#fuck you Robert Gonzalez you know what you did

[unabashedllamamusic]

Season two of agents of shield is about SHIELD being terrified of anyone with powers. Season seven of agents of shield is about SHIELD being incredibly turned on by people with powers.

[7thgreenknight-blog]

Bad Company by Severino Rodriguez

I'm overwhelmed with the memories of yesterday. Get over it. Weirdo. You're different. You don't belong. Run, boy, run. Freak. Why does he talk to himself? Imaginary friend?- what's his name? Timmy. You need to get over the past...why are you so angry? I am there lost in the past. I am here carrying these burdens that make me so overweight with a heart so dense every step taken leaves an impression before me and afterwards. Why does everyone hate me? What did i do that was so wrong? Run, boy, run. Run, boy, run. Run, boy, run. RUN! You get over the pain but those scars stay with you. People want to rewrite the past then rewrite your identity trying to forget they were a part of those memories. I have these songs, facts, letters and numbers in my head. The numerical games i love to play as i count license plates to make sure they add up to one hundred. When i walk home i count the steps from my door step to the school. Then count the number back that i will need when i have to run home. You realize you're really smart but nobody shares your ideas, creativity and nonsense. Those moments that you realized you feel like you're in a room full of peers but they remind you of babies. When my friends betrayed me in 7th grade telling this girl i really liked that i wanted her to give me head and fuck me. It wasn't true. I did explain myself as i told her that i did like her but i didn't write that letter. It wouldn't matter. It also doesn't make sense that from that day to this one she avoids me. Her name was Jessa Reina if you're curious. She came from a well-to-do family with her dad being a doctor and lawyer. She lived in a new country house out in the country at the time. It was just outside Edinburg heading west on Freddy Gonzalez near a large water duct and small canal. If you drove past their house you would pass by a cow pasture. That area smelled of cow shit for about 4 miles- 10 if it was windy on a particular day. We used to hang out together, we had tennis and later we would sit for lunch. She was my first true friend. Then one day i just realized that i liked her. I would end up writing a poem for her and in the process i lost 20 pounds because i was running a lot. I guess they would say in love but all I wanted to do was go to the movies (laughing to myself- what is LOVE when you're in 6th grade?). My friends in parenthesizes would take it upon themselves to sex it up. They figured it was funny prank. Rene, Waldo (Yeah, we were friends once) Gary and Mark gave her the love letter...it did not go well. That was the first time a girl slapped me. It was the first time i lost a friend. I tried to make it right. Then the guys explained to her what they had done. It made things better but not the way it was supposed to go down. After she calmed down...it came down to this. I had not come to her to let her know how i felt (Which, i was about to do until my letter was stolen from my locker.) we could no longer be friends. I do remember just going numb. More numb than i usually was...then muscle memory kicking in and off we went with my tic-ticks and sky drawing to ease my hurt. What is wrong with you? Why are you so weird? Freak.... Then for whatever reason proceeds to tell me she developed an interest in Rene. Guess who had my poem? It lasted for 2 years. So. They all said i was insane and the irony is that she ended up being institutionalized and a raging alcoholic. It doesn't help when your doctor is name Dr. Looney...nobody ever let me live that down till i left Robert E. Lee. It appeared my reputation had caught up to me. I repeat my mantra- to be a great writer you have to tell the truth. Someone told me recently that i have no right to right about the past or to even bring up old painful memories. As i said i disagree. It is like this one overweight weekend warrior, Efron, who loves God and country. He can pull a trigger but can't run a mile. Let the Taliban come on down! To the Price Is Right! As i picture him running down the aisle, huffing, puffing then keeling over from a lack of oxygen. Where? Golden Corral? I give him 5 years before he drops dead of a heart attack. Then i realize all my life he was just some guy i knew. He does not know when my birthday is, my favorite color or even when my brother died. I never saw him at the wake or at the funeral. When he needed advice he would ask for it- then go with someone else's. I stare at these photos of all these people at this daycare we went too...and i realize how full of shit everyone of us were. He was never my friend. The sad part of it all was i really admired him. I wanted so much to be his friend my entire life...I defended him. I honored him and all i got was being mocked for it. I will never trust him again. All I ever wanted from him my entire life was his friendship. I can tell you what every single one of them did to me as a kid. You try so hard to fit in only to be made to stand out. Blending in into the crowd is not an easy thing to do until you have enough practice then you put on a mask. To be a great writer is to tell the truth. I think of all the writers who have been ostracized (check), killed (God, i hope not.) and threatened with violence (check). It appears that i am in good company. I will not stop writing. I will not change the past or my truth. I'm with Bad Company.

[astarkey]

IN DEPTH FANDOM QUESTIONS: Charmed and FDTD! 💖💖💖

It’s kinda long, so I’m gonna have it under the cut lol.

