#i have to much respect for the percussionists

[dreamaze]

The Dreaming / Find You / Destroyer / All In (MV ver.) / Nobody Else / Wildfire / Rain (MIC in the SCENE live) / Mercy (No Limit Tour in Seoul) / Thriller / 춤사위 (Crescendo) / Lost in the Dream / AND / You Can't Hold My Heart (PLAY! solo live) / Thriller / BEASTMODE / Fantasia / LOVE / Rodeo / LONE RANGER

⟡ To be honest, I am not sure what I can say about Kihyun's artistry that isn't abundantly clear from his studio and live performances. If I say that I believe he is one of the most competent vocalists in the genre, it may sound like an understatement — although it is not something I say lightly, and I mean it with my whole heart. His level of musicality is built on a strong foundation of fundamental skills and would not be possible without it. Minhyuk once described him as a stone that does not shake in the wind, and to me this also embodies his steadiness and reliability in the recording booth and on the stage no matter how challenging the primary and secondary (e.g., ad lib) lines are asked of him and no matter how deep they are into a rigorous concert set. Kihyun excels at singing high and singing loud (genuinely), but he also has a wide and well-supported range, and I appreciate the opportunities to enjoy his lower/mid end and lighter moments just as much as his robust belting. I understand why Hyungwon loves composing for his voice (who wouldn't?). Kihyun has been a strong singer since the beginning of his career and makes many of his parts seem effortless, yet most of all I respect his commitment to growth despite how much effort it takes to improve when you are already among the best of the best. He was honest with himself about when he felt his abilities plateauing, and he sought a way forward by resuming vocal lessons. We are fortunate as fans that he is also open enough to share that with us. I didn't think I could love and respect him more, but for that personal strength and dedication to his craft, I did. I do.

Postscript, to listeners. This was a challenging set of excerpts to compile (and even more to order) because Kihyun has many, many parts throughout the MX discography that showcase his abilities. As with my other compilations, it strives to capture a breadth of his output while also being very much biased toward my own favorites (Crescendo/Lost in the Dream/AND occur successively because they carry the most gut-punching, emotional weight to me). But I expect to revisit these in the future and would love to hear about your favorite moments in the tags. ♡

Postscript, to Kihyun. I miss you. Kpop is not the same without you. At the same time, I am so proud and happy for you that you are continuing to make music, as it is such a core part of your being and (if it is not presumptuous to say) brings you fulfillment and joy. I am absolutely tickled that you play the trombone. I hope you are having the best possible time playing in the band (and that your low brass section is delightfully weird, as tends to be the case — with lots of love to low brass players, from a percussionist who overheard all your shenanigans), and I can't wait to see how this musical experience contributes to your transformation and growth as an artist.

Other compilations: Minhyuk | Jooheon

[bitter-sweet-coffee]

kinda annoying tbh that theres not a lot that people do to show good sides of wave and storms relationship unless they're trying to ship them. got any headcanons or tidbits about how those two interact with eachother?

i have SO MANY, but i’ll list some of the more compelling ones :3 i love these too in like a “we’re so different on an ideological level, but we both love jet SO MUCH so we have to work together” notion.

- since storm is gifted in the culinary arts, he knows wave’s weakness: cacio e pepe. ONLY WHEN HE MAKES IT THOUGH. so if he ever needs to bribe her or get her to not have a stick up her ass, he says he’ll make it and she begrudgingly cooperates.

- similarly, when wave goes hermitmode in her workshop, no matter how insane she is, he will always bring her a bowl of fresh fruit. she has to eat it

- there’s a common misconception that storm is stupid, and an even futher misconception that he’s the immature one. wave can actually be extremely petty and uncooperative at times, but storm makes a point of bridging their differences. he’s patient and tries to understand her as best he can when they’re dealing with a situation and wave has gotten better with her patience

- they are both into music from completely different angles. wave is an “i learned on my dad’s kit” percussionist who would play along to records and can’t read sheetmusic well, whiplash style. storm is a composer who score studies and conducts, spending so much of his time perfecting and studying. this is one of those scenarios where wave actually has to listen to storm if she’s filling in on kit for his ensemble. yeah, percussionists are usually the timekeepers, but with a conductor the hierarchy gains another level. wave does get frustrated, but moreso with herself as she tries to play how he needs her to play

- in my lore, wave went rogue from the rogues for a few years, unbeknownst to jet. she was present during the day, but would sneak out at night for some diabolical shit and it was always storm waiting up for her with tea to make sure she came back. this is actually why in interpret her to be so jaded when it comes to storm: a sense of guilt or embarrassment. storm worrying over her makes her react negatively as it feels belittling, and reminds her that what she was doing was bad. he is a constant reminder of everything she once was, stuff she tries to forget, and she HATES how he looks at her sometimes because he remembers and he worries about her and a part of her doesn’t feel like she deserves it. sorry, did i say these would be fun? NO! SUFFERING!

- storm is very good at reading wave to filth, but he does it wholesomely and casually, and she can’t even be mad. example:

wave: i have to fix the transmission on my jetta

storm: right, because instead of staying in the passing lane, you weave in and out of traffic to save yourself 0 minutee in travel time instead of being patient and letting people merge

wave: … (“: hah. well, i mean…

storm: mhm. :”)

another example, for shits and giggles:

like, come on! storm is less aggressive than schlatt, but you can’t tell me they don’t go at it like this because they totally do.

- FINAL ONE TO MAKE THIS A TRAUMA SANDWICH THAT ENDS NICELY: storm’s birthday is october 19th, whereas wave’s is november 11th. they’re hardly a year apart in age yet there’s a boomer esque joke of storm being soooo much older than her and she needs to respect her elders. it’s either that storm is too old to get something, or wave is too young to remember the good old days. no one else finds this funny or even gets the joke, so it’s a bit they share sarcastically with one another. on that note, i think it’s pretty clear they’re always sarcastically egging each other on, but no one else picks up on it lmao

[artvinyl]

Uncovered: 75 Dollar Bill - Power Failures

The shortlisted album artworks have been announced for our annual art prize Best Art Vinyl 2023. We now begin to delve into the creative process behind some of the 50 nominees. First up is 75 Dollar Bill's re-release of Power Failures for the first time on vinyl. We were lucky enough to catch up with the band's guitarist and album cover designer Che Chen.

Che Chen founded 75 Dollar Bill in 2011 with percussionist Rick Brown. He tells us, "I wanted to be a painter before I wanted to be a musician, so the visual aesthetic of the band has always been really important to me. I've done the artwork for all of our physical and digital releases, and many of our posters and fliers too."

Che Chen flyer design work for 75 Dollar Bill

Che Chen explains, "Power Failures first came out as a digital release on Bandcamp in July of 2020. It was our first pandemic summer, Trump was still president (hopefully for the last time!) and George Floyd had been murdered by Minneapolis Police Officers earlier that summer. There were protests everywhere, against police violence, institutional racism, wage inequality for essential workers, etc. The title of the record was very much a response to all of this, the way the pandemic exposed the failures of the state on all these different fronts."

The use of text-based artwork has in fact been a consistent theme for the artist, he told us, "Text has always been central to the visual language of the band, and many of our record covers feature text as the only "image" in the designs. This approach made sense to me for Power Failures, since the title was very evocative of everything that was going on, but also open-ended enough that I didn't want to add an image that might get in the way of whatever associations someone looking at those words might have. I wanted to push the idea of a text only image a bit by using the typography to create a pattern (of W's in this case) which is only broken by the album title. The digital album just had the single square image as its artwork, so when Karl Records in Berlin offered to make a vinyl edition of the album as a gatefold double album, we got to expand the art significantly. I repeated this process on the back cover with the band name and changed the background colour. The  LP centre labels refer back to the font and colour schemes of the front and back cover. I should also mention that the beautiful inside layout was done by Roland Küffner at Karl who did a fantastic job."

We asked Che Chen about the techniques he uses for his artworks, he explained, "The fonts I've used in most of my designs are actually from industrial moveable rubber stamp type. I've scanned physical prints of each set, several versions so that there are multiple versions of each character with slightly different imperfections, etc. I like the physical character of these fonts, how each impression is unique. For our first LP, Wooden Bag, Rick and I actually hand stamped the covers for the entire first edition using this rubber stamp type, but these days I mostly do the type setting on the computer."

Chen Chen got into music as a teenager in the suburbs of Washington DC in the 1990s when the post-hardcore scene around Dischord Records was thriving. The DIY ethos of bands taking control of their own production, from running their own labels and booking their own tours, to playing protests and benefits for local causes and working the door at their own shows, was and is still a big inspiration to him.

He tells us, "I've tried to carry those ideals on in my own work as best I can. Doing the art and the design for music projects I am involved with (and occasionally for friends) feels like an obvious extension of this. I love bands and labels that have a strong visual aesthetic and also really respect when artists are resourceful and can make striking designs using sometimes limited means. Sun Ra's home made jackets covers for his Saturn Records LPs and Harry Partch's Gate 5 Records are both examples of this for me."

