#i’m gonna celebrate by drawing more lps

[danothan]

hey can the universe ease up, it’s been non-stop good things one after the other these past few days and i’m abt to start crying. again

[bluebandana]

The LP Show: Act 1- Summary

here’s a basic summary of The LP show livestream plus after show!!!!! my wifi kept cutting out so let me know if there’s anything i left out or need to correct!

main stream

we started with an intro then took a 2 minute break and then he came back!!!

he’s in a little room with a sound machine playing crowd sounds!!!!!

song 1: strip that down

song 2: bedroom floor

he forgot about the crowd sound machine and went back for it

newyorklarry asked a question: “what do you love about america” and he said the food, the venues, and the fans!!!!!!

song 3: live forever

question “who is your celebrity crush” he said tom hardy!!!!

he sang the username watermelonlover to the tune of watermelon sugar and then said he loves that song!!!!!!!

song 4: tell your friends

song 5: home with you

question from imgonnaeggyourhousetomlinson “where are you gonna go first when you travel again” and he said LA!!!!

he named off a bunch of countries that people were watching from but my stream cut out in the middle of it :(

talking about his youtube videos!!!!!

he started pulling up photos to talk about

first is from the strip that down shoot with quavo

second is him and rita ora performing for you

third is a pic of him in an outfit he said he didn’t like and asked for disappointing sound effects dfghjkhgfds

fourth is him performing on a balcony that he said was scary but cool

fifth is a picture of him that he said he did not like

sixth is a picture of him naked???

seventh is him and louis on stage!!!!

eighth is a pic with a dog

ninth is the picture with the koala bear from like 2012!!! and he talked about the article about how he and niall got STIs from the koalas which he said was super funny

tenth is a picture of him at the homeless shelter

eleventh is him in a side by side with a baby pic of him!!

talked about creating the show!!!! and gave us a tour of the room!!!

song 6: for you

song 7: little things 

with the intro “we always have a 1d moment in the show”

song 8: midnight

he stopped the song bc he missed when he was supposed to start and yelled cut before he realized you can’t cut so then he started over

song 9: familiar

he said “thank you for watching!!!” then took us into another room and then he pretended to wait and then came back for an encore!!!!

song 10: polaroid

took a 3 minute break then went backstage for the after show

(i know some of this was on instagram live but i’m not sure how much)

went to a zoom where we talked to some people who were there the whole time and they were super cute but hard to hear :((((((

we said they’re gonna try and do another act soon in possibly other small venues to give them business and said there are gonna be 10-15 shows!!!

question “what’s your favorite song to perform” polaroid 

“have you been cooking a lot?” he said kind of

“favorite Mexican food” fajitas

sang happy birthday to a fan for a second!!

he read someone’s comment about having one of the pictures they showed in their room

talked about the cookie song

“favorite thing about Australia?”  surfing

he got asked about writing songs and said he “writes songs in the car because he likes the moving from the outside world for inspiration”

talked about his quarantine hair!!!!!!!! now he knows people like it because it’s super cute!!!!!

said he talks fast when he gets off stage and doesn’t even realize how worked up he is 🥺🥺

got asked what the weirdest dream he ever had is and he said “being naked in a few weird places which has also happened in real life”

favorite solo song and he said “adore” and then a fan correct him and he realized it’s called adore you and then said he’s an old man :(((

question: “favorite marvel character” thor

favorite 1d song to perform girl almighty (explain the lyrics liam)

asked people to help design merch because he said everyone has such cool ideas!!!!

said youngblood was his fav 5sos song and sang a bit

talked about songwriting a little more

talked about working with the trussel trust!!!! donate if you can!!!!!

talked about trying to go to new places!!! especially the ones that one direction never even went to

“do you love midnight or live forever more” midnight

“do you will still draw?” he says he gets hooked on something for a few weeks and then forgets about it later but he hasn’t drawn in a while 

he sees everyone’s amazing drawings on social media and he saved a drawing to send to louis!!!!!!

