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radramblog · 3 years ago

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on Megalovania

This wasn’t what I originally planned to write today, but things change when cool news comes in. Besides, I’m in a pissy mood, and I want to write about something fun to try to change that.

To coincide with the 6th year anniversary of Undertale’s release, Toby Fox has announced the upcoming release of the second chapter of its…sequel?, Deltarune. And in honour of that very sudden and very sick announcement, I thought I’d do a piece on what many would describe as Toby’s iconic song, Megalovania. It’s had a fair few iterations at this point, so there’s plenty of meat to go through.

This may or may not be just an excuse to talk about Homestuck again. But there will be other things! I promise! Mostly those, actually.

Megalovania first appeared as the final boss theme for Toby’s Earthbound Romhack (back when he still went by Radiation), The Halloween Hack. Considering the works that would follow, THH has kind of been buried in history, and in some ways, that’s for the best. It’s very 2000s edgy, if you catch my drift.

Toby has stated that the original intent was for the final boss music to be Megalomania, from the soundtrack to another SNES JRPG, Live a Live (not to be confused with Kill la Kill), but he couldn’t get it to work for whatever reason. In a way, that’s kind of a shame, because Megalomania is an absolute bop, but I’m not going to act like what we got wasn’t also very good.

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The original version of Megalovania from THH probably sounds kind of basic to those more used to the modern iterations. Do keep in mind that this was designed to be played by a now 26-year-old game on an even older console, and its not like SNES romhacking was easy at the time. Earthbound (and by extension, the Halloween Hack) are in this weird place where the soundtrack definitely still sounds really limited or bitcrushed at times, but some tracks (such as Pokey Means Business!) manage to sound excellent.

Megalovania is somewhere in between, I think. The guitar riff that drives the whole track sounds absolutely gorgeous, which is good, because I think that’s really the key element of the whole thing. The melodies present from other instruments throughout the whole thing vary in quality, both in the subjective sense and the fidelity sense, but without that riff, the song would be nothing. It’s the one truly consistent thing through every single version of Megalovania, it’s the heart of the track, and it’s surprisingly simple for something that sounds so driving and intense.

The context surrounding Megalovania iteration number one is somewhat more awkward to talk about. Like I said, The Halloween Hack is edgy, and I fucking mean it. The story is (after some preamble) a descent into the mind of Dr. Andonuts from the original game, having been driven mad on account of being in a timeline where Ness and friends don’t come back alive from the confrontation with Giygas. After a long metaphysical journey, the main character (who is Varik from Brandish for some reason) confronts Andonuts’s psyche itself as the final boss, who begs for mercy before flipping his lid with, well. I’ll just quote it. Keep in mind this is what you’re reading as Megalovania starts to play:

“I HAVE FUCKING HAD IT WITH YOUR SHIT. you little fuckers are going to have your bodies ripped in half. I’ll shove your asses so far down your throats that when you crap you’ll sing fucking beethoven”

“tl;dr: eat shit, [slur redacted]”

Which if you ask me is a little much. As spooky as the whole romhack is, Andonuts’s dialogue is so utterly over-the-top that it’s hard to take seriously. It’s such a pristine combination of the humour both of the time and of Toby’s likely age at the time. It’s still a fairly impressive piece of work as a whole, but considering where we’re up to, one could call this humble beginnings for Megalovania.

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The track’s next big outing was as part of the Homestuck soundtrack. I’d argue that this is really where Toby got his name out there, seeing as much of his early notoriety came from his huge contributions to the webcomic’s lengthy list of albums, and also the fact that apparently Undertale was in part coded in Hussie’s basement. I don’t remember where I heard that first, but I’ve heard it from multiple sources, so.

This version of the song, styled as MeGaLoVania, starts off with a bit of a statement, with the opening notes being very much on a real shreddy-ass electric guitar, but the body of the song is actually largely the same (if cleaned up and with some different instruments) as THH’s version. Of course, this version does have more going on, as evidenced by a few of the guitar lines carrying on new melodies, as well as continuing in the background behind sections from the original piece. Owing a lot to the increased instrumentation and fidelity, this version of Megalovania is easily the rockiest, especially as the final minute of the track brings in Vriska’s banger of a theme (also composed by Fox) and the drums pick up in intensity.

While Homestuck’s soundtrack is incredibly vast, relatively little of it actually ended up being used in the webcomic itself. MeGaLoVania, of course was used, and it was right during what I’d argue was the comic’s peak in Act 5 Act 2. The animation featuring the song, [S] Wake, is such an incredible pair of oh holy FUCK moments, what with the revival of Aradia and her actually being able to (temporarily (heh)) halt the story’s main threat, and also Vriska just fucking murdering Tavros, no biggie. Looking back at it now, the whole thing feels kind of quaint, the animation style in particular (it was just Like That), but it was such a big deal at the time. It doesn’t hurt that this is easily my favourite version of Megalovania, because I’m a sucker for guitar noodling, and also a sucker for Vriska’s theme.

Homestuck (and MeGaLoVania) was pretty big in the early ‘10s, but at the end of the day, the comic and track were still very niche. And then 2015 rolled around, and Undertale came out, and suddenly it was everywhere.

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As someone who’s known the song since before the game came out, it is somewhat disappointing to have it so strongly associated with Sans. Especially since A. He already has a much more fitting theme, and B. it’s so clearly the theme of that specific fight, and even moreso that of the Genocide player themselves, but fine, whatever. MEGALOVANIA, as it is styled, is very much a more bombastic version of the theme, one with more experience under the belt, and more control behind the context. After all, in this case, Toby didn’t have to wrangle with the limitations of SNES Romhacking or of featuring the track in someone else’s work. The track still has the base elements of a chiptune and chugging guitars, but the different soundfont used helps a lot to elevate the whole track’s intensity. In particular, I think the verses (do they count as verses? I know very little actual music theory, sorry) sound miles better in this iteration than any of the previous, and the snappy percussion is subtle but also great.

There are a lot of things that make the Sans fight so memorable, and MEGALOVANIA is obviously one of them. I imagine many would cite the sheer difficulty as another, but more important than that is the way it plays with expectations. In the Genocide run, you are the most attuned to the game’s combat system, and you’ve spent enough time wailing on Undyne to have expectations about how fighting Sans is going to be. And then he attacks first with an insane hard-to-dodge combo, he gets to dodge attacks, and he gets to force you onto a time limit. It breaks the rules of the game in such a shocking way that it’s hard not to find it memorable. This is not even mentioning the wild lore implications behind the fight’s dialogue, or that such a silly character goes so fuckin hard during a scrap.

Silly is something Sans is, which people seem to forget considering how much of his associated fan material is based around this one fight. Man spends half the game napping and selling hot dogs and telling awful puns. It does bug me a little, but I completely understand the impact of the scene. Despite most players never seeing it, it has to be one of the most iconic facets of the whole thing.

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While hundreds if not thousands of remixes and covers of Megalovania exist at this point, most of them aren’t worth bringing up, because I don’t have infinite time on my hands, and because they’re not official. I do want to quickly bring up Megalo Strike Back, a track Toby made for an Earthbound fan album, because it slaps like hell. It’s clearly got a few of the elements of Megalovania, but the melody is so much more mysterious and eerie, and yet also kinda jaunty. I’m a big fan, and considering how many fan animations and games I’ve heard it in, so are a lot of folks.

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The other version I’d like to bring up is, of course, the version that appeared in Smash Ultimate. Considering Nintendo’s typical policy surrounding fan media, having a track that originates from a SNES Romhack in fucking Smash is both incredible and hilarious.

Musically, however, it’s not that notable. The first minute or so, in fact is basically just the Undertale version with a slightly different mix (as it’s styled MEGALOVANIA, that’s the version being referenced here), though I think some of the later parts are in a slightly different key that sounds pretty interesting. I’m not sure how I feel about the piano section- on the one hand, I’m not really a fan of that instrumentation, on the other, it is very Smash, and the violins that come in are great. And then there’s guitar noodling on the back half! I just noticed that! It’s different from the Homestuck version, though.

And that’s all I have to say about Megalovania, I think. It’s a song with a surprisingly storied history, and one that is unlikely to be forgotten as long as people still remember Undertale, Homestuck, or even the Halloween Hack. And considering at the very least the popularity of the former, that’s going to be a long time away.

…okay two more things, one I think battle against a true hero is better than MEGALOVANIA and two James Roach aka probably the biggest lategame Homestuck composer remixed Megalovania for Pesterquest but it’s reaaaaaally subtle until like 3 minutes in and he called it “yeah, it is” and that’s fucking hilarious okay bye

#ramble #music #video games #homestuck #undertale #toby fox #the halloween hack #megalovania

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mirrorfalls · 3 years ago

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Lego Liveblogs ST: TOS, part 23 (of who-the-hell-knows-how-many?)

A Taste of Armageddon - in plot, if not title - is one I remember from TV Tropes years ago, which even today sounds like one of the most interesting metaphors for war and politics that anyone’s ever come up with. But what of its execution, and its applicability? Let’s find out.

* Pretty good nutshell of diplomacy: we’re here to save lives... by claiming territory, whether the locals want us or not! * Good impression of the special guest ambassador’s actor, too. The script has him just this side of unreasonable, but there’s a gravitas to the performance that says he’s not acting this way for fun. * Wait, I thought Sulu was in charge if both Kirk and Spock left? * Oh good golly this is a gorgeous planet backdrop... ** ... balanced out by the silly-ass outfits on the actual inhabitants, of course. I kinda missed these balls-to-the-wall future fashions the last few eps. * So knowing the twist ahead of time takes some of the fun out of it, but I still love the buildup of Kirk trying all his weapon sensors one-by-one (starting with Spock’s ears!). Because on the Final Frontier, you can’t take anything for granted - how many times has the Enterprise’s best tech been punked by the alien-of-the-week, already? ** “Computer don't kill a half million people.” I take some of those points back. Kirk, what the fuck do you think shoots everything in the Enterprise’s arsenal?! * That aside, this is still an utter banger to drop in the first act. It’s Kodos’ butchery, stretched into a matter of routine, centuries-long policy, as a means of coping with exponentially higher stakes. Spock’s “I do not approve. I understand.” is the absolute crowner of it all. * Ooh, Bones-Scotty dynamic! Pretty rare- ** Okay Scotty is officially my favorite backup Captain. * So Vulcan Mind-Melds can be used for brainwashing now? ** I wouldn’t mind this so much if it was truly the only way Kirk and co. could’ve escaped, but if all they needed was for the guard to open the door a split-second, couldn’t they feign one of the party having a heart attack or a mental crackup or something? * How convenient, we’re just in time to save the young, pretty local! * Well. That was significantly less funny than the script thought it was. * I guess I should save this for the end, but I should put it here before I forget: this episode is kicking Return of the Archons’ ass in every quarter, despite hitting the same beats with an even more aggressively jingoistic Kirk (not even a mention of the Prime Directive here!). What a difference competent pacing and tension makes. * Alas, the Enterprise crew being this competent means someone has to cock things up enough to fill another two acts. Even doing my best to ignore the “he’s opposing the main characters so he must be wrong!” instinct, it takes a special kind of arrogance to waltz into a place the locals admit is an open warzone and still think you can just plant an embassy. ** And Scotty does damn well for himself here, though I would’ve loved to see him fire back with “Oh, a diplomat? Why don’t you try summa your diplomacy on me 'stead of barking orders?” * Just like that, this lead Councilman guy instantly proves himself one of the season’s most interesting villains: he’s judging humanity because he considers himself part of it, and the atrocities he’s doing for the greater good are as relevant today as they were in 1966. ** Meanwhile, the best Kirk’s got is “We don't make war with computers.” [Laughs in NATO] * Attaboy, Scotty. Let the jackass beam himself down and Natural Selection will take care of the rest. * Awww, way to ruin the fun, Spock. * Getting back to how superior this is to Archons in every way imaginable - what I love about these planets’ nightmarish setup is that it’s the perfect extreme of a quote-unquote pragmatic state, more than any emotionless, secret police-controlled cult could ever be. These are governments that have completely embraced the idea that violence and suffering can’t be reduced - only dammed and redirected. That predictable is the closest any decent-sized society can ever get to good. That they don’t revel in the death lets us maintain a level of sympathy; that they don’t even think about haggling it down lets us know there’s nothing wrong with Kirk tearing the whole thing apart. ** (That said, he could stand to be a little less smug about it, and straight-up telling the Enterprise to raze everything if they don’t play ball is... not good.) * Well, we’re getting close to the end, so time for the rest of the guards to make like dominoes. * Okay, Kirk’s “neat and painless” speech - it’s not quite addressing the topic I find most interesting, but it’s still plenty relevant to Current Issues so I’ll applaud. ** Also applause-worthy: he saves it for the people of this planet, not the computers. I understand this is a lesson Roddenberry himself will be struggling with - inasmuch as any computer can be evil, it’s only by making such things easier for people. * “I've had some small experiences in such matters.” Considering how easily you got suckered by them, I’d reckon it’s damn small... * ... wait, that raze-the-planet thing wasn’t just a bluff? You really were going to do it if they didn’t knuckle? What the hell, man.

