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lokilickedme · 5 years ago

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(Okay, I’m going to do this in probably 3 parts because it’s long)

So The Department sorta happened because I wanted to get back into a regular weekly-updating online fic because, frankly, two reasons:

1) I’m worn out/exhausted/a bit burned out from working on novels and very little of anything else for the last year and a half, and

2) I crave/need the instant validation of the comment section at AO3, which you don’t get when you write a book :/

So I called a break, put away my manuscripts for a couple months, and am just indulging in some fun writing for a little while. And since I wanted something new (sorry WIPs, your time will come again) this is what we ended up with.

I don’t remember exactly what made me go with the police department premise. The potential for assholery and rampant egomania, most likely? Well, you know I love that shit when it hides something slightly more noble underneath...and I think I wanted a big ensemble cast because I just adore the dynamics that can occur in groups of disparate personalities who have known each other for a long time. That way they interact when they know each others’ secrets and there’s that one person new to the group who isn’t in on any of the jokes? Good stuff right there.

I do remember that the first ideas for this story came to me during the Professor Jeff’s Super Science Show at the library (yeah your guess is as good as mine on that but it happens literally every time). But if I’m being honest, I’d say it probably had more to do with Benny Hill than anything. I have this bad habit of sitting on the couch with my laptop on my knees, headphones on, head back, inventing scenes in my head that go along with whatever music I’m listening to. I’ve got this one insane playlist full of goofy tunes my 7-year old has requested for staging Thomas The Tank Engine crash scenes (don’t ask) and on this particular night that’s what I was listening to because why not. On that playlist is a 30-minute loop of the Benny Hill Theme. And all I could see in my head was a foot chase on ice and snow between a female officer, an out of shape Chief of police, a giraffe-legged office assistant, and a probably methed-up wannabe criminal who didn’t actually do anything major but was running anyway because he was bored. It struck me funny and I toyed with the idea of sticking it into something I already had started, because I do love me some chaotic slapstick.

So the next day I’m driving the boys home from the Super Science Show and I’ve been playing around with it in my head again, and it’s taking shape into something that I know I’m going to have to work with. We pass the Pupuseria Virolena Salvadoran restaurant downtown, and I start laughing because I’m suddenly hearing David Tennant trying to say that in his Scottish accent.

On the spot I named him Hawk and made him Captain. And now we have one of our characters, and by the time we pull up in our driveway ten minutes later I’ve got stuff needing to be written down right now.

(the rest is under the cut for length)

Chapter 1 - Prologue - Your Boatload of Bad Decisions Has Left The Harbor

I was so anxious to get into the story but it needed an introduction, or else Greta being in this podunk town wouldn’t have any weight. So we’re introduced to our heroine, who isn’t so much a heroine as just a decent if slightly too self confident special division officer who had some bad luck. It’s not elaborated on yet in the story, though it’s heavily referenced multiple times that she disobeyed an order and made the decision to continue a high speed pursuit that had been called off by her superior officer, the above-mentioned Captain Hawkins, whom Greta has something of a relationship with (yeah they’re screwing, what of it). And in the wake of that decision, Greta’s partner is killed and she’s brought up on charges, suspended, ordered to counseling, and finally shipped off to a small town in Minnesota so she can keep working while her final fate is decided by an investigative committee back in LA.

The opening chase scene was written from things I learned when I was a kid and my dad did vehicle tweaks for the Fort Worth police department from his auto shop. The officers used to hang out drinking Cokes and telling stories while dad made (possibly illegal) modifications to their cars. I was there a lot, sitting under his work bench with my books and pencils, listening to everything and remembering it all. And I thought it was so damn cool. So here we are. What else was I gonna do with that information? Might as well put it to use if it’s gonna be taking up real estate in my head for all these years.

For the record, I really liked Greta’s partner Joe and hated to kill him - but we needed a catalyst, and the cheerful best friend who sings Italian arias during chases while joyfully blasting out windshields is always gonna be the loser in the goner lottery. For once the male hero dies to further the female lead’s storyline.

Heh, take that Marvel.

Anyway, sorry Joe. There will be more about you in later chapters, so...gone but not forgotten.

Chapter 2 - Minnewhatever

This part starts out with the last bit of backstory we need to proceed. Hawk sending Greta off to Minnesota, a place whose name she never does remember or say correctly. She doesn’t figure she’s actually going to be there long enough to bother learning it, but Hawk informs her that her exile is likely to last at least a year, and he gives her very little reassurance that she won’t be serving every minute of her sentence.

Greta’s feeling a little betrayed here. She and Hawk have been sort of a thing for a while, friends and colleagues and lovers, but he’s washing his hands of the entire situation and she’s left angry and a bit bereft. But she still figures he’ll do something to get her out of it, if she’s patient and behaves herself in the new place.

Fast forward to day one in Weemeetwa. While drowning her aggravation in a bottle of the good stuff, Greta meets her first new acquaintance and decides to just go with the cranky fuck-it attitude that she’s been harboring since the incident, gets shitfaced, and goes home with the guy. This might have been a dual-purpose shag; Greta’s still feeling betrayed and abandoned by Hawk, so it’s a screw-you that he’ll never find out about - but that doesn’t stop it from feeling good in a vengeful sort of way. Plus it’s cold and she’s alone and the guy - Andy, a tall sweet longhaired cutiepie with an Irish accent - is all too willing to buy her a drink and take her home for some cuddles.

In the morning Greta wakes up in a strange place full of groaning regret and ends up giving Andy a ride to the station. She doesn’t count on seeing him again, so there’s no breath wasted on goodbyes.

Chapter 3 - A Logging Truck, A Mountain, and A Blonde Walk Into A Bar

Now we meet most of the department. Creeley, a gruff roughhouser with a rude streak forty miles wide, Sarah, the only other female in the department and possibly the only person alive who can keep the boys under control, Kevin, the quiet dispatch agent with an impressive mountain impersonation skill, and finally (for the moment) Chief, the slightly too good-looking and highly put-upon boss of them all.

I knew I wanted Tom Hiddleston to play Chief Tommy Davis. This is Kong Skull Island-era Hiddleston crossed with The Night Manager, with a handful of extra pounds around the middle and a frustrated sigh that goes on forever. He’s meant to be an ex hockey player who was waylaid on his way to the major leagues, so he’s strong and sturdy, but an injury benched him years ago and a career in small-town law enforcement has put him a bit to pasture. Middle aged, somewhere between 40 and 45. He’s got some stuff in his past but he’s happy now, for the most part, just living his life watching over the town.

Jason Momoa is Bobby Creeley, for obvious reasons. I knew I wanted a rowdy, rude, loudmouthed team member that’s always crossing everyone, but who everyone knows will be there no matter what if anything goes down. He’s instantly Greta’s nemesis from the moment she walks in the door. Gigantic and shaggy with a permanently amused nature and a fear of literally nothing, he’s simultaneously everyone’s best friend and worst enemy.

Sarah Lancashire has been finding her way into a lot of my fics lately as side characters, so it’s no surprise she ended up here as Sarah Pearl. Steely, tough, and highly immune to the idiocy around her, Sarah is the worn out voice of common sense that the department is running perilously short on. She’s also my first and foremost girl crush, and I’ll admit right now that I wrote an AU ending almost immediately that involved Sarah and Greta ending up together. It would be natural to assume Sarah would fall into the default role of mom to the group, but there’s a whole lot of oh hell nope wrapped around that trope. She would set them all on fire if anyone would let her have some matches, but Chief made a rule against that a long damn time ago.

Dave Bautista has been hanging around the back door of my muse stable for the longest, just minding his own business and waiting his turn, but I never really had any place to stick him. Well Drax, your time has come baby. I chose him to play Kevin Saylor based on his GoTG scene in which he tries to convince the crew he’s invisible. And that’s Kevin, in a nutshell. Huge and intimidating but quiet and intensely matter-of-fact in manner, he’s in charge of dispatch and immediately inspires Greta’s hatred of using the radio.

My first (and really only) faceclaim for Greta Morley was Zoe Saldana, but I waffled briefly for a couple of weeks, trying to cater to a few readers who told me they wanted to imagine themselves in the role. I planned to stick with that, and I tried, I promise I did. But every time Greta opened her mouth I heard Zoe, and by the time she went on her less than fleet-footed pursuit of Wilson with the longsuffering Andy by her side, she was locked in. Greta’s harboring some serious regret and raw emotional wounds from her not too distant past, and some time out in the American Midwest should be a much needed recovery sabbatical. Should be. But isn’t gonna.

Speaking of Andy...Andrew Hozier-Byrne was and is the only person I ever considered for the role of Andy Burns. Too tall, too clumsy, too cute, too sweet, just a whole bunch of too everything - he was perfect for the role and I may or may not have written it exclusively for him. Okay yeah, I wrote it exclusively for him. Andy’s the local cryptid, nobody really knows a lot about him. He may or may not be a drug dealer. He may or may not be officially employed by the police department. He may or may not be Irish or hypoglycemic or a blackout drunk or as goofy as he seems. Nobody really knows, and to be honest nobody really cares, because if you need it done Andy can do it...if he can remember you asked him to do it.

So Greta has arrived, for better or for worse. Cree immediately starts in with the sexist remarks and butchering her name, a favor she returns by embarking on what will become a neverending trail of obliterated mis-renderings of the town’s name. Creeley and Kevin kick off another of many running gags by arguing over whether or not anyone knew she was coming, and before things can get too stupid, Chief makes his first appearance.

And now things start to get interesting.

To be continued at chapter 4, Randy Andy and The Chief of Weemeetwa

@whatevervivie

#The Department #director's commentary #Hiddleston #Hozier #Momoa #Bautista #Saldana #Lancashire

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tocinephile · 5 years ago

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The Morning After - The Year the Oscars Got it (mostly) Right Edition

The 92nd Academy Awards kicked off looking an awful lot like the Grammy’s with a splashy musical performance by Janelle Monae and Billy Porter, the first of a night’s performances/presenters/commentary designed to include all the groups it seemingly excluded in it’s nominees list. Meant to poke fun at themselves or a gesture delivered a little too overt and a little too late? Either way, I think in the end, the artistry of the South Korean-made foreign language film that swept the night’s awards won one back for every group that was overlooked.

Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite took home awards for Best Original Screenplay, Best International Feature, Best Director, and Best Picture, making it the first South Korean film to win in all these categories. To do it all in a single evening is astounding.

Here’s a look at all the winners of the night:

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Best Picture:

“Ford v Ferrari” — Walt Disney “The Irishman” — Netflix “Jojo Rabbit” — Fox Searchlight “Joker” — Warner Bros. “Little Women” — Sony Pictures Releasing “Marriage Story” — Netflix “1917” — Universal/Amblin Partners “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” — Sony Pictures Releasing “Parasite” — Neon (WINNER)

Most deserving win of the night!!! Of course many of us hoped Parasite could be the underdog to win it all, but a more realistic prediction to win would be 1917. Thrilled to be wrong on this one.

Also, while I liked 1917 (more for its execution than story), even if Parasite had not been in the mix, I would have been rooting for The Irishman to win.

Lead Actress:

Cynthia Erivo, “Harriet” Scarlett Johansson, “Marriage Story” Saoirse Ronan, “Little Women” Charlize Theron, “Bombshell” Renée Zellweger, “Judy” (WINNER)

I am also in full agreement with this category and with Renee sweeping this category this awards season as well.

I have not seen Harriet, but if Renee hadn’t been in the race, Charlize would have been the best of the bunch.

Lead Actor:

Antonio Banderas, “Pain and Glory” Leonardo DiCaprio, “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” Adam Driver, “Marriage Story” Joaquin Phoenix, “Joker” — (WINNER) Jonathan Pryce, “The Two Popes”

Again, no question this was the right winner. If only every win didn’t mean we’d have to roll the dice to see what kind of acceptance speech we’d have to endure... While I didn’t appreciate being chastised for adding milk to my coffee, Joaquin closed out his remarks by quoting his late brother River and I thought that was beautiful.

Director:

Martin Scorsese, “The Irishman” Todd Phillips, “Joker” Sam Mendes, “1917” Quentin Tarantino, “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” Bong Joon Ho, “Parasite” — (WINNER)

Another category that I thought the Academy would give to Sam Mendes, but nonetheless put my bets on Bong Joon-ho. Some big competition in this category (except Phillips... sorry, I’m not saying he’s bad, but he has yet to prove to me he’s a contender).

Original Song:

“I Can’t Let You Throw Yourself Away,” “Toy Story 4” “I’m Gonna Love Me Again,” “Rocketman” — (WINNER) “I’m Standing With You,” “Breakthrough” “Into the Unknown,” “Frozen 2” “Stand Up,” “Harriet”

Talk about a year of forgettable film songs. I think I left the room for every one of these performances except Elton’s. Did I miss anything?

Original Score:

“Joker,” Hildur Guðnadóttir �� (WINNER) “Little Women,” Alexandre Desplat “Marriage Story,” Randy Newman “1917,” Thomas Newman “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker,” John Williams

As part of the montage for this category, the orchestra accompanies with each film’s original score. This segment, as they proudly pointed out, was being conducted a female for the first time in Oscar history (I’d like to shallowly add that she was also wearing the most amazing gold jacket to do it!). Now I don’t know if she also arranged it or whether she was just conducting, but I have to say, I don’t think the arrangement did the scores any justice whatsoever.

Luckily they were not being judged on this particular performance, and Hildur Guonadottir once again took home the accolade for Joker. I agree with this win. Little Women and 1917 also had impressive scores. Marriage Story didn’t particularly catch my attention, and while Star Wars’ themes will always be among my all time favourites, The Rise of Skywalker wasn’t particularly outstanding out of the saga.

Best International Feature Film:

“Corpus Christi,” Jan Komasa “Honeyland,” Tamara Kotevska, Ljubo Stefanov “Les Miserables,” Ladj Ly “Pain and Glory,” Pedro Almodóvar “Parasite,” Bong Joon Ho — (WINNER)

If anyone else had won we would have rioted right?

Makeup and Hair:

“Bombshell” — (WINNER) “Joker” “Judy” “Maleficent: Mistress of Evil” “1917”

Got this prediction correct, while not the most obvious frontrunner perhaps, a lot of subtle effort was put in to transform cast into their characters.

Visual Effects:

“Avengers: Endgame” “The Irishman” “The Lion King” “1917” — (WINNER) “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker”

It’s naive of me, but seeing 1917 win for Visual Effects almost takes away from my appreciation of the film in some ways because in my head, I’d still like to think of all films outside of fantasy and sci-fi as largely real. I know it’s not the case and that even your average period drama is created largely with effects these days, it can’t help but ruin the magic a little.

Also I had guessed Avengers: Endgame would win.

And we all think that The Irishman is on this list for de-aging technologies alone right?

Film Editing:

“Ford v Ferrari,” Michael McCusker, Andrew Buckland — (WINNER) “The Irishman,” Thelma Schoonmaker “Jojo Rabbit,” Tom Eagles “Joker,” Jeff Groth “Parasite,” Jinmo Yang

This entire list is on par with each other I think, with Ford v Ferrari just edging out the rest. Also the editing is what made the film so dynamic, there was little room for a bad cut, whereas the others might have little bit more room to err.

Many might disagree but I think Little Women should have been considered in this category. The film’s editing choices was one of its main criticisms, but I think it actually made the film much more dynamic and differentiated it from previous adaptations. (If only they’d used a bit more of The Irishman’s aging/de-aging effects)

Cinematography:

“The Irishman,” Rodrigo Prieto “Joker,” Lawrence Sher “The Lighthouse,” Jarin Blaschke “1917,” Roger Deakins — (WINNER) “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” Robert Richardson

Agree! Cool camera work in 1917 for sure.

Sound Mixing:

“Ad Astra” “Ford v Ferrari” “Joker” “1917” — (WINNER) “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”

Um ok, if you’re going to split the sound categories between two films. I would’ve said Ford v Ferrari for both.

