#hard rock party
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odinsson2021 · 6 months ago
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Hello friends and listeners! Tomorrow evening I will be skipping my show because the German soccer team is playing against Denmark in the round of 16 of the European Championship and I want to watch the game. Thank you for your understanding and see you next Saturday, your DJ Odinsson.
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shitpostingkats · 11 months ago
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Every time I make another attempt to get into One Piece the show immediately reminds me that it has one of the funniest main cast dynamics in the entire world
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lycanthroid · 2 years ago
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when they were falling from the sky on meteors as babies. one could possibly say it was raining cats and dogs
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chimerical-daydreams · 3 months ago
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Art therapy.
I put Loop through too much already, they deserve a decent coping mechanism.
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horribluh · 9 months ago
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hilarious mpreg zosan thought, sanji has a kid that has green hair but its not zoros kid. he has in fact never disclosed who the other father was (choose ur own adventure dead beat dad edition) and his siblings already have amazing technicolour hair so its not outside the realm of possibility for his biological children to also have weird hair colours. but when the kid pops out with green hair everyone immediately connects the dots that hey, doesnt the strawhats first mate that sanji famously doesn't get along with also have green hair? is this why sanji never said who the other father was? hes a fucking dead beat! get his ass!
this misconception integrates into everyones mind bc it makes too much sense to not be true and everyone is suddenly deadset on "protecting sanjis honour" and making zoro "take responsibility"
sanji is screaming crying throwing up disgusted bc no!!! the shitty mosshead is not the father!!! stop saying that!!!! but since he still wont say who the actual father is, everyone is just like its ok sanji, you dont have to defend a deadbeat even if he is your crewmate and sanji has no choice but to kill himself and also zoro for daring to have green hair
when the strawhats show up for sanjis baby shower they also unanimously come to the misunderstanding that sanji and zoro totally boned. franky goes as far as to call the kid mini marimo. brook makes a hundred innuendos, chopper is upset at the implication of them having unsafe sex, and robin alludes to "knowing all along" in a very ambiguous way. usopp is the only one who refuses to connect the dots and he is sanjis favourite strawhat fr. jinbei pats sanji on the back and says he hopes they work through their differences for the sake of their kid. sanji is dying, youre killing him, you're killing your cook
even more shenanigans ensue when zoro shows up 3 whole days late to the baby shower and is gaslit into thinking hes the father by everyone in attendance despite being Pretty Sure that he and sanji never fucked. zeff gives a pretty good shovel talk and nami gives an even better one (debt increment is involved) while zeff nods approvingly behind her and then luffy slingshots in all parents should be married right? and doesnt wait for an answer
anyway, like 2 hours later zosan find themselves standing at a makeshift altar on the thousand sunny, saying their vows. sanji insists to the very end that zoro is not the father so they dont need to get married but alas luffy isnt giving him a choice in this (he wants to eat wedding cake)
to sanjis eternal despair, the kid grows up to really like swords
additional zosan thought, sanji does not help things by shouting "this is all your fault!" the moment he sees zoro. zoro is futher gaslit
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k-i-l-l-e-r-b-e-e-6-9 · 2 months ago
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Ozzy Osbourne & Slash
Nov 3, 2008 with Slash at The Classic Rock Awards’ Tea Party in London, England
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y-rhywbeth2 · 1 year ago
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Lore: Gnomes #1
Link: Disclaimer regarding D&D "canon" & Index [tldr: D&D lore is a giant conflicting mess. Larian's lore is also a conflicting mess. You learn to take what you want and leave the rest]
Culture | Homelands | History | Religion ---WIP
Today we remember that the Forgotten Folk exist.
Featuring whatever scraps of their culture I could get my hands on while digging.
Including gnome and halfling solidarity; gnome weddings; birthdays; the toaster and some other stuff.
Then the three distinct groups: Svirfneblin, Forstneblin and Rock Gnomes who don't have a fancy gnomish name as of now.
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Amongst themselves, the gnomes refer to themselves as the Doamun - roughly translated to "Us-who-endure," and their language is munthar ("us-talk"). The gnomish accent is something of a brogue; soft and quieter, described as having a humming or murmuring quality. Pronunciation is mostly flat, with a firm downward emphasis on stressed syllables.
Amongst outsiders the doamun are often referred to as "the Forgotten Folk", because history and the vast majority of non-gnomes often totally overlook their existence.
In the Realms there is a form of short-hand sign language that developed amongst workers in noisier industries to quickly communicate basic, vital information using arm and hand gestures. Gnomes and halflings have both adopted this into their everyday speech when conversing amongst themselves, and are capable of adding extra information or carrying on two conversations at once (one verbally, one by sign). The two races also have a tendency to co-opt human slang and make their own variants while living in cities, so that they can “talk in front of humans without humans knowing all that’s said.”
Gnomes deliberately keep to themselves, to avoid the violence and other trouble that often seems to plague other races' societies. Due to their lack of enmity with any particular faction, and their dedication to political neutrality, they also make useful intermediaries when there's friction.
