#going that trend of ranking all Taylor Swift songs out of ten and getting the average or whatever for each one to list them accurately

[walkerrenee]

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[andichoseyou]

THE ERAS TOUR ASK GAME!

💗Miss Americana And The Heartbreak Prince: it's been a long time coming... what was your opinion on the Lover album when it first came out, and what are your opinions on it now?

💗Cruel Summer: fever dream high... can you remember the best or worst summer of your life? if yes, can you explain why it was the best/worst?

💗The Man: i'm so sick of running as fast as i can... can you name some songs, movies, poems, etc that make you feel powerful? like you could do anything?

💗You Need To Calm Down: we've all got crowns... name 5 female artists (besides Taylor!) that you love!

💗Lover: can i go where you go... what are, in your opinion, the most romantic songs of all time?

💗The Archer: you could stay... at the end of the day, who do you choose? who is your person? your other half?

💗THE LOVER ERA: if you could add one Lover song to the setlist, which one would it be?

🌟Fearless: i don't know how it gets better than this... what was something that you were afraid to do, but did anyway? how did doing that make you feel?

🌟You Belong With Me: been here all along... what are your go-to karaoke songs?

🌟Love Story: we were both young when i first saw you... what were your favorite books/fairytales when you were younger?

🌟THE FEARLESS ERA: if you could add one Fearless song to the setlist, which one would it be?

🍂'Tis The Damn Season: it always leads to you and my hometown... what is your favorite spot in the town you grew up in? was it a restaurant? your childhood friend's house? the school you went to? someplace else?

🍂Willow: i come back stronger than a 90s trend... favorite 90s song?

🍂Marjorie: you're alive in my head... if you could have dinner with one person, dead or alive, who would it be?

🍂Champagne Problems: i dropped your hand while dancing... what was the last movie/show that made you cry?

🍂Tolerate It: tell me i've got it wrong somehow... rank every taylor swift track 5!

🍂THE EVERMORE ERA: if you could add one Evermore song to the setlist, which one would it be?

♟️...Ready For It?: in the middle of the night... what is the last dream that you can remember? what was it about?

♟️Delicate: isn't it?... what is your favorite taylor swift "question" lyric? (ex: "can i go where you go?" or "remember when you hit the brakes too soon?")

♟️Don't Blame Me: oh lord save me... all time favorite live taylor performance?

♟️Look What You Made Me Do: the old taylor can't come to the phone... what are your top 5 favorite taylor swift music videos?

♟️THE REPUTATION ERA: if you could add one Reputation song to the setlist, which one would it be?

💟Enchanted: this night is sparkling... favorite dress that taylor has worn? it can be on stage, on the red carpet, or just out and about... but it must be a dress!

💟Long Live: we will be remembered... what is your favorite Taylor related memory?

💟THE SPEAK NOW ERA: if you could add one Speak Now song to the setlist, which one would it be?

🧣22: it feels like one of those nights... when is your birthday? how old are you turning? what is something you want to do for it? do you have any birthday traditions?

🧣We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together: like, ever... best way to get over a break up? (romantic or platonic)

🧣I Knew You Were Trouble: so shame on me now... name 5 songs to scream-sing in the car with the windows down

🧣All Too Well (Ten Minute Version): i know it's long gone... what song(s) by taylor would you want a ten minute version of?

🧣THE RED ERA: if you could add one Red song to the setlist, which one would it be?

☕️The 1: i guess you never know... do you prefer The 1 or Invisible String?

☕️Betty: i know i miss you... what taylor swift song do you feel like she wrote just for you? a song that you relate to so much that it feels like she got inside your brain?

☕️The Last Great American Dynasty: 50 years is a long time... if you could write an essay/book/song/etc about any historical figure, who would you choose and why?

☕️August: you were never mine... favorite month of the year? why is it your favorite?

☕️Illicit Affairs: don't call me kid, don't call me baby... top 3 favorite taylor swift bridges?

☕️My Tears Ricochet: why are you at the wake... what are your go-to songs for when you need a good cry? (doesn't just have to be taylor songs!)

☕️Cardigan: i knew you... what is your favorite piece of clothing that you own?

☕️THE FOLKLORE ERA: if you could add one Folklore song to the setlist, which one would it be?

🦋Style: take me home... if you could ask taylor to cover one song, which song would you choose?

🦋Blank Space: if the high was worth the pain... what was the first taylor song you ever heard?

🦋Shake It Off: it's gonna be alright... list ten things that make you happy!!!

🦋Wildest Dreams: i bet these memories follow you around... would you consider yourself an optimist or a pessimist?

🦋Bad Blood: blood runs cold... all time favorite taylor collab? who do you want to see her collab with next?

🦋THE 1989 ERA: if you could add one 1989 song to the setlist, which one would it be?

🍀Surprise Songs: what are your two dream surprise songs that you want to see live?