“act my age is niall’s 1d song; what is your 1d song???” alive especially if you really listen to the lyrics 🥺🥺

talked about being put in the band 

said right before they were put together he and niall were on the way to the train station

MENTIONED THE ANNIVERSARY

“fav pizza topping” pepperoni

walked around talking to everyone else for a while but it was hard to hear what they were saying over the music

said he’s gonna sing more songs from lp1 and covers and try new things in future shows!!!

talked about liking bacon and pancakes!!!

showed fans that made tshirts for the show!! and a bunch of others who tweeted pics!!!!

said once in a lifetime is one of his favorite 1d songs and he wants to perform it!!!

[dailytomlinson]

At the stroke of midnight on January 31st, 2020, the music industry was single-handedly saved by just a young lad from Doncaster. We can all agree, in confidence, that the majority of artists won’t top the charts with their first LP, especially with little to no promo. “Walls” however, debuted at #1 on the worldwide iTunes charts, a feat not many will come by. Judging by its success, we can rightfully assume this album could be rather magical. Just over a month into the decade, I can happily testify that this may be one of the greatest pieces of work we’ll see over the span of the next 10 years. The only record I may allow to top it, will be Tomlinson’s sophomore album, which is fair to speculate will have a little less fan service and show a little more of the grunge britpop rockstar that Louis is dying to showcase.

Oh, this guy’s from One Direction, too. It’s a fact that doesn’t need to be honed in on, but in case you aren’t familiar with his older work, the UK-based band is where he found his origin story. Though hopefully after giving these tracks a listen, we’ll all be able to start celebrating him as the solo artist he was destined to become.

Kill My Mind

You hate me and I want more.

Perhaps I wasn’t alive during majority of the Britpop Movement of the 90s, but I can wholeheartedly say that if you played this opening track for anyone familiar with the genre, they would tell you it would feel right at home as a feature on one of Oasis’ final LPs or as a single brought to us by Blur. However, that is not to say it lacks originality. In fact, far from it. His thick Yorkshire accent demands your attention right off the bat. This song is confident, it’s loud, it’s sexy, it’s everything his loyal fanbase has been patiently waiting to see arise from the musician. It’s a different Tomlinson than the general public may be accustomed to, but it’s a perfect example of an artist finding their authentic self. The electric opener, Kill My Mind gives us a little tease as to what’s to come.

Don’t Let It Break Your Heart

What hurts you is gonna pass and you’ll have learned from it when it comes back.

After careful consideration, this may be the album’s weakest link. It draws on a bit of the pop-influence his previous audiences may be more familiar with. Previously, Louis released a single-edit and a piano version. The one featured on the album, is by far the most well mixed. It’s filled with beautiful harmonies and the layered vocals have a lot of potential. The message of this song is uplifting, about overcoming hardships with grace and allowing yourself to grow from them — A theme not uncommon in Louis’ writing or general life philosophy. Always the lyricist, coming from him, this message works and it works beautifully into the melodies of the song. My main issue comes down to production. The background vocals are choppy and make the general feeling of the song a little cheesy. Ultimately, it all just sounds forced. I can say however, experiencing this song live is a different story. Some songs are meant to be played live, and this just happens to be one of them.

Two of Us

We’ll end just like we started, just you and me, and no one else.

The lead single was one Louis himself proclaimed needed to be written, or else his other art would suffer from being insincere. “I just feel like musically, I almost needed to get this song off my chest,” He recently told Rolling Stone, “People say writing is a part of therapy and in a way, I feel like I’d been avoiding writing this song because I knew I only had one chance to get it right.” For those who may be unaware, at the start of his solo career, Louis tragically lost his mother, the person he was closest with, to leukemia. Out of respect to him, I won’t dwell on this, and it does feel fairly inconsiderate to put the piece under review, per say. I will, however, assert that it is a stunningly orchestrated song. You can feel the authenticity and honesty radiate from the words he’s singing, especially in the big build up of the chorus in comparison to the heart wrenching and softly sung outro. It’s rare we find artists who are proud to wear their hearts on their sleeves and speak with true openness. Each song is an example of this, but Two of Us broadcasts this vulnerability loudly, as he gives us an anthem of accepting that you’re grieving and reminding listeners to always hold onto hope.