Sound Editing:

“Ford v Ferrari,” Don Sylvester — (WINNER) “Joker,” Alan Robert Murray “1917,” Oliver Tarney, Rachel Tate “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” Wylie Stateman “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker,” Matthew Wood, David Acord

Agree. Hopefully everyone who wanted to see this film caught it in theatres, the sound was a huge contributing factor to the enjoyment of this film.

Supporting Actress:

Kathy Bates, “Richard Jewell” Laura Dern, “Marriage Story” — (WINNER) Scarlett Johansson, “Jojo Rabbit” Florence Pugh, “Little Women” Margot Robbie, “Bombshell”

Little surprise when Laura Dern swept this category, even though I maintain she wasn’t better than the rest. That said, I’m not sure who I would pick in her place, I say share the love between Laura Dern, Scarlett Johansson, and Florence Pugh (yes, I just said Amy March should get an oscar... I see the irony of this too)

Best Documentary Short Subject:

“In the Absence,” Yi Seung-Jun and Gary Byung-Seok Kam “Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone,” Carol Dysinger — (WINNER) “Life Overtakes Me,” Kristine Samuelson and John Haptas “St. Louis Superman,” Smriti Mundhra and Sami Khan “Walk Run Cha-Cha,” Laura Nix

I didn’t see any of the shorts this year, my bad. The winner sounds hella interestering!

Best Documentary Feature:

“American Factory,” Julia Reichert, Steven Bognar — (WINNER) “The Cave,” Feras Fayyad “The Edge of Democracy,” Petra Costa “For Sama,” Waad Al-Kateab, Edward Watts “Honeyland,” Tamara Kotevska, Ljubo Stefanov

I only saw American Factory and The Cave and I actually liked The Cave better. That said I felt strongly that American Factory had the edge, for starters it was backed by the Obamas’ production company. I didn’t love American Factory but I do feel it’s a timely piece that shows two sides of the story, inevitable prejudices based on what we’ve become conditioned to physically, mentally, socially, and also how important it is that we try to overcome or build a bridge to find solutions for the greater good.

Costume Design:

”The Irishman,” Sandy Powell, Christopher Peterson “Jojo Rabbit,” Mayes C. Rubeo “Joker,” Mark Bridges “Little Women,” Jacqueline Durran — (WINNER) “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” Arianne Phillips

For a historical drama, I really didn’t find the costumes of Little Women to be that spectacular (I’m having visions of The Age of Innocence when you say Best Costume), though a part of me knows the period films win more often than not. While I think Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is strong contender, Jojo Rabbit should have won.

Production Design:

“The Irishman,” Bob Shaw and Regina Graves “Jojo Rabbit,” Ra Vincent and Nora Sopkova “1917,” Dennis Gassner and Lee Sandales “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” Barbara Ling & Nancy Haigh (WINNER) “Parasite,” Lee Ha-Jun and Cho Won Woo, Han Ga Ram and Cho Hee

Yes! Once Upon a Time was a bit overrated (sorry Quentin) but this was one category where it really deserved to win, from the western sets, film studio lots, to the wardrobe and streets of the 60′s, lots of fun and spirit captured in the production design.

Best Live Action Short Film:

“Brotherhood,” Meryam Joobeur “Nefta Football Club,” Yves Piat “The Neighbors’ Window,” Marshall Curry — (WINNER) “Saria,” Bryan Buckley “A Sister,” Delphine Girard

Adapted Screenplay:

“The Irishman,” Steven Zaillian “Jojo Rabbit,” Taika Waititi — (WINNER) “Joker,” Todd Phillips, Scott Silver “Little Women,” Greta Gerwig “The Two Popes,” Anthony McCarten

I love that Taika Waititi is an Oscar winner. Also shouts to Greta Gerwig for making Little Women almost tolerable in her script! The Two Popes could not have been an easy adaptation either. Now can a comic book expert please tell me, how much of Joker is really from existing stories in comics, and how much was filled in by the writers? I understand why it was an adapted screenplay, but I feel like material like this almost completely open to interpretation and could easily be written anew as an original screenplay.

Original Screenplay:

“Knives Out,” Rian Johnson “Marriage Story,” Noah Baumbach “1917,” Sam Mendes and Krysty Wilson-Cairns “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” Quentin Tarantino “Parasite,” Bong Joon Ho, Jin Won Han — (WINNER)

Just for fun, my ranking of the original screenplay nominees from best to alright:

1) Parasite, 2) Knives Out, 3) Marriage Story, 4) 1917, 5) Once Upon a Time

Animated Short:

“Dcera,” Daria Kashcheeva “Hair Love,” Matthew A. Cherry — (WINNER) “Kitbull,” Rosana Sullivan “Memorable,” Bruno Collet “Sister,” Siqi Song

I keep hearing great things about this short!

Animated Feature:

“How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World,” Dean DeBlois “I Lost My Body,” Jeremy Clapin “Klaus,” Sergio Pablos “Missing Link,” Chris Butler “Toy Story 4,” Josh Cooley — (WINNER)

I clearly didn’t watch any animated films this year because I didn’t even know there were new How to Train Your Dragon and Toy Story films released.

Supporting Actor:

Tom Hanks, “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood” Anthony Hopkins, “The Two Popes” Al Pacino, “The Irishman” Joe Pesci, “The Irishman” Brad Pitt, “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” — (WINNER)

Overall, if Brad Pitt sweeping this category means I get to hear at least one great speech per awards, then I’m ok with this. My personal ranking:

1) Al Pacino, 2) Joe Pesci, 3) Tom Hanks, 4) Brad Pitt, 5) Anthony Hopkins. I had to debate over Pacino and Pesci’s performances, I feel like this is one of the best problems in the world.

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Prior to the start of the show, I made a mess of notes about who I thought would win, who I thought should win, and shared my Oscar Pool Picks which were based on a mix of the two... My Oscar pool are an extremely knowledgeable bunch, and with 18/24, it only put me in a 3-way tie for third place (there were also three winners who split the winnings), I need to move back to the baby leagues!

If you were following my Twitter (or care to check in hindsight...@palindr0me) I also shared a little additional commentary and photos of some of my favourite dresses of the evening.

My personal top 3 moments during the Awards Ceremony were:

1) Every time Parasite won an award - Give this man all the statues he wants! lol

2) Billie Eilish’s rendition of Yesterday (I wish this was an actual recorded track so I could play it over and over)

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3) When Eminem took the stage at the end of a montage to perform “Lose Yourself” and my phone exploded with all these messages of “ Whaaat is happening???” LOL! Believe me friends, I was as confused as you were.

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Aaand, that’s a wrap on awards season! Looking forward to a new year and new decade in film!

#oscars #oscars2020

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i-will-physically-fight-you · 6 years ago

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Sander Sides Fic Rec

I’ve been reading some awesome fics on AO3 and I’d thought I would share them with others on Tumblr to check ‘em out if you haven’t yet!

Growing up Parts of a Whole by @amydiddle-fanfiction - Side by Side; Piece by Piece. While Thomas grew his sides did too. Each one a different part of him and each one developing on their own time before they were allowed out to interact with the others. They all have their story on how they formed and became aware of themselves and they each played their part even before they manifested in the physical world for the first time.

Notes: Ever wondered what the Sides were like as children? Then this fantastic series of oneshots & short novellas is for you! The wordbuilding in this is wonderful and the characterizations are great.

In a Tizzy by @coconut-cluster - "Headcanon that Roman acts so confident that the others rarely ever think to compliment him. He’s not used to being complimented, so on those rare occasions where he is, he gets all quiet & blushy & flustered."

Notes: This one was based on a tumblr post that was going around awhile back by @peachy-pattoncake. Prepare to have your heart destroyed by angst and then reconstructed by fluff. Logan discovers that Roman acts unusually flustered after he compliments him and in true Logan fashion decides to test out a hypothesis on this.

A Little Bit Naughty by @princessdarth-vader - Logan's parents have called him some terrible things. The truth is, he's a genius, and they're the stupid ones. Logan is determined to get his own back, and soon discovers he has a special power. With the help of his closest friends and some helpful grown-ups, Logan must unearth a secret far larger than himself in order to right the atrocities committed against him and change his story for good. Strap in, folks. It's the Matilda! AU that no-one asked for

Notes: Regrettably I’ve never read the book or seen the musical for Matilda, but this AU is still awesome as heck to read, even if you’re coming into the story without knowing that context. It features kid!genius Logan, Emile as a friendly librarian, Thomas as Logan’s kindergarten teacher and Roman and Patton as fellow students. The characterizations in this are great--Logan and the others are clearly children but still retain their personalities.

Within Bounds by Immortalnite - It was the middle of winter when all the crops across the kingdom failed. The Winter Solstice, in fact, though almost no one knew that.

Notes: This fantasy au only has two chapters out but definitely deserving of a lot more love. It features Roman as a prince last in line for the succession of the throne being tasked by his father to contact the Elves for a solution to the crops problem. The writing is beautiful and the worldbuilding is terrific.

More Fic Recs below the cut!

Space (All I think about is you and me) by @hahanoiwont - They're all together when Virgil spaces out for the first(?) time. After being accepted, Virgil is becoming less anxious. Unsurprisingly, he is anxious about it.

Notes: This is a wonderful fic with fantastic worldbuilding that hinges on a slight AU. This perhaps features my favorite characterizations for both Virgil and Deceit. It takes place shortly after Virgil is welcomed into the famILY and the author does a good job of showing how Virgil is still adjusting to the fact he doesn’t put up the scary bad guy persona anymore. Deceit, on the other hand, is morally grey in this story. Neither friend nor foe, though he does lean towards the sympathetic side. I think the author handles his character tastefully.This fic does feature the author’s dark!side OCs but like w/ the canon characters they’re written well As you can see from this paragraph-long comment, I really really enjoy this fic!

The Consequences of Sound by Acantha_Echo - Anxiety hurts Thomas. It's just what he does, what he has always done. It's not what he wants. He only wants to protect him but that is easier wished for than done.When the opportunity to prove himself opens up to him, he grabs it, for once not caring about the consequences.Things go downhill from there.The fall, rise, fall (and rise again) of Virgil.

Notes: This fic follows Virgil from Thomas’ childhood to the present-ish. The current chapter takes place on the timeline around Losing My Motivation and My Personality Q&A. It features manipulative!Deceit who claims to be Virgil’s “friend.” Man, this fic is REALLY GOOD. There will be parts where your heart is torn into pieces because of Virgil’s predicaments. Please go read it if you can.

Fanged Friend by Demon_Writer - It burned. It scorched. The longer he waited the more intense it grew. He's never woken up so early with so much hunger. His breaths were like sharp icicles coming up and down his windpipe. Damn. He’s never been this hungry before. Every shuffle of feet and breath directed towards him was unnaturally..... tempting. Virgil's fangs pricked at his tongue and his eyes narrowed, but his mind couldn't have been any foggier. Virgil's worried he might end up taking more than just blood. At this rate it can only escalate.

Notes: Hi friends! Do you love vampires? Because BOY DO I HAVE A STORY FOR YOU. What originally started out as an oneshot turned into a multi-chapter story with fascinating vampire lore and intriguing plot. It’s definitely one of my favorite fics to date!

Logan’s Room by @galacticallynonbinary - Logan Sanders knows everything. He has nothing new to learn. He's never talked to the other sides; there is nothing they could possibly teach him. But when they come knocking, his entire viewpoint comes into question

Notes: This is an oneshot, but it’s so wonderfully written that I had to include it in this fic rec! It’s just under 1k, but the characterizations are awesome and it’s based off the Mary’s Room thought experiment except with Logan and it’s great!

Written on Paper by @galacticallynonbinary - Logan is in charge of facts. They all come to him on small pieces of paper. Sometimes, they fly in on paper airplanes. The paper planes taunt him, and paper storms and paper avalanches make him worry for the other sides.Or: Idioms are real and incredibly distressing

Notes: Yes it’s another fic by galacticallynonbinary, and it also features Logan, but it’s such a clever fic I had to include it as well! I love how they take idioms and make them take on literal forms in the mindscape. This fic has a snowball effect where things become progressively worse and worse for Logan until the climax hits and I love how it keeps you on the edge of your seat.

Wings of Anxiety by Shadecrawler - Virgil normally kept his wings pressed tight against his back. He never let them out to stretch when he was outside his room. Yes, they got sore after a little while and yes, it rustled his feathers to the point that it took forever to groom them.But, he couldn’t take them out. He just couldn’t. Dark Sides didn’t have wings. Only Light Sides did.

Notes: I’m always a sucker for hurt/comfort and this fic definitely hits that sweet spot. Plus, I adore wing!au fics in general. Thomas is featured heavily in the second half of this two-shot and that’s always a plus!

A Letter from Me to You (For Better or Worse) by writing_regen - Fate may have some ideas on who we can be. Yet we are the only ones that can see it through. There is a disconnect between who we were born to be and who we become. That gap - that uncertainty, is where others can find room for exploitation.

Prince Logan has always felt out of place, even with his advisor Patton at his side. Roman, a tailor winding the streets in hopes of something greater won't let his dreams be crushed, even as Virgil tries to act as the only reliable voice of reason in his life. Around the corner hides another dark twisted tale of dreams, and it knows what it needs to get what it wants.

Notes: This is a brand new fic but I’m definitely excited to see where it goes! The author stated in their notes that it’s based off the Princess and Pauper. I already love the dynamics of Patton’s and Logan’s relationship in the first chapter--they’re childhood friends who’ve grown up together, with Patton being the one to drag Logan along for adventures.

Redemption of a Prince by @anxious-baby-nightmare - Roman feels as though his behavior is negatively impacting the rest of the group and tries to change himself for the better. But is that what everyone else thinks?

Notes: Hey do you love Roman “Princey” Sanders? Do you love angst? THEN THIS HERE IS THE FIC FOR YOU. Don’t worry, though it’s angst with a happy ending. This was a fun ride from start to finish, and I loved the author’s worldbuilding with the mechanics of the Imagination.

#thomas sanders #sander sides #roman sanders #logan sanders #patton sanders #virgil sanders #kat fic rec

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lightsandlostbells · 7 years ago

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Druck episode 3 reaction

thirteen minutes is UNACCEPTABLE

Episode 3

Clip 1 - Returning home

I love the look of the show. That shot of them coming up from what I assume is a train station is so simple but effective, with the group breaking into two and Hanna and Jonas being left on their own to work through what happened on the trip. Us having some distance from the situation, being able to see Hanna turn away first away from Jonas.

I think the cinematography is adding a lot to my enjoyment of Druck. I just find it so calming and gently pretty, and the lighting is bright and there’s plenty of soft colors.

Matteo and Carlos left together, which might not mean anything except they’re going the same way, or maybe they’re legit friends, or maybe Matteo doesn’t really like him but he puts up with him because they have Jonas in common or because Carlos is their weed hookup.

Jonas saying that it’s just been the two of them (Jonas and Hanna) together lately. Interesting, implies that it’s not so much Hanna-Jonas-Matteo as we might have guessed. Or just that he’s feeling stifled by being around his girlfriend so much. Orrrrr that he has a secret that he wants to keep from her and it’s hard when she’s nearby?

Man I really really am wondering if the changes in these character dynamics are going to build up to something, I really hope!

This Jonas is earnest as hell and it’s going to suck if he has some big horrible secret. He’s my favorite of the remake Jonases so far; he’s flawed but he seems vulnerable and he’s got great chemistry with both Hanna and Matteo. We haven’t seen him at his worst yet, it should be said.

I legit laughed out loud at Hanna’s texting of Mia, especially Mia’s text bubble disappearing. I mean, that wasn’t a bad joke on Hanna’s part, except you usually don’t talk about STDs with people you just met.

