#i need like. a full visual recording of at least one song so that i can eagerly share with you guys but there isnt and i am devastated

[ohmydais]

I am never not thinking about this video

(this is a dress rehearsal clip from their tt and unfortunately not from a slime 😔)

[campcampkirbykirbykirby]

Camp Camp Commentary Notes - Season 1, Episode 1: Escape from Camp Campbell

This is the first in a series of posts detailing the various nuggets of behind-the-scenes info found in the commentaries of the Camp Camp Seasons 1 and 2 Blu-Ray. I aim to cover both the writer commentary and cast & crew commentary of every episode in the set (except the holiday specials because they don't have commentaries GRRRR)

Writer’s Commentary

Writers went back to touch up this episode after completing the initial 10 episodes, before going on to the bonus 2 episodes that were greenlit following the positive reception

This episode went through about 12-14 drafts before it was finalized

Pilots are very hard because they both need to be very good and hook the audience so they will want to watch more, you have to juggle introducing all the necessary characters and telling a single solid story

Doubly so since this was the crew’s first shot at writing for an episodic series, all their other efforts had been story-driven up to that point

Irony in that the title of the first episode is about wanting to leave the camp (or show) entirely

Max and David’s dynamic is perfectly set up within 8 lines of dialogue

In older versions of the pilot, Mr. Campbell never showed up in person, only in the introductory video that was later repurposed into promotional material

Most of what was taken out of the pilot ended up being reused in some way, including the intro and the teaser trailer

One of the primary goals was to establish early on that this is not a kids show, like some people who saw the early promo material thought it was

This is why Max swears less than 40 seconds in, and why the rabbit gets swooped up by Timothy earlier (although I’d argue you could make that joke in a more family-friendly show)

First RT series produced in more of a writer’s room style akin to The Simpsons

The writers would come up with episode ideas, divy up who’d want what story, they’d write a first draft, come back to it, workshop the script several times, rinse and repeat until it devolved into Miles and Jordan doing final punch-ups and trimming

This pipeline allowed for lots of easter eggs and background details to be slipped in

Then they effectively do a table-read of the script which allows them to add more

Starting in Season 2, they started recording writer’s room conversations, so if something funny came up and they wanted to add it, they wouldn’t just have to go off of memory

Putting all the campers in the activities field doing their activities seemed like a good way to establish all of their respective camps.

Challenger II is Miles’ favorite visual gag (as of 2018, at least)

Working with Lee Eddy and Travis Willingham was great, Lee especially since they had previously worked with her for Red V.S. Blue

Travis was the first person who recorded for the show, as part of the aforementioned introductory video, and he was great at riffing and ad-lib

What exactly Camp Campbell was was foggy initially (whether or not it advertised that it was a camp of all camps), and the initial pilot didn’t explain it very well because they had built an internal understanding of what it was and didn’t do a very good job conveying it to the audience.

Mr. Campbell really likes the Quartermaster

Looking back on the first episodes is very interesting, especially when you have been working on the show for years at that point, for example, Max’s bond with Nikki hasn’t been established yet, so he has to ask why she’d help him.

Not enough time for the full theme song (hence why no intro), so they thought having Gwen interrupt it was funny

The scene where Max, Neil, and Nikki are running was seemingly the origin of Neil’s raptor arms (oh, excuse me, T-rex arms)

Ed, Edd ‘n’ Eddy was used as a reference for things like this because the Eds each had distinct walk cycles befitting their personality

First Day buttons were included so the campers would have a means to get away from the counselors

The music sting as the bus is driving away is a nod to the Back to the Future theme

Cast and Crew Commentary

Michael jokes about a sequel or prequel called “Max Max/Maximum Max”

The scream Miles did when David gets hit by the bus gets used quite a bit

The more Max’s parents push him away, the more he tries to cling to him, according to Maggie

Episode was supposedly recorded March 2016, ironically one of the last ones recorded

Recording for the series started November of 2015

Handheld camera movements in the mess hall scene were added by animator Gil Calceta

Lee Eddy was the only person who auditioned for Gwen, the crew saw it as perfect casting

Laserdisc player is not big enough for laserdisc

Campbell’s lazy wear (for lack of a better term) was only made for the one shot, though it would later comeback in Season 4

Michael initially auditioned for Camp Camp not really knowing what it was, and his script was just some typical Max phrases

Older episodes, Max was pitched up because Michael hadn’t quite perfected the voice yet

There was no helicopter assest created, it’s off screen and only implied by Campbell being pulled up by the ladder

The scene of Nikki throwing the button took 3 days to animate

The line “Go to bitch, jail” in the Camp Camp Rap Rap was an ad-lib/outtake

[eurovision-revisited]

Eurovision 2006: The Scoreboards

The visual design meta for the mid-2000s is as constant as the girl bops. 2006 brought another identikit scoreboard. This year's is so similar to last year's, it feels as if they just bought the code and graphics, played with the colour palette and font, and went with that. At least the Eurovision hearts are making an appearance around the flag.

The biggest difference this year is that the spokesperson doesn't have to reel off all the points from one to seven. They cut straight to the big points while the the little ones appear scattered across the scoreboard leaving the viewer at home to process those points in the five second space before the eight points are announced. It was done in the name of speeding up the scoring sequence, but it also speeds up the rate the viewers need to process those results. It feels like you're updating a personal spreadsheet of consequence in your head throughout the second half of the show.

For the semi-final, the envelopes are back and they're used to place the songs in the grand final vacant draw slots just as last year. This leads to extreme celebration on the part of the last country selected. The Armenians go crazy - it's their first year and they got left to last - seemingly at random. Perhaps the incident that made the producers think they were on to something here and that the semi-final result announcement could be even more dramatic.

On to the spoilers for 2006.

Those through from the semi-final are:

Finland - 292 points (a new semi-final record!)

Bosnia & Herzegovina - 267 points

Russia - 217 points

Sweden - 214 points

Lithuania - 163 points

Armenia (on their debut!) - 150 points

Ukraine - 146 points

Türkiye - 91 points

Ireland - 79 points

Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia - 76 points

For the second year running, Poland missed out on the final by a small number of points - six this year. Once again Monaco and Andorra finished near the bottom end of the semi-final scoreboard. Third last and last respectively. As ever, the points weren't revealed until after the grand final.

In the final and for the third year in a row, the voting sequence wasn't hugely tense or dramatic. In fact the winners, Finland, got the biggest points total in Eurovision to this point - spookily matching exactly the number of points they got in the semi-final 292. There are no nul points, but Malta came close with a solitary point awarded to them by Albania five votes from the end providing the sole moment of drama.

The big four were more widely distributed that last year's big four, bottom four moment - though there were still all on the right-hand side of the scoreboard. Having said that, all ten semi-finalists finished in the top twelve, only Romania and hosts Greece managing to intrude. The advantages of being the semi-final were now becoming stark.

Here's the full, final scoreboard for 2006.

Finland - Lordi - "Hard Rock Hallelujah" - 292 points

Russia - Dima Bilan - "Never Let You Go" - 248 points

Bosnia & Herzegovina - Hari Mata Hari - "Lejla" - 229 points

Romania - Mihai Trăistariu - "Tornerò" - 172 points

Sweden - Carola - "Invincible" - 170 points

Lithuania - LT United - "We Are the Winners" - 162 points

Ukraine - Tina Karol - "Show Me Your Love" - 145 points

Armenia - André - "Without Your Love" - 129 points

Greece - Anna Vissi - "Everything" - 128 points

Ireland - Brian Kennedy - "Every Song Is a Cry for Love" - 93 points

Türkiye - Sibel Tüzün - Süper Star - 91 points

Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia - Elena Risteska - "Ninanajna" - 56 points

Croatia - Severina - "Moja štikla" - 56 points (12th equal)

Norway - Christine Gulbrandsen - "Alvedansen" - 36 points

Germany - Texas Lightning - "No No Never" - 36 points (14th equal)

Switzerland - six4one - "If We All Give a Little" - 30 points

Latvia - Vocal Group Cosmos - "I Hear Your Heart" - 30 points (16th equal)

Denmark - Sidsel Ben Semmane - "Twist of Love" - 26 points

United Kingdom - Daz Sampson - "Teenage Life" - 25 points

Moldova - Arsenium feat. Natalia Gordienko and Connect-R - "Loca" - 22 points

Spain - Las Ketchup - "Bloody Mary" - 18 points

France - Virginie Pouchain - "Il était temps" - 5 points

Israel - Eddie Butler - "Together We Are One" - 4 points

Malta - Fabrizio Faniello - "I Do" - 1 point

[acaplaya-musings]

So like I knew that VoicePlay were taking the month of July off for break/vacation (or at least Eli, Cesar, and Layne were - Geoff was still mostly working, apparently), and I knew that The Way You Make Me Feel was filmed back in May, not long after the filming for Classical Chaos, so they could still have a full-length thing to release in July, yeah? Well I thought that we wouldn't be getting any full-length VoicePlay stuff in August because of the month break, and in fact I'm fairly sure they said basically that in their June webchat! But apparently they got some recording and filming done in June as well, and here we are! With a full-length video in August! Well actually I'm typing this the day before the Patreon Premiere (yeah Patreon has their own scheduled premiere option as well - it's a relatively new feature), and it's only July 24th for me!

But anyway, right off the back of Geoff doing a full-length (and then some) version of one of his Shorts for the first time ever, we have VoicePlay doing a full-length version of one of their Minis for the first time ever! (Wellerman doesn't count does it?). I won't lie, of all the Minis for VoicePlay to choose to extend, I wouldn't have actually picked this one - the Mini isn't exactly one that stuck in my brain, and I think I only listened to it once or twice. BUT I have learned full well by now to Never Doubt VoicePlay! Ever! They always deliver! And obviously they can do so much more in a full-length than with a Mini!

ADDITION FROM PRESENT DAY ME: I won't be posting any thoughts/commentary post tomorrow about the video/cover (I definitely like it of course, but I'm not a music expert and I can't always think of much to say about song covers), but I might maybe maybe be making a Voiceplay Visuals post for this video. Maybe, haven't fully decided yet, I need to watch the video again before I make up my mind. But anyway, it's a wonderfully cool take on such a classic song, and this is definitely going into my Voiceplay/Geoff Spotify playlist once the audio track appears!

[beautifulpersonpeach]

BPP, Hi

This is the millionth Time I’m trying to send this.

I’m going to split my ask into three parts and maybe subparts.

A) I’ve seen you’ve talked a bit about Bang PD’s billboard interview. What I want your opinion on is:

(i) The use of AI in music and how it would impact the boys and whether they need to include better data and IP protections within their contracts if not renewed already?

(ii) there are some opinions that he did the interview before Jimins Hot100 achievement and that he never expected that Jimin would be the one to get this record. I personally bias Jimin but I don’t see anything underlyingly sinister in what Bang PD said. At the time he gave the interview, it was too early to say whether Jimin would win that record or not.

B) Jimin wanted a visual album and more music videos. The company said no. But he also wanted this album to be ‘free’. And the company (with his consent, I assume) monetised it- it was released and did amazing sales. Is it possible that the company said no to music videos for all the songs because this is an EP and Jimin’s full Length album is on its way? If I was thinking from a business perspective, I’d blow all my cash (promotions, marketing, merch, music videos and even a tour) on a full length album not an EP. What do you think? Also:

(I) the whole accusation around Hybe and BB sabotaging Jimin - what do you say to that? Have you already spoken on this? Feel free to link here please as I’ve not been able to read through everything, yet.

C) the whole Jungkook stalker saga stinks donkeys balls and I’d expect Big Hit to make make better security arrangements for their baby star candy. Do you think, that since BigHit/Hybe happened, the boys are being treated as disposable resources rather than those who make BigHit? I read something (an opinion) on how Bang PD is an insecure man who wants to ensure that the boys never feel as though they have total agency and power because he wants to have that control. It sounds like bull because in any company setting, you don’t want your employees feeling like they are indispensable for obvious reasons. But still, the boys security should be top priority.

Ta!

***

Hi Anon,

I'll be brief.