So I’ve heaped plenty praise on this episode - more, possibly, than even Balance of Terror - as a pure sci-fi adventure. But that, alas, only throws the political/moral message into sharper relief, and when all’s said and done I’m not sure it’s one I agree with. As a pure metaphor for how detached and arbitrary war becomes with every new generation, it’s still a thing of beauty - but the idea that all you really need to do to solve it all is have a barrel-chested hero barge in, smash everything up, and instate peace at Phaser-point evokes Archons without really improving on it in any meaningful way. Maybe two episodes’ worth of story could’ve let it develop into something more satisfactory still; maybe a promising premise and a bleh ending was all it was ever going to be...

Next: KHHHHAAhhh, you know the rest.

#Lego Liveblogs Star Trek #Star Trek: The Original Series

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regularbeans · 5 years ago

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Best Artists of 2019

Hello and welcome to me forgetting how I do these things.

So as you may have noticed I got into kpop last year and then I continued getting into kpop this year. This year I got to know a lot of other artists in kpop and mostly spent my time listening to one specific artist (you will never guess whom) so this list is... just that ok. Also this category used to be called best newbies and only included artists I got to know in a specific year then I changed it to include any artist I listened to a lot but with a few exceptions all the music I listened to this year were new discoveries for me so...

Idk why I always overexplain these, huh.

Honourable mentions go to Monsta X, Nu’est, Chungha, Sunmi, Stray Kids, Bolbbalgan4, The Boyz, and returning artists Mamamoo ♥��

7 - NCT (the whole of it but mostly 127)

As a baby kpoppie NCT always seemed so intimidating to me with its many many members but the few songs I liked from them upon first listen eventually lured me into getting to know them. Now I’m no expert but to me NCT is a little frustrating because I feel like the label could do so much more with them (and by more I don’t mean to make certain members work even more). I have to admit I often don’t feel like a proper fan because I don’t follow them very closely but to me their music is always the best part of the package and I care very little for their vlogs and... whatever else they’re doing, honestly.

But as a group I feel like they really could do anything as they’ve already explored so many styles and concepts there really isn’t anything that doesn’t sound like them. My personal favourites are Superhuman, Touch, and Boss but this year NCT Dream made a really good comeback I was 100% on board with with Boom, and Wayv’s debut Take Off was also 👌👌👌👌👌👌

6 - Oneus

I didn’t know a whole lot about anything when these guys debuted and I didn’t even know Valkyrie was their debut song for a long time. It was nice and I didn’t really keep them in mind any longer until they were on Weekly Idol with the other group I’ll talk about in a bit and then I mean, I just had to adopt them, I think we all did at that point. It was also around the time they had their first comeback and it was 👌👌👌👌👌👌 but they still only lived in my tiny brain as a group I’ll eventually get into. And then they released 가자 and I did!

They have two amazing rappers and a fairly versatile vocal line and a style that allows for both dynamic bangers and less radio friendly albeit still addictive tunes that defines their sound even further. I don’t know a lot about how they well-promoted they are, I know they have a shitton of schedules so I hope RWB calms the fuck down eventually and paces themselves because these boys are really promising.

I guess checking their title tracks, Valkyrie, Twilight, and *cringe* Lit should have to suffice but also Bingbing and Blue Sky.

5 - Tomorrow x Together

I never said I didn’t like them so stop staring at me.

Obviously their debut was exciting and interesting and I was really looking forward to seeing what they would be like. It wasn’t 100% my cuppa though Crown was an amazing song, I was still happy for them and excited to see how they would evolve overtime. I kinda fell off the bandwagon around May and June cause they weren’t really putting out content based around music and I’m not super interested in variety shows and reality shows unless I’m really invested in the members, but their first comeback was also 👌👌👌👌👌👌👌 The songs are really poppy and catchy and cover a variety of themes I think most people interested in getting emotional value out of music can relate to and Yeonjun and Soobin are just, simply put, my boys.

If I could have one comment on what I’d like to see change in the future it’d be the endless masking and layering of the vocals. I can just about tell their voices apart in certain songs but then they pump ‘em full of effects in other songs and I’m jus like whomstdve the fuck am I listening to?

Check out Crown and Run Away, their two title tracks so far and also my personal favourite, Magic Island and maybe Can't We Just Leave the Monster Alive? too and this one as well whatever.

4 - Taemin / Shinee

I’ll put these two together because yOU CAN’T SEPARATE THEM OKAY I mean it is true that Taemin’s solo material is vastly, vastly different from Shinee’s music but uh this is how I decided.

Shinee is very fun, very diverse, they have the most heart-wrenching songs and then the most upbeat melodies that kickstart the serotonin-production in my brain just like that. I mean they are just vocal powerhouses and they’re using it, but in the same time they have like, these low(er)-energy bops that are just so pleasant to listen to.

Shinee’s weird cause I have a Shinee playlist where I put all the songs I liked from them and I think I don’t know the title of a good half of them but I don’t think I’ve ever pressed the skip button while playing that playlist.

And then Taemin is just very different on his own. Vocally he’s way more strong than Shinee’s music would have you believe, and though he has a sexy concept going on most of the time he’s also not way over the top with it which is... weird to say because he’s very theatrical sometimes. But especially if you compare his most recent material to his solo debut stuff he just looks and sounds way more relaxed in what he’s doing (it’s almost as though he’s matured a little over the years. but only a little). Things you love to see: that.

From Shinee: Symptoms, Countless, The Reason, Drive, Don’t Let Me Go, 1 of 1 From Taemin: Stone Heart, Want, Move, Under My Skin

3 - Day6

I want you to picture this: me, crying.

I had heard about Day6 from one of my two kpop mutuals on twitter lmao but I always heard Days Gone By mentioned as the best song ever and when I checked it out I didn’t think it to be very special at the time. It was only because I thought Time of Our Life was ok and cute and Shoot Me was very catchy that I made a playlist with all their songs on it and listened to it one time when I had to walk a mile to the train station at five in the morning. And then I heard 121U and Headache and that was it.

I don’t think I say anything outlandish if I say Day6 could be from any other part of the world if you take a look at their sound. They’re very easy-listening pop rock, they’re the kind of melodic rock music I loved when I was in high school. So what makes them special?

That I love them, that’s what >[ I don’t think they have anything more than any other group in their genre but I think they just have everything to steal my friKKEN HEART. First of all I don’t know what kind of demon deal JYP made to get a hold of four vocalists like this, I mean they’re all different but instantly recognisable and their range is just ????????? I think Jae is considered the weakest vocalist (outside of Dowoon but I mean he’s drums) and even the notes that boy belts out are blowing my mind. He has a very natural, almost untrained-sounding tone, Sungjin’s very raspy and emotional, Young K’s voice is very open and full (I think he actually has the biggest range? I could be wrong), and Wonpil has that boyish, charming, kinda slippery but still stable voice that first grabs your attention.

And of course a lot of the writing credit goes to the group’s very own Young K which makes me feel a lot closer to them when I’m listening to their songs. So good job, guys, on everything.

Truly, though, getting to know Day6 has just been so special this year and it just goes to show how even mainstream pop music in korea can be so diverse and anyone could find something they like at any corner.

Holy fuckbucket, what should I even recommend? I guess listen to Shoot Me, 121U, Headache, then also my first favourite song, Somehow, my current favourite song Beautiful Feeling and my current second favourite song I Need Somebody and also their most recent comeback Sweet Chaos and my recent new discoveries Lean On Me, Goodbye Winter, I Would and but also just check out my Spotify playlist for them I literally love every single song on there. Fuck, Like That Sun, Letting Go, Sing Me, Rescue Me, 365247 i’M DYING HERE, SUNGJIN

BITCH, LIKE A FLOWING WIND

2 - Seventeen

hOkkkaAyy

For the longest time, well, for about five months I guess, I thought these guys would be first place on this list forever. They were the ones who broke the big BTS spell I was under for the second half of 2018 and I really just, fell facefirst into the diamond life. Getting Closer didn’t quite get me in the first round and even Home was a bit like, okay, cute, best of luck for them. Then something happened and both Getting Closer and Home just hit me like a fucking truck even though they’re on two opposite sides of the scale. You know. The song scale. The famous one? That one.

I made a tweet once that I still agree with, that loving Seventeen really is just cutting your own heart up into thirteen even-sized bits and every single bit is filled with so, so much love.

Like many/some(?) of the groups I love, Seventeen is self-composed and for that I am so grateful because their label Pledis is a shithole so thank fuck to Mr. Lee Jihoon for carrying the industry on his back.

The group consists of three units, all of which have their distinct strengths (except for the performance unit, those theatre nerds just had to be good at everything, didn’t they) and Seventeen makes time to explore all of those units, sometimes even making other subunits from different boy configurations (or boyfigurations for short) and somehow it manages to feel balanced and patient and not rushed.

And I especially love how admittedly they started to stop caring about what the public expects from them and they’re exploring concepts that excites them personally. They caught a lot of flak for releasing songs like Hit and Fear after the astounding success Home had back in January and a lot of fans and non-fans alike quoted the groups unwillingness to keep doing what has been proven to work as the reason of their diminishing sales and public interest.

And even though I personally enjoy their brighter concepts also, I just, I can respect that attitude, you know? At the end of the day Seventeen has an obvious and visible love for their own craft and there’s nothing more enjoyable than that.

Now I’m really in trouble as to what to recommend, they have so many different types of songs x”) Okay, Our Dawn is Hotter Than Day, Clap, Adore U, Home, Getting Closer. Also Hit. And like, a billion of their b-sides, just check my spotify playlist for them ok.

1 - Ateez

*feeling of fear*

Do I even have to go into why I love Ateez? Every time I think about them and just how big a part they played in my life this year I get this overwhelming urge to express just why and just how much I love them.

This year I really just... lost the ability to be happy about things that used to give so much happiness. It’s been a sad and scary downward spiral that I just don’t have enough strength to stop so I guess it’s no wonder that I’d latch onto the first thing that becomes an everyday positive presence in my life. Ateez and the memories connected to them this year have been the reason for the few and far between moments of happiness in my life in 2019 and for that I’ll forever be grateful.

It’s like. When it hits, it just hits, you know?

And I just can’t, can’t wait to scream my little heart out to their songs in March with Linn okkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk

I guess if I could just have one wish it’d be for them to play Twilight, and Treasure, Illusion, Say My Name, Utopia, Hala Hala, Win, Mist, Wave, my whole Spotify playlist.

#best of 2019 #tia's best of 2019

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smoaking-greenarrow · 7 years ago

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Im say #11 if you havent.. but change the rough ganger to arrow maybe? Leather wearing hero lol

Arrow Out of Context prompts!

“Don’t tell me a tough gang banger like yourself is afraid of a tiny little needle.”

“It doesn’t look so tiny.”

This is going to be the last prompt I write from season one! Thank you to everyone who sent them in, and I’m sorry if I didn’t get to yours, but I’ll be doing another Arrow Out of Context list for season two quotes, so look out for it!

Brownie sundaes and building remote controlled airplanes.

That was what Oliver was missing at home. Felicity had texted him earlier, asking when he’d be home and telling him that William wanted to finish his plane and fly it on the roof tonight. When he’d responded that he would probably be late, she’d teased him with the promise of brownies.

He sighed as he glanced through the last stack of paperwork he had to finish. Scrubbing his hands across his face, he glanced out of the window in his office. He was already trying to get home as fast as he could, but knowing what his family was up to only made him work faster. He had a son and a wife, two things that he’d always been afraid of dreaming about. And he just wanted to get home to them.

His phone started to ring, Felicity’s face popping up on his screen, and his heart sped up at the idea of hearing her voice. He’d had an awful day, and he’d barely even had a chance to kiss her this morning before she was rushing off to work, but he ignored the call with a groan. He still had at least an hour’s worth of work to do, and he knew she wouldn’t be very happy about that.

With new resolve, he straightened his back, focusing his eyes back to the documents in front of him.

He would call her on his way home, giving himself something extra to look forward to.

They lived together and saw each other every day, but he loved talking to her on the phone. Her voice would always rise with excitement, as if she hadn’t spoken to him in days rather than hours, as if she wouldn’t see him later that night when they got home. And she’d babble on about whatever she was doing. It always put him in a better mood, to realize how long she could talk to him, how she told him everything and knew that he wanted to hear all of it, whether it was a funny story about her morning at work, or asking in a hushed tone about their evening plans. It never got old.

After another ten minutes, his phone started ringing again, and he frowned, seeing her face on the screen. If he didn’t answer, she usually just waited until he had a chance to call her back, knowing that he’d get back to her when he could.

Worry dropped into his stomach, and he answered it this time. “Felicity?”

“It’s William.”

“Buddy, what’s wrong?” He asked, his heart sinking at the tense tone of his son’s voice.

“Uh, it’s Felicity…” he sighed, “Mr. Diggle just got here to pick us up, we’re taking her to the hospital.”

“I’m okay, honey!” He heard Felicity’s voice call in the background.

Despite her words, Oliver felt his breath catch in his throat, more anxious about his son’s mention of a hospital. He stood up, pulling his coat off of the back of his chair, “What happened?” He asked, already leaving, the paperwork forgotten on his desk.

“The airplane kind of exploded? I don’t know dad, it was up in the air, and then it was just flying everywhere.” William said, his voice holding a level of disbelief. “A piece of the metal hit Felicity in the arm.”

“Are you hurt?”

“No,” his son answered, “I’m okay. We’re on our way to the hospital now.”