Taken from the 'Sun Ra: Art on Saturn' Book - The Album Cover Art of Sun Ra's Saturn Label

U.S. Highball |Gate 5 Records, Issue No. 6 (First pressing, inscribed to Amos Vogel in 1960) Hardcover – January 1, 1956

Che continues, "Lisa Alvarado’s screen printed album covers for the Natural Information Society records and her paintings that hang while they play (she plays harmonium in the group too) are another perfect fusion of visual and musical aesthetics to me."

Mandatory Reality by Joshua Abrams & Natural Information Society. Artwork by Lisa Alvarado

Power Failures by 75 Dollar Bill on Karl Records is shortlisted for the Best Art Vinyl 2023 Award. Artwork by Che Chen.

[asheanon]

Sal and Mina, at a party!

From: Ask Box Writing Prompt Game

📖 It's Story Time...

"It's almost time!" She kept her voice relatively low, but the excitement it bore was still more than clear. "You ready?"

The merriment and idle chatter of a multitude of people resounded from just beyond the wall; a wall that framed a sizeable inner parlor of some noble estate. It was someone's birthday today! 🎉 Happy birthday, someone! 🎉 It all looked to be good fun, of course, but for a particular (and admittedly peculiar) musical duo, their share of the fun would have to wait.

This wasn't the largest audience Mina and the other members of the trio had performed for, of course, but it was still of a respectable size! While it didn't faze her too much, one look at her soon to be duet partner told of a different story for her.

Stiffly, Sal stood with her back against the aforementioned wall. She had unintentionally been staring holes into the floor for quite some time before finally offering Mina one of her classically gentle smiles.

"You'll do just fine! I promise." The little newt lady offered her friend some assurance, reaching out and giving her shoulders a light squeeze. She mirrored her expression, though with more luster, grinning newt-y ear hole to ear hole.

"A piano and bongo duet..." Sal began, her words soon trailing off into a snicker. "This will be a first for some, I feel."

Mina let out a small giggle in return. "We'll give them something to remember.~"

And so they began... (Listen, it's the best "piano and bongo" duet I could find!)

The beat of hembra and macho coalesced with the dance of ivory and ebony, forming quite the auditory amalgam! It bore a jazzy flair.

Mina looked like she had been possessed by the spirit of some esteemed percussionist of yore. She was "getting down with her bad self," as the kids say. Here and there, those dazzling blue eyes of hers met with those of the crowd; she offered them a charming smirk. Meanwhile, Sal's gaze remain firmly locked upon the keys before her, laser focused, contentedly within her own world. Little did she know it only served to make her performance that much more enchanting to some, however. "The mysterious pianist," living up to her mystique yet another day.

As the two hoped to merely enhance the convivial atmosphere, to have so many eyes and ears on them was quite a treat, really (or so it was to Mina, anyway!) Amidst the crowd, there was a head bob or five; a few conversations had come to a halt. They must have sounded grand!

The unlikely piano and bongo duo gave the crowd their heart and soul, no different than how they normally would with their guitar and violin-playing companions. After a handful of performances, they had quite literally played their part.

As a round of applause broke out before them, Mina beamed, her radiant expression daring to rival the pizazz of her apparel's embroidery. Sal glanced briefly upon the faces of the festive throng before mint irises retreated to the safety of an empty space once more, free of potential eye contact. For those who may have caught it, however, the exchange allowed for them to see a smile of her own.

Though she wasn't one to partake of alcohol, Sal did humor herself with the thought of having a drink or two to thoroughly settle some of her nerves after that!

[krispyweiss]

Dead & Company at Rouff (Pronounced “Deer Creek”) Music Center, Noblesville, Indiana, June 27, 2023

If Dead & Company had always played like this, Sound Bites would’ve been on tour.

But they didn’t & he went to only a couple of shows a year.

Still, what a way to go out - for the group & the blog.

The band’s sold-out, June 27 show at the former Deer Creek Music Center in suburban Indianapolis was Dead & Company at their peak. Over sets of 80 & 110 minutes, respectively, the group - playing under a supremely satisfying light show augmented with familiar & beloved iconography - plumbed the Grateful Dead songbook to excitable, balladic & surprising effect.

Toward the end of its Final Tour - & at Sound Bites’ final Dead & Company show - the band turned in the best performance the blog has attended. It was the one Dead & Company show Sound Bites might listen back to one future day.

Even “Drumz” & “Space” were exhilarating. The former found bassist Oteil Burbridge joining percussionist Mickey Hart behind the array of drums while Jay Lane took a breather & Hart rattled chests with low drones from the Beam. “Space,” meanwhile, was uncharacteristically musical & found Jeff Chimeni answering John Mayer’s chirping guitar with acoustic piano as the band built toward an explosive “Hell in a Bucket” & the home stretch.

Hours earlier, the sonic fireworks popped immediately with the high-energy opener of “Bertha” -> “Good Lovin’,” which indicated the band wasn’t messing around or taking things easy.

The first big surprise came when Bob Weir fashioned a ’Til I die vocal coda on a raging “Big River” before singing the second verse of “Dark Star” while riding the white-capped “River.” An atypical, unplanned & delightful detour from the prepared setlist.

Mayer infused “Next Time You See Me” with blues-rock authenticity before he & Chimenti engaged in two rounds of intense, trade-off soloing. The latter eventually dropped in to “Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodleoo,” a transition so demanding Mayer smiled with relief when it worked.

A deep-space “Bird Song” filled the role usually occupied by “Dark Star” & - as they did 364 days earlier at the Creek - Dead & Company closed the first half with a “Don’t Ease Me In” so euphoric Mayer bounced on stage with as much enthusiasm as fans in the pit & lawn.

The high energy was unabated after set break, as Lane & Hart pounded out the rhythm to “Aiko Aiko.” After Weir’s declaratory Hey Now! statement, Mayer lit into a “Sugaree” that surely won over any remaining naysayers as he fanned his guitar with such ferocity, the final solo seemed to shift the ground as the audience went deliriously berserk.

Then, similarly electrifying chestnuts “China Cat Sunflower” -> “I Know You Rider” & “Uncle John’s Band” helped the audience to briefly recreate the days of the Father Band before the music slithered into the aforementioned “Drumz.”

Over the past eight years, Sound Bites & Dead & Company have shared a love-like relationship & the band is the blog’s least-favorite of the spin-offs that began with the Other Ones in 1998. Despite this, Dead & Company on 6/27/23 turned in the best gig the blog has witnessed from this conglomerate & made saying fare thee well less bitter & more sweet.

Grade card: Dead & Company at Deer Creek, 6/27/23 - A

See more photos on Sound Bites’ Facebook page.

6/28/23

[therecordchanger62279]

JOHN MAYALL 1933-2024

     Legendary British Blues musician John Mayall passed away last week at the age of 90. The obituaries have been written, and the tributes have been pouring in. You can read his Wikipedia page, or go to the All-Music Guide for a biography, and a detailed discography.

     Instead of adding my two cents to what’s already been said, I thought I might be the compass that guides those of you less familiar with Mayall’s work to his best recordings. His catalog is enormous. Counting live albums, and compilations, there are nearly a hundred albums under Mayall’s name, and knowing where to begin might require some assistance.

     I’m hardly an expert, but I was a fan, and I own more than 40 of Mayall’s albums. I never heard a single one I didn’t enjoy, and even though Mayall was always a Bluesman through, and through, there’s a great deal of variety in his approach to the Blues. The records also feature some of the finest players of the past 60 years. Mayall was a talented musician, but his legend rests on his abilities as a talent spotter, and bandleader. Eric Clapton, Peter Green, Mick Taylor, Jack Bruce, John McVie, Harvey Mandel, Walter Trout, and Coco Montoya are just some of the names that passed through his bands, so all of his records have some of the best players in the world.

     The list below has some of my favorites, and includes studio, and live recordings as well as the best compilations. Mayall recorded for a variety of labels, but the bulk of his catalog was on Decca, ABC, and Silvertone. And though Mayall recorded for a variety of labels, Decca, ABC, and Silvertone all took great care with his catalog with Decca in particular, re-issuing his early albums on CD with improved sound, and superb liner notes that put the music in context. That series of re-issues is a textbook example of how to give music buyers value for their money while doing the artist a service, and giving his catalog the respect and consideration it deserves.

THE STUDIO RECORDS

     Bluesbreakers with Eric Clapton (1966) Begin here. This cornerstone Blues album belongs in every serious collection of Blues.

     A Hard Road (1967) This follow-up has Fleetwood Mac founder Peter Green on guitar, and is as essential as the Bluesbreakers record.