Some call gnomes cowards, which would be incorrect - gnomes have martial traditions and the willingness to use them if they must, it's simply that gnomes as a whole have absolutely no interest in territorial borders, or having land be considered "theirs," or wielding power. These social constructs are foreign and irrelevant to them. Gnomes are largely content to live in their towns and villages hidden away from the world. Humans have begun to shake this ages-old neutrality, however, as the never-ending expansion of human settlements has begun to encroach on the peace of gnomish homes.
This desire for peace and privacy is a factor in the fact that gnomes heavily favour the school of Illusion when it comes to magic.
Their lack of interest in riches and glory means that should a gnome achieve those things, the famous adventurer can expect to return to a nonplussed community that places no value on these things and sees them as just some guy. Maybe one with a head too big for their shoulders after spending too much time with the Big Folk.
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Tidbits of overarching gnome culture:
Gnomes have a unique form of traditional dance called "slap-dancing" - the audience forms a ring around the dancer, and both they and the dancer slap the front of their upper thighs to form a syncopated beat between the steps.
Doamun history is an oral tradition, preserved by women in the form of traditional chants.
Gnomes are the master inventors of the realms, and have invented numerous clockwork gadgets. Including a kind of clamp that works as a toaster.
A birthday is a day to reflect on one's ancestors and departed loved ones while the individual is "still here" for another year. Visiting graves and telling the departed how you're doing is a common way to celebrate. (That doesn't mean there won't be a party though.)
While not on the same level as dwarves, gnomes can definitely hold their liquor.
The Doamun and the Hin ("halflings") appear to have had significant cultural exchange;
They both have the knowledge to concoct a very powerful painkiller called meerithaele. This drug is only used in the most circumstances, when the patient is suffering extreme physical trauma, or to ease the suffering of the dying.
When a gnome would count with their hands, as humans do with their fingers, they instead count the backs of their knuckles.
Apparently the Realms has a tradition of ancient magic based on runes, and the Doamun have their own form of it, but I can't find any more details. It's an old, dying art that most people know nothing about, even amongst the gnomes themselves.
Their famous philosophers include Nith Foelkor (884-929 DR) who wrote a treatise called Yoan Drae, roughly; "The life of a gnome." He posited that the only concrete truth of existence is what one perceives and feels.
Other traditions they share with the Hin include very similar wedding ceremonies:
While there are traditions for weddings, they're not that big a deal and the partners tend to invent their own customs, or at least their own spin on tradition, unique to themselves and their relationships. There is no standard dress for weddings, and the bridal veil is not a concept in their culture.
The traditional structure is as follows:
There will be an officiant, and the vows will be said in a setting of natural beauty - such as a glade or by a stream. The officiant will begin the wedding by beginning the "calling song", which will signal the couple to step forth - if it's a m/f couple then traditionally the groom will step forth, if it's a same-gender couple then the oldest of the pair is the first to step forward. These rules are not set in stone though, and the couple may chose to mix it up. There are many traditional calling songs, which are often customised to fit the couple. Sometimes couples write their own.
Once the two are standing face-to-face you have the usual "does anybody here object?" - It is not socially acceptable to actually object, unless there are legitimate legal issues (such as if this marriage is taking place in a realm/amongst a clan that doesn't recognise polygamy.) Naturally, many romantic dramas feature the romantic lead standing up and declaring their undying love at this point, but in reality that wouldn't be acceptable behaviour.
There will be a brief sermon on love and marriage, and a varying degree of religion, depending on how religious the couple/clan is. The couple exchange speeches they've written for each other (as before, either the groom or the eldest traditionally goes first).
The couple then spit on their left palms and raise them up to hold hands as the officiant begins a lucky chant to bless their wedding. The bodily fluid is usually spit, doesn't have to be - you could use tears of joy, or blood, for example. They will then embrace, kiss and exchange tokens. These tokens can be anything, including rings, though those are not the default.
Then the reception; dancing, music, food and then the couple goes off to enjoy some private time - said private time may be anything from planting a new seed as a symbolic ritual to going on some kind of quest/adventure together.
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According to their creation stories, the first gnomes were born when Garl Glittergold came across a cavern rich with minerals. He breathed upon them, and they opened up to reveal the first gnomes.
Forest Gnomes The forstneblin live for around 400 years. They stand at a range of 2'1" - 2'10" tall and they none ever reach 3 feet, making them the smallest of the Doamun. They are the only gnomes that live almost exclusively above ground, and according to the creation myths were born from emeralds, which are sacred to them.
Forstneblin have made no mark whatsoever upon the history books, the most they've done is shut down logging companies and other incursions in their home forests, and even then their work and settlements are so well hidden by illusion magic that nobody realises they were there in the first place. Other defences include the local fauna, as forest gnomes put their innate ability to speak with animals to good use and use them as an information network. Nature and life are sacred to the gnomes, and clerics are as likely to have injured animals brought to them for healing as villagers.