A - (i) AI is already being used in music and will likely impact every artist at some point in our lifetimes, but I don't know how AI is being used on BTS today nor how BigHit plans to use it. Nothing in BangPD's interview suggests that technology is currently being used on BTS, but I assume as the executive chairman of a music company in 2023, AI is the last thing you want to be unprepared to handle given how disruptive that technology is. From a business standpoint it's prudent for HYBE to at least have a department that thoroughly understands how their artists can benefit from and be screwed over by AI, to get ahead of their competitors who could use it to gain unfair advantage. I wish corporations worldwide had the spine to pushback on this technology and refuse to engage at all, (for my nerdier followers, Max Tegmark - AI researcher at MIT - makes a strong case for going against AI if you're interested in reading more on the subject), but that's not realistic, so the next best thing is to learn it yourself to leverage for your artists. And yes, the expectation is that better data and IP protections will be put in place. When it comes to their company, I trust BTS to be adult enough to advocate for themselves. I assume this amendment could have already happened or will happen when the guys renew their contracts in 2024 / 2027.

(ii) - You didn't ask a question here so I'll just take it as read.

B - I don't know why the company declined his request for a visual album (or making more MVs) for his EP. It could be related to budgeting or scheduling constraints. It could be BigHit's policy/norm that initial solo projects or EP-length projects get two MVs, inferred from the rapline's initial solo projects all having only two MVs though both Hobi and Yoongi have said they'd have liked to film more. Either way, I don't know. It's not something I see as a big deal so I don't spend any time thinking about it, to be honest.

B - (i) Yeah, I'd say I've spoken exhaustively about it. You can read my views on it here, here, here, and here. And as a bonus here's a reblog that more or less summarizes some of my thoughts on that topic as well, linked here.

B - (ii) Short answer to the question you asked here, is no.

C - It's interesting we're having discussions about how the boys' privacy, security, and safety should be the company's top priority, (which for the record, I agree), but just now when I opened Tumblr to respond to your ask, I saw a shipper (?) saying they're downloading the military app ahead of jikook's enlistment and following an account on Twitter that knows the bases the boys are getting sent to...

Company security for the biggest band in the world can only be beefed up so much without suffocating them, there's greater onus on the fandom to rein in and check the more insane actors within our spaces who constantly blur the line between what they should know about their idols and what they feel entitled to know about them.

Ta! to you too. :)

[jesusagrees]

i agree i love the girls (le sserafim) and i don’t blame them, kpop is a machine with a lot of gears behind it. Certain labels have certain standards and i don’t think hybe (source music) is training them properly for live performances and giving them songs that flatter their voices. I can’t in good faith ignore there subpar vocals but i also can’t bully them over it. I will say they weren’t ready for coachella and alot of kpop fans are tone deaf to their favs and come up with excuses. They don’t have to be beyonce but they train hard for years for what? I was expecting more :/. And it’s okay to expect more as a fan. Then again i come from gen 2-3 of kpop where vocals were very important and these days visuals are more important . I personally don’t like this change but if they’re still selling records and selling out shows there isn’t much to be done. I prefer more vocally talented groups although i do love Le sserafim music their bad vocals stop me from being a full on stan. I like the girls individually as people but ahh the singing piece is hard. They don’t sound conditioned to sing live at all, i wonder what type of training and practicing they’ve been doing all this time. And the excuse of singing and dancing is hard doesn’t cut it. No one is expecting a live performance to sound like the recorded song but there’s a level of quality that should still be there. Look at jungkook, look at aespa, or txt. Do they not have hard songs and/or dances? Why do they sound so good live? Cause they train to sound good live, they train to do long high energy performances. It’s quite literally their lives work, they spent years doing so. So i’m sorry but le sserafim doesn’t get to have any slack in that area (or their management). They don’t deserve excessive hate but their mediocrity at the time they are in their career is ridiculous. Chaewon can only carry so much, i feel like everything is put on her back to make the group sound good. The rest are jus visuals. Not even Yunjin sounds good. How does she go from having an opera back ground to being an off key out of breath mess. She literally grew backwards i’m so confused.

Oh, I totally agree with this.

It's literally their JOBS to sing and dance and they CANNOT do it. They can dance/perform fine, but dancing and performing does NOT equal GOOD SINGING. You can be a good performer but a terrible singer.

And as an old gen 2-3 stan too, coming from that background and to what kpop is today is why I have such a hard time getting into new groups. These groups just do not cut it for me and a lot of their personality does not make up for lack of talent to me. I am a full blown SHAWOL. I stan one of the best in the industry and I KNOW the standards.

LESSERAFIM need to be benched for a Year AT LEAST and get the proper training and whole new team while they're at it. They need to come back when they're ready.

And their fans are just as embarrassing. This whole thing was blown WAY UP because of their hardcore fans. Their fans made the situation WAY worse for these girls. Instead of taking the L quietly, as they SHOULD have done, they brought other groups into it pissing off other fandoms hence why it got blown up so big.

This is going to stay with these girls FOREVER if they do not get proper training. They are being set up for FAILURE.

And I will say, I am SO glad ATEEZ was there to show what REAL/TRUE kpop is. LESSERAFIM was such a bad example of kpop and it's really embarrassing on the industry. I hope companies use this as an example and take this and LEARN from it. Stop rushing out untalented, untrained idols who just give face. Bring back the REAL idols.

[raytorosaurus]

hi!! i’m so lost about these new leaks. could you please give some insight about what the paper kingdom is at all?? i’d really appreciate it

oooh okay my wifi's p bad rn so just off the top of my head: mcr had planned and partially recorded a new album before they broke up that was never released. it was called the paper kingdom and it had a dark fairytale concept: apparently it was about a group of people meeting at a support group for parents who had lost their children, and they came together and imagined a fantasy world (the paper kingdom) where their children were still alive and fighting dragons and witches instead of illness etc as a coping mechanism. so like. really fucking dark. they actually got pretty far with it (they were in the studio full time writing for at least a couple of months. dewees said they had 26 songs more or less done or at least demod, and friends of the band listened to at least four complete ones), but their progress just kind of...stalled. they invited dewees to be an official member of the band and he signed a contract after seven years of touring with them, and he and frank stayed together in a kind of seedy hotel and ended up writing a lot of death spells there while the mcr sessions weren't going great. according to dewees gerard in particular just didn't have his heart in it and was really struggling for inspiration and drive. i think gerard mentioned in the kevin smith podcast that he was more invested in the visual aesthetics and set designs for the hypothetical tour than he was the music at that point. apparently frank and ray also started to argue some about the music for the first time in the band's history, and with two of the band members having young kids and ray's first baby on the way the album's depressing concept was uh not helping their mental states to say the least. the writing stalled and frank went back home to nj and everyone in the band was having a bad time and knew the breakup was coming (including frank, which he's said multiple times - the "frank heard at the same time as us" rumour was just about the timing and content of the breakup post itself). personally i think it was a combination of all those things and the fact that mcr activated their fifth member curse by inviting dewees to be an official member after swearing for years that it could only be the four special boys lolll ✌️

anyway. if those recordings are real (which i'm inclined to believe they are, since there are definitely recordings somewhere out there) they're definitely not representative of the better, happier mcr of today who are active for the right reasons and not just because they feel they need to be. they were never meant to be heard by us. like not to validate a shitty leaker but i'll probably listen if i get the chance because i'm desperately curious but if you do please keep that context in mind - the album was scrapped for a reason!

[ithinkilikeit-reactions]

My Top 15 Boygroup/Solo Songs (2021)

Remember guys, this is just my personal list.  Let me know what yours are! Love sharing music with eachother etc so let’s all just have fun. 

TOP 15 

1. Beautiful Beautiful - ONF (ONF:MY NAME) April 28th

This is truly no surprise. Anyone who has followed me for a little while knows the way I feel about ONF and their music. As far as ONF goes, this is their best title track yet. It’s fun, upbeat and encouraging. It’s such a hopeful song and something very needed in 2021. The acapella and harmonies throughout the song make it unique and have added to the reasons this is  my favorite songs/albums of 2021. The repackage as well is absolutely genius with songs that connect with eachother like The Realist and The Dreamer. Not to mention the fun pre-release My Name. I can’t imagine the next 1,5 years without new ONF music but I truly will be sad. 

2. Nerves - DPR Ian (Moodswings in This Order) March 12 

Not really Kpop but it’s here. DPR Ian made his long awaited solo debut and holy shit. This album is the most raw, emotional thing I have ever listened too. Every song on the album is so well done, but Nerves is probably my favorite. The raw emotion and the sound of Ian’s voice cracking at his words. It hits my soul. He’s also just so incredibly open with his mental issues and he really let his feelings out in this album. Not to mention the visuals with the album are stunning. Honourable mentions: Welcome to the show  Dope Lovers  Scaredy Cat  He said he’s working on another one and I can’t wait, like really can’t wait. 

3. Moonshot - N.Flying (Man on the Moon) June 7th 

I also don’t think this is a surprise. N.Flying finally got their first full album and I just think it took entirely too long for them to have one. But it totally didn’t disappoint. I have an emotional attachement to N.Flying and for them to release such an empowering song when I really needed it, meant alot. N.Flying always hit and their other song from this year Sober almost made this list, but I decided to put in Moonshot because it resonates a little more. Other songs on this album I recommend are: Comma,  Flashback  Blue Scene I even ordered both versions of this album to support them. I also recommend watching their process of recording this album, it gave a lot of perspective. 

4. 0x1=Lovesong - TXT (ft. Seori) (The Chaos Chapter: Fight or Escape) August 17th

Now, I only really got into TXT this year. It majorly has to do with their change in sound. I love the rock elements and the feeling this song gave me. It gave me goosebumps the first time I listened to it. Sadly, the rest of the album wasn’t for me but Lovesong made up for all of that. I listen to this song soooo often, I even enjoy the remix with pH-1 and Woodie Gochild it’s just sooooo good. I hope they keep up this sound, like they did LO$ER=LO♥ER. This music video is also my favorite of theirs, the colors, the found family feeling. Truly amazing. 

5. Paranoia - Kang Daniel (Yellow) February 16th 

Daniel is also an artist I got more into this year, mainly because of Paranoia. Paranoia was a great choice for pre-release and this song gave me goosebumps. The visuals with it, the hard work Daniel put into it, he deserves the recognition. The theme is so dark but so honest to how he feels and it just hits so hard. Not to mention the song is just so good and he looked absolutely stunning. I’m not above superficial reasons lmao. Antidote and Save U (ft. Wonstein) are other amazing songs on this album. 

6. Popping! - ONF (Summer Popup Album)  August 9th

Shouldn’t be surprised this is here either. ONF really outdid themselves this year. They worked so incredibly hard and this album shows it. They went through alot of trials this album as well but they worked through it and dropped my favorite summer song possibly ever. Summer Shape  Dry Ice  Summer Poem are amazing songs on this album, totally worth checking out. Please do, they worked so hard. I guarantee at least one song will make you smile. 

7. Hula Hoops (ft. Hwasa, Beenzino) - DPR Live (Iite Cool) July 23rd

DPR Live, sir where do I start. DPR dropped this album with the notion that they just wanted to have fun and have fun they did. This album is fun and lighthearted, just what everyone needed in this last year. The whole album is a fun party and the DPR crew worked so hard for this. Listen to this album for a fun time, I recommend: Yellow Cab  Summer Tights  Boom (ft. DPR Ian) All fun songs with totally different vibes. Music videos are perfect too. 

8. Cinema - CIX (`HELLO' Chapter Ø. Hello, Strange Dream) February 2nd

I’ve mentioned this song alot on my blog, Cinema feels like a warm hug. The best way I can describe this song is, going on your first date to the movies and being too shy to even look at eachother and going in for your very first kiss. Just such a wholesome song. I listen to it for comfort and watch CIX’s content for comfort as well. Stairway to heaven and Young are great songs on this album, I highly recommend. I also have gotten into CIX wayy more this year and to say I adore them is an understatement. 

9. Do or Not - Pentagon (Love or Take) March 15

Pentagon and their amazing songs. Look songs like this tickle that special part in my brain. Do or Not is the perfect song, it’s fun and colorful while not being overbaring. All members got their moment to shine and it’s just so good!!! 1+1 Sing-a-song and Baby I love you are great songs on the album. The album is also just so cute, the whole design of it even. Can’t wait for them to come back. 

10. Advice - Taemin (Advice) May 18 

It’s not a list without something SHINee related and low and behold here it is. The piano in Advice is really what does it for me, not to mention Taemin’s styling to be totally honest. I loved everything about this video. It’s the clean white background while he’s covered in paint and then the other way around. Sad Kids and If I could tell you (ft. Taeyeon) are beautiful songs that show Taemin’s artistry. 