I mentioned in some other posts that I find the credits/title cards on each clip of Druck and Skam France distracting, but I like that Druck has been putting things like casual banter and (as in this clip) Hanna’s heavy sighing over them. They can easily be cut from the scene when the whole episode is put together, but it keeps the atmosphere going a little longer and adds some small details of characterization or mood. I prefer it to having music always close the scene and play over the credits.

Clip 2 - Hero Party meeting

THEY CHANGED SHIT, YES

Awww, Kiki turns out to be cute! She turned it around fast. Also props to her for acknowledging that it was sweet of Hanna to try to find her a Sam. And she clearly did not make the decision to not be on the organizing committee on her own, and Sam knows she’s fibbing.

An explanation for the hero party! So from what I can tell from German viewers, this isn’t a usual German tradition or anything, it’s specifically for the show? IDK how realistic it is but making it a tradition specific to this school makes it a little less contrived. I don’t really get how throwing an amazing party for the graduating class will make the party for this class even better, since it’ll be a whole new class throwing the party for them, unless it’s in the sense of “we raised the quality level so far that they’re going to have to try to top us.”

This isn’t a bad way to adapt russ. I’ve been waiting for a version where the five girls all got assigned together on some project/event rather than coming together voluntarily. Plus Hanna met all the girls separately prior to this meeting, so there’s an established connection between her and all the girls.

Nice way to show Hanna being a follower with her just joining Kiki/Sam at this meeting and raising her hand after everyone else does. She does feel a very insecure version of this character.

This setup makes Leonie directly reject Hanna, Kiki, and Sam based on prior beefs, and her shunning Amira to the end is not a great look. IDK what she has against Mia except she’s a new girl who had the audacity not to know what the party was, so I guess that’s enough? They really are Los Losers.

Let’s talk about what a glorious nickname Blondus Maximus is and how there was a missed opportunity to call the Penetrator Chris character some variant of that (Brunettus Maximus?) Max can be a girl’s name too! Not sure how popular it is in Germany, though.

Shout-out to Amira’s brothers!

They also did something that I hoped they would do, instead of explaining Alexander to Hanna, they explained to Mia, who is the new girl, which makes sense. And we got her initial reaction to him.

German William/Alexander looks old as hell, even older than French William/Charles, lmao. No disrespect to the actor, I’m just not sure why the remakes are casting older-looking dudes in this role. Like Charles looks older than a teenager but almost everyone on Skam France does. Druck’s characters look like teenagers for the most part, so IDK why the William character has to be the one who looks like a teacher. Thomas Hayes was the right age.

I’m laughing at his socks. And him getting out of his car just isn’t the same without being flanked by several nameless members of his posse.

Some of the slow-motion effect is kinda strange and doesn’t look right. I noticed it in the first clip with Leonie’s walk, too.

I really liked Kiki after being somewhat underwhelmed by her first appearance (the same with Daphne, tbh). Sam and Amira remain great. Mia is the only one I’m not 100% sold on, though I think she could turn out OK.

Clip 3 - Mia and Hanna in Spanish class

OK I was wayyyy too excited that Mia mentioned her roommate using her IG to stalk guys. GERMAN ESKILD WHERE ARE YOU.

I did find it kind of weird why were they weren’t sitting together in the first place, because they walked into the room together and if Mia can just get up and move it’s not like they have assigned seats.

I felt kinda bad for the teacher in this one even if she shouldn’t be making mistakes. Her wardrobe looks like that of every enthused language teacher I’ve ever had.

Ahhh, still not sure how I feel about Mia so far? She’s cute but seems kinda stilted, and she looks a little older than the other girls (she’s 21 IRL). I do think she was better in this clip than in prior ones. Her character was more polite to the guy who’s talking to her than Noora or Manon was. She’s so far a far sweeter version of the character.

Also this clip amped up the Mia/Hanna. Mia was very, very eager to talk to Hanna at the start.

Clip 4 - Friend

You know what? I’m kinda with Jonas on this one. Why should you actually treat a bunch of assholes that you don’t like? Like this dude who apparently puts Nazi symbols on a teacher’s car? Fuck that guy, I wouldn’t throw him a party.

Obviously I don’t think he should make fun of Hanna wanting to participate, and Hanna is right, not all grade 12 students are going to be assholes. But Jonas’ reaction at least makes sense, rather than being like “this is wrong because I hate capitalism and this ties in for some reason.” (To be fair, Jonas’ opening monologue isn’t about capitalism this time around. He does mention Nazis in it, though!)

“Netflix and chili con carne” is the German version of Fresh Prince and nachos, eh?

Awww, Hanna made a friend! This Jonas seems very happy that Hanna made a friend, too.

General Comments:

Thirteen minutes?? THIRTEEN MINUTES??

no i’m not bitter

I cannot believe they teased that Hanna/Mia hangout and didn’t deliver. We didn’t even get any IG posts from whatever they were doing.

ok yeah i’m a little bitter. a smidge

Is it normal to be back at school the week following Easter? They weren’t there on Monday but I’ve seen people say they should be off the full week, I think?

Kinda wish we were going full on with the Hanna and Amira friendship but I can see how that scene was mostly there to establish her as a character through Hanna before the Hero Party, and I guess it’s possible that they will bond as a duo at some point. Maybe. I’m not thinking this is gonna be a total overhaul of S1.

Jonas and Hanna being all “it’s about being friends AND being in love” in the texts - goddamn they’re so sweet.

Also from the texts, it sounds like German Eskild is into bears. Man bears, to be clear.

This week’s episode better be at least 20 minutes, you can’t do me like that, Germany. I actually like your take on Norwegian teenagers.

#druck reactions

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tinysidestrashcaptain · 7 years ago

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Fond Memories

A story arc based on a truly epic RP with @cefmua56, this fic will have several arcs. Some will be posted on my blog, some on Cef’s. We hope you will enjoy this as much as we did! This time around, it’s adorable fluff.

Pairings: Logicality

Warnings: I mean...it’s fluff. There’s hugs, but it’s all good.

Patton bounded down the stairs at the chime of 10:00 a.m. A little later than he would have normally, but he decided since Thomas stayed up late last night, he would make breakfast an hour later. He slid into the kitchen and started the burners, beginning to make scrambled eggs and bacon. Happily humming the Winnie the Pooh theme song, he began to set the table casually making silly conversation with the spatula or the silverware in his hands.

Logan had been awake for quite some time, as regardless of Thomas's horrifying sleep schedule, he had work to do and the work would not wait. He was exhausted, frankly, but he knew he needed to press on. He heard Patton cheerfully nattering away in the kitchen, and could smell breakfast (bacon, maybe?) being cooked.

Now that Logan thought about it, he truly was rather hungry. And coffee would certainly help increase his productivity. The fact that he would get to see Patton was an entirely inconsequential component to his decision making process...or so he told himself as he wandered down to the kitchen.

Patton heard the footsteps of Logan as he wandered down the kitchen, when an alarming thought occurred to him. "Oh no Sir Spatula! I forgot to start the pot of coffee!" With haste he ran over and did just as he said for Logan and whoever else wanted to drink it that morning.

"Phew. Thanks for reminding me. Eheheh! My reputation might have gone SPLATula!" He giggled at his own pun, flipped the bacon, and mixed the butter in the eggs. Sighing, he stared up to the place he knew Logan would soon appear not a moment later.

Logan paused for a moment, hearing Patton speak, and vaguely heard him make yet another awful pun. Oh dear! It would seem Patton was going to be in one of THOSE moods today.

In all honesty, there was a small part of him that enjoyed puns, they were an interesting form of wordplay after all, but he would rather die than admit it. Even if the glowing smile that spread over the moral side's face whenever he complimented him was objectively adorable, true professionals did not use puns, ergo he could not encourage that sort of behavior. As he walked into the kitchen, he felt something in him ease slightly to know that none of the others were awake yet. These quiet moments in the mornings, when it was just the two of them, were his favorite.

Patton looked up at the stairs, wondering where the footsteps he heard had gone off too. He sighed sadly and turned his attention to the table behind him, only to find Logan standing right there in front of him. Patton jumped in surprise, clutching his heart in mock fright.

"Oh! Heheh! Good morning Logan! I didn't see you there. I'm making breakfast! Oh and I got your coffee started. It's BEAN brewed as we speak." He chuckled to himself at the pun and turned back to the scrambled eggs that were needing his attention.

"Good morning, Patton. I apologize if I startled you." Logan paused, then decided to ignore the pun in favor of trying to maintain Patton's emotional equilibrium.

"Oh, it's nothing Logan. You know me! Jumpy and jump-started, while jumping for joy!" Patton stirred the eggs just a little faster than normal, giddy at the fact it was just him and Logan in the kitchen. He could recall many times from years past where it was just the two of them at breakfast together before the inevitable other warring pair came down from their rooms to start the day out with tension. It was nice having the brisk, calm atmosphere for a change.

"Thank you for starting the coffee. Breakfast smells delicious. Is there anything I can assist with?" Logan offered, his head cocked to the side in question.

"You’re welcome Logan! Just having Sir Spatula help me out over here is all! Eheheh! I might have forgotten to set the water and orange juice on the table if you want to do that. Otherwise I can get it!"

Logan nodded, moved to the fridge and grabbed the orange juice and a pitcher of water, then set both on the table. He then turned back and grabbed a few glasses and plates, efficiently setting the table. It was the least he could do for Patton, especially considering that he was cooking the meal.

"Do you have any plans for the day?" Logan asked, trying to make conversation. He wasn't very good at it, generally speaking, but somehow conversing with Patton was always...easier...than with the others. He chose not to consider why that was.

Patton only just realized how scrambled the eggs were becoming and toned his movements down before it got out of hand. He let them simmer before flipping the bacon, then got out a bowl to put the eggs in and a serving spoon to go along with it.

"Well," He shut off the burner after placing the eggs into the bowl and setting them on the table. "There isn't much room for family activities since Roman's on a two day quest. He said he wouldn't be back until sometime tomorrow." Patton then grabbed a plate with some paper towels and set the bacon on them to (hopefully) remove at least part of the grease. Shutting off those burners, he continued his thought.

"And Virgil probably won't be up for another five or six hours! He went to bed super late last night! I was actually gonna ask to see what you were doing, Logan. I mean the only thing I had actually thought about was making strawberry shortcake for dessert after dinner tonight."

Logan's heart most emphatically did NOT skip a beat at the prospect of being able to spend time with Patton! He refused to acknowledge any such thing. He thought carefully about his schedule, about the tasks he needed to accomplish and the progress he had already made. Technically....he was ahead of schedule. He could spare two hours, perhaps a little more, to partake in a joint activity without putting Thomas behind.

"Well, I am somewhat ahead of schedule, so if there is a joint activity you would enjoy, I would be more than willing to spend some time with you today. Was there anything you had in mind? Also....I am very partial to that particular dessert, so I'm glad you are choosing to make it." Logan grabbed his mug and filled it with the freshly brewed coffee, adding cream and sugar as he liked it. He sat back down and waited for Patton to join him. There was something very peaceful about knowing he was going to have some of Patton's undivided attention.

Once Patton heard that Logan had actually suggested in spending time with him, a single butterfly inside of him that had been dormant for quite some time began to fly again. He had finally figured out why they had always fought in past videos. It was the tension from the other two that rubbed off on their dynamic, causing both mind and heart to fight.

Hearing that from Logan's mouth, brought forth a sense of comfort that had long since been forgotten in the depths of his very soul. It almost made him cry it moved him so much, but because of who he was, Patton was able to hide that particular emotion flawlessly.

Carefully setting the bacon on the table, he responded back to the logical aspect. "Really!? With me?! That's great to hear you are ahead of schedule! I honestly can't remember when the last time you said that was! It's..." Patton stopped to look at the kitchen calendar immediately lost in his own train of thought. "It's been awhile..." He shook his head out of the clouds and listed off a couple things they could do together.

"Well...we could watch a movie or bake something. Oh! I know! I had been meaning to organize some of Thomas's trinkets and memories in my room! It's still kind of a mess down there. But, I had never gotten around to it. Then I got a-thinking. Which side has the best organization skills out of us all of us? That's you Logan! I didn't know if you'd be busy, so I didn't ask sooner. What d’ya say?" He sat across from Logan and smiled widely. "And don't worry about the room affecting you. We can just organize them up here in the common area!"

Logan smiled, pleased with the compliment and with the activity that he knew he would enjoy. He really did love organizing and categorizing items. "That would be most agreeable, Patton. I am sorry that I have been so busy as of late. I realize we haven't had as much time to spend together as we usually do. I hope you can forgive me for that?" Logan carefully started eating breakfast, sipping his coffee in between. He was immensely pleased to be able to make Patton smile.

Patton gave a smile so genuine that he thought would never cross his lips again, almost causing his cheeks to pink slightly. "Well of course I forgive you Logan! I know how busy you are!" Patton also began to eat breakfast, pouring himself a glass of orange juice and taking a few bites of his bacon and eggs.

"You used to talk to me about the different things you did for your work. When we ate breakfast together you would go on and on about all the kinds of things you had to do that day! Sometimes you would even show me your to do lists! Do you...remember all that? You were so excited when you were talking about your interests that I was sad when it was always interrupted by...them."

Logan adjusted his glasses, thinking. "It can be difficult for us to connect properly when we are refereeing yet another pointless argument between those two. Perhaps it would be possible to schedule a time each day to see one another? Even if it's only to converse for a brief time? I have...missed your presence."

Patton's cheeks flushed, his gaze onlooking his food, seemingly lost in thought. "Well I know right after lunch is when everyone goes back to do their own things. Roman usually goes off into his kingdom and Virgil either sits on the couch and listens to music for hours on end or goes to his room. That time works for me, but you usually are busy then."

He takes another couple bites of his food before continuing. "There's also early morning, like we used to do! But wouldn't Thomas's schedule be thrown off if we did that?"

Logan considered this for a moment. "Perhaps. But that is not necessarily a bad thing. His general habits, as far as timekeeping and schedules, leave a great deal to be desired. I could shift a few things, leaving the early mornings free for us. Thomas is rarely productive early in the morning anyway, so it wouldn't be a great loss." His cheeks pinked slightly as he glanced at Patton. "Would....would that be acceptable?"

Patton had to look down at the floor he was smiling too much. He probably could have squealed right then and there in excitement, but he had to contain himself if he didn't want to scare Logan off. He knew how much emotion Logan could take by now, since living with him basically all his life.

He covered up his embarrassment by looking at his shoe if he had dropped something on it, then looked back up still with the same giddy grin as the old Patton would have. "Yeah! I can make that work! I make the most out of an early morning! Oh! I can see a change DAWNing on the horizon!” Patton thought about his pun then quickly shook his head. “Yeah that one wasn’t my best.”

Logan groaned out loud, rolling his eyes towards the ceiling. "Truly, not one of your best, Patton."

"Eheheh! But...thank you so much Logan. I really have missed hanging out with you too." He finished the rest of his food, and began to take care of his plate. He sat back down after throwing his garbage away, smiling the whole time. "You wanna help me with my room after breakfast then?"

Logan cleared his plate, and started doing dishes. It was an unwritten rule that whoever did the cooking was exempt from cleaning, and Logan enjoyed cleaning far more than Patton did. As he washed, he looked up at Morality, smiling softly. "That would be acceptable."

Patton's cheeks flushed for about the third time. "Aww Logan! That’s very sweet of you. I honestly don't remember a time when anyone else did the dishes after breakfast besides me. Well maybe that one time Roman and Virgil made that mess in the commons and I had them do a bunch of chores as punishment." Patton chuckled softly, looked down at his feet, and began to rock back on forth on his toes, unsure of what to do.

"I really did miss you Logan. So often us aspects get caught up in our own jobs that we forget to hang out with each other. I'm almost losing heart whenever I try to set up movie night or something for us all to hang out together...it always ends up on the sour side of the spectrum. I just love you all so much, but whenever something like that doesn't work out, I blame myself and ask, 'Is it me? Did I do something wrong?'"