     Crusade (1967) Future Stone Mick Taylor arrives.

     The Blues Alone (1967) Mayall solo, save for a percussionist.

     Bare Wires (1968)

     Blues From Laurel Canyon (1968)

     Chicago Line (1988) Island Records

     A Sense of Place (1990) Island Records

THE LIVE RECORDS

     John Mayall Plays John Mayall (1965) His debut.

     The Turning Point (1969)

     Live at the BBC (2007) 1965-1967 recordings with The Bluesbreakers issued in 2007.

     70th Birthday Concert (2003) Terrific live concert celebrating Mayall’s career, and the guests include Eric Clapton, Mick Taylor, and Chris Barber.

THE COMPILATIONS

     Looking Back (1969) An excellent collection of non-LP singles, and album tracks from the first five years.

     Room To Move (1969-1974) This two CD set picks up where Looking Back leaves off, and is a good overview of the last five years of Mayall’s work for Decca. There’s a companion set titled As It All Began covering 1964-1969, but all of the albums from that period are so good that I’d only recommend that one if you’re on a budget.

     Drivin’ On: The ABC Years 1975-1982 (1998) Another 2 CD overview of Mayall’s entire run of both studio and live recordings for the ABC label. This period was less varied, and not as celebrated as his work for Decca, but the albums are consistently good, and have much to recommend them. This collection is a great starting point.

     Silvertones: The Best of John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers (1998) Excellent overview of the three albums Mayall cut for RCA’s Silvertone label between 1993 and 1997. Of course, you could just get the originals. They’re all worth your time.

[racingtoaredlight]

Weekend Music Recap

Thursday night I got a text from the percussionist I’ve been studying with about a gig he had the next evening.  This club just opened up in a particularly shitty part of Cleveland, but considering there’s really only one jazz club worth a shit in the city, they might be a good spot in the future.  Hence hiring this guy to get some gigs going.  And he was playing with this guitarist with a sterling reputation, that I’d never heard before.

I wasn’t able to make the first show of theirs...where one of my other teachers was playing with him too...and I wasn’t about to make this one either.  My last few weeks at work have been insane, and frankly, I just wanted to stay home and be lazy.  My uncle wanted to see it though, and talked me and my cousin into it.

And man was it worth it.  I’d known about the guitarist (from video above) for awhile...there’s not many absolute batshit guitar monsters in NE Ohio, let alone guitarists who spent 5 years with organ god Joey DeFrancesco (I had no idea about this beforehand)...and this was my first time seeing him in person.

Here’s the weird thing...this trio was probably the best jazz guitarist, bassist and drummer in all of NE Ohio...and my cousin, uncle and I were the only people there, except for a percussionist student of my teacher’s who sat in for half the songs.

It was the best jazz concert I’ve been to in two years.

***

Aside from the guitarist, I knew the other guys really well.  I’ve played with the drummer and bassist before, and talked with them numerous times over the years because both of my guitar teachers play with the both of them all the time.  And, obviously, taking lessons with the drummer himself gives you an idea of what they’re all about.  They’re consummate professionals in every sense, except when we were all smoking outside the club on their set break lol.

Since the audience was essentially just my family, it was a much less formal setting than a normal jazz gig would be for these guys.  The break was 45 minutes just because we were all talking.  After the smoke break, the guitarist and I talked for probably 15 minutes at the bar about guitar, and man was that a treat.

I’ve talked to a bunch of my guitar idols, and usually there’s a time when you drop a note about something and they realize they don’t need to do the politician thing and put training wheels on.  Once I asked him about his George Benson picking technique, his eyes lit up and we were off.  Between the six of us (my cousin is a huge music fan, and my uncle and I have been in bands together on and off the past 7 years), we probably could’ve spent the rest of the night just talking about music...but it was probably for the best they got back on stage.

I don’t know what it was...I’ve seen the bassist and drummer multiple dozens of times each...but they were all on straight fire.  I mean this in every sense of the word...the drummer pulled out all the stops, the bassist was doing things melodically that were way out on a limb for any musician let alone a bassist...

For whatever reason, the three of them gave the three of us their full 100% effort, and man was it a blast to watch.  It was titanic.

***

Dan Wilson is an awesome dude to the core.  I’m not going to fully get into what we talked about, but it’s clear that he gives a shit beyond just the music.  It was a treat getting to talk to him.

When it came to music, it was really interesting talking to someone I fully respected that came from somewhere outside of my experience with music.  Education is education...and while I’ve always had the personal experience with the collegiate and conservatory route, I knew how potent the gospel world was in terms of building an incredible musical foundation.  It’s the same shit with a different gauntlet and subtle tweaks.

We’re the same age, and hearing him talk about his early musical childhood and George Benson was so similar to mine, just with different avenues.  The way he talked about George Benson was the exact same way I talk about Joe Pass.  What he was doing with a pick, hybrid picking, finger picking...it was different than how I do it...but the way he used them as a practical technical solution was almost the exact same way I’d use my own versions from the Joe Pass school.

Obviously, he’s worlds beyond where I am professionally (being in Joey DeFrancesco’s band for 5 years is one of jazz guitar’s king positions).  The depth of his playing, the effortless skill, the endless encyclopedia of lines, the solidity of his groove were aspects of his playing that inspired me like crazy.  And watching him match two monsters I’ve known for awhile step for step was such a goddamned treat.

He’s invited me to a couple jam sessions down in Akron that I’m hoping to take him up on this summer.

***

I’ve seen so much jazz in my life that it’s easy to tell when guys are just on autopilot and mailing it in.  It’s easier to tell when guys are giving more than 100% and really putting in the work...which was the case Friday.

My cousin, the whole night, was saying shit like “do people in other cities go to jazz shows?” and “how is there nobody here?”  It’s a sad commentary on the state of jazz, but I digress...

For whatever reason, these guys were giving the three of us their all, and man was it a fucking treat.  But it’s a great overarching question, these are all proven world class jazz musicians.

Why was this drummer here?  He’s a four-decade veteran of Paul Simon’s touring band, a world-renowned percussionist, with teaching stints at Berklee and Juiliard.  Why was this bassist here?  He’s a native New Yorker who splits time between the Apple and Cleveland, who’s one of the best bassists I’ve ever heard in my life.  Why was this guitarist here?  A sub-40 jazz veteran, who held down one of the most coveted guitar spots in the genre for five years?

These guys could get just about any job in jazz that they wanted...globally...and they’re playing what was essentially a private concert for a few members of my family...in a shitty club in a shitty part of Cleveland.  They could’ve just said fuck it.  Instead, they fucking tore the roof off the place.

It’s a damn shame that we were the only people to hear it.

But in any event, Dan Wilson has skyrocketed onto my favorite guitarists list...and any chance I get to see him, I’m making it.

***

Also played a solo gig Saturday night...didn’t know it was being marketed as people coming to see me (thought it was some kind of special event)...and the place was packed with probably 50 people.  It was a blast, the place did a ton of business, I played like shit but nobody noticed, and I’m likely going to get hired a bunch more.

Practice pays off.  It might not pay off immediately...but over time, it pays off in spades.  Helped coming off of the high of Friday night too...all I could think of when I was playing was trying to be in the groove as solidly as Dan was the night before.

Seeing incredible musical shit is inspiring, no matter what the genre, venue, audience, whatever.  I’m still buzzing from seeing that show, I don’t even care about my own shit.

[reggae-vibes-com]