11. Inside Out - Nu’est (Romanticize) April 19th

Nu’est have become one of my favorite groups of all time. I love that their songs are so lowkey and they aren’t in your face. They’re calm and relaxed and just very good like background music. I love Inside Out a lot as the concept really sat with me, not to mention the vocals and visuals that came into play. Not to mention every member got a solo this album: here is Aron’s because I’m so biased: I’m Not . Another good song on the album is Black. Shoutout to Aron for climbing into my ult list as well. 

12. Outsider - BtoB (4U: Outside) August 30th

BtoB had a comeback and I am the happiest person ever. Anyone who has followed me for a few years will know my connection to BtoB and I missed them. Outsider follows that jazzy vibe they’ve always had and emphasized it. Changsub and Eunkwang’s vocals are truly magical and the music video is so insanely fun. My baby Peniel absolutely dominated his rap, especially with the adlibs. Can’t Breathe and Traveler are my favorite b-sides.

13. Teardrop - SF9 (Turn Over) July 5

Runway song of the year, ass shaking music but make it high fashion. Not to mention the choreo. Icons and icons only, this being their comeback after Kingdom too. SF9 forever not getting the attention they deserve. Ughh I love them so much. Love Again, Believer and Off My Mind are amazing b-sides I highly recommend. I also recommend watching every Hwiyoung fancam of Teardrop that you can. You know  for clean skin. Here is a playlist where you can do that

14. All In - DKB (the dice is cast) March 30th

DKB, my sons. They dropped this absolute banger. It gives me old kpop, like 2013 - 2015. DKB are so well developed already, sound wise and choreography. They are so impeccable. I really loved watching them grow from their last comebacks. I hope that with Brave Girls’ recent success that people will check out their little brothers. Anyways, I recommend Flower Less and Real Love off of the album. Please show DKB a lot of love!

15. Atlantis - SHINee (Atlantis) April 12th

Okay it was a toss up between ‘Don’t call me’ and this, but I picked this because it gave me more the authentic SHINee sound. I loved the music video and all the fun little details in it. Also this isn’t a list without SHINee, it’s not valid if they aren’t on it. Body Rhythm, CØDE and Kiss Kiss  are my favorite songs on the album but Body Rhythm takes the cake, never have I heard a more wavy song. 

Favorite debuts

Kingdom ‘Excalibur’ February 17th

Kingdom really got me this year. Their music is absolutely impeccable, the boys are amazing, they’re concept is insane and I love it. I found them to be entirely unique even in dynamic and they have made one of my favorite songs of all time Night Air (Acoustic Version) I can’t wait to see where their concept takes them, because it’s just so interesting. 

Mirae ‘Killa’ March 17th

Mirae are another one of my favorite discoveries. DSP Media sucks, but their groups don’t. This song reminded me of NCT 127′s Superhuman and I think that’s why I enjoyed it so much. The futuristic vibe to the video and everything also really tickled my pickle. Not to mention I also just adore their content on their channel, it’s just so fun and comforting. 

D.O ‘Rose’ July 26th 

Now, the long awaited solo debut of D.O. This was right up my alley, the acoustic guitars and the comforting lyrics just hit me in the feels. I’m so sad he didn’t promote. This album was also just impeccable and managed to make me absolutely sob my heart out to one specific song: Dad. I hope D.O has more solos in the future because I just adore his voice so much. 

[nitpick7]

Ayo anyone wanna see my essay on why removing Anybody Have A Map made the Dear Evan Hansen movie worse? It is slightly long

Disclaimer: I did like the movie (I cried three times), but I think they made some stupid decisions with it.

Dear Evan Hansen movie + musical spoilers under the cut, plus a fair amount of DEH neg/crit

Instead of Anybody Have A Map, they just have Evan's mom say "Hey are you writing those letters to yourself? Also you should ask the kids to sign your cast" before he goes to school and sings Waving Through A Window. They ignore every other part of the song and quickly insert the only thing from the song that's absolutely needed to understand the story so Evan can go be angsty at school. We don't even meet the Murphys until they meet Evan in the principal's office to tell him about Connor.

Disclaimer part 2 electric boogaloo: I complain about Evan a lot here. It's not because I think his experiences aren't valid and it's not because I'm trying to demonize people with mental illnesses or something. I know that his own struggles influenced his bad decisions. That doesn't mean they weren't bad decisions. He still did shitty things and he wasn't justified (listen to Words Fail), but I know it was influenced by his mental health.

On with the complaining!

First of all, the movie opens with Waving Through A Window? It feels like they're putting the most popular song first as a desperate grab for your attention to convince you the movie is good and like... they really didn't need to do that. Waving Through A Window is right after Anybody Have A Map, it's not like anyone's gonna walk out of the theatre after one (really good) song.

Anybody Have A Map establishes a few things: it shows us that both of these families are struggling so that we know immediately that the Murphys' perfect facade is fake, it shows us that Connor was a dick to his family (this is very important), and obviously it tells us why Evan was writing letters to himself. It also introduces us to the two main families at the same time so we know this story isn't just about Evan.

By starting the movie with an Evan solo song instead of the group song, they frame Evan as the one main character, the only person whose perspective we need to understand. But Evan is incredibly flawed, just like everyone else, and by making us think the story is only about him, it immediately makes us (the audience) more inclined to believe that Evan is always in the right and less inclined to consider everyone else's side of the story. Evan is an incredibly unreliable narrator, he's always going to frame his actions as correct, or at least excusable, even when he's actively hurting/lying to other people.

All of the Murphys get introduced through interacting with Evan instead of interacting with each other. This makes it seem like the Murphys only exist for Evan, but the entire point of the climax is that everything doesn't exist just for Evan! Evan is not part of their family, he can't just use everyone around him for his own benefit, and all of the Murphys have lives outside of him. When they're introduced through Evan, they're introduced as existing for Evan. Anybody Have A Map introduces them separately from Evan instead of attached to him.

Without Anybody Have A Map, we never actually see Connor being mean to Zoe, so she just looks like an asshole for not being sad about her dead brother. To make up for it, she's constantly having to tell the audience why she hated him, tripping over herself to talk about all the shitty things he did to her because we don't have Anybody Have A Map to show us their interactions. Zoe ends up complaining about her brother the entire time, so when it gets to Only Us and she says that she doesn't want everything to be about her brother, it seems out of character for her.

And with the removal of Anybody Have A Map, we don't ever see Connor interact with his own family in the movie. Anybody Have A Map is the only time we get to see Connor with his family. It shows us that Connor really was an asshole to his family, it justifies Zoe hating him, and it gives his mom more dimensions by showing her struggling to keep her family together even with everyone fighting against her. Without that, the writers ended up ignoring the most basic piece of writing advice - "show, don't tell" - to fill in the missing information from the song.

In the movie, all we get of Cynthia Murphy is... her being sad about Connor and refusing to admit that he ever did anything wrong. She's just boring and annoying in the movie, but in the musical, we get that bit at the beginning that shows her as an actual person with actual motivations! By cutting Anybody Have A Map, they made her into a more one-dimensional character.

So in a bit of a conclusion: Anybody Have A Map establishes the Murphys as main characters separate from Evan and shows us Connor's relationship with his family instead of telling us about it. It sets the scene for the story before just jumping into "Evan is sad and alone uwu anxious depressed soft boy" and makes everyone a better, more three-dimensional character. Getting rid of it meant that they had to do backflips to justify everyone's decisions during the movie instead of setting everything up at the beginning.

I do think the movie could've benefitted from Disappear but then again, it could've benefitted from the whole "Connor being the visual/vocal representation of Evan's justifications for why keeping up the lie is helping people" thing in general, but they got rid of that so Disappear wouldn't have worked. (I am salty that they got rid of that thing but whatever) The Anonymous Ones worked instead and it was a good song, so sure, why not I guess? /neutral

I could also complain about how they got rid of To Break In A Glove, Disappear, and Good For You, but none of those decisions actually impacted the story too much. To Break In A Glove and Good For You both got replaced with some tell-not-show cutscenes that gave us the same information in a less interesting way (and Larry got less character development without To Break In A Glove), and Disappear got replaced with an Alana song which was honestly pretty good so i'm fine with that one.

Now for some good changes that the movie made!

The Anonymous Ones was a good song, I actually really liked that. I'm disappointed that they got rid of Disappear, but they replaced it with another song that served the same purpose while also giving Alana more screen time and character depth! And it was a genuinely good song, I really enjoyed it and it made me like Alana more!

I really liked the ending of the movie. In the musical, there are literally no negative consequences for Evan, Zoe even forgives him at the end. She fucking forgives him for lying to her entire family about their dead son and and taking advantage of them because it "brought them closer together". And the internet never finds out what he did! He does all this terrible shit, lies to the entire fucking world, and gets away scot-free. And he never learns anything real about Connor. The movie changes all of that.

Connor's song was also a great addition! Every time we saw Connor in the musical, he was either being a dick or he was a fantasy version of himself made by Evan and/or Jared. Seeing that Connor can, in fact, be a nice person, that Cynthia's belief in him wasn't misplaced, was so satisfying. He really was just a meaner version of Evan a troubled kid lashing out at the world in self-defense. He wasn't an entirely bad person.

The Murphys still decide not to tell anyone what he did, but then Evan decides (on his own!) that he needs to own up to what he did. He records a video of himself admitting to what he did, shifts all the blame to himself, and then goes out of his way to fix his mistakes in any way he can. He says that his biggest regret is not getting to know Connor while he had the chance, so he goes online to find anything he can. He reads Connor's favorite books, tries to find anyone who might be able to tell him what Connor was like, and when he receives a video of Connor playing his song in rehab, he takes the time to send the video (through the mail, on a flash drive) to the Murphys, Jared, and Alana.

Evan doesn't contact Zoe at the end, she contacts him instead. She doesn't forgive him, and he doesn't ask for forgiveness. He knows what he did was wrong and he owns up to it and tries to fix it as much as possible, knowing full well that it could ruin his life. He does the right thing for the first time in the entire fucking movie (that's hardly even an exaggeration) and it's such a good ending. It makes more sense and is more satisfying than the musical.

The Dear Evan Hansen movie was not nearly as bad as the reviews say it was. It wasn't as good as the musical, it had its own problems, but it also made some good changes that I think made the story better. It wasn't perfect, but I enjoyed it and most movies aren't perfect anyway. It really could've benefitted from Anybody Have A Map, though.

[hardskz]

[ 5:24 pm ] it’ll be easy, they said. it’ll be fun, they said.

bullshit and bullshit.

it’s far from easy when you’re sitting on chan’s cock while he’s monitoring jisung who’s in the recording booth and diligently recording his part for the upcoming mixtape. and it’s far from fun when none of them are acknowledging your existence, too immersed in producing the song. on top of that, it doesn’t help that chan won’t sit still, always shifting around to press all the right buttons, making his dick stir inside of you. 

“chan, stop moving,” you say, trying to keep your breath even when he leans forward to drag the cursor somewhere on the screen. his cock fills you up nicely despite not having reached full hardness yet, and it’s taking a toll on your sanity to not clench around him. 

“sorry, can’t do that. just hold on a little longer, yeah?” eyes still glued to the screen, he presses a chaste kiss to your cheek. as if that suffices for an apology. no, that won’t fucking do. 

“you’re insufferable,” you mumble under bated breath. it’s only when chan tenses up that you realize the gravity of your slip-up. 

“are you talking back to me? do I need to remind you which one of us is in charge?” he challenges you, voice cold as ice. you don’t have to see him to know that he’s got a brow raised, patiently waiting for you to bite back under the crushing silence. “no answer? thought so.”

“i wasn’t—”  

“are you done disrupting us?” 

this time, the sound comes from the speakers. your eyes immediately flit over to jisung who’s visibly fed up. even with the thick glass separating you, his irritation reaches you skin-deep, causing shivers to run down your spine. he clicks his tongue.

“we let you be with us in the studio and this is how you act? you said you wouldn’t throw a temper tantrum.”

you can feel the heat rise up your cheeks. “i’m not throwing a tantrum—!”