Charmed

Top 5 favorite characters: Piper Halliwell, Prue Halliwell, Phoebe Halliwell, Paige Matthews, Andy Trudeau Other characters you like: Darryl Morris, Leo Wyatt, Cole Turner, Barbas Least favorite characters: Billie Jenkins, (Adult) Chris Halliwell Otps: Prue/Andy, Piper/Leo, Phoebe/Cole, Prue/Bane Notps: Prue/Jack, Phoebe/Coop Favorite friendships: The Halliwells and Darryl Favorite family: The Halliwell sisters (Paige included) Favorite episodes: “Murphy’s Luck,” “Ex Libris,” “A Witch’s Tail,” “The Day the Magic Died,” and “Oh My Goddess.” Favorite season/book/movie: Season 2 Favorite quotes: “I know it’s not very P.C. but I want romance. Long, slow kisses, late night talks, candlelight. I love love.,” “It’s the 21st century. It’s the woman’s job to save the day.,” “I don’t obsess. I think, intensely.,” “I think from now on I’m gonna stop trying to control every little moment. The best ones kinda sneak up on you, anyway.” Best musical moment: All the musical guest at the club, P3. Moment that made you fangirl/boy the hardest: I think when I saw Bane make a re-appearence when he kidnapped Prue 😂 I don’t think I fangirl'd too hard, I was calm and surprised about it haha. When it really disappointed you: When they added Billie. I don’t know, I didn’t really like much of season 8 ‘cause I felt like they were making the focus on her and didn’t know what to do with the rest of the main characters. I hardly watched that season anyway, it just felt dragged out and confusing. Saddest moment: When Phoebe vanquished Cole Most well done character death: I don’t know, I guess Andy’s. Favorite guest star: John Cho Favorite cast member: Holly Marie Combs Character you wish was still alive: Prue Halliwell AND Andy Trudeau. One thing you hope really happens: I don’t know. It would’ve been nice to see the next generation of Halliwells kicking demon ass lol. Most shocking twist: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ When did you start watching/reading?: Probably around the time that s4 aired. I always saw glimpses of episodes on TNT when my mom used to do my hair before taking me to school, and I just decided to sit and watch it with her when they were showing new episodes on WB (CW). Best animal/creature: I think the Grimlocks. They kinda scared me when I was a kid lol. Favorite location: The Halliwell house Trope you wish they would stop using: I don’t know... I don’t know if it’s necessarily a trope, but I kinda noticed how they would make the big sisters seem a little bossy. Like Prue was the big sister and she was bossy, and then when she died and Piper ended up being the big sister, she became bossy later on, too. It’s like they have to have one of the sisters being the boss in the trio and it’s like why??? lol.  One thing this show/book/film does better than others: It’s three sisters that are witches and kicking demon ass. How cool is that lol  Funniest moments: Piper on the ground kicking and screaming in that episode “Is There a Woogy in the House,” and Piper calling some dude skid mark lol. Couple you would like to see: I don’t know. Actor/Actress you want to join the cast: I’m not sure. Favorite outfit: Phoebe’s outfit here [Link] It’s always been my favorite. Favorite item: The Book of Shadows Do you own anything related to this show/book/film?: No What house/team/group/friendship group/family/race etc would you be in?: I don’t know. Most boring plotline: I don’t know, I kinda stopped investing in the show when they did the whole Wyatt going to magic school like going to Hogwarts, and the warlock running the school wanted to steal Wyatt and make him evil so he could be evil!Wyatt in the future. It was like around that season and when Oded Fehr played that demon (I forgot his name, but I know it starts with a “Z”) and when Billie showed up, it just got boring later on. Most laughably bad moment: Piper’s Halloween costume as Gilda the witch from The Wizard of Oz. Best flashback/flashfoward if any: Idk, I can’t remember. There were so many 😂 Most layered character: Piper Halliwell Most one dimensional character: Uh... I don’t know. I wanna say (Adult) Chris Halliwell lmao. Scariest moment: I think a reporter was in the sewers trying to report on the Charmed Ones, but then a Grimlock popped up in front of the camera and attacked the reporter. Grossest moment: I don’t remember. Best looking male: Bane Jessup (let’s be honest here, people, lol) Best looking female: All of the sisters are good looking, lol. But I’ll say Phoebe Halliwell. Who you’re crushing on (if any): Nobody lol. Favorite cast moment: I don’t know. Favorite transportation: Orbing Most beautiful scene (scenery/shot wise): The dream sequences in the “Dream Sorcerer” episode. Unanswered question/continuity issue/plot error that bugs you: I know the reason (the Shannen and Alyssa beef while filming), but it’s weird that Prue’s spirit never shows up whenever the family’s spirits are called upon, like Grams’ and Penny’s spirit. Even in the last episode of the show, Prue never showed up, and even the characters questioned that! 😂 Best promo: I have no idea. At what point did you fall in love with this show/book: I don’t know, it kinda grew on me lol. I liked the idea of witches fighting evil, and the show gave off this warm nostalgic feeling (kinda like Practical Magic), and I think that’s what drew me to the show, as well.