Yeshie Renee scores big in music

Yeshie Renee scores big in music with her current single titled "Boom", released in January 2O23 on the Big Zeeko imprint, ready to explode. #YeshieRenee BigZeeko #Jamaica #Dancehall Born Rennae Wright, this is not a co-incident. This sexy, talented songstress keeps commanding a yes stare as she walks along her musical journey. Yeshie keeps saying, "I am always giving my fans the wow moments of their lives and I love this feeling." Her current single titled "Boom", released in January 2O23 on the Big Zeeko imprint, is ready to explode while others, including "Commotion" and "Bring Back The Love" are bubbling like a volcano. She has the perfect figure aged five when she started in music. "I began to enter talent contests and along with my brother Majah Bless, a reggae recording artiste, I won a number of awards." It was much more than just winning as former Prime Minister of Jamaica Edward Seaga (now deceased) would take her with him to perform at many functions throughout Jamaica. That gave her more than a mouthful of confidence and exposure to win the world. "These were some glorious moments as even adults were amazed by my grace and talent", she added. Yeshie's upbringing in Denham Town, an inner-city community, helped to mould her dreams of becoming a star and when she migrated to London, England in 2001, she came with a wealth of experience having several years performing with the Tivoli Gardens Cultural Group, the island's premier trophy lifter in festivals. Her talent went far and wide having appeared in London's Hackney Gazette Newspaper. This was after some amazing performances at the Hackney Empire Theatre. She did take a break but this was to change a few spark plugs and when she returned the lights were glowing brighter. "I am now working on some projects with Flo1 based in Toronto, Canada. She recorded her first single " Bring back The Love" along with a video that was to unite people, a movement that Marcus Garvey would have loved to see among blacks worldwide. ​(Photo courtesy of Yeshie Renee)At first blush, DiPiazza’s in Long Beach seems like any other well-run, family-owned restaurant—close to the beach—in Southern California; nothing about the establishment immediately screams out sensational reggae, but, with assistance from legendary sound engineer Scientist, that’s just what DiPiazza’s served up recently, the evening of February 26. Headlining the show, as aforementioned, was my good friend Scientist (also known as Hopeton Brown); as 'Mighty', lead singer for the ebullient and entertaining opening band 'Special Blend' wisely observed: “If you don’t know how to get dubbed out, check out the Scientist; and if you don’t know how to do that, go ahead and slap yourself one time.” Fortunately no self-slapping was observed or necessary, however, because, by the time the headliners took the stage, one could tell most of the concert-goers (including yours truly, of course) knew exactly who Scientist is (and further, as a result of such knowledge, "how to get dubbed out"). Indeed, before and after the show a steady stream of fans approached Scientist—toting his old albums—to seek his famous signature. Also, importantly, it was clear the staff at DiPiazza’s shared the same respect for Scientist that everybody with a basic knowledge of reggae should have. Unlike some venues where I’ve witnessed no-name 'house' sound engineers quibble with Scientist—when he is working to ensure the highest sound quality from the available equipment—all the staff at DiPiazza’s listened to Scientist’s instructions throughout the performance (and earlier in the day during the sound check), assisting him helpfully when called upon. The headlining act Scientist mixed—after Special Blend performed to a jovial, good natured, and growing crowd—was dynamic singer-percussionist Odel Johnson; Johnson performed with the 'Rootz Dub Rockaz' which included: legendary Soul Syndicate guitarist Tony Chin, legendary Soul Syndicate drummer Santa Davis, veteran keyboardist Michael Hyde, veteran guitarist 'Chizzy', Detour Posse bass player Ray 'Big Blunt' Myrie, and, young trumpeters Glenn Holdaway and Liam Robertson. Johnson’s entire set was soulful and sweet; he thrilled the crowd with a combination of original songs and reggae standards—including a healthy serving of tunes by icons Peter Tosh and Bob Marley. Johnson was ably assisted onstage by 'Ms. B Royal', a popular repeat-singer at DiPiazza’s; in fact it must be noted that there were a number of times during the night where Ms. B Royal threatened to steal the show—including during a thrilling solo ode to marijuana that caused already jubilant patrons to erupt in wild applause. The electric performance culminated with a truly unexpected spiritual delight: Haile Maskel, bassist and lead vocalist of 'The Rastafarians', a revered musician and singer, happened to be in the crowd; spotted by Johnson, Maskel was invited onstage where he delivered a stirring rendition of Satta Massagana (by the Abysinnians). Bless up reggae fans, and please enjoy the photos and video footage I shot at the show!FacebookTwitterInstagramYoutube Read the full article

[thebelovedlion]

firstly, did not mean to sound passive-aggressive, sorry if it came off that way. at the same time tho dont MESS with my singing monsters tumblr, theres like. at least 7 of us. /silly

secondly, while you make some good point about Workshop’s chaotic vibe not excusing the actual song quality, and the climax of the song having some monsters MASSIVELY overshadow others…idk. i still really like it regardless. maybe its just my innate desire to enjoy looking at silly little guys dancing to funky music, but…like…just the VIBES of Workshop are TIGHT for me, idk i have no better way to describe it. even I think they should’ve done some things different with it, like having a grand total of 0 instrumental quad-element monsters. (like i get it, there’s 5 percussionists, 5 instrumentalists, 5 vocalists, but cmon.), but i still think it works.

thirdly, i dont have a point to make, i just like pentumbra :)

i was gonna say some more things about personally seeing Workshop as something of a prototype (ha) landing pad thing to make monsters that would fit more on other islands, but it’s 3:30 AM for me and i dont have the mental power to go into detail about that rn, sorrey.

overall, i respect your opinion, but also disagree based on. pretty much exclusively vibes. Workshop fucks IMO. not much else to it.

i would like to know your opinions on Ethereal Workshop. go on. we’re all waiting. 🙂

gamer, you are talking about an untagged three note throwaway post from a nobody on the internet. i don't even participate in the fandom. at most it mighve unintentionally showed up in the non-tag search because i forgot to break up the name with punctuation. who is "we"

anyway i did say that i specifically was not going to get into my opinions, but hey, you're asking, so why not

song link, followers who are nosy but have no idea what i'm talking about

mandatory disclaimer that these are my own personal subjective opinions and that you're allowed to disagree. like that's fine. you do you

so like to clarify i don't actually hate it sso much as i find it disappointing and kind of bad. i just phrased the post like that because i think it's funny to portray myself as comically hateful about a song in a game that i'm like, ten years above the target age for

imo workshop is sort of disjointed and just... doesn't work well. most of the instruments just don't fit together well and create a sound that is strange in a bad way. yes, yes, i'm aware, chaotic and messy fits the island theme. i've heard this many times before. i present my opinion: fitting a theme does not automatically make something good

the extended portion though... whew. that's where a lot of my problems lie. having all instruments play at once for an epic climax sounds cool in concept, but the problem is the more instruments you have the easier it is for them all to start drowning each other out. you have to make sure there's like, actual room for all those instruments to play. workshop... hasn't been doing this. not well, at least

a little side tangent: [angrily shaking my fist at the sky] pen.tumbra.... it has a cool concept but it sounds severely out of place. it has such a drastically different vibe than anything else in the song that it's jarring. the rest of the song does have... something of a vibe going on. it's just not one that pen.tumbra can fit into, even slightly. i do think it could be saved with a bit of editing and some effects but i'm here to critique the actual song not hypothetical versions of the song that don't exist :p (+ yes i know i could just mute pen.tumbra, but again, my criticism is based off the actual full song)

i've also thought to myself "maybe i'm being too hard on them, this is a song for a game about monsters that sing" and then i remember nexus exists and go "nevermind if they can do that with preexisting monsters from different islands they couldve done better with workshop"

ultimately this is not something that matters, workshop doesn't have anything actually inherently wrong with it. it's just a song that exists. i personally have problems with it but that's not like. objective truth.

genuinely, if you enjoy the song, that's fine. i'm glad you're able to enjoy it! i might not get it but i don't have to. part of the beauty of existence is our varied perspectives and opinions and such. this is genuine, if it's not clear

[must-be-brooklyn]

Newsies as shenanigans in school - pt. 44

Kath: Two-hundred-and-fifty-two bars, forty-eight notes, four mallets, one woman

[onestowatch]

Kokoroko Makes Music to Revitalize the Soul [Q&A]

Photo: Vicky Grout

After an exhausting day of being disoriented by the breakneck speed of life, surviving off of snacks and digital validation, too distracted to hear your body yearning for water and light, you return home to a comforting bowl of soup someone who loves you has made. Nourishing and warm, it commands your full presence and you have no choice but to be still with it. You can’t rush through it, nor disrespect it with split attention. You sip it slowly and intentionally, witnessing how every individual ingredient is heard, yet playing a vital role in something bigger than itself. You feel held and cared for, revitalized yet at full ease.

Take that feeling, give it a sound, and that’s Kokoroko.

The UK-based ensemble makes music that feels like a soul’s return home. It’s a deep exhale, a tangible reminder that music at its rawest form is medicine. With their jazzy, West African-rooted songs averaging about six minutes each, it’s difficult to not fall into a trance-like state. Each melodious track is a journey, paying deep respect to its Afrobeat origins.

Made up of eight members, what’s most impressive about their work is their ability to integrate their varied flavors, stories, and individualities so cohesively. They all glisten in perfect harmony, fitting together seamlessly while not diluting one another’s shine.

Ones To Watch had the absolute pleasure of getting to sit down with vocalist Sheila Maurice and percussionist Onome Edgeworth to discuss their commitment to paying respect to their heritage, how they remain rooted in their truth in an industry with a withering attention span, and their upcoming album Could We Be More?

Ones To Watch: The music you make pays such beautiful homage to your homeland. What do you want those who aren’t from West African or Caribbean upbringings to know about your culture?

Onome: It’s less of what we want them to know and more a feeling that we want to transmit. That sense of enjoyment, ownership, playfulness. The feeling that we have when we’re in our households and when we’re with our people. When we go to a place and they’re playing West African music we’re like, “Oh yeah this is a vibe, this is me.” It’s nostalgia and we want to share that.

I love that. You can taste the intentionality when you listen to your music, the respect that’s in your work. In an industry that’s very TikTok-led, have you ever struggled with remaining committed to your art rather than wanting to make something radio easy or that can go immediately viral?

