#his name comes from one of the music in kara's soundtrack- it's the music we hear when alice is on the merry-go-round (i think 💀)

[dumvixerum]

Damn. I suck at color theory 🤩

Anyway here's Alice's Jojo stand his name is Carousel and he's just a little silly fox (he won't hesitate to take all your sanity away and destroy it if Alice is mad 🫶)

I prefer the traditional version honestly it's better without the colors 💀

Rant about Carousel in the tags sorry not sorry

[sinceileftyoublog]

30 (Technically 34) Albums We Loved That Happened To Come Out in 2020

So much has already been said and written about this cursed past year, but a few good things came out of it, including the music. Album-wise, like many before it and many to come, it was an embarrassment of riches. But even with so much time on our hands to devour new tunes, it was often old favorites, songs of comfort or familiarity that garnered the heaviest rotation. For many artists, too, it was a year ripe for revisiting or reissues of old material, looking at existing songs with fresh and new perspectives. Simply put, with so much to listen to, new and old, the prospect of ranking a finite number of albums felt not only daunting, but frankly a bit stupid. Maybe we were late to the game, but 2020 taught us that music should and can be appreciated in multiple contexts, not limited to but including when it first came out and when it was heard again and again, even if years later. The records below--listed in alphabetical order--happened to be released in some form in 2020, whether never-before-heard or heard before but in a different format. And the only thing I know is that we’ll be listening to them in 2021 and beyond.

Autechre - SIGN & PLUS (Warp)

The legendary British electronic music duo surprise released SIGN a mere month and a half after its announcement and then PLUS 12 days later. The former was a beatific collection of soundscapes that belied the band’s usual harsh noise, while PLUS embraced that noise right back, drawing you in with the clattering chaotic burbles of opener “DekDre Scap B” and lurching forward. -Jordan Mainzer

Against All Logic - 2017-2019 (Other People)

The perennially chill ambient house artist Nicolas Jaar had a busy 2020, as usual, releasing two albums under his name, Cenizas and Telas. But it was 2017-2019, the follow-up to the debut album from his Against All Logic moniker, that came first and throughout the year helped to illustrate Jaar’s penchant for combining inspired samples with club beats and tape hiss. Take the way the lovelorn vocals of “Fantasy” or soulful coos of “If Loving You Is Wrong” war skittering, scratchy percussion and cool arpeggios, respectively: Jaar is coming into his own as a masterful producer almost a decade after he released his first full-length. Oh, and bonus points for including none other than Lydia Lunch on a banger so blunt it would make Death Grips blush. - JM

Bartees Strange - Live Forever (Memory Music)

Like many, my introduction to Bartees Strange was through Say Goodbye to Pretty Boy, his EP of The National covers. Creativity and shifting perspectives shine through each song’s reimaging, like flipping the coarse, almost manic “Mr. November” into something softer, more meditative. It felt like a mere peek into what was to come on Live Forever. Bartees Strange is a world-builder. Each track on his debut unfolds and welcomes you to a wildly engaging tableau, a fully constructed vision. “Jealousy” opens with soft vocals and birdsong. “In a Cab” is the slick soundtrack to racing through a cityscape in the rain, seeing the blurred lights of the high-rises above as you pass by. “Kelly Rowland” warps wistful pop song feelings. “Flagey God” takes you into a dark, pulsing club while only a few songs later, “Fallen For You” wraps you in echoed vocals and romantic, raw acoustic guitar.

It’s an accomplishment to craft an album of individual songs that stand strongly on their own but still feel cohesive. 2020 wasn’t all bad. It gave us Live Forever, a declaration of an artist’s arrival. - Lauren Lederman

Charli XCX - how i’m feeling now (Atlantic)

Back in the spring, many of us wondered who would put out something great in 2020’s quarantine. It was hard to imagine that the intensity of a global pandemic would really allow for artists to embrace creativity. That thought carries the same eye-roll inducing feeling of “We’ll get some great punk music out of a Trump presidency,” but of course, Charli XCX delivered. Through live workshops with fans and longstanding collaborators, she delivered songs to dance alone to in your bubble. Charli embraces the unknown of the moment but clutches onto what’s familiar. Under the glitch-pop veneer of the album, she digs into the anxieties of not just this moment of time but of the bigger questions we all confront: trajectories of relationships with friends, romantic partners, ourselves. Album standouts “forever” and “i finally understand” embrace that feeling of both looking for control and accepting the lack of it. Charli is a master at balancing this. - LL

Christine and the Queens - La Vita Nuova (Because Music)

Named after a Latin text by Dante Alighieri about missing a woman who has died, Chris’ La Vita Nuova is not about mourning a death but instead about loneliness and isolation, post-relationship or otherwise. It doesn’t bang quite like her previous two albums, but it hits harder than ever.

Read our full review here.

Dogleg - Melee (Triple Crown)

Released on March 13th, right as the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Melee was supposed to be supported by three cancelled tours–SXSW, an opening slot for Microwave, and an opening slot for Joyce Manor–and an appearance at this year’s cancelled Pitchfork Music Festival. Listening to the songs on the record, you can only imagine how they translate: the jerky momentum of “Bueno”, build-up of “Prom Hell”, gang vocals of “Fox”, clear-vocal anthem of “Wrist”, and odd groove of “Ender”.

Read “Buckle Up, Motherfucker”, our interview with Dogleg.

Dua Lipa - Future Nostalgia & Dua Lipa/The Blessed Madonna: Club Future Nostalgia (Warner)

Where Dua Lipa’s much-anticipated second album Future Nostalgia succeeded was in its disco anthems and retro, club-ready beats, so who better to bring out the best of the record than The Blessed Madonna? The turntablist masterfully curates a mix of heavy hitters of the charts and the underground that not only offers an essential complement to Future Nostalgia but transcends it. Sending the tracks out to various producers and singers for features and then adding her own samples on top, she invites you to peel back the layers, enter a YouTube rabbit hole of sample searching as much as bopping along.

Read our full review here.

Emma Ruth Rundle & Thou - May Our Chambers Be Full (Sacred Bones)

Roadburn Festival has long been on my bucket list, and since the pandemic showed me how much live music can be taken away in a flash, when it’s safe again to travel and go to a festival, I may just pull the trigger and go--especially considering it’s the springboard for such fruitful and inspired collaborations as the one between Louisville singer-songwriter Emma Ruth Rundle and Baton Rouge sludge dwellers Thou. Rundle embraces the heavier opportunities on the follow-up to her incredible 2018 record On Dark Horses with the ever-flexible Thou backing her up vocally and instrumentally. Slow-burning opener “Killing Floor” offers a familiar introduction to fans of both--sort of what a Rundle/Thou song would sound like--before grunge chugger “Monolith” introduces huge, catchy riffs and “Out of Existence” a True Widow-esque dirge, newfound inspirations for both artists bringing the best out of each other. - JM

Fiona Apple - Fetch the Bolt Cutters (Epic)

What makes Fetch the Bolt Cutters stand out among Apple’s catalog and music in general is the clarity with which Apple seethes at those who have wronged her, whether ex-boyfriends or patriarchal oppressors, and looks to her relationships with other women for peace of mind.

Read our full review here.

HAIM - Women in Music Pt. III (Columbia)

For HAIM, the title Women in Music Pt. III is suggestive that, more than their previous two records, their third centers around the experiences of being an all-female band in a historically white cis male-dominated scene, at least one that wouldn’t call catchy riffs written by a man “simple” or call attention to the faces a man makes while playing. What it doesn’t let on to is how deeply personal the record is, how, by unabashedly embracing genres and styles of music that they love, HAIM have made far and away their best album. Co-produced by the usual suspects, Danielle Haim, Ariel Rechtshaid, and ex-Vampire Weekender Rostam Batmanglij, it’s instrumentally and aesthetically dynamic and diverse, consistently earnest without devolving into cheese.

Read our full review here.

Irreversible Entanglements - Who Sent You? (International Anthem)

I’ve been captivated by Irreversible Entanglements ever since I first saw them at Pitchfork Music Festival 2018. The radical poetry of Camae Ayewa (aka Moor Mother) is the perfect front for a ramshackle mix of Luke Stewart’s spidery bass, Tcheser Holmes’ weighty drums, and a horn section that concocts tones that range from hopeful to desperate. At their best, Who Sent You? is a shining example of celebratory Afrofuturism and metaphysics that makes the urgency of Ayewa’s more concrete and political words all the more necessary. “No Más”, composed by Panamanian-born trumpeter Aquiles Navarro, is a declaration against imperialist oppression, while the stunning title track flips the switch like a Kara Walker painting, as Ayewa’s the one interrogating the police officer terrorizing her community. “Who sent you?” she repeats, never spiraling, grabbing a hold of the power and never letting go. - JM

Jeff Parker - Suite for Max Brown (International Anthem/Nonesuch)

It’s Jeff Parker’s mom’s turn. After 2016′s The New Breed ended up being a tribute to the guitarist’s father, who passed away during the making of it, Parker decided to pay tribute to Maxine while she was still alive. Suite for Max Brown (Brown is his mother’s maiden name; Max is what people call her) is a genre-bending collection of tracks inspired by Parker’s DJing, juxtapositions of sequenced beats with improvisation that certainly sound like the brainchild of one individual. Indeed, Parker plays the majority of the instruments on it and engineered most of it at home or during his 2018 Headlands Center residency in Sausalito, CA; though all of the players and the vocalist (Jeff’s daughter Ruby Parker) on The New Breed show up, plus a couple trumpeters (piccolo player Rob Mazurek and Nate Walcott of Bright Eyes) and cellist Katinka Kleijn, Suite for Max Brown is a distinctly Jeff Parker record.

Read our preview of Jeff Parker & The New Breed’s set at Dorian’s last year.

Jeff Rosenstock - NO DREAM (Polyvinyl)

Jeff Rosenstock throws us right into the spinning, manic energy of NO DREAM, his latest release from a seemingly endless well of music that never lacks urgency. It’s a reminder that though it’s been a strange year, the issues Rosenstock tackles here aren’t new. There’s no interest in making you feel comfortable here. On the album’s title track, Rosenstock sings, lulling you into a false sense of security, “They were separating families carelessly / Under the guise of protecting you and me.” But reality sets in, and the hazy guitars spin out as he spits, “It’s not a dream!” and, “Fuck violence!”

My image of Jeff Rosenstock in the year 2020 is masked up with “Black Lives Matter” scrawled across the fabric of his mask in Sharpie, performing album highlight “Scram!” on Late Night with Seth Meyers as high energy as ever. It felt like watching someone send out a beacon, both a distress signal and a call to arms. - LL

Jessie Ware - What’s Your Pleasure? (PMR/Friends Keep Secrets/Interscope)

I am not someone who goes to clubs. I don’t “go out dancing,” preferring to let loose in the privacy of my own home or a trusted friend’s house party. But Jessie Ware’s What’s Your Pleasure? makes me think I could embrace a night out like that, once the world opens up again, of course. The album is filled with syncopated disco beats that feel fresh and classic all at once. The abundant horns and strings on “Step Into My Life” are decadent, like light bouncing off sequins in a dark room. Ware’s voice is slinky and velvety one moment, windswept like her album cover the next. It’s songs like “Save a Kiss” that embrace both, allowing her to show off her range. - LL

Laura Marling - Song for Our Daughter (Partisan)

With sparse production, mostly from her but with additions from Ethan Johns and Dom Monks, Marling foregoes the comparative maximalism of the Blake Mills-produced Semper Femina, her last proper full-length, and 2018′s LUMP collaboration. The songs aren’t simple, but they’re succinct, and every element, from Marling’s finger-picked guitars, the occasional slide guitar, and that unmistakably calm voice, sometimes alone and sometimes layered, fits. It’s her most universal set of songs yet, centering around the times when we’re apart from one another but reflecting on when we were together and when we might be together again, with no guarantees.

Read the rest of our review here.

Les Amazones d’Afrique - Amazones Power (Real World Records)

The groovy pan-African collective expands upon their debut Republique Amazone and then some with Amazones Power, a tour-de-force statement of female empowerment in the face of oppression against women throughout the African diaspora. Indeed, the album is more than just songs boldly decrying FGM, though those demands ring heavily. Instead, the group goes further, delving into gender power structures in marriage on “Queens” and selectively finding strength in tradition on “Dreams”. And this time, they include men to stand alongside with them. “Together we must stand / Together we must end this,” sings Guinean musician/dancer/artist Niariu on opener “Heavy” in solidarity with features��Douranne (Boy) Fall and Magueye Diouk (Jon Grace) of Paris band Nyoko Bokbae. But perhaps it’s her kiss-off on “Smile” that hits hardest: “I shut up for no one.” - JM

Lianne La Havas - Lianne La Havas (Nonesuch)

The British singer-songwriter’s much anticipated follow-up to 2015′s Blood was better than I could have ever imagined. A song cycle about life cycles--of nature, of lives, of a relationship--inspired by an actual breakup, Lianne La Havas is a contemporary neo soul masterpiece. Overview opener “Bittersweet” is an instant earworm, La Havas’ coo-turned-belt filling the space between classic and increasingly emotive slabs of piano and guitar. Funky, lovestruck strut “Read My Mind” is the soundtrack for the unbridled confidence of finding new love. Yes, the doubts begin to sow on the fingerpicked melancholy of “Green Papaya” and “Can’t Fight”, and where the album goes from a simple narrative perspective may be predictable: They break up, they don’t get back together, La Havas enjoys her independence. But the depth of the arrangements and assuredness of La Havas’ singing is a product of an artist starting to really show us what she can do. And how many people can pull off a Radiohead cover like that? - JM

Lomelda - Hannah (Double Double Whammy)

What does it mean to title an album after yourself? Lomelda’s latest album is centered around discovering more about yourself while not always having the answers. Despite the lyrical content, the album is self-assured. Hannah Read’s voice feels as steady as ever as it navigates these twisting questions, like the way the world can shift after a kiss. She finds power in softness and reflection throughout the album, like when she explores the mantra-like words of “Wonder” or through a reminder to do no harm in “Hannah Sun”. In a year that allowed for perhaps more reflection than usual, Hannah makes space for the questions that arise out of figuring yourself out, of making sense of the messiness of it all, wrapped in warm guitar, balanced vocals, and steady drums. - LL

Moses Sumney - Grae (Jagjaguwar)

“Am I vital / If my heart is idle? / Am I doomed?” Moses Sumney famously sang on his stunning 2017 debut Aromanticism, an album that saw him developing his acceptance of being alone. grae, his two-part 2nd full-length, and his first since officially moving from L.A. to the Appalachian Mountains of Asheville, North Carolina, doubles down on themes of heartbreak, but instead of being sure in his seclusion, he embraces the unknown. The album teeters between interludes of platitudes about isolation and ruminations on failed human connection, and maximally arranged clutches of uncertainty. “When my mind’s clouded and filled with doubt / That’s when I feel the most alive,” Sumney coos over horns and piano on slinky soul song “Cut Me”; it’s an effective mantra for the album.

Read the rest of our review here.

Norah Jones - Pick Me Up Off The Floor (Blue Note)

At the time we previewed Norah Jones’ 7th studio album, she had only released a few tracks from it. Turns out the rest was just as powerful. From the blues stomp of “Flame Twin” to the rolling piano stylings of “Hurts to Be Alone”, Pick Me Up Off The Floor is an album full of jazzy orchestrations and soul and gospel-indebted arrangements, Jones’ silky, yearning voice tying together the simple, yet lush and deep instrumentation. And that other Tweedy feature, that closes the album? It’s a heartbreaking portrait of loneliness, one of many on a record that still manages to celebrate being alive all the while. - JM

Phoebe Bridgers - Punisher (Dead Oceans)

Phoebe Bridgers is a master of details. Her lyrics shine when they get specific. They range from the mundane to morbid: A superfan’s ghost-like wandering under a drugstore’s fluorescent lights, a skinhead likely buried under a blooming garden, reckoning with the you in “Moon Song”’s lines, “You are sick, and you’re married / And you might be dying.” Bridgers has always been able to set a scene meticulously, and Punisher arrived with 11 songs that expanded that skill, both lyrically and musically, with her dark humor intact and a fuller sound that includes her boygenuis collaborators’ harmonies. - LL

PJ Harvey - To Bring You My Love: The Demos & Dry - The Demos (Island)

Yes, revisiting Dry’s demos as a separate entity is still worthwhile. Harvey’s powerhouse vocal performance carries the acoustic strummed “Oh My Lover”, while the comparatively minimal arrangement of “Victory” highlights bluesy riffing, call-and-response harmonies, and layered guitar and vocals. The singles, the slinky and sharp “Dress” and propulsive anthem “Sheela-Na-Gig”, hold up to their ultimate studio versions, too. But it’s the To Bring You My Love material that provides novelty because it’s never been released and more so because it encompasses the greatest aesthetic contrast from the album. From the warbling hues and guitar lines of the title track to the tremolo haze of “Teclo” to the crisp snares of “Working With The Man”, the demos show a continuity and level of cohesiveness with the diversity of Dry and Rid of Me not shown on the studio version of Harvey’s more accessible commercial breakout. (Predictably, the album’s most well-known song, “Down by the Water”, is the closest to its eventual version.) “Long Snake Moan” is simultaneously more spacious and more noisy, its garage blues a total contrast to the lurking “I Think I’m A Mother” and swaying shanty “Send His Love To Me”. And “The Dancer” fully embraces its flamenco influences, hand claps and all.

Porridge Radio - Every Bad (Secretly Canadian)

Is there a better opening line than “I’m bored to death, let’s argue”? That kind of duality is found across all of Every Bad as it grapples with the frustrations and anxiety of trying to figure it all out, whatever that might mean for you. “Maybe I was born confused, but I’m not,” vocalist Dana Margolin repeats throughout the opening track, roping in listeners with the dizzying feeling of trying to make sense of yourself. The band’s guitar and synth sound coupled with Margolin’s howl makes for a dance party filled with dread, rendering Margolin’s already strong, repetitive lyrics even more spiraling. And yet, by the time we get to “Lilacs”, a glimmer of something else shines through as the music gets more manic and Margolin’s voice begins to soar: “I don’t want to get bitter / I want us to get better / I want us to be kinder / To ourselves and to each other.” - LL

Sault - Untitled (Rise) & Untitled (Black Is) (Forever Living Originals)

Yes, Black Is still pulls plenty of devastating punches. “Eternal Life”, a segue from the gospel boost of “US”, juxtaposes a deliberate drum beat with zooming synths, both ascending like a chorus of angels, as they sing, “I see sadness in your eye / ‘Cause I know you don’t wanna die,” presenting the oppression of Black life at the hands of white supremacy in inarguable terms. Ultimately, though, it’s the anthemic nature of the songs, resistant of platitudes, that shines through. “Nobody cared / This generation cares,” says Laurette Josiah on “This Generation”. Whether she’s talking about young people in general or the latest generation of young Black leaders, the sentiment is reflected on songs like “Black”, wherein over dynamic, sinewy instrumentation, the singers alternate between encouragement, support, and love of the self and others.

Read our full review here.