From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series

Top 5 favorite characters: Seth Gecko, Kate Fuller, Richie Gecko, Kisa, and Eddie Cruickshank.  Other characters you like: Freddie Gonzalez, Scott Fuller, Ximena Vasconcelos, Jacob Fuller, Burt, Kalinda, Dakota Block, Rafa Infante, Vanessa Styles, Celestino Oculto 😎, and Kalinda Least favorite characters: Aiden Tanner, Carlos Madrigal, Sonja Lam Otps: Seth/Kate, Richie/Kate Notps: Scott/Kate, Seth/Richie, Kate/Carlos, and shipping anybody with Aiden lol. Favorite friendships: Seth and Kisa, Seth and Kalinda (even though it was extremely short, their interaction was just so nice to see), Kate and Rafa, and Richie and Kisa (I wanna say they’re otp, but I also like the mutual relationship they have) Favorite family: The Fuller family including the Gecko brothers... and Uncle Eddie 😂 Favorite episodes: “Let’s Get Ramblin’,”Santa Sangre,” “Shady Glen,” and “Dark Side of the Sun.” Favorite season/book/movie: Season 2 Favorite quotes: “And every spidey since I got is tingling in every nook and cranny from eyeballs to balls-balls.,” “’Got your balls on?’ ‘Screwed on tight.,’” “’Are you here for redemption? In whose eyes? Your God’s?’ No. In the eyes of the people I love.,’“ “My family might survive if we stick together because we’re better together. When we’re alone, we’re lost.,” “Now like it or not, we are a family. A broken, messed up, sad excuse for a family. But goddamn it, we got love for each other, don’t we? Love and forgiveness. That’s how you get through the day, right?,” “Next one that pipes up gets a stake through the heart. Reptile, regular jackass, I don’t really give a shit. Got it? Fantastic.,” “You, be cool.” Best musical moment: Uh... Every musical moment was pretty mediocre, so I guess Fanglorious on stage was pretty great (those are the only 2 musical moments I know). Moment that made you fangirl/boy the hardest: Los Tres Geckos robbing a bank at the end of s3 lol. When it really disappointed you: How the creators just decided to change Sex Machine’s character from the movie into this total perv/predator in the show, like wtf. Movie version Sex Machine was my fav. AND THEY KEPT BRINGING HIM BACK EACH SEASON WHEN NO ONE WANTED HIM BACK, LIKE MAJORITY OF US COLLECTIVELY WANTED HIM TO STAY DEAD! Saddest moment: In the “Straightjacket” episode when Seth was tied up and trying to talk to Richie to get his normal self to come back while his shadow-self took over. They really got me with that one. Most well done character death: Carlos getting butchered by the main characters, leaving Scott to finish him off by decapitating his head. That was some pretty poetic shit right there lol. Favorite guest star: Tom Savini Favorite cast member: D.J. Cotrona Character you wish was still alive: Pretty much majority of the ones that have died 😂 I’ll just say everyone except Malvado, Carlos, and Aiden Tanner. One thing you hope really happens: Dude, I just wanna see Seth and Kate kiss, that’s all man 😆 Most shocking twist: I mean I wasn’t expecting Kate to show up with the brothers robbing a bank, so that was a shock lol. When did you start watching/reading?: Pfff, pretty much five years ago, now, in March! Lol.  Best animal/creature: Culebras Favorite location: I’d say the run-down motel in the beginning of s2 😂 Also Uncle Eddie’s shop. Trope you wish they would stop using: Idk... Idk if it’s a trope, but it kinda sucks seeing innocent girls getting treated like shit and killed, and then they come back from the dead and like some part of them is stripped away like they’re not as they used to be, and they’re out for blood. I don’t know... One thing this show/book/film does better than others: As cheesy as this show is, it has Robert Rodriguez all over it, which kept me hooked. It also incorporates Mesoamerican mythology and folklore, which I’m a huge sucker for, AND VAMPIRES!!!!! Funniest moments: Richie sliding out when Seth told him to shut up at the liquor store, Carlos pretending to hand something to Malvado when he’s handing him nothing and saying he’s all out of fucks to give, Seth shooting a gun in the garage with a straight face, and Seth protecting his crotch before he attempts to shoot a gas tank. Couple you would like to see: Idk, I guess Seth/Kate??? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Actor/Actress you want to join the cast: Salma Hayek (I still wanna know why she wasn’t on the show. She would’ve been amazing as one of the nine lords) Favorite outfit: [Here], [here], and [HERE] Favorite item: Kate’s cross? Idk. Do you own anything related to this show/book/film?: Yep! A shirt of a fanart of the Gecko bros., a sethkate cup, and a fanart sethkate iTouch case. What house/team/group/friendship group/family/race etc would you be in?: I don’t know. Probably a culebra lol. Most boring plotline: None of them were really boring.  Most laughably bad moment: Richie just staring off into space as he’s drawing circles in his book like right after Seth said that Richie wasn’t crazy lol. Best flashback/flashfoward if any: Kisa’s flashbacks. Most layered character: Idk, there’s a lot of characters that are equally layered. Most one dimensional character: I don’t think there’s any 😂 Scariest moment: The Head Games monster taking the skull out of his victims was pretty crazy. Grossest moment: When that dude peed on Freddie while he was tied up. I’d say that was disgusting. Best looking male: That’s a tie between Seth and Richie. Best looking female: Kisa Who you’re crushing on (if any): SETH GECKO Favorite cast moment: When they all went on a group chat, and reminisced on the show and shared pics when they were on set filming. Favorite transportation: The rv, even though that rv needs to be cleansed thoroughly. Most beautiful scene (scenery/shot wise): Kate swimming and floating in the pool (before the water turns red lol) Unanswered question/continuity issue/plot error that bugs you: Like... there’s no way anyone could come out cold turkey that friggin’ quick within a couple hours. It usually would last within three days. Best promo: Season 3, I think. At what point did you fall in love with this show/book: I think it was the scene when Kate had the conversation with Richie by the pool. I loved how the creators made the interaction less creepy compared to the movie, and I found it pleasing with all these changes they made from the movie for the show. There were a lot of things they changed that I found it appealing, AND THEY CHANGED SETH’S ANSWER AND WANTED KATE TO ACCOMPANY HIM, LIKE THAT’S WHAT I WANTED TO HAPPEN FOR 20 YEARS, AND IT HAPPENED! 😩🙌🏽 It’s like they gave me everything I wanted, but wasn’t expecting to happen lmao.

Geez, sorry this took so long lol! Thank you so much for asking me these!!!! 😁💗

[queen-of-spoilers-zvonchy]

NXT women's divison review;

1.Tegan Nox- she's so bland. Like,she's good wrestler and nice person,but damn she literally gives us nothing. Few suprised faces and generic promos. I want to like her so bad,but damn girl,give us something!!

2. Rhea Ripley-Look,I never rly liked her,but they did her so wrong. Losing at WM,feud with Robert Stone brand and coloring her hair blonde🤮🤮Like why??Why???

3. Dakota Kai-they fucked her and Tegan storyline and that's where it all went wrong. Actually,Kai began to gain star power and than they added Reina/Raquel Gonzalez who ppl like for some reason. It took few months and takeover match with Io to revive Dakota's character a bit.

4. Candice-this pains me to even write. Babyface Candice as a champion if Rhea won at WM,the story there,the power it would have...But NO,turn Candice heel! She doesn't feel heelish,she feels like a face.Even her promos come off as a face-ish kinda. Her new hair is dope,though

5. Mia Yim-What is even her gimmick?Being tough?!Like girl,love ya,but I need something stronger to like bbyface. They give her character literally zero thought!!What is your gimmick girl,you've been there for so long and I still can't figure you out.