Sheila: I feel like we’ve done a really good job of that. We’ve tried to be honest and authentic with what we do. I don’t think we’ve compromised with anything that we do, really.

Onome: Yeah, some of our songs are like 10 minutes, haha. With no TikTok-able moment.

Sheila: I feel like a lot of people catch onto that. I feel like they love it when they see people being authentic and real, being honest.

Onome: You have to work to enjoy our music. Some of our songs are a bit messy in parts, a bit chaotic.

Sheila: Very messy, very chaotic, haha.

Onome: So we try to own and enjoy that about our art, it’s a journey. You’ve gotta come with us and meet us where we’re at.

It’s a welcomed challenge, because people’s attention spans these days have dwindled to almost nothing with social media. Do you guys struggle with that at all, wanting to make these sonnets when our focus is so compromised?

Sheila: You of course have to make radio edits, but we haven’t struggled too much with that.

Onome: The song is in control. Whatever the song needs, you do that. And then obviously if you have to cut for radio you do, but for some of them it doesn’t work like that, so you don’t.

Sheila: And as far as social media goes, I think we’re honest there, too. We show who we are, we’re playful.

Onome: Yeah, the biggest problem with social media is getting distracted during rehearsals or in the studio. Everyone’s just in rehearsals like (brings phone a centimeter away from face).

What do you think little you would think about your lives right now?

Sheila: Aw man, what a cute question. I think the younger version of us would be flabbergasted. We’d be really proud of ourselves. We didn’t even imagine being at this place in our lives, I don’t think I could have visualized it.

Onome: Yeah, things didn't indicate that they were going in this direction.

Sheila: Definitely not, haha.

Onome: This was always something I wanted to do, I admired people that had done this job, so I think younger me would like me.

I would hope so! Check in with little you sometimes cause they’d probably give you the validation to remind you “Hey, this is really cool.” So what can we expect from your upcoming album Could We Be More? The singles so far are incredible.

Sheila: We’re having, well I wouldn’t say a fresh start but, we’re showing everyone what our sound is right now and what our potential is. It’s almost like a reintroduction to ourselves I guess.

Onome: Even for us, it’s like we’re documenting us finding our sound and playing around. The studio is a tool we’ve never really used before.

Sheila: Yeah, because prior, before we recorded the album, we used to essentially just write music and perform it, and then we’d workshop our songs to the audience. But this time we were forced to compose in a different way.

Onome: Yeah because you’re performing, going crazy, and the audience is vibing to it so you’re like “Cool, let’s do that in the studio,” but then there’s no audience in the studio so the vibe changes completely and it doesn’t translate. So learning to record in the studio is something we had the time to do this time. We’re creating in a different way.

Sheila: Working with a producer is new as well, we’d never done that before.

Oh, wow! I’m curious to see how all these little microshifts have led to something new. And lastly, of course, who are your Ones To Watch? 

Shiela: I know we’ll both agree on this one, BenjiFlow.

Onome: And Loshh. They’re both on tour with us and they’re great artists.

Sheila: And Lady Donli. I’d even say Miles James as well, I know he’s working on some stuff.

Check out Ones To Watch’s TikTok to watch Sheila and Onome play a game of “Who Is Most Likely To,” where we learn which band member gets the hangriest, is the group therapist, and has the most unread DMs.

[nirikeehan]

For DADWC: from the 14 days of DA lovers - Slow Dance (Leliana/Josephine? Or perhaps Cullen/Cassandra? Could be set during Wicked Eyes and Wicked Hearts or any other big Inquisition related party!)

Hi! Thank you for the prompt. I decided to go with Cullen/Cassandra and... uh, this veered from my original intentions. It became less explicitly shippy and more of a meditation on lyrium addiction and where Cullen and Cassandra are as people before the events of Inquisition. I still rather like it and think it could be read both as friendship or as something deeper between them.

For @dadrunkwriting (and @14daysdalovers but lol what are deadlines even at this point)

Word Count: 1944

---

Where the camp had picked up a full minstrel band, Cullen had no idea. Distracted from his papers, he watched them set up by the main fire pit. He ought to move farther into his tent, close the flap and concentrate. He didn’t. It was oddly mesmerizing to watch the lute player tighten her strings, while the flutist and percussionist assembled their instruments.

“How are you doing this evening, Commander?”

Cassandra’s voice pulled him back to earth. She stood beside him, having approached undetected, a concerned frown on her face.

How was he? Three days gone since his last dose of lyrium, his head pounded and his hands shook. He was testing himself, to see how far he could go before the lead went taut and he snapped backward into its embrace. Half the time he thought he was insane for even trying.

“The bandits we encountered on the road yesterday are troubling.” Cullen’s voice stayed courteous and professional — or as best as he could manage. “I’ve sent out agents to inquire with the villages; hopefully they can sniff out whether they’re local miscreants or answer to either the templars or rebel mages.” He took a breath, scanning the parchments scattered on the wooden table that served as a makeshift desk while the Inquisition’s column was on the move. “And we’re only about a week out from Haven now. Leliana and I discussed sending scouts ahead, to assure we’ll be welcome when we arrive.”

“Yes, I’ve heard all that,” Cassandra replied. “But how are you doing?”

He took a breath, his gaze straying toward the band. “I’m worried that when that musician starts banging on those drums, my skull might actually split in two.”

Cassandra let out a soft laugh. “Why don’t we go for a walk, Cullen?”

Her tone was light, but her expression serious. She had a gravitas to her he admired: large brown eyes, a regal profile, and hair cropped short for utility, save for one long braid wrapped around the crown of her head. Cullen wondered if this bore any cultural significance in her native Nevarra, but hadn’t found an opportunity when it seemed polite to ask. He’d served under a woman for the better part of a decade and understood they rarely welcomed inquiries into their appearance, especially from younger and subordinate men. Cullen did not wish to get on Cassandra’s bad side so early into their professional time together — especially not after what had happened with Meredith.

Still, he wondered. He wondered a good many things about Seeker Cassandra Pentaghast, including why she would want to take a walk with him in the frigid wilderness of the Frostback Mountains.

“All right,” Cullen said, apprehensive. He set aside his papers and stood.

During his time in Kirkwall’s Gallows, an invitation like this from Meredith meant one of two things: she either felt compelled to grant a favor, or needed one. Cullen had learned how to navigate such meetings, never promising too much, nor too little. He had respected Meredith, but she played a political game with the templars that Cullen had little stomach for. He had to remind himself Cassandra could not be farther from that ilk. Her disdain for bureaucracy had been one of the reasons he’d accepted her offer to command the Inquisition’s forces. Never again did he want to be backed into a corner, the way he had been when Kirkwall erupted in needless violence.

He followed Cassandra away from the camp, pulling his new fur-lined coat against his torso. The cold Fereldan winter was a bittersweet homecoming, one he’d have to grow accustomed to as they traveled farther south. He blew hot air into gloved fists. The only sound was the tuning of the minstrels and the crunching of their boots in the snow.

“Is… there something you wished to discuss?” he asked.

“I thought it might soothe your head, to be away from the cacophony,” Cassandra remarked.

Indeed, music was now floating through the air, but at such a remove as to be tolerable. The band finished a warmup and launched into their first number. The song was a sweet ballad he recalled from his childhood.

“It does,” Cullen said cautiously.

Cassandra watched him, a shrewdness in her eyes. “When we dispatched those bandits on the road, I saw your sword hand slip.”

Cullen inhaled sharply. His fingers strayed to his upper lip, where the stitches still pulled painfully each time he tried to smile — the payback for his carelessness. “An accident. It won’t happen again.”

“You misunderstand me, Cullen.” Cassandra drew herself up to her full height, pulling her hands behind her back with military precision. The discipline of the Seekers was world-renowned. “Before asking you to take this position, I spoke to every available man and woman serving under you. Your hand does not slip.”

Cullen broke into a sweat despite the wind’s chill. She knows.

“Forgive a man a foolish endeavor,” he said in a rush. “I’ll cease the experiment immediately and return to regular lyrium doses on the morrow.”

Cassandra raised one thin eyebrow, as if surprised he would confess so readily. She did not know that was his speciality — the litanies on his lips had once kept him sane, on his knees, trapped behind a translucent wall. Nor the times prompt honesty had satisfied Meredith when the others would wheedle and deceive, driving her further into a fury.

Meredith would have expressed disappointment, the crushing parental kind. She would have helped him back to his feet, pressing a vial into his hand. Cassandra only tilted her head in curiosity. “You called it an ‘experiment.’ Why is that?”

Cullen laughed sadly. “Because I know of no one who has ceased taking lyrium and lived.” Memories of Raleigh Samson floated in his mind’s eye, demon-haunted and desperate. “And those who cannot afford a steady supply are driven half-mad with the need.”