They have no quarrel with or even a mistrust of outsiders, they simply do not believe that either party has anything to interest the other, so they don't make contact. When they do approach an outsider, they'll use illusions to pass themselves off as a member of the outsider's own race. They are shy in their interactions, but pleasant enough and easy to befriend, and when it comes to outsiders they generally get along best with the races whose cultures share their love of the natural world; other gnomes, elves, and halflings. Humans, they tend to be wary of, as human industry rarely keeps the welfare of the environment in mind.
Their communities are rarely more than 100 people strong, and are sustained through foraging and a small bit of hunting. The entire hamlet is carved inside the trunk of a still-living tree, carefully constructed so that they are hidden within the boughs and almost impossible to spot. The homes are spaced out enough to afford the occupants sufficient privacy, and all sport cylindrical windows to allow plenty of light in. Each home has a passage down into the earth below the tree-hamlet, where a communal chamber has been excavated as a public space.
Forest gnomes have a great respect for their elders. The leaders of these communities are the eldest gnome in them, and they have no divisions of labour based on gender; everybody is treated the same. This leader wields no authority, they are simply afforded respect and their advice is valued on account of their long life experience.
Religion is important in forest gnome society, and clerics and druids are common. Their patron deity is Baervan Wildwanderer, who has charged them with the protection of nature. The gnomes, who love said nature dearly, are incredibly grateful to the deity for entrusting them with this.
Childhood is a time to run wild and do as you like under the careful, but unobtrusive observation of one's elders, and children usually learn the ropes of adulthood simply by observing their parents.
The age of majority in forest gnome culture is 20 years old.
As with all gnomes, forest gnomes have a love for gemstones and enjoy crafting with them. Forstneblin jewellery often features motifs depicting the beauty of the natural world.
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Rock Gnomes Despite not having an official name, we do have the pattern for the names of gnomish subraces, and the word for "rocks." I would hazard a guess it's Cammarneblin, though obviously that's a headcanon. Rock gnomes are associated with diamonds, and favour those sacred stones in their craftswork.
Their homes tend to be underground, in "burrows." If they live in a human city, they'll usually buy a house and start extending the basement (or make one, if none is available). Human cities with a significant gnome population may end up with some kind of underground warrens populated by the gnome community.
They live for 350-500 years, and stand between 3' - 3'6" tall. Rock gnome children have hair that can be any range of colour, including the ones seen on humans, or any other colour on the light spectrum - however their hair will begin to turn white or grey once they reach adulthood. Their skin comes in any shade of brown, although they don't tan or pale.
Rock gnomes are the most commonly encountered gnomes, and the ones you'll find in human cities (although the vast majority of them have no interest in living there).
Their culture places great emphasis on the importance of the journey over the destination. It's the learning and the joy of creation that makes things like jewelling, and gem cutting, and alchemy, and magic, and inventing so wonderful, not whatever the end product is - although it's certainly nice if that product is beneficial. Life itself is one big journey, and it is to be enjoyed as much as possible. Play is just as important as work, and if those can be the same thing then that's all the better.
As with their forest cousins, children are given free reign to explore the world at their own pace. While all young rock gnomes are expected to learn basic self-defence, and a useful trade, they're also encouraged to dabble and experiment until they find something that suits them. Youths are given a long time to explore what the world has to offer, and what they want from it, and rock gnomes aren't socially considered adults until they're 40. And then there's a party.
There is always a party. Rock gnomes do not need such silly things as reasons for parties, though a flimsy excuse can probably be found somewhere, if required. Said parties are wild, out of control, and may last for tendays. Part of the reason for that is that the rest of the time is spent working for tendays on end, and after stepping away from the workbench or the mine, working out what month it is and getting the cricks out of one's neck, what one really needs is clearly to blow off some steam.
Rock gnome religious philosophy holds that life and the world at large is a puzzle, meant for solving. The greatest joy lies in the study of that puzzle and the onward march of science.
While they hold great affection for their gods, attend services regularly, and often talk about them in daily conversation, they don't tend to be religious as a culture. To a rock gnome, the gods are present and reachable everywhere and always, and specific buildings and pomp and ceremony are just toys to wave around.
Prone to inquisitiveness and a highly sociable society (overly so by some people's standards), a common trait rock gnomes are infamous for is that They. Do Not. Shut Up. Ever.
They get along best with dwarves, who share their love of craft and creation; and halflings, who they share similarities like a love of a simpler life, home and family, and a good time. The fact that the Big Folk tend to literally and figuratively look down their noses at all three of them doesn't hurt either.
They are infamously bad cooks (rock gnome cuisine is either too bland or too salty), but their alcohol is considered excellent. They also make rock candy. Between their skill as brewers, their love of fun, and the dedication gnome musicians have to their crafts, gnomes are the best guests or hosts you can have for a good time. You are, however, entirely to blame for whatever shenanigans happen if you get drunk with them.