6.Io Shirai-she has strong promos and ability, but I guess Charlotte's run as a champion ruined it for me so much that I can't take that championship seriously. Overall,good work Io!

7. Shotzi Blackheart-Sign me up.Love her.I think she's the hottest new signing they caught.

8. Mercedes Martinez- I want to like her,but damn,she just comes as Shayna's rip-off. Her facials are bland,blank.So bad. In her first match Santana had to carry the whole match.

9.Aliyah-Her character work is so great but her performance in ring is different story. Like girl,why do you botch so much,I don't know a lot,but even I see when you miss a spot.

10. Santana Garrett-hope I spelled it right. I know what she did in indie scene. She has more championships than anyone but her character needs a bit more work. It comes off as a confusing every time.

Will do continuation in next post😄

[dustedmagazine]

Dust Vol. 3, Number 15

Telescopes

Buttercup — Battle of Flowers

Battle of Flowers by Buttercup

Buttercup is a love-of-the-game kind of band, a trio that plays smart, tight, bubbly power pop with a psychedelic sheen. Guitarist Joe Reyes won a Grammy in 2002 for his producing work on Freddy Fender’s La Música de Baldemar Huerta but otherwise he and his bandmates — Erik Sanden and the one-named bassist odie — seem to have left little internet trail. That’s a shame because Battle of Flowers is just so very enjoyable, hooky and engaging with just enough edge to make it stick. “Acting Through Music” chimes and croons and postures like a Teenage Fanclub tune struck by a temporary obsession with “Bohemian Rhapsody,” while “I Love You (You Believed in Me)” is all twitchy, spiky romantic obsession, making fun of itself, but still fundamentally sincere. The best cut, though, and maybe the most resonant right now given what happened in Virginia/New Jersey/Maine etc. last night, is “Henry B. Gonzalez,” a paean to the old school Texas progressive who fought for equality via the filibuster (“for 22 hours, he read the Bible”). It’s the hardest rocking song of the bunch, sweet and abrasive a la Big Star, and exactly what some of us need to hear,  “When did liberal become a bad word? When did liberal become a curse? On Henry B.’s tombstone, it says liberal, it says fighter, democrat, aaaaghhh!”  Ditto to all of that, especially the aaaaaghhh.

Jennifer Kelly

 Chamomile & Whiskey — Sweet Afton (County Wide) 

With a new album named Sweet Afton and a single called “Nelson County,” Chamomile and Whiskey show a commitment to their geography. Set in the band's home region in central Virginia, the music matches, a bouncing Appalachian sound that knows where its roots are. The group – the outgrowth of collaboration between guitarist/singer Koda Kerl and fiddler/vocalist Marie Borgman – pushes back further, though, playing with the Irish connection to their area's mountain music. The phrase “sweet Afton” references not only a Virginia locale but also a Robert Burns poem and Ireland's never far. Connecting modern bluegrass with Celtic roots is not uncommon, but as Chamomile & Whiskey have filled out to a quintet including an Irish-raised banjo player, they've made it a natural connection.  

The album's at its best when it keeps itself a fun romp. The best songs here are bonfire singalongs at heart, even when the musicians' skills elevate them. As you might expect from an act that moves happily between related genres, C&W aren't a one-dimensional act. If “Nelson County” requires car windows to be rolled down, “Thalia” asks its listeners to get in their cups. “Stunt Man” closes the album with an autumnal comedown, a walk outside looking in, casting a chilly feeling wherever you are.  

Justin Cober-Lake

 Elbow — Little Fictions (Concord)

If, when they first appeared, Elbow appeared already ready for middle age, that’s arguably as much because of the fact that they’d been a band for ten years already as anything to do with their actual stylistic or lyrical choices. Still, it’s not surprising at all that aging has treated them very well, albeit this time leaving them without original drummer Richard Jupp (not that tracks like “Gentle Storm” are any less percussion focused). Guy Garvey still has a keen eye for the cutting emotional detail and a voice like a warm sweater (vocally and compositionally he’s somewhere between Peter Gabriel and the National’s Matt Berninger, to take one example before his time and one after), and nothing on the compact, quietly accomplished Little Fictions suggests they’ve lost a step, personnel change or not. You pretty much already know whether you’re interested in Elbow’s music, but anyone on the wavelengths of their sometimes quiet, sometimes gnarled songs of comfort and melancholy will be pleased to find that they persist.  

Ian Mathers

 Fraufraulein—Heavy Objects (Marginal Frequency)

MFCS G | fraufraulein - heavy objects by fraufraulein

Who plays the music and who deals with the baby? New-ish parents Billy Gomberg and Anne Guthrie had to deal with that question as they made Heavy Objects, and that circumstance offers one explanation for the tape’s restraint. While a French horn, bass guitar, digital recorder and synthesizer were all hefted during the recording session, it certainly doesn’t sound like anything heavy was played, let alone dropped. Instead distant environmental recordings negotiate for space with other recordings of hushed in-home activity — the filling of a glass or papers being moved around a table. The musical instruments are heard one note at a time, almost reluctantly, as though whoever was playing them was trying hard not to wake the kid. The result is music well suited to quiet headset listening. Pop the tape in your Walkman or the files in your phone and play them almost subliminally while you shop or stroll, and savor the moment when you can’t tell if the radio or car horn you’re hearing comes from the music or the space you’re traversing. But if you’re easily frightened, you might want to audition side two once in the safety of your home first; I don’t want to spoil the surprise, but there is one sound on it that you’d much rather hear coming from a recording than the street.