🌌Lavender Haze: i just need this love spiral... what is the funniest/stupidest rumor about taylor swift that you have seen/heard?

🌌Anti-Hero: too big to hang out... are you a sexy baby or a monster on the hill?

🌌Midnight Rain: all of me changed... do you prefer sunshine or the rain?

🌌Vigilante Shit: don't get sad, get even... post your favorite taylor pictures from the eras tour!!

🌌Bejeweled: a diamond's gotta shine... out of the 4 music videos from midnights that we have, which one is your favorite? which one is your least favorite?

🌌Mastermind: none of it was accidental... what is your favorite "big word" that taylor has used in a song? (ex: Machiavellian, incandescent)

🌌Karma: sweet like honey... karma is cat for taylor, but what is karma to you?

🌌THE MIDNIGHTS ERA: if you could add one Midnights song to the setlist, which one would it be?

[rubyxts]

Taylor Swift’s Lyrical Traffic Violations, Ranked

As Taylor Swift continues the slow but steady release of her re-recordings with Red (Taylor’s Version), we’re able to collectively revisit some of her early work through the lens of her discography as a whole. In doing so, there are certain recurring themes or tropes that become apparent, like forbidden romances, colors representing emotions, and the worst driving imaginable. Anyone who’s either a Swiftie or a crossing guard is sure to have noticed just how often Taylor sings about these illegal traffic maneuvers. And after nine albums of this, it’s reached a point where I finally begin to understand why the gay antagonist in “Picture to Burn” didn’t let her drive his “stupid old pickup truck.”

🤧

That being said, when really examining these violations with a critical eye, it becomes apparent that most of them were actually committed by the men driving Taylor around. Amongst this “long list of ex-lovers,” there are some reckless drivers, some who make minor mistakes, and some whose licenses should be revoked. The trend has slowed down as of late, suggesting that Joe Alwyn is a very good, responsible driver, whose time behind the wheel is not interesting enough to sing about — thank God.

Here, we rank every traffic violation in Taylor Swift’s discography, considering factors like severity of the infraction, danger level, and importance to T. Swiftian canon. But much like the way traffic cops do their jobs, the reasoning is mostly arbitrary and made up.

15. “Our Song” (Taylor Swift)

“He’s got a one-hand feel on the steering wheel, The other on my heart”

The first thing they teach you in driver’s ed is to keep your hands at ten and two, and yet here Taylor is driving around town with a boy who only has one hand on the wheel. Their “song” is going to be the sound of sirens if he doesn’t get his act together.

14. “Red” (Red)

“Loving him is like driving a new Maserati down a dead-end street, Faster than the wind, passionate as sin, ending so suddenly”

Whether it be a new Maserati, or a pre-owned Toyota RAV4, it is never a good idea to take off full speed down a dead-end street. Particularly if it’s not even a cul-de-sac and you’ll have to do a three-point turn to get out. Now, to be fair, there’s some room for debate on just how fast she’s going since it depends on wind speed. The average wind speed in Taylor’s home state of Pennsylvania is 17.1 mph, the highest wind speed ever recorded on Earth is 253 mph, and the speed of “The Wind” by Cat Stevens is 115 BPM. So do with that what you will.

13. “State of Grace” (Red)

“I’m walking fast through the traffic lights”

Traffic lights, per their name, are famously designed for cars — not pedestrians. So Taylor has absolutely no business galavanting through traffic on foot like a regular Kelly Killoren Bensimon.

12. “This Is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things” (Reputation)

“Feeling so Gatsby for that whole year”

Much like Taylor Swift’s discography, The Great Gatsby is also about terrible driving, which I assume is why she relates to it. I know this because I not only read The Great Gatsby in high school, but I also saw the Fergie-scored film adaptation. A cornerstone of both versions is vehicular manslaughter.

11. “betty” (Folklore)

“Kissin’ in my car again, Stopped at a streetlight”

Folklore’s “betty,” “august,” and “cardigan” are a trilogy of songs about loitering told from three different perspectives. The bulk of this love triangle seems to boldly take place in parked cars. In “august” for example, Taylor sings, “Meet me behind the mall,” and I highly doubt that they were grabbing an Auntie Anne’s and hitting up a Macy’s One Day Sale. In “betty” and “cardigan,” they don’t even wait until they’re concealed behind the safety of a closed down DSW, instead opting for a spot under a streetlight of all places.

10. “Cornelia Street” (Lover)

“But then you called, showed your hand, I turned around before I hit the tunnel”

Given that this song is about a street in one of Taylor’s favorite lyrical neighborhoods, the West Village, it’s fair to assume that the tunnel in question is the Holland Tunnel. Those surrounding roads are a nightmare, so I’m nearly certain that this would have to be an illegal U-turn — which I think is a fair leap to make given her history of vehicular crime. That being said, this might just be the most understandable violation given the choice was between Joe Alwyn and Jersey City.