They're also the inventors of the firearm (gunnes), and the only people who've mastered their use. It is in fact common to find a rock gnome bearing a pistol.
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Deep Gnomes The the shortest lived of the gnomes, with an average lifespan of up to 260 years. They stand between 3' - 3'6" tall, and tend towards a scrawny frame, sometimes described as "gnarled". They look like they're made of bone and sinew, although said sinew is actually a significant amount of muscle mass and deep gnomes are heavier than they look (average; 45lbs). Their skin takes on tones of earth and rock; brown, grey or brown-grey. AMAB svirfneblin do not grow hair on their scalps, and AFAB gnomes grow stringy dark grey hair (which may be dark enough to seem black). Likewise their eyes are dark grey to black.
According to legend, the deep gnomes were born of rubies, and prize those best.
The reality of survival in the Underdark means that deep gnomes are far more reserved and practical than their cousins. Their society functions on strict male and female gender roles, with each work force answering to the King and Queen respectively. The men make up the miners and the armies, and are responsible for expanding city limits, trade, and other vocations that require leaving their carefully hidden homes. The women take on the roles of maintaining their settlement and society; the water and food, fishing and farming, city services and maintenance, crafting, raising and educating the children, etc. Women rule inside the city, and men outside of it. It is possible to find svirfneblin outside of these roles, but it is very rare.
Their governments are monarchies, with the monarchs being advised by a council of elders. The monarchs are elected from amongst the city (anybody is eligible, but status within the community plays a large part), and rule only by the consensus of their people - deep gnome communities must be able to trust each other and cooperate to survive so deep into the earth, there is no room for selfish tyrants. Everybody has their place and their role, and everybody does it so that all may live. Kings and Queens are not necessarily married, though it is possible for a married couple to both be elected or for a governing pair to get married on the job. Regardless, these are simply jobs, and no relationship between the two is inherently involved.
Despite their practicality and apparent sullenness, the deep gnomes do not lack for creativity. They love gemstones and take joy in working with them to create art as much as any gnome; it's for the sake of their craft and the gems that they came to and remain in the Underdark.
Each svirfneblin settlement is unique in its design - featuring anything from smooth rectangular cuts to undulating waves and curves in artistic places. Their cities are well fortified fortresses, built near mineral veins. Homes are carved into the walls of the cavern, consisting of a series of small rooms with windows overlooking the city. The rich gnomes live in hollowed out stalagmites. Cities are much larger than the homes of other gnomes, often hosting over a thousand residents. As light and heat could give away their location, the deep gnomes simply don't use any such thing. They navigate purely by darkvision, and their world exists only in greyscale. On that same note, sound also carries, so these civilisations tend to be eerily quiet compared to what one expects from a lived in settlement.
Deep gnomes don't bother with keeping history or tracking the passage of time. The closest they get are two holy days; the Festival of the Star in winter, and the Festival of the Ruby in summer. The festivals celebrate the svirfneblin ancestral ties to the surface world, as well as their descent into and continued survival in the Underdark.
Naturally, they don't trust their Underdark neighbours, not any outsider really. The common practice of slavery disgusts them, and they would rather not deal with any society that partakes in it. Nevertheless, they are willing to engage in careful trade when required for survival, and Underdark trade being dominated by the drow, interactions with the dark elven merchant clans are a necessary evil. Surfacers tend to assume that svirfneblin are the "evil counterparts" to surface gnomes - as duergar to dwarves, or drow to elves - and respond to them with similar hostility and violence. Even if they're not assumed to be evil, deep gnomes are so used to being on guard for danger from strangers that they're sullen and suspicious of anyone they don't know, and many people write them off as rude and miserable.
Amongst themselves, deep gnomes tend to be warm and affectionate, and they're fully willing to adopt friends into this circle once they've proven safe to trust. When one of the community betrays their neighbours they will be brought before the monarch and council - whether it's the king and male advisors who presides over the proceedings, or the queen with her female advisors, depends on if the crime took place outside or inside the city. Rehabilitation of the offender is preferred, and punishments escalate in severity from shunning, to incarceration, banishment or execution. If banishment is the punishment then the exile will be armed and given supplies in the hope that they won't die. If the offender is deemed a security risk then banishment will not be considered.
Svirfneblin children are treasured and doted upon. Once they start puberty they will begin their apprenticeship, and at about 20 they will be considered an adult. There is no celebration or any note of the occasion; you know you're an adult when you graduate and start working. There is no retirement age, you work until you die. Gnomes live with their parents until they get married, at which point they'll move out.
Their lives aren't devoid of joy - the priesthoods are responsible for morale, and often declare an impromptu holiday when they feel the people need cheering up. Clerics of Segojan Earthcaller, god of the deep earth and the dead, also take on the task of caring for the elderly.
Deep gnomes tend to come across many lost, ancient magical artefacts in their excavations, and cities tend to preserve these treasures.