“Go home, Oliver!” He heard his wife yell, “Take a shower, relax, and we’ll see you when we get back.”

He rolled his eyes. Like hell. “I’ll meet you in the emergency room.” He grumbled to William, ignoring her.

Oliver knew that his son’s remote airplane exploding wasn’t his fault, or William’s, or Felicity’s. But he didn’t like the images in his head as he imagined what happened. She was okay enough to be telling him what to do, so he also knew that he didn’t have any reason to freak out. But he was anyway.

He also felt a familiar pang of guilt knotting his stomach. He couldn’t help but blame himself for not answering her call the first time. They’d had to call Dig for a ride, and he could tell by the tone of his voice that the whole thing had scared William.

It also made him wonder how bad it actually was. Felicity was a pro at staying calm when she needed to, and he was worried that she was keeping it together for his son’s sake. Metal falling from the sky and hitting her in the arm couldn’t be good under any circumstance.

When he got to the hospital, Felicity was already being seen by a nurse, and he was led to her room. Opening the door, Dig and William stepped back, giving him a view of Felicity. She smiled uncomfortably at him, wiggling her fingers, on the arm that wasn’t wrapped in white gauze.

He let out a breath of relief as he looked down at her, her face apologetic and slightly embarrassed, and he shook his head immediately. She had nothing to feel bad about. “Are you okay?” He asked.

Felicity nodded, closing her eyes as he came closer and cupped her cheek. Like always, he reveled in the way she leaned into his touch. Then he turned his head towards his son, “And you’re all right?”

“Yeah dad, I’m fine.”

He could tell that William felt bad, but he wasn’t sure if it was guilt over something or if he was just worried about Felicity. Knowing that his son was a lot like him, it was probably a little bit of both. They’d be talking about that later.

Oliver’s gaze shifted to his best friend, “Thank you for bringing them.”

“Of course, Oliver,” Dig replied, “You know I’m always here for all of you.”

He nodded with a slight sigh, turning his attention back to his wife. He glanced over her arm, the bandages tainted with dull blood. He looked over the rest of her body, not seeing any other scratches. She narrowed her eyes at him, “I know that face. Oliver Jonas Queen…don’t even,” she said, dropping her head onto the pillows.

Seeing that he’d upset her, Oliver forced a smile, focusing on making sure his face gave nothing away. But she glared, already aware of his feelings. She saw through him like no one else could.

“What is it?” William asked, stepping closer.

Felicity’s jaw was tight as she glanced at the boy, “Your dad thinks this is his fault somehow. I thought you were getting better about this,” she said, reaching up to his hand on her face, locking her fingers in his. “Please, tell me how a faulty toy plane is your fault.”

“It isn’t,” he said, clearing her throat and glancing away from her. “Not answering the phone the first time you called me was a choice, though.”

“Oliver, please.” She sighed, “How many times have you called me on your lunch break, and I’ve ignored it because I was busy? And you’ve ignored plenty of my calls before, too.” She shrugged, “it happens. You couldn’t have known.”

He just nodded, knowing that she was right but still feeling guilty for it. He couldn’t help it. She brought their hands away from her face, keeping his fingers twisted with hers, her injured arm resting on her stomach. He smiled down at her, “I’m just glad you’re okay.”

“I’ll have a new scar.” She said, “A different story than getting shot, at least.” Oliver’s eyes narrowed, and she gave him an apologetic smile, “Okay, not a good joke. But it’s fine, Oliver. The doctor should be back any minute.”

“Did they give you anything for the pain?”

“Just a painkiller. Not nearly as effective as John’s aspirins though.” She grinned.

Diggle laughed from behind them, “She wanted to go to the bunker, have me stitch her up.”

Oliver frowned, “Well how are we supposed to sue that stupid airplane manufacturer if we don’t have the medical records to prove your injury?” He asked.

Felicity rolled her eyes as John chuckled again. “That’s what Dig said, too.” She mumbled, pouting up at her partners. They both smiled down at her, remembering her refusal to go to the hospital years ago, insisting that one of them patch her up. Sara had volunteered, but Oliver would never forget how adorable she’d been, high on “John’s aspirins.”

“Mrs. Smoak?” The doctor came in, smiling at her. “I heard you had a bit of a freak accident with a control airplane?” He asked, his eyebrows furrowing.

She huffed out a laugh, “My step-son and I were…yeah, it kind of blew up. But it wasn’t our fault. Trust me, if you knew me, you’d know that technology hardly ever fails me…but this just,” her eyes widened as she lifted her hands, “boom!”

And then she flinched, reaching for her arm. Oliver frowned, “okay?”

“Yeah,” she groaned, “just…stitches?”

“Excuse me,” the doctor said to Oliver, moving to Felicity’s side.

As Oliver moved out of the way, the doctor took his place, “You’ll definitely need some,” he answered, “but tell me where it hurts,” he said, pushing on her arm, asking about her levels pain.

And then he moved on to her fingers, tapping on them and making sure she still had feeling in them. “I don’t think you’ve hurt anything major,” he said, “your muscles still seem fully functional, but I’ll leave the wrap on until it’s time to stitch you up, and I’ll get a better look when it’s time to take it off. Sound good?” He asked, and Felicity nodded.

“When will you be giving her stitches?” Diggle asked.

“Just a couple more minutes, I’ll give her an anesthetic first to numb her arm, and then I’ll do the sutures.”

He smiled at Felicity before he left, and once he was gone, she sighed in relief, leaning back and closing her eyes. Oliver stood beside her bed, gripping her hand between his. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Just a little lightheaded.” She said, “I wanted to pass out when it happened and I saw all the blood,” she said, her mouth turning down in disgust, “but adrenaline did its job. Thinking about stitches, though…”

“You’ll be okay,” Oliver mumbled, leaning down to kiss her hair, and she tried to smile, but he noticed how pale she was. “Felicity,” he said, “You’ve done sutures on me.”

“Yeah but this is my body.”

He breathed out a laugh, “you’ve had stitches on your own body.” He said, not exactly pleased with the reminder, but he knew her body as well as his own. He could picture the scar on her shoulder now, and the ones from Darhk’s attack.

Felicity twisted her fingers in his, pulling him down to sit on the edge of her bed. “I was high as a kite the first time, and I couldn’t see it. And I was unconscious for the others. This time it’ll be like, right there…” she said, looking down at her arm, her eyes widening.

Oliver smiled at her, shaking his head, “I’ll be right here.”

As the doctor came back in, Diggle offered to take William to the cafeteria, giving them some room.

Once the anesthetic took over, Felicity watched as he unwrapped her arm. “Huh,” she said shrugging, “it feels weird.” The doctor nodded from beside her, telling her that it was normal for the rest of her body to feel a little off.

“It hurts?” Oliver asked, standing behind the doctor. As she moved her arm, she exposed the bottom of her shirt, and it was covered in blood that he didn’t noticed before. His stomach lurched, not because he hadn’t seen more than his fair share of blood, but because he knew it was hers.

She shook her head, “No, I’m fine.” She glanced up at her husband, who was anxiously pacing behind the doctor. She cocked her head to the side, “Honey,” she said with a laugh as the doctor started her sutures, “I’m okay.”

Oliver just glanced up at her, his eyes trying to mask his concern.

The doctor chuckled, still watching what he was doing as he said, “You’d be surprised how many boyfriends I’ve seen get worked up over their significant other’s injuries. I can always feel their tension radiating over my shoulder like I can feel yours, Mr. Queen. I promise, Felicity is going to be just fine. Nothing more than a scar.”

“I’m her husband.” Oliver breathed, his eyes focused on Felicity.

She was surprised to see the color draining from his face, “Yes, you are. Now sit,” she mumbled, shaking her head at him, her eyebrows furrowing.

She knew that he wasn’t like most husbands. Injuries and scars were as familiar to him as his own body. Literally. He knew better than anyone that this was nothing. Sure, it wasn’t ideal, but she was going to be fine. Wasn’t he just saying that himself? But he stared at the stitches, his eyebrows pulled together in concentration, his knuckles white as he clenched his hands together.

When the doctor finally finished, Oliver’s breath of relief was bigger than Felicity’s, making her laugh. The doctor told he she was a perfect patient, and then he patted Oliver on the shoulder as he walked by, “You’re a good husband. Make sure she keeps those bandages on and doesn’t do anything too strenuous that could rip them.” He gave Felicity a serious look, warning her, too. “And be careful with those planes.”

She nodded, “Yes, sir.”

The door closed behind him, and Oliver sank onto the bed. Felicity shook her head and giggled as Oliver leaned over her, his face hovering above hers before he planted kisses all over her cheek, jaw, and forehead. “Oliver,” she finally protested, pulling back from him.

“Why was that one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to watch? You weren’t even acting like it hurt!” He laughed incredulously. “What’s wrong with me? I’ve gone soft.”

Felicity rolled her eyes, “Don’t tell me a brooding vigilante like yourself is afraid of a tiny little needle.”

“It doesn’t look so tiny.” He mumbled back under his breath, glancing down at her fresh bandages.

His wife just tilted her chin up at him, “Well, maybe you just really love me.”

Oliver raised an eyebrow, “Of course I do, that’s nothing new.”

She grinned, “I think it’s sweet you were so worried. Definitely getting some husband points for all the concern.”

He smirked, leaning down to kiss her lips. “You know…” he mumbled against her mouth, “certain things are going to be hard to do with you having a hurt arm.”

She groaned, lifting her good hand to grip his hair, keeping his lips on hers. “That just means you’re going to have to get creative,” she whispered.

“Mmm,” he sighed, sliding his tongue across her bottom lip, “I’m up for that challenge.”

#arrow #olicity #olicity fic #olicity fanfiction #arrow out of context #prompts

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captain-spookycandycollecti-blog · 6 years ago

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patient protection and affordable care act health insurance exchanges

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Vehicles with lowest insurance rates?

I live in Ontario Canada. I'm needing a car for work now. I have three tickets about two years ago; two running red light tickets and one for driving ten over the limit. I'm looking for a car that is good on gas and easier on the wallet for insurance. Thanks

patient protection and affordable care act health insurance exchanges

Cheap car insurance in CA?

I'm 19 and am looking to buy a 06/07 Cobalt SS coupe (non-supercharged) and am wondering what the cheapest insurance would be? Personal experience?

How much would insurance cost for a Toyota Celica GT?

Ok so I have asked this question a couple of times now and I guess I should be more specific. I am getting my license soon and will probably be getting a Toyota Celica GT 2000 or 2001 and I was wondering the insurance price for a new driver (who is a girl) for this type of car. Not like what the price is based on but an actual estimated price. I am not expecting anything to be exacted just a guess. Plz help, thank.""

""Car with basic insurance stolen, what will insurance company say?""

My 90 honda civic was recently stolen, and I had the most basic insurance legally possible. Will my insurance help cover this at all? I have car insurance through Omni and I already called them... but I have to wait 24-48 hrs before I'll hear back from them. I think I know the answer already, but can anyone that's been in a similar situation fill me in?""

Why do liberals keep referring to the new health insurance system as affordable? ?

I work on film crews. It an be a long time between movie projects, so I deliver pizzas between crews instead of going on unemployment like many of my film crew buddies. I also own some crappy land, which I inherited, that won't sell. It's just sitting there on the market, screwing me out of qualifying for anything and everything my tax dollars are used for in the way of entitlement funding. I live in a travel trailer. As soon as I have to start paying an upwards of $200 a month for health insurance that is only going to go up, up and up now that pre-existing conditions must be covered, I'm going to have to move into a tent. What part of this is affordable?""

My name is spelt incorrectly on auto insurance paperwork...?

I am on my parents' auto insurance and my father decided to remove my name from the insurance plan because it got too pricey. However after having finished signing the paperwork and thinking we were done with the process we realized that my name was not spelt correctly on the paperwork to remove me from the insurance. Could I drive the car and if something happens argue to the insurance people that they never actually removed me from the insurance since MY name was not actually in the paperwork to be removed? I live in California if that helps. I'm not planning on actually driving, I'm just curious about what would happen if I absolutely needed to.""

Cheapest car insurance in Massachusetts for a new driver?

I'm buying a car soon and will need insurance too.

Staying on my mother's health insurance?

I'm 19 years old, in good health, and moving out. My mother has been laid off and is getting a job out of state which is forcing me to move out (i'm not complaining just informing). She will be on cobra health insurance until the new job's health insurance kicks in but I was wondering if I'd still be able to be covered under her new job's insurance if we aren't living together. The only reason I ask this is because I am currently working part time at a job that offers health insurance but it is $70 per month. If it were up to me I'd go without health insurance but she informed me that it is required by law now (yay). I've read in some places that I would be able to stay covered by my mother's insurance until age 26 but I've also read in other places that if my job offers health insurance I cannot be covered on someone else's as a dependent. I live in Georgia if that matters! Any tips/suggestions welcomed, thanks!""

Health Insurance for pregnant women?

I was laid off from my job and I have been unable to find a new job, my cobra insurance is about to run out and I am looking for affordable insurance for pregnant woman. I do not qualify for medicaid because my husband does work but insurance is not offered through his employer. Does anyone know of a company that has a plan that will cover pregnancy and after?""

How I get discount on car insurance?

I am from Liverpool and wanted to have good discounts on Car Insurance.. Can someone please suggest.