9. “Fearless” (Fearless)

“I wanna stay right here in this passenger seat, You put your eyes on me”

Taylor gets a lot of flack for writing songs about boys she dates, but doesn’t get nearly enough heat for distracting them while they’re trying to drive. This is just one of the many times that she prides herself on being more interesting for a driver to look at than the road.

8. “Style” (1989)

“Midnight, you come and pick me up, no headlights, Long drive, could end in burning flames or paradise”

Thematically, 1989 is an album about Harry Styles being bad at driving. The first of many examples of this is here in his namesake song, where he picks Taylor up with no headlights on. Clearly an attempt to sneak around undetected, it’s actually just a surefire way to hit a deer — ESPECIALLY at midnight of all times. At least Taylor seems to know from the jump the dangers of getting in a car with Harry behind the wheel, understanding that the long drive could potentially end in burning flames.

7. “Cruel Summer” (Lover)

“So cut the headlights, summer’s a knife”

Well it looks like someone didn’t learn her lesson about driving in the dark. Here it sounds like she’s trying to corrupt former frozen yoghurt shop employee Joe Alwyn, instructing him to turn off their headlights to keep a low profile. Still, it’s nothing compared to the far worse crime of this song, which is that it didn’t get a music video.

6. “Breathe” (Fearless)

“Never wanted this, never wanna see you hurt, Every little bump in the road I tried to swerve”

Roads have a lot of little bumps, and if you’re swerving at every single one you’re a danger to society and your driving is sure to give poor Colbie Caillat whiplash.

5. “Getaway Car” (Reputation)

“You were driving the getaway car, We were flying but we’d never get far.”

I mean, what is there to say about this? Getaway cars very rarely are known for their safe, law-abiding driving. The song even references other crimes, like putting the money in the bag and stealing the keys (grand theft auto?), mentions of famed criminals Bonnie and Clyde (who tried to steal Moonlight’s Oscar), and worst of all saying “sorry” with a Canadian accent so it rhymes with “story.”

4. “Style” (1989)

“So it goes, He can’t keep his wild eyes on the road”

Speaking of wild eyes, somebody tell Olivia Wilde to never get in the car with Harry — we still need her Kerri Strug biopic.

3. “Out of the Woods” (1989)

“Remember when you hit the brakes too soon? Twenty stitches in a hospital room”

As any history buff knows, in December of 2014 Taylor Swift and Harry Styles went on a ski trip to Park City, Utah, with Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez. It was on this fateful trip that the One Direction singer and future Cats star got into a snowmobile accident, resulting in Harry getting 20 stitches on his chin. Taylor later told Rolling Stone that she saw her life flash before her eyes, which I can understand because if I were in an accident I would also see Taylor Swift’s life flash before my eyes. The incident is shrouded in mystery, with Taylor urging the witnesses not to tell anyone about it, so we may never know what it was that caused Harry Styles to brake too soon. Perhaps a stray Chelsea boot in need of a home.

2. “All You Had to Do Was Stay” (1989)

“All I know is that you drove us off the road”

Why did this woman continue to let Harry Styles drive her around? What kind of adrenaline-junkie death wish did she possess?

1. “All Too Well” (Red)

“You almost ran the red ’cause you were looking over at me”

Jake Gyllenhaal might as well have been using the scarf that Taylor left at Maggie Gyllenhaal’s house as a blindfold, because this man was NOT looking at the road. When one drives down a little town street, especially with the precious cargo of America’s songstress in the car, it is key to watch where you’re going. Skidding to a halt because you didn’t realize that the light had turned red (the TITULAR color)? Unacceptable, Donnie Darko. The “crumpled-up piece of paper” that he made Taylor feel like was probably a traffic summons. Along with the release of Red (Taylor’s Version), we’re also finally getting the mythical ten-minute version of this song, and I truly shudder to think about what other traffic crimes Jake Gyllenhaal will commit in those extra four minutes and 33 seconds.

[benjaminwatchworld]

My review of the decade is kicking off my first blog of 2020, still debating if I should do a review of 2019 it’s self. Anyway, where to start is a bit of a problem but I have to write this and it’s supposed to be long but I will make it short since a few of my readers complain about the length of my write-ups.

I am going to do more of outlining those special events that happened this ending decade and will surely impact the starting decade. Will start with 2013 when Benedict XVI shocked the world in February when he became the first pope to resign in almost 600 years Which makes us a special generation to have been a life when that historical event happened. After the guys did the surprise announcement all the attention shifted so fast to the succession, and the election of the new Pope, Francis. In the next decade one question will maybe fully be answered, “why did Benedict quit?”

Before going to the rest of the world, my Uganda should come first, the decade has been doted by a raise of violence in the pearl of Africa some that were a result of political events since we hard two elections in there that were more of scripted unless in the last on the biggest opposition figure took the oath of office for presidency on his own inspiring Kenya an the likes of Venezuela where it seemed to have worked that side in the initial stages making Dr. Besigye more of a world experiment since his work to work events were more of a blueprint for the Arab spring. It’s laughable but sad, the cries of human rights violations with the talks of safe houses and torture as a mode of investigation, murders and assassinations have been trend of the decade which started with religious clerics then a judge and later there was an Amy office, a member of Parliament and two high ranking police officers all done in a MOSSAD style.