“Yet you do it anyway,” Cassandra said softly, without judgment. “How long has it been?”

When he told her, she nodded. He waited for her to say the Inquisition could not survive a half-mad Commander, and if he died he would be of no use to her. Yet she stayed quiet, gazing upward at the stars winking across the cobalt sky. The music crescendoed, minor notes filling him with melancholy.

“I cannot choose your path for you,” she said at last. “You are no longer a templar; you are not beholden to their rules. If this is what you seek to do… I will support you.”

Cullen swallowed thickly. He felt the desire in the back of his throat, in his teeth, pulsing along his temples. All he had to do was tell her that the Inquisition would falter without its commander in peak condition, and the soothing cerulean would be back in his palm. He had faltered already, over some bloody bandits.

“But if I cannot serve adequately as a result—”

“It’s your life, Cullen,” Cassandra snapped. “I will not run an institution that puts itself above the well-being of its members. That is where the Chantry has fallen short all too often as of late.”

Cullen blinked in surprise. “Thank you.”

She cracked a small smile. “Besides, a commander rarely leads the charge himself. He is of more use away from the front lines, so that his expertise can carry down the ranks.”

His eyes narrowed. “Is that a polite way of saying I’m no longer allowed to lead skirmishes against local riff-raff?”

Cassandra’s barking laugh reverberated amongst the trees. “It is a polite way of saying your talents are needed elsewhere.” She paused. “But until we know the true effects…”

“I understand,” Cullen cut in, so she didn’t have to say it. He hated presenting such a weakness, but he could not begrudge her the precaution. “I’ll delegate field duties for the time being. Rylen seems keen to prove himself.”

“Good.” Cassandra nodded, though he caught a glimpse of sorrow in her eye.

He felt the old shame stuttering along his chest, abhorring the pity he didn’t deserve. It compounded with the faraway music and made him wish, for the thousandth time, that things had been different. That the trajectory of his life had been the straight arrow shot he’d always envisioned, full of honor and purpose, and not so many damn shades of grey. He wished he could go back in time and warn his younger self that the Templar Order was not the shining bastion of all things holy. Then he would not have known the horror of colleagues slaughtered, the uncertainty of political decay, the torment of situations where all of his options were bad. Then he would not feel this hunger, clawing through his bones.

“Do you know this song?” he blurted.

Cassandra peered at him, as if startled that he would ask. “I do not.”

“It’s an old Fereldan folk ballad.” Cullen gulped a breath of cold air, hoping it would level him out.

Cassandra titled her head in curiosity. “What’s it about? I confess I’ve missed most of the words.”

“Lost love. Most of them are.” Cullen chuckled. “My siblings and I used to joke Fereldans only ever know how to write about tragedy, given our history.” His sisters and brother were closer than they had been in years. He knew he should reach out to them now that he was back. Every time he tried, he stared at the blank parchment until he ruined it with dripping ink.

“It’s not just Fereldans,” Cassandra said. “Poets in any land are obsessed with pain and misfortune. All the classic Nevarran songs are the same.”

He stood beside her, thinking of songs and their purpose. To commemorate — the dead, first off, and of course heroes, those who gave their life in service of the realm. Quietly, he asked, “Do you think any songs will be sung about the Inquisition?”

Cassandra sighed, turning her gaze skyward. A shooting star streaked across the heavens, so fast a blink would have caused him miss it. “If so, I pray they won’t be cautionary tales.”

He wished he could strengthen her resolve, but the doubt in her voice resonated. All reassurances sounded like empty platitudes in his head, and he’d repeated far too many of them to Meredith in those waning days. “I pray for that as well.”

The distant music swelled. This far from the campfires, the cold settled into his limbs, seeping through even the heaviest fabrics.

Cassandra pursed her lips. “These Fereldan folk songs. Do they have a dance?”

“A dance?” Cullen furrowed his brow.

“Yes. You know, an ethnic dance?” Cassandra looked almost shy, trying to explain. “In Nevarra, we have such things. We learn them as children, as a matter of national pride.”

“I suppose we have them, though I’m not sure we would use those terms.” He tried to think back, to a happier time: celebrations in long summer evenings, his parents drawing each other close, his sister insisting he was doing it wrong. He didn’t think there was anything distinctly Fereldan about those dances, but then he’d never tried to compare them to any others. “I recall learning a few steps when I was young, though I admit I was never very good.” Cullen hesitated. “I could show you. It might keep us from freezing out here, at least.”

Cassandra snorted. “If you want to return to camp, you can just say so, Commander.”

“No, no, I didn’t mean it like that.” Cullen laughed nervously. “I’m just truly unskilled. You might think lesser of me, if you knew.”

“I doubt that.” With a decisive nod, Cassandra took his outstretched hand.

[oidheadh-con-culainn]

god i feel you on the tiny hands. i played classical flute for years and i play whistles so i thought unkeyed irish flute would be an easy switch but my hands are barely large enough to cover the holes and it's so uncomfy to play; it's why i've never taken up the low whistle either

i have chronic pain and can't play very much which is why i'm usually playing percussion in sessions, and actually egg shakers can contribute a lot if you play them well (particularly to a session with few rhythm players), but some people are snobby if they think you're not a "real" musician. and i get that they don't want total beginners showing up and undermining the vibe but also if the vibe is exclusive like that then it's a bad vibe in general tbh

of course the great thing about percussion is that you don't need to know the tunes to participate, as long as you've got an ear for rhythm 😅 i find this lowers the bar for participation considerably and i'm much more confident as a session percussionist than as a tune player! just got to learn a more "respectable" instrument like the bodhrán (although this would be considerably less portable than the egg shakers)

your posts about English folk culture being treated as esoteric within England reminded me of a conversation I had with my dad relatively recently. I was complaining about how much I hated doing scottish country dancing in P.E every year in school and he, having grown up in London, mentioned that he never did any kind of folk dancing in school and it really surprised me.

Having an Irish family and growing up in Scotland I just assumed that folk culture would be a big part of national identity in England because it def is in Ireland and scotland. I mean I grew up in the city and I went to a Catholic school where a lot of pupils didn't come from Scottish backgrounds so I'm sure my experience would be different from somebody who grew up in a smaller town or a rural area, but my school still dragged out the girls who could sword dance every year on burns day y'know

Also now I'm wracking my brain trying to remember all the English folk songs I know and realising that it's comparatively few next to the hoard of Scottish, Irish and American folk songs I've accrued over the past 2 decades. That's definitely partially just due to being connected to the cultures those songs come from and that American folk songs are generally quite a bit younger than the scottish & Irish ones, but it's still not something I've ever really thought about

yeah absolutely. it's something england -- and probably urban england and london especially -- has really lost touch with. a lot of my friends and colleagues are irish, and when the topic of things like irish dance comes up, it's always like "oh yeah i did a bit of that as a kid, everyone did" or "yeah i learned the whistle, obviously, but i stopped when i was eight" -- but there'd be no obviously about that here (even when people learn the recorder at school, it's not often trad tunes they're learning to play!)

i don't know if this is to do with the proportion of the population that's urban vs rural in england compared to ireland or scotland (not sure where wales is at with this, they have a strong song tradition but i don't know much about the welsh equiv of trad dance music nor tbh enough about the song tradition to say anything meaningful on the topic), or if it's a "survival of trad culture to spite oppressive dominant cultures" thing so england lost it due to lack of need to defend it, or if it's predominantly a class issue (but that wouldn't wholly explain schools/the national curriculum, particularly at primary level)... i think there's a lot of factors at work

but it's something i do notice because i spend time in those irish-dominated spaces where the attitude towards trad music and dance is so different. but then those are also often irish language communities, so they're specifically irish communities that are interested in their cultural heritage, and maybe that's not representative of the whole country. still, it feels like even people who aren't interested and haven't carried that interest through to adulthood were exposed to it in childhood in a way that many english people weren't because our equivalent traditions have been relegated to this very niche, marginalised (and potentially very rural) status

[totaldramamarching]

Oneshot Friday!

#7: The Delinquent, Part Two

Duncan gets falsely accused of a crime during rehearsal. The band doesn’t let that slide easily. Set two years before the current blog timeline.

“Left, left, left, left! Other left, Owen! Left, left, left!”

As the song dragged on, Duncan spared a moment to wonder how the band was supposed to hear the snares when Mr. McLean was yelling over everything.

In the end, he guessed it didn’t matter that much, to him at least. He could hear the snares, so he would be in time. It was still annoying to hear the band be behind, though.

If you asked Duncan three months ago what he thought about band kids, he would’ve spouted insult after insult, name after name. But, with the principal’s meddling, he wasn’t just a snarky observer of losers -- no, he was a loser himself. His school days were followed by percussion lessons and late night marching rehearsals.

Even worse? He liked it.