Shamir - Shamir (self-released)

Shamir’s voice is a bright beacon in a sea of conventional singers. Shamir captures the effervescence of pop music and weaves it together with elements of country, alt rock, and diary confessional lyrics all supported by the emotion and range of his vocals. There’s something for everyone across the album’s 11 shimmering tracks. Lead single and opener “On My Own” feels like a declaration of self and self-sufficiency, an anthem of a breakup song. The almost pop-punk bounce of “Pretty When I’m Sad”, paired perfectly with lines like the angst-ridden, “Let’s fuck around inside each other’s heads,” feels impossible to not bop along to. The twang of “Other Side” would put a country crooner to shame. That’s the power of Shamir. His voice has the ability to smoothly convey joy, resilience, and humor. He uses elements of several genres, not just the dance-pop of his debut, to build a unique album that gives listeners so much to sift through and, of course, dance to. - LL

Songhoy Blues - Optimisme (Fat Possum)

If Songhoy Blues’ second album Resistance lacked “the grit of its predecessor,” it’s clear from the hard rock stomp of the opening track of Malian band’s third album Optimisme that they rediscovered their mojo. More importantly, they couple this maximal brashness with tributes to those who make their world a better place: fighters for freedom, women, the young. It’s perhaps the first Songhoy Blues record to truly combine the celebratory nature of their desert blues with a balanced mixture of idealism and vigor. - JM

Spanish Love Songs - Brave Faces Everyone (Pure Noise)  

How can you find hope in hopelessness, or optimism when every news story points to cruelty? Is it naïve to keep searching for light in the dark? I don’t think so, and I don’t think Spanish Love Songs does, either. I’d like to think we both believe that’s not naivety, but power. It’s the embers you need to really ignite a flame. After all, this is the band with a song titled “Optimism (As a Radical Life Choice)”. It’s a band whose crunching guitars and earnestness insist that despite death and depression and addiction, the instinct to survive shines brightly above all. That relentless hope resurfaces across Brave Faces Everyone’s 10 tracks even as it works through the bleakness of everyday life. - LL

Tashi Dorji - Stateless (Drag City)

The magnum opus from the Asheville-based picker is a group of evocatively titled, disorderly songs about the desolate hellscape of America for outsiders and immigrants. Enigmatic in its nature, not exactly narrative, Stateless combines Dorji’s urgent strumming with moody motifs, captured beautifully in a studio setting for maximum emotional wallop. - JM

Touche Amore - Lament (Epitaph)

Is this what an almost uplifting Touche Amore album sounds like? It’s cathartic in a newer way for the band, especially after the beautifully rendered grief of Stage Four. Lament loses none of the band’s aggression or urgency. “Come Heroine” thrusts listeners into that urgency and introduces a moment of warmth, Jeremy Bolm’s vocals still rasping and insistent: “You brought me in / You took to me / And reversed the atrophy.” The bounciness of “Reminders” may seem close to optimism, but a sharper look at the lyrics uncovers more than blindly looking to the things that bring joy. “I’ll Be Your Host” is reflective, a few years removed from Touche Amore’s previous album and the immediacy of loss, self-aware and growing, but still raw. The album closer, “A Forecast”, takes a turn, a lone voice and piano acting as a confessional before giving way to thrashing guitars and the realization that growth and reckoning with trauma doesn’t mean minimizing it. It means learning to keep moving forward and to stop for help when you may need it. - LL

Waxahatchee - Saint Cloud (Merge)

The best album yet from Katie Crutchfield is inspired by positive personal change (getting sober, dealing with codependency issues, her blossoming love with singer-songwriter Kevin Morby) and reflections on family and friends. Named after the suburb of Orlando where her father’s from, Saint Cloud is a genre-hopping collection of stories and feelings that doesn’t necessarily follow any semblance of narrative. On opener “Oxbow” and country-tinged ditty “Can’t Do Much”, Crutchfield’s increasingly aware of the need to pick your side and your battles, whether in the relationship between two people or between the allure of the bottle and the next-day hangover. Some of the best songs on the album see her finding commonalities with others as a means towards self-love. Gentle strummer “The Eye” refers to her natural creative relationships with Morby and her sister Allison. “War” she wrote for herself and best friend, who is also sober, the title a metaphor for one’s fight to remain substance-free. “Witches” is an ode to her best friends, including Allison and Snail Mail’s Lindsey Jordan, all equally frustrated by the toxic nature of the music industry and the world at large, ultimately lifting each other up because they simply have each other.

Read our full review here.

[medea10]

My Review of Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni GOU

(a.k.a. When They Cry Gou)

I know what you’re thinking. Why the heck am I reviewing this anime again? I’ve already written a review in 2009 and re-polished it in 2016. (Here it is BTW) I’ve made my point on who I like, hate, what ships are worthy, and poked fun at all the deaths that happened throughout the series. I think some time has passed that I should say some thoughts on this…um, story. After all, Higurashi is one of my favorite animes.

STORY: Ah shit, here we go again!

Higurashi or When They Cry is about a boy named Keiichi Maebara who recently moved to a place called Hinamizawa. And ever since moving to this town, he’s found his days are filled with fun mischief with fellow friends Rena Ryuuguu, Satoko Hojo, Mion Sonozaki, and Rika Furude. But little does Keiichi know that there’s a little murder mystery that surrounds the town. During a town festival known as Watanagashi (or Cotton Drifting), there’s usually one or two people that go missing or turn up dead. And this year, Keiichi is next. So let’s relive the horrors that plague the town of Hinamizawa and…

One episode later.

Wait, what the…?! It’s episode 2, why are we seeing Hanyuu? I don’t remember that in the manga. The visual! THE VISUAL! WHAT THE FUCK?! ISN’T THIS SUPPOSED TO BE A REBOOT? WHAT THE FUCK?! WHAT THE FUCK?! WHY IS THERE AN ADULT RIKA?! WAIT, IS THAT ADULT RIKA OR BERN? IS THIS GOING TO BE THE PARALLEL UNIVERSE TO THE WITCHES OF UMINEKO?! THE SHADOWS IN THE OPENING ARE TOO FAMILIAR FROM OTHER WORKS! Ryukishi07, you magnificent, fucking troll master for keeping this hidden until the second episode’s air date!

Many of us did not see this coming. When they announced a new Higurashi series that was going to be done by a different studio, many of us speculated whether this was going to be a reboot or a sequel. But then we got the PV trailers and it looked like we were going to get a reboot to correct the mistakes Studio Deen made years ago. Rika’s head doesn’t look like its gonna snap off because her body is so small in comparison. Improvements! I mean, they showed everything we were already used to like the yandere girls, the original soundtrack, the original freakin’ cast, and death by baseball bat. Hell, the first episode ended with an Eiko Shimamiya song! It was on track to being a reboot! A better looking reboot!

Here in lies the sequel aspect! After episode one, we get a scene that isn’t usually seen until the Kai part of Higurashi (a good 4-5 arcs away). And they give away the secret that Rika Furude is repeating the timeline of June 1983 over and over because she keeps dying. And as the series progresses, you notice little things different from the original series. Many of the well-known storylines end much differently than what you remember. Instead of Keiichi killing Rena and Mion with a baseball bat, you’ve got Rena going psycho on Keiichi. And Rika’s fate is somehow worse than the stories of the original series. So let’s head back to Hinamizawa to hear the cicadas cry and watch a murder mystery unfold.

THE SUB: All the original voice actors have returned to voice their respected roles. Perfection in a nutshell!

LICENSING: You’ve gotta be shitting me!

As I’ve mentioned years ago in my review, the original Higurashi anime went through a turbulent time being licensed in the states. It was originally licensed and dubbed by Geneon. But once Geneon collapsed, FUNimation licensed it and did absolutely fuck all with it. Geneon could only manage to squeak out one season. At this point, FUNimation was picking up titles that Geneon used to have before it fell under including Familiar of Zero, Kyou Kara Maou, and yes, Higurashi. All of these titles mentioned here were done absolutely nothing with despite having cult followings, second seasons, and OVA’s.

A year or two after licensing it, the license expired for Higurashi. For nearly six years, the only copies you could get were out of print and estimating at $500 at the very least for a full collection. Single DVD’s could be found in rare shops, but it would take like 13 years to complete the fucking collection if you did it that way. And that was only for the first season. Second season, the best all of us could do was bootleg DVD’s from Japan Town or fansubs with glaring errors for the best season to Higurashi. We had to deal with this shit until Sentai Filmworks licensed and released the first 2 seasons and the Rei OVA’s.

AND NOW YOU’RE TELLING ME FUNIMATION IS CLAIMING HIGURASHI ALL FOR THEMSELVES?!

Where the shit was this love 10 years ago when we were asking politely to release Kai? People ignorantly blew Higurashi off for years because season two was never released in the states until 2016 because they thought the damn anime ended after Rena held up the school. I’m already irritated with FUNimation after the Interspecies Reviewers debacle and I’m still quite butt-hurt over them re-releasing Nichijou with a dub to make a quick buck. Licensing Higurashi just brings back old anger. Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy Higurashi is legally licensed and can be seen on at the very least Hulu. It’s just that I hold grudges and this was a big one.

THE DUB: Holy…um, okay! This is a rather big gulp to take in. As I’ve repeatedly mentioned in past reviews, the Higurashi dub was a mixed bag of okay, bad, and oh gasperts kill it with fire. So, not great! The good folks at Geneon (before bankrupting in America) dubbed the first season with a good chunk of folks that put their fake names to the credits. Again, not great! To me, there were some aspects of Megan Hollingshed, Mela Lee, and Grant George’s performances of Mion, Rena, and Keiichi that were okay. SOME! John Snyder and Karen Strassmen as Ooishi and Takano were the best out of that dub. Everything else was just irredeemable! It needed a redub, an overhaul, and a spit-shine. For years, I’ve wondered who would be the dream cast. Sentai Filmworks unfortunately never dubbed the remaining seasons when they released them. Would Luci Christian be the heavenly voice to do Rika Furude? Could we get Hilary Haag to do Satoko? Okay, that never came to pass.

This dub is a breath of fresh air. Rika doesn’t sound like Mihoshi. Satoko doesn’t sound fake, Keiichi doesn’t sound like a weird Sonic the Hedgehog. It’s perfect. ESPECIALLY BRITTANY LAUDA AS SATOKO! I knew the second she was cast as Satoko that she was going to excel the fuck out of this role. And I was not disappointed! The only voice I’m still not quite used to is Michelle Rojas as the Sonozaki twins. Probably because I was somewhat okay with Megan Hollingshed’s voice in the 2006 version that it’ll take some time! And we FINALLY got a voice for Hanyuu. I am super excited that Xanthe Huynh is the voice and I know she’ll do great with this role! With all of that said, here’s what you might recognize these folks from.

*Keiichi is now played by Khoi Dao (known for Kiriyama on March Comes in Like a Lion, Murata on Demon Slayer, Chaka on Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure Pt. 3, and Iskhan on SAO: Alicization)

*Rena is now played by Emi Lo

*Mion/Shion is now played by Michelle Rojas (known for Shizu Delta on Overlord, Touka on Assassination Classroom, Minase on Psycho Pass, Kanan on Love Live Sunshine, and Kusakai on Keijo!!!!!!!!)

*Rika is now played by Apphia Yu (known for Rio on Assassination Classroom, Marie on Black Clover, You on Love Live Sunshine, Victorique on Gosick, Natsumi on Danganronpa 3, and Laki on Fairy Tail)

*Satoko is now played by Brittany Lauda (known for Riko on Made in Abyss, Meidri on Interspecies Reviewers, Lessar on Index III, and Ichigo on Darling in the FranXX)

*Hanyuu is played by Xanthe Huynh (known for Menma on Anohana, Haru on Persona 5, Hanayo on Love Live, Hidomi on FLCL: Progressive, PallaPalla on Sailor Moon Super S [redub], and Sachi on SAO)

ANY CHANGES IN YOUR HATE-O-RADE:

Okay Medea, let-a-rip!

*inhales and exhales*

Teppei Hojo is trash. He is ultimate trash. This fucker needs to be murdered in every timeline. He is a turd in a Glenn Quagmire shirt. Him and his wife are trash. And when this pile of trash is cheating on that pile of trash, he sleeps with peak trash named Ritsuko. Teppei Hojo needs to die in every timeline. Whenever Keiichi bashes this cum-burger’s head in with a blunt instrument, I scream at the top of my lungs, “DIE SCUM, DIE”! And nothing, I repeat, NOTHING will change my opinion of Teppei Hojo.

Episode 23.

Oh, fuck you Higurashi Gou!

MUSIC: Okay, thank you for proving me wrong. I did not despise the opening theme. Having Higurashi with no Eiko Shimamiya is like having Pokemon with no Rika Matsumoto. Or Rozen Maiden with no ALI PROJECT. But this new opening is fine by my standards.

That’s right, get the niceness of the review before I get angry down below.

THESE TIMELOOPS: Rika tries to find solutions to end her time-loop in June 1983. Much like the original series, we follow stories from the Onikakushi-hen, Watanagashi-hen, and Tatarigoroshi-hen arcs (the first three stories to Higurashi, although now these have different names). However, all of these arcs have different endings. And after a positive turnaround with Satoko escaping from her abusive uncle, shit goes south when Detective Ooishi, who up to this point has never suffered under the Hinamizawa Syndrome or died a painful death goes on a murderous rampage. Higurashi style! That means, he’s after Rika Furude, will slaughter anyone in his way, and scratching his neck because he sees maggots (part of the hallucination effect).

What the shit? Ooishi for the most part has been a great guy. With the exception of the Tatarigoroshi-hen storyline, he was a nice guy! In the limbo with Hanyuu, Rika now remembers who has killed her. Every time Rika dies up to this point, she never remembers who was the cause of her demise. Hanyuu implanted that power to remember the deaths and a clue for Rika to use and then she disappears.

Now seriously, imagine Rika’s plight here. She has been repeating the month of June 1983 for over a hundred years. And each of these times she repeats, she’s horribly murdered. Rika got the shit-end of the deal in the murder department in the original series, including being dissected on while alive. Then, leaving her bloody, naked corpse out in the open of the Oyashiro altar! She’s tired of this shit! She wants to live a happy life away from Hinamizawa. She wants to grow older, become a teenager, and have fun. And this series made it worse by having her die four times in one episode. Not just that, but murdered by the most unexpected people including Akasaka, Chief Kimiyoshi, Mion’s mother Akane, and Keiichi. Keiichi has never killed Rika in any of the timelines up to this point. He has killed Mion and Rena, but never Rika. Keiichi loves Rika! Welcome back to A Million Ways to Die in Hinamizawa.

I’ll just add decapitation, drowning in a lake, set on fire, drowning in a sewage pipe, and death by…um…

Alexa, play Chandelier by Sia.

ENDING: We all know by now that in the original series, Miyo Takano is the betrayer and the reason behind all the murders during the Cotton Drifting Festival. This time, it’s someone closer to Rika that’s causing Rika so much pain. After we watched the worst kinds of murders happen to Rika, the episode after gave us our answer. Satoko, Rika’s friend and confidant is not happy that Rika is turning her back on Oyashiro and Hinamizawa. All the while pulling out her intestines!

Oh Higurashi, don’t stop being gory!

Yes, Satoko is aware of past timelines much like Rika and is almost on a god-like state. So what the hell happened to her? I know Satoko’s past has been a cluster-fuck of horror with her brother disappearing, her parents dying, and every form of abuse from her uncle. But she was able to prevail after all that. After surviving 1983, a lot has changed in Hinamizawa. The three big families of Hinamizawa put an end to the Cotton Drifting Festival and claiming there is no curse of Oyashiro. Mion and Shion moved on and are going to high school. And Rika decides she wants to move away from this village. By attending St. Lucia! And she wants to do this with Satoko.

Oh, if you don’t recall St. Lucia, Shion attended this academy until she escaped during the Meakashi-hen arc. It was also the same school that Ange from Umineko attended. But of course Ange attended it in the 90’s and we are clearly in the 80’s. Moving on!

Rika and Satoko studied their butts off for years and their hard work paid off as both were admitted into St. Lucia. Now Rika was able to prevail and fit in with everyone. Satoko on the other hand couldn’t do the same as her grades took a dip, her manners are atrocious, and she doesn’t seem to fit in with anyone. And this caused a drift between Rika and Satoko! And so during a trip to Hinamizawa, Satoko went to the old shrine where she ended up getting sent to that limbo place Rika and Hanyuu were at many times before. There, she meets Eua (God, I hope that really isn’t her name). She’s much like Hanyuu except a lot more condescending. Oh, and she’s that mysterious shadow during the opening theme. She bestows the power to Satoko of reviving on death and returning to a certain point in time. In the hopes that Satoko is able to stop Rika from going to St. Lucia! But Rika is not going to budge. She wants out of Hinamizawa no matter what. And Satoko just wants to be with her friend no matter what. Satoko is even shown Rika’s past and still no dent in…Okay, this is bugging the fuck outta me. Pause the Ending portion!

MY GRIPES WITH SATOKO: Satoko, girl, the fuck is wrong with you?! I know Rika is like your main chick and everything, but for fuck’s sake loosen the grip you have with Rika. This season has changed you and not for the better. You made a connection with ALL OF YOUR FRIENDS from Hinamizawa. Big connections! At least in the original series you did. Look at your moments with Keiichi and Shion. Are you just going to shove them off? And what really sets me off is that Satoko literally had the opportunity to learn about Rika’s hundred year’s loop of death. And feels nothing about it! Only that it’s a challenge to break her herself! God damn, at the end of season one, Keiichi learned the truth and he was remorseful. This bitch doesn’t care that her friends were murdered in such a way. And Rika’s been shot in the head, had a live dissection performed on her, and other forms of torture…AND IT DOESN’T FAZE SATOKO!

I know in my original Higurashi review, I felt sorry for Satoko as she did seem to get the short-end of the stick living in Hinamizawa. I mean, her parents died right in front of her, she suffered abuse from her uncle, abuse from her aunt, ostrisized by the town for years, and a myriad of all types of shit to befall her. But Higurashi Gou has ruined this character. Rika didn’t really do anything wrong to Satoko. She didn’t snitch on her when Satoko got in trouble. She offered help to Satoko when she thought her grades were slipping. Satoko just held onto this petty vendetta. Satoko acted like Rika sexually assaulted her and have two other people gang rape her while drugging her. Okay, that’s a call for revenge, not your petty shit.

YOU SEE WHERE I’M AT WITH YOU SATOKO?! Your actions are so bad that you have me siding with the protagonist from Redo of Healer.

REDO.

OF.

HEALER!!!

I’m done with you! Girl, bye! We now return you to my talk about the ending already in progress.

BACK TO THE ENDING: Sorry, had to get that off my chest. Yeah, Satoko is leaving a bad impression on many of us who have been following the Higurashi story for years. And it just gets worse as she uses her new power for petty shit and abusing it at that. I mean, we saw Rika use her power in order to find a way to live past June 1983. Satoko is just using that shit to win some games and have things go her way. What else could this series bless us with? How about an epiphany from Teppei Hojo?

What?!

Teppei changes for the better.

What?!

Look, I admit that these moments with Teppei and Satoko were tame compared to the shit she’s pulled in the last several episodes. But this is Teppei Hojo! The same guy that used Satoko as his personal punching bag! The same guy who fleeced Rena’s father! The same guy many of us who cheer every time we see him on a moped because we know someone’s going to bash his head in with a baseball bat. Even my best friend knows how I am with this guy. When she gave me Higurashi free swag, I took everything except for Teppei. I don’t take trash. So seeing him so remorseful makes me…conflicted.

So now Satoko’s got things turned around for her. Her uncle has…changed?! Add to that, her God-like power. Satoko decides to change the past for her own advantage. This includes changing one of the biggest stories in Higurashi Kai with the kids vs. Miyo Takano. If Rika doesn’t experience the pain in those timelines, she won’t think about leaving Hinamizawa. And if she doesn’t leave Hinamizawa, she’ll stay with Satoko forever.

Oh what a tangled web of crazy Higurashi Gou was! I gotta tell you, Higurashi got me excited all the way up until we learn it was Satoko. And then it went straight to Hell. They turned Satoko into a straight-up selfish monster. Totally unlike the Satoko we’ve all grown to love in the original series. Yes, Satoko had those moments where, yeah, you would want to throw a chair at her and beat her ass with it. But that was only temporary! You would always see the good in Satoko despite that mischievous laugh and those episodes in Higurashi Rei. And God help me, I was a shipper of Rika x Satoko 10 years ago. Not a big one, but a supporter of it. Now, I would rather support Amourshipping from Pokemon than root for this. And I despise the living fuck out of Amourshipping. That should tell you something!

If original Satoko were bestowed the powers from Eua, I think things would be different. Satoko would probably use her powers to prevent all the bad stuff from happening to her friends and to her brother Satoshi. I mean, my goodness, not once did I see her think, hey maybe I should find a way to help my ailing brother. Change a few timelines, make him all better! And of course, feel sympathy for Rika’s plight. Do it for Rika’s sake, not your own selfish desires! Rika has died horrificly for hundreds of years. And I seriously just can’t get over Satoko’s reaction to that when she learned the truth. Instead, she wants to treat Rika like a caged bird. Best friend my ass!

Now can Higurashi SOTSU fix the hot mess of Satoko? Time will only tell! And good on them for having Higurashi air in the summertime. Summertime is for Higurashi! Autum is for Umineko. Speaking of, it’s been since 2009. Any chance you want to give Umineko the old reboot or sequel it sorely needs? Oh forget it! My likeness for this season is conflicted. I was annoyed by it, but I didn’t fully hate it. It’s just that last arc with Satoko really burned my beans. And I’m sure a lot of you all feel the same way.

Guys, if you want to watch Higurashi Gou, do yourselves a favor and watch the original series first. Let that swirl around your heads for a while. I know the creator tricked us at the beginning of this series thinking it was going to be an honest-to-God retelling. It is not! It is a sequel. And a sequel that isn’t based off a game or manga of all things. So fans are jumping into this with eyes closed! And if you’re a fan of Satoko Hojo, I’m sorry. I’m just sorry.

If you want to check out Higurashi Gou, it is available to watch on FUNimation and Hulu. But please, if you haven’t watched the original series, go to HI-DIVE now and watch “When They Cry” and “When They Cry Kai”. I think you can manage without watching any of the OVA’s.