Let me speed through the bad ones but are their goods the oil production has still not yet started, middle-income delusion has not materialized. There are memorable ones, like Uganda making 50 years of independence, and hosting the biggest number of refugees in the world because of the instabilities that are around us, we have our brothers coming from South Sudan, Burundi, DRC and many from the Horn of Africa putting our hospitality to a whole new level that other countries are coming into a benchmark on our methods only that along the way the UN found out that the numbers were being exaggerated for some reason that would need there own blog.

In this ending decade, there a few sporting achievements that really united the county but the government seemed to learn nothing from the results of the events. In the 2012 London Olympics Uganda managed to get a Gold medal taking the country by storm since it was like 4 decades since it last happened, I was not there am not sure if it’s even true. Then again after about 3 decades the Uganda Cranes the National Football team qualified for the African Cup of Nations which to me is still a dream I have to wake up from. World Cup is not a statement related to Uganda but the She Cranes has been able to go for two world events in the last ten years. Those sports moments made Ugandans feel like one. The other event that made Uganda feel like it was not in a milky way was a political event, the second of the two presidential candidates debates before an election.

Moving to other things away from Uganda that will always be remembered about the decade which started with South Africa host the 2010 FIFA world cup on the continent for the first time. The aftermath of the seven resulted in the change of leadership at the Football organization because of serious crimes in how money was moving around.

The United States of America has a Russian agent as President am joking but the truth is that Donald Trump is the head of the Free world crazy just like the predicted end of the world in December 2012 but when you take a close look we are not far from a Mad max situation going to the next decade.

This decade has seen the most advancement in tech, can you believe it that before this ending decade there was no iPad first came out this decade, and many other companies joined the Apple revolution. When it first comes out, it was quite a special tech item but now we are using them to play Fruit Ninja. Companies like SpaceX, Boeing shaped a lot of the technology of the decade. Then come to the raid hailing apps for transport that in Uganda we even use them for boda bodas. Hybrid and fully electronic cars are no longer things for the future.

But with all the technological achievements it’s this decade when our phones track our every activity and location that a Malaysia Airlines passenger jet disappeared without a trace in early 2014, the fate of the plane and the 239 passengers and crew on board has become one of the biggest aviation mysteries. The missing plane captured the attention of millions around the world, triggering a multinational search and plenty of conspiracy theories. In the middle of last year, The Atlantic gave us a report of what could have happened the plane was likely intentionally crashed by the pilot which I don’t want to believe.

This decade has also been a roller coaster in the entertainment industry and for me my mark was boyhood but there was a whole range of movies, TV shows and music albums that will surely be classics. From 2012 to 2013 was truly the time of viral videos and Ylvis’ “The Fox” was truly the strangest one to ever become an internet hit. Then the Oscars Twelve years of Slaves was special for Africa because Lupita, the movement of Oscars are so white which I don’t feel was justified followed by Oscars are so male, I can’t imagine a woman or black person playing Hitler just saying. Leonardo finally got a win at the 88th Academy Awards in 2016 when he awarded Best Actor for his role in The Revenant, and I still believe he put upper a better show in The Wolf at Wall Street but the academy decided to give him an award for a role he barely sides anything all movie. This decade saw the end of Harry Potter and the Massive Game of Thrones a TV show that really had an impact on television history.

In the last decade, there has been some very nice Music coming from the likes of Adele, Ed screen, Beyonce, Sam Smith, Taylor Swift, Common and John Legend, Cold Play to the Renegades but the song of the decade fell from nowhere pictures a man doing horse-riding-like dance in July 2012 all the way from South Korea called Psy released a new song called Gangnam Style and it’s the only song on YouTube with a billion views.

It was that decade when The Harlem Shake happened in 2013, thousands of bizarre 30second versions of the “Harlem Shake” a dance set to the electronic song by DJ Baauer were being uploaded on the daily, from sports clubs to military men, to government officials.

What am I living out, sports a lot happened, from that World Cup in South Africa to Japan beating up South Africa in a rugby world cup tipping tables in the sport to the Golden State Warriors taking the NBA by storm but for me, my moment was Leicester City winning the English Premier League. It has become a turn of some sort we a now calling surprises “A Leicester City”.

About 19 million tweets kicked of the Me Too campaign leading to widespread awareness and discussion of the topic of sexual assault against women and have since then become a historic feminist movement, it’s another thing we can partly credit to the internet and technology.