Patton just realized that he had ranted his true feelings to Logan and quickly covered his mouth, glancing away from him. "Sorry you didn't need to hear all of that. It'll all be okay!" He turned back around and smiled at him.

Logan dried his hands and reached out, placing a hand on Patton's shoulder. "Patton, I am glad you said something. If you are ever troubled, I hope you know you may always confide in me. I am ...not always good at deciphering emotions, but I am your friend and I will always provide comfort and support when needed. I will speak to the others, and we can plan a Family Movie Night for later in the week. I'm sure they don't realize how their bickering impacts you, and if they did it would immediately cease. You are extremely important, Patton. To all of us. You do not have to suffer in silence. And...please, don't ever think that our general dysfunctions have anything to do with you. You are....the best of us." Logan's cheeks flushed a little, but his eyes were steady and earnest. He rarely said anything he did not mean, and he meant every word of this.

"I know you are a tactile person, and enjoy physical expressions of affection." Logan cleared his throat, straightening his tie nervously. "Given that you were distressed, I believe a good friend would offer you a hug, at this point?" He tentatively held out his arms, not really sure if this was the correct course of action.

Patton's smile faltered as he heard his friend talk. While Logan was speaking, Patton wanted nothing more than to throw himself into Logan's arms and just cry, but he held himself back and waited until the logical aspect's speech was finished. When Logan did offer a hug, Patton had to keep his melancholy tears from pouring out and carefully accepted Logan's hug, wrapping his arms around him. He did his best not to squeeze too tightly or cry as a sense of nostalgia back to when Thomas was a kid overtook him. "Your hugs are still the best Logan. Thank you."

Logan chuckled at that, and his stiff embrace became softer, warmer. He gently squeezed, feeling Patton snuggle in closer. He could only hope the other Side couldn't feel the pounding of his heart. "I'm going to need your expertise as to proper form and duration. I.... haven't done this in quite some time. I had forgotten how pleasant it can be." His words were quiet, little more than a hushed murmur.

Truthfully, when Thomas was a child he and Patton had hugged often and with gusto. As Thomas had aged, Logan found himself saddled with increasing responsibilities and duties, and had been forced to "grow up" much faster. He'd stopped giving and receiving hugs somewhere along the way, and it was only now that he took into account how touch starved he truly was. Patton would give him endless hugs, if he asked, but Logan had gotten used to the cold, to the deprivation. Every point of contact on his body lit up, and he felt a soothing warmth seeping into his bones. Yes. Hugs were definitely good.

Patton chuckled with him, the sadness escaping from his eyes. "It’s so nice to hear that even after all these years you still like hugs." Patton took a chance and gently put his hand on Logan's back, rubbing in slow, small and smooth circles.

"Perhaps....we could engage in this activity more often?" Logan asked hopefully.

"Of course Logan. I have enough hugs to give that could fill the Grand Canyon! I would be more than happy to help you. And it would also help me in return."

Patton smiled fondly, slackening the embrace to see if Logan would try to remove himself from his hold. He did not want to hug Logan longer than he wanted to be held, lest he accidently push the Logical aspect away again.

Logan felt Patton start to withdraw, and although he could have happily stayed in the hug for some time yet, he also understood that he must follow the Moral side's lead. So, he loosened his hold, reluctantly releasing Patton. "I am always happy to be of assistance to you, Patton. Shall we start organizing now?"

Yes. A task. Better to focus on a task and not the soft warmth in his chest when he saw the genuine happiness in Patton's eyes. Feelings...the bane of his existence. And these feelings were sticky sweet strands that wrapped around his heart and pulled until he had no choice but to obey.

Patton felt Logan begin to draw away as he loosened his hold. Biting his lower lip once with sadness, he understood as he released and hung his hands casually at his sides.

Patton blushed as he came in contact with Logan's eyes once more. He could recall all the times that Logan looked at him. With harsh eyes or soft, but no matter what he did he couldn't get over just how truly amazing Logan's eyes were. It was nice to know that Logan was still the person he was all those years ago, even if he was more professional.

Patton had to forcefully remove his gaze from Logan's stunning eyes as he asked his question. "Oh yeah! I'll show you all that we need to organize. Patton beckoned him and did a full one-eighty, walking out of the kitchen and out into the common area.

Logan followed quickly behind Patton as they made their way to the commons. "You do realize that as a construct of the mind and not emotions that I can withstand exposure to your room without ill effects, don't you? I understand if you would rather not take the risk, of course. It is, after all, your room. I will assist you whatever you decide."

Upon hearing Logan's words, Patton spun around gleefully. "That's true! You should be fine and dandy in there then! And you are welcome whenever you want. I will warn you there are a tooooon of boxes down there. I was just trying to figure what I should keep in "Memories" and what I should chuck in "Forget" or "Long Term Storage". It's SORT of a problem. Eheheheh. You'll see." Patton walked over to his place by the curtains and stood proudly. "Ready whenever you are teach!"

Logan nodded, and they both sank down into Patton's room. Once there, he took a moment to steady himself, then looked around. The room was covered with multiple trinkets and memories. Some stuffed inside boxes, some laying on the floor. The boxes littered the room with different designs or labels on them. There was a pile of stuff from Thomas's old relationships, a pile of stuff from his high school and college, and huge pile of other miscellaneous memories that needed to be sorted. Numerous photos scattered the ground and the stairs held multiple stuffed toys Thomas had played with over the years, some of which Logan recognized.

To the left of the staircase where Virgil would have normally stood, hung Logan's old necktie, pinned to the wall in a slightly tacky fashion. "Welp! This is my room." Patton stood proudly, but flushed, his eyes drawn to the old tie he had forgotten to put away.

Logan glanced around, taking everything in. His eyes lingered on...was that his old tie? Why on Earth would Patton have that? It was certainly a memory of Thomas's, to be sure, but it was also his physical possession. When they'd switched outfits, and he'd created his new tie, his old one had mysteriously disappeared. It would appear he now knew who had it, but the only thing he didn't understand was why. Why would Patton want to hang on to an old piece of his clothing? It didn't make any sort of logical sense. He turned to Patton, ready to question the other side, but something on his face gave Logan pause. He looked...flushed. Was he sad? Upset? Guilty? Ugh, emotions were so utterly frustrating! His curiosity was eating at him, and he simply had to know.

"Patton...why do you have my old tie? It is illogical to keep it, so there must be an emotional response driving the action. I am not angry, I am merely confused. I don't understand....could you explain?"

Patton's heart stopped as he heard the logical side's question. Logan must have picked up on his embarrassment and of course he had to point it out. Patton quickly turned his face to Roman's side of the room, trying to hide his face from Logic as he walked towards the strip of fabric. Taking it down from the pin it was on, he held it back out to Logan.

"There's a lot of memories behind this tie Logan, and I just couldn't see it disappearing from your memory or any of the others so...I kept it here. Back when you helped Thomas make the vines and even before it became your signature trade mark Logan! I was just so tied up with it. Eheh. You can take it back if you want it though. I stole it because it reminded me of who you once were." Patton smiled at him sadly. "Who all of us once were." He then tried to lighten up the mood. "I almost swiped your unicorn onesie too, but I didn't know if you still wore it. It's still one of my favorite memories during the Sander's Sides videos."

Logan blinked, staring at the tie in Patton's hand. He was feeling...a great many things and all of them at once. "Patton....you should keep it, but just know that the memories of those times are not linked to that strip of fabric. I can never forget the Vines, or the fun we have had. And it was...fun. I am pleased you did not abscond with my onesie as it is quite comfortable and I do use it for "comfort" days. Whether the tie is in my possession or yours, the memories and emotions affiliated with those memories do not change. We have changed, admittedly, from what we once were. I believe that is true for all of us, even you. I may be....somewhat different....now....but I have not forgotten who I was. I would very much like to be that way again, if given the opportunity. It is just..."

Logan trailed off, looking down at the floor. "...It is no longer my place to be that way. I am meant to provide explanatory exposition. If I am not intelligent enough, if I do not fulfill my function correctly, what value am I to the group? There is nothing I do that cannot be easily accomplished by one of you. I am replaceable. Ergo, it is imperative that I function at optimal efficiency to demonstrate my value as a part of Thomas."

Patton almost dropped the tie at Logan's words, a great deal of sorrow beginning to encompass his facial features. So this was the reason. This is why he was always so cold and professional. Though Patton was overjoyed he had finally opened up, his heart wrenched out all the joy that could have been gotten by that fact. He couldn't handle it. Patton's heart broke for him and he hugged him right there, taking the logical side into his grasp.

"Logan, do you honestly believe that about yourself?! There is evidence in this room that shows that statement is just not true! And you know me, I'm all for honesty. Can I show you? Just how special you are to this family, and to me?"

Logan froze for a minute, surprised by the vehemence of Patton's actions and words, but he slowly relaxed in Patton's hold. He truly did enjoy the hugging, it was a thing he'd sorely missed. "If you wish, Patton...." it was said softly, and Logan didn't dare fan the small, stubborn spark of hope in his heart that whispered that perhaps he was wrong, perhaps he wasn't boring and useless.

Patton hugged him for a little bit longer, before he slowly let go. He then walked behind the logical aspect towards the hallway and rummaged around in the pile that held all of Thomas's high school and college belongings. He handed Logan three different photos that he found, also showing him Thomas's graduation tassel.

"So these are just a few things that are special about Logan Sanders. This first photo is when Thomas passed his last elementary exam. Guess who has the thought process for taking tests? You do! And this second photo here, these are Thomas's long lost friends in middle school! You have the information about loyalty and deep friendship! Remember love isn't always a feeling, it's also a choice! And you play a big part in that choice by analyzing a friend's loyalty, and recalling different actions to take based on the friendship between them and Thomas!”

"Yes, I suppose that is true, but Virgil could just as easily memorize materials for tests, and since Thomas has graduated from college and does not intend to further his education, such skills are now useless. Virgil also excels at analyzing the loyalty of others, albeit with a more negative viewpoint. With assistance from you or Roman, that could also be easily done by others." Logan understood what Patton was trying to do, he really did, but he couldn't help pointing out these facts. It was in his nature to question, to point out errors and inconsistencies. He knew this would likely be frustrating to Patton, but he honestly couldn't help himself.

Patton took a deep breath and continued. "But he still needs you to fill out paperwork. I may have his memories but remember what thomas said about you at the beginning of the Sander's Sides videos? You represent all of Thomas's facts he's ever learned! Without you he couldn't tell time, he wouldn't be able to know what Pasta is, or what he likes and dislikes. There would be no depth to our Thomas as a person, if you weren't around! I wouldn't be able to love some of the things that Thomas does if you weren't there to spark the interest!" Patton almost reached up and cupped Logan's face, but thought better of his actions.

Logan stared helplessly at Patton, his heart pounding in his chest and yet feeling lighter than it had in months. "I...these are just facts...easily learned by others....I..." Logan trailed off, unable to articulate his thoughts properly. He wanted very much to stay here, in the circle of Patton's arms, with the moral side looking at him in that wonderfully warm way, for the rest of his days. He wasn't entirely certain what that feeling meant, but he knew it was a fact.

Patton's left hand brushed Logan's right as he turned to face the side in front of him "They don’t represent learning Logan. We are not human, we are only parts of a human, and that trait is specifically yours to use. And Thomas loves to learn, you know he does. I know he doesn't learn as often as he used to, but he's starting that Astronomy class next semester right Logan? I always loved that spark of wonder in your eyes whenever our little guy learned something new. You used to talk so much about the things thomas learned, that it would annoy Roman to no end causing both me and Virgil to chuckle. But it was all in good fun. I miss that spark of wonder in your eyes."

Logan couldn't contain his excitement as the Astronomy course was mentioned. His entire face lit up and he beamed at Patton. "Have you seen the course material?! Oh, it is going to be incredible! There's so much new information to learn, space is so vast and infinite! Did you know that we can only detect about 5% of the matter in the universe??? The rest is made up of invisible matter (called dark matter) and a mysterious form of energy known as dark energy, which I do not know nearly enough about! I am extremely pleased Thomas chose to pursue this course of study."

Logan did an excited shimmy, gleefully imagining homework assignments and exams. He calmed for a moment, his smile still unusually wide and bright. "Thank you, Patton. I had been doubting myself for quite some time. You are remarkably good at lifting the spirits of others."

Patton's bright smile returned as Logan's long lost excitement did as well. He even let a blush dance across his cheeks as the logical aspect shimmied and talked about his fascination of astronomy.

"This is amazing Logan! I'm so happy! And don't be afraid to share anything you learned! I'd love to hear all the raps you make up about it!" With excitement, he took Logan into his embrace again and hugged him tight. "Logan, Can you promise me something? Please, if you’re ever doubting yourself again, don't leave it to fester like a wound. Please come and talk to me. I will remind you as many times as I need to how special you are. I don't want this iciness to ever form between us again."

Logan melted into Patton's embrace, a small noise of contentment involuntarily pulled from his lips as he burrowed into the warmth offered. "I will gladly make that promise, Patton, but only if you will swear the same. Should you ever feel as I did, please come to me. I am not always adept at emotional response, but I care very much for you and...I find it of utmost importance that you be happy. It is now a requirement for my own happiness, which is unusual." Logan pulled back from the hug, smiling at Patton. He knew he was probably saying too much, but he was determined to make Patton aware of his personal significance.

Patton giggled at his adorable noise, but decided not to comment on it further and relinquished his hold. "I will Logan. I promise just as you had. As for my happiness being a requirement for your happiness, I'll do my diddly-darned best that it doesn't falter. And if it does, well I got my bestfriend back and that’s enough happiness for me!"

Logan adjusted his glasses, feeling lighter and happier. "Well, let's get sorting, shall we?"

"Oh! I forgot that's what we came in here to do, isn't it?" Patton giggled to himself. "Yes! Let's sort things out in here, even though we kind of already did. If you want to work on photos, I need them in chronological order. The ones scattered on the floor are duplicates, don't worry about those. Each pile should hold a box of photos. I left the school ones for you, cuz I thought you might enjoy looking through some of them. I'll start with Thomas's acting career. Chuck something my way or tap if ya need me. I'll likely have my head in the clouds to be able to hear that well."

Logan started in on the photos, quickly flipping through them and putting them in appropriate order. Each photo represented a significant memory in Thomas's life. A great deal of those memories were from his academic career. Friends he had made, subjects he had studied, papers he had written, awards he had won. Logan could recall of these moments with perfect clarity, but it was pleasant to see each of these memories preserved in such an aesthetically pleasing way. It made him...happy...to look at these memories, to see all of the accomplishments.

Patton was right. He had done a great deal with Thomas and had a fair amount of influence over him in past years. It was only recently that Logan had felt his value was lessened. And, as he got to the more recent photos, he found less and less of them. Thomas had graduated, he had completed his academic career and gone on to do well on YouTube. He had no need for further education, but he had signed up for the Astronomy course (which Logan was very much looking forward to) as a placation. Logan knew it was not a sign of more, knew it was foolish to hope that Thomas would continue to grow and learn, but he couldn't help the small spark of hope that burned...that WISHED.

He looked over to Patton, who was happily sorting through Thomas's acting photos. He had illogical hopes here as well, but none of them would ever come to pass. Clearing his throat, he straightened the organized stack and walked over to Patton. "This set is completed. What shall I work on next?"

Patton was busy organizing brochures, pictures, and playbills from all the musicals and shows Thomas had ever seen or been in. He was delighted that his host had a passion for the stage and it brought joy to his heart whenever he saw him acting his heart out. It brought his mind to Roman, and how close they used to be as kids, but Roman was different now and he had to accept the fact that things might never be the same between them.

It was what had his spirits in the dumps these past couple years, but this new found friendship rekindling with the logical aspect seemed to fill the hole in his heart where all three of them used to stand equally. Why did Logan have such a precedence over his soul? Was it possible that he thought more of him than he thought? Buried sideways to the waist in Roman's pile, he looked back out of the hole to see Logan’s shoes standing next to his legs.