Their books tend to be crafted from lizard-skin and bioengineered fungi cultivated for the purpose. Svirfneblin fashion tends to sport a lot of gems and jewellery. Due to the lack of fire, they don't tend to cook. Fungi, raw fish and rothé meat all feature heavily in their diet, and most outsiders find their cuisine unbearably salty. They have two unique beverages; a unique, nameless brew made from fermented fish, and Gogondy which is a crimson wine made of... something, and apparently includes crushed rubies amongst the ingredients. Drinking it is said to induce visions, and is likely to knock you out after a few mouthfuls.
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renonv · 1 year ago
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Im fighting for my ficking life rn on the commute to work
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Hottest Drummer Tournament Round 1
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Frank Ferrer
Band(s): Guns N’ Roses // The Psychedelic Furs // Love Spit Love // The Dead Daisies // The Beautiful // The Compulsions // Pssr // Beatrazr // Gordon Gano & The Ryans 
Albums/EPs as drummer:
Appetite For Democracy 3D (Guns N’ Roses)
Love Spit Love (Love Spit Love) Trysome Eatone (Love Spit Love)
Face I Love (The Dead Daisies)
The Beautiful (The Beautiful) Highway (The Beautiful)
21 Powers Street (The Compulsions) Laughter From Below (The Compulsions) Ferocious (The Compulsions) Beat The Devil (The Compulsions) Dirty Fun (The Compulsions & Rob Carlyle) Demon Love / The Cocaine EP (The Compulsions) Been through Hell (The Compulsions)
Hitting The Ground (Gordon Gano) Under The Sun (Gordon Gano & The Ryans)
Havve Hogan
Band(s): TWRP
Albums/EPs as drummer:
Sex Is a Machine That Likes to Dance (TWRP) Poised to Dominate (TWRP) The Device (TWRP) 2nite (TWRP) Believe in Your Dreams (TWRP) Guardians of the Zone (TWRP) Ladyworld (TWRP) Together Through Time (TWRP) Return to Wherever (TWRP) Over the Top (TWRP) New & Improved (TWRP) Friends of the Blues (TWRP) Digital Nightmare (TWRP)
Under the Covers (Ninja Sex Party) Under the Covers, Vol. II (Ninja Sex Party) Cool Patrol (Ninja Sex Party) Under the Covers, Vol. III (Ninja Sex Party) The Prophecy (Ninja Sex Party) Level Up (Ninja Sex Party) These Nuts (Ninja Sex Party)
The TryForce (Starbomb)
Propaganda:
Best and hottest drumming robot this side of the solar system.
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anti-zionist-jew · 11 months ago
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Biden deserves to lose, we don’t deserve Trump, we also can’t send a message that doing a genocide is okay and something that isn’t punished. What world do we have if Trump wins? What world do we have if a genocide is rewarded by a re-election? I don’t know. I don’t know.
There’s no simple, obvious right answer here. Thats the whole problem. You can’t wave this all away with “but Trump is worse.” You can’t tell me rewarding a genocide with a re-election isn’t terrible for humanity. You also can’t tell me Biden won’t bring this brutality home
We need a real plan for January 2025, that isn’t just “vote dem. No shut up and vote dem” — we have to engage with the fact Biden and his administration are losing themselves more voters every day.
Local community safety councils, people’s assemblies, etc— ASAP
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odinsson2021 · 11 months ago
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!!!!REBLOG!!RETWEET!!!REPOST!!!PLEASE!PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!
On Saturday January 27th 2024 I bring you again 2 Hours of Hard and Heavy Party Sound!
Tune in and Rock on!!! And here is how you can listen to us:
Go to:
www.rockchicks-radio.de or use theDirectLink:
S7.STREAMCASTER.EU:8062
Ooooor you can listen for free with the Radio.de App
📷 https://www.radio.de/s/rockchicks!📷
On www.rockchicks-radio.de In the Facebook Event click on the "an Veranstaltung teilnehmen"Button.
With Windows Media:
ROCKCHICKSRADIO.DE
With VLC / Winamp:
https://rockchicks-radio.de/player/listen.pls-
WithHandy or Tablet with the Apps from radio.de
or
Online Radio Box.
I hope you join my Show and I wait for your Feedback!!
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thisaintascenereviews · 1 month ago
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Linkin Park - From Zero (with @jakeh2987)
Few bands have frustrated me more than nu-metal and rap-rock band Linkin Park. I’ve had such a complicated relationship with them for a multitude of reasons, whether for never listening to them during their initial popularity, their sound never being consistent for more than two albums, or hardly any of those sounds ever resonating with me. I’ve been listening to their discography as of late, as I’ve wanted to re-examine and re-contextualize their body of work. They’re a band that so many people love, but I’ve just never been able to “get it.” Maybe I’ve been too harsh on them over the years, so my thoughts might improve. There’s an elephant in the room that we need to address, though: on July 20th, 2017, vocalist Chester Bennington passed away by taking his own life.