I’d rather watch that Kira OVA where the fanservice is thin, you can practically lick off the whipped cream from the Sonozaki’s tit.

That should tell you something if I’m starting to say something nice about Higurashi Kira.

See you in a few months when Higurashi SOTSU comes out.

[callunavulgari]

“Listen to the sound of my heart beat slow Yeah, my heart's like yours, my heart's like yours Listen to the sound, oh it feels like home When our hearts beat slow together.”

Heather’s Top 50 Songs of 2019!

dark night — philip sheppard // curse of the i-5 corridor — neko case // way down we go — kaleo // almost — hozier // dancing in a room — ezi // epic (pt ii) — anais mitchell & justin vernon // spanish sahara — foals // obstacles — syd matters // tom thumb — bitter ruin // wolves of the revolution — the arcadian wild // epic (pt iii) — anais mitchell, justin vernon // the spine — darren korb & ashley barrett // don’t think twice — hikaru utada // face my fears — hikaru utada // waves — chloe moriondo // ashes — bear mccreary // wake up, moving on — kevin penkin // paper boats — darren korb & ashley barrett // call off your ghost — dessa // power over me — dermot kennedy // a future for the krogan — christopher lennertz // mine — bazzi // bite — charlie cunningham // wait for me — andre de shields // birds — imagine dragons & elisa // crazy — patsy cline //  bury a friend — billie eilish // the seed — aurora // eleventh dimension — julian casablancas // sunflower — post malone // what’s up danger — blackway, black caviar // bad guy — billie eilish // elevate — dj khalil // must’ve been — chromeo // dark matter — les friction // lark of my heart — eliza rickman // dancing on my own — robyn //  hungover in the city of dust — autoheart // season of the witch — lana del rey // bird song — juniper vale // paradise valley — honey & the sting // my hallelujah — autoheart // furthest star — dirt poor robins // play dirty — kevin mcallister // it’s quiet uptown — kelly clarkson // pas de deux — michael abels // i got 5 on it — michael abels, luniz, mi // one day more — les mis cast // into the unknown — idina menzel, aurora // show yourself — idina menzel & evan rachel wood

short version | long version | youtube | spotify unwrapped

long version will lead you to the 165 song, 10 hour and 34 minute playlist which i’ve been slowly adding to since january. short version will lead you to what you see here. youtube will lead you to the playlist you see here but... wait for it... on youtube. mostly because i know not everyone has spotify. spotify unwrapped will lead you to a mixture of the long and the short version, which is pretty bloated with austin wintory songs because those are what i listen to when i write or read usually.

the long version is much improved in length from last year, which was 261 songs and 17 hours, but that’s mostly because august through december i was pretty bad at keeping track of the music that caught my attention. whoops.

and under the cut is me ranting about music, like usual. enjoy!

i. dark night || philip sheppard *instrumental*

This was my absolute favorite from the Detroit: Become Human soundtrack. I tended to prefer Kara’s songs most because they were gorgeous and haunting and just plain fantastic. Connor’s songs were mostly listened to while writing for the fandom, but Kara’s songs were what I kept coming back to. ii. curse of the i-5 corridor || neko case So I left home and faked my ID I fucked every man that I wanted to be

Sometime in January, I fell in love with eighteen wheels on an uphill climb, which was a 91k hank/connor wip by blackeyedblonde. Hank’s a trucker. Connor occasionally dabbles in sex work to keep himself alive and moving. But like, it’s so much more than that? Anyway, at some point the author linked to this song. I think it may have been on tumblr, but I fell in love with it and neko case.

iii. way down we go || kaleo Oh, 'cause they will run you down, down 'til the dark Yes and they will run you down, down 'til you fall And they will run you down, down 'til you go Yeah, so you can't crawl no more

Speaking of Detroit: Become Human (sensing a theme?), this fanvideo is one of my favorite things in the world. I had it and a couple other fantastic videos like it playing in the background while writing for the fandom. This video, in fact, is what finally made me go in search of the game. iv. almost (sweet music) || hozier The same kind of music haunts her bedroom I'm almost me again, she's almost you Wasteland, Baby was a thing that happened to me. Which would have already been enough to get it on this list, but I also listened to it on repeat while writing my first DBH fic. v. dancing in a room || ezi I know you notice, notice me I might be broken but it's not showing It's how I'm copin', copin' I don’t actually remember where this one came from. I know that sometime when March is still a bit cold, I listened to a playlist on spotify that I can’t find for the life of me. It had a lot of the songs that are about to come up on it, and before I started exclusively listening to audiobooks while I got ready for work in the morning, I listened to random fantastic playlists. vi. epic (pt ii) || anais mitchell & justin vernon And suddenly Hades was only a man with a taste of nectar upon his lips

Hadestown was also a thing that happened to me. This song makes me fucking weak. All of the lyrics are great, the whole song is gorgeous and haunting and so perfect it hurts, but those lyrics above are just *chefs kiss* vii. spanish sahara || foals Forget the horror here Leave it all down here It's future rust and it's future dust

Sometime during the spring, I played Life Is Strange and had a million and one feelings. I played both options for the ending and each one was gut wrenching in its own way. I think I still prefer the one where Chloe lives, but this song has literally haunted me ever since.

viii. obstacles || syd matters Someday we will foresee obstacles Through the blizzard, through the blizzard And this is the song that plays if you make the other choice. Again, SUPER TRAGIC, but also you know. You get to keep your girlfriend. ix. tom thumb || bitter ruin And I know I'll be burnt, but I can stand a flame or two to catch you

This was one of the songs that I discovered on the mysterious spotify playlist! Something I’d forgotten: I discovered Hadestown off of that playlist. Thanks, mystery playlist. You gave me all the ear worms. x. wolves of the revolution || the arcadian wild You're trapped inside of your own heart It's a spectators sport, just play your part You guessed it - from the mystery playlist. They’re all very reminiscent of the Hadestown soundtrack. Vaguely eerie, kind of haunting, a lot beautiful. Makes you feel like you’re a forest creature living on the edge of the swamp. You know: the aesthetic. xi. epic (pt iii) || anais mitchell & justin vernon Where is the treasure inside your chest? Where is your pleasure? Where is your youth? Where is the man with his hat in his hands? Who stands in the garden with nothing to lose I thought about only including this one instead of including part 2, but in the end I loved both too much to choose. Hadestown, man. I hope it comes to Ohio at some point in the near future. xii.  the spine || darren korb & ashley barrett Fingers tied themselves in knots around the heart It beats in time I see the spine of the world

I have never actually played Transistor, which is fucking tragic because I listened to basically the entire soundtrack over and over again for the entire year. There’s at least one more song from the game on this list, but it is really wonderful. Haunting vocals, perfect for writing or reading or driving.  xiii. don’t think twice || hikaru utada I'm only crying 'cause I never dreamed It'd take this long, it'd take this long Hi, I played Kingdom Hearts 3 this year. And I cried so fucking much. I had some issues with the game, namely how the ending was such a clusterfuck of boss fight after boss fight and emotional character arc resolutions so it all felt kind of rushed? But the gameplay was superb, the selfie thing was ingenious, and I did cry at least six different times while I was stressing my way through fighting boss fights with blurry eyes. xiv. face my fears || hikaru utada Oh, let me face, let me face, let me face my fears Won't be long, won't be long, I'm almost here Watch me cry all my tears

So like, if you care at all you’ve probably already seen it, but the opening cutscene of KH3 was to Face My Fears, and I’m gonna be real honest here - I didn’t like it at first. I moaned and groaned about Skrillex and how it was nothing like Simple and Clean or Passion/Sanctuary. But it grew on me to the point that it was actually my most listened to song this year. Watch me cry all my tears, indeed. xv. waves || chloe moriondo Make me into more than a goner Perhaps a little bit stronger Thicker skin, less needy, And maybe to not bruise so damn easily, but you can't

I don’t remember where I found this song either? Maybe mystery playlist but probably not. Either way, it’s pretty and uh, I too want to slow the world down. xvi. ashes || bear mccreary -instrumental- Man, oh man, let’s talk about how good of a game God of War was. It was so good, guys. The game play was excellent, the world was gorgeous, and the storyline was interesting. And the music went so, so hard. Between Horizon Zero Dawn and the new God of War, I have basically been ruined for all other games. Also, dad protagonists, am I right? xvii. wake up, moving on || kevin penkin -instrumental-

Did not actually realize this was part of a soundtrack to a game? But it’s very lilty. Has that French quirky romcom vibe to it and I listened to the crap out of it in early summer. xviii. paper boats || darren korb & ashley barrett The river always finds the sea So helplessly Like you find me

Another Transistor song. I really love Ashley Barrett’s voice. I should probably at some point play the game. xix. call off your ghost || dessa I hope she makes you happy It's just a lot to ask to watch your future walking past me

This song played during one of the weather segments of Welcome to Night Vale and made me remember how much I absolutely adore Dessa. Her voice is fantastic and I love the way that her songs flow. Also, this song gives me personal feels. xx. power over me || dermot kennedy I wanna be king in your story I wanna know who you are I want your heart to beat for me I have absolutely no idea where I heard this one. It might have been playing on the radio while I was driving somewhere? I played it a lot during the summer.  xxi. a future for the krogan || christopher lennertz -instrumental- It’s been a while since I played Mass Effect, but this song came up on a writing playlist and I have been listening to it ever since.

xxii. mine || bazzi Running circles 'round my mind Even when it's rainy all you ever do is shine

Shrug emoji. 

xxiii. bite || charlie cunningham Stone cold faces let you keep you poisoning your blood Cut you open then you'll see poison in your blood

Also shrug emoji? Most of the time when I’m doing these there’s fandom connatations to half the songs, but these year I wasn’t heavily invested in a whole lot of fandoms so these are mostly just songs I listened to while I was a) driving, b) in the shower, or c) while reading.

xxiv. wait for me || andre de shields Ain't no compass, brother, there ain't no map Just a telephone wire and the railroad track Keep on walking and you don't look back

And here’s the last Hadestown song on the list. It’s just... really good, okay. Really, really good. xxv. birds || imagine dragons & elisa Seasons, they will change Life will make you grow Dreams will make you cry, cry, cry

I think there’s been an Imagine Dragons song on here every year since they came out with Radioactive. This is the only song of theirs I heard this year, but pairing their voice with Elisa’s was fucking genius because this song makes me feel the chorus in my soul. xxvi. crazy || patsy cline You'd love me as long as you wanted And then some day You'd leave me for somebody new I was at a bar, and my friend has just announced that he was getting married to his girlfriend of ten years in Vegas, on a ferris wheel, by an Elvis impersonator. We started listening to Elvis songs to figure out what he’d play, and then we got distracted listening to a bunch of old love songs. This one is more heartbreak than love, but I’ve always loved Patsy’s voice. xxvii. bury a friend || billie eilish Bury a friend, try to wake up

I was really slow to the Billie Eilish train. One of my friends recommended her music and it’s just so chaotic and fantastic that I can’t believe I didn’t fall for it earlier. This song in particular was a Billy Hargrove song for a while.

xxviii. the seed || aurora Feed me sunlight, feed me air In a place where nothing matters Feed me truth and feed me prayer Aurora’s got one of those truly lovely voices. Also I like songs about how the earth should eat humanity.

xxix.  eleventh dimension || julian casablancas 'Cause no one really cares or wonders why anymore Oh, I got music, coming out of my hands and feet and kisses

Back in 2011, when I was still watching Doctor Who, someone made this video which blew my little heart away. I rediscovered this song while we were driving back to Ohio from our annual beach trip and managed to get everyone in the car hooked on it for weeks afterwards.

xxx. sunflower || post malone You're a sunflower I think your love would be too much

Into the Spiderverse! Was so! Good! 

xxxi. what’s up danger || blackway, black caviar I like it all on the edge just like you, ayy I like tall buildings so I can leap off of 'em

So like, that scene, right? The one that had everyone losing their collective shit? I saw gifs before I watched the movie, and goddamn, it lived up to every single expectation I ever had. I made Nick watch it with me, and he groaned a lot because honestly he is not the biggest fan of super hero movies, but even he admitted that it was the best damn Spiderman movie we’d ever seen. It was powerful and clever and heartwarming and funny and the music and animation were both fan-freaking-tastic.

xxxii. bad guy || billie eilish I'm the bad guy, duh Can you believe that I actually didn’t know about this video until @nijuukoo did art? I mean, I’d definitely heard it and liked it before hand, but the fucking video, man. That pic of Vanitas showering Ven in hearts is still the background of my desktop.(It would have been the one of him sitting on Ansem while he’s doing push ups, but it didn’t work with my screen)

xxxiii. elevate || dj khalil I jump off this building to save these civilians My strength and my honor is trusted by children I'm ready and willing to fight all these villains No chaos or killings, my style is so brilliant I really, really liked the music to Into the Spiderverse.

xxxiv. must’ve been || chromeo I must've been high when I met you Out of my mind when I decided to love you

There was a Harringrove fic that I read during the summer that made the connection between this song and modern AU Billy and Steve. I thought it was @lymricks but maybe not. Either way - I listened to this for like three weeks straight while reading about Billy and Steve flirting at the pool. Ha! Found it - you, through half-shut eyes by @brawlite.

xxxv. dark matter || les friction Bring me your soul, bring me your hate In my name you will create Bring me your fear, bring me your pain You will destroy in my name

There was an Outsider fanvid. I tripped over it.

xxxvi. lark of my heart || eliza rickman Lark of my heart - dance in the dark and say you love me Lark of my heart - right from the start and say you love me

This one was another that I found on a random playlist while I was reading and I just love the rhythm of the song. I sat right up and favorited that sucker before I lost it.

xxxvii. dancing on my own — robyn I'm just gonna dance all night I'm all messed up, I'm so outta line Stilettos on broken bottles I'm spinning around in circles Okay. Okay, okay, okay. So there was that tumblr post that went around a while back where a bunch of subway riders who just got back from a Robyn concert started singing while waiting for the train and I just. It makes me so fucking happy. Like, I remember the night I clicked on that video. I’d never heard the song before, but I didn’t need to because the level of fucking joy and unity in that video literally brought tears to my eyes. Sometimes, humans are fucking beautiful.

xxxviii. hungover in the city of dust || autoheart We’re hungover in the city of dust So let our minds run round in circles While we figure it all out

I really adore autoheart. They did Sailor Song, which was on my Top Songs post last year and honestly, according to the plays on spotify, probably should have still been on my list this year, but alas - this is the abridged version. Every song I’ve heard from them I’ve loved. The entire bridge makes me shiver, it’s just so wonderfully executed.

xxxix. season of the witch || lana del rey You've got to pick up every stitch, The rabbits running in the ditch, Oh no, must be the season of the witch In October I watched Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark and it was super spooky and really great and probably one of the best movies I saw this year? But like, also this cover by Lana del Rey was the best damn thing about it. Someone made a witchy video that was great too but I can’t find it now. xl. bird song || juniper vale Listen to the sound of my heart beat slow Yeah, my heart's like yours, my heart's like yours Listen to the sound, oh it feels like home When our hearts beat slow together

I really like Juniper Vale. I found them last year when I stumbled across their cover of Singing In The Rain, and they churn out some really quality music.

xli. paradise valley || honey & the sting So you'll have to hold me down Could you just hold me down build the levees higher This song was always going to make it to 2019′s list too. It’s just too damn good. Thank you, Wolf 359. You’ve given me a gift that is still giving three years later.

xlii. my hallelujah || autoheart Thought I found a new religion In you who was I kidding There's nowhere to go Except for under quarantine

More Autoheart! Just listen to that melody! That flow! 

xliii. furthest star || dirt poor robins We'll find our hiding place Clear across the Milky Way Beyond the galaxy On the furthest star that we see

This song reminds me a lot of Muse back in their early days. I was half-napping on the couch listening to, you guessed it, a random playlist on spotify, and I liked this song enough to surface from the edges of slumber to favorite it so I could find it again.

xliv. play dirty || kevin mcallister Would you get the Devil this dance? Would you be a part of his plans? Now you got some blood on your hands

There was a fanvid. It was good and basically caught me up on Preacher. The song is also really catchy.

xlv. it’s quiet uptown || kelly clarkson Look at where we are Look at where we started Last year, this was on my list because of an EOS 10 playlist. This year it’s on my list because I still fucking love it. Also I saw Hamilton this year and it was really phenomenal. I cannot get over how good it was.

xlvi. pas de deux || michael abels -instrumental- I watched Us in late October/early November and this entire sequence was really lovely and eerie and just all around fantastic. I loved the mirroring throughout the movie, and it all came together in this stunning confrontation.

xlvii. i got 5 on it || michael abels, luniz, mi I got five on it

Us had a really good soundtrack.

xlviii. one day more || les mis cast One more dawn One more day One day more!

About a month ago I got to see Les Mis in theater and I cried like six or seven times. That is not an exaggeration I was a fucking mess. As much as I’ve adored every musical I have seen up until this point, I have never had a musical affect me the way this one did. It was incredibly powerful and the experience was worth every damn cent.

xlix. into the unknown || idina menzel, aurora Everyone I've ever loved is here within these walls I'm sorry, secret siren, but I'm blocking out your calls

Like, I know it’s cool to hate on Frozen because it got so popular, but Idina Menzel is a queen with the voice of an angel and I’m sorry, but the movies were good. Also, Elsa is very, very pretty and this shit was very, very gay. 

l. show yourself || idina menzel & evan rachel wood Come to me now Open your door Don't make me wait One moment more

Sorry, I don’t make the rules. Elsa gets all the best numbers. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, folks. Happy listening.

[recentanimenews]

Rock out with 15 Years of Samurai Champloo!

15 years ago today, Samurai Champloo burst onto the anime scene. Its anachronistic mix of hip-hop aesthetic, chanbara action, and slick animation made it an instant classic. Director Shinichiro Watanabe has continued to bring his own unique vision to more and more titles since then, but the Edo-period piece remains his most down-to-earth yet... literally.

  As with anything Watanabe creates, a lot of different visionaries and inspirations contributed to the entire package. From classic Japanese artists to modern musicians, they're all a part of why we love Samurai Champloo. Today, as we look back on the decade and a half since (and forward to Watanabe's other work), we're taking a moment to investigate some of the individual assets that helped put together the bigger picture.

    As with anything Watanabe makes, we can only ever hope to scratch the surface when it comes to his collaborators and ideas. Any other favorite creators or themes you've noticed in the series? Let's keep the conversation rolling in the comments to celebrate the show's longevity!

  Music: Nujabes

  The late Jun Seba began his career in music as a record store owner, before kicking off his own indie label in 1998. By 2003 he was creating tracks under the name Nujabes, wowing crowds around the world with his nostalgic blends of hip-hop and jazz.

  Nujabes contributed an impressive number of tracks to the Samurai Champloo soundtrack, including the iconic opening theme "Battlecry" (a collaboration with Shing02). This was in addition to his own prolific output. Sadly, Seba's life was cut tragically short in a car crash in 2010. Several albums were released posthumously, and a massive concert was held this past February on the ninth anniversary of his passing.

  Head on over to Spotify for more music from Nujabes, including the full Luv(sic) Hexalogy.

  Music: Fat Jon

  Watanabe loves to come West to find musical talent for his projects, and Samurai Champloo was no exception. Another prolific contributor to the show's soundtrack was Ohio-born Jon Marshall, a.k.a. Fat Jon the Soul Physician. The rapper and producer is another major multitasker, serving as a member of Five Deez, 3582, Rebel Clique, and Beautiful Killing Machine.

  Fat Jon's many contributions to the Samurai Champloo soundtrack include "How You Feel" and "1st Samurai," the latter a collaboration with the aforementioned Nujabes. He's still making music to this day, which you can check out on his official website, ample soul.

  Music: Force of Nature

  Rounding out Samurai Champloo's Big 3 (or is that Big 4?) contributors—though by no means the last of the musicians attached to the project—are Force of Nature. The Japanese duo consists of KZA and DJ Kent, a duo bringing together their talents, unique styles, and massive vinyl collection together to create lo-fi beats to watch anime to.

  You'll recognize their sound in tracks like "Just Forget" and "Same Ol' Thing," blending calm vintage tracks with more modern dance and hip-hop beats. They also teamed up with Tsutchie (formerly of Shakkazombie, featured in Cowboy Bebop's Session XX) for the Samurai Champloo soundtrack album Masta.

Fans wanting more of Force of Nature will reach a dead end attempting to access their website... but their MySpace is still up and running with some sample tracks.

    Art: Kazuto Nakazawa

  Fans of Kill Bill will recognize Kazuto Nakazawa's style at work in Samurai Champloo. The artist pulled double duty as both character designer and chief animator, adding to the show's distinctive look and wild chanbara-inspired action scenes.