"Oh I'm sorry Logan. Did you say some- Oof!" Patton had moved to get up and bumped his head on the 'ceiling ' of the pile, forgetting he had dug a tunnel into the side of it. Thus everything above him caved in and landed directly on top of him pushing him to the ground. "Oh no! The mountain of drama has caved!" His chuckles sounded muffled underneath the pile, signaling to Logan that he wasn't actually hurt.

Logan grinned at Patton’s comment and swiftly started moving items, uncovering the moral side. As soon as he could see Patton's face, he reached in and hauled the him out of the mess and to his feet. Logan had always been remarkably strong, likely due to Thomas's strength with rational reasoning and thought. It had occurred to him that this fact might be disconcerting to the others (especially Roman) so he used it sparingly. But, in this case, he had to get Patton out of the pile to ascertain that he was unharmed. Patton's well-being was of the utmost importance. Once he'd set Patton on his feet, he quickly scanned him for injuries.

Patton could feel the weight of Thomas’s drama career lifted off of him as Logan began uncovering his body from the pile. His breath slightly hitched as Logan helped him out of the pile, all the while giggling in the process. Once Patton was on the ground again, he felt Logan's eyes scan every inch of himself, his heart skipping a beat at the amount of concern displayed in Logan’s eyes. "I think I'm okay Logan-" His voice dropped out as he noticed a painful sting on his right wrist. He looked down at it then frowned slightly at the small paper cut lingering there.

TO BE CONTINUED!

Tagging Random Folks:

@acookiedragonblog @the-sides-of-patton @tree4life25 @penstarz96 @cefmua56 @cinquefoilelove @irish-newzealand-idian-dutch @otpislife2002 @didsomeonesayprince @chemicallyimbalancedromance @pirate-patton @leesacrakon @sidewritings @prplzorua @randomslasher @a-valorous-choice @migraine-marathon @emphoenixcat @kittyboof8 @michealawithana @romananalogicality @musicsavedmefromdeath @lackingroman @princeyssash @princey-must-slay @the-prince-and-the-emo @justanotherpurplebutterfly @storytellerofuntoldlegends @lilbeanblr @we-get-it-youre-adorable @amazable01 @infinitesimally-patton @introverts-assemble @1goth-kid1 @cookieartcannon @fandomsandanythingelse @angelpatton @fairly-grimm-sides

#logicality #sanders sides #logan sanders #patton sanders #logic sanders #morality sanders #rp fic

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theresas-sound-world-blog · 4 years ago

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Theresa’s Sound World Interview

Person: Rosie Varela

Bands: EEP/ The Rosie Varela Project

Genre/s: Dreampop/Shoegaze/Indie

In my interview, I talk to Rosie Varela of US Dreampop Shoegaze band EEP and The Rosie Varela Project about music, inspirations, her music projects, the modern music industry and...Star Trek! ⭐️

❓When did you first feel the impulse to create music and why?

🅰️I wrote my first song around 1975, when I was 8 years old. I was inspired after watching “My Fair Lady.” I was the youngest child of five and a latchkey kid, so I was alone after school every day. I turned to singing and writing little songs to amuse and comfort myself. I had a little tape recorder I used to record little tunes with my vocals or on my flute.

Picking up guitar at 30 was an epiphany - I suddenly had a way to really write fully formed songs. And once I started, it felt like a flood of songs came pouring out. It still feels that way.

❓Can you name the top ten inspirations for your music? It can be anything, bands, songs, albums, books, poems, art, films, people...

🅰️1. AM/FM radio and shows like American Bandstand, Soul Train, and The Midnight Special.

2. My older brothers’ huge record collection that covered jazz, blues, oldies, rock, and latin music.

3. When I was a kid, I was inspired by The Beatles, Steely Dan, ELO, Fleetwood Mac, Tower of Power, Tom Petty, Motown, and Blondie.

4. Movies that have a focus on music - Woodstock, Blues Brothers, A Hard Day’s Night.

5. My first concert - Carlos Santana at the Greek Theatre in Berkeley. A powerful and spiritual experience.

6. Raymond Carver’s short stories. Minimal and intense slices of life.

7. Movies that put characters in morally challenging situations like Pulp Fiction, The Shawshank Redemption, The Big Lebowski, and Goodfellas.

8. In my late teens and 20s, I was inspired by the recordings of bands and artists like REM, Bowie, Talking Heads, and Peter Gabriel.

9. The Verve awakened me to what I call Proto Shoegaze. The textures and layers of “A Storm In Heaven.” And first wave Shoegaze bands like Slowdive, MBV, Ride, Catherine Wheel, and Lush.

10. The art and lives of Frida Kahlo and Georgia O’Keefe. Their independent and unapologetic dedication to their art has inspired me to do the same.

❓You’re known for your band EEP and more recently, your solo material in the form of the Rosie Varela Project, but can you say what you were doing before musically?

🅰️I think I spent from age 18-51 in a bit of a haze - working, raising my son, writing music in my spare moments, playing in cover bands here and there, and trying to find my voice as a songwriter. So I played every night in my living room and wrote a lot of songs that didn’t sound like me. It seems like I only recently found my voice.

So I’m a very late bloomer!

❓ Can you tell me a bit about how EEP got together?

🅰️I had been helping some musicians in El Paso to record their music, and through that met Ross and Sebastian of Brainville Studio. Because we worked so well together, we formed an experimental synth-based project called Something Something Sound System.

One day I wrote a shoegaze song for my husband that just came out of nowhere (in Spanish to boot!) and I recorded the whole demo at home in 2 hours.

“Hogar” was the first song I had ever written in Spanish. It felt really easy, fluid, natural, and everything just clicked into place organically. My husband Justin really loved it and encouraged me to talk to Ross about recording it as a one-off single. Ross, Seb and I started writing more songs and eventually I asked Serge and Lawrence to join us. The combination of our influences and ages made for a really great band dynamic.

❓How different is it working on a solo project without your bandmates?

🅰️The RVP is basically me taking songs I’ve written that don’t make it into the EEP catalog, in varied genres, and having fun producing them through a gazey lens alongside some of my friends in music. The big difference is I am learning how to produce my own music for the first time. My goal is to release 4 singles this year while I work on my 2022 solo album and so far it’s going well!

❓Have you found that Lockdown/ The Pandemic has impacted on you positively or negatively in a creative sense? Why do think this is?

🅰️For me, the pandemic has affected me positively. It forced me to adapt, modify, and accept a whole new model in making music. Songwriting and remote recording collaborations have had to become a bigger priority than rehearsing and playing live shows. I think EEP and I have pivoted pretty well in that aspect.

❓ I sometimes feel that although financially a lot of bands are struggling owing to miserly streaming platform revenue and (at the moment) no tours, getting music to an audience is easier than it was say, in the 1990s. It seems that social media is key. Have you any tips for bands/artists starting out in the modern music industry ?

🅰️I think figuring out your musical WHY is super important at the start. And every band member’s answer to that will build the collective creative effort and also the band’s calling card, so to speak.

Decide on your short-term and long-term goals and figure what you need to achieve each one.

Assess how each band member can contribute to them and make sure everyone buys in on those goals. If not financially, then with their creativity and skills.

Don’t be in a hurry and don’t be desperate about your music. If it takes a year to save up the budget you need to record your album, save and focus on getting your music ready. Be patient and actually have a solid release plan. I see some bands who release music quickly and often without any marketing plan and it’s sad to see these releases come and go with very little coverage or sales.

Don’t expect to make any profit from your music. Breaking even financially is a great goal to shoot for instead.

It’s important for DIY bands to set realistic benchmarks of success and remain humble about them. The myth of an album “blowing up” to huge financial gain is just that. A myth. It is extremely rare. Instead, think about different kinds of specific goals - how many Bandcamp followers, how many pre-order sales, etc. Make those goals achievable.

Our goal for EEP was to simply have 30 fans who would buy our music and to know our fans by name and cultivate real friendships. I’m happy to say we surpassed that number by a bit.

Use your social platforms to engage, inform, and have fun. Ask for help if you need it from people who you feel have figured it out. We use our social platform to geek out about Shoegaze bands we love, share our stories, and share the behind the scenes of our making music. We love to showcase our peers, and ask our followers about what they like so that we get to know them better.

And always, support those sho support you whenever you can.

❓What are your plans from a musical point of view next? Have you any pipe-dreams for post-lockdown?

🅰️For The RVP, I want to challenge myself musically by interpreting non-Shoegaze songs I’ve written through a Dream Pop and Shoegaze lens. Because I have so many different kinds of songs, it will either be really good or incredibly bad!! I’m willing to take that risk.

For EEP, the pipe dream is to tour the US and the UK when things stabilize and travel is possible. For now, our short-term dream is just to be able to record and rehearse together.

Next, just for fun...

❓Who is your favourite Beatle and why? For example, I like Ringo Star the best, because of his laid back man-of-the-people attitude, his sense of humour and ability not to take himself seriously, namely voicing Thomas the Tank Engine. Musically, in terms of personality, or both, which member of the Fab Four do you sway to the most?

🅰️I think lyrically John Lennon is definitely my favorite. There is a spirit of rebellion, humor, and absurdity in how he played with words and song structure, especially towards the end.

As a person, I identify with George Harrison the most. His curiosity and reverence for Indian music, philosophy, and using music to process the larger questions of life was a refreshing contrast to his bandmates’ style.

❓ I know, like me, you’re a Star Trek fan, so I couldn’t resist this one; Spock or Data and why?

🅰️I identify so much with Data for his quest to understand the different aspects and fullness of being human. I think that has driven a lot of my past and present interactions and relationships. He’s probably the most noble of characters in The Next Generation in his unflinching willingness to sacrifice himself for the needs of the many⭐️

🎼Below are links to Rosie’s latest single, ‘Low’ in her incarnation as The Rosie Varela Project, plus links to two Theresa’s Sound World reviews of music by Rosie’s band, EEP from last year ⭐️

🎧Listen to the single ‘Low’ by The Rosie Varela project: https://thervp.bandcamp.com/track/low

📚🎧: Read my 2020 review of the single ‘Hogar’ by EEP, including listening platform links to the track: https://www.facebook.com/116279076583978/posts/180288703516348/?d=n

📚🎧Read my 2020 review of the album, ‘Death of a Very Good Machine’ by EEP including listening platform links to the album: https://www.facebook.com/116279076583978/posts/198924518319433/?d=n

#MusicBlogger #MusicBlogs

#MusicWriter #MusicBlog #TSW #MusicReviews #TheresasSoundWorld #MusicReviewer #Shoegaze #Dreampop #Indie #AlternativeMusic #Writer #EEP #AlternativeMusicBlog #UK #IndieBlogger #TheRosieVarelaProject #UnderGroundMusic

#alternative music #tsw #underground music #theresa’s sound world #music blogger #uk #music writer #music blog #shoegaze #Dreampop #indie #eep #the Rosie varela project #music interview

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ashilrak · 7 years ago

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Do you have any characterization tips?

In general, I hardly think of myself as the master of characterization, but I’ll tell you what I do know/think. Some of the tips will be more general, others will be more character specific. I am mainly a Hamilton writer, so the more specific tips will be geared toward Hamilton.

General

When writing fanfiction, you already have characters to go off of. Make sure you understand the source material.

Fanon and canon can diverge greatly, but an accurate characterization means that the character in the original work and the character in the fan work are recognizable as the same.

Every person interprets every character differently, and that’s fine. You’re allowed to have your own interpretation. However, if there is a singular trait that is frequently remarked upon and exhibited in the original work, that trait is necessary to include for accurate characterization. There are certain traits that make people who they are. Discover what those key traits are, and as long as you have those, you’re off to a great start.

Disclaimer: One of my majors is history, so there is some historical knowledge that bleeds over into my characterizations. My fanfiction and characterizations are mainly based on the musical, but I can’t forget everything I know historically while writing.The historical and musical characters are not identical. But, the source material for the musical is historical. I am pulling from outside sources for some things I include in my characterizations.

Alexander Hamilton

Alexander Hamilton is “young, scrappy, and hungry” with an emphasis on hungry. That hunger, the ambition and drive, that never leaves him. He always wants more.

One thing that is not necessarily emphasized in the show, but very true historically is that Hamilton was a good father. He wasn’t perfect - no one is - but he loved his children so much. He loved his family and his kids so much. As ambitious as he was, as career-focused as he was, he wanted a family with the same passion. He wanted the best for his children. He might have been a bit strict, with high expectations and yeah he was a bit controlling (he had Philip’s days scheduled to the fucking minute), but it was from a place of love. Despite every opportunity that might have come up, not a single one of his children have been recorded as saying a negative thing about their father (to my, admittedly, limited knowledge)

He’s a romantic, emotional, filled with feeling.

He’s vain and very concerned with how he appears to others.

(Despite this vanity, he willingly would crawl around and let his children hang on him with no care for ruining his fine, and expensive, clothing)

He talks and writes and lashes out. He has opinions and he’s going to share them

Historically, he was a conservative elitist. I honestly think that the idea of “i pulled myself up by the bootstraps, why can’t you? I’m not gonna help you though” is a way of looking at it. It’s obviously much more complex than that, but even in the musical he’s passing the same plans and policies, working toward the same goals. Not every element of them is stated (and to do so would be ridiculous), but…that’s what’s going on.

In fic we like to paint Hamilton as the progressive fighting for the rights many of us believe in and have Jefferson as the old stuffy conservative. I’m not against that exactly, but even in the musical, that’s not how it goes down.

He’s complex as fuck and that’s why he’s a fave of mine. A problematic fave, but a fave nonetheless.

Thomas Jefferson

In the musical we see him as loud and cocky, meant to represent how he’s remembered in history when compared to Hamilton, as far as my understanding of it goes

Historically, Jefferson was a shy and timid man with a stutter

These are fun to play with - the Jefferson he presents to the world verses who he actually is

In the musical, you only really see Jefferson as Hamilton’s opponent so you do have to get some more info to add depth - and one of my favorites is to look at the Outside Jefferson vs Inside Jefferson

Foodie, specifically wine

Francophile

Obnoxious fashion choices

Interesting relationship with religion - definitely something to explore if you’re ever writing something that goes more in-depth with him as a character

Jefferson was historically terrible for a myriad of reasons

Aaron Burr

Another problematic fave tbh

Burr was shady as fuck - a quick google search of “Aaron Burr water” will take you to pages about The Manhattan Company where he started a new bank to break Hamilton’s monopoly under the guise of a water company. The water company thing did not help the yellow fever outbreak, and instead led to a lot of cholera. Very much the ends justify the means sort of thinking.

Manwhore - Between Hamilton and Burr I’d put good money on Burr being the sluttier of the two

Burr was hungry, but in a different way than Hamilton. A man without ambitions wouldn’t try to become emperor of Mexico, after all

My APUSH teacher described him as the man who should have become president but never did. (He loved burr a lot, looking back on it) Take that as you will

George Washington

Not the most book-smart, but god did he get people. Wasn’t even the best military strategist, but he knew how to surround himself with good people and how to put them to their best use.

Very proper, concerned with appearance. Was aware of the affect these things had.

Stoic

James Madison

Did Not follow Jefferson around like a lost puppy. In the musical they’re shown as having a friendship (and I use this a lot in my own fic), but it’s sort of interesting to play with the idea of Jefferson being the much clingier of the two. Madison turned down Jefferson’s invitation to live with him, after all. There’s an interesting dynamic to play with between these two, but Jefferson’s not the one in the lead.