Bill Meyer

  Matthew Golombisky—Cuentos Volumes 1 & 2 cassette (Eyes & Ears) 

Matthew Golombisky gets around. He’s spent time in New Orleans, Chicago, Oakland, New York, Asheville and currently lives in Buenos Aires. The bassist has scored films, taught music and held down the groove in countless jazz, pop, and singer/songwriter settings. Despite being the director of Eyes & Ears Records, he hasn’t been particularly diligent in documenting his own music until now. This tape features musicians from Oakland CA and Chicago IL. One side is labeled West Coast, the other Third Coast, but the divide isn’t that tidy, since the California combo includes former Chicagoan/current Copenhagen resident Aram Shelton on reeds. There’s little overlap in the material (over the course of twelve tracks, just one tune gets played by both groups) or line-up (reeds/vibes/cello/acoustic bass guitar on one, trumpet/guitar/contrabass/electric bass guitar on the other), but a fairly consistent chamber jazz vibe. The absence of drums ensures that melodies and interlocking structures are clearly expressed, and whoever carries the tune the most (Shelton and vibraphonist Mark Clifford on the West coast tracks, trumpeter James Davis and bassist Jeff Greene on the Chicago ones) holds the foreground. But cock an ear, and you’ll hear plenty of give and take between the musicians.

Bill Meyer 

Harry Pussy—A Real New England Fuck Up LP (Palilalia)  

You had to be there. There’s just no way to comprehend the impact of Harry Pussy without actually experiencing their volume, aggression, and brevity in real time/volume/injury. Well, not that many people got hurt, except maybe their high-end hearing. And whether you could hear the next day or not, you can say you were levitated by the air-waves radiating away from the collision of experience of Bill Orcutt and Mark Feehan’s high-speed, convoluted riffs and drummer Adris Hoyos building-toppling drumming and mic-swallowing screams. Twenty-odd minutes and it was gone, and only the terminally clueless complained about the set length; everyone else knew they’d been mauled by angels and considered themselves blessed.

 While you had to be there to know, that doesn’t mean recordings are worthless, just inadequate to the task at hand. This LP delivers two sets in glorious speaker-trashing fidelity, one classic example from 1994 and another from 1996. The former documents a night their sound when Orcutt handles the vocals. He can’t muster her scream-power, but the way they rattle and blast off the trio’s playing is still pretty exhilarating. Charalambides guitarist Tom Carter’s liner notes alone are worth the purchase price, but this is an LP, so there’s music, thank God.

Bill Meyer  

The Heliosonic Tone-tette — Heliosonic Toneways, 

Vol. 1 (ScienSonic Laboratories)

Launched in loving observance of the half-century’s worth of rotations around the sun since Sun Ra’s pivotal Heliocentric Worlds project for the ESP label, Heliosonic Toneways, Vol. 1 is a joint venture between nonagenarian Arkestral stalwart Marshall Allen and pan-reed professor Scott Robinson. Both men are known for their fervent multi-instrumentalism, though the expansive setting finds Robinson largely abandoning his voluminous reed arsenal in favor of a different armory that includes electric piano, timpani, theremin, soundsheet, dragon drum and space magnets. In addition to his signature alto, Allen also holds court on three of the eleven pieces from behind the very same bass marimba that Ra used in 1965. The ten-piece group enlisted original engineer Richard Alderson to record the session, although Robinson is careful to point out that all of the music avoids rote derivation from its source of inspiration. Ace sidemen like trombonist Frank Lacy and bass clarinetist JD Parran kick the musical caliber up a notch with an organized band sound that compellingly conveys the cosmic without carrying over into kitsch.

Derek Taylor

 Palberta / No One and the Somebodies — Chips for Dinner (Wharf Cat/Ramp Local) 

 Palberta and No One and the Somebodies share a penchant for bizarre punk that matches lighthearted goofiness and intense attacks. Their split LP Chips for Dinner blows by in 20 minutes, but each group manages to cram in a reasonable expression of they are. No One gets the first five tracks, blending freakouts and noise with classic rock sounds and even a reference — I'm guessing — to Western use of world music. Both “Nü Metal” and “Nü Jazz” are rough send-ups of their titular genres, revealing that this record, without being lazy, is largely about the fun of making it.  

Palberta, coming out of the momentum of this year's Bye Bye Berta, does their weird take on post-punk. Nobody sounds too stable in this group (though if their “Stayin' Alive” cover is fresh in your mind, you don't want stable). It's a late-night walk through a slightly surreal city. “Pharmacy” and “Take You Away” (the latter an oddly long song for the group) narrate and seek to induce psychosis. “Nana” carries a groove, but “Call Me,” while probably in Debbie Harry's city, rolls in the grime and offers little release. The playful release shows one band still energized and another discovering joy in their lack of containment.

Justin Cober-Lake

 Shooting Guns — Flavour Country (RidingEasy Records)

Saskatoon’s own interstellar, pulverizing psych/doom unit Shooting Guns have been frying synapses for over seven years now, but it’s hard not to regard their first proper full length (2013’s Brotherhood of the Ram) as a peak, not least due to a nine and a half minute behemoth called “Motherfuckers Never Learn.” They’ve put out plenty of material since, soundtracks and splits and compilations, but Flavour Country is only their second no-other-qualifications record, and it lives up to those high standards. Opening with a couple of quick, thrashy numbers Shooting Guns set the pace immediately before before blowing it out with the bluesy, low-slung “Beltwhip Snakecharmer,” showing an enviable range and pacing. But as good as the first four tracks are, it’s the two lengthier side two explorations that really lock in and get down to business, whether that’s the steady, harmonica-fulled grind of the title track or “Black Leather Jacket”’s punishing, room melting crawl. Nothing here tops “Motherfuckers Never Learn” in the aggression stakes, but there’s plenty that indicates that Shooting Guns are in it for the long haul.  