  Nakazawa's work on Kill Bill—the anime sequence depicting O-Ren Ishii's back story—premiered just one year prior to Champloo. In that same year, he did key animation for two short films in The Animatrix: "Kid's Story" and "A Detective Story." You'll also see his animation at work in the video for Linkin Park's "Breaking the Habit."

  Inspiration(?): Spike Spiegel

  Perhaps we should say "anti-inspiration," because Watanabe's goal was to create a character who was Spike Spiegel's polar opposite.

  The character of Mugen—the rude, reckless member of our lead trio—was dreamed up as Watanabe was working on the Cowboy Bebop movie, Knockin' on Heaven's Door. The idea was to create an antithesis to the space cowboy: where Spike was mature, capable, and cool, Watanabe wanted someone "young and a little stupid." We're not sure if he succeeded in making Mugen not cool, though... in spite of (or perhaps because of) his wild style, viewers love him.

  Funnily enough, Steve Blum served as the dub voice of both Spike and Mugen. 

  Inspiration: Historical Luminaries

  Samurai Champloo pulls a lots from Japan's Edo Period; but if you're looking for historical accuracy, you'll be either very disappointed or extremely confused. If the slew of R&B and hip-hop artists populating the soundtrack didn't already clue you in, the series loves anachronisms and prefers entertainment over accuracy.

  That's not to say you won't get a tiny bit of a history lesson as you watch. Take Fuu's unexpected modeling job for Hishikawa Moronobu, one of the first artists to popularize the style. (He may have taken some liberties with her likeness, but she sure didn't seem to mind!) They also have a run-in with Alexander Cartwright, the man credited by some with inventing the modern sport of baseball. Just be sure to take everything you see with a huge shaker of salt; we're guessing Cartwright didn't challenge random samurai to baseball games, though we could be wrong.

  What are your favorite things about Samurai Champloo? Let's keep celebrating in the comments!

    -----

Kara Dennison is a writer, editor, and interviewer with bylines at VRV, We Are Cult, Fanbyte, and many more. She is also the co-founder of Altrix Books and co-creator of the OEL light novel series Owl's Flower. Kara blogs at karadennison.com and tweets @RubyCosmos.

Do you love writing? Do you love anime? If you have an idea for a features story, pitch it to Crunchyroll Features!   

By: news+feed@crunchyroll.com

[dreaminglesbian]

So this is the end of the year meme I’ve been doing since ‘10! I’ve been doing it on LJ tho, but since I never go on there anymore I have been bringing it to tumblr!

I am tagging all my followers and friends to do this! Cause I always have a lot of fun doing this! 

END OF THE YEAR FANDOM MEME 2017!

Your main fandom of the year?

Definitely Shadowhunters! I was watching other shows and movies (obviously) but I wouldn’t say I was really part of other fandoms. I was super into fashion models and style this year but I wouldn’t say I was apart of any fandom.

Your favourite film watched this year?

I enjoyed a lot of Marvel movies this year. I always love, love, love Thor so I was happy to see Thor: Ragnarok! I also loved Spider-Man: Homecoming, it was so cute! I also loved The Lego Batman Movie, Coco and Beauty and the Beast. I would say I really, really love all these movies. 

I also watched a lot of indie gay films this year and I really enjoyed a lot of them. I don’t think any of them were the highlights of 2017 for me though.

Your favourite book read this year?

(I actually read more than usual this year, yay!)

I loved Boy Erased: A Memoir! It was very intense but it really sticks with you. I really learned a lot and I would love to read more by this author. I also loved Call me by Your Name! It was so beautifully written and I recommend reading it in the summer time. I loved Crazy Rich Asians, I think it deserves to be mentioned as one of the standout novels in the romantic fiction genre (along with Bridget Jones and Shopaholic, that’s high praise from me lol!). Also super loved The Miseducation of Cameron Post and I also loved volume one of the Captive Prince. I’m so happy I read so many books I enjoyed this year, I read more I could mention but these were the highlights for me.

Your favourite album or song to listen to this year?

Oh man, it feels like a lot of music came out this year, especially as a One Direction fan. Obviously honorable mentions that all five guys of 1D had music out this year so that’s exciting. I wouldn’t really say any of their music was my FAVE this year but I enjoyed all of it.

Favourite album is probably Taylor Swift’s Reputation album, that’s an obvious answer from me lol.  

I really liked all the slow jams Ed Sheeran did, I liked all the songs Selena Gomez put out. I really like the song ‘I Like me Better’ by Lauv! I liked the Coco soundtrack and the songs from Lego Batman lol. I realized I enjoy a lot of songs by Charlie Puth. I really liked listening to ‘Say You Love Me’ by Jessie Ware and ‘Saturn’ by Sleeping at Last. I also listened to the Book of Mormon soundtrack a lot this year. I also loved ‘Whistle’ by Black Pink! I also loved the songs Fifth Harmony put out this year (I will say I am disappointed in a lot of their live performances lately though)

Also shout out to Thief by Ansel Elgort for just existing lol.

Your favourite TV shows of the year?

Shadowhunters, lol! I just can’t get enough of that show! I enjoy Shadowhunters as a cheesy fantasy teen show but this year it was actually genuinely good. What a strange thing for a big fan to say lol.

Obviously as a Trek fan, Star Trek Discovery as well! That’s really exciting for a new Trek fan like me who never got to watch a weekly Star Trek show as it aired. It feels like a big blessing to have new Trek every week. 

I loved the Bold Type, ughhhh super super love that one. I also zoomed through The L Word this year. It’s not perfect (at all) but having six seasons of lesbian content is very nice. Also loved Wynonna Earp, as a Canadian lesbian sci-fi fan one couldn’t ask for a more fitting show lol!

I also really love watching Difficult People, SKAM (!!! I super loved SKAM !!!), RuPaul’s Drag Race and The Shannara Chronicles! I also am really enjoying Runaways and The Good Place. 

Your best new TV discovery of the year?

Definitely Star Trek Discovery. Also pretty much all the shows I just mentioned, a lot of them were new (to me at least) this year. 

Your biggest fandom disappointment of the year?

I actually was like genuinely disappointed by the people of fandom this year sometimes more than the shows. Lemme start off, it is really nice not being in a fandom dedicated to real people (One Direction), even though I miss One Direction EVERYDAY. It’s nice to be upset with fictional characters lol.

First off obviously Dominic Sherwood using the F slur on the Matt Daddario official Shadowhunters livestream. My mind honestly goes back and fourth from being furious about how the show handled it, how Matt reacted and that it happened. Another part of me thinks maybe the show handled it okay and Matt’s reaction was fine. I’m honestly not sure but I really hate that it happened. I’m not super in the Shadowhunters fandom but I dabble in it sometimes and I really enjoy how undramatic this show is for me. Apart of me is like ‘Karma’s got it’s kiss for me’ and ‘we live, baby’ @ Dominic Sherwood LOL! Another part of me is like if I had never heard him say that everything would be peaceful.

The people in Shadowhunters fandom were in a big divide over this. Some were furious like I was and wanted this show that is so much for the LGBT community to show some action. While other fans who weren’t mad thought the fans who were angry were being babies. I think to see a show that is so much for gay fans to also have so many fans who are okay with this behaviour is a huge disappointment. Also how some fans of Magnus/Alec were completely fine with the word.

I noticed in a few fandoms how much straight fans think they are battling their straight ships against the gay ships. Like “ugh we watched all the scenes of the gay ship together, let us have some air time!” which is probably the most baffling thing I’ve heard. 

RIVERDALE. I loved Riverdale season one, LOVED IT. For the second season the HETEROSEXUALITY was in full force. (do you like how I’m mad about the hets when I just complained about it not being a competition? lol) That show is NEXT LEVEL heterosexuality lol. I’m totally okay with Betty/Veronica never being canon and I just ship them as femslash. It’s not very fun though that every time they are together they are talking about their boyfriends. The straight couples on this show are A LOT, like every show has straight characters but this show really rubs me the wrong way. Also the way they handled Kevin and Toni and yet the show thinks they are doing a dandy job with all this “diversity”. ANYWAYS.

I was disappointed in the people in fandom this year for a few reasons. Young fandom (seems to be young people in fandom at least) have different thoughts than I do I guess. They are very quick to claim (this is gonna get WILD fast) pedophilia. Which if we all claim that really quickly it loses the severity of those claims. Young fandom in cartoon fandoms like Yuri!!! On Ice or Voltron do this a lot. Also they are going by American standards of eighteen years old being the age of consent. It’s a messy situation.

Also how quick fandom (usually young fans again) are to claim incest. If two characters are adopted they treat it like incest even though they aren’t blood related. It’s messyyyyyy.

Also how young people in fandom super want characters to commit and get married??? This happens a lot with Magnus/Alec in Shadowhunters. Alec is literally in his first relationship and everyone is like MARRIAGE NOW, which boggles my mind. Honestly I love Magnus and Alec with my ENTIRE LIFE FORCE lol but it would make sense if they broke up for a bit and Alec dated someone else. Cause he’s YOUNG and never been with anyone else! It’s like Tidus in Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt when he explains how gay virgins cling and commit fast lol. This is the same with Alex/Maggie from Supergirl which brings me to my next point lol!

Alex and Maggie started off SO good! The show was kind of... confusing with how they handled their relationship I guess. Maggie lied about cheating on her ex girlfriend and also lied about how coming out to her parents went. I love Maggie, I SUPER love Maggie but this stuff is really big to lie about. Alex was very mature and forgave her and then they got ENGAGED? Like Alex literally figured out her sexuality like SEVEN weeks ago and now she is proposing to Maggie? Even after Maggie just lied about things? All the fans were very happy which made me feel like a sour person that I wasn’t happy. 

I was also disappointed in Supergirl for how much of this latest season has been Kara being sad over Mon-el. Like Supergirl is one of the few female lead super hero shows that I don’t want to abandon it but it’s really getting RIDICULOUS with all the relationship talk on that show! I’m really mad at Kara’s character for how she is handling Mon-el. Honestly though ALL the female characters on that show are nonstop failing the Bechdel test and I may have to give it up. 

Also Teen Wolf ending with a whimper, not a bang. Empire having continuity errors and handling sensitive situations poorly. Sense8 being cancelled, Quentin Tarantino apparently directing a Star Trek movie?? Also sometimes I think Harry Shum Jr. and Matt Daddario really need to GO FOR IT when they have romantic scenes together.

OH MAN APPARENTLY A LOT OF DISAPPOINTMENT THIS YEAR LOL

Your TV boyfriend of the year?

(I always count this as fave males of the year lol) Robin from Lego Batman lol! Also Alec, Magnus and Simon from Shadowhunters. Peter Parker from Spiderman: Homecoming, super cute! Thor and Loki from Thor as well.

Your TV girlfriend of the year?

I super loved Maia Roberts/the actress, Alisha Wainwright from this year. Alisha, you can slide into my DMs, I’m ready lol. Also Clary and Izzy along with the actress who play them from Shadowhunters. I also super loved Sofia Boutella this year along with Alicia Vikander. I liked the celebrities Dove Cameron, Sofia Carson, Dua Lipa, Taylor Hill, Vanessa Morgan,  Ivana Baquero,  Natalie Alyn Lind, Kylie Jenner, Camila Mendes, Poppy Drayton, Lili Reinhart, Madelaine Petsch, and Selena Gomez. Also loved Mantis from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Valkyrie from Thor: Ragnarok and Michael from Star Trek: Discovery ! (as well as a lot of others tbh)  

Your biggest squee moment of the year?

TOM HOLLAND ON LIP SYNC BATTLE!!

Moonlight rightfully winning the Academy Award and not LaLa Land! (”As you can see I’m driving through the city having a fucking BLAST, baby!” - Snoop Dogg gif)

Also that I met three people who have worked or know people on Shadowhunters! The perks of being a fan of a show that films in the city you live in! lol

Oh man, probably the flashback episode of Shadowhunters that showcased all the Magnus/Alec scenes! Oh man, I wanted to fall to the FLOOR, I was JAZZED! #Blessed

Also Clary/Izzy had a LOT of good scenes in this season of Shadowhunters so that was awesome! 

Disney’s Descendants 2 really WENT THERE with the femslash for Evie/Mal! That was awesome! Seeing young fans try to say “noooo they are just friends” in the youtube comments on the song ‘Space Between’ was a real fun time lol! Yeah I was super pleased with that.

I went to Fan Expo, as usual, but this year the Star Trek: discovery cast was there as well as a panel on the production of the show. That was really special, especially that I got to go with my Trek friends.

Seeing Thor: Ragnarok and the THOR/LOKI, I was watching their scenes with my hands on my heart lol! 

Stamets and Culber being cuties on Star Trek: Discovery! Also shout out to the Wonder Woman movie. Also how alive Korean Star Trek fandom is lol. I also REALLY enjoyed a lot of fan made content this year like fan videos and fan art!

The most missed of your old fandoms?

One Direction and 2009 Star Trek fandom as usual. It’s crazy looking back on these memes and seeing One Direction joining this section of the questions. I don’t miss aspects of One Direction fandom but I do miss the band (ot5).

The TV you haven’t tried yet, but want to?

I’m excited for Grown-ish!

Your biggest fan anticipations for the New Year?

I’M HEADED TO SAN DIEGO COMIC CON THIS YEAR!!!

More Star Trek: Discovery and Shadowhunters episodes! Seeing the lesbian plot develop on Runaways. 

I’m excited for Avengers: Infinity War, Black Panther, Ocean’s 8, Pacific Rim Uprising, Maze Runner: The Death Cure, and the next Fantastic Beasts (especially if Ezra Miller’s character lives). My wife, Alicia Vikander in Tomb Raider!!

Also a lot of gay films like Love, Simon and The Miseducation of Cameron Post! I think there will be a lot more to look forward to as the year goes on.

Fave ships of 2017?

Alec/Magnus (Shadowhunters)

Clary/Izzy (Shadowhunters)

Betty/Veronica (Riverdale)

Stamets/Culber (Star Trek: Discovery)

Thor/Loki (Marvel)

(Peter Parker/Any male from The Avengers TBH.......)

There are a few others I shipped this year but I would say these are the highlights. 

Most listened to songs of the year

(This is from my itunes)

1. I Like Me Better - Lauv 

2. Don’t Blame Me - Taylor Swift

3. End Game - Taylor Swift

4. I Did Something Bad - Taylor Swift

5. Still Falling for You - Ellie Goulding

6. ...Ready For It? - Taylor Swift

7. Delicate -  Taylor Swift

8. Dress - Taylor Swift

9. Space Between - Disney Descendants 2

10. Slumber Party - Britney Spears ft. Tinashe

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

If you read all this you are a saint, bored or a super close friend lol! Thank you, thank you for reading! 

[theragamuffininitiative]

Newsies Live, a review of sorts

So it’s looking like the reply I wrote up last night for @party-with-books on mobile, during a wifi issue, is just not going to ever post and is lost to the netherworld, which is unfortunate because, even if nothing I said was coherent, I wrote it while everything was still fresh and I was still on the most beautiful ecstasy high - the kind you can’t get arrested for. But I’m gonna try to do the play justice here, and using a lot of gifs, XD so we shall see.

Guys. Guys. Guuuuyyysssss. I just can’t. Let me start by saying I have never seen a stage production of Newsies. I’ve been listening to the soundtrack for months, but for a lot of the bits the stage show has added or edited from the original film’s story, I had absolutely zero context for, and the soundtrack is sadly missing like a crap ton of reprises. Therefore, if you care about spoilers, I suggest you stop reading this and wait for the dvd to come out or something, because I don’t feel like holding anything back.

After that note, where the heck do I even begin? The production itself. And by that, I don’t just mean the sets and the cast and the lighting and the camera. Nah, primarily at this point, I mean Spectacle.

I’ve now seen a good number of shows, in various formats, but none of them have been so energetic, alive, and overwhelming. The dancing is superb. I know for the filming they pulled out all the stops, with bigger leaps, more twirls, and a larger number of Newsies on stage, and let me tell you, IT WAS WORTH IT. A stage filled with forty or more singing, tap-dancing, leaping Newsies is a sight to behold.

I mean, there was this:

This is Ryan Steele, as Specs, doing the full-out twirl. Our Specs was played by the amazing Jordan Samuels, but it’s a different cast member entirely who performs this move, and we get a sky high view of the spin, which I’m pretty sure is faster and longer, and the entire theater gasped and applauded.

There were hundreds and hundreds of flips, spins, cartwheels, splits, jumps, tricks, and moves I cannot name. There was tap dancing on tables. I HAVE NEVER SEEN A DANCING TROUPE OF THIS LEVEL OF EXCELLENCE IN SUCH AN EXTRAVAGANT SHOWING EVER.

The set and staging was absolutely dynamite, and it will never cease to astound me how theatrical productions can amass an entire world on a few hundred feet of stage.

Near the end of “Once and For All” the Newsies completely drop out on the vocals and then come roaring back in, and again, my entire theater gasped in awe and delight, and I was crying and covered in goosebumps.

As for Jack...

Jeremy Jordan is the definitive Jack Kelly for me, okay?

If you’re a die hard Christian Bale or Corey Cott fan or anyone else, I’m sorry, but it’s true. There will never be another player who so fully encompasses that role for me. His Jack is so intense and passionate the. entire. time. Every single thing he says and does. The only moments we see him physically relax at all are when he’s with Crutchie (and we’re too busy crying to notice) or sharing the stage with Katherine.

And that brings me to Katherine Plumber. I was not especially anticipating her role, I have to admit. I love my Denton too much, and I was horribly concerned that the romantic angle between her and Jack would be too strong, taking away from the real love story of the play, that of this family whose name is Newsies. But I couldn’t be happier with her character and Kara Lindsay’s performance. She was amazing, and I could feel the rest of the audience connecting with her too. “Watch What Happens” is just one of her shining moments, and I am in love with her, and so happy of the way the writers brought her character in.

It’s also beautiful to weave in the feminine vocals of Katherine with the only other female singing cast member, Medda Larkin (our very own being played by Aisha de Haas) in the middle of all those guys. Don’t get me wrong, because the Newsies chorus is the epitome of what makes the show so great, but having those softer moments and the gals singing brings enough of a change that it completely enlivens every other male vocal in the story.

Okay, enough being calm, rational, and technical for a minute. Let me “be real.”

I Am Not Okay. Not in this or any other universe will I ever be the same.

(The rest of this post is probably going to just be me screaming at random about different things.)

CRUTCHIE. HOLY COW. CRUTCHIE MY BABY. “Letter From the Refuge” absolutely killed me. THE FREAKIN ATTACK ON CRUTCHIE FREAKIN KILLED ME. Just him standing with Jack in the prologue with “Santa Fe.” THERE ARE NO GIFS FOR THIS. Andrew Keenan Bolger is of such high caliber, I can’t even begin to describe how much I love him in this role.

I BASICALLY CRIED SO HARD WHEN THE BULLS CLOSE IN ON THE NEWSIES. AND WHEN JACK SEES THEY HAVE CRUTCHIE. I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO BE SICK.

Oh, yeah, also, little itty bitty detail here i was completely unaware of BROADWAY VERSION JACK KELLY IS A FLIPPIN ARTIST?????!!!! LIKE WHAT????!!!! OH.MY.GOSH. I LOVE THIS ANGLE SO MUCH. KAJLLGDFHLJFGHIERUNZUIZLGRF. HE’S PAINTING SANTA FE GUYS. LSLDGJAGKJHRUIGKNG. During “I Never Planned On You” he draws Katherine and the LED screen that assisted the set showed him sketching her as they talked and sang AND IDK IF THAT HAPPENS USUALLY IN THE STAGE PRODUCTION BUT I AND MY FRIEND AND PROBABLY EVERYONE ELSE WAS LIKE “HOLY CRAP AWWWW OHMYGOSH HOW PRECIOUS HOW PURE I’M NOT CRYING AT ALL NO” SO YEAH THAT IS A THING THAT  HAPPENED.

Little Les is amazing. Like, in the old movie, he wasn’t so much a character as a plot device. He was literally the little boy with the cute face who could sell the papes. In this, Les is the one who strikes up the deal with Jack, and Les is the one who shouts a message for Pulitzer as the guard closes the door in their faces. He is so precocious and adorable and perfect, and so much more a character in his own right, I am so pleased.

DID I MENTION BEN FANKHAUSER AS DAVEY???

HIS SINGING. HIS ACTING. HIS CHARACTER AND INTERACTIONS WITH JACK AND LES. The confrontation between him and Jack later on when Davey is trying to get Jack to rejoin the Strike, and he says “it’s not like anyone died” and Jack whirls on him in rage, because of what happened to Crutchie, who could very well die at that point. I COULDN’T HANDLE. And when Davey reminds him what they’re fighting for, and why they shouldn’t stop. PERFECT BOYS, PERFECT.