“sure you aren’t, sweetheart,” he drawls before he gets out of the booth, letting the door fall in its lock with a thud. it shouldn’t, absolutely should not have affected your crumbling resolve as much as it did when jisung leans against the table, shoves his hands into his pockets and cocks a brow, and you pray to the devil that chan doesn’t notice you tightening around him. jisung clicks his tongue again in mockery as if he were about to chastise a child. “channie hyung’s cock in your cunt isn’t enough to keep your mouth shut? talk about spoiled; you need to be put in place. why can’t you be quiet like — dunno — minho’s cats? why can’t you zip it like a little kitty?”

the blunt delivery has your head spinning. since when can jisung talk like that? usually, it’s chan who doesn’t shy down from being direct with the vulgarities, and the change has your blood rushing south.

“what? is that turning you on? do you like it when he compares you to a mere pet?” chan inquires. you can only whimper in response, drawing a scoff out of him. but as if that wasn’t enough salt to the wound, he adds, “so disgusting.” 

both shame and arousal hit you like a tidal wave. you’re finally in the spotlight, basking in the attention they’re giving you, but it’s all filled with degrading comments and belittling looks. all they did was throw you a look and borderline mean comments, and that’s all it takes to have you aching for more. 

“sorry, i’ll be quiet,” you muster up meekly, shifting on chan’s hardening cock. at least you’re not the only one who’s affected by the entire scene. 

“ah, there you are, talking again. kitties shouldn’t be able to talk though, hm?” jisung pauses to give you a good once-over, stopping when he sees chan’s dick filling your hole up to the brim, only a bit of the base visible to his eye. then his eyes flit up to yours once more. “need a visual aid? maybe next time we should make you wear kitty ears and a tail.”

you shudder. he’s hit the nail right on the head and he knows it, and the way you avoid his cocky expression just proves it further. being subjected to not only one, but two sets of eyes have you moving around even more, and your jaw drops open when chan grounds you firmly on his cock, the force almost causing you to pass out.

“you like that, don’t you?” chan growls, and you could’ve come right then and there. “speak, kitten.”

he says it as if it was easy to talk, let alone talk properly. by that point, you’re too far gone to respond with snarky comments that are all bark but no bite. all your previous thoughts have merged into one big clusterfuck that is wanting them to ruin you until you regret it. they’re already halfway there to reducing you into their little bitch, especially when chan’s cock is stretching you out nicely and his fingers are slowly making their way to your clit. 

jisung repeats the other’s words again, pulling you back to your senses for a split second. it’s long enough for you to stutter out a “y-yes” that sounds pathetic to your own ears, but your embarrassment dissolves once chan rubs slow circles on your clit, sending you five dimensions over. thank fucking god the studio is soundproof and the door is locked because you’re pretty sure the entire floor would’ve been able to hear your frantic moans and incoherent babbles. 

your ears only pick up every fifth word or so. however, the last thing jisung says has your eyes rolling back, excitement spiking inside of you.

“you still won’t shut up. looks like we’ll have to stay here longer and take care of you first.”

[jadelynlace]

Hvitserk’s First Tattoo / Ink Drinker Modern Vikings AU Request [Ivar x F!reader]

catch up on the porno, I mean series, here.

requested by: @quantumlocked310 ♡

author’s note: thanks to this post, you’ll all be subjected to the written requests. here is the visual reference for the tattoo Hvitserk gets (image isn’t mine and all credit goes to it’s original owner). mentions of brotherly bickering, Hvitserk being scared and Ivar tattooing.

synopsis: You finally talk Hvitserk into getting some ink.

✎

“Did I miss it?” You say, nearly falling in through the main door of the shop. “I almost took the ambulance over here just because it has lights and sirens,” Hvitserk offers you an estranged look, one mixed with him being mortified and slightly impressed with your timing after the over night shift.

“I’ve never seen you this excited,” Sigurd calls from his spot, pulling a record from the shelf as he goes about lining it up, pulling the needle over so the music can fill the room.

“She doesn’t even get this excited when she sees my dick,” Ivar teases from his spot and you offer him a less than kind finger gesture. 

“Can you blame me?” You remark back and Ivar only returns your original hand motion. “Did you pick yet?” You the ask as Hvitserk studies Ivar’s portfolio, as if he will be quizzed on it at the end of the session.

“I can’t believe you talked me into this,” He groans, another turn of the laminated pages.

“All of our best talks happen when it’s in the ambulance cabin at four in the morning,” You laugh, patting his back as you round the small counter. Ivar’s hands are quick to seat you on his lap, wrapping around you almost instantly and you both breathe in relief.

“Long night?” Ivar asks softly in your ear.

“Routine bullshit,” You grumble back, his hands tracing up your back and you could almost fall asleep in the very spot. One hand leaves your spine, reaching along the counter to grasp the tall can of his energy drink, offering it to you but you only shake your head. “That crap tastes like cough syrup,” You add as Ivar downs another gulp.

“Hurry up Hvitserk, we’re here after hours for this,” Ivar calls before he pulls the can back to his mouth.

“Yeah, I can’t wait to pop your cherry,” You say and Ivar looses some of the energy drink through a spray from his lips.

“You can get her name on your ass,” Sigurd says, walking past Hvitserk and tapping his uniform clad back. 

“Why? So Ivar and I can match?” Hvitserk grumbles back and you laugh against Ivar’s chest. 

“How do they know about that?” Ivar asks you quietly, through a teasing voice and you raise slightly, giggling against his mouth as your catch his lips with yours.

“Oh, for fucks sake—Hvitserk here, do that one,” Sigurd says, tapping his fingers against the page. “Paramedic Ragnarsson gets an anatomical tattoo,” 

“Nice choice,” Ivar hums, standing to his full height with you latched still around him and he sets you to sit along the counter.

“Is it nap time for the baby?” Sigurd says, voice taking on a toddler’s tone as he sits back at the front desk, and at the receiving end of the pen that flies from Ivar’s grasp. Leather combat boots stalk along the dark wooden floors, pulling the design from its laminated home before Ivar sends the image through the printer in the far corner. Your eyes catch sight of his back, the muscles in his biceps, the veins on his forearms as he programs the machine to spit out the stencil. Looming your eyes up the gray fabric of the old band tee, over the locks that he’s starting to comb into a bun, and then down the dark wash jeans and over how they end in the tops of his shoes. More thoughts swirl about how you couldn’t wait to undress him when you two would go to your apartment.

As Hvitserk makes himself comfortable in the black leather chair, he rolls up the uniform sleeve, a quick unbutton and folding of the blue material, already deciding on where he deemed the appropriate placement. The curl of his sleeve stops above his elbow and you could see the faint burn mark on his wrist from when he tried to eat a marshmallow that was still on fire. You watched Ivar position himself at his station, a meticulous arrangement of his tools, setting everything in a straight line to connect. There was a squirt of the ink into the containers, a pull of gloves onto his hands, wiggling his fingers into their spots and cracking his knuckles. You bit down on your own tongue to stop that moan that tried so hard to escape. Taking the razor to shave off the blond fuzz, he gingerly laid the stencil on his brother’s inner arm, pressing it gently before pulling it back.

“Double check in the mirror that you like the placement,” Ivar says, tossing his head towards the back wall with the mirror surrounded by an intense wooded frame Floki had built. Hvitserk stands, and you see the slight tremor in his hands, never a fan of any sort of pain—intentional or not. You’ve seen this man cry at the sensation of a paper cut, and all but sob when he jerked his shin against the metal grate on the ambulance’s bumper. But, he was also the man who would tell the patients that it was going to hurt—the realignment, or when he set up the hare for an isolated femur fracture—it was going to hurt and they had his full permission to break his hand if need be. You laugh every time there’s an active labor call, and Hvitserk reassures the mother that he has two hands, and if she needs to break one to push her child out, he’s willing to suffer. It calms the hysteria, even on the worst calls you two had walked into, Hvitserk always knew how to calm any of the demons that danced in the ambulance. Ivar turns to you as Hvitserk gazes, probably far longer than other client has to date, and slides himself over to where you’re perched. There’s a removal of one glove, an index finger and thumb on your chin as he kisses you once, twice, and third time. 

“I already know what I want to eat for dinner,” He whispers against your ear, just loudly enough so you’re the only one to hear his words. “But make sure you leave the polo on, baby girl,” He adds, kissing your temple and nudging the badge that’s on your chest, as a slow blush roses over your cheeks while he turns back around. “Alright brother, ready?” He calls, tapping the seat of the chair and Hvitserk takes a final look before plopping both himself down and his arm against the cushion. 

“Is it going to hurt?” Hvitserk asks, trying to bite the smile he’s showing while both Ivar and Sigurd are preparing to throw whatever they can reach. “I’m sorry I couldn’t resist,” Ivar offers him another lethal glare, nearly plucking the smile from his lips as he begins to spread a thin layer of the ointment across the purple ink. There’s a buzz from the needle gun and Hvitserk whimpers not unlike a puppy. Ivar’s glove-clad fingers stretch to pull the skin taunt, taking the gun down the first line and wiping it with a paper towel.

“Still alright, sir?” You say to Hvitserk as if he’s a patient in your ambulance and you’re watching an IV start. 

“Can you hold my hand?” He whines in a faked voice of concern.

“No,” You say back and there’s a snicker from Sigurd on the far side of the shop. The room dulls to only the noise of the record, the vibration of the needle and you watch Ivar so effortlessly in his element. Eyes watching, concentrating on what he’s doing yet singing lowly to the lyrics of the song that floods your ears alike. He rolls his chair slightly, maneuvering Hvitserk’s arm to his liking as he holds it down with his own. Strength unmatched because his least favorite thing is when the client fidgets, since it sends his work to become sloppy, and he’s grown accustomed to a way to hold the body part down to his liking. And that sight makes you think about him over you, body weight pressing against you like a weighted blanket, one with a smart mouth and curved lip who melts at the sheer stroke of your nails on his skin. Your thoughts rolls from the shift you worked prior, reanalyzing what you had done, gone through, pulling it to part like thread. They roll like waves but crash with thoughts of Ivar, his small comment earlier and then they shift. From work to pleasure and you’re squeezing your thighs before you realize it. Ivar’s voice comes through your ears to halt the dissection, and you move your head to see Hvitserk admiring the piece now forever on his skin and you smile back. Another layer of ointment and then it’s wrapped tightly with Ivar’s instructions to leave it on for an hour. 

“See? No need to be a little baby about it,” You tease him and he laughs.

“That’s his default setting,” Sigurd’s voice calls as he stands up. “Ivar you’re closing up tonight, right?” And Ivar just nods. “I will see your smiling face tomorrow morning then,” He adds sarcastically, and with a wave and check of his pockets he’s out the shops front door.

“Wasn’t as terrible as I thought,” Hvitserk jokes. “Maybe I will get your name on my ass after all,” You offer him a faked smile and forged laugh. “I’m going to head out too, I got the over time for tomorrow,” And he’s gone with a salute through his hand and the hundred dollar bill on the desk, leaving you and Ivar alone in the shop.

“I like seeing you in here,” You say softly as you watch him clear his materials, place everything in their homes and he smiles while he works. “You’re so relaxed,”

“I can say the same thing when I see you in that ambulance, baby,” He replies as he casts a look back to you and then he’s standing, arm grabbing you to come into his side. “Now let’s get going, I’m really looking forward to my dinner…”

Ink Drinker Tags:

@smileysam13579 @dreamtherapy @heisentwerk  @angelofthenightposts @ill-skillsgard @youaremyfamiliar @unbetaedimagines @kathryn-jane @readsalot73 @skrsgardspam @lihikainanea @queen-sarang   @anastasiaskarsgard @andmyannabellee @walkxthexmoon  @flowers-in-your-hayr @peachyboneless @heavenly1927 @victoria-styles @quantumlocked310 @xbellaxcarolinax @mighty-ragnarssons @alexhandersen-marcoilsoe-fandom @queen-of-upshur @nanahachikyuu @apenas-mais-uma-pessoa  @youbloodymadgenius @love-all-things-writing @theanxietyqueen17 @trip2themoon @fandomlifeandeverythingelse

*please message me to let me know if you would like to be added or removed from my tag list. specifications for series/etc. are also welcomed, as well as feedback.*

full masterlist can be found here.

[maxismatchccworld]

Patch Notes

Update 11/10/2020 PC: 1.68.154.1020 / Mac: 1.68.154.1220 Console: Version: 1.33

Welcome, Simmers! A relaxing getaway sure sounds nice right about now. We’re inviting you to take a trip with your Sims to your favorite destination with the newly added ability to vacation anywhere within The Sims 4! Here at Maxis, we’ll be hitting the slopes of Mt. Komorebi with the release of The Sims 4 Snowy Escape in just a few short days. Curious how it works? Read on! We’ve got a big haul of new features and requested fixes in this major update to The Sims 4.