Hypochondriac

Calculating as fuck

I once said I don’t trust anyone who says writing Madison is simple

Angelica Schuyler

CAN WE GET A ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR THIS WOMAN WITH STEREOTYPICALLY FEMALE CONCERNS AND THOUGHTS

Dear god people yes she’s a strong woman but don’t be afraid to make her delicate

Her songs are about loving her sister and falling in love with a man and loving her family and choosing her sister’s happiness over her own because she has so much love in her she’s self-sacrificing

She is full of emotion and love and she’s intelligent and the belle of the ball, able to charm anyone

She’s Stereotypically Feminine, down to the pink she wears

Yes, she lashes out against Hamilton, but that’s because she’s EMOTIONAL about it. She’s Angry and Hurt and Betrayed

~emotions~ don’t be afraid to give them to her k thx

Elizabeth Schuyler

yes we all know that eliza is amazing and lovely and kind and living and compassionate and in love with alexander

BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE

as a youth she was a tomboy

In the musical she was right there with Angelica looking for the revolution. Her line is “people shouting in the square” that’s what excited her! She’s there for the action! She’s getting excited by this!

She’s the one that chose to marry a poor soldier boy with pretty eyes, nice legs, and a shit ton of potential

she’s not some goody-two-shoes

HISTORICALLY, THAT WONDERFUL ORPHANAGE OF HERS DID NOT LET IN ORPHANS WHOSE MOTHERS HAD BEEN UNMARRIED

LET ME MAKE THIS CLEAR, HER ORPHANAGE, THAT IS PRESENTED IN THE MUSICAL AS BEING AT LEAST A LITTLE BIT IN HONOR OF HER ALEXANDER, WOULDN’T HAVE ACCEPTED ALEXANDER

thanks for coming to my ted talk

she helped alexander with his speeches and essays and writing

As she got older, she was a bit savage in all honesty. she wasn’t there to put up with any bullshit

She wore mourning clothing for the rest of her life. So not only was she in love with Hamilton, but she was dramatic af

they really were well-matched and I’ll fight anyone who says otherwise

John Laurens

A complex relationship with his father. It wasn’t just outright hatred, okay. There are layers here

Anger. He wasn’t calm, he was angry. Bursting with passion.

He left a wife and a kid to join the revolution.

Nature gay

Rich boy

Lafayette

able to make the best out of any situation

one of those people that’s just bursting with happiness

believed so strongly in america

intelligent

able to manipulate people via the old world diplomacy of the courts he grew up in

literally everyone loved him, historically

generous

#Ask #Nonny #Karli Talks Writing #this got So long #oops #i had to stop because this took way too much time lmao

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amplesalty · 5 years ago

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Christmas 2019: Day 12 - White Christmas (1954)

On the twelfth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me...

Twelve singing soldiers!

So, Christmas has passed for another year and I have one movie remaining. Unfortunately, this is the closest I’m getting a White Christmas, in reality it was a relatively sunny affair this year, I only recall a couple of times that we had snow on Christmas Day in my life.

This was originally meant as a joke during last years viewing of the animated Mariah Carey movie ‘All I Want for Christmas is You’ but why not, it’s nice to have an earlier entry amongst all the post 2000 media that these Christmas marathons tend to throw up. Evidently even back then I had envisioned this whole musical motif that has run throughout the month.

The song White Christmas actually had its origins in an earlier film ‘Holiday Inn’ back in 1942, starring Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire, which led to it winning the Academy Award for Best Original Song before going on to be the best-selling single of all time. The Crosby version I find a little bland though and it moves at a glacial pace. Maybe it’s just because I’m more used to it due to its use in Home Alone but The Drifters version is a bit more interesting, probably down to the ‘doo wop’ style.

Crosby had quite an extensive on-screen career, matched (if not exceeded) by his work in the music studio given his 100+ albums. Granted about 10% of that are from post-humous compilation releases but it seems pretty crazy to me that someone could have so many albums., he almost seemed to be putting them out at the rate of one a month at times. I feel like I don’t know where to start when I get into a new artist and they have 5+ albums, nevermind 100. Though, in looking at this, Buckethead is infinitely worse due to his ‘Pike Series’ of mini-albums of which there are 275, leading to a total of 306 total albums when combined with his other work.

I know I mentioned it in that post and have probably made reference to it before but in regards to Crosby’s treatment of his kids, this seems to stem from the memoirs of his son Gary in which he talks about the cruel treatment he and his brothers received. His brother Philip disputed these claims, whereas other brothers Dennis and Lindsay seemed to lean more towards Gary’s side of the story. Most of it seems to boil down to Bing being one to use corporal punishment, perhaps a little too heavy handedly at times, rather than him doing it just for shits and giggles. Whilst we’re talking family though, Denise Crosby is Bing’s granddaughter, she of Star Trek and Pet Sematary fame.

The movie starts out with its own form of violence, taking place during Christmas Eve 1944 as Cpt. Bob Wallace (Crosby) and Private First Class Phil Davis (Danny Kaye) are entertaining their troupe. This includes a big finale as a toast to their departing commanding office, Major General Thomas Waverly. It certainly creates some unique visuals, the performers vibrant Santa outfits standing out amongst the otherwise gray/green/brown looks of fellow soilders and the surrounding area. Their background of an idealic landscape of snow topped houses stands in stark contrast to the actual background of a bombed out town where the only houses left are but crumbling remains.

All this singing and dancing seems to have attracted the wrong attention though as a bombing run ensues and Davis only narrowly manages to drag Wallace out of the way of a falling building. When Wallace thanks Davis and offers to repay the favour sometime, Davis immediately asks to perform with Wallace when they get back home, to which Wallace reluctantly agrees. They’re a hit though as we montage through the end of the war, them returning home to some initial success before growing to the point where they’re producing a hit musical.

Shortly before Christmas, they receive a letter from one of their old army buddies suggesting they check out his sisters new act. There appears to be some initial attraction between Wallace and one of the sisters, Betty, which Davis and the other sister Judy are keen to fan the flames of. But first they have to deal with the sisters being outlaws of sorts when their landlord comes knocking with a bill for a burnt rug for which he holds them responsible.

He’s even roped in the local sheriff to come arrest them so it’s up to Wallace and Davis to form a distraction whilst the two ladies pack up and bundle themselves into a waiting taxi. This leads to them performing their own version of their ‘Sisters’ number involving hitched up pants and fancy father fans. It makes for an entertaining, campy performance, albeit one that is a bit repetitive having already heard the song in full minutes earlier. Betty and Judy perform it again later on as well, it would have been nice if they’d given them another song or two on their own.

This initial courting period is fun, it plays up this dynamic between Wallace and Davis where Wallace is a little more curmudgeonly and Davis is trying to lighten him up a bit. It looks like it would be shortlived as the guys are heading to New York and the gals to Vermont, but Wallace is talked into staying on and all four head to Vermont and even sing a quartet about how much they’re looking forward to the snow.

Only, they find there isn’t any snow and the hotel that booked the sisters is empty, to the point that they offer to pay the ladies half their fee to make up for the cancellation. By happy coincidence though, the hotel is run by the boys old CO Waverly. It’s amusing to see these big shot producer types still stop dead in their tracks in fear/respect of the guy. Wallace gets the idea of bringing their whole show up for the holidays in order to try and get some guests through the door.

It takes on a more personal edge though when Waverly shares with Wallace that he’s applied to go back in the army. Only, his contact in Washington doesn’t even register that Waverly might have been serious, playing it off as a joke that Waverly is enjoying a life of luxury in his retirement whilst everyone else has to suffer through work. Either that or he’s being too polite to reject him outright. Sensing Waverly’s feeling of being forgotten and useless in his advancing years, Wallace sets out to invite all the old gang to come up on Xmas Eve to show their appreciation.

This does all lead to a sweet, It’s a Wonderful Life-esque finale which I surprisingly didn’t feel emotional about. Probably down to Waverly not being the central focus of the movie, most of the second half is dedicated to the will they, wont they romance of Wallace and Betty. There’s a big misunderstanding when Wallace arranges a TV spot to invite all of his army buddies to the hotel but Betty thinks this is being done only as a form of free promotion for Wallace and Davis’ stage show.

You see quite a few musical numbers from the show throughout the second half of the movie as well, often under the guise of rehearsals. A lot of that is dancing which, whilst technically very well done, isn’t particularly interesting to me. There is one avant garde looking number where Davis and accompanying girls are clad in all purple and he’s singing about how old forms of dance are being replaced by modern ‘choreography’. They’re doing all these weird interprative dance looking poses and in one line he sings ‘through the air they keep flying, like a duck that is dying’.

There’s another song which involves a character called ‘Mr Bones’ who seems to tell terrible jokes in a very self aware manner so between that and the very meta choreography song, I have no clue how this show works structurally. Frankly, I’m just relieved this wasn’t a horrible black-face affair that I was worried about when it started as the ‘minstrel number’.

I preferred the songs that involved Davis more, Crosby is a bit dry on his own and Davis just injects a bit more fun into proceedings. There’s a bit of campiness to Danny Kaye’s performance, very exaggerated body and facial language at times. He’s like that even off stage, very eager to try and push Wallace and Betty together but when Judy proposes a mock engagement between the two of them to try and spur the other two on, he’s like a rabbit in headlights. I mentioned it earlier as well but the playful bickering between Wallace and Davis is entertaining, Davis more than willing to bring up the fact that he saved Wallace’s life every chance he gets.

It seems apt that music of this era is now very evocative of playing Fallout given that Danny Kaye was responsible for one of the songs that featured in both 3 and 4; Civilization. There’s a very tongue in cheek tone to that song which seems to be representative of him in general going from this movie as well.

Between this movie, the aforementioned Mariah one, Rudolph, Frosty and even The Christmas Shoes, we certainly have stumbled upon a strange trope of song based film adaptation. Perhaps this might turn into a running segment but that’s a story for another year...

#Christmas 2019 #White Christmas

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sketch-rambles · 7 years ago

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Sanders Sides Appreciation Month: Patton/Morality Week, Day 7 - Father’s Day

[Based off of this post by @cefmua56. Check it out and join in the fun!]

Challenge: He loves his Dark Strange son! Use platonic Moxiety as a great transition from Patton’s week to Virgil’s week. Could be Virgil showing appreciation to him on Father’s day. (Their father-son dynamic gives me a lot of emotions, so now you have to feel those emotions, too.)

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The Sides don’t have parents.

This isn’t sad. It’s fact. They weren’t born any more than ideas are born; which is to say, they were, in a sense, but “conception” takes on a far less biological meaning. It’s difficult to credit an idea’s birth to any one person or group. Could you consider Thomas their father when they came to exist as facets of his personality due to outside circumstances? When the basic idea of their existence is arguably as old as humanity itself? Hardly.

So they don’t have parents and it isn’t sad. It really isn’t. Which doesn’t explain at all why it bothered Virgil for so long.

He doesn’t have parents and he doesn’t want parents. Or, at least, that’s what he’d tell anyone who cared to ask, not that anyone ever did. Parents tell you what to do, stick you with labels and expectations and disapproving looks when you fall short. You get that from society as a whole enough as it is. Virgil doesn’t want parents to misunderstand him and tell him what to be and what to think, to hold his hand every step of the way like he’s a baby, or even to back off and “be there just in case,” which is bull because you can feel them breathing down your neck even when they say they aren’t, that’s just how parents work. You want to impress them, or at least satisfy them, you want to prove yourself worthy of love and support and praise, and that’s the last thing Virgil needs.

He doesn’t want parents, he’d tell the zero people that want to know, not when it means all that. Objectively, he is perfectly fine not having parents, thank you very much, and isn’t he just the prime example of objective reasoning? So, since logically he doesn’t want parents, obviously, logically, it doesn’t upset him that he doesn’t have any.

This is one of the better articulated lies he likes to tell himself.

Because the truth is, it bothers him a lot, and he doesn’t know why because he hasn’t let himself think about it long enough to figure it out. Good at overthinking as he is, he’s managed to avoid dwelling on that particular problem for any extended amount of time on most accounts. And when he can’t? Well, sometimes Thomas gets a random urge to call his parents and check in on them. And maybe that’s not always Patton’s doing. These things happen.

For the longest time, Virgil figured he was the only one who got hung up on stupid things like this. It would make sense. He’s the anxious Side, the one that can make a mountain range out of a piece of dirt a mole brushed off its back. He’s got to be the only one who feels an ache at the mention of parents like he’s missing something he never had, because that’s exactly it, he never had it. He doesn’t have parents and he doesn’t need parents and he shouldn’t want parents, and there’s nothing he can do about any of it. He can only sulk and pretend and be secure in the knowledge that he’s the only one who gets upset about this crap sometimes.

Right?

He’d expect Logan to prove him wrong on absolutely any topic except this one. He’d figured, absently, that if he ever brought any of this up with Logan he’d get nothing but a vocalization of all the logic he’s already cooked up himself. What he doesn’t expect, what he never saw coming, is his childish and uncalled for comment mid-debate about hypothetical mothers to get so very under Logan’s skin.

“Let’s leave the mother’s out of this, alright?” Thomas requests, and then thinks to add, “Especially considering the fact that neither of you have a mother,” like they don’t already know that.

“If she did exist she’d be preposterous and pointless,” Virgil says, unwilling to give up the immature comebacks so easily.

The way Logan screeches back “FALSEHOOD!”, the way is echoes around the room before Logan regains his calm, it sticks with Virgil in a way he won’t examine until after the debate is long done. Because as much as he tries to tell himself otherwise, as much as he tries not to “jump to conclusions” or whatever, one thought has lodged itself in his head and won’t leave no matter how hard he tries: it bothers Logan, at least a little, that he doesn’t have a mother.

He elects to do nothing whatsoever with this information. He doesn’t want or need a heart-to-heart with Logan, and it won’t help the situation; they still don’t have parents, and they’re still going to have to suck it up and deal.

His plan of ignoring the Parent Problem is going marvelously (or, well, as marvelously as it ever goes) right up until his decision to duck out. More specifically, right up until everyone actually goes looking for him. More specifically, right up until he calls Patton a funny guy and Patton looks around with pride and says, “I love my dark strange son.”

That comment gets stuck in his head like a children’s game, a talking toy so old that it only says one thing, and some kid got their hands on it and won’t stop pressing the buttons. Over and over and over again until he can’t do anything but crank the music up to eleven and try to drown it out. “My dark strange son.” His son. His son. And then there’s the card, the “UR FAM ILY” crap that he’s got hanging on his wall now in a place he hopes none of the other Sides ever think to look. That gives the metaphorical toy another noise to play ad infinitum.

Son. Fam. Son. Fam. Son. Fam. Son. Fam. ILY.

Father’s Day was a month ago. Virgil learns that you can still find cards pretty easily. He also learns that all of the cards are either horrible and cheesy or reference some sort of stereotypical father-son bonding experience or both at once. This only clinches his certainty that this is a Stupid Idea that’s gonna make him look ridiculous and sappy and awful and it’s gonna make everything weird and uncomfortable and he should stop even considering this, what is he doing.

He settles on a simple card. Two colors, two sentences. No cartoons, no puns, no heartfelt mushiness. Then he stares at it for a good fifteen minutes before writing “thanks” and signing it and calling it good enough.

He wants, really desperately wants, to leave the card somewhere Patton will find it so he can drop it off and retreat back to his room to pretend he isn’t having a crap-ton of internal conflict right now. But he can’t think of a good way to do it without running the risking of someone else finding it first. So, steeling himself for the most awkward and painful exchange he’s had in, oh, probably ever, Virgil stands in front of Patton’s door and knocks.

“Virgil?” Patton answers the door in his cat onesie, which isn’t surprising given the time of day and also who he is as a person. “Hey, what’s up, kiddo? You wanna come in?”

Virgil considers it. He really does. But he’s almost positive that stepping foot in Patton’s room is only going to heighten any emotions he’s already feeling, and he will start crying if he lets that happen.

“I just - I wanted to give you this,” he says, thrusting the card at Patton. Something keeps him rooted to the spot, stops him from turning of his heel and running away the second Patton has a hold of the card. (Some internal need to impress, or to satisfy, or to prove himself worthy of love and support and praise, maybe, but best not to think too hard about that.)

