the Evergreen State College and works for Headline Poetry & Press. He’s been published by University of Amsterdam’s Writer’s Block, UC Riverside’s Santa Ana River Review, UC Santa Barbara’s Spectrum Literary Journal, and The New School’s The Inquisitive…