It was that decade when the rainbow was everywhere in the world every single day after Same-sex marriage became legal in the U.S.A on June 26, 2015, it opened another door for LGBTQ+ Community in the whole world. So that past decade we were lucky to witness two royal weddings the one in 2011 and the last one in 2018 that seemed to be more special because many things about it rewrote human history.

In that last decade Hosni Mubarak of Egypt, Moammar Gadhafi of Libya, Ali Abdullah Saleh of Yemen and Zine El Abidine Ben Ali of Tunisia all went out of office in the same year in what came to be known as the Arab spring. Later down the decade, Omar Bashir of Sudan was overthrown a prior to him Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe also left office.

I will end with war in Syria, it’s a Civil war against the government of Assad, it’s a proxy war between Russia and America, it’s a religious war with between the Sunni and Shia Muslims who are backing a president from the Alwhyt side of Islam and its an international war against the self-proclaimed Caliphate called ISIS that has seen almost every nation on the planet get involved. Since 2011 the end is not yet in sight producing the greatest numbers of refugees since the Second world war making it the climax of the third world war generation. War is war.

The greatest thing of the decade is the awareness concerning climate change even if it has come at a very high cost at least for now everyone on the planet knows what we have got ourselves into going to the next 10 years.

I will end with a light one but it still fascinates me to this date. Never before has the world been so divided over something so simple as the color of a dress but that’s exactly what happened back in February 2015 when a picture of a dress originally posted on Tumblr suddenly went viral overnight. To me “The dress is gold and white”

That Decade My review of the decade is kicking off my first blog of 2020, still debating if I should do a review of 2019 it’s self.

[noisylibrary]

Festival Concerts 2017

I saw a few shows this summer, here are my thoughts on my top ten shows (and a list of fifteen that were quite the treat nonetheless). Before I tell you why Russ didn’t make the cut, here’s a brief overview of the three festivals that I not only attended but experienced.

Ottawa Bluesfest: July 6-16th, 2017

Being an Ottawa native, Bluesfest is an event that continues to impress me and enlighten my musical tastes more than an event of this magnitude would be expected to. Despite its sometimes underwhelmed local youth attendees, the festival has been actively creating a more universal (or Canadian demographics based) line-up for the annual 10-day festival in early July. Since 2012 I have been attending the festival and learning and understanding the running trends, motives, and pillars of their organization. This year I was fortunate enough to be on a youth advisory group that sought feedback from young local music fans for line-up ideas, festival roll-out and welcomed the idea of future improvements to the already successful festival. This year’s line-up was a major success as you’ll see on my list.

Pukkelpop: August 16-19th, 2017

During my backpacking trip around Western Europe in August of this year, my friends Jack, Vinton, and Alex joined me in witnessing the most star-studded, exciting and inspiring music festival that I’ve ever attended. The stages, the amenities, the camping, the location, the short-lived relationships with other fans were all reasons to choose this (relatively cheap) 4-day musical event if the insane line-up wasn’t enough. The only thing that brought our overall experience down was our impressive spontaneity in planning our trip (or lack thereof). The initial appeal of the festival was the name of one specific band on all of our bucket lists, but as you’ll see in my list, there were several amazing reasons to travel almost 6,000 kilometers.

CityFolk: September 13th -17th, 2017

Short, sweet and stunning, the Ottawa CityFolk festival came back for a second year at the new Lansdowne Park venue with some bigger names and an overall better festival experience. Taking place on weeknights and weekend days, the Folk music category was thrown out the window once again in order to invite artists from all genres to entertain the eager Ottawa crowds.

10. Car Seat Headrest @ Pukkelpop

After seeing their name plastered around the online music community in indie/alternative publications and the live skate-punk scene, I was ashamed to admit that I had only found out about them after their 6th project, and what an album it was. Their 2016 release, “Teens of Denial” - the appropriate follow-up to “Teens of Style” was the main component of their live set at Pukkelpop in Hasselt, Belgium. Their setlist was a dream come true for a new (“fake”) fan like myself, which made the older songs that I had never heard so much more rewarding. Their dramatic range of alternative punk was a perfect fit for the setting of the tented stage on a breezy afternoon, a memorable set to say the least.

9. Sampha @ Pukkelpop

Keeping fans on their toes while alternating between infectious dance beats and somber ballads, London’s Sampha and his energetic “Club Stage” at Pukkelpop to compliment the Friday night with a stunning and immersive set. Comprised of his 2016 album ”Process” as well as cuts from his collaborations with Drake on songs like “4422” and “Too Much”, Sampha was moving the crowd’s hips to the songs more than they could sing along - but just barely. Transitioning from full band arrangements to solo piano performance to a Christmas tree-like drum kit that was surrounded by the band playing in unison, the performance elements extended far beyond the captivating sound that Sampha has become known for on his early work with SBTRKT, all the way to his newest full-length.