Staying on parents health insurance in NJ?

As the title states, I am wondering if I am eligible to stay on my parent's health insurance (we live in New Jersey and my dad gets the family insurance through his job in Delaware). I am 23 years old, not in school, and my job offers health insurance. I have read that the law allows children under the age of 27 to remain on their parent's health insurance UNLESS the kid's job offers health insurance. As I stated, mine does offer it. HOWEVER, an older coworker of mine told me that her children were able to stay on the family health insurance until age 27 even though the kids' work offered insurance because the cost of the insurance at the child's job was over $25 per week. The cheapest policy at my job will cost me just over $30 per week. Unfortunately, I have not found any trace of this $25 rule anywhere online. Is this a true policy? If insurance isn't offered cheaply enough, can I stay on my parent's policy? Can anyone shed some light on this?""

NEED CAR INSURENCE ADVISE!!?

I got a quote on a Citron c2 it's. A 1.1lt and. The quote I got was 3rd party under my dad insurance my best quote was 6000 and that was direct to Adrian flux so I need advise ...show more

Where do i get proof of insurance?

i am 17 years old and i recently got a fix it ticket for not having proof of insurance with me. I am under my parents insurance policy so could i just bring my moms proof of insurance card to fix the ticket or do i have to get an proof of insurance card with my name on it. If so where can i go to get my insurance card

How much Would motorcycle insurance be for a 16 or 17 year old be?

I am thinking of getting my M1. I live in Ontario Canada. Yes, I know it is dangerous, thanks for the concern..... I am taking safety classes and everything I can to be safe. I am probably getting around a 2000 kawasaki Ninja. I am a Male. I am just trying to get a ball park for insurance for me. Also just a little bit off topic, but what other expenses when starting up. Like sighning it over Legal fees? Do I need to get is saftied again? I wouldn't want Collision for my bike and all that as I am buying a cheap starter bike, and I work at a Collission centre and can have it fixed for cheap, so the price of collision on each bill would be a waste. Thanks everyone

Surgery and insurance?

if my surgery is going to cost me $3,500..and i have a $5,000 dollar deductible on my insurance..then i can't use my insurance can i? =(.. pretty much i have to pay for the surgery..BUTTTT if my surgery was let's say about $7,000.. then that means insurance company would pay $5000 and i would pay the rest of $2000 rightttt???? sorry...i'm just trying to understand this and make sure""

How do you get health insurance?

how do u get health insurance if u cant afford it my bf cant get health insurance cux the health insurance ppl say he makes too uch money to have it but he doesnt make enought to afford it how did u get it then

Insurance for a vehicle you are not using for a while?

We are buying a used vehicle. We are going to park it until next spring, however. Do you need insurance by law for a vehicle that is not being used? Or is there a cheaper insurance plan you can get? We live in Michigan.""

What is the best way to compare auto insurance quotes?

I am needing to find new car insurance, and I of course would like to shop around for the best deal. Can anyone recommend a good site that will compile your information and give you multiple accurate quotes from different companies? I am leery to enter my information into a third party database, so confidentiality, professionalism and no spam is a must. Thank you!""

Cheap insurance for new drivers? Please help!!!?

Hi guys, I really need some help. I'm just pricing up car insurance, I currently have a provisional licence and i take my driving test next week, I'm doing insurance quotes for a 2005 volkswagen polo s 55 petrol 3 door Manual car, and I've being looking at prices for provisional drivers and newly passed drivers and the prices are ridiculous. Provisional is coming in at approx 1300, which I can cope with for the year but as soon as I pass my test BAM! prices are looking at about 2,700. I've done everything right according to the advice in the internet, we have a secure garage, off-road parking, during the day it will be kept in a secure office car park. I've tried confused.com, comparethemarket, confused.com, gocompare etc and the prices between provisional and full licence are topping 1,200 in difference. Does anyone know of any websites designed for new drivers or maybe places i could look and get quotes which aren't on comparison websites? or maybe any tips that I could use to reduce the quotes because they are ridiculous. We've added on two drivers with over 30+ years each on and also my boyfriend with 7yrs no points. all have no convictions, record, points etc. Thanks :) Kirsty""

Insurance for mitsoubishi rvr import?

Am trying to find an insurance company who will give me a good insurance price on the above car.It is a 4 door,4x4,petrol automatic,1994 grey import.My present company charging the earth because they say it is group19 sports car.Is down on the reg document as an estate!""

How to handle a partial month of health insurance?

I currently am paying for a family health insurance plan with Oxford. The premium is $800 a month, due on the first of the month for that month's coverage, with a grace period of about 30 days. I am switching from a contracting position (where I pay my own insurance) to an employment position (with a very nice health plan) on 9/7/10. What I want to avoid is paying $800 to my current insurance company when I only need 7 days worth of coverage. I also want to avoid a lapse in coverage. Do I not pay anything until the 7th, when my new insurance plan kicks in, and them call them and tell them I am cancelling and only want to pay from the 1st through 7th? Or do I pay the full $800 and hope I will get a pro-rated refund? Thanks in advance!""

""If my aunt crashed my car, will my insurance cover it?""

I live in PA, and I have Progressive as my car insurance. I have full coverage, and I was wondering if they will cover the whole thing if it was her fault? Thanks!""

For how many traffic ticket you get before insurance rate increase?

i had a speeding ticket 3 yrs ago and it was dismissed after one yr. now i just got another red light ticket. will my insurance consider this red light ticket as second ticket or first and will they increase rate?? and for how many traffic ticket you get before insurance rate increase?

Is it worth it to take a life insurance?

What is the best insurance for new drivers?

I am 19 and I just got my driver's license (better late than never). I need car insurance asap and am looking for suggestions fo cheap insurance for new drivers

Question about motorcycle insurance?

Ok... I know that insurance is different from person to person but in general who is the best company to be with for motorcycle insurance. What is the average lowest price, who actually will do their job when its time for a claim. Who has the best or most coverages for a cycle. All these different things. So who is the best...""

patient protection and affordable care act health insurance exchanges

How much would auto insurance cost me?

Im 16. The car im going to get is a chevy comaro.live in PA?

How to provide proof of auto insurance?

How to provide proof of car insurance? I have been offered a generous stipend for graduate school. One of the documents they ask for is proof of car insurance. Does anyone know how I can provide proof of car insurance? (I know for a fact that my parents have bought car insurance). It would be helpful to know what document I should be looking for, what it looks like, is it just my AAA card or is it a form. Thanks a lot for your help!!""

Where should I look for health insurance for my mom?

My mom is 55 years old and lives in another state as me. I currently work and live in Pennsylvania at a great company that provides health insurance, dental, vision, etc. I cannot add her to my policy, as much as I would like to so I would like to try and find a policy for her. My dad works for a company that provides health insurance, however the cost of health insurance to him and my mother (who live together and are married) is extremely high. Currently, they are seeking alternatives so that my dad is covered under insurance through his company and my mom can get coverage through a third party company at a lower rate. The rate they are asking my father to pay to have both of them on the coverage policy is insanely high. I pay about $55 a month for health insurance and they are at least quadruple that. I'm looking for suggestions for a reliable and trusted company (Aetna, Anthem, etc.) that would provide individual health insurance at an affordable rate, if anyone knows of anything.""

Moped/ motorcycle insurance in washington?

how much is insurance for it? i already have a car and car insurance. my car doesnt get great mileage. about 15-17 on the highway.12-15 city. i use to not travel a distance too much but i moved farther away from my college so i gas up once a week or every week and a half depending on if im just going to school or if im also going out. I want a scooter or motorcyle just because there fun and better on gas. im not reckless. ill be safe and drive them to minimize the risk as much as possible. MY STATE DOES NOT REQUIRE MOPED OR MOTORCYLCE INSURANCE BY LAW. Im just curious to be safe. and for me, my faith in god keeps me safe.""

Cost of med insurance for a college student living on their own?

How much does individual health insurance cost for a college student out on their own? I realize its different for each person. Lets say the person is male and 18. No health related problems, no history of any either. How much? On average.""

Motorbike insurance quote 1202 (UK)!?

Could someone please let me know as to why my motorcycle quote is so high? I'm 18 years old and have recently passed my CBT. The bike I am purchasing is a 2009 YZF-R125 with a value of 3000. My friends bike, a CBR125, only costs him somewhere around the 400 per year mark. I don't understand it... Thanks for any replies.""

Health Insurance costs?

According to the National Coalition on Health Care, The average cost for employer based health insurance for a single person is $4,700.00 or $391.66 per month. A family of four costs $12,700.00 per year or $1,058.33 per month. Now to put that into perspective, you can lease a Mercedes Benz SLK 300 ( thats the sporty two seater ) for around $883.07 per month. Question is, does this sound like a fair deal?""

Car accident and no insurance!! Advice?

My brother just got caught driving without insurance. I know this sounds bad, but he has been struggling with money for some time now, and has many school loans he is paying off.... Too make a long story short, he can't afford car insurance and made a dumb move to drive to work and back without insurance. Now a car drove in to him, and had no insurance to show the officer. He now has to show up to court to prove that he had insurance!!! I feel bad for him.....what is the fine? He wasn't at fault for the accident! He just got back on insurance but he didn't have it at the time of the accident.... What is going to happen? What should he do to save himself??? Please help.... :S""

""Pregnant, no insurance and make too much money for medicaid. Advice?""

I am an independent contractor and have no insurance. I am now pregnant before having a chance to get health insurance. Health insurance once pregnant is way too expensive. I make too much money for government assistance, but not enough to afford private insurance. I'm in a tough spot, and I wonder if anyone has any advice to help me finance my pregnancy.""

How much does health insurance cost per month?

I'm a freshman and I'm doing a project in my career planning class. I have to make a budget to see how much I need to make from my job. I need to know how much health insurance would cost per person. I want to be an architect or art director so idk if my employer would cover some of the cost or what? I'm kinda confused on this project cause I've never had to think about this stuff.

Best place to get term life insurance?

How would limiting expenses in the health care sector assist with making health care affordable?

and increase accessibility to care, while reducing the need for insurance?""

Cheap NY auto insurance ?

hi there, i plan on buying a car soon but im a new driver and i have no one else to help me insure a car so i have no choice but to insure it on my own. I've checked and looked around geico, state farm, all state, and they were all to expensive, anywhere from 5-6k to insure the car for a year (way to expensive). So do any of you guys know any NY auto insurance companies that are affordable? Thanks""

What is the Average Car insurance cover for UK Provisional driver?

I need one and looking at most covers, they are hell of a lot costy. But I have an eye of one which is about 2.81 per day. What do you think of that? Above/below average? Good/bad cover. Any suggestion will help. Cheers.""

""Question out of curiosity: So if you have a non traffic violation, can that affect your insurance rate?

So say a cop writes you a ticket for mooning or littering... does that affect your car insurance?

Cheapest Auto insurance?

Switching car insurance providers?

am i able to switch car insurance providers before my year is up? i have 8 months left but i have had a cheaper quote elsewhere which saves me 900 a year!

Help with health insurance terminology?

In layman's terms, what is: 1) a deductible and 2) an insurance premium? And how do they work in health insurance? An example would be appreciated.""

State farm health insurance?

Does anyone have state farm health insurance? I've had car insurance with them since I was 16 and was considering getting health through them too, is it alright insurance or is it not so great?""

Does anyone know where 2 get cheap car insurance for high perforfomance cars .....n.ireland?

Selling a car but keeping insurance?

my question is, i have a car at the moment with 2 years no claims bonus.. (i should have 3 years in july) but i am selling my car this week to a mate. they said if i cancel my insurance policy i will only have 2 years no claims can i still sell the car to someone else and just keep the insurance running for it without saying so i'l have 3 years by july or do u have to cancel it once sold, the guy im selling it hasnt actually passed his tes so prob wont even be insuring it for a while and when he does he said hes gonna put the car on his girlfriends insurance""

How much is liability insurance?

I am going to be a new driver soon and I will be driving a 4x4 dodge single cab truck and I live in missouri and was wondering how much liabillity insurance would cost per month? Thanks!

Auto insurance pricing for newly licensed 16 year old male driver?

Turning 16 soon and will need a car. I'm looking into getting a 2006 Mazda 6 with 100,000 miles on it. I live in Ohio and will basically be using it for driving around town, possibly to a job in the future of course (if it's still running). As a newly licensed driver, would any of you know how much the insurance would possibly cost? I'm a B average student with a 3.0 GPA average as well, if that has any an effect on the cost.""

Is Gerber Life Insurance Legitimate?

I was thinking about getting Gerber Life Insurance for my 5month old. I just wanted to know is it something that I should look into? Or should I just open a bank account that he can't touch until he's a certain age? I want to be able to have access to the money if, god forbid, anything was to happen.. like emergency room visits, or unexpected accidents as such.""

Insurance on a Firebird?

looking for cars with the lowest insurance rates but idk anything about that... i know sports cars are more expensive. age, location, record and all that too.. but are firebirds generally expensive to insure?? and bc its older will it be less expensive?""

patient protection and affordable care act health insurance exchanges

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/texas-affordable-insurance-el-dorado-boulevard-webster-matthew-fisher/"

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newssplashy · 6 years ago

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Finance: We drove a new $47,800 Acura RDX to see if the SUV lives up to its impressive reputation — here's the verdict

The Acura RDX is a critically important compact crossover for Honda's luxury brand in the US.