-SimGuruGraham and SimGuruRusskii

NEW & IMPROVED FEATURES Platforms

Platforms enable you to build rooms at varying heights within a story level. As much as we’d love to sit here and go on and on about how incredible platforms are and how they completely revolutionize Build Mode, you’ll see that for yourself as soon as you try them out in-game! Here are some basics for how they function and how you start building with them.

You either can use the new

Platform Tool

directly in or you can place preset platforms that come in various shapes and sizes. You’ll find both of these within the “Walls and Empty Rooms” section of Build Mode.

You easily can add or adjust the height of a platform in any room. Simply click on a room to select it, and the new up & down arrows in the widget that appears will allow you to add or adjust the height of a platform within that space.

Because platforms can have their height adjusted up or down, you can even create platforms that sink down beneath ground… like, really,

really

deep down. I don’t know why anyone would want to do that *

cough

* devious players *

cough

*, but the option’s there! This ability to go deep is reserved for the ground level and basements.

You can stack platforms on top of platforms, on top of platforms, on top of platforms, on top of platforms, on top of platforms… Seriously, go nuts. Get creative. Make something nobody has ever seen in The Sims before!... On top of platforms…

When a platform’s height is a single step higher or lower than the adjacent floor, Sims are able to step onto it. For anything higher than a single step, connecting a set of stairs or a ladder between the different surfaces will allow Sims to reach them. Here’s your first advanced lesson in platforming: Remember that callout about stacking platforms on top of each other? If each stacked platform is a single step in height, you could certainly make some interesting custom staircases…

One notable exception - platforms can’t connect across multiple levels. If you build a stack of platforms all the way to the ceiling, the very last step will need to be a staircase or ladder to connect two separate floors of a building together.

Platforms can be utilized as fully functional space or be purely decorative areas - the choice is yours! As you adjust the height of a platform, your Sims will intelligently adapt to that space. For example, you could create a platform with only enough head clearance for a child to enter. The possibilities are endless!

The visual look of platforms can be customized in a variety of ways. The “Walls and Empty Rooms” section of Build Mode now has a “Platform Trims” subcategory. Here you’ll find trims that match all of our foundations as well as some new trims with basic materials that look perfect in the interior of a building. Want to go even further? Try wrapping the edge of a platform with half walls and then customize the edge with any wall material. Mix and match these methods for creative results!

Even More Half-Walls

Speaking of Half-Walls, we’re pleased to share that we’ve created 12 additional Half-Wall heights to choose from, adding to the 7 heights previously available. One could factually say this is our most sizable Half-Wall update ever! Pity the poor person who was tasked with writing uniquely descriptive names for each of these 19 height variations.

Sentiments

Sentiments are those special fuzzy feelings that form between Sims when they share a memorable moment together. Shared experiences between Sims now offer the opportunity for Sims to develop long-lasting sentiments between each other, which in turn affects how they feel and act in the presence of (or the absence of) another particular Sim. Unlike relationships between Sims, Sentiments can be a one-sided affair. When two or more Sims share an experience together, you may find that all, some, or none of them walk away from that moment having formed a lasting impression of the other Sims that were involved. The base game includes a wide variety of these Sentiments and Snowy Escape has additional ones tied to experiences within that pack.

Sentiments that have formed between Sims can be viewed in two locations. When socializing with another Sim, click on the heart-covered notebook that appears in the social UI at the top of your screen. Alternatively, you can view the Sentiments that exist between two Sims at any time within the new Sim Profile within the Relationship Panel. Read on for more information on this new Sim Profile ...

Sim Profiles

Have you ever gone to check out the other Sims in your Sims’ life, only to be greeted with an overwhelmingly large tooltip that extended from the tippy top all the way to the bottom of your screen? We certainly have, and we weren’t happy with it.

There has to be a better way!

...And there is! Introducing:

Sim Profiles

! Within the Relationship Panel, you can now click on the portrait of any Sim and select “Open Sim Profile” for a full breakdown of all the info the active Sim knows about that Sim. It even includes those nifty new Sentiments everyone’s been talking about!

Skin Tone Update Console & Community Identified Issues

We saw your feedback about the October skin tones update and, to improve clarity and transparency, we shared a first look on Twitter of the fix in progress.

With this patch, the Console game gets the October fixes for texture compression, resolving the banding on the cheeks and foreheads as well as discoloration on the tip of the nose.

In addition, this patch addresses the two community-identified issues of red dots around the lips and a dark blotch between the eyes. The red dots around the lips should be completely resolved at this time. The dark blotch between the eyes was softened to remove the hard edge, but the darkening is expected as part of the shadowing around the nose.

Vacation Anywhere

Couldn’t we all use a good vacation right about now? Your Sims certainly could, and now they can go anywhere! The ability to go on a vacation to any of your worlds has been added to the game for all players along with the “Rental” lot type.

To vacation to a world, a rental lot must exist within it. Should you purchase Snowy Escape, you’ll find the residential world of Mt. Komorebi includes some pre-built rental lots - a ready getaway awaiting your Sims. If you prefer to vacation in another world (Sulani, anyone?), you’ll first need to enter Manage Worlds mode and update at least one of the lots within the desired world to become a rental lot.

During a vacation, if your Sims are lacking any necessities, they now can “Order Supplies Now” from the rental’s mailbox or from their phone. Happy travels!

Toddler Slippers

We figured it’d be nice to give toddlers a pair of slippers to wear. So we did. Cozy feet!

S-Pop Radio Station

You may remember S-Pop (short for “Sim-Pop”) as a radio station in the City Living expansion pack. While the music tracks that originally came with that station will remain exclusive to City Living, the station itself is now available for all players with five new songs for all players to enjoy:

“keep on rocking” Performed by CHAI Written by Yuki Mizutani (p/k/a/ Yuki), Kanae Obata (p/k/a Kana) and Manami Obata (p/k/a Mana) Published by Sony Music Publishing (Japan) (JASRAC) Recording courtesy of Sony Music Japan by arrangement with Sony Music Entertainment “Kanzen Houki Sengen (Simlish Version)” Performed by Nanawoakari Written by Nanawoakari & Tamaya2060 Published by Sony/ATV Music Publishing Recording courtesy of Sony Music Japan by arrangement with Sony Music Entertainment “Part. 2” Performed by SASUKE Written by SASUKE Published by Warner Chappell Publishing Recording courtesy of Warner Music Japan Inc. by arrangement with Warner Music Group Video Game Licensing “Ninhursag’s Tone” Performed by Unite Satisfy Written by Shintaro Aoki Published by Syn Songs Recording courtesy of NNN Records & Cross Groove/Syn Songs “Harujion” Performed by YOASOBI Written by Takuya Shimizu (p/k/a Takuya) and Akira Tsubono (p/k/a Akira) Published by Sony Music Publishing (Japan) (JASRAC) Recording courtesy of Sony Music Japan by arrangement with Sony Music Entertainment

And now, onto the fixes:

The Sims 4

Freelancer Sims now can complete Gigs they have signed up for and harvest the fruits of their labor. Simoleons, Simoleons, Simoooleons… SIMOOOLEOOONS.

Does your Sim look bored all the time? Even when you think they are having fun, they look bored to you? Not a problem anymore. It’s been… taken care of.

Calls Dropping? Is your Cell Phone behaving like a certain network is just not up to snuff? We have upgraded all Sims to Simgular - Llama’s Choice Network that does not allow Off-the-Grid shenanigans when your Sims are not Off-the-Grid.

The NanoCan Touchless Trash Can has been recalled and fixed so now all your trash can be cash in a flash.

Did you ever experience the Honey I Shrunk the Basil and Sage Plants issue in-game? No longer! *No Sage or Basil Plants were harmed in the fixing of this issue*.

Ever had Sims show up looking like a product of a bad makeover? Did your Debate Judge just show up to the debate wearing a mascot hat when they're not the mascot? Did your fellow Spellcasters show up in the Magic Realm wearing not so magical clothes? Say no more… We have applied a fix so that non-playable Sims can be a bit more appropriately coordinated in their outfits and per occasion.

Door lock settings now persist when Sims travel. That’s right! If I disallow everybody, it should stay that way when I travel… or when I exit the game… and the occasional restart, too... hmpf!

Sims who have passed away no longer sometimes disappear from their Genealogy. This is not retroactive, so any Sims that already disappeared will not return.

Sims no longer ignore the kitchen sink and dishwasher to wash their dishes in the bathroom sink. Okay.

Oasis Springs’ World Map now shows lots in the correct locations. I see you, Yuma Heights - don’t be sneaky now.

Sims now can propose to their beloved without rejection (congratulations!). On the same note, Sims with multiple romantic partners now can propose and marry one of them and not get sabotaged by their partners’ predicament of not being able to get married because they are employed together, even when they are not.

Sims who have finished their workday now get back to things sooner instead of sometimes staring off into space.

Ever wished your delicious food just never… ended? We thought we did until our Sims were unable to finish their meals. Now they are able to finish Eating Leftovers. They are leftovers, not leftFOREVERS.

Sims sharing double beds now can Nap or Sleep in any combination. Sim A can nap and Sim B can Sleep… or Sim A can Sleep and Sim B can nap… or they can both Sleep… or nap… well, you get the picture.

Shower Tubs now can be cleaned enough to be visibly squeaky-clean.

Another one bites the dust. The issue that generated Error Code: 110:c875d8ff on game load has been fixed.

Style Influencer Sims now perform Quick Sketch Impression without breaking the Digital Sketchpad. Be kind with your tools and toys.

Removed incorrect Moodlets such as “Awkward Hug” when Unflirty Sims hugged kids. In the same fashion, we made sure Unflirty Sims no longer receive the “Witnessed Crass Act” Moodlet when parents and children hug or kiss cheeks.

Adult Sims now Teach Blocks to their Toddlers. Learning in early life is important!

Sims on vacation now can hire a Nanny and/or a Butler to take care of things while they are away.

Toddlers no longer will show as “At Daycare” when they are taken back home via the “Care for Self” option. No Toddler clones here... you can’t be two places at once!

Toddlers left at home while the rest of the household goes on Vacation now receive proper care and otherwise can join the Vacation. THINK OF THE CHILDREN. Toddlers deserve fun and relaxation in new places, too!

Toddlers no longer get the “Silly Ocean” Moodlet from playing in rivers.

Children once again can earn Adult skills. *sniff* They grow up so fast!

Simmers in social events now get a warning when switching to a Sim in another neighborhood rather than the event cancelling automatically.

Sims with enough Simoleons now can move into empty lots.

Splitting households and then moving no longer causes an infinite load.

We told Sims that they should probably not take 45 minutes to drink a single cup of Coffee. As you guys know, I am a coffee fiend, but nursing the same cup for that long is not in the coffee lover’s manual for enjoying fresh coffee.

We met with our wonderful Sim Firefighters and came to the agreement that they now also will extinguish fires on wall objects such as paintings.

Action progress bars no longer are interrupted when a new action is added to a Sim's queue.

Sometimes items could disappear from your Sim's inventory after travelling. This should no longer happen. Where is my cup of coffee? Oh, okay, it is here….

Sims no longer have Clay Blobs, Future Cubes, and/or Sketch Pads spawn infinitely in their Inventory. This felt like grabbing something out of Felix the Cat’s bag… just a never-ending bag of Clay Blobs, Future Cubes, and Sketch Pads… what did it all mean!? We may never know.

Opening a stack of Inventory items and then going back now highlights the correct item.

In reviewing items in Inventory, we realized that some item stacks were showing the number 99+ incorrectly on Multiselect. What’s the number? - Stomp, Stomp! - What’s the number? - Stomp, Stomp! - The number of the day… you’re about to see the number is the actual number of items you have! Ah ha ha. That’s the number of the day!

Sims no longer endlessly play games such as Chess, Sabacc (if you own Journey to Batuu), Voidcritter Cards (if you own Kids Stuff), and your regular Card games. I could play with Meduso forever though… #Meduso4ever.

Page Up/Page Down and Home/End Keys now work in Free Cam Mode.

The Aspiration Panel now shows the gender of Sims regardless of whether they are active.