8. Father John Misty @ Ottawa CityFolk

Appealing to the majority of the crowd and surprising me, Josh Tillman (aka Father John Misty) delivered an extensive set list of songs with seldom politically infused speeches. The outspoken musical guru and intellectual sex god that is Father John Misty arrived in Ottawa in great spirits and with a surprising amount of energy from the get-go. This was one of those cliches that “sounded better than the recorded version” of classics from his 3 album discography. The former drummer of the Fleet Foxes made use of his powerful vocal range and took time on a few songs to incorporate his acoustic guitar for the eery-politically charged ballads of an adult version of angst. Appropriately matching his 2017 album Pure Comedy, the satirical and comedic elements of his charisma, presence and between-song monologues were part of a harmonious and cohesive motif that his persona has followed since day one. The setlist began with the majority of his new album in appropriate sequence with stunning visuals to reinforce and maybe piss off some Catholics and Taylor Swift fans, followed by a rejuvenated and remastered version of his fan favourites (OG fans unite). It definitely felt weird at times while standing up since the event felt like a comedic Broadway act, but the upside to this was that I got to sing along - and did I ever.

7. Parquet Courts @ Pukkelpop

Much like my relationship with Car Seat Headrest, the new york alternative post-punk outfit known as Parquet Courts had only entered my musical radar months before I saw them in Belgium. Listening to their most recent project, “Human Performance” made me instantly fall in love with their Sonic Youth-like sound and their Fleetwood Mac-like versatility. Their live set incorporated this and expanded on it with efficacy...and so much shredding. Toggling back and forth between their Andrew Savage led punk songs and Austin Brown’s indie/post-punk songs provided a sort of dialogue that demonstrated their craftsmanship as musicians and a motif of torn ideals that backs the majority of their work. Their cohesive and energetic playing style was unlike any contemporaries in the genre, a trait that allowed jazz-inspired solo sections but remained focused on the gorgeous unified sound throughout their set.

6. BadBadNotGood @ Pukkelpop

When four 20-year-olds from Toronto casually walk onto the stage, what do you expect? Well, you’re wrong cause they’re insane. The infamous contemporary jazz band that regularly collaborates within the hip-hop community are poised with their playing ability and humility above all else. Their late afternoon set at Pukkelpop was my second time seeing the quartet in concert. The modern and fresh jazz sound that’s fused with funk transitions and hip-hop structures leaves a haunting negative space that has featured rappers like Ghostface Killah, MF Doom, Mick Jenkins and many more, a facet not explored live but indicative of their progressive take on jazz. Featuring brass invitees and a vocal performance by Charlotte Day Wilson, the band delivered a relentless set of their classics and in jazz fashion, virtuosic solo elements. Although my bias for the overall enjoyment of the show stems from my pre-existing love for jazz and knowledge of the band’s discography, the energy, pace and presentation of their live set is a treat for music lovers from any realm.

5. LCD Soundsystem @ Ottawa Bluesfest

Imagine first, a disco hall, with a Boiler Room level DJ, and a Rolling Stones level charisma on stage. Back from the dead for the second year in a row, LCD Soundsystem ventured out to Ottawa to throttle the crowd with their cult known classics and some cuts from their 2017 release “American Dream”. The gradual dynamic builds, full band chants and ambience that they achieved was nothing less than a musical trance, which is just about as immersive you can get with a single tempo. The danger in a musical trance is not the trance itself, but the failure to realize that you’re in it. Notorious for their dance-pop songs that double the average single length, the performance of their discography makes for a beautiful encounter with a version of you that instinctively dances. I could not stop dancing, notable because the band consistently grapples with the same occurrence at all of their live shows. Both times that I’ve seen them play, it has felt like my insane enjoyment of the set was a close second behind the band themselves. Make sure that you see them live if you can, or listen to their music if you have enough energy to dance for 7+ minutes.

4. Denzel Curry @ Pukkelpop

While making this list -between pacing back and forth across the room- I struggled with the ranking of this show for a few reasons. I had a very limited background on Carol City, Florida’s Denzel Curry, but I knew that he was the very definition of aggression. It has been 3 months and I’m still experiencing the biblical moshpits and radical energy from within the stage tent. It was insane. Powering through his well known verses on songs like “Ultimate”, “Gook” and “Ult.” to name only a few, Curry bombarded the crowd with stanzas filled with 16th note runs without missing a word. Song after song, the cohesion between Curry’s DJ and the rapper himself was unheard of. Experimenting on acapella sections with a gorgeous flow and glorious punches by his DJ, POSTranaut, Curry kept his violent gaze on the crowd leaving the fans (me) terrified at how amazed they (I) were (was). His persona alone influenced the raging yet amicable crowd to go absolutely bonkers, but his explicit directions to “open that pit”, turned the energy up to 12. Although I was mentally ready when entering the tented stage at Pukkelpop, the multitude of hip-hop shows that I’ve seen were all tame in comparison. I would suggest spending a great deal of money in order to see Denzel Curry, but make sure you can afford a riot shield if you plan on getting near the stage.