Ian Mathers

  Willie “The Lion” Smith & Don Ewell — Grand Piano Duets (Sackville/Delmark) 

Echoing the double entendre of its title, Grand Piano Duets fulfills the promise inherent to the pairing of its reputable principals. Willie “The Lion” Smith was a recognized master who along with the late James P. Johnson and Fats Waller constituted a Holy Trinity of stride pianists. Nearly nineteen years Smith’s junior, Don Ewell embodied a later generation of stride purveyors who developed in the elder’s long shadow. The scheme to team them on record came out of a string of Toronto concerts, first with Ewell solo and later with Smith as formidable foil. Material from those meetings found circulation on the Delmark label and prompted this studio date in early 1967. A danger in these sorts of friendly dust-ups is the musicians playing over each other in the service of bombastic brinksmanship. To their credit, Smith and Ewell manage a fair share of playful and vocal fisticuffs without overstepping into obfuscating bombast or derailing insularity. Piano tandems were already old hat when this encounter of aged mentor and industrious pupil was committed to studio tape. Throughout, Smith and Ewell prove themselves a decidedly separate and tastier kettle of ivory ticklers from the Ferrante & Teicher fare that commonly constituted such ventures in the pop realm of the time.

Derek Taylor

[inkyfingerstoo]

aos rewatch

2x19 - The Dirty Half Dozen Thanks again @consoledacup !!!!

In this one: Team SHIELD is reunited and it feels so good wrong! Mike and Lincoln get cut up then saved. Jemma commits murder. Fitz pea-cocks. The Bus dies. Jai-ying talks a lot. Gonzalez talks more. Coulson talks the most. Raina has visions of Ultron.

-Coming to you in full Raina-vision - Hi Ruth Negga! -I loved Kyle Mclaughlin as Cal - he brought a lot of spark and heightened emotion to the show -Whatever happened to all these rando inhumans at the sanctuary? -Felt no connection to Robert Gonzalez (getting major Malick vibes), slow, low growly voice -Coulson exposition might be the worst part of the show -Boring Jai-ying/Skye scene, more exposition, less action -BAKSHI (I love him) - I can’t believe the villains end their phone calls with “Hail Hydra” ::snortlaughter:: -eugh back to Coulson/Gonzalez exposition -FITZ! First appearance at the 8:31 minute mark (standard Fitzsimmons first episode appearance average is probably ~10minutes - forever salty about it). -Iain, you’re adorable. AND HUNTER, I love and miss you -Nice saucy comment by Ward there “May’s actually pretty friendly…once you get to know her.” -“What happened?” “They removed Deathlock’s eye.” Yikes. Captain obvious. -JEMMA at the 12:00 minute mark (Fitz just staring at her) and a Fitzsimmons scene. “Whatever that is, it’s not love.” “Tsh, course not.” THE TENSION IN THAT SMALL SILENCE AFTER THIS EXCHANGE IS UNBEARABLE. Jemma’s reaction after this excahnge is very interesting. Nervously clasped hands, looking down to her feet, not looking at Fitz. Poor girl. She’s in so much pain -FitzSimmons sandwich of love. Fitz’s earnest thanks and Jemma’s soft “you’re welcome.” -Fitz pea-cocking is my favorite thing in the world -“You know what I should have done is toss him from the plane.” “Yeah, that would have been fitting.” I guess it’s good they can (kind of) joke about it now? -Never really unpacked how I feel about murderous Jemma. On one hand I get, bc Ward is evil and deserves to die and he nearly destroyed the most precious thing in the world to Jemma. But on the other hand, it’s murder, it’s taking a human life, that’s pretty intense. I'm sure there were some agents who joined SHEILD with the understanding that at some point, they will likely have to take a human life. But I don't think that ever occurred to Fitz or Simmons. They joined (well she joined, he followed) for science, discovery, exploration and adventure. And look at them now. It's all quite tragic really. Always wonder about these secret agent shows and how much murder is going on and the lines of morality that get pushed, and the justifications that occur. It’s all too deep for me to dive into so…..I’m just gonna not do it. -Whoa Coulson going to Andrew behind May’s back (to me that makes Coulson/May weirder, sorry I’m not on that ship, I like them as devoted friends only). I wonder how many times in the series Coulson has said the words, “but right now” - I bet it’s a lot -Afterlife crap, Ward/Kara crap, Bobbi/Gonzalez exchange, not really paying attention -Jemma and Coulson……man she really wants to murder Ward! Look how tense she is, her body language is very desperate borderline manic. (Ok, here’s a complaint I have about the show, Jemma says she should come on the mission for medical support…but she’s not an MD. Sure, she’s a genius but she didn’t go to medical school. I feel like this is something the show has forever been a bit confused about (like later in the season when she’s part of the surgery team for Bobbi - that made zero sense). I’m undoubtedly in the minority here, but I wish they would focus Jemma’s science prowess back to what it was in season 1 with the chemistry portion of her expertise and how that works in conjunction with biology. The only slack I’ll give for this case is that it was Mike Peterson who is half cyborg and as she states, she knows all his tech.) -Fitz in tach gear…..yes please (I wonder if he questioned or asked Jemma why she was there since she was a last minute add to the crew) -I’ll always be salty about the way Coulson clearly cares about Skye above all others -Trio™ pow-wow is adorable. -Ward, King of Excuses. He doesn’t regret killing people???? What a sociopath!!!! -Cal/Jai-ying scene…..boooooring -Hunter/Mack scene, all the awz, Bobbi/Kara scene, don’t care -The twins! Wanda and Pietro mentioned. Neat -All this choreographed hustle is hilarious (when they’re running around in the bus before it’s shot down) -RIP Bus - I’ll forever miss the lab and the little cubbie bedrooms (and forever have AUs where Fitz and Simmons cuddled in them.) -Shaky camera acting is always silly looking (weird moment at 28:11 - during one of the cuts to the team as the quinjet falls, Simmons holds her fist out, as if she wanted a bump from Fitz, haha). -Nice vfx Kolpack! -Man did the SHIELD team easily get into the base. No follow-up from Team Hydra to check for survivors, I guess. Lazy villains will never prosper. -“Be careful, Jemma.” Fitzsimmons for: “I love you.” -This one-shot action sequence with Daisy was SICK. Probably my second favorite Daisy scene in the series (The Fitzsimmons shipper speech is #1 obviously.) -Jemma with some nice moves against Bakshi. I wish more than anything we saw Jemma and Fitz doing the physical training (the way we always see Daisy) -Bakshi dies! Aw saddddd. Fun fact: after this episode aired I tweeted Simon Kassianides about how I was sad Bakshi died because I loved him as a villain and he liked and retweeted my tweet! (Said something along the lines of maybe he’s just “mostly dead,” Princess Bride style). -Why is Jemma so willing to die? “Get it over with you monster.” (“Just let them kill me.”) - did they forget at the end of s1 of Jemma refused to die, refused to let Fitz die? OOC (I suppose you could argue that it was a front of bravery in front of Ward. She just assumed he’d kill her so why give him the satisfaction of showing fear. Better scene in my opinion? Let her ‘go down’ fighting, let her say fuck it and pull the gun out and try and shoot Ward, but he shoots her in the vest she’s wearing, more dramatic fodder for FitzSimmons) -Love how these agents just murder people with no qualms. (May shooting the guards). I’m glad Fitz didn’t kill anyone. -Awww Fitz standing next to Jemma over Lincoln’s med bed -Aww2.0 Fitz and Jemma talking to Mike Peterson, like old times. “He didn’t make it.” (re. Bakshi) Jemma gives no shits. -lol This episode setting up Ultron. “It’s all connected.” bahahahaha