Now only Gardeners autonomously remove wild plants. Sims with Green Fiend Trait (if you own Eco Lifestyle) were being a bit overly eager in removing plants everywhere, so the professionals will handle it from now on.

“Listen To Together” on a Stereo no longer resets Sims.

Sims no longer get “Poorly Decorated” and “Dismally Decorated” Moodlets when decorations are in the room. This applies to new Saves as it is not retroactive, but, my, how judgemental Lots were….

Columns now can rotate 45 degrees and in Free Rotation. Spin them right round, Simmers, right round.

The liveeditobjects cheat no longer surfaces items with broken thumbnails that were not meant to be part of that cheat. Pardon our dust.

Shower descriptions in the catalog said they were “Uncomfortable.” Showers are meant to relax and be a place of meditation, so the catalog now says they provide “Discomfort Relief” unless the specific shower really is uncomfortable.

The Subtle Saucer and the Super Subtle Saucer now have images that are more distinct from each other in the catalog. Super Subtle, Super Saucer.

Removed the “Player Feats” door because it wasn’t really a door…

Dishwashers The Professional Dish Laborer, Washer Pro Free-Standing Dishwasher (from Dine Out), and Industrial Dishwasher Unit (from Parenthood) no longer have a gap between counters.

Digital World wall tiles have been polished. Shiny and new!

Career-unlockable outfits no longer show up when filtering for Custom Content.

Toddlers no longer have bald spots when zoomed out on Low Graphics Settings.

Frayed jean ymBottom_EF13JeansFrayedCrop_Black no longer clips with several tops.

Anniversary t-shirts yfTop_EF05ShirtTeeAnniversary and ymTop_EF05ShirtTeeAnniversary fit better on more body types.

Sims with certain feminine frames now look better when wearing Pants or Full Body outfits.

Fixed some Create a Sim item backgrounds.

Selecting what you want to do next at the end of the tutorial on console no longer has the mysterious word "Label" in the background.

Gallery filters no longer cut off some venue type names in some languages. This was particularly egregious for French and Brazilian Portuguese text.

Game fonts got some spiffing up to keep all characters looking their best.

As with every update, the localization team has tweaked, improved, and fixed text across all Packs and previous updates.

To explain a bit further, we created a much more robust set of internal tools that allows us to have greater control over the outfits that the Sims choose to wear in unique situations. We’ve improved a lot of the wacky townie fashion you’ve seen previously (it’s called fashion sweaty - look it up), but if you still see oddities - let us know. It’ll be an easier issue for us to “iron out” moving forward! Together, we can defeat the dreaded eyeball ring.

Get to Work

Scientist Sims placing collected crystals and metals in their Laboratory no longer crash the game. Do you ever science so hard, the simulation crashes?

The “Test Serum” action on a Scientist co-worker no longer causes an error.

Get Together

Stone Frame Window (window1x1_EP02TUDstoneFrame2Tile_set1), Holey Geometry (window1x1_EP02TUDLow_03_2Tile_set1), and King of Diamonds Classical Door (doorSingle2x1_EP02TUDHigh3Tile_set1) now place properly.

Sims in Clubs with a Read rule now finish the books they choose to read. No cheating, my friends.

Wearing their Earbuds (if you own Fitness Stuff) and participating in Club Gatherings no longer causes an error.

Club affiliation on University Housing (if you own Discover University) now persists after entering Build/Buy Mode.

City Living

Ultra Speed now works while Festivals are in progress. Some conspiracy can be said about Festivals wanting Simmers to enjoy them in all their glory… at a normal speed at every speed, but these are just conjectures… yes.

Sims no longer read their mail aloud while conversing with their apartment neighbors. Talk about rude, right?

“Read about Festival” now consistently displays festival information.

Sims from specific San Myshuno neighborhoods now have more variety on their appearance.

Cats and Dogs

Stencils in Create a Sim (Pet) now consistently paint your furry friends without crashing.

Seasons

The holiday tradition New Skill Day now focuses on starting new skills and improving low level skills so skills that are maxed out don’t count.

Toddlers who are inside during a blizzard and in a high chair no longer want to Run Inside, so their caretakers won’t take them out of the chair prematurely. You are safe little one; you are safe.

Now all onions, carrots, mushrooms, potatoes, apples, tomatoes, and growfruits can be planted indoors during freezing weather.

Plants no longer change their quality or evolve on their own after Sims traveling.

Some Outdoor Plants that were stuck in summer/fall now turn brown and lose their flowers when winter starts.

Sims now can book Vacations on the computer during holidays.

Simmers who have disabled Rain and Snow no longer should see them during Mysterious Weather. Mysterious indeed.

Male Sims now wear appropriate shoes when working as a Floral Designer or Botanist.

The beanie hat cuHat_EP05BeaniePom now looks a bit better.

Sims scheduling an event in the Calendar for a Rental Lot no longer end up in a Lot where they have not been greeted.

Get Famous

Stans (“stalker fans”) and Kleptomaniac Sims no longer steal Pet food bowls or Cat litter. I have no words for this one. I have nothing.

Sims with maxed out Atrocious Reputation now maintain their reputation when traveling. Atrocious you shall be forever.

Island Living

Conservationist Sims now Write Conservation Articles at the appropriate career level (level 4). On the same note, the task for Research Conservation now can be completed.

Odd Jobs no longer get stuck in a state where Inventory and Build Mode cannot be accessed.

We had long conversations with Island Celebration Participants and agreed that no random Sims should enter a Sim’s home without permission, barging in as if they owned the place. Excuse you, privacy, and property are a thing, you know?

Discover University

We chatted with the registrar at Britechester University and got them to agree that students should receive class time reminders before class instead of after. You’re welcome. Now, make sure you go on time, alright?

School Spirit Day no longer schedules multiple instances at the same time. But… Did you know it is Spirit Day?

Club gatherings no longer have Sims with their bikes indoors in a disruptive manner.

Sims traveling long distances including stairs now properly walk the stairs and then hop their bikes and they don’t leave their bike behind. You can’t just abandon your bicycle - what about the poor bike’s feelings?

Sims now properly get off bikes while on a slope.

Lawyer Sims now File Court Documents as their tasks dictate at levels after 5. Just because you move up doesn’t mean you stop filing docs.

Students in a different neighborhood from their University now go to school instead of work when choosing “Go to Class” from the Career Panel.

Students now can receive only one merit scholarship per term.

Sims no longer are listed as being at University when they are at home.

The game no longer sometimes freezes when Sims enroll in University. We get that attending University is life-changing, but freezing a game is taking it a bit to extremes.

Students now return to Campuses in their leisure time to cloud gaze and play Soccer in the surrounding areas of Britechester University and Foxbury Institute respectively.

Sims jogging in an Exo-Mech suit no longer get fatigue-related Moodlets.

For Eco Lifestyle Simmers, “Throw Away” and “Compost” now are available on piles of discarded food. The consequences of not having these were especially egregious at University Dorms.

Sweatpants yfBottom_EP08LooseSweatpants now look better when paired with scarf yfTop_EP08SweaterScarf in Create a Sim.

Eco Lifestyle

Recycle Disciple Sims without the Kleptomaniac Trait now swipe household objects less often. We get it, we are all trying to do our best for the environment, but going after your Dumpster was a bit too far… we kinda need that.

Eco Footprints no longer change very quickly from “Green” to “Neutral.” Knox rejoices.

Eco Footprints in Worlds no longer become Neutral when entering Manage Worlds.

We had a chat with Eco Inspectors and they agreed that they should display the correct occupation from now on. And they shall be known as Eco Inspectors… forever.

Bulldozing Pinecrest Apartments now is possible without damaging the lot.

Harvestables obtained via a Dumpster no longer disappear from Inventory a few minutes later. Easy come, easy go… would you not disappear, though?

Recycling is a wonderful thing. Recycling for Inventory exposed missing text on some Grand Meals, so we filled in those names.

Toddlers living in Lots with the Reduce and Recycle Lot Trait mayyyybe were taking it a bit too far generating trash piles in their inventories. Put that down - No more trash in your pockets.

Did your floor patterns experience a glow that never went away after selecting all of them? That’s not a problem anymore.

The Wallpaper formerly known as sheetStandingSeam01GEN has been renamed to Corrugated Metal.

The Fabricator’s Fabricated Couch (no dye) recipe now creates the correct item.

Residential Wall Speaker is renamed to Venue Wall Speaker: Americana to accurately reflect its function and music.

Venue Wall Speaker: Americana now looks correct with the neutral wood option.

Women’s sandals yfShoes_EP09PlatformSandals now look better when paired with jumpsuit yfBody_EP09JumpsuitUtility.

Men’s hairstyles ymHair_EP09CurlyBun_Black and ymHair_EP09CrimpedLong_Black have cleaner hairlines now.

Dine Out

Sims no longer get up from their seats at restaurants randomly and create chaos by speaking to other patrons, grabbing food from their table, putting it somewhere else, and taking over the place by playing the piano or singing. But it was quite the show, wasn’t it?

Xbox One Simmers now can edit Restaurant Staff Uniforms in Build Mode along with other Simmers.

Vampires

Vampire Spar no longer negatively affects Conflict resolution for Simmers with Parenthood.

Realm of Magic

Spellcasters with all spells learned and maxed out no longer lose those when downloaded from the Library/Gallery Muscle memory perhaps?

Create a Sim no longer has the less-than-attractive skin type that was intended only for cursed Sims as an option.

Spellcasters have reviewed the terms of their “Always Transportalate” Spell and now can actually teleport anywhere, even places with stairs.

Journey To Batuu

Sims now are able to complete First Order or Resistance missions and then choose the Hope vs Order - First Steps Aspiration and complete all goals.

The Lightsaber Collection plaque now has a proper name and description so you can display it with pride.

The First Order sent a memo stating to change the First Order Blast Door to not accept any decals or wall decorations.

Create a Sim asset yfBottom_GP09VillagerPatchVertical now goes better with different styles of shoes across multiple Packs.

The Career Panel now displays the active Mission chosen from the Mission Panel.

The game no longer freezes when Sims “Freshen up at the Dwelling” at Black Spire Outpost.

Luxury Party

Create a Sim asset yfBody_SP01SleevesFlutter_SolidBrown fits better when wearing Get to Work’s ymHair_EP01LongWavySwept_Platinum hairstyle.

Movie Hangout

Movie night has been reclaimed! Sims now can watch complete films from start to finish without getting stuck in a never-ending loop… or I should say not in a Neverending Story? STTOOooooryyyyyYYYY.

Knifty Knitting

Create a Sim boots cuShoes_SP17BootsBuckled_SolidRedPin work better with jeans cfBottom_SP07JeansPrint_FloralBlueLt.

[soundsof71]

FIVE ALBUMS YOU NEED IN YOUR LIFE RIGHT NOW!!!

aka, My Top 5 of 2020, but I didn’t want to seem too retro!

Yep, I have a classic rock blog. Yep, I think that the best rock and roll in history is being made RIGHT NOW. And yep, ALL of it is being made by women. 

(Shown at top, Nova Twins by Ant Adams [x] and The Tissues by Michael Espleta [x]. I was planning to make a collage of all my faves in concert, but  not all of them were able to play in 2020. Both of these photos are pre-pandemic.)

There’s been quite a bit of movement on this list, and all five of these have spent some time at Number 1 as the year has done (gestures broadly) All This™. Anyone looking for rock and roll is going to dig any of these. 

Rocking out is just the start of it, though. Wrestling with my bipolarity and schizophrenia is tough on a good day, and there haven’t been too many of those lately. The plague has also taken its toll around me, with two family members dead and a third who’s doing better, but will likely never be all the way back. (Mask up, kids!)

I’ve written plenty about how deeply Taylor Swift and Phoebe Bridgers have moved me this year (and will do so again), but in those rare stretches where I’ve had enough spare energy to listen to music at all these days, I’ve mostly been looking for more than beautiful music. Heavy times need heavy lifting, and I find that in heavy music. 

The five albums here have all helped carry me, pointing the way toward light.

1) BULLY, SUGAREGG

Alicia Bognanno is a force of nature as a guitarist, vocalist, composer, and producer/engineer. (While working on her degree in audio engineering at MTSU, she interned with Steve Albini, who remains both a fan and an admirer). A Nashville transplant from Minnesota, she’s still a natural fit in her home on Sub Pop: as heavy as Soundgarden, as hooky as Sleater-Kinney. 