3. Solange @ Pukkelpop

This is how you make a grown man cry. Solange Knowles -yes, the sister- came back in 2016 with her full length album “A Seat At The Table”, and brought it with all of its glory to Pukkelpop to close the first night of the festival. Playing the majority of her 2016 release as well as some picks from her debut EP “True”, Solange and her wonderfully attired band graced the stage with infectious sounds and beautifully choreographed dancing. Wearing all red outfits, the 9 piece band must have walked off the stage of Motown before delivering this incredible set in front of thousands of amazed fans in Belgium. Even in this small town outside of Brussels, no language barrier seemed to be present during her sing-along songs like “Cranes in the Sky” and “Don’t Touch My Hair”. Every direction I looked around in the crowd had people in this flimsy, yet groovy trance of soul, jazz and gospel. The event was holy to say the least. Check out my review of “A Seat at The Table” on the blog!

2. Anderson .Paak & The Free Nationals @ Ottawa Bluesfest

On the rainiest night of Bluesfest, fans gathered around the Claridge Homes stage at Bluesfest for a treat announced only weeks before the festival begun. As the band entered the stage to become acquainted with the crowd, all eyes were scoping the stage for the biggest smile and the shortest man. Looking like Stevie Wonder with shorter hair, yelling like Otis Redding on an intro, Anderson .Paak took to the stage without introduction or hesitation. Performing a wide collection of songs from “Venice”, “Malibu” and “Yes Lawd”, .Paak and The Free Nationals proved that anyone in the crowd could move to their music without even hearing it before. The virtuosity that .Paak achieves was evenly distributed between his drum solos, and his stage front dominance as a vocalist. The sudden and effective changes of pace that were led by .Paak was beyond remarkable, and at times during the set you could see members of The Free Nationals pausing to drop their jaw to the floor for a quick second between his drum fills. Aggressive yet heartfelt was the resulting emotion, leaving some fans in tears while some were off crowd-surfing into alternate universes.

1. Death Grips @ Pukkelpop

Notorious for the uncertainties that they give their fans (and festival organizers), the lead-up to their set was beyond stressful for the super fan that I am. Their antics have become loved by many including myself, but travelling halfway across the world for their show was beginning to feel like the biggest gamble of all time. If this isn’t making any sense, feel free to take a second to read my topic piece on the branding of Death Grips to get a sense of their slight insanity. From the dark corners of the musical internet, the core fans of the Californian trio emerged to camp out by the stage in preparation for this show. No one was truly prepared though. Some fans that we had the chance to meet before the show mentioned that this wasn’t their first time seeing them, but there was an appropriate fear in their eyes when the surrounding fans started packing in tighter as the sky got darker. A children’s drum set was the first thing to enter the stage and get set up by a single stage tech. Who knows what was going on by that point. At this point, it was hard to tell what was part of the show and what was soundcheck? (Are they going to do a Soundcheck)? Drum mic checks were done on this tiny little kit, and an abrasive sound was emanating from behind the stage’s backdrop. An emotion that felt very similar to my first encounter with their music was coming on, and I was more than excited. I was terrified. Three men who looked like the distinguishable band members walked onto the stage with hoods on and a slouched posture. Taking little to no direction from the stage tech, they began musically destroying the instruments for a soundcheck? It was them. After their half song sound-check and a short while later, the lights went down and a flickering purple screen was on at full intensity to welcome the band back. They delivered a lump-sum of their most aggressive and well known songs without any introduction, any pauses, any sips of water, any glances at the crowd and not a single light directed at their faces. Improvised synth sections and military drumming alongside the poetic gospel that was screamed into the mic was nothing short of musical ecstasy, and it never missed a beat. The three silhouettes who I can only assume were MC Ride, Andy Morin and Zack Hill, brought everyone within a mile of the stage to a new level of “Tarab” for over an hour. The adrenaline that they gave me was beyond any musical experience that I’ve ever had up until that point, and I don’t imagine that it will be matched until I see them again.

Although the full list of shows includes more than 25, do you really care about how I enjoyed Russ?

11. Preoccupations @ Pukkelpop

12. Mac Demarco @ Pukkelpop

13. Post Malone @ Ottawa CityFolk

14. Lil Yachty @ Ottawa Bluesfest

15. Migos @ Ottawa Bluesfest & @ Pukkelpop

16. Flaming Lips @ Pukkelpop

17. Night Lovell @ Ottawa Bluesfest

18. Cashmere Cat @ Pukkelpop

19. Flume @ Ottawa Bluesfest & @ Pukkelpop

20. The Shins @ Pukkelpop

21. Phantogram @ Ottawa Bluesfest

22. London Grammar @ Pukkelpop

23. Oliver Heldens @ Pukkelpop

24. Anna of The North @ Pukkelpop

25. Death From Above 1979 @ Ottawa Bluesfest

Now that there’s some sporadic snow flying around, what acts are you impatient to see during next summer’s festival season?