AND I ALMOST FORGOT RACETRACK LAJKDHF. Race is my favorite Newsie from the old movie, and I was not disappointed by him here. Benjamin Cook is an adorable angel and my favorite bit of him probably has to be when he is staring wide-eyed at Governor Roosevelt at the end, so happy and in awe. Unfortunately I can’t find any gifs of him either arg.

AND SPOT, HOW COULD I MISS SPOT CONLON Tommy Bracco’s performance left nothing to be desired, he was as spot-on as his character’s name. WE ARE BROOKLYN NEWSIES

Oh.

Oh, and then there was This:

I HATE/LOVE THIS PART OF THE STORY SO MUCH. When Pulitzer forces Jack’s hand, makes him face the Newsies and turn on them, in order to save them and save Crutchie and Davey and Les, but Pulitzer also gives him money to go to Santa Fe and that is all the Newsies ever see. LKDJFLHDHFAJDHFLA MY HEART HURTS

I love Jack Kelly more than Raoul or the Phantom, or Dimitri, or Valjean or Marius or Enjolras, or even arguably Fiyero. I feel every single beat of “Santa Fe” as it blooms and changes from dream to dust to dream.

I adore how the stage version plays up the affect the Newsies strike had on child laborers everywhere, how Jack proclaims it isn’t only Newsies’ rights they’re striking for.

The singing was absolutely flawless. Flawless I tell you.

IDK GUYS I JUST DON’T HAVE ANY COMPLAINTS OK

This is on par with the night I saw Wicked on tour. I will be buying the DVD. I will watch it at least once a year. I guess, if I wasn’t before, I’m a Fansie now.

So, yeah, to close: I don’t think I will ever find another thing on this earth that impacts every bit of my soul as much as musical theater does. That is a part of me I will never outgrow, and never give up. Doesn’t matter if I ever make it to see a show on Broadway, or if I ever get on behind the scenes at a theater company. This is me.

This is an experience I want to relive every day for as many days as I have. I laughed, I cried, I came home to my roomies in such a state of embarrassed, blissful exhilaration you’d think I just came home from my first date with the love of my life - which is a completely accurate comparison.

I cried so much, I laughed so hard. #NewsiesForever and all that. There is so much more I could say, so much I feel like I am completely leaving out. But truthfully, when it comes right down to it, there are no words in the human language to describe this experience and how thrilled I am that I was able to go, that I live in the same universe as this caliber of artistry and storytelling. This phenomenon is beyond anything I can say, so I’ll stop trying. ;)

I hope that answers anyone’s questions to whether or not I enjoyed Newsies Live.

[stretchearsnotvaginas]

There are 329 records in my collection as of January 9, 2019. This list includes Alternative Rock, Christmas, Classical, Comedy, Country, Dance, Folk, German, Hip  Hop, Jazz, Kids, Metal, Outlaw Country, Pop, Rock, Rockabilly, and Soundtrack.

To organize and keep track of all of these, I use an app on my iPad called MusicBuddy and it catalogs and organizes all of my records for me. So when I get more records, I’m going to continue to add to this blog. This collection is a conglomeration of records given to me by my mom, grandparents, friends, and records I’ve found at local thrift stores.

They’re organized first by genre, then by artist. If you see any that are in the wrong category, feel free to message me so I can fix it. Like I said, my app placed them into the genre Discogs placed them into.

KEY: Artist – Album Name 1, Album Name 2, Album Name 3, etc..

All records that are underlined are the ones that are photographed.

Alternative Rock: 7 records

Dance Gavin Dance – Artificial Selection, Instant Gratification (signed), Mothership, Summertime Gladness/Pussy Vultures (7″)

David Lee Roth – Just Like Paradise

Jefferson Airplane – The Worst of Jefferson Airplane

Pink Floyd – A Momentary Lapse of Reason

Christmas: 15 records

Andy Williams – Merry Christmas

Charles M. Shulz – A Charlie Brown Christmas

Elvis Presley – Elvis Sings the Wonderful World of Christmas, Christmas Album

Floyd  Robinson – Charlie the Hamster Plays Christmas Songs With Floyd…

Jim Nabors – Jim Nabors’ Christmas Album

John Denver – A Christmas Together, Rocky Mountain Christmas

Johnny Cash – The Christmas Spirit

Luciano Pavarotti – O Holy Night

Richard P. Condie – Christmas Carols Around the World

Tennessee Ernie Ford – O Come All  Ye Faithful, Sing We Now of Christmas

Classical/Easy Listening: 17 records

101 Strings – Henry Mancini, John Denver

2Cellos – Score

Arthur Fiedler – Arthur Fiedler Superstar

Boston Symphonic Orchestra – Appalachian Spring/The Tender Land – Suite

Clarinet Kings – The Best Polka

Copperas Cove Bands – The Proud New Generation Band ’74

Engelbert Humperdinck – King of Hearts

Ferrante & Teicher – Moonlight Melodies

Heintje – “Mama”

Hollyridge Strings – The Beatles Songbook

Jean-Pierre Rampal – Fascinatin’ Rampal

Mannheim Steamroller – Saving the Wildlife

Richard Clayderman – Love Songs of the World

Royal Philharmonic Orchestra – Hooked on Classics

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – Die Zauberflaute, The Magic Flute (box set)

Comedy: 8 records

All in the Family Cast – All in the Family

Bill Cosby – 200 mph, Bill Cosby, Bill Cosby ‘Live’ Madison Square Garden, For Adults Only, When I Was a Kid, Wonderfulness

Various – The Watergate Comedy Hour

Country: 40 records

Alabama – Just Us, Mountain Music

Barbara Fairchild – Kid Stuff

Barbara Mandrell – He Set My  Life to Music, Love is Fair, Meant for Each Other

Buck Owens and His Buckaroos – The Kansas City Song

Charley Pride – The Best of Charley Pride, The Best of Charley Pride Vol. III, From Me to You, Pride of Country  Music

Conway Twitty – By Heart, I Love You More Today

Don Francisco – Forgiven, Got to Tell Somebody, Holiness, Traveler

Don Williams – Cafe Carolina, Greatest Hits

Freddie Hart and The Heartbeats – The Pleasure’s Been All Mine

Glen Campbell – Galveston, Glen Campbell’s Greatest Hits

Jean Shepard – A Real Good Woman

Kendalls – The Best of the Kendalls

Kenny Rogers – The Gambler

Loretta Lynn – Coal Miner’s Daughter, Entertainer of the Year – Loretta, Here I Am Again..,  Just a Woman, You’re Lookin’ At Country

Moe Bandy – Rodeo Romeo

Skeeter Davis – A Place in the Country

Sonny James – The Sensational Sonny James

Statler Brother – Bed of Roses

T.G. Sheppard – Perfect Stranger

Tammy Wynette – The First Lady, Just Tammy, Tammy’s Greatest Hits

Various – America’s Greatest Country Stars Live and In Person, Country Girls

Dance/Electronic: 4 records

Crystal Fighters – Cave Rave

Devo – Oh, No! It’s Devo,  Q: Are We Not  Men? A: We Are Devo!

M|A|R|R|S – Pump Up the Volume (7″)

Folk: 29 records

Albert  Hammond – The Free Electric Band

Andy Williams – Andy Williams’ Greatest Hits, Moon River and Other Great Movie Themes

Cat Stevens – Foreigner, The Very Best of Cat Stevens

Dale Evans – Heart of the Country

Jim Nabors – Everything is Beautiful

John Denver – John Denver’s Greatest Hits Vol. 2, Poems Prayers & Promises

Johnny Cash – America: A 200 Year Salute in Story and Song, Any Old Wind That Blows, At Folsom Prison, Believe in Him, The Gospel Road: A Story of Jesus, Heroes, I Walk the Line, Johnny Cash at San Quentin, Johnny Cash’s Greatest Hits Vol. 1, Look At Them Beans, Ragged Old Flag, Starportrait

Johnny Cash & June  Carter Cash – Carryin’ On With, Johnny Cash and His Woman

Johnny Horton – Johnny Horton’s Greatest Hits

Marty Robbins – Greatest Hits Vol. IV

Peter, Paul & Mary – Album 1700, The Best Of…

Simon & Garfunkel – Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, and Thyme

Various – Zenith Presents Hootenanny Special

German: 20 records

Extrablatt – Vico Ganz Neu!

Flotte Franz Und Seine Bierbrummer – Ja Das Haben Di Madchen So Gerne

Gaudeamus Igitur – Romantic Old Heidelberg

Hoffbrau Singers – Ein  Prosit! A Toast!

Ivan Rebroff – Kosaken Mussen Reiten

Johannes Heesters – Da, Geh’ich Ins Maxim

Lucie Baierl – Wine, Women and Schrammeln

Paul Horbiger – Servuswein

Peter Alexander – The Golden Album of Peter  Alexander, Peter Alexander Prasentiert Walt Disney’s Welt

Robert  Stolz – Ein Shoner Herbst

Serge Jaroff – The Best of Serge Jaroff and His  Don Cossacks

Various – A Echte Gaudi, Ein Heurigenabend Bei Toni Karas, Music of the Austrian Alps, Musical Memories of Germany Vol. 2 “Auf Zum Oktoberfest”, Schenkt Man Sich Rosen In Tirol

Wiener Schrammelguartett –  Erinnerung An Wein

Winer Terzett – Tanze Aus Dem Alten Wein

Hip Hop: 6 records

Boogie Boys – City Life

LL Cool J – Radio

New Kids On The Block – Hangin’  Tough, Hangin’ Tough (Calendar Pack 7″)

Snap! – The Power

Various – Electric Breakdance

Jazz: 12 records

Dean Martin – Dean Martin Hits Again, Gentle On My Mind, This is Dean Martin!

Frank Sinatra – I’m Glad There Is You/You Can Take My Word for It Baby (7″), Strangers in the Night, Ultimate Sinatra

Jack La Forge – Unchain My Heart

John Tropea – Short Trip to Space

Paul Winter – Common Ground 

Various – Happiness Is (Box  Set), Kings of Swing

Winter Consort – Road

Kids: 20 records

Al Smith – Happytime Songs for Children

Candle – The Music Machine

Carole and  Jimmy Owens – Ants’hillvania

Children’s Television Workshop – Songs From Sesame Street 2

Disney Choir – It’s A Small World

Disney – Walt Disney Presents Mickey Mouse and His Friends

Ethel Barrett – Children’s Stories: The Mysterious White  Envelope

Marcy Tigner – Sings Nursery Rhymes, Wear a Smile

Nancy  F.A. Woolnough – The Adventures of Raindrop #3

Peter Pan – Popeye the Sailor Man 4 Exciting Stories

Richard Wolfe Children’s Songs – A Raggedy Ann Songbook

Sesame Street – Sesame Street Gold! The Best of Sesame Street, Sleepytime Bird, The Year of Roosevelt Franklin: Gordon’s Friend

Sharron Lucky – Follow the Clouds

Singspiration Trio – Songs for Children No. 2

Strawberry  Shortcake – Strawberry Shortcake and  Her Friends (photo disc)

Susie and Johnny – Sings Stories by Susie and Johnny and Their Singing Pals

Thomas Moore – Sleepy Time

Metal: 10 records

Bloodrock – Live

Jethro Tull – A Passion Play 

Metallica – The Good The Bad & The Live: The 6 1/2 Year Anniversary Collection,  Harvester of Sorrow, Jump in the Fire, Kill ‘Em All

Motley Crue – Girls, Girls, Girls

Slayer – Hell Awaits

Twisted Sister – Love is for Suckers, Under the Blade

Outlaw Country

Johnny Rodriguez – Foolin’ With Fire

Kris Kristofferson – Border Lord, Me and Bobby McGee, The Silver-Tongued Devil and  I

Kris Kristofferson & Rita Coolidge – Full Moon

Merle Haggard – Amber Waves of Grain, The Best Of The Best Of Merle Haggard, It’s All in the Movies, Same Train Different Time

Tanya Tucker – What’s Your Mama’s Name

Waylon Jennings – Wanted! The Outlaws

Willie Nelson – Willie  Nelson’s Greatest Hits

Willie Nelson & Family – Honeysuckle Rose

Pop: 38 records

Connie Francis – The Very Best of Connie Francis

Cyndi Lauper – True Colors

Debby Boone – Surrender

Eurythmics – Greatest Hits

Gene Pitney – The Many Sides of Gene Pitney

Go-Go’s – Beauty and The Beat

Halsey – Badlands

Helen Reddy – Long Hard Climb

Johnny Mathis – Close to You, More Johnny’s Greatest Hits

Maureen McGovern – The Morning After

Michael Jackson – Thriller

Neighborhood – I Love You.

Neil Diamond – Classics The Early Years, Gold, Hot August Night, Tap Root Manuscript

Oh Wonder – Ultralife

Olivia Newton-John – Olivia’s Greatest Hits Vol. 2, Physical

Panic! At The Disco – Death of a Bachelor, Pray for the Wicked

Paul Anka – 21 Greatest Hits

R.B. Greaves – R.B. Greaves

Ready for the World – Oh Sheila

Rick Springfield – Working Class Dog

Righteous Brothers – Back to Back

Sonny & Cher – All I Ever Need Is You

Sylvan Esso – Sylvan Esso

Toni Basil – Word of Mouth

Various – 24 Groovy Greats, From Broadway to Hollywood, Love is Blue (box set), Super Stars – Super Hits, They Come to America, Zenith Presents The Hit Makers

Wayne Newton – Summer Wind

Wham! – Make it Big

Rock: 54 records

4 Skins – A Few 4 Skins More Vol 2

AC/DC – Fly On the Wall

Adolescents – Brats in Batallion

Alice Cooper – Alice Cooper’s Greatest Hits

Animals – The Best of the Animals

Bad Religion – Against the Grain

Bauhaus – Mask

Beastie Boys – Licensed to Ill

Beatles – 1962-1966, Introducing… the Beatles

Billy Joel – An Innocent Man

Blood, Sweat, and Tears – Blood, Sweat, and Tears

Boatz – Boatz

Bob Seger – The Distance

Bobby Darin – It’s You Or No One

Camel – Breathless

Chuck Berry – Chuck Berry’s Greatest Hits

Circle Jerks – Group Sex

Cliff Richard – Two a Penny

Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young – Deja Vu

Cure –  Boys Don’t Cry, Japanese Whispers

Dad  Punchers – These Times Weren’t Made for You

Everly Brothers – Everly Brothers’ Original Greatest Hits, The Golden Hits of the Everly Brothers, Very Best of the Everly Brothers

Fleetwood Mac – Fleetwood Mac, Greatest Hits, Rumours, Tango In The Night, Tusk

Free Beer – Highway  Robbery

Grateful Dead – Touch of Grey (7″)

Green Day – Dookie

Hard-Ons – Dickcheese, The Worst Of…

J Geils Band – Freeze-Frame

Jerry Lee Lewis – By Request: More of the Greatest Live Show On Earth

Jesse Colin Young – Love On The Wing

Journey – Escape

Kenny Loggins – Nightwatch

Kenny Loggins & Messina – The Best of Friends, Native Sons

Lee Michaels – 5th

Mike & The Mechanics – Mike + The Mechanics

Pat Benatar – Crimes of Passion, Get Nervous, Heartbreaker, Live From Earth

Stevie Nicks – Bella  Donna, Rock a Little

Tom Jones – Live in Las Vegas, This Is Tom Jones, The Tom Jones Fever Zone, Tom Jones Live! At The Talk Of The Town

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Rockabilly: 12 records

Elvis Presley – Almost in Love, Aloha from Hawaii via Satellite, Elvis Now, Elvis’ Golden Records, G.I. Blues, How Great Thou Art, Let’s Be Friends, Pure Gold, Rock ‘N’ Roll, Welcome to My World, Worldwide Gold Award Hits

Ricky Nelson – Legendary Masters Series

Soundtrack: 24 records

Burt Bacharach – Lost Horizon

Dory Previn – Valley of the Dolls

Isaac Hayes – Shaft

Jack L. Warner – 1776

Leonard Bernstein –  West Side Story

Mary Martin –  Mary Martin Sings The Sound of Music

Mr. Pickwick – Mr. Pickwick Sings Songs from Mary Poppins

Neil Diamond –  Jonathan Livingston Seagull

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky –  Suite from “The Nutcracker”

Ray Parker Jr. – Ghostbusters

Rossini – The Barber of Seville (box set)

Simon & Garfunkel – The Graduate

Unknown – HearSeeDo: Hanna-Barbera Record of Safety, Superman

Various – 2001 A Space Odyssey, 50 Happy Years of Disney Favorites (1923-1973), Fantasia, The Fox and the Hound, Grease, Song of Norway, That’s Entertainment: Musical Highlights from Camelot! Sounds of Music! etc., Top Gun, Urban Cowboy

Vince Guaraldi – Selections from the Soundtrack ” A Boy  Named Charlie  Brown”

Record Collection There are 329 records in my collection as of January 9, 2019. This list includes Alternative Rock, Christmas, Classical, Comedy, Country, Dance, Folk, German, Hip  Hop, Jazz, Kids, Metal, Outlaw Country, Pop, Rock, Rockabilly, and Soundtrack.

[etechwire-blog]

What to watch on Now TV: your guide to the new TV shows and movies

New Post has been published on https://www.etechwire.com/what-to-watch-on-now-tv-your-guide-to-the-new-tv-shows-and-movies/

What to watch on Now TV: your guide to the new TV shows and movies

Although Now TV may not be able to compete with Netflix when it comes to sheer volume of TV shows and movies, it’s still a firm favourite among our team. That’s because it brings us the best bits of Sky TV – just without the hefty monthly bills.

As a Now TV user, you’ve also got the freedom to pick from a range of subscription plans, then you can stream TV shows and movies as much as you like, in the same way you do with Netflix or Amazon Prime Video. 

But despite the fact there might not be as much choice on Now TV, you’ll still get the same problems you do with Netflix: what should you watch next? 

With so many good movies and TV series at your fingertips, it’s hard to know where to begin and how to figure out which Now TV shows are worthy of your time and which should be left alone. Or which movies are Spielberg-worth and which are barely good enough for Sunday hangover viewing. 

That’s why we’re here to help. This handy guide tells you what you should be watching on Now TV tonight and over the next week or so. We’ve handpicked this selection of top titles from Now TV’s recently-released TV and film line-up, which means it’s only filled with the best-of-the-best – as well as the odd guilty pleasure too of course. 

So whether you’re on the hunt for a new series to binge watch or a movie to scare you silly or make you laugh your socks off, this guide will ensure you’ll never have to waste time trawling through the hundreds of options when your time could be better spend winding down instead. And be sure to check in every week, we’ll keep this list updated with what’s new and worth watching constantly!

[Update: Westworld’s long-awaited second season landed on Now TV just over six weeks ago. The service is drip-feeding episodes so as not to ruin the fun for those who watch the latest shows on Sky Atlantic in the UK or HBO in the US. The latest episode is one of our favourites so far after a slow start to the new season. 

But it’s not just Westworld that gets updated every week, there’s plenty to choose from including Supergirl, Legion and Billions – all with freshly-baked episodes landing every 7 days.

Movie-wise, you can get stuck into Captain Phillips, an Oscar-nominated thriller set on the high seas starring Tom Hanks, or IT, Stephen King’s infamous clown-fuelled horror story.]

New movies on Now TV this week

(Image: © Now TV)

Captain Phillips: A heart-stopping thriller based on the true story of the 2009 Maersk Alabama hijacking, in which Captain Richard Phillips (played by Tom Hanks) is taken hostage by pirates in the Indian Ocean. It’s a great movie with solid acting from Hanks and Barkhad Abdi, who plays the pirate leader Abduwali Muse, that was nominated for six Academy Awards. 

(Image: © Now tv)

It: Based on the 1986 Stephen King novel by the same name, It is about seven children who are terrorised by It, a super creepy clown. That’s all we’ll say for now so as not to ruin the plot, but be warned: it’s not for the faint-hearted. It was well received by critics and is the most profitable horror movie of all time. 

More movies recently added to Now TV

(Image: © Now TV)

War for the Planet of the Apes: The third and final instalment in the Planet of the Apes modern reboot series, and is all about the battle for the planet between the apes and the humans. Eagle-eyed fans of the original movies will notice it shares some similarities to the fifth film, Battle for the Planet of the Apes, but isn’t a direct remake. You’d have thought they’d have been a bit more creative naming the new title then, right? Still, for the third film in a reboot series it performed exceptionally well at the box office and received a lot of praise, as well as being nominated for lots of awards for its visual effects. 

(Image: © Now TV)

Zootropolis: Although it’s most definitely a kids movie, Zootropolis has a good story, top computer animation, LOL-worthy jokes and lots of voices you’ll recognise, making it totally acceptable to watch if there are absolutely no kids present.