I was blown away hearing her searing honesty while working through her discoveries of her bisexuality and bipolarity (double bi!), and her triumphant roar lifts me out of my seat every time I listen.

“She sings the hell out of [these songs], her voice fraying to the point of combustion every time she launches to the top of her range. This is phenomenal music for converting anger and anxiety into unbound joy.” ~Stereogum, Album of the Week

Also, check this fantastic interview with Alicia in the New York Times talking about what she’s gone through to get here. 

TURN IT UP!

2) GANSER, LOOK AT THAT SKY

Ganser syndrome is a rare dissociative disorder characterized by nonsensical or wrong answers to questions and other dissociative symptoms such as fugue, amnesia or conversion disorder, often with visual pseudohallucinations and a decreased state of consciousness. ~Wikipedia #it me

‘Just Look At That Sky’ doesn’t presume to offer solutions; it’s an honest document of what it feels like to wade through anxiety, day by day, not a survival guide or handbook of answers none of us actually have. Whether or not you pay attention to this, Ganser are simply one of the most invigorating, exciting new bands. ~Clashmusic

I saw one very positive review compare Ganser to a cross between Fugazi and Sonic Youth, but I think they hit much, much harder than either of those. And as you can surely guess, I also deeply relate to their themes of mental illness and dissociation while trying to make it through All This™. But my god, are they TIGHT. This is a BAND.

Ganser has two fantastic lead vocalists, and on “Bad Form”, bassist/vocalist Alicia Gaines wrote the song for the voice of keyboardist/vocalist Nadia Garofolo. Alicia also wrote a FANTASTIC essay on the strains that making an album during a pandemic puts on the mental health of the entire band at talkhouse: “Writing, recording, reaching out, balancing relationships outside and within the band, I found (and still find) myself under-rested and agitated to no particular end. More than not doing enough, I was not enough.” 

(If you can’t relate to that, I can’t relate to you, tbh.)

This video also does a fantastic job of showing dissociation. TURN IT UP!

3) THE TISSUES, BLUE FILM

“Blue Film” is a ten-song shot of dagger-twisting electro-(s)punk. It’s completely addictive from the very first listen. The tour de force is “Rear Window”, an art-punk masterpiece of slashing guitars and mad caterwauling. Copious doses of jaunty poetics and social commentary reward the earlooker patient enough to untangle Kristine Nevrose’s hysterical meowing about intergalactic salt shakers and hysterectomies, but I’m too emotionally invested to look under the hood.” ~ Sputnik Music

“Rear Window” is in fact my most-played 2020 track. TURN IT UP!

4) GUM COUNTRY, SOMEWHERE

It’s not all heavy! But even when I’m looking for something light and hooky, I need a bite, and Gum Country has done it with the kind of swirly, feeedback-laden wall of sound that Lush or Yo La Tengo would make if they lived in LA. (Recent transplants to SoCal from Vancouver, I do think that the sunshine has gone straight to their heads, in the very best way.)

Indie music nerds will know guitarist/composer/singer/front woman Courtney Garvin from The Courtneys, and she really does throw up a glorious wall of sound. I adore this video too! Sweet, swinging, fun -- and yes, the drummer is playing keyboard with one hand while slapping the skins with the other! 

I mentioned earlier that all five of these albums have spent part of the year at #1 on my list -- I think that this one might have spent the longest stretch there. Like all shoegaze, even as hooky as this, the truth of these songs is revealed in VOLUME. TURN IT UP!

5) NOVA TWINS, WHO ARE THE GIRLS?

Now, THIS is heavy! Amy Lee (vocals, guitar) and Georgia South (bass) are fucking LOUD, and insanely intense. A mix of grime, hip-hop, metal, punk, and good old rock and roll, they’re a harder-hitting, more theatrical Prodigy, with a pyre of intensity that recalls the heaviest howls of Rage Against The Machine. Indeed, Nova Twins spent a good bit of 2019 playing heavy metal festivals and toured as openers for Prophets of Rage. (Tom Morello has been a fan and supporter from the beginning.)

As you may have noted in the photo at the top of this post, their musical audacity extends to visuals too: they design their own clothes, hair, and makeup, they art direct their own videos, and more. They impress the hell out of me, and I’ve been a huge fan since hearing their first singles in 2018. I’ll plant a flag and say that Georgia South in particular is the most innovative musician on any instrument in any genre right now, but they’re both absolutely monsters. 

I’m honestly not at all sure that #5 is high enough for this, but I’m absolutely certain that after this video, you’re gonna need to rest for a little. LOL

“Taxi” is the story of two gleefully and creatively violent women shaking up the local crime syndicate as they use a vintage cab for their moving murder scene. This is the movie that Robert Rodriguez wishes he was making with Sin City, if it were combined with Blade Runner and The Matrix. And gangsters. And a snake.

I’m gonna take your crown I’m gonna, I’m gonna bleed you out We demand it by the hour We devour, control, power

I’m gonna burn it down Even the, even the royals bow

So not the same kind of therapeutic work being explored on this rekkid, but you know what? Fucking shit up is therapeutic too! 

Definitely take this full screen, and for the love of fuck, TURN IT UP!

SO. Not done with the best of 2020 yet? I’m sure not! A lot of my favorite songs aren’t on albums (at least not yet), so for an unedited list of everything I’m finding, check out my Spotify list, 2020: Shuffle This List! 268 songs and counting, over 15 hours, and not finished yet. I’m still checking out everyone else’s Best of lists (including yours! Message me links to yours!!!), so will probably be adding to this for most of 2021, too. 

And for more banging tracks by women from 2020, plus a few 2019 gems that I’m still grooving to, check out my more thoroughly curated Spotify playlist Women Bangers: A Tumblr New Classics Jam. (You’ll see a couple of these tracks there!) I’m working on a YouTube playlist and an essay to properly roll that one out. I’m also still tweaking the ending, but the three dozen or so tunes there are definitely bangin’.

Tell me if you hear anything you dig here, and tell me what YOU’VE found! We’re gonna get through this together.

Yr pal, Timmy

[acaplaya-musings]

Voiceplay-adjacent Visuals: Man of Constant Sorrow

Geoff's cover of Man Of Constant Sorrow was uploaded on the 15th of April, 2023 (the birthday of one of my best friends actually - lucky them). Geoff says in the description of the video: "As great as the song is, I always felt like it needed a bridge, so I wrote one. I fully expect some haterade in the comments section for that, but I love you all anyway." As far as I know, he has received exactly zero (0) "haterade" in the comments section for it, and nor does he deserve any! The bridge is great, and so good that those who don't know the original song (like myself and a few of the reactors I've watched) could think that it was just part of the original song (and did in fact think that), and those who do know the original might think it's from a completely different song! (Like one or two other reactors I've watched).

But anyway, enough about the song (and Geoff's mind-boggling ability to just write new lyrics on a whim, apparently), time to talk about the visuals! Let's go!

This video was filmed at "Big Oaks Ranch", which you might recognise as being the same filming location of Geoff's video for Take Me Home Country Roads (which I skipped over I know), as well as Voiceplay's videos for Daddy Sang Bass and Billie Eilish In 3 Minutes!

(Also check out how warm/saturated this shot is!)

A rare occasion of giving each of the Backup Geoffs different outfits despite it not being a theatrical/majorly-story-based video! We got Blue Shirt Geoff (wearing a polo with none of the 3 buttons done up on it), Light Shirt Geoff (wearing what I think is a pale-green shirt, but I'm not sure, with the top two buttons undone), Black Shirt Geoff (surprise surprise 😝😂) (t-shirt, so no buttons to speak of), and Plaid Flannel Geoff (with at least two buttons undone at the top, and open enough that you can see his necklace on full display!)

(Also that reddish brown belt gets a decent bit of usage doesn't it? Same one as two of the Cowboy Geoffs were wearing in Ghost Riders I believe, and I think it's been worn in Sixteen Tons and/or Big Bad John as well?)

Appreciation for the way the camera panned down along the train tracks, then panned up to Geoff, feet to head. We stan (also full necklace spotted here too!)

Sir how does your hair do that, how is your hair so good that you're giving me hair envy? (For the record, I have long, orange, wavy hair, and yet I can't help but be allured by Geoff's hair sometimes! 😅)

Let's talk about "Hat Geoff" for a minute here, because he's clearly the protagonist of this video, but in an interesting and uncommon twist, he's not actually the lead singer in this video - Light Shirt Geoff is!

(Also I'm genuinely wondering if that's an actual photo that he's holding, and if so, what's on it? (knowing him, my bet is that it's a picture of Kathy/him and Kathy <3 ))

Fun fact: Geoff's "guitar-playing" in this video is mostly just him faking it; doing simple strumming and stuff like that. He can't actually play guitar - or not in the typical way at least. For most of the instrumental stuff in his covers, he uses some sort of plug-in that connects to an electric keyboard/piano, iirc.

(Also the strings are barely vibrating as he's strumming, and I don't think he's even holding a guitar pick. I can't play guitar either though so what do I know? 😅)

Well he certainly looks good with it at any rate! 😁

"I can feel it like a bullet, no matter where I tread,"

(On my list of "movements/gestures from a Voiceplay/Geoff that I replicate nearly every time I sing it to myself 😝"_

"All my days I have been running from these GHOSTS within my head!"

The flowers placed next to Geoff's hat here, are known as "baby's breath", and apparently they've long been used as a symbol of purity, innocence, hope, and new beginnings. Their inclusion in this video would not have been for no reason!

(Also maybe Geoff does know a little bit about guitar-playing? Based on the way he changes hand/finger position on the neck of the guitar).

To just throw in an E1 subharmonic like it's the simplest thing in the world, while looking this good... god it's almost too much!

Also a bit of a fan of Plaid Flannel Geoff though ngl 👀

Genuinely some lovely cinematography in this video! (And apparently a lot of that is because of Geoff as well! Although Layne often helps out with the Steadicam)

Neat!

And I feel like it would be remiss of me to not highlight Geoff's message to people at the end: 😁

"I should mention that the train tracks I was walking down were not in use! So please please please don't go walking down any train tracks near you - trains are big and strong, and you are soft and squishy." [pfft, a Very Important Message indeed!]

I enjoy Man of Constant Sorrow for the fact that for the majority of the song, I can stay pretty easily on key with it (though often a couple or so octaves higher, of course). And that bridge is really awesome, and I could not imagine the song without it!

Only got a couple more Geoff videos that I wanna talk about (at the time of me typing this, at least), but they are my two other favourite videos on his channel (other than Way Down), so be prepared for many more screencaps! Stay tuned!

[princeanxious]

I always have this like. One song that i listen to on one of my playlists, that without fail i imagine this animation/animatic idea with the sides in a winged au, doing some kind of tag-team olympic-like race of some sort, where it involves a ton of dofferent kinds of obstacles that need to be maneuvered around with expert skill, speed, and grace(each being separately counted with their own points catagory to add together for each team's final score) and like

(Ive also had this animatic idea since before janus and remus were revealed so they werent originally imagined as part of this idea but I can make it work just fine)

It starts off pretty simple with Patton leading the take off of the race, as his area of specialty is flying with grace(hes pretty clumsy otherwise, outside of flying, for contrast) and so it starts off with pretty visual manuveres that involve a seriously practiced skill to pull off, both while flying at a quick speed, and while flying around other contestants, but its the shortest part of the race because his not high on stamina to begin with

Then he taps Romans shoulder as he lands and then Roman takes off to the second portion of the race, quick reaction time, agility, and strong manuverability. There are lots more obstacles to avoid or pass through in this catagory, and Roman has large wings so many expect him to struggle with manuverability, but of course he nails it, able to dip low to pass through a small hoop without brushing against it and then lauch high to crest over a bar and then dip low, all at a high speed. Logan is already running for take off as Roman is slowing to land when they high five the trade off

Logan's wings are small and agile, and his area of skill involves quick thinking, agility, and problem solving skills. Some obstacles have false leads that could lose one time as they have to turn back from dead ends or go through even more complicated parts of the course, some are angled weirdly and require an altered version of a vommon manuver to pass through, so on and so forth, and at this point their team is gaining a bit of a lead when he passes the touch to Janus.