We Made It

Nothing in the world that I would change it for, singing something pop-y on the same four chords.

Yes, she’s corny, yes her lyrics might not be up to standard with the rest of his work, and yes, she is my favorite song on the album. We Made It, is filled to the rim with nostalgia and embracing that although the tunnel was dark, there was in the end, a light. For anyone who has grown up with Louis and supported him through all the twists and turns of his decade long career, this song could be a celebration of us and our relationship with our favorite musician. There were always struggles along the way, but we, as fans, never turned our back on him. We were there for him when he needed us to lean on. The sentiment remains when reversed. Ultimately, whatever we needed, he was able to provide. It’s easy to see how much of a team Louis and his followers are, and this song is honoring that. If you’re less familiar with the singer himself, then this track is just a fun little guitar-driven song that reminisces those nights of getting smashed and blazed out of your mind with your young love, and what’s wrong with that?

Too Young

Face to face at the kitchen table, this is everything I’ve waited for.

Every album needs a song to cry to, and for Walls, this is the one. There aren’t too many complexities here, as Louis has said he generally likes to stray away from metaphors when he can. The calm strumming of the acoustic guitar, lends itself beautifully to the track, and never overpowers Louis’ voice. Vocally, this a huge example of a myriad of Louis’ strengths. It contrasts some of the heavily belted pieces we hear later on in the album, and focuses on the softness he’s able to convey in his killer range of a chest voice. His raspy tone demonstrates a certain intimacy. When the song is listened to through headphones with your eyes closed, it almost feels as if Louis is right there on your bedside, gently playing a personal piece he had just written and trusts you enough to perform it for you first. There’s a certain amount of emotional intelligence demonstrated in this song, as he never pulls the victim card, but instead takes the mature approach of admitting to where he’s gone wrong. This notion is used a lot in his writing, and is a sure telling of his character. This catchy little ballad wouldn’t feel out of place on albums of most genres, musically lacking some originality, which is made up for with the candor and polish in his vocals.

Walls

Why is it that “thank-you” is so often bittersweet?

Objectively speaking, this is the most well crafted track on the album. Perhaps even more Oasis-y than some Oasis hits, it even earned itself a writing credit from Noel Gallagher himself. By now, we are more than well accustomed to embracing Louis’ themes of overcoming barriers (or walls). It’s something he writes about often, and why shouldn’t he? He knows what it’s like to stand above what’s been dragging you down more than anyone. The most titular lyric opens and closes the tune, proclaiming, “Nothing wakes you up, like waking up alone.” As soon as you’re hit with this, you know you’re listening to a song which dares the audience to take the musician earnestly. Louis has always been the funny one who has chosen to never take himself too seriously in life. With his music, he had a hard time at the start, choosing to put out records which defined Top 40, but never himself. Walls forces us to accept the artist he’s become. It proves to every listener, that Louis Tomlinson is a musician, a lyricist, a vocalist; a true craftsman. He is a serious artist and this salient track forces us, for once, to accept him as one.

Habit

Took some time cause I ran out of energy, of playing someone I’ve heard I’m supposed to be.