We borrowed a $47,800 Advance trim-level RDX and put it through its paces.

We came away just as impressed as we often are with Acura vehicles, whose price-to-quality ratio is hard to beat in the luxury space for most owners.

Luxury crossovers are a white-hot segment in the new-vehicle world. Screw up in this realm and you'll pay.

Acura can't afford to screw up because although Honda's premium marque has its loyalists — they're on par with BMW owners — the US-market crossover segment is a battlefield and new combatants are arriving all the time.

Lucky for Acura it has a solid compact SUV that, in its latest iteration, has gotten more solid.

The first-generation RDX landed in 2007, and the made-in-Ohio crossover came with a four-cylinder turbocharged engine, which was an oddity at the time for luxury vehicles. The second-gen hit in 2012, and the four-banger was replaced with a V6.

The all-important compact luxury crossover category demands that Acura keep pace, especially in the US, so for the 2019 model year we have an all-new RDX, tasked with maintaining the 50,000 in annual sales that the previous-gen enjoyed. Besides the engine change, the other major difference is that the RDX is now built on an Acura-only platform (the second-gen was based on the popular Honda CR-V).

For many, many Americans, the RDX is their version of a premium wagon and it's dedicated to upscale family duty. But it also promises zesty performance and plenty of technology, given the typical needs and wants of an Acura enthusiast. This new-gen RDX is also taking some design cues from Acura halo supercar, the NSX, which took home Business Insider's Car of the Year trophy in 2016.

The 2019 Acura RDX starts at about $37,000 for the front-wheel-drive version, but our tester was a $47,800 all-wheel-drive Advance trim level, fully loaded.

Here's how it went.

The 2019 Acura RDX looks undeniably sharp in a "Performance Red" paint job. To my eye, the latest generation of this compact crossover is pushing toward midsize dimension.

The minimalist design of the second-gen RDX is going away, replaced by a more sleek and dynamic exterior. I rather like the fractured belt-line and the painterly slashes of chrome, but they aren't going to be for everybody.

The RDX has good presence for an entry level luxury crossover. The space is very, very crowded these days as SUVs have supplanted sedans as the world's go-to premium choice.

The controversial chrome beak is gone, and the Acura badge has gotten quite large.

The "A" — styled as a precision-instrument caliper — sits at the center of what Acura calls a "diamond pentagon" grill. It looks cool.

So do the jewel-eye LED headlights ...

... Which bear more than a passing resemblance to those on the NSX supercar.

SUV rear ends are usually a weak point, aesthetically, and the RDX's is no exception. There's a lot going on back there, what with all the swoops and indents and those crab-pincer tail lights. Bonus: Dual exhaust!

Our RDX was of the "Super Handling" all-wheel-drive variety, with torque vectoring that sends traction to the wheel that needs it most. This helps the RDX with stable handling and in bad weather and on poor roads.

There's no third row of seats, and thanks to the RDX's larger overall dimensions relative to the previous gen, the cargo pace is now a considerable 30 cubic feet. There's also a power liftgate.

Time to pop the hood and check out that turbocharged four-cylinder powerplant.

Well, yeah, like most four-bangers, it doesn't look like much. But rest assured that the 272-horsepower motor is demonstrably torque-happy with 280 pound-feet of pull on tap. It is also not torque-steer-y in any way.

The RDX can serve up a 0-60 mph dash in about six seconds. Fuel economy is about what you'd expect: 21 mpg city/27 highway/23 combined. I drove around for a week on single tank.

Let's jump inside real quick to talk about the 10-speed automatic transmission, which has four driving modes (Comfort, Snow, Sport + and a default Sport), along with paddle shifters behind the steering wheel.

Again, the configuration of controls will be eerily familiar to NSX owners and fans. The PRND buttons aren't what I'd call ideal, but they do the job. The big drive-mode knob, so cool on a supercar, is possibly overkill on a luxury crossover.

OK, let's hop inside for longer! The leather interior is "Parchment."

I always find the Acura's driver's view to be soothing. That's weird, because you're presented with all kinds of buttons, thumbwheels, and a switch on the RDX's steering wheel. And although the analog instrument gauges are old-school, the somewhat complicated center display isn't."

The leather-wrapped steering wheel feels just right, and although purist won't like the electric power steering, I found it to be exceptionally precise. Acura's have always been, in my experience, easy to drive easy and easy to drive hard.

The RDX is no exception. It can't feel as aggressive and BMW X3, but it doesn't want to. And for average, everyday around-town motoring, the feel is impeccable.

To be honest, I gave up on the center display. It has a lot going in and can provide all sort of info and data, however. Anybody who wants to get in there and geek-out will get no argument from me.

Honda/Acura is famed for its interior ergonomics and design, but the brands have been tempted away from simplicity over the past decade. Thankfully, reason has returned. The RDX controls are simple and straightforward. Heated and cooled seats, as well as a heated steered wheel, are great features on the RDX Advance trim.

Personally, I also liked that the engine auto stop/start feature — intended to save fuel and cut down on emissions — can easily be deactivated by pressing a nice, big, easy-to-spot button.

That is some nice wood trim!

The ELS Studio 3D audio system is all Acura — specially designed for the brand and outfitted with 16 speakers in the RDX, including ...

... Speakers in the roof! It sounds spectacular, among the best premium audio systems I've experienced in a vehicle in 2018.

Reminder: the 2019 RDX is bigger than its ancestors. The subtle size increase make the rear seats notably more comfy for passengers. On a side note, getting in and out of the RDX is a breeze — not something one can say about every luxe SUV.

The panoramic moon roof is vast.

Let's talk about Acura's new infotainment system. It's called "True Touchpad" and it uses a high-res center screen that juts from the dashboard and displays a host of apps, along the map, which is nearly always on view.

The smaller right side info can be flipped with the larger left side.

Here's where the magic happens. This touchpad can be used like a trackpad on a laptop, and there are several hard inputs. But you can also simply drop a fingertip to an area of the pad that corresponds to the screen.

It's an improvement over previous versions of Acura infotainment. For example, here's two-screen setup in a TLX A-Spec.

The changes are all about the user interface, which take a bit of getting used to. I got the hang of it in about 15 minutes and liked the system, in particular the comfortable padded wrist rest.

Business Insider's Ben Zhang was less impressed. But he agreed that it's an improvement over what Acura had been installing.

I found the voice-recognition feature to be satisfyingly accurate, and Bluetooth pairing, navigation, and USB/AUX inputs for devices were all successful. There are better infotainment options out there, but given Acura's history, this new True Touchpad approach has promise. Best of all, once you learn it, you can keep your eyes on the road.

Apple CarPlay is available, but not Android Auto yet.

So what's the verdict?

I'd buy one. Seriously, I enjoyed the RDX immensely in the week that I drove it around the Jersey 'burbs and the mean streets of New York City. But I tend to respond quote favorably to Acuras. For whatever reason, I think they combine a high level of luxury and value with legendary reliability and fun motoring that isn't too demanding.

If you just love to drive, something from BMW, Mercedes, or Audi might be more your bag. If you want absolutely bulletproof luxury, then look to Lexus (and be a bit less stimulated by exceptional engineering). If beauty is a must, turn to the Jaguar F-Pace.

But if you desire an excellent premium crossover SUV that will carry a family of four around in style, you'll be hard-pressed to do better than the new RDX.

With my colleague Ben, I agree that the new infotainment system is a work in progress. But it's a big improvement over the previous generation and a step in the right direction.

Acura has a way of being all things to all people, without causing that benefit to render its cars bland. Anybody who prefers to go Sport-Plus mode on the Dynamic selector will find that their luxury SUV can delivery more than a splash of snarl and attitude. (And maybe too much, as both Ben and I detected some harshness in the transmission's friskier shifts.)

The steering isn't mushy, and neither are the brakes. The torque-vectoring through the AWD drive system made the RDX feel genuinely sure-footed and composed when cornering, and the engine isn't cranking so much power that you feel you have to lay off in the curves, to avoid losing control.

Of course, where Acura truly shines is in the quality-to-price ratio. It's hard to obtain a better compact luxury SUV for this kind of scratch. Comparable German brands go for thousands more, similarly equipped. You're buying Acura's commitment to fine engineering and reliability, with just enough zip thrown in to remind you that you aren't driving a Lexus.

Bottom line: the 2019 Acura RDX is a purchase I can recommend you consider — without hesitation.

source https://www.newssplashy.com/2018/07/finance-we-drove-new-47800-acura-rdx-to.html

#News

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obtusemedia · 7 years ago

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Top 25 Songs of 2017: The Honorable Mentions

Some years, there’s an embarrassing amount of good-to-great albums/songs but not a lot of absolute 10/10 stunners. 2017 fits snugly in that category.

Although no single song or album this year reached a 10-out-of-10 perfect level, there were so many great 9s and 8s that I had to expand my year-end song and album lists, just to avoid the guilt of leaving off some songs I really enjoyed. In fact, even with 15 honorable mentions instead of 10 this year, there were still a few casualties (sorry, Harry Styles, Chastity Belt and Spoon).

Regardless, here’s the 15 that made the cut of barely missing the cut — if that statement made any sense. Let’s just jump in.

“Turn to Rage” by Bleached

California’s best bubblegum punk band released a new EP, Can You Deal?, this spring. It’s pretty solid, but what I found interesting was that Deal dove head-first into both sides of their sound. One single, “Flipside” was pure mid-90s sugary pop. It honestly could’ve been the theme to a Nickelodeon teen sitcom (and I mean that as a compliment).

“Turn to Rage” is the opposite. If “Flipside” is straight bubblegum, “Turn to Rage” is Bleached focusing on their punk side. It’s all aggressive guitars, abrupt tempo changes built for mosh pits, and snarky lyrics. There’s definitely some elements of Bleached’s original sound in here — they didn’t completely get rid of the vocal harmonies, and the song’s still catchy in a Weezer-esque sort of way — but there’s also more of an angry edge.

Luckly, Bleached managed to still maintain their sunburnt Los Angeles style, their greatest asset. “Turn to Rage” just shows the up-and-coming band has some range beyond adding heavy guitars to Go-Gos pastiches.

“Told You So” by Miguel

Miguel has been one of the most charismatic, sensual R&B singers on the planet for a while now. Instant classics like “Adorn,” “Coffee” and “Do You...” are bright, impeccably produced-and-performed ‘80s throwbacks that haven’t aged a day.

So, what’s his newest electro-funk single about? Love? Sex? ...how about nuclear war?

Yes, “Told You So,” the supremely groovy standout from Miguel’s newest album, aptly titled War and Leisure, is meant to be told from the perspective of a war-hungry dictator (the video makes it a lot more obvious). Kind of makes lyrics like “Every pleasure you taste has its price, baby” and “I don’t want to control you/I want to set you free/just come with me” sound a lot more sinister in that context, no?

Yet, it also totally works as a bedroom jam. It’s kind of like how U2′s “With or Without You” can be both about God or a relationship. “Told You So” is just a more deadly version of that formula, and Miguel pulls it off with flying colors. The production here is about as good of a Prince ripoff as we’re going to hear in this century, and the L.A. singer’s forceful, sultry delivery really sells the message.

Miguel just wanted to show that blowing away your enemies with the click of a button can be just as tempting as any physical desire, and his point is certainly proven.

“tonite” by LCD Soundsystem

A lot of veteran indie rockers had comeback albums in 2017. A lot of them didn’t really work. Fortunately, James Murphy had a trick up his sleeve to avoid this fate: middle-aged ramblings over a techno beat! Hooray!

Real talk though, if I’m going to listen to a 47-year-old complain about random things, I’d choose James Murphy nine times out of ten. Not only does everyone’s favorite Steve Bannon lookalike set his gripes to a laser-focused "Blue Monday” techno beat, but he gets in some interesting quotes. He discusses the looming threat of old age ( “I promise you this, you’re getting older...and there’s nothing I can do/nothing anyone can do about this”), worries about his generation becoming obsolete (“Oh I’m a reminder/the hobbled veteran of the disc-shop inquisition”) and even reminds himself of his tortured youth (”So you will be badgered and taunted and told that/you're missing a party that you'll never get over/you hate the idea that you're wasting your youth/that you stood in the background oh until you got older”).

Of course, in the best line, he deflates the whole thing by quipping, “Good gracious, I sound like my mom!” “tonite” is a snide, highly danceable song that Murphy could write in his sleep, but just because it’s a 2005-era throwback doesn’t mean it can’t still hit a nerve.

“Love” by Lana Del Rey

After a dismal 2015 (Honeymoon still has to be one of the most sudden dips in quality from an artist I’ve witnessed), Lana had a bit of a return to form in 2017, starting with the gorgeous, dreamy lead single, “Love.”

Lana’s always had a retro style, but she goes full ‘60s here, employing a Phil Spector Wall of Sound production technique and even ripping off the groove from a classic Beach Boys song (which she references during the bridge and closing).

But remaking “Don’t Worry Baby” for 2017 with a thicker bassline goes beyond just playing with a vintage formula. “Love” is legitimately soothing and calming with Lana’s silky alto vocals, and in a tumultuous year like this one, it was nice to have some reassurance that hey, everything’s going to be alright. You’re young, you’re beautiful, and things are going to work out. Perhaps what Lana inherited from the Boomers more than anything else is a sense of optimism that’s badly needed right now.