Janus's wings are partially damaged, and thought he can still fly just fine, hes more skilled with graceful moves like patton, but the twist is that these moves and maneuveres have to make it through certain obstacles, like hoops and weaving back and forth between a line of metal poles to count for points. He manages it alright but some other winged player, a bad sport, just barely whips past and against the tip his bad wing and disbalances him a bit, loosing their team precious seconds as he has to struggle to right himself to tag Remus in on time

Remus has to focus not to go after the bad sport and instead puts all his effort into the next course, which infact is the one course of the race where flying isnt the main goal, its allowed, but flying 100% of it makes the whole course more difficult. Its infact more of a parcore course, with passing targets to hit and checkpoint flags to grab as you pass, wall climbing up tight walls that are too narrow to fly up and dropping down slopes and weaving between pillars and corners that are too tight to safely pull ones wings out. This, Remus dominates at. Once hes finally out of the course, he tags Virgil, and now their team is on the final stretch of the race.

(This is also where the music of the song starts the crescendo before the pause before beat drops)

Virgil, who is the newest and smallest of the team, is nervous, and hasn't had long to prove to their team that he's good. This is his first year truly participating in an event like this too so his teammates are all gathering at the finish line, waiting in anticipation. Virgil has never boasted about his talents, and struggles to practice with them because his expertise is speed, agility and stamina, and the practice required for that is much more solo. So the team doesnt really know what to expect from him because this last part of the course is the most difficult for anyone with wings in general, even those who train for years because this final course makes it easy to lose speed and stamina fast, and its very common for contestants wings to give out or cramp up mid flight from the strain of keeping a steady altitude, making it a very dangerous drop into the stretch of ocean below.(not to worry, as theres stand-by medical teams to immediately rescue those who drop, and the worst that comes of these is usually strained/sprained wing muscles and shoulder muscles and some bruising.)

its a very long stretch of 'track' from the starting point being at the drop off of an extremely large cliff(the entire race has been using each course to climb up a mountain section by section) right into the ocean, and the entire stretch of flight is completely over deep water, and the finish line is on a large cruiz ship to kick off celebrations once the race is over.

And well, Virgil is small, shorter than his rival contestants, and kind of stout but not by much. But this entire time up till this point you never see his wings, theyre a pitch black lump on his back, naturally pulled tight from anxiety, while the other contestants are stretching their large and small wings out for the long dangerous flight ahead of them.

And just as Remus comes into view, Virgil takes a deep breath and relaxes, though his wings stay pulled tight. The trade off from Remus to Virgil is smooth, though a few other contestants are already taking off ahead of him, but he pays it no mind.

The strip of land he starts at is long enough to get up to a running speed, but instead of leaping up to unfurl his wings and take off or glide off, he takes the entire strip of land to sprint to the cliff,

And then he dives.

And by this point there are snippets of judges and contestants and his team gasping or staring in shock as this is not a normal strat and is infact extremely dangerous for even the most skilled of strong flyers. And Virgil has never particularly come off as a strong or skilled flyer, cautious and fast yes, but skilled?

(This is where the songs tempo starts to pick up to the fullest part of the first beat drops crescendo before lulling-)

And to top it all off, this clif is at least a mile or two high. For the first mile down, first still doesnt open his wings, but instead of looking panicked, he looks calm, his eyes closed and his arms at his side as the wind whips through his face, but its a perfect dive, and the wind fails to throw him off course like people expect it to.

And finally, just as it looks like hes about to dive headfirst into the ocean at full speed, his body doing a few twirls,

His long raven black wings unfurl-

And he soars.

(And the second beat drop hits and erupts into a dramatically energized beat)

Whatever the distance was that he fell behind the other contestants from the time it took to drop is easily lost as the momentum of his drop and the pushing currents of the ocean air send him rocketing towards the finishline, barely losing momentum the way his opponents do with their flapping while his sleek wings cut and glide through the air currents; every once in a while tipping his wings one way the other to catch on the ocean surface to maintain balance

Before you know it, he's close to the finish line of the race, and it takes one solid angles flap to pull him up enough to fly through the finish line with first place at a speed unheard of for this kind of race course, still meters ahead of the contestant to get second place.

Everyones in awe, people are cheering, and Virgil is smiling bashfully, and his team croud around him and are complimenting him

And, of course, because of Virgil's near world record-breaking preformance, their team wins.

[bananaofswifts]

Taylor Swift appears to be waging war over the serial resale of her old master recordings on two fronts. She recently confirmed that she is already underway in the process of re-recording the six albums she made for the Big Machine label, in order to steer her fans (and sync licensing execs) toward the coming alternate versions she’ll control. But now that she’s followed the surprise release of “Folklore” with the very, very surprise release of “Evermore” less than five months later, the thought may occur: If she keeps up this pace, she may have more new albums out on the Republic label than she ever did on Big Machine in a quarter of the time. Flooding the zone to further crowd out the oldies is unlikely to be Swift’s real motivation for giving the world a full-blown “Folklore” sequel this instantaneously: As motivations for prolific activity go, relieving and sublimating quarantine pressure is probably even better than revenge. Anyway, this is not a gift horse to be looked in the mouth. “Evermore,” like its mid-pandemic predecessor, feels like something that’s been labored over — in the best possible way — for years, not something that was written and recorded beginning in August, with the bow said to be put on it only about a week ago. Albums don’t get graded on a curve for how hastily they came together, or shouldn’t be, but this one doesn’t need the handicap. It’d be a jewel even if it’d been in progress forevermore and a day.The closest analog for the relation the new album bears to its predecessor might be one that’d seem ancient to much of Swift’s audience: U2 following “Achtung Baby” with “Zooropa” while still touring behind the previous album. It’s hard to remember now that a whole year and a half separated those two related projects; In that very different era, it seemed like a ridiculously fast follow-up. But the real comparison lies in how U2, having been rewarded for making a pretty gutsy change of pace with “Achtung,” seemed to say: You’re okay with a little experimentation? Let’s see how you like it when we really boil things down to our least commercial impulses, then — while we’ve still got you in the mood.Swift isn’t going avant-garde with “Evermore.” If anything, she’s just stripping things down to even more of an acoustic core, so that the new album often sounds like the folk record that the title of the previous one promised — albeit with nearly subliminal layers of Mellotrons, flutes, French horns and cellos that are so well embedded beneath the profuse finger-picking, you probably won’t notice them till you scour the credits. But it’s taking the risk of “Folklore” one step further by not even offering such an obvious banger (irony intended) as “Cardigan.” Aaron Dessner of the National produced or co-produced about two-thirds of the last record, but he’s on 14 out of 15 tracks here (Jack Antonoff gets the remaining spot), and so the new album is even more all of a piece with his arpeggiated chamber-pop impulses, Warmth amid iciness is a recurring lyrical motif here, and kind of a musical one, too, as Swift’s still increasingly agile vocal acting breathes heat into arrangements that might otherwise seem pretty controlled. At one point Swift sings, “Hey, December, I’m feeling unmoored,” like a woman who might even know she’s going to put her album out a couple of weeks before Christmas. It’s a wintry record — suitable for double-cardigan wearing! — and if you’re among the 99% who have been feeling unmoored, too, then perhaps you are Ready For It. Swift said in announcing the album that she was moving further into fiction songwriting after finding out it was a good fit on much of “Folklore,” a probably inevitable move for someone who’s turning 31 in a few days and appears to have a fairly settled personal life. Which is not to say that there aren’t scores to settle, and a few intriguing tracks whose real-life associations will be speculated upon. But just as the “Betty”/”August” love triangle of mid-year established that modern pop’s most celebrated confessional writer can just make shit up, too, so, here, do we get the narrator of “Dorothea,” a honey in Tupelo who is telling a childhood friend who moved away and became famous that she’s always welcome back in her hometown. (Swift may be doing a bit of empathic wondering in a couple of tracks here how it feels to be at the other end of the telescope.) One time the album takes a turn away from rumination into a pure spirit of fun — while getting dark anyway — is “No Body, No Crime,” a spirited double-murder ballad that may have more than a little inspiration in “Goodbye, Earl.” Since Swift already used the Dixie Chicks for background vocals two albums ago, for this one she brings in two of the sisters from Haim, Danielle and Este, and even uses the latter’s name for one of the characters. Yes, the rock band Haim’s featured appearance is on the only really country-sounding song on the record… there’s one you didn’t see coming, in the 16 hours you had to wonder about it. Yet there are also a handful of songs that clearly represent a Swiftian state of mind. At least, it’s easy to suppose that the love songs that opens the album, “Willow,” is a cousin to the previous record’s “Invisible String” and “Peace,” even if it doesn’t offer quite as many clearly corroborating details about her current relationship as those did. On the sadder side, Swift is apparently determined to run through her entire family tree for heartrending material. On “Lover,” she sang for her stricken mother; on “Folklore,” for her grandfather in wartime. In that tradition the new album offers “Marjorie,” about the beloved grandmother she lost in 2003, when she was 13. (The lyric videos that are being offered online mostly offer static visual loops, but the one for “Marjorie” is an exception, reviving a wealth of stills and home-movie footage of Grandma, who was quite a looker in a miniskirt in her day.) Rue is not something Swift is afraid of here anymore than anywhere else, as she sings, “I should’ve asked you questions / I should’ve asked you how to be / Asked you to write it down for me / Should’ve kept every grocery store receipt / ‘Cause every scrap of you would be taken from me,” lines that will leave a dry eye only in houses that have never known death. The piece de resistance in its poignance is Swift actually resurrecting faint audio clips of Marjorie, who was an opera singer back in the day. It’s almost like ELO’s “Rockaria,” played for weeping instead of a laugh. Swift has not given up, thank God, on the medium that brought her to the dance — the breakup song — but most of them here have more to do with dimming memories and the search for forgiveness, however slowly and incompletely achieved, than feist. But doesn’t Swift know that we like her when she’s angry? She does, and so she delves deep into something like venom just once, but it’s a good one. The ire in “Closure,” a pulsating song about an unwelcome “we can still be friends, right?” letter from an ex, seems so fresh and close to the surface that it would be reasonable to speculate that it is not about a romantic relationship at all, but a professional one she has no intention of ever recalling in a sweet light. Or maybe she does harbor that a disdain for an actual former love with that machinelike a level of intensity. What “Evermore” is full of is narratives that, like the music that accompanies them, really come into focus on second or third listen, usually because of a detail or two that turns her sometimes impressionistic modes completely vivid. “Champagne Problems” is a superb example of her abilities as a storyteller who doesn’t always tell all: She’s playing the role of a woman who quickly ruins a relationship by balking at a marriage proposal the guy had assumed was an easy enough yes that he’d tipped off his nearby family. “Sometimes you just don’t know the answer ‘ Til someone’s on their knees and asks you / ‘She would’ve made such a lovely bride / What a shame she’s fucked in the head’ / They said / But you’ll find the real thing instead / She’ll patch up your tapestry that I shred.” (Swift has doubled the F-bomb quotient this time around, among other expletives, for anyone who may be wondering whether there’s rough wordplay amid Dessner’s delicacy — that would an effing yes.) “‘Tis the Damn Season,” representing a gentler expletive, gives us a character who is willing to settle, or at least share a Christmas-time bed with an ex back in the hometown, till something better comes along. The pleasures here are shared, though not many more fellow artists have broken into her quarantine bubble this time around. Besides Haim’s cameo, Marcus Mumford offers a lovely harmony vocal on “Cowboy Like Me,” which might count as the other country song on the album, and even throws in something Swift never much favored in her Nashville days, a bit of lap steel. Its tale of male and female grifters meeting and maybe — maybe — falling in love is really more determinedly Western than C&W, per se, though. The National itself, as a group, finally gets featured billing on “Coney Island,” with Matt Berninger taking a duet vocal on a track that recalls the previous album’s celebrated Bon Iver collaboration “Exile,” with ex-lovers taking quiet turns deciding who was to blame. (Swift saves the rare laugh line for herself: “We were like the mall before the internet / It was the one place to be.) Don’t worry, legions of new Bon Iver fans: Dessner has not kicked Justin Vernon out of his inner circle just to make room for Berninger. The Bon Iver frontman whose appearance on “Folklore” came as a bit of a shock to some of his fan base actually makes several appearances on this album, and the one that gets him elevated to featured status again, as a duet, the closing “Evermore,” is different from “Exile” in two key ways. Vernon gets to sing in his high register… and he gets the girl. As it turned out, the year 2020 did not involve any such waiting for Swift fans; it’s an embarrassment of stunning albums-ending-in-“ore” that she’s mined out of a locked-down muse.