Back in February of 2018, Louis teased this lyric on his twitter, sending fans into a frenzy of when and where this sentiment might come into play. In September of last year, he finally played it for us live. This live version of the song was a complete bore. Again, Louis’ biggest asset in his music may come from his lyrics. He wrote more songs for One Direction than any of the other boys, often partnering with Liam Payne who would work on the melodies, while Louis focused on cutting deep with his words. This is more than evident here, meaning any initial fondness of this song was independently due to the verses he was singing. When the album finally hit stands and we were able to hear the studio version, I have to say, my opinion on this absolute banger changed drastically. It may be a little controversial to say, but this song might have some “Yeehaw” vibes. If you played someone the opening, before his vocals take the forefront, it would’ve been fair to assume it was a Maren Morris hit. Country/Britpop/Indie isn’t exactly something I would ever even consider diving into, but let me tell you, this certified bop has been on repeat. Here’s to hoping him and his band can put together a new live arrangement before the world tour kicks off in March.

Always You

Waiting to wrap your legs around me, and I know you hate to smoke without me.

To be blunt, this song was a fan service. If it wasn’t for Louis’ persistent stans, this track may have been ditched months ago. However, when he gave us a glimpse of the songs upbeat opening lyric three years ago, we latched onto it. For years we bombarded Louis, telling him this song needed to stay on the record, and thank God he listened. He did realize partway through the writing process that this isn’t the sort of music he would like to put out anymore, so it may not resonate with someone looking for the more grungy side of the artist. Always You is almost pure bubblegum and it sounds like it should be radiating loudly off festival speakers. The tune will be a crowd-pleaser, and will surely bring the most hype for live audiences. It’s the sort of song you want to scream out while drunk on a rooftop in the summer atop the ocean in New York City, which is exactly what myself and approximately 6800 more fans will be doing this June.

Fearless

Cash in your weekend treasures, for a suit and tie, a second wife.

God damn is Fearless sexy. The slow and pulsing beat of this song, with the organic guitar, subtle production, and his sultry voice are a recipe for a great and sensual tune. The song was written with the inspiration of feeling youthful, and teaches what to center your sense of self-worth around. There’s a certain level of maturity that comes with a song of these intentions, and in that, Louis is able to showcase his ever growing wisdom. “What I wanted to try and capture with the song is the idea of feeling youthful and how important that is,” He recently said in an interview with Apple Music, “I’m at this age where I’m on the cusp — I’m definitely not a teenager, I’m not a young lad anymore, nor am I old, but I sit in this space where I’m aware of my age now. I hear it as a playground or going back to real youth.”

Perfect Now

Don’t you wanna dance? Just a little dance?

On release day, Louis did a signing, where he bravely asked a few fans what their least favorite track on the album was. Everyone said Perfect Now, earning them a high five from the man himself as well as his genuine agreement. While many look at it as a cheesy romantic love song, masquerading as a rejected early One Direction track, mirroring Little Things or What Makes You Beautiful, I wholeheartedly disagree. It’s easy to chalk it down to being “cheesy” when you approach it as being romantic, but if you look at it as, simply, a love song, that changes the perspective. Louis sings over an appealing and charming little guitar melody, and you can almost hear his smile. It’s easy to picture him singing this to his younger sisters as a piece of brotherly encouragement, or to a good friend who needs cheering up after a hard day. This darling melody invites you to dance around your bedroom feeling loved. Perfect Now proves that not everything has to be deep and serious; allow yourself to be open to simply feeling happy over the little things like a lyric that makes you smile. When in the chorus he prompts, “Keep your head up, love,” listeners can’t help but feel a sense of personal support from the artist, which is exactly what makes this song so special.

Defenseless

We’re sleeping on our problems like we’ll solve them in our dreams.

It’s understandable why Louis likes to stray from metaphors in his writing, because generally speaking, they simply aren’t good. This is proven with lyrics such as, “I’m running to you like a moth into a flame”. As well as this, the rhyming of “defenseless” with “fences” and then “defenseless” again, doesn’t exactly sit well. The song does grow to be much better than anticipated after the first verse. The pre-chorus has a strong beat, which you’ll find yourself accidentally clapping along to in public. The bridge allows Louis to explore his falsetto, which is something we’ve never heard from him before. It’s strong and poignant, and it’s a real shame that his old band never gave him the opportunity to use his voice in all its capabilities. The control Louis has over his vocals throughout this song is astonishing, and almost unheard of in most modern music outside of musical theatre. This track alone, proves that he is one of the most vocally gifted artists not only to come out of One Direction, but to come out of the last decade at all.