“What is a dad?” Patton reads aloud quietly to himself. He flips the card open. “You. You is a dad.”

It’s a ridiculous card, and the only reason Virgil thought it was funny is probably because Tumblr has irreparably messed up his sense of humor, and it 100% does not warrant the beaming smile that Patton trains on him the second he’s done processing.

“Oh, Virgil!” Patton cries, and the next thing Virgil knows, he’s being pulled into a warm hug that’s doing its best to push his emotions over the edge in all the ways he was trying to avoid. He can feel that hot pressure building up behind his eyes, same as it always does when he’s sad or angry, but he’s neither of those things right now, he’s just... he’s feeling something, and he’s feeling a lot of it.

“Yeah, well,” Virgil manages. “Happy late Father’s Day.”

If he starts crying a little when he finally gives up and reciprocates the hug, well, Patton doesn’t mention it.

He’s a good dad like that.

#sanderssidesappreciationmonth #feels #platonic moxiety #I love my dark strange son #patton #morality #logan #logic #virgil #anxiety #father's day #sanders sides #sanders sides fanfic #fanfic #sanders sides fic #thomas sanders #sketch writes

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brancowitz · 7 years ago

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Phoenix readies for ‘unique’ Summer Sonic and some sweet sake sessions

In an age where almost every piece of historical information is available at our fingertips, Thomas Mars and Laurent Brancowitz of the French band Phoenix surprise me with a fact that doesn’t seem to exist anywhere on the internet.

“One of our first shows was actually in Japan,” Mars says, backstage at the Field Trip festival in Toronto. “(It was our) second show as Phoenix. We had two shows: one in Sapporo and one in Tokyo.”

Before I can react, Brancowitz takes the words from my mouth. “Isn’t that crazy? Back then the band’s establishment was very, very fragile. The foundation was nonexistent.”

From playing its earliest gigs here to its single “Too Young” being used during a Tokyo dance party scene in Sofia Coppola’s 2003 film “Lost in Translation,” Phoenix’s history with Japan is perhaps deeper than any other country, with the exception of France. That said, Mars and Brancowitz don’t speak of their home with the same respect and enthusiasm they have for Japan.

“We were raised in Versailles, where there were literally zero venues, so we started as a studio band — our studio being our basement,” Brancowitz explains. “That was the kind of weird upbringing you can only have in Versailles. It’s beautiful there, but to live there is a different story.”

When the pair discover our interview is for a Japanese publication, their faces perk up in delight at the prospect of discussing their favorite country instead of their latest album, the gloriously sun-kissed “Ti Amo.” This weekend they will perform at Summer Sonic for a fourth time, since first playing in 2006. There is a reason they keep coming back.

“Summer Sonic is very unique, there’s nothing like it,” Mars says. “If you’re not familiar with it the first time you go there you likely think it will be the worst show of your life … and then you have one of the best. The venue is totally empty five minutes before you go on stage, and then somehow 10,000 people come in excited for the show. And then afterward they’re gone, like there is no trace of the people being there because it’s so civilized. Everywhere else you go the place will be trashed with beer cups and garbage. But at a Japanese show you could have another (concert) right after. Everyone in Japan is trying to make it the best show possible.”

To further convey the band’s appreciation for gigging in Japan, Brancowitz chirps in, “It’s different from what we’ve experienced in Europe, especially France — a nation of pigs!”

Phoenix is the rarest of live acts. Its performances are dynamic and full of visual splendour, yet the members’ chemistry as a group is second to none. Those early years of working hard to become a studio band — not to mention, the years off they regularly take in between albums — clearly show they have put in the effort to sound better than everyone else. Though Brancowitz feels in Japan they definitely get a boost.

“The sound is just so good,” he says. “We were playing with Daft Punk in a warehouse once and it was the best sound I’ve ever heard. The sound was like audiophile quality — in a warehouse! We love Japan.”

Brancowitz says he can go on forever about sound quality, but he also wants to praise the band’s Japanese fan base, which he feels truly understands and respects what Phoenix is trying to do.

“The audience is very focused and respectful, sometimes a bit too much,” he admits. “They respect the arts. It is beautiful. There is a melancholy in our music that the Japanese spirit can understand. The mix of success and failure is something that is, maybe only in my imagination, very Japanese and very close to our hearts.”

When asked what they look forward to most about returning to Japan, Mars and Brancowitz give two very different answers.

“When we travel the luxurious thing for us to have is a routine,” Mars says. “You go back to Tokyo and you visit all of the same places you went to before. The sense of discovery is not as important as it was before because there are places where we know people and we want to visit them.”

“I love the fact that we can get lost,” Brancowitz adds. “I remember our first show in Sapporo, suddenly I got lost for real looking for the venue. It’s a feeling that I can’t feel anywhere else in the world. I also love the hot baths and the smell of the wooden buckets. Japanese wood is so good.”

Something Phoenix loves even more than the people and wood of Japan is the sake. On previous trips they would take an expert in the alcoholic drink named Toshiro Kuroda on tour with them. Unfortunately, earlier this year Kuroda passed away from, as Brancowitz puts it, “too much sake.” In his honor, Phoenix has just released its very own sake, which Kuroda helped them design. As one final request, he asked that all proceeds from the sales go to the International Federation of Red Cross.

“He came on tour with us in Japan and he took us to sake factories,” Mars recalls. “At the end of every show he would give a small comment, and it was always the highlight of every tour.”

“The sake is not just good, it’s the best,” Brancowitz adds. “It’s a bottle we designed and the sake we chose, junmai daiginjo, is the best sake. It tastes like water, in a good way. In an imaginary vision of what water should taste like.”

The topic of sake becomes so fervent that once the interview ends, Brancowitz insists on me speaking to his brother, Phoenix guitarist Christian Mazzalai, a self-described Japanophile.

“He doesn’t care about promoting the album,” Brancowitz says. “He only cares about the sake.”

“It’s true. It is more important than promo for the album,” Mazzalai says. “It’s very important for me to do this. Sake is more than alcohol, it’s something that goes beyond for us. The idea of perfect sake is minimalistic, the idea of streaming clear water. You should try the sake. It’s really, really good.”

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#phoenix #interview #sake #japan #tl

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vrheadsets · 8 years ago

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10 Franchises SEGA Would Be Crazy Not To Bring To VR – Part 1

Welcome to another edition of VR vs. The weekly VRFocus column where the ‘other one’ from the site talks about most anything and everything to do with virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), mixed reality (MR) or some crazed combination of the three. Today we’re continuing a thread begun last week in the final part of my three-week feature into what may lie ahead in 2017. There I mooted the idea that of all the studios currently involved within VR, certainly from a gaming perspective there is one that is conspicuous by its absence. SEGA. Yes, yes, I know there are Hatsune Miku games but as I pointed out at the time Hatsune Miku and the vocaloid bunch ultimately aren’t SEGA property and aren’t a traditional franchise. They aren’t one recognised within their All-Stars series for instance – and whilst that isn’t a qualifying marker for this list considering how big the Project Diva series is and how iconic a figure Miku is in Japanese culture certainly, you’d’ve thought SEGA would make more of a deal out of things than they have were she theirs. So on that basis, scrub those out PSVR games off your mental tally.

Updated total? Zero.

This is unusual for SEGA. Historically SEGA (at least in the third-party era) have rushed in to support whatever new technology comes along. Do you by any chance remember the EyeToy, Sony’s camera accessory for the PlayStation 2? Yes? No? There weren’t exactly a whole heap of games for it. But SEGA were there with the original SEGA Superstars to fly the flag. They supported the Kinect they fell into bed with Wii U pretty quickly, etc, etc. For SEGA to not have had one of its more noted franchises in the West ready to rock and roll when VR came to retail, certainly the PSVR, was pretty unusual. (Again, discounting the leek-swinging singer lady.)

But that’s not to say there aren’t plenty of opportunities for SEGA to embrace VR and thrown a bone to its more beloved franchises. It’s one of the sad truths about SEGA that their most iconic of series, with the exception of the fast spiky one, have never exactly been humongous successes financially. Still, why not use some of them and maybe give them a new lease of life outside of a new racing game? (No, really SEGA. It’s time for Transformed 2. Throw some money at SUMO Digital, will ya?) It’s also not like we don’t know SEGA aren’t messing around with VR either. Both SEGA Europe (SOE) and SEGA America (SOA) revealed their ownership of VR kits (HTC Vive and PlayStation VR for SOE and Hololens for SOA) thanks to community videos. Way to keep that secret chaps. A+ work.

So let’s get things underway. As before I must point out that I used to work for SEGA for several years and worked on a number of the franchises listed that I’ll be bringing up. It was some time ago now, but I’m reliably informed that if I don’t do that the world will apparently end. We begin first with an honourable mention.

Honourable Mention: Alien Isolation

It��s just not going to happen folks. Many have said the masterfully creepy atmosphere of “SEGA’s Good Alien Game” – tho everyone forgets they also did an Alien game on the DS in that discussion – was a perfect match for a full and proper adaption into a VR experience. The scare factor would be immense, obviously. As it’s bad enough being stalked by a Xenomorph without actually looking down at your chest as its tail pushes through it to kill you. As much as we’d all like it to, the economic factors involved just mean Alien Isolation is a non-starter for Creative Assembly to even get involved in really. Boo-urns.

However, speaking of Creative Assembly…

Total War

It’s one of gaming’s little quirks that one of console gaming’s most well known names is the publisher that is in actuality one of PC Gaming’s powerhouses. Between Sports Interactive’s Football Manager series and Creative Assembly’s Total War franchise SEGA have an commanding grip of the PC chart, one would go far to say dominance at some points in the year. If you have lived in a hole for the past couple of decades, Total War is a series of real-time strategy games that takes keen players take on the role of General in various eras of time. Replaying notable battles and playing tactical hardball with history. Whether it’s the Medieval period, the time of Rome, the rise of Napoleon or the era of the samurai there’s plenty to do. Heck, you can even throw history right out the window now and enjoy some Warhammer in your Total War.

Total War has always been about getting stuck in to battles. The planning, the preparation, the implementation and the execution. The buck stops with you, and as the series has developed the control system has allowed you to get ever deeper into the action. You can even follow individual soldiers. It’s such a well developed system that there’s even been a BBC game show (essentially) based on playing the series. One that’s recently had something of a comeback.

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So with this in mind how would VR make Total War better? Control.

Now, considering what I’ve just written you might be wondering what I’ve been talking about since I’ve just been praising the system. But you can always improve and everyone and anyone who has played Total War has always had periods where the game just won’t place units right or you can’t get the camera in jussssst the right position. Now imagine you are in the map as opposed to looking at a 2D surface. Imagine you were, with your motion controllers able to to manipulate your units and your surroundings just so. How much easier and dynamic and engaging an experience that would bee if you brought a touch of Minority Report to proceedings.

Heck, can you imagine a Hololens version of Total War? With you waging battles from your sofa over your coffee table, and manoeuvring your archers onto the high ground of the TV unit? That’d be amazing.

Samba de Amigo

Break out the Bellini boys and girls!

When I first saw the HTC Vive controllers my first thought, partly because of how they were being held and moved at the time, was that they kind of looked like maracas. And there’s only one game that invites you, without a hint of suggestiveness, to get your maracas out. Samba de Amigo first burst onto the scene on SEGA’s much loved Dreamcast and was actually developed by Sonic Team if you didn’t realise it. It also came out as an arcade experience before next surfacing on the Nintendo Wii. The game plays with you in amongst a vibrantly coloured carnival, armed with your maracas you control Amigo, one of SEGA’s two monkey mascots (the other being Super Monkey Ball‘s AiAi, strangely the two have never been seen as rivals in the Superstars/All-Stars titles. Which has always puzzled me.) You move and dance along to a selection of upbeat tracks, shaking your controllers in time to the beat and occasionally having to strike a pose. It’s a simple enough title, and well and truly puts the party into party game.

VR needs more games like that I think. More games that are just full on fun and colours. It’s why Balloon Chair Death Match got people excited, it was a simple premise and it looked fun. Job Simulator is the same. Bright colours and poitively oozes fun. Yes, we can all enjoy a nice serious game with high stakes, but in dammit we all just want to be silly sometimes. Samba allows you to do exactly that. Now, what I’m essentially asking you is to imagine this in VR. Please watch the video below as in this instance it is important to what I’m writing about.

A warning before you do however; if you are wearing headphones please turn them down. There’s some loud audio distortion on the video from the outset.

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Just look at this man. Look how bloody happy he is. He doesn’t care he’s in the middle of an arcade, he doesn’t care he has a crowd. He’s just going for it: a master at work. Nevermind your beloved Salt Bae (a reference I realise will date this article terribly), in your heart of hearts you wish that were you. You wish you were as cool as the Samba Bae.

Now I’m waving any potential wire-based issues here. Forget ’em. Let’s lay it out. You put on the headset and you step into a party; a “Carnaval de VR”. Everyone around you is interacting with you. The movement is infectious. You are the centre of a mass celebration with bouncing creatures and an equally bouncing musical beat. You have motion tracking controls. You wave them about in time to the music. It’s escapement, elation, exercise and fun. Now we bring things up to date with the new technology and throw in a dash of evolution to the game as well. Unlike before you can use the sensors or PlayStation camera to fully track your movements. All of a sudden Samba can have a touch of Dance Central in it, evolving it into a bit more of a full body game with one stroke. You have greater accuracy than ever before on the controllers, the game can actually see you for the first time and you get one of the most smile inducing experiences on VR. As an added bonus it gets to be a game franchise fully realised on VR, something people are clamoring for.

Yo SEGA. You’ve got my number. Call my people (me) and let’s make this happen. I’m totally open to being Producer on this thing. SAMBA! Du du de-du du-du du de-du…

Condemned

There’s a very good chance you don’t remember Condemned: Criminal Origins. There’s an even better chance you’ve never played it or Condemned 2: Bloodshot. Which is a pity really. Condemned is a first-person experience which puts you in the shoes of Ethan Thomas, a police officer investigating a murder which slowly takes him down a path to discovering secret societies, mysterious entities, encountering nightmarish visions and the city falling into the grip of madness. Both games are a twisted mix of dark menacing settings, genuine scares that mess with play on psychology and improvised combat usually involving whatever Ethan can get his hands on. It’s frantic, up in-your-face stuff and perfect for VR with the combat emphasis on melee.

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It’s not just that though. The first Condemned game especially has you dealing, within your role as a police investigator, a number of different crime scenes. These are technical, and involve you hunting for clues, such as finger prints and making deductions. What Condemned is, is what I suggested it could be back at E3 2016. It could be the Batman VR game you’ve always wanted but combined with all the best twisted bits of Resident Evil VII.

We’ll just ignore the bit about shouting people to death from number 2. (Check out my good friend John’s Let’s Play of Condemned 2 to see what I mean.)

That’s all for this week. On next week’s selection of titles we’re embracing freedom in a couple of ways and I use the term “wave shooter”. Which will probably annoy people. Until then…

from VRFocus http://ift.tt/2jsNXtJ

#VRFocus #vr #virtual reality #canada

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peckhampeculiar · 7 years ago

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Reigning supreme

Landlord Clement Ogbonnaya is celebrating one year in business at the Prince of Peckham this week. He tells us how he turned the once beleaguered boozer into a buzzing pub that promises a warm welcome for all

Words: Emma Finamore; Photo: Lima Charlie

“For south London, by south London.” It’s a simple statement, but one that means a lot to Clement Ogbonnaya.

Since taking on the Clayton Arms and reopening it as the Prince of Peckham in May last year, Clement has transformed the boarded-up boozer into a busy pub, with south London at its heart.

Having grown up in the area, it’s a place he knows like the back of his hand. He went to school at St Thomas the Apostle College, just a 10-minute walk from the pub we’re sitting in now.