I don’t know of a celebrity death that shook people to their core harder, especially for how unexpected it was. The band had just released One More Light, their foray into pop music that unfortunately didn’t sit well with longtime fans. Bennington’s death caused the band to lie dormant, and fans had no hope of the band getting back together, especially when Bennington was a once in a lifetime talent that no one could dare to replicate. They’ve stayed quiet for the past seven years, but they properly announced their return a few months ago, complete with a new singer in tow.
Emily Armstrong, of rock band Dead Sara, was touted at their new frontwoman, and boy, were fans angry. A lot of fans were welcoming and accepting, but even now, there are still a bunch of fans that can’t even fathom the idea of someone replacing Bennington, let alone a woman. Along with single “The Emptiness Machine,” the band also announced a new album, From Zero. Based on the idea of the band coming back “from zero,” as well as the band’s name being Xero, this record had a lot riding on it. I don’t want to talk about this album alone, though, so let’s welcome my buddy Jake back into the fold for this review! As a longtime fan of Linkin Park, how do you feel about them, and what was going through your mind when From Zero was announced?
When I look back on my musical journey and the development of my tastes, Linkin Park was my first favorite band, going back to around the time Minutes To Midnight came out. I just remember being excited by this form of more aggressive and heavier musc than I was used to at the time, and let's be honest, in 2006 going into 2007, I was just about to enter high school, so I was really prime for the angsty lyrics that were their signature. So, I've had love for this band for damn near 20 years now, which is kind of wild to think about, but you can imagine how shook I was personally by Chester Bennington's death. I think I actually remember you and I discussing it when the news first broke, and we were both totally shocked, because you're right, it came out of nowhere. I really had no idea what was going to happen next, but after they played their benefit show later in 2017, I was at peace with that being the end, because yeah, how could you replace someone like Bennington? Plenty of bands, absolutely iconic ones, even, have navigated tragedies and managed to come out the other side, sometimes bigger and better than ever (AC/DC immediately comes to mind), but Bennington's voice, both in the literal sense and in the sense of his lyrics and what he was saying about his mental health, was so integral to the band's identity, that I don't think you could blame anyone for wondering if they were done.
Well, seven years later, it turns out Linkin Park had more to say and share with the world, and that's in the form of this album, From Zero. A few weeks before the initial announcement and comeback show, buzz had started to build about a potential Linkin Park reunion, and I remember feeling a little apprehensive, but ultimately willing to trust Mike Shinoda that he wouldn't do any of this if there wasn't genuinely something there. The comeback show happens, Emily Armstrong gets introduced to the world as the new vocalist, and we're getting new music from one of my very favorite bands for the first time in close to a decade, something I wasn't sure was ever gonna happen again! I had no idea who Emily was, so I liked the idea of it being someone lesser known, and I also immediately loved the bold choice of choosing a woman to front one of the biggest rock bands on the planet, in a genre that has so few non-men performers at the forefront. I also really liked "The Emptiness Machine" upon first listen; it felt like a cool blend of old and new, and having Mike carry the first bit of the song before passing the reigns to Emily was a very cool symbolic way to introduce her to the fans. So, I was riding pretty high on all of this initially, honestly!
That all being said, I'd be remiss if I didn't at least briefly touch on some stuff regarding Emily's past and why some people started to question the choice to bring her on, mainly her alleged ties to the Church of Scientology and her support of now-convicted rapist Danny Masterson, of That 70's Show fane. From everything I've been able to gather from researching this, it appears that Emily was born into Scientology and hasn't been actively participating in anything relating to it for a very long time, and her support for Masterson only extended to the very first court date, and she immediately backed away once more and more evidence came to light over the course of the trial. So, after all of that was bubbling up and then was later put into a more clear perspective, I think unless you're just stubborn, or misogynstic, or both, there's a lot to be happy about regarding this comeback. So, let's talk about this album!
First, I wanna ask you, given your past history with the band, what was it about From Zero that finally made Linkin Park click for you?
When “The Emptiness Machine” first dropped, I hadn’t gone through the band’s discography yet, but it’s not only a good first single, it was a good debut single to showcase Armstrong’s vocals and how well of a fit she is for the band. I surprisingly really enjoyed it, especially for how it revived the band’s harder edged sounds, but still maintained a really catchy core. The week before From Zero came out, I got the idea to go through the band’s first couple of albums, ultimately revisiting those to see if I could enjoy those more now. Spoiler alert: Hybrid Theory and Meteora are fantastic. Despite being rather dated in spots, they still hold up quite well and they’re impeccably written, but that got me wanting to listen to their rest of their discography as I was also listening to From Zero.