Only the Brave

It’s a church of burnt romances and I’m too far gone to pray.

The lyrics to this song are borderline poetry. Each and every word draws you in and leaves you speechless. It’s a short song, ending at one minute and forty-four seconds, and that works well. It leaves us wanting more, even when we’ve reached the very end of the whole experience. The tune feels like a mantra; something to sing to yourself as you prepare for something you’re nervous about or to congratulate yourself on completing a task you never thought you could accomplish. There’s no proper structure and his voice has a retro filter over top, giving the whole thing a bit of a wartime vibe. The most powerful moment is undoubtedly when he sings, “It’s a solo song, and it’s only for the brave,” as a way of patting himself on the back for where he is now in life and in his career. It’s the perfect way to bring home the album. After 12 tracks demonstrating it, it is proven to us that he doesn’t need his ex-bandmates, he doesn’t need a big production, he doesn’t need Simon Cowell, he doesn’t need other songwriters dictating what direction to go, because he is Louis Tomlinson and he is brave.

[lovejustforaday]

2021 Year-end list - #8

A Tiny House, In Secret Speeches, Polar Equals - Sweet Trip

Main Genres: Dream Pop, Indietronica

A decent sampling of: Bit-Pop, Glitch Pop, Ambient, Post-Rock, Indie Pop, Folktronica, IDM, Shoegaze

I’m gonna say this right now: this record is better than Velocity : Design : Comfort. Not massively so, but considerably.

Sweet Trip’s 2003 LP Velocity : Design : Comfort spent years in relative obscurity, only to become a huge internet indie darling many years later with a celebrated reputation for its pioneering glitchy chaos that blended IDM with walls of sound and even elements of shoegaze.

After a long hiatus since their last LP in 2009, the band released A Tiny House, In Secret Speeches, Polar Equals this year as a group far more well-known and renowned than they had ever been when they were releasing music a decade ago. Consequently, the hype behind this record was inevitable.

Unfortunately, hype based on past records released many years ago can also lead to false expectations of what a band should sound like on their next LP, and I think some people wanted something weirder and louder than this. But as someone who only recently got into Sweet Trip last year, I actually really love the more mellow vibes that they adopted on this record.

A Tiny House, In Secret Speeches, Polar Equals is like a dream of a vast open prairie. The listener is a caravanner, following the wind as main band members Roby Burgos and Valerie Cooper guide the way with zephyrous vocals over euphoric indietronica expanses. At its best, this LP feels like freedom and tranquility.

I could certainly draw quite a few parallels with its colourful bit synthesizers and kindhearted delivery to Porter Robinson’s Nurture which already appeared on this list, and I highly encourage fans of either record to check out the other one if they haven’t already.

But ultimately A Tiny House is a dream pop record first and foremost, and far more understated, serene, and concerned with texture over beats or melodies. I would listen to Nurture when I wake up in the morning as I get ready for a bright new day, whereas I would listen to A Tiny House as I wind down for the evening with a warm drink in hand.

Opener “Tiny Houses” is the loudest moment on this otherwise fairly calm record, and it’s also one of the major highlights. This gust of flashy phaser-heavy shoegaze is simply the perfect way to announce the revival of Sweet Trip, calling back to the sounds of their previous work. Meanwhile the muted wispy outro of the song eases the listener into the more laidback atmosphere of the album with Burgo’s whispers of “you take my breath away”.

Pop moments like the light and bouncy “Surviving A Smile” in the first half are a really pleasant direction for the band. I love how Sweet Trip can make these really hyperactive three dimensional dreamy glitch songs, but then they’re almost equally adept at writing cute little indie pop tunes. This song in particular is just so infectious and was on heavy rotation for me this past autumn.