It’s about a trainee police officer, who happens to be a rabbit, and a con artist, who happens to be a fox, and how they end up (kinda begrudgingly) working together to solve a mystery. It features the voices of Idris Elba, Jason Bateman, Jenny Slate and Ginnifer Goodwin and tackles some big issues in amongst the animal hijinks. 

Atomic Blonde: Charlize Theron plays a badass assassin in this spy thriller that’s based on the graphic novel The Coldest City. She’s on a mission to hunt down a list of double agents who are being smuggled into the West on the eve of the collapse of the Berlin Wall in 1989. 

The movie has received mixed reviews, but generally Theron’s performance, James McAvoy’s supporting performance, the soundtrack and the action sequences were praised by critics, which is all you can hope for a violent flick about an assassin. 

Dunkirk: The award-winning blockbuster from Christopher Nolan is all about the evacuation of Allied soldiers from the beach and harbour of Dunkirk during World War II. 

As you might expect, it’s intense, thrilling and at times utterly tragic. It presents a number of different perspectives of the evacuation from land, air and sea, which makes the lead-up to events even more tense.

There isn’t a great deal of dialogue but there’s plenty of super intense music and beautifully-shot scenes that’ll have you holding your breath for the whole 106 minutes of action.

(Image: © Almost Famous)

Almost Famous: The classic Cameron Crowe flick is available to watch on Now TV, helping you relive the glamour, wonder and disappointment of the rock n’ roll comedy drama that was probably a firm favourite when you were in your late teens.

It tells the story of a teen journalist writing for Rolling Stone magazine in the 70s as he writes about the fictitious rock band Stillwater. What makes it even more interesting is that Crowe himself wrote for the title in his teens, so some of the story is autobiographical. 

Alien Covenant: Resurrecting a classic movie series is never easy. Alien Covenant does not take us back to the heights of the first two Alien films, but splices together the mythology of Prometheus and the action of Aliens to decent effect. 

It’s a good old action romp with some philosophical noodling thrown in for good measure. Alien Covenant is directed by Ridley Scott, did you expect anything less?


Michael Fassbender returns as the creepy David, an synthetic humanoid survivor of the Prometheus expedition. Alien Covenant helps stitch together 2012’s Prometheus and the Alien franchise to mostly satisfying effect. 

Kick Ass: Memories of Kick Ass may have been tainted by 2013’s rather rubbish Kick Ass 2, but this superhero comedy is worth a revisit. Particularly in the year of Avengers Infinity War, a film with so many characters you wonder how they all fit into 2hr30 run time. Kick Ass is far leaner.

A teenager and 11-year-old girl decide to become superheroes, despite not having any X-Men-like powers. Two hours of intense comic violence follows, drenched with style.

Roger Ebert called Kick Ass “morally reprehensible”, so we can’t guarantee all of you will get on with this movie. However, if you can take a lighter view on a pre-teen dishing out “real” violence, you’ll likely find it a lot of fun. 

Wonder Woman: Testament to the great, recent movies you get on Now TV, this week we have Wonder Woman. It was only released in 2017 and is one of the highest-rated DC Comics movies to date. 

Gal Gadot is Wonder Woman, an amazon warrior goddess who lives on a hidden island paradise with her fellow women warriors. Chris Pine is a World War I pilot who manages to gatecrash her home, and tells her of the conflict in the world outside. Superhero capers ensue.

Wonder Woman arrived on Now TV on International Women’s Day. The timing couldn’t be better. 

Also try…

Clash: Ready for a tough watch and some subtitles? Mohamed Diab’s Clash is worth 97 minutes of your time. It’s set entirely in a police van in Egypt, as the characters are arrested and thrown in the back. The city is in chaos, following 2013 riots caused by President Morsi’s ousting from office.

The Mummy: The 2017 Tom Cruise reboot of The Mummy may not be a great film. OK, it’s not even a good film. But sometimes after a hard day’s work a tub of melted Hollywood cheese is just what you need. 

New TV shows on Now TV this week

(Image: © Now TV)

Supergirl (New Episodes): The third season of Supergirl is currently unfolding on Now TV. It’s not been a massive hit, but has plenty of dedicated fans who enjoy watching Kara Zor-El’s story. For those not in the know Kara, AKA Supergirl, is Superman’s cousin and one of the last surviving Kryptonians. She was sent to Earth in a spaceship just like Superman, but hers was thrown off course. So by the time she does arrive Superman is all grown up and she’s in her mid-twenties. This is where the Supergirl TV show begins.

(Image: © Westworld)

Westworld Season 2 (New Episodes): The highly-anticipated second season of HBO’s sci-fi western series has landed on Now TV, and it doesn’t disappoint. We’re 5 episodes in and it’s already providing answers to some of the biggest, most baffling twists of the first season. But unfortunately, it asks plenty more new questions. Sigh. It’s like Lost all over again. 

For those not in the know, Westworld mixes the best bits of a sci-fi story within a western setting. That’s right, think amazing tech, robots and super futuristic interfaces alongside cowboys, train robberies and lots of violence. 

Westworld the “place” is a quasi-theme park of the future, a virtual reality world that could be the locale for a classic Clint Eastwood film. The series is filled with uncanny valley moments and the kind of mysteries that made Lost such a compelling watch.

Also, just in case you’re interested but impatient: if you’re new to the series you definitely need to give the first season a watch first.

More TV shows recently added to Now TV

(Image: © Now TV)

House: The TV series that follows the personal and professional life of Dr. Gregory House, a misanthropic and eccentric doctor and medical genius, may not be new. But this week all 8 seasons of the show have landed on Now TV, allowing you to re-watch all of the fascinating, gory and downright worrying medical diagnoses all over again. 

Sure the show can get a little repetitive a few seasons in, but if you’re interested in biology and you’re a fan of Hugh Laurie’s portrayal of a brilliant doctor in a lot of physical and emotional pain, it’s worth a watch. 

(Image: © Now TV)

Here and Now: Fans of Six Feet Under should be excited about Here and Now. It comes from Alan Ball, that show’s creator.  It’s a multi-threaded tale of current-day multicultural America starring Tim Robbins and Holly Hunter. 

Early reviews have been mixed, criticising the unrealistic dialogue and aimless feel. But we’re going to stick this one out. 

Save Me: Save Me is a Sky Original production. It’s the story of Nelly, played by Lennie James, who is accused of abducting his daughter. He hasn’t seen her since she was three years old, but is arrested under suspicion of the crime. 

The six-episode arc sees him try to discover her real captor and prove his innocence. It’s gripping stuff.

Silicon Valley: The first four seasons of Silicon Valley have returned to Now TV as a box set, ahead of the release of Silicon Valley Season five. 

It’s a critically acclaimed comedy about nerdy programmers looking to make millions in a tech start-up. Silicon Valley is the creation of Mike Judge, of Beavis and Butthead, King of the Hill and Office Space fame. Judge worked as a real Silicon Valley engineer back in the 80s, but the show’s sharp writing and timeliness makes it seem one of the freshest shows around. 

To take a look at our full rundown of the best TV shows on Now TV, both old and new, check out our guide: The Best Now TV shows

Also try…

Britannia: It’s dividing the critics, but if you can’t wait for a new fix of Game of Thrones, Britannia may fill that Westeros-shaped hole in your viewing calendar.

Atlanta: Donald Glover’s amazing comedy set in the eponymous city was overlooked by many in the UK, and is well worth a watch. It centres around two cousins navigating the Atlanta music scene trying to make ends meet, and is as astute as it is hilarious.

Haven’t found what you’re looking for, and want to check some Netflix recommendations instead? Try these in-depth run downs of the best of the best Netflix content:

[cheesyramynry]

(late) tag? on my blog? it’s more likely than you think

tag tag tag!!!

man i miss doing tags so much :’)

i was tagged by the bestest and coolest minnie @ohkaypopthis ily ily

rules: list 10 songs you are currently vibing to then tag 10 people.

1. Watch What Happens - Kara Lindsay , Newsies (Original Broadway Cast Recording) // i love the sound of her voice and her vibrato!!! i saw ms. kara lindsay live in new york in wicked and honestly the best time of my life she’s,,, so good,,, i love how this song is fast an sweet and the charming, pippy strings supporting the vocalist and how the lyrics are fast and they are like her train of thought!! a good song; newsies is a blessing

2. Merrily We Roll Along - Merrily We Roll Along Company , Merrily We Roll Along: 2012 New York Cast Recording // LISTEN THIS VERSION OF MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG IS SO UNDERRATED i got into it bc lin manuel miranda is in it :> but really, the story is so heart wrenching the way its structured and the orchestra is!!! so good!!! the brass is honestly so spectacular and i wish that more people would like this musical, even though there are no bootlegs or anything on it. please listen to this whole soundtrack!! sadly its not on youtube tho i listen to it though amazon music and apple music :< :< :<

3. Interlude - DPR LIVE , Coming To You Live // weird that i mention this, but idk the piano is so nice on its own!! i love that it has the tune of the song after it and askdfj;aslkfdj like you dont hear these calming piano compositions often before a litty song thats like rnb and k-pop you know?? also listening to CTYL as a whole and having that come up before the very last song is so soothing, bc its preparing you for this last track and it transitions very smoothly~

4. To Myself - DPR LIVE , Coming To You Live // DPR WE GANG GANG boiiii this is like the second song ive heard from dpr and i, love it, so much, homeboy dpr live, so good, i love his rapping voice!! and the track behind the vocals is so vibey and im never bored from the instrumentals!!! i get lit to this every time and this is a spectacular ending to an amazing album it really makes you feel whole :> dpr live is such a good rapper please give him love

5. I Luh God - Erica Campbell , Help - EP // listen i get lit to dpr live but when saturday rolls around you bet your two pennies that i be getting DOWN to the SALVATION OF THE LORD AMEEEEN yo this is lit and its like,,, pure lit and i luh God, you don God, whats wrong w/ chu??? idk i love dancing and getting lit for God because it shows that you dont have to worship in the traditional ways!!! i love God man im so glad we have a Savior asd;fjalskdfjlkdkl

6. She’s a Baby - Zico , She’s a Baby - Single // ahhhh this song is such a bop and a sweet jam <3333 then it becomes a BANGER asdfjas;f i love zico so much he was the reason i got into kpop!! (besides kyung too lmao heart heart to block b) if you want to know what a REALLY GOOD SONG IS, then listen to this!!! tfw you dont need a singer for your own song bc you can rap AND sing zico is so talenteeddd and i know the song was meant to be cringy but the tracks and the beat the blessed music video are sooooo good i cannot STRESS THIS ENOUGH and!! i love that it ends so suddenly bc it makes you want to listen to it again!!!! aahhhhh a good good song that i always vibe to~~

7. Searching for ELRIS (Intro) - ELRIS , We, First - EP // this is just an intro but its so well made and i love the ending chord and their voices all together and how it starts?? i think thats sohee in the beginning but its an beautiful start to the whole album!!!! they sound so angelic and i dont even know the lyrics of the song but man i would pay all of the money i would ever own just to have ELRIS sing this to me as a lullaby or something TT TT TT so light and fluffy a beautiful song

8. Hyde - VIXX , Hyde - EP // listen i love being edgy and everything and hyde is my favorite VIXX song AND stage (shangri-la is coming a deathly close second tho) like,,, vixx are kings in having their choreo really go with their lyrics and story and music and their live stages are a BLESSING!!!!! i love the minor chords in the chorus AND THEN THE VERY END IT ENDS IN MAJOR LIKE WASDFASDGASDG WHAT DID YOU DO!?!?! WHAT! WHAT! WHAT! WHAT! anyways the chord progression of the chorus is also really good and that lil “rah-veh” before ravi’s rap and the “arraH!” during it? big mood. hyde is a really good vixx song and i love, the concept, so much, what the hec, ALSO LAST NOTE KEN’S RIFTS UP ARE HEAVENLY ASDSFGE

9. How People Move - AKMU , SPRING - EP // okay i only add this bc of suyeon’s voice at about 2:50 of the music video because i think about that every day, when im in school, when im doing homework, when im sleepig, EVERY MOMENT MY BRAIN WORKS I THINK OF THIS PART AND THIS PART ONLY and her rift in the end too thats really good too BUT HER VOICE IDK WHAT SHE DOES I DOasdkfj;sd i dont think she’s doing that for real its just for effect but its REALLY good effects and ,,, honeslty,,,, 2:22 is so good,,, and i love chanhyuk too dont worry akmu is seriously so good their voices are so nice,,, wow,,,

10. Crazy Sexy Cool - ASTRO , Dream, Pt. 2 - EP // ahhh i love their comeback so much and ive been vibing the good ol bass in the chorus~~ im happy moonbin gets a lot of lines and EUNWOO GETS A LOT OF REACCURING LINES TOO THAT ARE DIFFERENT and sanha’s voice has changed so much and its so delightful and you can really hear him grow up and it makes me so proud :> jinjin and rocky’s raps are perfect and DALLA DALLA DALLA and lmao everyone thinks jinjin says “basic body” instead of “face and body” like tbh im both and WOW LET ME TELL YOU ABOUT MY SUNSHINE THE LOVE OF MY LIFE KIM MYUNGJUN WHO GOES BY THE STAGE NAME MJ HIS VOCALS ARE SO BRIGHT AND PERFECT AND I FALL IN LOVE! EVERY! DANG! TIME! and their song structure is good too astro is v good at this

ive been vibing a lot of stuff thats chill on the ears, vibey lit, or easy to daydream to >.< ahh i hope people listen to the songs i listed they are all good!!!! also im gonna add one more good suggestion: Honeymoon by B.A.P (only bc im listening to it as i type this lmao) anyways i tag whomever wants to do this~~ you can blame me for tagging :>

[theworstbob]

yellin’ at songs: 5.12.2007 & 5.13.2017

the songs that debuted on the billboard chart this week and this week ten years ago

5.12.2007

6) "I'll Stand by You," Carrie Underwood

I completely understand why so many people bought this. I don't think my life was improved by having heard this? But, y'know, it wasn't as melodramatic as I was expecting, maybe I picked the wrong video but it's just a nice well-sung acoustic cover of a song which I'm sure was construed as inspirational for the Idol Gives Back thing (and remembering that this was Idol Gives Back this week, yup, mm-hmm, definitely watched the wrong video), I'm glad there wasn't a thousand things happening, but like 2007 is supposed to provide a nostalgic rush, either consider a song we all knew and loved/hated back in the day or uncover a classic, and listening to this is just... Unnecessary?

8) "Never Again," Kelly Clarkson

The first line of this song is, "I hope the ring you gave to her turns her finger green," which is a hell of a thing to say. One can assess all the reasons why this is the only Kelly Clarkson single to chart in 2007 -- hey remember ten years ago when a record label could win a PR battle with a female artist seeking creative autonomy? Good times! -- but honestly, there's nothing wrong with this song on its own, this is a pretty superb, dark-as-hell break-up song, but it's also the sixth or seventh consecutive Kelly Clarkson breakup song? Like, her discography to this point is "A Moment Like This" and then a shitload of break-up songs, some anthemic, some mournful, and while I get why they would be sick of Kelly Clarkson break-up songs -- worth noting her next big hit was “My Life Would Suck Without You” -- if the 2007 public wasn't willing to hear the dark version of the kind of song Kelly Clarkson does extremely well, that's on them. This song is rad, and while I'm probably not gonna go back and listen to My December, I'm figuring that album is prolly a jam.

28) "Icky Thump," The White Stripes

...Do I have to like this song? I get that I agree with it, and I get that The White Stripes area thing people who like music tend to like, and this is the most I ever enjoyed The White Stripes' whole, y'know, thing (this and “My Doorbell”), but I don’t want to like this song. It’s just, I dunno, Jack White’s this whole person, and I don’t like engaging with that person?

56) "Up to the Mountain," Kelly Clarkson ft./Jeff Beck

yes just like the carrie underwood thing this was a very good american idol performance and like i wanna be snarkier but last week 2007 handed me seven country dude songs and, just, i would take a thousand american idol performances before another week with that many country dudes. given the alternative, this is the greatest thing i could have ever possibly heard.

65) "Signal Fire," Snow Patrol

So like, I graduated high school in 2007, right? That's kind of the connection to these songs, like, these songs would have been the soundtrack to my high school experience if I had friends who listened to pop and/or rap radio. (Hence all the buttrock appreciation in these posts. Like, real talk, Shinedown is a terrible band to which I have such a profound nostalgic connection that I routinely have to rewatch their videos just to be 100% sure that particular Southern rock band doesn't have any Confederate flags in them.) So there's a 10-year reunion coming up which I'm probably not going to go to, but like imagine a 10-year high school reunion. You see your friends. You love your friends! You are all very successful and beautiful! You see the people you hated. You greatly enjoy how fat they got and cheated on they were! You go to the punch bowl for some delicious, fruity punch, and you see the person that sat behind you in chemistry. They seem OK. You mention the crazy weather you've been having recently, and they agree, the weather is crazy. This song is that social interaction. It's a nice Braffcore song that I wasn't thinking about then and am not presently thinking about now.

78) "You Raise Me Up," Josh Groban & The African Children's Choir

...Yeah, so like, no? Thank you! But, no, I'mma sit this one out. I understand that we want different things out of life. I will not get in the way of this song's goals, and I will not invite it to impede mine. But thank you so much for bringing this to me!

84) "If I Was Your Man," Joe

I refuse to actively engage with this song on the grounds that even coming up with this angle for a capsule review required more thought and effort than was put into the writing and recording of this song. This is a middle slider in song form. They couldn't even be bothered to give this artist a name. "Joe." Joe doesn't even stand for anything, he's just a fucking guy named Joe who wants to date someone and enjoy all the attendant benefits. Sometimes, you hear a song, and you're taken to an amazing world or shown a new aspect of life or filled with the inspiration needed to tackle the day's problems, and this song is like, "Meet Joe! Joe's a dude who has a crush on someone," and Joe doesn't say anything or even wave his hand to acknowledge you. He just sits there, moving nothing.

93) "I Don't Need a Man," The Pussycat Dolls

"I don't need a hand if it only wants to grab one thing." In addition to the world, the 2016 presidential election also ruined my ability to enjoy a 10-year-old Pussycat Dolls song. Also, Kara DioGuardi. It makes sense that Kara DioGuardi and Donald Trump would describe the female anatomy in equally clumsy ways. Maybe there was no way for Kara DioGuardi to know that, ten years after this song was published, the term "grab" could reference something other than the ass when used in reference to a woman's body, but she's bad and this song is trash so I'm definitely going to hold it against her.

99) "Sexy Lady," Yung Berg ft./Junior

...I am going to applaud this song for having the audacity of using a "Diamonds Are Forever" sample. Like, Kanye doesn't own the rights to the song, and it's a completely different beat, but it's still kinda weird to turn on a song and say, "Oh, hey, someone used that song as a sample in a song I like a lot more!" And like how are you going to use the "Diamonds Are Forever" sample on a song that isn't about diamonds at all? The song doesn't mention jewely of any kind. Like, I don't know, maybe Yung Berg has always been famously anti-consumerism and I just never bothered learning that about him, but if you're a pop/rap artist in 2007, and you're going to take a sample from an iconic song about material goods, hey, I'm not a songwriter, but maybe write verses about material goods? This is as weird as a song can be without having an ounce of originality.

100) "Wipe Me Down," Lil Boosie ft./Foxx & Webbie

One weird thing about 2007 songs is, so like, when I listen to a song with, say, Lil Yachty on the track, I hear every single disgusting thing Lil Yachty has to say about the things he wants to do to a woman, and which parts of the woman he would prefer to do them to. And then you listen to a 2007 track, and there'll be half a verse missing because the record label was scared that their video would be deleted from the internet if they said the n-word. Apart from the unnecessary censorship, I dunno, this was kind of the standard Southern-pop/rap song. Repetitive to the point you just give in and enjoy it, not really about anything in particular, just annoying enough to be memorable but not annoying enough to be appreciated ironically. There were always gonna be dry spells. 2007 is very much in one, Kelly Clarkson notwithstanding.