I wanted to be able to compare their newest album to the rest of their discography, especially when part of From Zero’s appeal for me, personally, is that it takes a lot of elements of their other records and packages it into a tight set of 32 minutes. After going through the rest of their albums, as well as Shinoda’s last solo album, you can hear a lot of that here. Whether it’s the nu-metal of their first two albums, the alt-metal / hard-rock of 2007’s Minutes To Midnight, the moody and atmospheric sound of 2010’s A Thousand Suns, the rap-rock-meets-pop sound of 2012’s Living Things (there’s a lot of Living Things influence here, surprisingly), the post-hardcore stylings of 2014’s The Hunting Party, or the streamlined pop of 2017’s One More Light. Even on Shinoda’s 2018 solo album, Post-Traumatic, there’s some influence there.
From Zero isn’t only their first album in seven years, their first with a new singer, as well as their shortest album to date, but it’s their first album to celebrate their legacy and their body of work. Instead of going too much in one direction, because they could have easily made a nu-metal album and it would have been fine, but they took bits and pieces from their discography. Their albums are still rather hit or miss for me, but I don’t outright hate any of their albums anymore. My thoughts have improved on most of them, but their inconsistency is still kind of an issue for me, but From Zero is the first album of theirs since the first two that I’ve been able to really enjoy front to back. What about you, Jake? How do you feel about this record?
I think you hit the nail on the head there, and why I really like this album a lot; it's a celebration of the band's legacy and everything they've done before, but at the same time, and really importantly, it's also pushing them forward in a new direction that doesn't ever feel like a cheap retread or a ploy for nostalgia. That feeling of nostalgia comes naturally, just from the band playing to their strengths and having a blast doing it. "Two Faced" is probably my favorite song on the album; it's very much a called back to the Hybrid Theory/Meteora era, but I just really love the energy on that song, and there's an undeniable swagger in the back and forth between Emily and Mike. You're totally right, though, it would have been very easy to just do an album of all that, but they didn't, and that's a testament to how Linkin Park was never a band to stay stagnant, even when it didn't always work. Another highlight for me is "Over Each Other," a more ballad-y song where Emily fully gets the spotlight. It wouldn't feel out of place on Living Things or even One More Light, but whereas I thought One More Light in particular didn't do a lot with the sound they were going for, a song like this takes that idea and infuses it with a renewed Linkin Park essence that makes it work a lot better.
What were some of your highlights on the album?
From Zero certainly feels like a new direction, too, even with a lot of their previous albums infused within its DNA. That’s another reason why this record works so well, because it has its own identity. As for highlights, “Two Faced” is my favorite as well, because it has that nu-metal sound of the first two albums, but with something new and interesting about it. Emily and Mike sound great, too, but speaking of risks, “Casualty” is another huge highlight. I didn’t have Linkin Park making a hardcore song on my bingo card for this year, but here we are. Emily’s screams are fantastic, and while Mike is kind of just shouting, he still is pushing his voice in a way he hasn’t before. I also really like “Over Each Other,” because it’s a solo cut from Emily, and it’s a good choice to put a song with just her here. Songs like that, as well as some of the more pop-focused cuts, like “Stained,” “Overflow,” and the closing track, “Good Things Go” have the same kind of sound that One More Light did, like you said, but with something more. The latter track is another highlight, too, because of its very emotional and weighty sound that closes the album out on a real good note.
"Good Things Go" is actually a really great album closer, and I love how the last few seconds loop back around to the intro track, making for a really cool full circle loop that makes it even easier to immediately replay the album. I also gotta show some love to "Heavy Is The Crown;" that song was chosen as the theme to this year's League Of Legends world champinships, and I believe there's even a version of it featured in the newest season of Arcane (a show I really need to watch), and it's very easy to hear why. It's another quintinsensially Linkin Park song, and that long scream Emily does during the bridge?? I feel like that was the moment that was like "Okay, she's got this" for me.
I love that it loops around to the intro, because it shows that it’s a full circle experience, almost like the band itself is circling back to when they first started. They’re starting again, essentially, so I love a lot of the symbolism here. Oh, man, I forgot about “Heavy Is The Crown”! That’s definitely within my top three songs, and it’s a song that I’ve been coming back to quite a bit, whether it’s for that hook, or Emily’s wicked screams. That’s a song that shows the past and the present for the band at the same time, because you can hear their earlier material there, but also something new. I was pretty sold on her when the first single came out, but both “Heavy Is The Crown” and “Two Faced” really sold me, and actually had me more excited for the album. Mike is surprisingly a solid rapper, so I’m happy he gets to shine a lot throughout this thing. Even as a singer, he’s improved quite a bit, and it’s awesome to see their chemistry.
I also quite enjoy the lyrics on this thing, too, because they feel very quintessential Linkin Park, whether they’re interestingly vague and specific at the same time, and there’s a ton of emotional catharsis throughout. They aren’t anything too deep or poetic, but they never needed to be. Their lyrics have always been vague but specIn certain points, when Emily screams a certain line, I’m eerily reminded of Chester doing the same thing on the first two albums, and it sounds so good.