“Snow Purple Treasures” is the real centrepiece here, a tender folktronica ballad that evokes images of a lost cathedral in a forest, with light cracking through old stained glass and snowflakes slowly descending from missing holes in the roof. The melody during the syllabic lullaby chorus is perhaps the nicest feeling any record has given me this year. This track is like a mother’s warm embrace during the colder seasons, and a gentle reminder of the love that exists in this world.

Side B is the sleepier portion of the record, marked by a relative absence of vocals and switching mostly to airy soundscapes and IDM experiments that are decidedly more gentle than the mostly abrasive experiments found on the more volatile V:D:C. The second half actually reminds me a lot of early M83, Sweet Trip’s contemporaries during the early aughts who also helped pioneer more electronic forms of shoegaze and dream pop. But I will readily admit that I much prefer the poppier first half of this record, although album closer “At Last A Truth That Is Real” wraps things up quite nicely with a soft, blurry crescendo and slow fade out.

All in all, this is a pretty great comeback. I applaud Sweet Trip for maintaining their identity as a band, while also taking things in an unexpectedly softer direction and having it come out sounding this nice. I’m glad that they have the larger audience that they do now to appreciate this new album. A Tiny House, In Secret Speeches, Polar Equals will definitely be helping to keep a lot of indie nerds (myself included) staying nice and cozy this winter.

8/10

Highlights: “Snow Purple Treasures”, “Surviving A Smile”, “Tiny Houses”, “Chapters”, “At Last A Truth That Is Real”, “Eave Foolery, Mill Five”

Edit: Yeah so in light of all the fucked up shit that came out about the history of this record and the breakup of this band, I wholeheartedly disavow the twisted hidden meaning behind this album. It’s unfortunate, because this is some really gorgeous electronic dream pop, but its sound is now forever tainted by the knowledge of how much of a creep Roberto is. Shit’s sad. I can’t recommend this record in good conscience.

[lone-hand]

THE MANY, DIFFERENT FACES AND VOICES OF UNCLE PHIL

UNCLE PHIL, CHURCH OF AQUARIUS, BORN WINNER...Personas or caricatures from the mind of Phil Osborne . Phil is a musician, artist, film maker, animator, and general renaissance man. His music and art all come from the same world, it’s Gremlins meets Carpenter meets Pee Wee’s Playhouse meets Monty Python meets Uncle Phil. Phil lived inside this world in his Monster Party Galleries (1&2) in Victoria BC and now he is living in Montréal. Here we talk about his Church of Aquarius album Obliged with Tact and Etiquette::::

“I think there's as much truth, if not more truth in something comedic.”

When/where did you start recording Obliged with Tact and Etiquette?

I started writing and recording material for it in the summer of 2012. I went to Victoria BC to visit some friends and wrote the first song, high as a kite, out of nowhere to make my friends laugh, a sort of fake british psychedelic pop song. I was trying to sound like monty python trying to be early pink floyd. I recorded a simple demo of it and everyone loved it.

After I had that first song done, I started thinking i should do a whole album as an homage to all things british i love. Music with that sensibility I love so much, pipers at the gates of dawn and syd barrett are the main influence, the beatles too of course. The voice I use is pretty much my impression of the Jeremy Hillary boob phd character in yellow submarine. I threw in some fake Shakespeare in humbug,your majesty, I even put a tea brake in the middle of that song. 

Over the next 4 years, I wrote lots of music for it. I re-recorded some of the songs more than 3 times to get it just right. I also got help from my friend Leigh Newton ( daiquiri, major entertainer, the sun through a telescope,world war 4 ect..). he’s an amazing musician and can play everything. He re-did high as a kite his way and gave it more kick. I released that as the 7 inch with the b side sung in french.

So OWTAE is your “British” album?