Fitzsimmons screen time once again woefully inadequate at 7.25 minutes 

Tagging: @wheres-your-rum @nerdlove4thewin @jemmathepoptart

[d2kvirus]

Dickheads of the Month: March 2018

As it seems that there are people who say or do things that are remarkably dickheaded yet somehow people try to make excuses for them or pretend it never happened, here is a collection of some of the dickheaded actions we saw in the month of March 2018 to make sure that they are never forgotten.

It takes a remarkable lack of awareness to liken somebody wearing a political symbol to the Star of David, the Nazi swastika or a t-shirt bearing the image of Robert Mugabe, yet that’s exactly what FA chief Martin Glenn managed to do - almost word-for-word, in fact.

Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson issued Russia the blood-curdling threat of “Shut up and go away” - which he somehow forgot to say when accepting £30,000 to have dinner with Lubov Chernukin, the Russian banker who happens to be a member of Vladimir Putin’s inner circle.

For whatever reason, NRA TV host  Collins Iyare Idehen Jr. (otherwise known as Colion Noir) broke from the channel’s remarkable similarities to ISIS recruitment ads to mock the Parkland teens by saying that nobody would know who they were if their friends hadn’t been shot - somehow missing how that’s the fucking point as there is no reason for anyone to know the names of any of these kids or their former classmates, but rather than consider the reason why (as that would involve taking responsibility) the only thing he can do is mock, and sneer, and underline just how much of the problem the NRA have become.

Twitter user...sorry, former Twitter user MomsLuvTrump20 hit the dickhead jackpot by doctoring an image of Parkland survivor Emma Gonzalez tearing up a shooting target from a shoot with Teen Vogue so instead it showed her tearing up the US Constitution (quite poorly, it has to be said) and shared it online, not only getting tens of thousands of shares and an undercurrent of seething ignorance that someone would dare tell America that they have a gun problem, but this also led to people sending Gonzalez death threats.  Yes, death threats, to someone who all too recently survived a gun massacre - which, contrary to what Adam Baldwin thinks, is not satire.

On the subject of Photoshopped images, Newsnight editor Jess Brammar really took offence at accusations that the programme she is responsible for was responsible for manipulating images of Jeremy Corbyn in order to make him fit the narrative that he was some sort of Russian stooge, and did so by...posting an image to her Twitter account that made it even more obvious that Newsnight had Photoshopped the image of Corbyn.

Somehow forgetting to uphold the obvious lie that they are in any way left wing, CNN columnist Jeremy Bailenson came up with a quite remarkable crock of shite in an article ripped from the late 1990s where he said gamers playing first person shooters are being trained to be the next generation of mass shooters citing evidence such as...some gibberish about holding a VR controller being exactly the same as holding an AK47.

To the surprise of nobody, certifiable headcase Munroe Bergdorf didn’t last long on the LGBT advisory panel they were appointed to (while a section of the media still wrongly claim that Bergdorf was appointed as LBGT advisor), yet when stepping down from their role Bergdorf’s response was to cite racism instead of the more common diplomatic response stating their appointment had brought undue pressure upon the panel - which merely added more fuel to the fire of the Tory commentators who kept making all manner of false equivalencies between Bergdorf being appointed to an unpaid role on an independent panel to Toby Young being appointed in an official capacity worth tens of thousands of pounds a year by his mat Jo Johnson back in January.

In yet another example of the right using the “Left = Nazis” rhetoric, we had Minnesota Republican Mary Franson making a direct comparison between the March for our Lives march and the Hitler Youth - and after her making a direct comparison between the two (unsurprisingly) led to her being called out for such idiocy, she attempted to defend herself by claiming she didn’t make a direct comparison between the two nor was her intent to...and when that predictably failed, then she decided to apologise which certainly has nothing to do with her being up for reelection.

Filibustering enthusiast Philip Davies took time out from his hectic schedule of campaigning against political correctness as he refuses to treat women, ethnic minorities, homosexuals or the disabled as being equal to him to conduct himself in the most professional manner when being interviewed by Luisa Omielan - by responding to reasonable questions by hurling out insults and accusations before shoving Omielan around his office.