“Minnesota” by The Courtneys

This song might be called “Minnesota,” but it sounds oh-so-California. And The Courtneys aren’t even from either state: they’re Canadian!

It’s honestly a bit odd how a song named after a famously frigid state written by a band from a famously frigid country (although Vancouver isn’t quite the Arctic tundra) managed to create a fuzzy indie-rock gem that sounds so sunny and surf-ready. Lead singer Jen Twynn Payne’s slacker vocals and the raw, crunchy guitar riffs from Courtney Garvin (the band’s only Courtney, surprisingly) make “Minnesota” feel like a hidden track on the Fast Times at Ridgemont High soundtrack. Jeff Spicoli would absolutely approve.

“Everything Now” by Arcade Fire

Yes, I’m well aware that Arcade Fire’s days as a critical darling are just about over. I’ll agree with most people that Everything Now, Arcade Fire’s 2017 album, was a major disappointment that’s stained the band’s previously-flawless discography.

But “Everything Now,” that album’s title track? It’s a banger.

I’m sorry, but if mixing ABBA with Rusted Root while throwing in gratuitous jabs at late-capitalist consumerism is wrong, then I don’t want to ever be right. This song has an unstoppable disco grove, a catchy chant-along chorus, and lead singer Win Butler’s Bono-isms still perfectly toe that line between self-righteous and actually meaningful (at least, on this song). It might not be hip to defend Arcade Fire 13 years after Funeral, but I have enough goodwill left to enjoy “Everything Now.”

Oh, and the second single, “Creature Comfort,” is also great. Fight me, Pitchfork.

“I Dare You” by The xx

With their new album, I See You, The xx ditched the minimalist sound that made them famous at the turn of the decade for expansive synthpop that sounded a lot more like in-house DJ Jamie xx’s 2015 solo masterpiece, In Colour. And it totally worked!

“I Dare You” might be the most pop-friendly track on the whole album, with its soaring chorus, pulsing backbeat and playfully lovestruck lyrics. It’s the kind of simple track you’ll love instantly, with enough depth and subtle touches to make it an enjoyable listen many times over.

Also, Millie Bobby Brown’s in the video, so bonus points for that. Too bad she didn’t lift any vans with her mind this time.

“Silver” by Waxahatchee

Katie Cruchfield’s southern-fried indie rock is at its best when it has a raw emotion to grab onto, and “Silver” features just that. The driving track perfectly captures the feeling of falling out of love with someone.

“The kiss on my lips/ starts to feel unfamiliar/the part in your eyes/my skin all turns silver,” Crutchfield drolly sings, perfectly describing the growing distance between her and her former lover. It’s not bitter, it’s not angry; It’s just a bit melancholy and disappointing. And sometimes, that’s all breakups are, something that Crutchfield encapsulates in her wordless chorus and wistful closing guitar solo.

“Silver” is a realistic look at the unglamorous side of breakups, and a frank artist like Waxahatchee was the perfect person to deliver it.

“Lemon” by N.E.R.D. and Rihanna

Yeah, yeah, N.E.R.D. is back and all...but HOLD UP. WHO KNEW RIHANNA HAD THAT FLOW IN HER POCKET?!

Okay, I guess we sort of knew thanks to her collab with Kendrick, but she was half-singing on that one. It was Fetty Wap rapping. This RiRi doing straight hip-hop, over an absolutely killer Pharrell beat to boot (he’s totally forgiven for “Happy” now).

Honestly, I wish the lyrics themselves were a bit more memorable (although Pharrell gets in a nice line about “Eli face,” which...lol) but I’ll be damned if “Lemon” isn’t an absolute banger regardless.

Please make a rap album, Rihanna. It’ll be incredible.

“Carin at the Liquor Store” by The National

The National’s newest album, Sleep Well Beast, mainly deals with the struggles of maintaining a middle-aged marriage. Total rock-n-roll, I know. Still, if any band can pull off an entire album about somber marital strife, it’s these guys.

“Carin at the Liquor Store,” located near the end of the record, serves as a nostalgic reminder of lead singer Matt Berninger’s romance with his wife (who yes, is really named Carin, and co-wrote chunks of the album’s lyrics) in their happier days. The verses detail their blossoming, awkward beginnings, while Berninger takes a dejected look at their present situation in the chorus.

It’s a very bittersweet song, bolstered by what’s arguably the best piano melody of the year. It feels utterly timeless, like a very melancholy Billy Joel tune.

Although I’ve never been a massive fan of The National, “Carin” hits me right in the gut — odd, considering I’m probably not nearly old enough to relate. It still provokes something, though.

“Los Ageless” by St. Vincent

Avant-pop genius Annie Clark has done it again, even as she leans more and more into the pop world with every release. Honestly, I’m okay with that, especially if her version of “pop” is super-slick ‘80s new wave with Jack Antonoff on production duties.

Although on the surface, “Los Ageless” seems like a typical I-hate-L.A. song, with its references to the empty sheen of the Sunset Strip, plastic surgery, and weirdly nice weather, the song seems to take on a darker undertone than that. Based on the chorus and the chaotic bridge, and Clark’s repeated desperation to “keep on running,” it actually seems to be more about a mental breakdown.

Is it post break-up? Perhaps, as that’s what the chorus seems to indicate (“How can anybody have you and and lose you/and not lose their minds too?), but Clark keeps the details vague. In a way, the whole song feels like American Psycho (bear with me here): A shiny pop veneer is used to cover an insane underbelly.

Based on how depressing the rest of St. Vincent’s album, MASSEDUCTION, is, “Los Ageless” fits in quite nicely, while still being an absolute blast on a musical level.

“Sixteen” by Diet Cig

Bubblegum punk is blossoming in New York as well as Seattle and L.A., if Diet Cig are any indication. Although their new album, Swear I’m Good at This, doesn’t have any barnburning masterpieces on the level of their 2015 single “Harvard,” “Sixteen” is a worthy successor.

Lead singer Alex Luciano’s angsty lyrics are crammed with details about an adolescent relationship and subsequent breakup, one being the odd scenario of trying to have sex with someone who has the same name as you (fairly believable, since “Alex” is super-common for guys or gals or anybody).

She even spends a whole verse getting frustrated at the supermarket about having to still host a barbecue with all of their mutual friends post-breakup. It’s these mundane, unique vignettes that really make “Sixteen” feel lived-in and honest.

Of course, it helps that the song has a massive (and brilliantly simple) proto-punk groove to give it some oomph. Having heard it live, I can promise that “Sixteen” absolutely gets the crowd riled up, and with a perfect combination of angsty lyrics and angsty guitar riffs, why wouldn’t anybody get hyped?

“Over Everything” by Courtney Barnett and Kurt Vile

As much as it feels like a bit of a waste of Courtney Barnett’s precise, pointed songwriting talents to make an entire album of sprawling stoner jams with Kurt Vile ... damnit, “Over Everything” is too charming to not like.

I normally hate super-relaxing music (don’t you dare play Jack Johnson when I’m in the room), but these two seem to have a great, witty back-and-forth chemistry that really makes “Over Everything” likable despite my personal biases. It feels like Kurt and Courtney (lol) have been lifelong friends who can playfully throw jabs at each other and perfectly harmonize whenever it suits them.

Sure, it goes on for about two minutes too long (I blame you, Kurt), but the good mood is so infectious, that I can’t complain too much. It’s the audio equivalent of slowly cruising down an empty street on a sunny September day.

Besides, Melbourne’s finest is coming out with a new solo album soon, so we’re all good on that front.

“Big Fish” by Vince Staples feat. Juicy J

Vince Staples is not a flossy rapper, so it’s a bit odd to hear him on a song like “Big Fish,” which features a DJ Mustard-style beat and Juicy J on the hook talking about being “up late night balling.” This could easily be mistaken for a French Montana song or something.

However, Staples’ verses are something different entirely. The first verse is all about his chaotic youth in North Long Beach (he even calls back to his 2015 classic “Norf Norf”), while the second verse is about how he’s having difficulties adjusting to a more comfortable life since he’s reached rap stardom.

It honestly sounds like Vince hijacked someone else’s song, and it’s a very interesting juxtaposition. Much like the rest of his 2017 album, Big Fish Theory, Staples mixes party-ready electronic and trap beats with some thought-provoking, downtrodden bars. Although the record sounds better when listened to all the way through, “Big Fish” is as solid a single as you’ll find on it.

“Slip Away” by Perfume Genius

Although I’ve never loved his full-length albums, Perfume Genius’ Mike Hadreas always come through with at least a couple stand-out singles every few years, and “Slip Away” is a nice change of pace for the Tacoma indie singer-songwriter.

While his past record, Too Bright, was harsh and angry, “Slip Away” is painfully romantic. Hadreas’ swooning vocals beg his lover to escape the dark world surrounding them to go somewhere where they can be alone. This emotive sentiment is matched by some of Perfume Genius’ most bombastic, fleshed-out production to date. It’s like if Kate Bush had an EDM drop (I realize that sounds awful, but trust me, it works really well).

All of Hadreas’ works are dripping with passion, but his best songs are when the music matches him, which is why “Slip Away” is so powerful.

#top 25 songs of 2017 #pop #indie rock #rap #r&b #punk #electronic

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itsworn · 8 years ago

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Homemade, 50-Year-Old Fuel Motor Roars Back To Life

The Big Banger Theory

Fueler.

Improbable survival stories are standard equipment around here. HOT ROD Deluxe is known for telling resurrection tales that defy all odds and logic. Some of those story ideas surely would’ve been rejected outright by skeptical editors as borderline unbelievable, had photographic evidence not undeniably documented a journey from distant past to survivor. Forget “borderline”; this is one backyard project that’s been unreal from the very start, when a retired machinist began building his racing engine, literally—a gigantic four-banger that once again cackles with nitromethane—a half-century later.

If that already sounds unbelievable, prepare to suspend disbelief long enough to hear the rest of the story. The happy ending depicted by these current photos followed decades of neglect, disassembly, and even theft that could’ve, would’ve, and certainly should’ve written a far sadder story. The magical intervention of a young Springfield, Oregon, engine builder was the last link in a long chain of unlikely coincidences—or was it something else?

“I feel like Grandpa led me to him,” says Carol Stange, a since-retired meter reader for the Springfield Utility Board in Oregon whose monthly route included a joint named Tim’s Muscle Cars. She’d never met or even seen anyone on the grounds until the day she spied an old Lyndwood dragster chassis out front. As a lifelong gearhead from Long Beach, California, whose grandfather had exposed the whole family to nearby Lions Drag Strip, Carol couldn’t resist knocking on the office door. When nobody answered, she walked inside and to the back of the building, following male voices.

“A buddy and I were painting his GTO in my spray booth,” Tim Riel recalls. “We both had respirators on. I thought, ‘Wow, this lady has a lot of nerve, walking up to a couple of strangers wearing masks!’” Tim and Carol agree that their introductory conversation began something like this:

“Hi, I saw your dragster out front. My grandfather had one of those.”

“Oh, yeah?”

“Yeah, in the mid-1960s. He built his own engine. Car Craft wrote about it.”

“Is your grandpa Byron Barnes?”

Imagine Carol’s shock, hearing a total stranger utter the name of her late grandfather. “I followed him up to the front office, where Tim had a big stack of magazines. He went right to the issue and pulled it out. I said, ‘Yeah, that’s the article.’ I couldn’t believe this was happening! Tim seemed intrigued that the chassis survived, was still in the family, and was here in Oregon.”

A magazine published seven years before Tim Riel was born just happened to be among several milk crates of “moldy, smelly, old paper” that he’d recently purchased from a swap-meet vendor. Tim and his machinist father, Rod Riel, had been going through the pile that very week. “We kept coming back to that Car Craft and that one article. We couldn’t get over how much work went into the engine. It still amazes me. This guy not only made his own engine parts; first, he had to design and build the tooling to make them. Everything had to be perfectly aligned for those pistons to go up and down. Even with today’s technology, not many people would—or even could—do what her grandpa did 50 years ago.”

So, as an engineering exercise, this project was pretty hard to beat; as a race car, not so much. In fact, it never got past the testing stage. When the late, great writer A.B. Shuman submitted his tech story around March 1967, Byron had run the rail twice. First time out, injected on nitro, netted “a quite respectable 120 mph in eleven seconds, shutting off at the halfway mark and coasting through the traps,” CC reported. Switching to dual Weber carbs and, presumably, gasoline for a second try, there was another half-pass of 129 mph but no e.t reported by Shuman. Gifford Barnes counts three trips to Lions Drag Strip with his dad, all plagued by bogging off the line: “He couldn’t get the fuel system right,” he explains. “After the car stumbled, it really charged, but Mickey [Okahara, the driver] couldn’t get away clean.” The wide variety of used parts visible in photos and recovered by Tim Riel point to additional experimentation, as does the only time slip left behind. On the back is scrawled, “50% nitro.” If, in fact, the indicated 8.74 and 164 were recorded by this car, it would’ve been one of the swiftest four-bangers of the era—but not competitive for the type of racing Byron initially envisioned.