He was a “kind of geeky” kid (his words) who loved football, and got dragged from shop to shop by his mum on Rye Lane every Saturday. Morley’s was the main hangout on the walk home after school, and Desmond’s was his favourite TV show.

It sounds like a very British, very south London, childhood, but Clement was actually born in Nigeria.

“My parents came in 1986,” he says. “My main memory of first coming here is chips – I remember seeing chips and thinking they were amazing. I remember going to primary school in Brockley, and me and my sister saving money to buy chips.”

Many of his early memories revolve around food, so maybe he was always destined to own a place that serves up great grub. However, his journey to becoming a pub landlord wasn’t straightforward.

First he went to university. “That’s when everything changed for me socially,” he says, “learning about other people, coming from this south-east London bubble and meeting people different to me and the people I grew up with.”

After this he worked in retail for brands such as Armani, where he realised his love of people.

“I just wanted to chat,” he laughs. “I’m a great believer in talking, I’m a massive sponge. You can’t sell to someone if you don’t know them. That’s what I really liked about retail.”

He went on to work as a salesman, learning about the sales cycle, and at a photography studio – during the Myspace and Facebook boom – where he realised the importance of data.

“All this time I knew that roads would lead to something bigger,” he remembers. The experience played a part in his next move: promoting club nights and organising parties.

He would put on events in West End hotspots like Chinawhite, as well as running corporate bashes like New Look’s 40th birthday party, and organising the official after-parties for events at places like the O2.

Then The Westbury – a pub in Wood Green – approached him and asked him to manage it. “By this time I knew I loved venues,” he says.

“I was getting more and more interested in running my own venue. I agreed to take that on in 2012 and it was a pretty steep learning curve. But it was the best education I could have had.”

It was obviously one he enjoyed, too – because his next venture was yet another step up: his own nightclub, Love & Liquor in Maida Vale. “We smashed it,” Clement laughs.

But he’s not kidding: the club was a hit with celebrities like Jay-Z, Rihanna, Jennifer Lopez, P Diddy and Nelly, as well as regular punters, and the team even managed to bag A-lister Idris Elba for an eight-week DJ residency.

When Clement and his business partner sold Love & Liquor, he’d already developed the ethos that would help when building his new pub in Peckham. “It’s all about win/win relationships,” he says.

“If the venue wins, everyone wins. My thought process had totally changed. If you’re going to have a venue, it first and foremost needs to work for the community and the residents in its immediate vicinity.”

Next on his colourful CV was managing The Paradise By Way of Kensal Green. “That’s when I really fell in love with pubs,” says Clement.

“All I wanted to do was give it back to the community – we got involved with Carnival and sound systems, we put on community fairs, but all alongside big name DJs on Fridays.

“When I finished there I knew I had to have a pub, and I wanted it to be in south-east London – the community I knew best.”

Walking through Peckham one day, Clement noticed the pub on Clayton Road was up for sale, and started setting the next stage of his career path in motion.

He looked at the original Clayton Arms, which was damaged during the 2011 London riots and sat boarded up until 2015; the short-lived Dead Dolls House, and the equally short-lived reopened Clayton Arms.

He looked at what they got wrong as establishments and what they got right – and used it along with his own business acumen and hospitality experience to build a clear picture of what he wanted and how to do it. “The business plan for this place was the most thorough bit of work I’ve ever done,” he says.

The work paid off, and on March 17, 2017 he took over the building. “I remember thinking, ‘Shit, I’m tied to this place for like, 25 years!’” he laughs. “It’s been like school every day. Every day I come in and learn something new. But I love it. I love my staff, I love the customers… it’s a love affair right now.”

His enthusiasm shines through in the dynamic, eclectic schedule and the food and drink offering the Prince of Peckham now boasts.

Musically, there’s something for everyone, whether it’s high-octane party vibes at Saturday’s Culture club night – think hip hop, R&B classics and Afrobeat – or the regular Pull Up Dat Fam night, featuring grime, dancehall, soca, rap and everything in between.

There’s also Cross the Tracks with JRust and Lavan, playing funk, disco, house and garage; Jay Jay Revlon’s Let’s Have a Kiki feel-good voguing dance parties; chilled-out Sundays with all-female DJ collective Sisters of Reggae, and nights with Peckham-based creative collective Born n Bread.

Most of the people Clement works with on this busy schedule are locals, in keeping with his ethos for the pub. For example, last month’s Vegan & Vinyl Feast was a celebration of vinyl and tasty vegan food from Zionly Manna Vegan Rastarant in Rye Lane Market. the owner, Jahson Peat, grew up on the North Peckham Estate.

The pub’s food is also sourced locally wherever possible, and the weekly menu gives a nod to Peckham’s longstanding Caribbean community, putting an island twist on pub classics: jerk sausage and mash, curried mutton shepherd’s pie, Red Stripe and jerk spiced fish and chips, as well as snacks and sides like patties, saltfish fritters, wings brined in Red Stripe, and jerk fries.

There are great deals to be had too: Street Feast favourites White Men Can’t Jerk run a Saturday bottomless brunch featuring Red Stripe fried chicken and waffles among other lip-smacking goodies, as well as limitless prosecco.

Hot Mess Mondays offer visitors a huge stack of chicken wings in a range of flavours for just £10, and every Tuesday, Mates & Dates means guests can bring a mate (or a date) for two buns and fries to share for £15.

Other events include disco yoga, the University of Peckham quiz night, swing dance classes, hip hop vs grime karaoke, and spoken word and poetry nights. Your average local boozer this is not.

“I feel like we’ve seamlessly moved into the Peckham landscape,” says Clement, reflecting on the first year in business, and his hard work to create a place that is genuinely welcoming for everyone.

“Desmond’s was my favourite show growing up – a local barber shop where everyone went. It was welcoming to everyone but unapologetically Caribbean. In the same way, I’m in Britain but I’m Nigerian, and I want this place to reflect that mash-up of cultures.

“I think it’s important for young black people to see me behind the bar. This is our community, if we’re in this community why aren’t we running the pubs? I’ve got a little girl too, and it’s important for her to see me owning something. It’s not about the self, it’s about creating a legacy.

“Just like the ‘Peckham Prince’ in Desmond’s [aka Lee Stanley, the local wheeler-dealer who was like a son to Desmond and Shirley], it’s about that mash-up of cultures in one person.

“When we were kids, everyone thought they were the ‘Peckham Prince’, that’s what inspired the name here. I think whatever part of Peckham you are from – black, white, middle class, working class, whatever – you deserve to be treated like royalty. We give people a good time.”

Peckham is clearly very dear to Clement, as he talks about community, building a network of local friends and fellow businesses. New Year’s Eve was one of the few moments he let himself have a moment of reflection: “I stood back, looked at all our regulars from the area, and thought, ‘We’ve done alright’. I want to have the same feeling every day.”

And – forever the entrepreneur – he’s already putting plans in place for that to happen. The next 12 months at the Prince of Peckham are “all about getting quality and consistency”.

This means continuing to welcome everyone from Peckham and beyond with warm, open arms, and ensuring the excitement and buzz of nights like Culture are replicated every single evening. There’s also a collaboration with the hugely popular Trap Kitchen – from Prince “Shakka” Owusu – in the pipeline.

Clement is already looking in Peckham for a second site, too. “It could be a pub, it could be a bar, but it will be similar vibe,” he says. “A really cool boozer, a home-from-home vibe.

“One of the good things about growing up in Peckham was that everyone wanted to be better and do more.”

With his community-focused pub, working with a roster of local businesses and young creatives, Clement is not only realising this dream himself, but helping others realise it for themselves, too.

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themusicenthusiast · 8 years ago

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Sunday, January 8th, 2017 – Madisons Crank Out a Smorgasbord of Classics and Offer a Taste of New Music During Set at Dan’s Silver Leaf

All photos by Jordan Buford Photography After a little more than six months, Madisons was returning to Dan’s Silver Leaf in Denton, the Austin-based Americana outfit making a weekend out of their trip to North Texas, which had begun with a Dallas gig the night prior. Perhaps it had something to do with the colder weather the region had been experiencing over the last few days, though there were a lot more people packed into Dan’s on this Sunday evening than the last time around. Along with seeing a great show (at no cost!) it was also as if people just wanted to get out, go somewhere where they’d see some familiar faces and mingle. Many of the tables were in use, plenty more people milling around the venue or hanging out on the patio; the patrons being treated to a brief set by Denton’s own Kim Nall, who doled out some brand new songs. Some were so new she had just finished them within the last couple of days. While plugging the CD release show she’d be doing there with her band in exactly one week, she laughed at the fact that she didn’t intend for this show to be a depressing one, despite how the melancholy mood and often more heartbreaking lyrics portrayed it. “…But Madisons will be really fun!” she noted at one point, insisting it would be worth sticking around. She may have been uncertain of the nature of her new music, though the audience sure wasn’t, loving the handful of songs she played, all sounding quite raw, while the solo acoustic setting made them all the more striking. By 5:48, the eight-piece ensemble that is Madisons was on stage and ready to run through what would be a 65-minute long set, their Denton friends and fans having been chosen as guinea pigs to hear some of the new songs they have planned for their upcoming fourth album.

“…Calm down. What do you think this is, a wrestling match?!” singer and acoustic guitarist Dominic Solis quipped, the room being near silent at that moment. He quickly shared an anecdote of a friend from back in his youth, his friend hosting a party that eventually attracted the cops due to all the cars parked out front. Solis said the guy was adamant he and his parents were the only people there as everyone else had hid, something the police didn’t buy, especially after they heard, “Shut the fuck up! They’re gonna hear us!” Laughter abounded, from both the crowd and his band mates; the sounds of the violin, trumpet, guitars, banjo, and bass gradually swelling as they kicked things off with the more folk-y “You'll Never Know”. Their set was a pretty even spread from everything they’ve released thus far along with what’s to come, no one album receiving much more attention than the others. It felt as if Cass Brostad had taken on an even broader role with the group since the last time they were in town, supplying plenty of powerful backing vocals during that number, sans accordion at that moment, she just danced about the stage.

After easing everyone in to it, they struck with something a little more forceful, the candid and autobiographical sounding “So Long West Texas” creating more of a charged atmosphere as they cut loose; Solis breaking away from the mic when he could, trekking across the stage and attacking his ax. They had most everyone’s attention by that point, and Solis spoke of how important Denton was to them, mentioning a tour they had embarked on near the start of their career, with a show at Dan’s Silver Leaf being the biggest of the run. The problem was it was double-booked, though he expressed his gratitude to Hares On the Mountain for letting them play the eight songs they knew at the time. “…This was one of those eight. We’ve had some time to polish it up since then,” he said while grinning as they journeyed back to their debut record, Desgraciados. “I sent him a letter from Rotan, Texas with a picture of me sighin’ drawn on the outside. It said ‘being with you is being married to a fire burnin’ through the best years of my life…” Brostad began, her commanding voice giving the duet a new flare from the five-year-old recording; Solis taking over on the second verse of the song about a couple who fell out of touch. “…And the worst thing I done was tell you I’s in love when what I meant to say was I’s scared to be alone…”

The heartbreakers continued as Solis commented the next song was about being in love with someone who was too good for you. “Parasites” captures that perfectly, painting the picture of a bottom-of-the-barrel mortal pining after a near goddess, hoping there might be some way they could wind up together. The harmonies sounded great, particularly at the start as violinist Heidi Garcia and Brostad chimed in. Moments after finishing it, much of the band broke in to an energetic clap, drummer Mike Rothschild, electric guitarist Patrick Davis, banjo player Nick Kukowski and most everyone else participating, some of the onlookers even joining in; the fans recognizing it as “Growin Up”. It was another oldie of theirs that had been given a bolder sound, the prominent backing vocals pushing it to new heights. “We're playing all originals…” Solis informed everyone afterwards, quickly shouting out a friend (and future brother-in-law) who had penned “Parasites”. That brought them to a string of new songs, Madisons opting to knock them all out at once rather than spread them out; Solis mentioning they’d be going into the studio in a few weeks, the first of the new ones being dedicated to “all the narcs”. “Kiss our ass!” he shouted and laughed before they broke out a rollicking number that stood as one of their most dynamic cuts of the night and saw them holding nothing back.

“Man, getting in shape was not my new year’s resolution,” he laughed afterwards, taking a quick breather. “Second Chance” was as all-out, though was every bit as great, boasting some lyrics that are pure Madisons. “…I got a liver of steel and a heart of a gold…” That brought them to a couple of songs that put Brostad at the helm, the first of them being the most stunning as she turned into a powerhouse vocalist, overflowing with emotion by the end of it. The next one was every bit as riveting in its own right; a messy start quickly being corrected as they chuckled about it being a new song. Solis commented on how pretty much everyone in the group was a great songwriter in their own right and how they would be utilizing all of that creative input and creativity for their next release, after which he got the reins back for a slightly more tranquil new tune.

What remained was all familiar to their fans, the one-of-a-kind “Me On Fire” (a love song focused on the rapture possibly separating a couple) seeing Rothschild slickly knock out the beats with perfect precision as they brought it to a magnificent finish. Equally as tight was “Losing Pictures”, the opening acoustic riff yielding a rush of excitement from many of the spectators, the song in general sounding phenomenal. They stayed on You Can Take Your Sorry Ass Back To West Texas! with the somber “In My Pocket Forever”, while “El Paso” continued the poignant manner of storytelling. Silence followed the applause and cheering, Solis breaking it with, “Shut the fuck up. They’re gonna hear us!” Laughter ensued.

Things started to wind down with the ruckus “Bar Stool”, the best part of it being the echo-like effect added on the final verse, Kukowski, Garcia, and Brostad collectively repeating, “Then I let myself down,” once Solis had sang it, doing so with, “I wouldn't be the first,” as well. “A Long, Slow Death in San Marcos, Texas” was almost glossed over, though, luckily, they remembered it was part of their repertoire and turned it into the penultimate song of their set. “Hey, we forgot about a song that we know…” Solis remarked after a quick band meeting, the gentler song having Garcia often plucking the strings of her violin. With a final expression of love for everyone, Solis saying how grateful they were to Denton, Dan’s, and everyone in the area that has supported them over the last few years, they launched into their final number the bluegrass influenced “Meet Me By the Riverside”.

It made for a joyous and fun end to the show, its upbeat style being infectious and leaving everyone feeling quite chipper, the onlookers not ready for it to be over just yet. Some hadn’t even set their instruments down when cries for an encore filled the room, the musicians huddling around to discuss what they might have left to do. “Chris 'n' Sally” wound up being the icing on the cake, building upon their standard closer. Complete with solos from the violin, electric guitar, and banjo, it sounded excellent. Thomas Damron was even able to shine as he slapped his upright bass, the funny part of it being that everyone else knelt down for it, even Rothschild, whose head was just barely visible from his drum kit. With that, everyone seemed appeased, roaring fanfare being Madisons sendoff. It was an excellent show that hit all the sweet spots in regards to what people wanted and hoped to hear. It was more than just a fun show to watch, though. Their musicianship was impeccable, and truly something to marvel at. It’s really something when you consider their lineup has changed slightly since they were in Denton last summer, and their shows have been fairly sparse, making the rehearsal room the main place they’ve had to work on that cohesion. That time and effort showed. They were a well-oiled machine, the execution being smooth and flawless, each of them being in tune to what the others were doing. You could tell it simply by watching. The older material was where it was most evident, performing those songs seeming more like second nature to the band as they packed as much vim into them as possible, though even the new songs came across as if they had been played a slew of times. It was surprising, just how polished those cuts came across, further proving what great chemistry the members of Madisons have with one another. I think those who had seen them before wound up falling a little more in love with the band, while some others were surely converted in to fans. Madisons may not be the only ones doing it, though are a great example of how an edgy blend of Americana and folk still exists, and combined with the engrossing manner of storytelling, they’re a force to be reckoned with. Keep an eye on their sites for news of future shows, and check out BANDCAMP to get their music.

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