He didn’t damage the drums because they were fun to hit. He didn’t tear up the flags because he had a crush on one of the cologuard members. He didn’t even egg the principal’s house like he planned just because he didn’t want to risk being barred from football games.

It was like he was a completely different person. And in many respects, he was. Which is why he stopped in his tracks the second he saw the red and blue flash of police cars.

Police cars. Here. When he’d done nothing.

Duncan only vaguely registered that Mr. McLean stopped the band. His mind replaced the noise with panicked thoughts. What could they possibly blame him for? As much as he wanted to tell them that marching band was just another failed attempt to keep him in line, he couldn’t. He’d spent every second he could in the band room or on the field, notably not committing crimes. That's what they wanted, right?

Even as he got lost in his own head, he knew everyone had turned to him, the dumbass frozen in the middle of the field. Their eyes on him, the outsider… it burned.

Usually he would run. He was good at running, escaping. But this was different. Maybe it was the fact that he knew he was innocent that kept him planted on the turf.

The police officers didn’t even approach the directors first. They went straight onto the field, straight to Duncan, handcuffs at the ready. Duncan glared at them, though he probably wasn’t as menacing as he wanted to be with a bass drum strapped to his chest.

The first policeman, who Duncan knew well as Officer Binns, audibly sighed. “Duncan Sarno, you are under arrest for theft and breaking and entering.”

“I didn’t do squat,” Duncan spat.

The other officer -- Officer Johnson -- haughtily slung the handcuffs around his finger. “With your record?” He laughed. “Likely story, kid. Get that drum off and let’s go.”

“Uhm, hello?” Mr. McLean called into his microphone. His irritation echoed throughout the field. “We’re kind of in the middle of a rehearsal here!”

“Don’t worry sir, you will be able to resume your rehearsal shortly,” Officer Binns called.

“Uhhh, I don’t think so. Because it looks like you're arresting one of my students.” Mr. McLean tutted. “Kinda hard to have a rehearsal without the first bass drum.”

“Sir, please do not discuss this over your speakers.”

“Is that illegal? I don’t think so.” Some of the upperclassmen chuckled at their director’s nonchalance, but it was very obvious that his patience was wearing thin. “Listen, buddy, I know this kid’s schedule inside and out. He didn’t do anything.”

“We’ll still need to take him to the school office for questioning.”

“Not during my rehearsal, you don’t!”

“Sir, this is a routine questioning. Please stop talking about it over the microphone.”

“I don’t even know what you’re talking about. I literally spend all my time here, whether I like it or not. Ask my parole officer,” Duncan interjected.

“You’re in no position to be making demands, kid. Now get that drum off,” Officer Johnson snapped.

Duncan huffed. So much for finding something he actually liked. He grabbed the drum carrier from his shoulder and set it down gently behind him. As he turned around to get handcuffed yet again, he saw a barrier between him and Officer Johnson. A body. His crush’s body.

“Do you have a warrant?” Courtney the colorguardian asked stiffly, one arm shielding Duncan and the other firming holding her flag.

“Miss, step aside,” Officer Binns demanded. Courtney stayed put, Duncan noticed. He also noticed that none of the directors did anything to stop her.

“You need a warrant to arrest someone,” Courtney said indignantly.

“Aye, no warrant, no cuffs, man!” Geoff the trumpet player exclaimed.

Officer Johnson narrowed his eyes. “We don’t need a warrant if we have probable cause,” he said.

“You don’t got probable cause, ‘cause he’s been here the whole time!” Leshawna shouted from two yard lines away.

Even further away, a flute player named DJ shouted, “Officers, we can all vouch that he's been here!” Murmurs of agreement broke out across the field.

“Also, if your only evidence is his record, then that’s thin at best, violating his rights at worst,” Gwen, another sophomore percussionist, noted, setting her mallets on her tenor drums.

“No warrant, no cuffs!” Geoff shouted again. “No warrant, no cuffs!”

DJ joined in the chant. So did Gwen and Leshawna and DJ. Loud personalities like Owen, quiet types like Bridgette, upperclassmen who hated his guts all joined in on those four words. Even Courtney, as much as she kissed up to authority, raised her flag in the air and let the words escape her lips,

“No warrant, no cuffs! No warrant, no cuffs! No warrant, no cuffs!”

It was a strange feeling, he thought, having someone fight for him instead of his record, fight for the person instead of the number. As the chants grew louder, his chest tightened, but in a good way. He never felt that before.

From the home bleachers, he saw Mr. McLean give a smirk as he joined in over the microphone. For once, Ms. Andrews-O’Halleron and Mr. Hatchet didn’t seem annoyed by his antics. In fact, this time, they seemed to encourage it.

The band cheered as the officers left the field. Duncan was equal parts ecstatic and dumbfounded. A group of people -- majority of whom he’d never talked to -- all stood up to a pair of policemen for him, authority, when a large part of marching band was just doing what you're told. Yeah, he was glad the fuzz was off his back, but this was just... new.

Next thing he knew, Mr. McLean called everyone to attention and asked them to start from the beginning of the movement. Rehearsal just continued like nothing happened. Honestly, Duncan kind of preferred it that way. He slipped back into habitual concentration, turning his mind from arrests to note rests.

He would never admit it, but on that stupid football field with those stupid mallets and stupid people, he finally felt free.

fin.

[courage-a-word-of-justice]

HypMic Band AU

Once again, I gather weird ideas from wandering a Discord server far too often...

Also partially inspired by the visual on this video.

Note: The bands keep their division names from canon, even though their backstories have changed to some degree or other.

The Dirty Dawg (henceforth TDD) was once a hugely popular band, which produced music of several genres...but like all bands, it had a rather troubled history behind-the-scenes. Ichiro, Samatoki and Ramuda would frequently fight over who would be the main vocalist. Jakurai would typically watch the others squabble while musing that it was "fascinating", instead of being their mediator. In order to properly mediate, Sasara and Kuko, Samatoki and Ichiro's previous bandmates respectively, joined as temporary members for the sake of smoothing relations over.

One time, these fights became so terrible, Ramuda simply schemed to break the band up...and so he did, alienating the others in the process.

However, this was 3 years ago now and TDD is but a distant memory. Nobody really remembers why TDD fought, not even them, although there is some animosity between the former TDD + 2 when they're involved in the same things. This is where we begin our story...

Ichiro: Vocalist with no real specialty (although he is rather partial to hip-hop). Writes his own tracks (like you see in Rhyme Anima ep. 2), although he does let his brothers write and perform their own solo music for concerts from time to time to placate them. Occasionally will play percussion roles, such as castanets or cymbals, when required.

Jiro: Guitarist (typically electric guitar, but is not averse to acoustic either).

Saburo: Pianist/organist. Can also be called upon to do electronic tracks with music-making software, plus sound and lighting for the concerts.

Samatoki: Vocalist, specialising in gangsta rap, although he does has a rather eclectic list of instruments he can play which is not well-known outside the green room (such as the harmonica). Plays the role of a gangster for his concerts with the rest of MTC (which the fans lap up like crazy). Wants to tour as much as possible to search for his sister.

Jyuto: Typically plays the melody to Samatoki's vocals or the backing to Samatoki's melody. If given a solo song, he'll play the trumpet.

Riou: Drummer and general tagger-along for when the band needs a third instrument. Can only play acoustic instruments - Sasara accidentally left an Otamatone in an MTC dressing room one time and Riou broke it, just by trying to experiment with it, which is why all electronic instruments were banned for him in the first place. MTC will typically practise their songs under the stars on clear nights because of him.

Ramuda: Vocalist, specialising in pop. Also plays the triangle and xylophone/marimba for their sparkly sounds.

Gentaro: Songwriter. Will randomly pull out an instrument - sometimes a rare one, like a shamisen - and claim he knows how to play it...and typically, he will be right (scarily enough).

Dice: Percussionist who'll practise on objects he finds anywhere. Secretly knows how to play the violin and the piano, which is why he's in the FP band, but prefers to not do so. Also played a grass whistle for one song and the fans went nuts for it, so FP is trying to incorporate it into their songs more.

Jakurai: Pianist/keyboard player. The only member of TDD who doesn't do vocals as often as the others, due to his low register. Also learnt how to play the theremin, due to Ramuda taking an interest in it at one point before the TDD breakup.

Hifumi: Vocalist, specialising in karaoke versions of tunes and electronic songs (although he tries not to use autotune if he can help it). Give him basically any instrument and he will nail it, given enough time.

Doppo: Synthesiser player/drummer. When enraged, he pulls off a mean impromptu drum solo.