Considering how many years one old guy, working alone, needed to bring this engine, particularly, plus a homebuilt chassis all the way from conception to completion—the crankshaft alone required 30 days, according to CC—it’s hardly surprising that classification rules would evolve. The article cites so-called “junior fuelers” for Byron’s inspiration. After Lions bowed out of the fuel ban in 1962, that unofficial term came to be loosely applied to single-engined, normally aspirated dragsters burning nitromethane and/or methanol, regardless of engine type or size. Those not quick enough to qualify for Top Fuel Eliminator might’ve run Top Gas or amongst themselves. Byron’s decision to make his sheetmetal cylinder block tall enough to displace either 353 or 392 ci hardly seems coincidental at a time when 354 and 392 Chryslers were fashionable. Some injected Chevys were poked ’n’ stroked to 358 and even 389 cubes.

By the time Byron was ready to go, Lions had banished fuel burners from Top Gas and created an official Junior Fuel category for unblown engines no larger than 310 cubes. Bigger motors moved into either C/Fuel Dragster (up to 350 ci) or B/FD (to 400 ci), both of which were dominated by small-inch, blown Hemis and Chevys. No wonder Byron lost interest in 1968 or ’69 and parked this car. Indeed, but for one old magazine article and however few firsthand witnesses remain, nearly nobody would know it ever existed.

Getting back to Tim’s Muscle Cars, the Springfield meter reader regularly returned to share leisurely lunch breaks and talk shop. “All I knew was that the bare chassis was hanging in her uncle’s barn,” Tim says. “Carol never got over there to take pictures. I told her that I’d be interested in buying whatever was left.”

“Oh, yeah, he bugged me for over a year,” Carol confirms, laughing. “He’d say, ‘Can I just go see it, please?’ I didn’t want to bug my uncle Giff just so someone could look up in his rafters. But my family always hoped to get Grandpa’s dragster running. My cousin Frank, Giff’s son, started on that about 20 years ago. He took the car apart, spread the parts out on the bench, but it never went back together. When I finally called to tell my uncle I’d met a young guy with his own engine shop who might want to buy the car, Giff said, ‘Nope, he can’t buy it. If you really think he’ll do something with it, tell him to come get it.'”

What Carol didn’t know at the time was that thieves had recently removed critical components from Giff’s unlocked boat barn and sold them for scrap. Luckily, her uncle and cousin noticed parts missing in time to track down the metals dealer before he got around to melting or reselling most, though the rare quick-change rearend was already gone. They went to court to recover what remained and prevailed, eventually.

“All I expected to get was a chassis, or part of one,” Tim says. “I planned to look for dragster parts at swap meets, maybe put in an early Hemi or small-block. Carol’s mom, uncle, aunt, cousin, brother, and sister were all there to say goodbye to Grandpa’s dragster. I walked into this big metal shed with a huge fishing boat on one side. I couldn’t believe my eyes. Byron’s short-block was sitting on a crate. Piles of parts were on the floor. Both M&H slicks were still mounted on Halibrands. The original parachute was hanging from the rafters. We found the complete clutch assembly and can, all the mag body panels, even a firesuit. After everything was laid out at home the next day, I was amazed by how complete the car was. I saw it as a giant erector set, minus the rearend and some small pieces that my dad and I could probably make. We were lucky to have the Car Craft for reference.

“I was worried that Byron’s two children wouldn’t be around long enough to see it get done,” he adds. “I’d made them a promise to try, but Giff’s health was not good. He and his sister, Carol’s mom, were in their eighties. This was important. I wanted that engine to run again, on nitro. I really got into it.”

He sure did, gradually assembling the erector set most nights and weekends for eight months, in between engine work for patient patrons of Tim’s Muscle Cars. When he proudly unveiled the sum of those parts, Byron’s descendants were there to witness the resurrection of a father and grandfather, along with an old dragster. “We were all in tears,” Tim admits.

“To me, it’s just amazing how things worked out,” says Carol Stange, the fearless meter reader whose knock on one door opened so many more. “It was fun, and I just felt like it was meant to be.”

The all-homemade engine was designed to displace either 353 or 392 ci, depending on crankshaft selection. To minimize weight, designer-builder Byron Barnes settled on four cylinders (versus eight), a sheetmetal crankcase (versus cast iron), and valves in the block (versus overhead). Note the 3-inch offset, to counteract torque.

Both the dragster and the former Romania Chevrolet store were operational in the 1960s. Despite its lengthy wheelbase of 152 inches and maze of suspension tubing, the car weighed just 710 pounds, wet.

Everything orange was powdercoated by McKenzie Chrome Plating (Springfield, Oregon). All four wheels and tires are original. After the original mag body was ruined by a careless sandblaster—and Tim Riel was quoted a price of $3,500 per magnesium sheet—buddy Les Schoonover (Springfield) replicated the cowl and side panels in aluminum.

Restorer-caretaker Tim Riel estimates that no fewer than 100 pieces of sheet steel were welded together to create the 116-pound bare block.

Byron Barnes obviously had his own ideas about weight transfer, probably influenced by his oval-track history. He formed the fuel tank by cutting and merging two military-surplus water kettles engraved with the words “U.S. Army.”

The aluminum cover contains the coolant sitting on top of four individual cylinder heads. Water enters through the open hole (which still lacks a pressure cap to replace the tiny original). Boiling water exits through the overflow tube. Mike Maher did the pinstriping and lettering. The rear-main seal is a small-block Chevy item.

The parachute, M&H 8.20-15 Racemasters, and magnesium Halibrand wheels are original. The Portland Swap Meet produced a virtual duplicate of the stolen rearend assembly, including Halibrand champ-car quick-change, that fit perfectly.

Rod Riel, Tim’s machinist dad, reproduced one of the Anglia-style spindles and some missing suspension pieces on his CNC machines. The shocks are Volkswagen. The aluminum fuel line is original.

The custom tri-drive system is a work of art. A spur gear on the crank runs the cam, which drives the Bendix Mini-Mag, Hilborn fuel pump, and a Ford six-cylinder oil pump at the bottom that fills a custom dry-sump pan. A piece of leather that seals the timing cover to the crankcase is the closet thing to a gasket in the entire engine. Byron even built his own injectors. The original velocity stacks and Hilborn barrel valve survived, but not the exhaust flange and headers, which Rod Riel replicated. Since our photo session, Tim has completed the complicated linkage and added a mini-starter to the front of the crank. Previously, he hand-operated the throttle with a long rod connecting the individual injectors and fired the engine on a stand, since none of the Riels can squeeze into the cockpit for push starting.

Since stumbling onto this photography location in Eugene, Oregon, we’ve learned that the former home of Lew Williams and, later, Joe Romania Chevrolet is infamous for 2000 and 2001 arson attacks by local “ecoterrorists” targeting gas guzzlers. In the first incident, three light trucks collectively valued at $28,000 were torched by activists who happened to be under surveillance by a terrorism task force that night. Nine months later, a different gang set fire to 35 new Suburbans and Tahoes worth $959,000. The Chevy store was sold shortly thereafter and ultimately closed in 2005 when the University of Oregon purchased the prime, four-and-a-half-acre property adjoining the campus for storage. The wooden panels were installed after rock-throwing vandals found the original glass irresistible.

Machinists’ Union

It took a father-son team of master machinists in Long Beach, California, to create this engine, and it took another to restore it to running condition, a half-century later and 900 miles north. The shared experience has tightly bonded the Barnes-Garwood and Riel families to this day.

Gifford Barnes, 86, machined the individual cylinder heads for his late dad’s engine. He inherited Byron’s last race car in 1981 and stored it for 34 years. The Barnes-Garwood family photo album produced a rare 1930s snapshot of father and son together.

Kay Barnes Garwood, 84, is Byron’s daughter. Nearly eight decades after posing with the family dog and midget at home in Long Beach, she lives with daughter Linda Garwood (left) in Port Orford, Oregon.

Tim and Jan Riel rescued and revived their rail with invaluable assistance from Rod Riel (left), a semiretired CNC machinist. Its new home is Tim’s Muscle Cars, a restoration and engine shop in Springfield, Oregon.

Social Media, Old School

For 400 years before digital devices connected us senders and receivers, magazines did that job. This one still does, albeit with a time delay measured in months or years, not nanoseconds. You know the drill: HOT ROD Deluxe publishes an article or column or photo caption that thrills/irritates you into sending love letters/hate mail. Correspondence deemed worthy of print shows up in stores and mailboxes two or three issues later to thrill/irritate fellow readers. See, just like Facebook posts, minus fake news.

Despite modern production technology, “slick” magazines still take forfriggin’ever to print, bind, and transport, as you’ve undoubtedly noticed. Our bimonthly infrequency automatically puts HRD another month behind the monthlies. If you’re reading this on the West Coast, add another week for trains and trucks to move the bundles all the way from the Midwest, where most of America’s ink gets spilled. Finally, your copy shows up in, say, Springfield, Oregon. Reading from front to back (as editors and the good Lord intended), you eventually get to a couple of 50-year-old, unpublished outtakes from a 1968 Car Craft story. The caption asks if any reader knows what happened to an obscure race car that vanished 15 years before you were born, a car that happens to be parked in your shop.

Reader Tim Riel responded almost as soon as his heart settled back into his chest. Editor Hardin couldn’t wait to print the letter and photos Tim sent of the restored rail. Meanwhile, though, another issue’s bimonthly production cycle came and went, delaying publication by one more edition. When the car reappeared in color in January 2016’s Scrapbook section, Mr. Ed. promised in print to send contributor Dave Wallace—who claimed a personal connection to its builder—to shoot a proper feature. In consideration of the Northwest’s notorious rainy season, we postponed that photo session until the late spring. Finally, the Byron Barnes rail returns to these pages, completing a print conversation started nearly two years ago—if not 50 years ago this December, when Petersen Publishing Company staffers Bob Swaim and A.B. Shuman visited the car both at home and at Lions Drag Strip.

Original Car Craft article, June 1968

From HRD’s “The Golden Age Of Drag Racing,” September 2015

From HRD’s letters section, January 2016

Shortly after Tim Riel’s letter and photos appeared in HRD, another stranger showed up at Tim’s Muscle Cars. He told Tim that, as a kid, he lived in Byron’s neighborhood and helped clean out the home shop after Mr. and Mrs. Barnes died weeks apart in 1981. He was given the blueprint as a souvenir. He thought it belonged with the race car. Sure enough, these cockpit measurements match. Byron evidently purchased a partial kit from little-known H&L Metals. Tim was so stunned by the gift that he never got a name. He’s hopeful that the generous mystery man will see this and identify himself to HRD—extending the series of old-school, ink-on-paper “posts” described above.

Lost And Found

On the snowy morning in January 2014 that Tim and Rod Riel dragged a trailer to the Oregon coast, a bare chassis was all they expected to find. Imagine their surprise!

For the first time, Tim Riel laid his hands—and eyes—on the remnants of a chassis he’d seen only in a Car Craft issue printed four years before he was born.

Carol Garwood Stange (right) is the retired Oregon meter reader who put Tim Riel (left) together with Grandpa’s slingshot. Her big sister, Linda Garwood, held up the nose while their uncle Giff supervised.

The rotating assembly stayed inside of Byron’s sheetmetal block since he last ran the car, circa 1968-69. Three types of steel were pressed together, then arc-welded with titanium-nickel rod, to form a hollow crankshaft with a 4.5-inch stroke.

Gifford Barnes machined the individual cylinder heads so precisely that they seal to the sheet-steel crankcase without gaskets. His dad used 40 capscrews made of aircraft-grade titanium, likely left over from one of Byron’s aerospace projects. All but a few of the original fasteners were located, cleaned up, and reinstalled by Tim Riel. Threaded tubes around the spark plugs prevent coolant from grounding out the plugs.

The camshaft is hollow. Byron fused individual lobes onto the tube, then had Iskenderian grind them to deliver 230 degrees of duration with 0.400-inch lift. “The cam wasn’t even in the engine, so I had no idea about where to degree it or set the lash,” Tim says. “The drive gear is slotted about 70 degrees where the bolt goes, for advance and retard. So I called and talked to Isky’s son, who remembered Ed playing cards with Byron. He said his dad would call after he got back from lunch. I thought, ‘Oh, sure, like Ed Iskenderian is gonna personally call some little engine builder in the middle of nowhere.’ That same afternoon, I answer the phone, and Mr. Isky says, ‘Old man Barnes still owes me 40 bucks from our weekly card game!’ He said he’d look around and let me know if he found anything. About two weeks later, I get a box with the original cam card with all of the specs, a new set of valvesprings, and a handwritten note: ‘Best wishes, Ed Iskenderian.'”

Jahns Pistons cast five of these aluminum, 5-inch-diameter monsters in the wooden mold. Byron finish-machined four to arrive at 10:1 compression. He also made five 4130 chrome-moly connecting rods, welding the ends to the tubular beams. This spare was never run.

The worn main bearings proved to be the most difficult replacement parts to find, plus the most expensive. Because all crank journals are identical, Tim had to spend $1,200 on five complete sets of obsolete aircraft bearings to get the five pieces. An old-timer at Federal-Mogul successfully cross-referenced the original part numbers by searching old paper catalogs. The valvetrain combines original, slipper-style lifters with Chrysler Hemi springs, retainers, and locks.