The Top 20! With infinitely more Kelly Clarkson than ever before! 20) "When I See U," by Fantasia (4.21.2007) 19) "Movin' On," by Elliott Yamin (3.17.2007) 18) "U + Ur Hand," by P!nk (1.13.2007) 17) "Doe Boy Fresh," by Three 6 Mafia ft./Chamillionaire (1.20.2007) 16) "Breath," by Breaking Benjamin (4.14.2007) 15) "Stolen," by Dashboard Confessional (4.21.2007) 14) "Beautiful Liar," by Beyonce & Shakira (3.31.2007) 13) "Cupid's Chokehold," by Gym Class Heroes ft./Patrick Stump (1.13.2007) 12) "The River," by Good Charlotte ft./M. Shadows & Synyster Gates (2.10.2007) 11) "Say OK," by Vanessa Hudgens (2.17.2007) 10) "Alyssa Lies," by Jason Michael Carroll (1.13.2007) 9) "Never Again," by Kelly Clarkson (5.12.2007) 8) "Get Buck," by Young Buck (4.14.2007) 7) "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going," by Jennifer Hudson (1.13.2007) 6) "Thnks fr th Mmrs," by Fall Out Boy (4.28.2007) 5) "Candyman," by Christina Aguilera (1.13.2007) 4) "Because of You," by Ne-Yo (3.17.2007) 3) "Umbrella," by Rihanna ft./Jay-Z (4.28.2007) 2) "Dashboard," by Modest Mouse (2.17.2007) 1) "The Story," by Brandi Carlile (4.28.2007) Alright. 2007 had a bad week. 2017 didn’t fuck up Kendrick week. Is it gonna fuck up Paramore week?

5.13.2017

44) "There's Nothing Holdin' Me Back," by Shawn Mendes

So before I even listen to a single note, the inconsistency of the title's abbreviations has me peeved. Why would you abbreviate one word but not the other? Is one g much more special than the other? Does Shawn Mendes pronounce the g in nothing, but not the g in holding? Because I've heard Shawn Mendes sing, I'd be surprised if he hits the "th" and the "ld" in those words. /// You know what? I'll give it a "not as bad as the title." I don't come away from this song having made any new conclusions about the world or Shawn Mendes as a person, so I can't really argue that this was worth the three minutes of my life it took, but it's not Joe-level nothing, so hey! It has that going for it!

64) "Lust for Life," by Lana del Rey ft./The Weeknd

I'm not here to make a judgement call about the modern adolescent experience in relation to the one I went through. I think this song is fine, it's actually kind of great in a way I'm not gonna bother to place, but I think that it's worth noting that the modern teen's "Hot in Herre" is this. There's a lot of value in a sad song with the "take off all your clothes" refrain, again I dug this, but I didn't dig it enough to try to figure out why that might be, because I'm just thinking about what a jam "Hot in Herre" is and how I think I've heard like maybe two great party jams over the course of this project. We had "Run Up," you guys. The teens don't want to party. And, I mean, why should they, it's rough out there, maybe they deserve to just shrug when they see their boyfriend approach and say, "Huh, he got a little cooler. Le sigh."

68) "Attention," by Charlie Puth

Not gonna lie: when I saw that Shawn Mendes and this dude were on the ledger for this week, I thought the milquetoast white boy army was gonna ruin this W for Paramore. I thought the weight these two idiots would add to 2017 would give the W to a week in 2007 with a Kara DioGuardi joint. But just like the Shawn Mendes song, this was acceptable! In fact: I would give this a B-! It's not as drastic a zag as when Ed Sheeran dropped "Sing," but this is reasonably funkier, a degree of funk which I never would have thought Charlie Puth capable of achieving. I think this song might be his ceiling, I can't imagine having as good a time with Charlie Puth as I did with him here (especially now that the element of surprise won't be in play), but, y'know, solid three and a half minutes. Not the worst!

87) "do re mi," by blackbear

Ah, so THIS is where we were keeping the unexceptional white boy! I knew he had to be hiding somewhere! This is the song you write you have completely purged your life of everyone who told you that you weren't clever. This is the song you write after having no one around to tell you that the fact of a curse word isn't edgy on its own. "Do re mi fa so fuckin' done wit' ya" is a garbage line because the shock is being solely derived from the use of the f-word, and that can only get ya so many times; by the time he repeats it for the sixth time, you'll think it's do re mi fa so lame he couldn't think of anything cooler to do with the conceit than recite the scale then swear. You're a songWRITER, dude! You tellin' me you could only think of one pun based on the scale? OSCAR HAMMERSTEIN AIN'T GOT THE MONOPOLY ON SCALE-BASED PUNS, YA KNOW. SO MANY OTHER WORDS BEGIN WITH FA. TRY HARDER.

90) "Hard Times," by Paramore

gosh this song fucking rules. y'all mind if i'm just a boy writing a diary for a second? because this is a song about me. i'm someone with a defeatist attitude, i'm the exact sort of person who meets hard times by giving up, and that's what this song is, it's a song about giving in and feeling defeated. they're not looking back on low points in their life and saying, "gosh, can you believe we made it?" they're sinking deeper and deeper still into a depression and saying "how the fuck do we survive," and that's such a beautiful sentiment, especially in the trump era, where i'm sure a lot of us are still shellshocked and feel the task is too tall. but they're putting this happy, energetic face on it, this song is this bouncy uptempo jam about being incredibly depressed, because it's easier to pretend you don't need help than it is to ask. i love this song. i don't care if it falls off the chart next week, it's the new #1.

93) "My Girl," by Dylan Scott

...I think I'm just feeling generous today. I'm willing to give this a "didn't mind it." Am I amazed that they just keep finding new dudes to make this exact country song? Yeah. But, it's like the Shawn Mendes song, there just isn't enough in here for me to react negatively to. The Eminem reference is probably the most exotic shoutout in country music going, and especially refreshing because I'm still angry at "Johnny Cash" from last week, and the dude has the bass country voice going, he has that earth-shaking twang instead of that nasal fuckboy twang a lot of these dudes got going on. It wasn't as engaging as that "Hurricane" thing from a couple months ago, so I'm still gonna call it bro country, but this is probably the least I'll ever mind bro country. Congratulations, Dylan Scott! Of all the bro country chucklefucks, you have emerged as the least chucklefucky!

Top 20! Only one new entry! It’s an important one. 20) "Guys My Age," by Hey Violet (2.11) 19) "Heatstroke," by Calvin Harris ft./Young Thug, Pharrell Williams & Ariana Grande (4.22) 18) "Yeah Boy," Kelsea Ballerini (3.4) 17) "You Look Good," by Lady Antebellum (4.22) 16) "The Heart Part 4," by Kendrick Lamar (4.15) 15) "Selfish," by Future ft./Rihanna (3.18) 14) "Slide," by Calvin Harris ft./Frank Ocean & Migos (3.18) 13) "Now & Later," by Sage the Gemini (2.25) 12) "DNA." by Kendrick Lamar (5.6) 11) "It Ain't Me," by Kygo x Selena Gomez (3.4) 10) "Craving You," by Thomas Rhett ft./Maren Morris (4.22) 9) "That's What I Like," by Bruno Mars (3.4) 8) "Chanel," by Frank Ocean ft./A$AP Rocky (4.1) 7) "Run Up," by Major Lazer ft./PARTYNEXTDOOR & Nicki Minaj (2.18) 6) "Green Light," by Lorde (3.18) 5) "ELEMENT." by Kendrick Lamar (5.6) 4) "Despacito," by Luis Fonsi ft./Daddy Yankee (2.4) 3) "Issues," by Julia Michaels (2.11) 2) "iSpy," by KYLE ft./Lil Yachty (1.14) 1) "Hard Times," by Paramore (5.13) May you last longer than “Run Up,” “Hard Times.” 

Who won?

2017. Neither had a great week, apart from one exceptional song from both sides. “Hard Times” is simply better than “Never Again,” is what it comes down to. And now: 2017 has the lead for the year! 2017: 4 2007: 3 Looking into the future, 2007 has four songs. 2017 will be entering “Young and Menace” probably. ...I already don’t like next week.

[justanotheraveragelesbian]

My Thoughts on Supergirl 2x16  with a little Flash 3x17

This is my review of the Supergirl episode Star-Crossed with a few (or maybe more) thoughts on Flash’s Duet since it was afterall a crossover with Supergirl.  As usual this is probably going to be a long post and SPOILER warning for both episodes.

I should also add a warning that this is probably going to be a bit of a rant, but I will try to keep that to a minimum.

I want to start with the things that I liked about both episodes.  Sanvers, of course, was great in Supergirl this week, however briefly they were on the screen.  I smiled when the scene of Maggie sleeping on Alex went by.  I wish there was a lot more of that kind of content in the episode, but alas there wasn’t.  I did like that we got to see a bit more of Maggie being a cop.  Again I’d love to see more of that.  I also really liked the Winn and Lyra stuff this week.  I’m glad that he had a good storyline, even if it was about his new girlfriend lying to and using him.  I really hate that Winn can’t seem to find a girl who is good and likes him.  I also liked that Guardian was there to help Winn, but I have some other thoughts on him as well that I will save for the negative side of this review.  The only real problem I had with this part of the episode is the idea that Kara wouldn’t be trying to help Winn.  He is her best friend and she was too busy with Mon-El to help.  This storyline should have been a separate episode rather than the B plot in an episode with so many other things going on.

For once I was happy about the Mon-El storyline in Supergirl this week.  I’ve been waiting to see Kara’s reaction when she found out he was the prince (which honestly who hadn’t figured that out yet?).  I liked that he was the one to tell her, even if he was pushed into it, and I liked that she reacted negatively and called him out and ultimately broke up with him for lying.  I was not surprised by the love confession even though it is way too soon for something like that, but considering this relationship for him is akin to those that most teenagers have (aka, first time he’s actually had more than a casual fling with a girl) it is not a surprise that he would throw that out there too soon.  It is also a common thing for people on TV and in movies to say “I love you” when they are afraid of losing someone.  It is manipulative and annoying, but that is really nothing new for Mon-El.  I am very glad that Kara didn’t say it back, and that she made it clear that lying was not a sign of love.  I was pissed that Alex was trying to convince Kara to listen to Mon-El and basically acting like she was okay with the fact that Mon-El had been lying to her sister.  Honestly, this whole thing of Alex supporting the relationship between Kara and Mon-El, and encouraging it, has really got me pissed.  Alex loves her sister more than anything in the world and has always been extremely protective of her, even to the point of sacrificing her own happiness on multiple occasions to protect her sister.  But the writers are trying to say that Alex would be okay with her sister dating a guy who has lied, kept secrets, manipulated, called her sister names on multiple occasions, and who ultimately is emotionally abusive.  I don’t think so.  Alex should be trying to talk her sister out of this relationship, not into it.  The only explanation I have is that Alex has been so wrapped up in Maggie that she hasn’t noticed how horrible Mon-El is to her sister.  (Like I said, rant.)

Teri Hatcher and Kevin Sorbo were a nice addition as Mon-El’s parents.  I love the fact that even the queen said that Mon-El wasn’t good enough for Supergirl. Yes, I know she was saying that Kara would think he wasn’t good enough (and by the way Kara didn’t disagree), but the way that scene was played was very straight.  It could really be read either way.  

Okay, let’s talk Guardian before I move on to the Flash.  I do not like James as Guardian, which I think I have made clear in my previous reviews.  However, I do not mind Guardian.  I think if the character had been introduced without it being James I wouldn’t have a problem with it, but the only way that I can enjoy that part of the episode is to forget that it’s supposed to be James under that helmet.  This of course also means that I miss James in just about every episode.  They seriously need to figure out what to do with him, or let Mehcad out of his contract so he can go find a show that will treat him right.  Having said that I loved the fight scene between Guardian and the guys at the trailer park.  The scene with him fighting the aliens later in the episode proved to me that Guardian does not belong in this world.  Supergirl is a show about aliens living on Earth. Those aliens, be them hero or villain, all have a certain level of power.  Guardian has some cool gadgets and fighting skills which make him a decent street level hero.  He can take down the average bank robber or street level villain, but he is no match for the aliens on the show even with his gadgets.  If they want to keep him on they are going to have to make some major changes to the villains of the show or he is just going to be getting beaten up every week.  I personally think they need to end that storyline and send James back to his roots as a photographer, but since they don’t really know what to do with him, I don’t expect them to have anything good up their sleeves for his storyline going forward.

Okay, let’s talk about the musical for a moment.  I love musicals.  I love movie musicals and I usually like it when my favorite TV shows include a musical episode.  The musical episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer is my second favorite episode of that show ever (Hush is the first, of course).  I even own the soundtrack to that episode and listen to it regularly (Yes, I’m that big of a geek).  I watched most (but not quite all) of Glee.  I liked the musical episode of Grey’s Anatomy.  I love it when they burst into song randomly on How I Met Your Mother.  So it should come as no surprise to you that when I heard that Supergirl and Flash were doing a musical crossover I was practically giddy.  I love both shows and I am very well aware of how talented the casts of both shows, not to mention the extended Berlantiverse shows, are when it comes to singing and dancing.  Having said all of that by about half way through the episode I was underwhelmed and by the end I was disappointed.  Don’t get me wrong, the singing was good.  The songs were okay, although the originals were a little too campy for my taste. But some of the performances were fantastic.  Jesse L Martin and Victor Garber, with John Barrowman coming in later, were a highlight of the episode.  I loved Jesse and Victor playing a married couple with Iris as their daughter (that did make me giddy).  Melissa and Grant both have fantastic voices, and I think Melissa especially was underutilized in that respect.  I know it was technically a Flash episode, but that’s why the two-parter should have been an actual two-parter.  That way we could have gotten more songs.  There just wasn’t enough music in the musical episode.

Beyond the musical standpoint I was also down right pissed off by the story.  I loved the Barry and Iris stuff.  I am definitely a WestAllen shipper, and I’m ready for the two of them to be together and happy, but ultimately their relationship is so different from Kara’s and Mon-El’s.  Forgetting the fact that I’m not a fan of Mon-El, they haven’t even known each other a year (Kara said it was 9 months since he woke up), and they haven’t been dating for very long, so for the writer’s to equate the two relationships was ridiculous.  Also the fact that Kara forgave Mon-El for lying after only one episode (and not even a Supergirl episode) down right pissed me off.  This is a horrible message to send to young girls watching this relationship.  It’s okay if he lies to you about who he is or something else equally as big, as long as he did it because he was afraid of how you were going to react.  Are you kidding me?  

Let’s also talk about who was in the crossover and who should have been in the crossover.  Okay, first of all I get why J’onn was there, and I loved everyone on the Flash team’s reaction to Martian Manhunter, although I’m surprised they didn’t have more question (guess there wasn’t enough time… again two-episode crossover).  I didn’t like that J’onn didn’t sing, since my understanding is that he has a pretty good voice.  But why wasn’t Alex on the mission?  Okay, so I’m guessing she was left in charge of the DEO.  I get that. She’s J’onn’s second in command and so since he was going to Earth-1 she stayed behind, but her sister was unconscious and dying and she didn’t go.  She could have gone and had J’onn stay behind.  Yes, having him there to fight Music Meister when he was all supped up on Supergirl and the Flash’s powers was cool, but Alex is a capable fighter with a really badass gun, and Mon-El is a capable fighter (if not exactly a hero). So why couldn’t Alex have gone? It seems out of character for her to hang back when her sister was in serious trouble.  Again she has always protected her and always fought tooth and nail for her.  She has traveled into Kara’s subconscious dream world when Kara was attacked by the Black Mercy in season 1.  She traveled to another planet at the beginning of season 2 when Kara was lost on Slaver’s Moon without her powers.  Alex would never stay behind when her sister was in serious peril.  I hate what the writer’s have done to the Danvers Sisters dynamic this season.  It was the best thing about Season 1 and should be the central feature of this season as well, but instead we have romantic relationship drama and poor character development.  

I used to be giddy on Monday nights waiting for the new episode to come on.  I never watch live tv, because I have a DVR and hate commercials, but I would always watch Supergirl live so that I wouldn’t get spoiled on the internet.  I have a season pass to get the episodes digitally as well and I used to watch the episodes repeatedly after they aired.  But the last few weeks I haven’t done that.  I am frustrated by the way this season is going and I’m really hoping something changes because I’m not sure how much  more of this I can take before I give up.

Good story for Sanvers coming up, hopefully, so I will hold onto that, and try to be giddy over the fact that Kara is going to punch Mon-El is the face in the next episode.  Until then…

[yallkilledahero]

RULES. repost, don’t reblog. tag ten. TAGGED. @grrlwonder and @theredwonder TAGGING. @velvet-material @flying-zor-el @energized-izuku @plusultradreams @perfectforayear @mabelsoda @itsmidnightbaby @poku-chan @hardeningherokirishima @cellophane-man @zip-zap-boi @ask-creati​ ( * = headcanons )

BASICS.

FULL  NAME.  Conner Jonathan Kent, Kon-El NICKNAME.   Kon, Con’, Kent, Supes Jr., Supes, Superboy, Superdunce, Stuporboy, many other “clever” plays on his name AGE.   18 biologically, 4 chronologically BIRTHDAY.  March 21 ETHNIC GROUP.   Half Caucasian, Half Kryptonian NATIONALITY.   American LANGUAGE / S.   English, Kryptonian, Spanish, Atlantean, Russian, French SEXUAL ORIENTATION.   Heterosexual ROMANTIC ORIENTATION.   Biromantic RELATIONSHIP STATUS.   Single (verse dependent) CLASS.   Not really relevant? In most of them he’s pretty much middle-class, or student-class HOME TOWN / AREA.  Smallville, Kansas, USA / Honolulu, Hawaii, USA CURRENT HOME.   Smallville, Kansas, USA / Whatever town his college is in PROFESSION.   Student, Pro-Awesome Guy, Superhero

PHYSICAL.

HAIR. Black, and usually really fly/on fleek EYES.   Blue NOSE.    Cute, accompanies his masculine face very well FACE.   A strong jaw, with a somewhat rounder shape, featuring chiseled features LIPS.   About average thickness COMPLEXION.   Sunkissed BLEMISHES.   Zits are not a thing for kryptonians SCARS.   None of note TATTOOS.   None HEIGHT.   6′0" WEIGHT. 200 lbs / 90.7 kg* BUILD.   Muscular, somewhat bulky physique, Inverted Triangle body-shape FEATURES.  Handsome, though wears a beard as Conner, and draws attention away w/glasses ALLERGIES.  Kryptonite USUAL HAIR STYLE.   Cut short, and wind-swept/Longer and natural/Longer with an undercut USUAL FACE LOOK.    Grinning USUAL CLOTHING.   Lots of t-shirts and jeans, will favor baggy flannel with his glasses

PSYCHOLOGY.

FEAR / S.   Failure, Not being good enough as Superman, Loss of his friends ASPIRATION / S.  To be a great Superman, To be happy POSITIVE TRAITS.   Optimistic, Strong, Jovial NEGATIVE TRAITS.   Bull-Headed, Stubborn, Distractable MBTI.   ESFP (Enthusiastic Improviser) ZODIAC.   Pisces-Ares Cusp TEMPERAMENT.   Protective SOUL TYPE / S.   Hunter (18), Performer (17)* ANIMALS.   Bear VICE HABIT / S.   None FAITH.   Agnostic for the moment GHOSTS?   Secret is super cool yo AFTERLIFE?  Imeanidon’trememberone REINCARNATION?   Maybe? ALIENS?   -is best friends with an earthling- POLITICAL ALIGNMENT.   The Party of Cthulu ECONOMIC PREFERENCE.   I mean..... He doesn’t really cost much to keep around SOCIOPOLITICAL POSITION.   Student EDUCATION LEVEL.   Some College

FAMILY.

FATHER.   Clark Kent MOTHER. Lois Lane (Subject to others based on AU) SIBLINGS.   Lil’ Jon, Chris Kent, Cir-El, Jon Lane-Kent, Mae Kent, Ariella Kent, Lara Kent EXTENDED  FAMILY.   Kara Zor-El, Kara Zor-L, Mon-El, Lara Lor-Van, Jor-El, Jonathan Kent, Martha Kent, Alexander Luthor, Lena Luthor, Lionel Luthor, Leticia Luthor, Lori Luthor NAME MEANING / S.   Conner: Anglicized form of the Irish Gaelic Conchobhar, a compound name composed of the ele-ments conn (wisdom, counsel, strength) or con (hound, dog) and cobhair (aid). “High, will, desire” and “hound lover” are other definitions attributed to the name. Kent: From a surname which was originally derived from Kent, the name of a county in England, which may be derived from a Brythonic word meaning "coastal district". El: Meaning “Of The Star” in reference to the star in Krypton’s solar system Rao, can also be literally interpretted as “Star” in names, as is the case with Kal-El, and Kara Zor-L Later changing it to the literal “Starr”. Kon: Literally Son in Kryptonian. HISTORICAL CONNECTION ?   In Nu52 but we don’t discuss that.

FAVOURITES.

BOOK.   Harry Potter MOVIE.   The Princess Bride 5 SONGS.   Feel Good Inc. - Gorillaz, Zombie - As performed by Leo & Stine Moracchioli, Enter Sandman - Metallica, Feeling This - Blink 182, Some Time Ago - Dethklok DEITY.   Heracles HOLIDAY.   Halloween MONTH.   June SEASON.   Summer PLACE.   Titans Tower WEATHER.   Sunny and Warm SOUND.   Guitar Riffs SCENT / S.  Salt-Water TASTE / S.   Savory FEEL / S.   Warm metal ANIMAL / S.   Doggos!! Doges! PUPPIES!! NUMBER.   9 COLOR.   Red

EXTRA.