Speaking of which, there is another elephant in the room that I think we need to discuss, and that can be a good way to start to close this out — there are plenty of people that are going to write this off simply for the fact this isn’t with Chester. Even if Emily was another guy, I guarantee that people would still refuse to even give this a chance. What do you think about that minority of fans that refuse to give anything else a listen by them if it doesn’t have Chester?
You know, on some level, I do kind of get it. Chester Bennington really was one of a kind, and the rest of the band had an utterly impossible task when they were looking for someone to carry on this role. Honestly, the only scenario I could see that maybe most people wouldn't be too upset with was Mike taking on all the vocal duties himself, but as solid as I think he's grown as a vocalist, having those dual vocals is another thing that's always put Linkin Park apart from other bands in the genre. So, when such a key piece of something that meant so much to you isn't there anymore, I can understand the hesitation. But, I listen to Mike talk in any interview he's done since the comeback and how much he didn't want this to happen just for the sake of it happening, and how it only really felt like Linkin Park again after Emily starting singing on the songs, I don't know how you don't at the very least give it a solid chance. If it's not for you still, that's totally valid, but what I don't love is when people (and to be fair, this is only a very small but loud minority) invoke Chester and try to say some nonense about how this totally shits on his and the band's legacy or how they should have changed the name, or even say some downright sexist shit like "Lol it's just Paramore now!" It's like, you could just quietly move on if it's not for you, and it's not as if the rest of their discography just goes away all of a sudden. I just don't see a world where you see how happy the band is to be performing again, and how Emily's really coming into her own as she gets more comfortable, and at the very least be happy that this band gets to continue in some form, even if their new album isn't for you.
I think that’s part of the cloud that hangs over this album, albeit from a small (but vocal) minority of people with that opinion, but the elephant in the room of this album not featuring Chester looms over this thing. For a long time, it seemed impossible that they could fill his shoes, and they could have easily had Mike take on lead vocal duties, but you’re right, LP’s appeal were those dual vocals, especially the rapped vocals and the sung/screamed ones. The hesitation is understandable, and I think most people would be, but that’s the other thing: Mike and the other members would not want to bring someone aboard that they weren’t comfortable and confident in, and they brought back Linkin Park as a labor of love, not because they need a paycheck.
I could understand if you give this album a chance, and it just doesn’t do anything for you, but there are people that will refuse to listen to it out, purely out of principle. I suppose I’m just baffled, because how wouldn’t this hit with longtime fans that love the first few albums? It has a lot of the same stuff that fans have loved, and just because Chester isn’t on it, it doesn’t mean it isn’t as good. I think that’s the thing about it, too, where people can’t just be quiet if they don’t like something. People always feel the need to express their vitriol for something, no matter how small, and they’ll always find something to dislike. It’s good that it’s a small minority, because a lot of the reaction I’ve seen has been positive.
I think what will be really telling for all this when it's said and done is how they follow up From Zero. This was the foot in the door, and Linkin Park has never been one to rest on their laurels and make the same album twice, so I'm so curious to see where they go from here. I'm also hopeful that after the intial feelings of having the band back at all and having Emily there wear off, if the people who aren't gonna give it a shor or maybe aren't as into this won't be willing to give what they do next a shot. I'm probably being a tad optimistic, but I'd like to imagine that now that people know what they have, Linkin Park can really blow the doors off the place.
Regardless of all of that, I think From Zero is basically everything I could have asked for in a Linkin Park comeback. It's a lean and mean collection of songs that shows the band back doing what they do best while also pushing forward, and I'm just happy this happened at all, considering how hard I imagine it must have been for them to even think about doing it.
From Zero is an album that doesn’t need to be anything experimental or revolutionary, because it’s exactly their foot in the door. They got back together, and they need to show that they still got it, so to speak, and this is them doing what they do best, all the while adding some new and exciting ideas. It’s cool that we’re in a new era for the band, because there were many years we never thought we’d get that, so I’m anticipating what we get next. I never have been crazy about Linkin Park, but this is the album that made me “get” them, so to speak. I’m happy I get to share this joy, even if it’s from someone that hasn’t always been their biggest fan, or grew up with them, but I absolutely love this album, and it’s one of my favorites of the year.
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blingedouteve · 11 months ago
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"The song is loud and beautiful-" okay but what are they singing? Whats the song? Cause let me tell you depending on the song im either burning that damn wasps nest with a flame thrower or im diving head first into it with a terrifying glee
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alexinafan · 2 months ago
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Alexina Graham attends Heidi Klum's 23rd Annual Halloween Party at the Hard Rock Hotel New York on October 31, 2024 in New York City.
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skysearring · 6 months ago
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The Hunting Party turns 10 yrs old today! (I'm prob late to this)
Personally this album is one of my top favs, but what's your fav song(s) from this album?
Mines are Rebellion, Wastelands, Mark The Graves and A Line In The Sand
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shakira-fan-page · 9 months ago
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New photos | Shakira attends the "Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran" album release party at Hard Rock Live at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood in Hollywood, Florida. (Mar 21, 2024)
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