In response to the imminent threat of a whistleblower revealing the Vote leave campaign broke rules on electoral funding, Stephen Parkinson knew there was only one thing he could do: threaten to publicly reveal the homosexuality of the whistleblower to keep him quiet, and when that obviously didn't work he outed him anyway - which was not only sanctioned by Theresa May, but she also supported Parkinson for his gross violation of privacy, use of blackmail, and endangering the safety of the whistleblower and his family.

Let’s see if I’ve got this straight: Tommy Robinson had a camera crew waiting for him outside a random branch of McDonalds, who just so happened to be in place to film a group of “far left extremists” as they “attacked” Robinson and, more importantly, were able to film him fight them off to show who the “real” “man” is - just as I am sure there is a perfectly legitimate reason for Robinson insisting that the police shouldn’t investigate the incident or, for all his talk of him and his crew being assaulted, the paramedics being unable to find so much as a bruise on them.  I can’t think what I could possibly be implying here...

On a similar subject, we have those people wailing about “free speech!!!” at the news of Paul Golding & Jayda Fransen being jailed and, a week later, Facebook shutting down Britain First’s page.  Obviously that was what happened, and nothing to do with the pair violating the terms of their exclusion orders for the former, or spending six years violating several of Facebook’s Terms of Service (without the provider batting an eyelid, it needs to be stressed) for the latter.

On the subject of freedom of speech, Sajid Javid referred to Momentum as “neo fascists” in Parliament knowing full well that he could hide behind parliamentary privilege and not be sued for it there - but if he set foot outside and said the same thing he'd receive a solicitor’s letter within the hour.

One of the approximate 357 Liverpool FC correspondents on Sky Sports’ payroll, Jamie Carragher, showed he could handle the mildest form of criticism by...winding down the window of his car and gobbing in the general direction of somebody reminding him that his beloved Liverpool just lost a game to Man Utd from the window of his car, only to miss and instead coat the taunter’s daughter instead.  The only surprise is he didn't have seven of his mates join in, just like his ex-teammate Steven Gerrard.

Glorified talent show judge with the business acumen of a market stall trader Alan Sugar thought it was a clever idea to tweet an image suggesting that Jeremy Corbyn shares the politics of Hitler’s inner circle.  What is it with Apprentice judges showing levels of judgment and intelligence that would make calling them “halfwit” a compliment?

There’s something remarkably pathetic that it took two hacks from Murdoch’s Hate Comic, Gary O’Shea and Thea Jacobs, to write a sneering article damning “snowflake students” for suggesting that Frankenstein’s monster wasn’t the antagonist of Frankenstein but the victim.  You know who else made the same suggestion?  Mary Shelley, when she wrote the fucking book back in 1818!

In the latest example of their historic women’s division historically making history, the WWE announced a battle royale for WrestleMania 34 named after the Fabulous Moolah - only to find that quite a lot of wrestling fans are aware of Moolah’s reputation for holding back women’s wrestling in North America for the best part of four decades, not only skimming the vast chunk of her trainees’ salaries but also forcing them to pay rent at her motel if they wanted to work, and even pimping out her trainees and they were quick to let the event’s sponsors know about it.

Seemingly not learning from the last time he made a complete tit of himself (and earned a visit from Jeremy Corbyn’s solicitors in the process) Twitter troll and occasional MP Ben Bradley thought it was a good idea to pose with a pair of former Labour councillors and welcome them to the Tory party - only to be reliably informed that those councillors had been suspended and, in one case, deselected from the Labour party for making racist comments, and that them being happy to cosy up to the Tories sort of proves Momentum’s point better than anything else.

In an apparent competition to see who could act like the biggest fuckwit when discussing the same subject, the intense wave of revulsion that comes from a group of Floridian teenagers having a better grasp of what humanity involved led to Laura Ingraham taking to Twitter to mock how David Hogg got rejected by various colleges as his GPA was too low that led to various advertisers dropping Fox News like a hot, faeces-covered stone before she announced she'd be taking a week-long vacation, while the homophobic, pro-gun, child molesting racist Ted Nugent referred to the Parkland kids as “soulless” which led to...not much happening, because who has given a tuppenny fuck about Ted Nugent in the past 25 years?  Either way, still a colossal dickhead.

On that subject, I can’t help notice there’s a lot of pro-gun liars intent on regurgitating the lie that the March for our Lives kids bullied Nathan Cruz, and how the poor innocent victim Cruz fought back against these vicious bullies and we should stop persecuting him for cold-bloodedly murdering seventeen people who, by their own thick-headed excuse for an argument, weren't even the seventeen people he meant to shoot in the first place.  And that, Ted Nugent, is what a soulless person looks like - and there’s a shitload of them all over Twitter.

Be thankful for the Salisbury nerve agent attack as it gave the British media even more reasons than usual to avoid reporting how Drug Minister Victoria Atkins banned the growing of cannabis for medicinal use in the UK with one swipe of the pen - and with another granted Paul Kenward, who just so happens to be her husband, a license to grow medicinal cannabis in the UK for export abroad.

Somebody who thinks it’s a good idea to describe themselves as a “professional shitposter” Count Dankula attempted to say that he was going to jail for teaching a dog the Nazi salute, which of course Breitbart and lots of people who used this as an excuse to make completely unconnected rants about Islam jumped on immediately.  They probably should have broken with tradition and checked their facts before mouthing off, because what actually got him charged with inciting racial hatred was making comments as “Gas the Jews!” throughout the video, as if the systematic extermination of millions is the basis for some good, hearty gut laughs for all the family.

I know that he wasn't aware of the irony that he was unfolding in front of him, but watching how Cambridge Analytica CEO Alexander Nix went into detail about how the company would use hidden cameras in a ploy to honeytrap politicians while being filmed saying this by a hidden camera did almost as much damage to the firm’s image as the revelations that came out as a result of the piece.

And finally, blaming video games while an elephant with the letters N, R and A emblazoned upon it shits on the Oval Office carpet, we have Donald Trump.