What were your favourites this summer?

Thanks to Vinton and Jack for the pictures!

-C

[jamiekturner]

Guilty Pleasures for Designers

Like every Taylor Swift song: All the little things you love, but would never admit to your friends. Shake it off!

Huge Shadows

This trend kind of assumes that your design is lit with a GIANT soft box, which is pretty silly to think about.

For one thing, everyone knows you should at least use three-point lighting system.

But son of a mustache if I don’t love seeing a gentle, velvety shadow blanketing itself across my design.

Ugh, it’s so shadowy and beautiful. I just want to touch it. Design by Radek Jedynak.

The New MacBook Pro Keyboard Sound

It’s pretty damn loud and arguably the least important thing about a computer, but I feel like the savant child of Kurt Vonnegut and Jane Austen when I’m typing. I, for one, welcome the stares I get when people assume I brought a typewriter to Starbucks.

Not me, BUT I WISH IT WAS. Unrelated: Is there a Medium.com for articles written on real paper? Asking for a friend.

Curved TV’s

Come on people, these are pretty pointless. When I’m asked if they’re better than flat screens, I usually just make up some ��alternative facts” because I’m too guilty to admit that I just like that they are curved. HOW IS GLASS CURVED, YOU GUYS?! Give me 11 of these, please and thank you.

Bonus: When the TV dies, you can just use it as a gamer chair.

Real talk: Can we make this happen, Samsung? You know…for science. Diagram cred: Me.

Unsolicited Redesigns

LinkedIn…Twitter…Windows, you name it. I love them.

Now, it’s my job to shame you for wasting your time on it, then discuss how arrogant it is to do something so audacious, but dammit, I love your surface-level redesign. A million bonus points for big shadows.

A redesign that uses broad shadows?!?! Hold me! Design by Jordan Warmoes-Nielsen.

Dongles

I know…hear me out on this one. Dongles rank right between “Cereal boxes with only a little cereal left” and “The incessant beeping of a microwave” on the list of The World’s Most Annoying Things.

But when you walk into a room and announce, “I need special equipment in order to show my work to you fine ladies and gentlemen!”…you feel like Steve-friggin-Jobs presenting the new iPhone. Everyone has saved at least one meeting by having the exact right dongle to plug into that 13″ Mid-2013 Retina MacBook Pro.

Apple's fastest growing product category. pic.twitter.com/d1sel4N5Yc

— Drew Breunig (@dbreunig) October 28, 2016

Kickstarter Idea: Dongle Utility Belt

Not sketching AT ALL

Everyone has that one guilty pleasure that involves not doing something. You’ve got your Moleskine, six bottles of ink, and one of those fancy nib pens sharp enough to get confiscated at the airport.

Heck, you might even do adult coloring books. But, nothing is better than skipping all of the necessary planning, sketching, and pre-work and jumping directly into Sketch. It’ll be fiiiiinne. Sketching is for chumps anyway, right?

Pictured: Actual page from my notebook. Seriously, why do I even try?

Story of my life. Comic by Chris Harding.

Design Forums

I love to hate them, and hate that I love them. Nine out of every ten times, your design gets bashed, you’re publicly shamed, and you start seriously considering a new career in artisan candle making.

But you still post, because evvvvery once in a while people are nice and say things that make you feel good. And that high is enough to get you through that Monday morning design critique. At least someone liked my work! Real people! On the Internet!

Meetings

“No way!” you say emphatically. “Meetings totally kill my productivity.”

Boy, do I have great news for you. Meetings also mean you can mentally clock out for at least 30–60 minutes. That’s more than enough time to read some more Medium articles about how horrible meetings are.

Or learn how to appear busy. Now matter how you spend your new free-time, be honest with yourself and appreciate that you’re most likely getting paid to do nothing. And isn’t that everyone’s dream?

I’ve been known to just get up and go get food during a meeting. Illustration from Sarah Cooper’s hilarious book.

Saving Things to Your Desktop

“Show us a screenshot of your desktop!” — 18,399 comments

/quickly throws 68 unrelated desktop files into a folder labeled “miscellaneous” and hides it somewhere obvious like My Documents

*hastily Google’s clean 4K desktop wallpapers for designers*

“Here’s mine. I like to keep it clean like my desk at home.” — 5,821 upvotes

Sure you do…

…sure you do.

Taking Walks to “Brainstorm”

Fresh air helps me think. Seriously. It also helps me avoid starting on that boring new modal dialog design that I really don’t want to do.

But hey…at least I get my 10,000 steps in!

I cropped out my procrastinating colleagues to absolve them from guilt. You’re welcome, guys! Photo cred.

This Guilty Pleasure™ brought to you by Fitbit: Helping procrastinators everywhere!

When I’m not writing, I’m working on Sketch design tools like UX Power Toolsto make you a better, more efficient designer. All the best Sketch designers are using it, and I think you might like it, too. Check it out on Marvel!

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