Sasara: Plays absurd concert instruments like the kazoo, although he'll riddle his songs with puns if they have vocals. Typically when he's involved, you'll see concert staff bring things you wouldn't expect on to the stage, like empty rubbish bins, so that he can use them as instruments. (He also once used a recording of Rosho's rhythmic snoring as a backing track, but no one ever figured out it was Rosho's...not even the guy himself...) He and Rosho occasionally play as one-man bands in their spare time to cheer up nearby people. Don't underestimate him though - because of Rosho's propensity to break down in the middle of a performance, Sasara has learnt every instrument Rosho has, albeit to a lesser degree than he has (although Sasara doesn't showcase such talent on stage and deliberately denies he can play those instruments when asked, so he can mess with people).

Rosho: Plays the viola, clarinet and the piano/keyboard. Does not take the role of vocals often, due to stage fright.

Rei: Plays large orchestral instruments, such as the tuba and the double bass. Also played the harp once, to freak people out.

Kuko: Mainly a percussionist - his specialty is the taiko drum.

Jyushi: Vocalist and guitarist, specialising in visual-kei rock. Uses the White Falcon given to him by Hitoya.

Hitoya: Bassist and backup guitarist. Also knows basic piano melodies for some songs if required.

[passionate-reply]

Great Albums is back! This week, we’ll take a look at one of the greatest electronic albums of all time, Kraftwerk’s The Man-Machine, and try to avoid getting sued by Ralf Huetter! Full transcript for the video can be found below the break. Enjoy!

Growing up, my main genre of choice was 80s synth-pop, and while the deep influence of Kraftwerk is as significant there as it is everywhere else in electronic music, I was one of those people who initially saw them as somewhat "intimidating." Today, moreso than ever, Kraftwerk are held up as one of those more high-brow or cerebral groups with a philosophy that transcends mere pop or dance music, which makes them seem respectable, a kind of “model minority” in the world of music outside rock. While I don’t buy into the judgmental quality of that sort of praise, which damns so many of Kraftwerk’s greatest fans and imitators, I did get the sense, as a child, that these hoity-toity Germans, working with primitive equipment way back in the 1970s, might not be what I was looking for in a new favourite band. That was before I heard The Man-Machine.

While it’s certainly true that Kraftwerk were a highly experimental band in their own time, they’re one of those acts whose ideas have deeply permeated contemporary music, to the point where their actual work is extremely approachable and listenable to today’s ears. Of all the fairly early electronic acts, who started making this kind of music before it began to become mainstream in the late 70s, Kraftwerk are almost certainly the ones people nowadays listen to for pleasure the most, and that’s no accident. While their earlier albums like Trans-Europe Express took more overt inspiration from classical music, The Man-Machine was their first great foray into the arena of pop, which I think is key to why it resonates with people. For evidence of that, look no further than the biggest mainstream hit of Kraftwerk’s career, “The Model.”

I think it’s easy to see why “The Model'' became a hit single. Sure, it may not have the most traditional pop song structure, let alone instrumentation, but unlike a lot of what Kraftwerk had done before, it’s got a lot of lyrics and a real sense of narrative. Plus, that narrative we get is about a person and not a machine--a good-looking person, in whom the narrator is sexually interested. It’s the perfect pop material. Of course, I would be remiss to mention that “The Model” didn’t achieve all of its success until the single was re-released in many markets in 1981, and in those few years, the idea of “synth-pop” advanced significantly in the charts and popular consciousness. By the time “The Model” was a hit, Kraftwerk admirers were already taking over: look no further than Gary Numan’s "Cars” or OMD’s "Enola Gay,” two synth-pop classics that, it must be said, are still about vehicles!

That aside, though, not everything on The Man-Machine sounds like “The Model”--in fact, it’s surrounded by tracks that have much more in common with Kraftwerk’s earlier LPs. Literally surrounded, in the track listing. I think that adds to this album’s appeal as an ideal entry point into their catalogue: it has some things that sound familiar, while also preparing you for what else you’ll encounter if you choose to probe deeper into the band. The Man-Machine has the least homogeneous profile of any Kraftwerk album. While most of their other classic albums are highly cohesive “song cycles” that almost blend into one long song when you listen to them in full, The Man-Machine doesn’t really have those repeated melodies and motifs that tie its tracks together. While many people, especially fans of psychedelic and progressive rock, really like those cohesive albums, I think this change is a welcome one. It gives the individual tracks a bit more room to breathe and express distinctive identities, and makes the album feel a bit more pop, even if the material itself isn’t always all that poppy. *The Man-Machine* actually only has six individual tracks; they range in length from the three-minute pop stylings of “The Model” to the urban sprawl of “Neon Lights,” which luxuriates in an almost nine-minute runtime.

Given that the average track length is around six minutes, I’m almost tempted to think of The Man-Machine as six tiny Kraftwerk albums, or at least, musical ideas that could have been expanded into full LPs in another universe. “Neon Lights” and “Spacelab” feel dreamy and easy-going, with floating melodies that draw from the “cosmic music” scene, one of the many emergent styles that began as something uniquely German and spread throughout the world--in this case, becoming an important forerunner to ambient electronic music through acts like Tangerine Dream. Meanwhile, the hard, tick-tocking rhythms of “Metropolis” and the title track point to the newfound focus on rhythm and the so-called motorik beat that made the music of Neu! so compelling.

The Man-Machine can serve not only as an introduction to Kraftwerk, but also as a sort of crash course in this entire period of electronic music, showcasing some of the most distinctive and influential features of the German scene, as well as the shape of synth-pop to come. It’s a complex and busy historical moment with huge ramifications for almost all of subsequent electronic music, and The Man-Machine really creates a microcosm of that whole environment. There’s also the fact that each side of the record has one track from each of my three broad groups, like an expertly-designed sushi platter or charcuterie board for us to sample from, and they both follow the same formula: a pop appetizer, a cosmic *entree,* and motorik for dessert.

*The Man-Machine* also has what is almost certainly the most iconic cover of any of Kraftwerk’s LPs. This is how lots of us still picture them in our minds, and it’s inspired tons of parodies and riffs over the years. I think all of that acclaim is deserved! Emil Schult’s graphic design for the album was heavily inspired by avant-garde Soviet artists of the 10s and 20s, chiefly El Lissitzky. These visual artists used their art to express their hope for a new world, defined by the promise of technology, and their literally revolutionary philosophy--so what could be a better match for Kraftwerk’s electronic revolution in music? Lissitzky used bright, primary colours, straight lines, and geometric shapes to convey the “built environment” of modern cities and man-made architecture, and you’ve got all the same sentiment on display here. The use of strong diagonals really draws the eye and lends this image a lot of continued visual interest. It’s also worth noting the extent to which Kraftwerk’s aesthetics inspired later electronic acts almost as powerfully as their sound. When you picture an electronic band, and get a mental image of stiff and stone-faced musicians behind synthesisers wearing shirts and ties, you can certainly thank Kraftwerk for that, as well.

I also love the title of The Man-Machine! The relationship between people and technology is one of, if not the, most central themes in Kraftwerk’s entire discography, which is full of references to anthropomorphic machines as well as mechanically-mediated humans. The particular choice of the phrase “man-machine,” as opposed to words like “android,” has a fun vintage flair to it, which matches the use of early 20th Century visual art quite nicely.

As might be expected from the album’s stylistic diversity, *The Man-Machine* would prove to be something of a transition point in Kraftwerk’s career. Their 1981 follow-up, Computer World, would return to the song cycle format, but with increasing emphasis on ideas from the pop sphere, championed by percussionist Karl Bartos. By the time of the last classic-lineup Kraftwerk LP, 1986’s Electric Cafe, they had not only amped up the pop, but also incorporated influence from the electronic dance music of the time. Ultimately, Bartos would leave the group, chiefly due to discontent with his treatment by founding members Ralf Huetter and Florian Schneider-Esleben, and their persistent lack of musical productivity.

On a somewhat lighter note, my personal favourite track on this album is its opener, “The Robots.” Per my typology from earlier, I classified this as a pop-oriented song, and it certainly is an approachable one that’s proven to be quite popular. But it’s got just enough more experimental touches to keep things quite interesting. From an ominous, dissonant intro, a slightly more pop form, hinting at a verse/chorus structure, soon emerges and contrasts. I love the groove of the rhythm and percussion here, as well as the very heavy vocoder, rich in texture and certainly a Kraftwerk staple.

While the lyrics can be read as sort of light and silly, I like to think that the robots in question might also be dangerous. The track “Metropolis” seems to reference the seminal 1927 silent film of the same name, which is famous for its portrayal of an evil, mechanical doppelganger. Likewise, the choice to translate the lyrics of the song’s interlude into Russian is likely inspired by another great work of art from this era: the stage play R.U.R.--Rossum’s Universal Robots. Written by Karel Čapek in 1922, it’s the progenitor of the “robot revolution” trope in science fiction, the source of the word “robot” for autonomous machines in almost every human language, and one of the first entries in the illustrious career of an author who helped make Czech a true literary language. While the titular robots take time to assure us that they’re programmed to do what we humans want, should we really trust them...?