Everything here was formed from steel. First, though, Byron had to make wooden or cardboard templates for each piece, then construct a flame-cutting rig with a tracing stylus at one end and an oxy-acetylene cutting torch at the other. The intake and exhaust ports are two pieces of steel stampings, welded together. Also note the six water jackets per cylinder.

The original, giant 2-5/8-inch intake and exhaust valves are stainless heads on chrome-moly stems.

Half a century after this big banger first went together, it’s as good as new, plus much prettier. Of many missing parts reproduced by the Riels, the most difficult to design were the spur gears and shaft driving the magneto and fuel and oil pumps. In some old photos of the engine wearing Weber carbs, the two-hole bracket contained a different mag and a coil.

Who Was Byron Barnes?

This writer should know, having met him a few times in the mid-1970s. We even lived on the same Huntington Beach street for a while, yet I never really knew the man. Among my regrets is not spending more time in the large shop behind his house on Old Pirates Lane that held both the Hudson he’d customized and his fully assembled slingshot, covered in dusty plastic. I was introduced by my then-girlfriend as the editor of Drag News, but to him I was the longhair sleeping with his beloved granddaughter, Carol Garwood—now Carol Stange, the retired Oregon meter reader responsible for connecting his last race car to the young guy destined to rescue and restore it.

Byron’s family revealed that he was born in 1907 in Nebraska. In 1911, his parents moved to Long Beach. At age 16, Byron’s first homebuilt hot rod got him arrested and jailed. Since his dad was then running for city council, the folks shipped him offshore to herd goats on San Clemente Island until the election was over. He and a buddy later assembled an airplane that Byron flew before building and driving his first midget. When World War II halted auto racing, he worked for Douglas Aircraft Company as a mechanics’ instructor and design engineer developing tooling for the B-17 bomber. In the mid-1950s, Byron designed, built, and patented oil field equipment that enabled an early retirement. For the next 25 years, he indulged automotive passions ranging from the dragster and Hudson custom to off-road racing with local pals Bill Stroppe and Parnelli Jones.

Though Byron could likely afford any new car, I saw him driving Ford Pintos exclusively. Rather than bother changing fluids, he’d torture an engine until it rattled or smoked, swap motors in an afternoon, then perform an autopsy on the dead player. (The same boat shed that stored the dragster’s engine held another big surprise for Tim Riel: “There must’ve been 70 Pinto 2000- and 2300cc motors stacked up in there!”) Byron’s last daily driver was reportedly returning nearly 50 mpg when emphysema ended an incredible journey in April 1981, just shy of his 74th birthday.

Byron (right) was also a pilot. During the Depression, he earned money repairing and reselling crashed planes. Neither his son nor daughter recognized the other dapper dude.

The crowd at San Diego’s Balboa Stadium illustrates the huge popularity of midget racing before WWII and immediately after, until free competition from television kept people home on weekends. The fourth car back appears to be Byron’s.

This flathead is thought to be the first that Byron built from scratch, during the 1930s. It disappeared with a fast-talking salesman who promised to take it from track to track, nationwide, and write orders for production copies. Byron also constructed a DOHC prototype that might be the motor pictured in his wrecked racer. Historian Greg Sharp tells us that more than 100 different engine types powered midgets, all limited to 105 ci.

A page from Byron’s logbook documents eight events in five weeks at L.A.’s Gilmore and Atlantic Boulevard Stadium tracks during the summer of 1939.

Unlike most midgets of the era, Byron’s looked as good as they ran.

Gifford Barnes doesn’t know whether this could be his dad’s overhead cammer, but it’s the only DOHC engine shot in the family scrapbook.

Evidence that Byron’s hot rods attracted hot drivers includes this steamy shot of a guy recognized by historian Greg as Mel Hansen, “a big-name midget driver who qualified six times for the Indy 500, with a best finish of eighth.”

The forward-leaning positions of both drivers suggest this to be the moment of impact after Byron’s unknown shoe spun. We’re guessing that the background cars belonged to the two workers behind the wall.

The dragster’s finished block and crank are shown in the Long Beach shop where Byron handbuilt his last racing engine. The Barnes-Garwood family still owns the building on Signal Hill. Appropriately, it’s currently leased to a company making parts for Smart cars.

In the early 1970s, granddaughter Carol paid $100 for this Northern California barn find. It was original and complete except for a front seat. Once Carol got the engine running, her mom drove the 400-plus miles home to Long Beach sitting on a crate. Never content to follow a crowd, Grandpa Barnes hopped up the straight eight and built himself the only Hudson custom we’ve ever seen.

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regularbeans · 7 years ago

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Best Albums of 2017 (10-1)

Here they are \o/

10 Imagine Dragons: Evolve

A bit like in Hurts’ case, I didn’t think something more perfect than Smoke + Mirrors could be created. And I was right, Evolve can’t even live up to Night Visions let alone Smoke + Mirrors. But is it good? Sure. Is it awesome? Ehh, not awesome, no, but it’s good. It sort of reminds me of what a first album would be for a band that doesn’t quite know what to do with themselves yet. It’s a bit all over the place, not quite a unit even though the songs individually are all enjoyable. There’s a disconnect there between the title and the material as it doesn’t quite feel like evolution just yet. Sure they’re stretching out their wings, trying to see what they can do to not be forever put into the radio hit factory box. The best example of that is Thunder but there are other efforts here that are worth a listen. At the end of the day I love the kindness of this record, the lightness in some songs and the brutal force in some others. I’m interested to see where the road takes this band from here.

My favourite songs from the record: Rise Up, Yesterday, Mouth of the River, I’ll Make It Up to You

09 Amber Run: For a Moment I Was Lost

I was surprised to see just how many of the bands I’ve been following were on the verge of breaking up or having to reinvent themselves in order to survive. It’s not that big of a deal, I realise, it happens to most artists I imagine and even though I’m glad we’re all okay I’m the happiest for Amber Run’s pulling through a hard time. They fall into this category of the best of all the worlds ever so nothing is really off the table with them from epic ballads to club bangers (okay maybe not club bangers but I wouldn’t be surprised) and because of Joe Keogh’s unique vocals and enormous range they really have nothing in their way to create whatever they like.

They usually like to create this dream-like almost vision of angelic plucks at the guitar and the piano, but then it turns into yelling and hammering away on the drums, every guitar the members could find simultaneously playing every note on the known scale and it’s beautiful, hectic waterfall of emotions. They have a fair share of lukewarm nowwhat’s but luckily they have enough of when they’re at their best too (I’m talking about the waterfall of emotions).

FAMIWL is a tad more dynamic than 5AM was but also more confident in the same time. This band is criminally underrated but I hope they keep making music because they’re such a unique spot in the current indie rock scene, it’d be a shame to rob the world of their sound.

My favourite songs from the album: Perfect, No Answers, Stranger, Insomniac

08 Ed Sheeran: Divide

I like fun. I also like Ed Sheeran. So when literally ALL SIXTEEN SONGS from his new album’s DELUXE EDITION was on Spotify’s Global Top 50 for so long Spotify had to implement changes to how they pick the top 50 so one artist can’t take up almost half of the list I thought it was fucking hilarious and I’m so glad it’s Ed Sheeran who achieved this.

Because he’s always been a “bit of this bit of that” kind of musician it’s hard to tell if he ventured outside his comfort zone on this record but I know that the first song on the record, Eraser, is part of why I like this guy so much. Every side of him, the ballad guy, the rapper guy, the nostalgic pub song guy, it’s all him, and all throughout the success he’s remained grounded. When I heard him name Damien Rice in Eraser, someone he’s idolised ever since he was little and literally followed around to pursue with demos of his songs, I knew he remained that honest guy he was back when he was just... a guy. I can respect that. I hope he keeps that up. And this album’s got hooks for days, all better than the one before.

My favourite songs from the album: Eraser, New Man, Nancy Mulligan

07 Window to the Abbey: Moving Around Bias

I wrote about this record in length here and I’m surprising myself with the placement of this album but it’s true that if one of my few problems with this album is that the songs are in the wrong order then it’s still a pretty damn good album. And it is :)

My favourite songs from the album: Break Up Song, Part Time, The Promise, Common Ground

06 Cold War Kids: LA Divine

(it was really hard to crop this without it including the expression “Cold Kids”)

My love for Cold War Kids is endless and yet their albums are such hard hit and misses it’s incredible. I either love them to bits or I love like the lead single and nothing else. Dear Miss Lonelyhearts has my all time favourite CWK song on it but I couldn’t hum you another song from that album. However the singles released from LA Divine were very promising so I found myself hoping for a good one. And it was. I agree with critics that say maybe CWK wanted to chew off too big a bite with the needless intermezzos that don’t add anything to the overall experience but other than that you’ve just got these guys flexing their hit writing muscles. These songs are banger after banger, call it tryhard if you want but I’ll call the firemen cause... cause it’s lit......

I’m sorry.

My favourite songs from the album: Can We Hang On?, No Reason to Run, Ordinary Idols

05 Linkin Park: One More Light

I’ve loved Linkin Park for a decade which is a long time and 2007 wasn’t even remotely the beginning of their career. It was with Minutes to Midnight that the “they sold out” train started and more and more people jumped on all of the wagons every year especially with new releases and yet Linkin Park stayed not giving a crap, a bit like Fall Out Boy. My personal favourite of theirs Living Things was followed by The Hunting Party which I didn’t quite get but I never stopped enjoying their music. So when Heavy came out I knew the bullshit about them going pop would start and I wasn’t wrong. It’s true, One More Light is way milder, more quiet record than any of the records before but I feel like if you’ve been in a band for almost two decades you can kind of do whatever the fuck you want without having to explain yourself. I’m glad Linkin Park did exactly that.

Lighter in its sound but just as emotional as ever, One More Light is different, but it’s a welcome difference. I didn’t want another Meteora or another Living Things, I wanted a new Linkin Park record with good songs on it and the band delivered. I love the sampling, I love the polished melodies, I love the rap parts just the same, I love it when Mikey sings :) if I could change one thing I’d just make the whole album longer.

My favourite songs from the album: Talking to Myself, Sharp Edges, Good Goodbye

I fucking miss Chester so much. Rest in peace, thank you for everything.

04 Misterwives: Connect the Dots

I’ve also written about this miracle of an album here so I won’t repeat myself (I think I’ve done it enough already). It’s bands and albums like this that remind me to try new things even if they don’t look like my thing. I don’t listen to stuff like Misterwives and yet this album brought so much joy into my life, I couldn’t be more grateful (to Spotify).

My favourite songs from the album: Only Human, Band Camp, Out of Tune Piano, Let the Light In

03 Everything Everything: A Fever Dream

I also wrote about why and how Everything Everything got onto the best artists list so late and the case isn’t different with the album either. Get to Heaven didn’t blow my mind and even though a friend of mine couldn’t have recommended A Fever Dream to me more I just missed out on it for a few months. But maybe it was fate, maybe it wasn’t my time to love it before. Now it definitely is. A Fever Dream continues the band’s tradition of singing fast-paced, weird songs overloaded by dissonant guitars and synths, accompanied by the singer’s wailing. I’m sorry I keep shitting on his voice, it’s a very unique voice, it’s kind of rickety and squeaky but I wouldn’t want it any other way.

However, there’s a strange, faimilar coldness about this album. I can’t explain how it manifests I just feel it. A sort of addictive loneliness I couldn’t get out of even if I wanted to. Either way, all of these together create what is definitely a perfect album. (Pretty much if I wanted to I could put this in the place of Enter Shikari’s The Spark and it would still stand, they’re both just so good.)

My favourite songs from the album: all of them, really... but if I have to play along, it’s A Fever Dream, White Wale, Good Shot Good Soldier, Night of the Long Knives

02 Enter Shikari: The Spark

Another review I already got out of the way, I think I summed up well why The Spark is so special. But I’ll quote the important bit:

“It sounds like a concept album but to me it’s rather a collection of specific ideas and topics with clear messages, expressing thought-provoking opinions without ever demeaning the listener or even sounding pompous or like Enter Shikari knows better because they’re not playing regular music, you know.”

My favourite songs from the album: Live Outside, Undercover Agents, Airfield, Take My Country Back

01 Nothing But Thieves: Broken Machine

Not that it needs more explanation because I’ve pretty much been on about this album the whole fucking year but Nothing But Thieves came into my life two years ago at a friend’s recommendation and their first album quickly became one of my favourites that year (I snuck it onto the best albums list at fifth place in 2015) and when Amsterdam came out it was just The Explosion I waited for. It rekindled my love for them and made me look forward to something in a year that wasn’t great. Singles kept being released and slowly the wait for Broken Machine consumed my life.

In this day and age, probably because of how cynical I’ve become, it’s hard to look forward to something in a “man this is gonna be awesome!” way, it’s usually that tense sigh of “I hope they don’t fuck this up” but maybe all the stars aligned and I just knew Broken Machine would be awesome. And it was.

I wrote more about the album here if you want to check out my 100% objective review, and please, please listen to Broken Machine if you haven’t yet (also listen to it if you have already listened to it) because it’s truly something special.

My favourite songs from the album: you know the drill, but if I had to choose a few to recommend, it’d be Sorry, Broken Machine, Live Like Animals, Particles, I’m Not Made By Design, I’ll stop listing every song on the album now.

#best of 2017 #im early with this i usually like to keep it for after 11pm but ehh #long post for ts #long post

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newssplashy · 6 years ago

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