TALENTS.   Being Awesome, Performing, Fighting, Saving The Day BAD  AT.   Self-Esteem TURN  ONS.   Rockin’ bods, a sense of humor, Trust TURN  OFFS.   Lying, Manpulation, Breaking Trust HOBBIES.   Goofing Off TROPES.   Adaptational Badass, All for Nothing, Appropriated Appellation, Back from the Dead, Chest Insignia, Chivalrous Pervert, Civvie Spandex, Cloning Blues, Evil Knockoff, Too Many Belts, Fun Personified, Half-Human Hybrid, Hot-Blooded, Kid-anova, The Law of Power Proprotionate to Effort, Luckily, My powers Will Protect Me!, Mind Over Matter, Pretender Diss, Totally Radical, Temporal Mutability, You Are Number 6 AESTHETIC  TAGS.   Farms, Burgers, Muscles, Leather, Shades, Fashion, Jeans, Boots GPOY  QUOTES.   “ Or have you ever, like, seen somebody? And you knew that, if only that person *really* knew you, they would, well, they would of course dump the perfect model that they were with, and realize that YOU were the one that they wanted to, just, grow old with. Have you ever fallen in love with someone you haven’t even talked to?” — Lucy, While You were Sleeping

FC INFO.

MAIN  FC / S.   Mark Fischbach ALT  FC / S.   Cory Montieth OLDER  FC / S.   - YOUNGER  FC / S.   - VOICE  CLAIM / S.   Jonathan Young

MUN QUESTIONS.

Q1.   if you could write your character your way in their own movie, what would it be called, what style would it be filmed in, and what would it be about?  A1. I feel like Conner’s movie would be a coming-of-age film, with something of a space-adventure romp. We’ve seen a young super interact with Earth, let’s see Conner handle THE STARS. And it’d just be Superboy.

Q2.   what would their soundtrack / score sound like? A2.   Probably lots of heavy music. Guitar Riffs, fast drums.

Q3.   why did you start writing this character? A3.    -shrug-

Q4.   what first attracted you to this character? A4.   -shrug-

Q5.   describe the biggest thing you dislike about your muse. A5.   The inconsistency in his writing, and how it either had to be “totally radical” or “Master of Brooding”

Q6.   what do you have in common with your muse? A6.   Loud, Fun, A dork.

Q7.   how does your muse feel about you? A7.  He thinks I should work out more.

Q8.   what characters does your muse have interesting interactions with? A8.   It’s all interesting in its own way.

Q9.   what gives you inspiration to write your muse? A9.   Being on an up-day.

Q10.   how long did this take you to complete? A10.   This meme is too long

[callunavulgari]

TOP 25 FICS OF 2017

1. A Somaal Universe by @kaikamahine | Steven Universe | 7.5k

Connie flips over the next card. “'Most likely to -’” She reads out loud, and then dissolves into laughter and has to start over, propping the card up on her bump. “'Most likely to freak out when you go into labor and break the speed limit getting to the hospital?’” 

“Pearl,” Amethyst and Jasper say in unison.

Heather Says: It was really difficult to choose between this and Favor For Your Four-Chambered Heart as favorite Elizabeth fic for the year, but in the end this one won out because it was one of the first fics this year that made me well and truly happy.

2. The home front by aesc | Stargate Atlantis | 10k

“This had better be the Sheppard residence,” Rodney says, brilliant, agitated life and volume against a monotonous day and Dave’s subdued welcome, “because I’ve been driving around for hours and if I ever find the woman who did the voice on my GPS system I’m going to personally amputate her vocal cords.”

Heather Says: I read this in the pool, precariously balanced on the top step with my body angled weirdly so that I wasn’t holding my phone over the water. I started it before I got in the pool, of course, but I couldn’t put it on hold long enough to swim, so I finished it in the water.

3. Junk Cheap by DevilDoll | Stargate Atlantis | 13.5k

If you were thinking you’d love to read an AU where Rodney is a college professor and John owns a junk shop, this is the story for you.

Heather Says: This might be my favorite SGA fic that I found this year, which is funny since going into the fandom I would have told you that I’d prefer to read fics set in canon. I mean, c’mon. Atlantis? Why would I want to read anything set anywhere else? But this fic perfectly captured John’s lazy personality and Rodney’s crotchety... everything. It’s fabulous.

4. Unidentified by fiercelydreamed | Stargate Atlantis | 30k

Fourteen years, eight months, and seven days after John and Rodney meet, the clock starts all over again.

Heather Says: I’m not typically one for the amnesia trope. I’ve found some good fic for it, but most of the time either the angst or the second-hand embarrassment gets me too hard and I end up exiting out of the fic. This fic was intricate and engaging and introduces a Rodney just off-center from the Rodney that we know.

5. Black Helicopters at Dawn by whizzy | Stargate Atlantis | 240k

Screw the bet. Rodney was going to prove the existence of extraterrestrial intelligence. Oh, and incidentally, he might just catch the United States Air Force with their pants around their ankles.

Heather Says: This fic is long. And beautiful, and sad, and kind of a lot. Also if you’re like me you’ll have to find the third part of it on some weird, sort of sketchy website that hopefully didn’t give you viruses. Or if you’re really desperate you can ask me to send you a copy since I think I still have it somewhere.

6. Like a Lightning Strike by miss_aphelion | Hannibal | 71k

In a world where omegas are instant celebrities and treated like royalty, Will just wants to be left alone. So he keeps what he is a secret, managing to avoid the spotlight and the restrictions that come with it for nearly twenty years.

Then a case goes wrong, and his secrets start to unravel before the entire world—and even more worrying, it happens in front of Hannibal, the alpha that was already fascinated with him before he knew what he was.

Heather Says: Okay, so remember how I said I wasn’t crazy about the amnesia trope? I am really not crazy about the A/B/O trope. Done well enough it’s intriguing, but I read a really awful one way back in the day that basically scarred me for life. That said, this fic came along and hooked me hard. It hasn’t been updated since April, which is disappointing, but it’s well worth the read, even unfinished.

7. Lord, Save Me from Your Followers by anamatics | Supergirl | 27k

Kara, perhaps out of a want for thoroughness in her story, perhaps out of a Millennial-born urge to creep on a the social media of a woman she finds intriguing, discovers that Lena Luthor has a pretty active following on Instagram one afternoon not long after their first meeting. She debates it, just for a moment, before following Lena.

Heather Says: Don’t watch Supergirl? That’s fine! Technically I’ve only seen a couple episodes myself! Read this anyway! This fic has that perfect realness to it that I’ve only found in a very select group of fics and it has cute girls kissing to boot.

8. hood & glove by @fahye | Yuri On Ice | 12k 

“I don’t mess with the fae,” Otabek says.

"I'm not asking you to mess with them," JJ flat-out lies. 

Heather Says: I’ve tried to say things about this three times now. There are fairies. Otabek is a hero. The king of the fairies fell in love with a human and the weather is fucked up. And there is some truly spectacular art within.

  9. With Fire in Their Eyes by @asukaskerian | Yuri On Ice | 8k

He lands butterfly-light in a swirl of hair and glittering gauze, and the ceiling crashes to the rink all around him.

His ears are ringing with heartbeats, his efforts, the cries of the crowd. The rink wobbles under him -- must have landed a bit wrong but he can work through it. Only there are things strewn all over the ice; people usually know to wait until the end to throw roses and tokens and --

Not applause. Screams. The light is wrong because a fourth of the ceiling projectors are missing. The sky is dark. No stars. Something gleams behind the broken sky. And moves. Something he can't -- won't -- something.

Something that's looking at him.

Heather Says: It’s a Pacific Rim/Yuri On Ice crossover. What more could you want?

10. What We Pretend We Can’t See by @gyzym | Harry Potter | 131 k

Seven years out from the war, Harry learns the hard truth of old history: it’s never quite as far behind you as you thought.

Heather Says: I’ve been a fan of gyzym’s stuff since way back in 2009? 2010? Whatever year it was, it was on livejournal back when Inception was a thing. So when I got the notification that she wrote something new? And that the new thing she’d written was 130k of Draco/Harry? I was over the moon. 

11. No Less Unthinkable by @rageprufrock | Yuri On Ice | 79k

In which Katsuki Yuuri fights a losing battle with chronic anxiety, the quadruple Salchow, and his own judgment four drinks in — but wins the war.

Heather Says: I’ve been affectionately dubbing this fic the slutty Yuuri picture show, because damn. The porn itself is exquisitely written, yes, but more than that is the way Yuuri himself is written. That realness that I was talking about above is very prominent here too. 

12. Slithering by @astolat | Harry Potter | 27k

Draco found the nest down in the Manor’s cellars, while he was clearing them out.

Heather Says: I have a weakness for fics with snakes, okay.

13. Hermione Granger’s Hogwarts Crammer for Delinquents on the Run by @waspabi | Harry Potter | 93k

'You’re a wizard, Harry’ is easier to hear from a half-giant when you’re eleven, rather than from some kids on a tube platform when you’re seventeen and late for work.

Heather Says: In addition to just being really fucking great all around, the soundtrack to this fic lead me to some of the best music that I’ve listened to this year.

14. the king of oak by @picqueries | Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them | 38k 

The first thing Percival Graves does after being released back into the world is buy a new wand. He's at Greymalkin's for ten minutes and the only wand that works for him is raw aspen, whiter than bone and so rough that Graves gives himself a splinter conjuring a storm of birds. The wand—dragon heartstring, a most unusual wand for an American wizard, according to a flustered Greymalkin—feels wild, and Graves empties half his wallet on the counter and keeps his hand on his new wand all the way home.

The second thing he does is quit his job, because honestly.

("Grindelwald did his research before he put on your face," Seraphina says reasonably. "And it's not like you're open with your personal life. He has us all fooled."

"He wore scorpion stickpins!" Graves shoots back, somewhat less reasonably.

Seraphina looks at Graves, his pressed creases, his immaculate shirt, the red ruby cufflinks he's wearing to hide the starved brittleness of his wrists. "I'm sorry," she says. It is not enough to make him stay.)

The third thing he does is get jumped by Credence Barebone in an alley.

Heather Says: Okay, okay, okay. But. Wizards are descended from fairies. Should I say it again for those in the back? Wizards are descended from fairies. Honestly, even if this fic had been horribly written I’d be hooked just on that concept alone. Fortunately it’s written beautifully, and is a complete work of art.

15. apocrypha by aerynlallaboso | Dishonored | 97k

The Eighth year of the reign of Empress Emily Kaldwin, First of her Name, the second year without a whisper from the Outsider, is the year the Void chooses to mark the end of an era.

Heather Says: This wasn’t the first Dishonored fic that I read, but it was the first one I’d read that was longer than 5k, and I was just so goddamned pleased with everything about it.

16. A Year In Toussaint by @astolat | The Witcher | 30k

Geralt had no damn idea what to do with a vineyard when Anna Henrietta gave him Corvo Bianco, but he figured it couldn’t be that bad.

Heather Says: Between the Stargate Atlantis and Harry Potter, I read a lot of astolat’s fic this year. I’d noticed that she’d been writing fic for the Witcher, but didn’t much care because I never really played the games. But I was bored one day, so I read one of her Witcher fics. Then another. And another. And then I went out and bought the games. This one is my favorite.

17. wild peaches by @notbecauseofvictories | The Labyrinth | 3.5k

The morning after Sarah Williams defeats the Goblin King, she gets up and makes toast.

Heather Says: The feel of this fic is basically what I want out of everything that I read for the rest of my life. Just the right amount of magic, but eerie and timeless. I have read this fic at least five times since it was published and will probably go on to read it another five times next year.

18. where the weeds take root by @beenghosting | Supernatural | 30k 

“Are you happy? Y’know. Just—being here,” Dean says, gesturing to the yard with his beer bottle. “Being with—I mean, you used to fight in celestial wars and—and save the world. Now you’re growing vegetables and talking about chickens.”

Heather Says: I really adore slice of life fic, especially when it’s an after-the-war-is-over sort of thing rather than just some fluffy AU that the characters have been stuffed into. I haven’t touched anything Supernatural related in years, not because I didn’t love the characters, but because the show was on this slowly creeping spiral downwards, and I just couldn’t. This though, feels like a very organic end for my two favorites, so thank you for giving me closure.

19. Heart and Home by lc2l | Les Mis | 97k

In an alternate Paris, werewolves occupy the majority of the ruling classes, making and adjusting policy to suit their interests. The punishments for a human attacking a werewolf can be brutal, unless they have the protection of a wolf pack.

How this translates to ‘claim Grantaire as your mate to get him out of prison’ is something Enjolras is still trying to get his head around, but he’s never been one to give up on a cause even when it’s sleeping on his sofa.

Heather Says: I, like many other people, watched the movie adaptation of Les Mis several years ago. My ex-girlfriend liked the play, but I’d never seen it. Loved the movie. Loved the play, once I got around to seeing it. But until this was recommended to me by a dear friend, I never once thought of it in the context of fandom. And werewolves! 

20. World Ain’t Ready by idiopathicsmile | Les Mis | 185k

Enjolras presses his lips together. He already looks pained, and Grantaire hasn’t even opened his mouth yet. That’s got to be a record, even for them.

“I need a favor,” he says at last. 

"With what?" says Grantaire. "Ooh, are you forming a cult? Can I join? I'd be awesome at cults, I just know it." He ticks off his qualifications on his fingers. "I love chanting, I look great in robes—" 

Heather Says: The thing about high school AUs that no one ever tells you is that as you grow up, one of two things happens. Either the high school AU in question triggers a massive influx of nostalgia that basically cripples you emotionally or it has you cringing away from the screen, groping blindly until you can ex out of the tab. I’m happy to say that this one is more of the former.

21. despite what you’ve been told by @caseyvalhalla | Yuri On Ice | 14k

When Victor falls, he goes down hard.

Heather Says: All I wanted out of the Yuri On Ice fandom was a good, long in-depth look at the inside of Victor’s brain. This is the fic where I got it.

22. these things take time by sonhoedesrazao | Les Mis | 63k

He’s always wary of making assumptions; even more so when Grantaire is concerned. He knows he’s not the easiest person to deal with. People either like him or can’t stand him, and it’s easy to respond to those reactions, but Grantaire—Grantaire is hostile and mocking, Grantaire scorns his beliefs, and Grantaire stays.

Heather Says: This fic soothed my soul during a particular rough patch this year. There are dates and misunderstandings and some pretty intense UST and it’s just wonderful all around.

23. Watercast by @fishwrites | Voltron | 113k

Shiro has been a Galra prisoner for over a year; with his flight feathers clipped and unable to fly. Desperate to escape, he jumps overboard while being transported to the capitol on a Galran ship. Lance is a merman who saves him from drowning. Keith thinks Shiro is about to become mermaid dinner. Hunk just wants Lance to stop going to the surface all the time, dammit!

Heather Says: When the most recent chapter of this came out, I ended up going back and rereading it, because I was on the beach, and it seemed like a really good time to read about mermen and flying bird people and I am just. So excited for this fic all over again.

24. Fifteen Men in September by ballantine | Black Sails | 34k

Fifteen men on the dead man’s chest Yo-ho-ho, and a bottle of rum! Drink and the devil had done for the rest Yo-ho-ho, and a bottle of rum!

A Black Sails origin story for the song.

Heather Says: I stopped watching Black Sails after the end of season one, because there was a lot of things that we were watching at the time, and it was the one to get cut. I don’t even remember how this fic got recced to me, but I’m thrilled that it did because it’s made me go back and keep watching.

25. Patience on a Monument by betts | Game of Thrones | 21k

Having a Jaime in your life means living in a soap opera, except you can’t DVR it to watch later, and the main character sometimes ends up in your guest bedroom for an undisclosed period of time because he has a woefully codependent relationship with his sister.

Heather Says: It’s. So. Good.

[recentanimenews]

Music Man: Shinichiro Watanabe the Music Producer

May 24 is the birthday of Shinichiro Watanabe, director of some of the coolest anime we've ever seen! Whether they're set here on Earth or in outer space, his shows have one major thing in common: music is essential to them.

  Series like Cowboy Bebop, Space Dandy, and Samurai Champloo have their own unique styles, created in part by their diverse and interesting sountracks. Others, like Kids on the Slope and the new Carole & Tuesday, have music as a core element of their story. There's no doubt about it: Watanabe loves music, and his broad taste in genres of all types influences everything he does.

  In fact, when he's not the one in the director's chair, you can find him overseeing music for other shows and films you love!

    If Watanabe's birthday makes you want to marathon some of his shows (and that's a good enough reason for us!), consider throwing in a little of these three projects. And this time, give an extra special listen to the choice of music!

    Mind Game

  Nowadays when we think of Masaaki Yuasa, our minds immediately go to works like DEVILMAN crybaby, Lu Over the Wall, and the upcoming Ride Your Wave. But in 2004, he was making his directorial debut with Mind Game, a trippy film about a guy who wants to marry his childhood crush and instead ends up on the run from the Yakuza.

  Watanabe was on board as Music Director—and someone with his broad taste in music seems like a perfect choice for a project this wild. You'll see a few of the usual suspects show up here and there in the sountrack (Yoko Kanno plays Liszt's Second Hungarian Rhapsody on piano during an especially trippy synchronized swimming routine, for example). When it came to the actual soundtrack composition, though, Mind Game turned to underground experimental artist Seiichi Yamamoto. His band Rashinban—a rock group with a laid-back vibe that disbanded in 2005—performed the insert song "Atarashii Hito," and Seiichi Yamamoto & Fushigi Robot performed the ending theme.

  It's probably also worth noting that Yamamoto's biggest compositional project prior to this was Takashi Miike's crime flick Ichi the Killer. Just for fun.

  Michiko & Hatchin

  Watanabe served as co-producer on Sayo Yamamoto's Michiko & Hatchin, an action series set in the fictional South American country of Diamandra. Escaped prisoner Michiko Malandro kidnaps the daughter of her former lover. But fortunately for that daughter, Hannah Morenos, the kidnapping frees her from her abusive foster family.

  In addition to his co-producer role, Watanabe served as music producer. When it came time to pick a composer for the series, he went right to the source of the inspiration, hiring on a Brazilian writer. Alexandre Kassin (known more often by just his last name) hails from Rio de Janeiro, a member of bands Acabou La Tequila and +2. Kassin was already a big deal in Rio's indie scene when it came time to pick a composer for Michiko & Hatchin.

  Kassin wasn't the only local talent brought on board. Rio-based singer Áurea Martins supplied the final episode with its ending theme, "Nada pode me parar agora." Martins began her career as winner of a talent competition in 1969, and released her first album in 1972. For decades she was known only to the indie scene. In 2008—the year Michiko & Hatchin premiered—she returned to national attention with her album Até Sangrar.

A little closers to home, "death jazz" group SOIL&"PIMP"SESSIONS was placed in charge of the show's opening theme, "Paraiso." The group has most recently been attacked to the remake of Bem.

Lupin III: The Woman Called Fujiko Mine

  Watanabe and Yamamoto met up again for The Woman Called Fujiko Mine, a new iteration of Lupin III that took a more experimental approach in more ways than one. From animation style to surreal plot to a slow-burn payoff, this look at the Lupin Gang was a major departure for the series.

  One of its other major departures was the music, with veteral Lupin composer Yuji Ohno sitting this series out. (He is, of course, back in full force with newer series!) Watanabe was at the reins as music producer, and jazz musician Naruyoshi Kikuchi stepped in as composer. You may have heard his saxophone stylings in .hack//Legend of the Twilight and Trigun prior to his work as a composer (which now includes the ONA Gundam Thunderbolt).

The result was an evocative bag of mixed musical elements, from the spoken-word "New Wuthering Heights" to the sax-heavy ending theme "Duty Friend":

    At a press event at Otakon 2013, Watanabe restated his love of music. His role as music producer for other projects comes from a desire to boost the end result: "... there were some times when I would be looking at somebody else’s work, thinking 'Oh, this could be so much better if they just did this and that with the music.'" His eclectic tastes and many contacts built up over the years mean that he definitely has what it takes to bring that extra flair to series of all types.

  What's your favorite series Shinichiro Watanabe has had a hand in? Let's keep the conversation going in the comments!

    -----

  Kara Dennison is a writer, editor, and interviewer with bylines at VRV, We Are Cult, Fanbyte, and many more. She is also the co-founder of Altrix Books and co-creator of the OEL light novel series Owl's Flower. Kara blogs at karadennison.com and tweets @RubyCosmos.

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