Besides the brit stuff, the music from the quebecois tv show passe partout is another one it's like folk and electronic. Pierre f. brault wrote the tunes. I rediscovered the show and the records and the whole thing is serious genius. Plains of Avadoon is a tip of the hat to them.

Are the stories told on this album true stories or is it all fictional?

They are all a bit autobiographical. I used the feeling of being 19, lost and stoned as a guide for some of the songs. Going to see the magician is about those nights I spent with a friend as we walked across town or drove to go see this drug dealer ( the magician ). We always had to avoid running into police in my small town of Gatineau, they are insane and can easily stop you for no reason (watch out, there's pigs in the dark..) Past the train tracks and the tombstone sea is about the secret passage i use to go to my parents house, a path i have walked so many times since i was a teen.

Would you say OWTAE is a comedy album first and foremost or does that even matter? 

I tried to keep all the songs in a good mood. It's supposed to be an upper. If it makes someone laugh and smile, it's a good thing. 

Is music too self serious right now?

i think there's as much truth, if not more truth in something comedic. Something serious can often make you laugh anyway, so is there really a difference? As for bands being too serious, let's be more specific and describe them as bands that aren't trying to get laughter as a response. That's definetly the popular approach out there and it gets stale after awhile. We need a bit more wackyness in our music. At least some contrast, damn it! I want to hear different moods in a bands set. i don't want the same song 12 times, and upping the tempo ain't good enough. Do a dumb song and follow it up with a sad country tune. Why not? Aren't we all kind of moody people? Sad on Tuesday morning, wacky on Wednesday night?

Amen. So then how do you decide if something is an Uncle Phil/Church Of Aquarius/Born Winner recording?

At first i couldn't decide on a name for my music since it was just a crazy mix of styles with 60s to 90s influences. I just called it Uncle Phil, real simple. Then I decided to split my influences in half : church of aquarius for all things 60s and 70s, born winner for all things 80s and 90s. I'm gonna use the uncle phil music name as the music publishing name just for fun instead.

“I used the feeling of being 19, lost and stoned as a guide”

Are these characters you or do you always write music in character?

I'm not even sure there's a difference. I end up doing so many takes of the songs, I live the stories and I become one with the characters. It's serious shit, yo.

But does your music and video and artwork more or less exist in the same world?

i like to think it doesn't. A big part of the fun of making art is you get to create new worlds. Of course every world needs characters and stories. Every song, robot toy, puppet or drawing is a diferent character and sometimes they inhabit the same world. I make the albums like they're movies. Each song is in a specific order. 

Your writing is almost like a stream of conscious, and everything is done at home with efficiency and speed, can you explain your recording process a little?

It usually starts with a song title and the words flow out right after. The melody comes when I read the lyrics over and over again. Walking outside helps with that. The mood of the lyrics defines the melody i hear in my head. It's basicaly either funny, dark, wacky or mysterious. Sometimes I write an instrumental part on guitar or keyboard and then i keep that on the shelf. I write some lyrics way later and then remember that part i wrote a while back and it fits with the lyrics. the real work is not writing them. it's getting the right sound quality, arranging and then mixing. That last part in the song birth process is the hardest and least fun for me. It usually ends with a deadly migraine! I gotta hire help for that at some point.

Did that process change in any way during the creation of OWTAE?

This lp is more intricate with arrangements than past things which were usually done on the spot. I learned that sometimes a simple demo of a song has more magic than a refined recording of the song . That’s why im putting out diferent versions of the album. Demos and alternate mixes, at least on tape, made available at shows. Kenneth J. Maclaurin made me an amazing cover for it and each tape will be a diferent colour variation of it. One for each season.

“Making movies is like trying to express yourself in slow motion. In quick sand. Music is a nice little walk in the woods.”

Is your work an homage or was everything always an homage? 

I would say all of my art is pretty much all an homage and there's nothing wrong with that. The music i'm making is for sure, the sound and references are specific to time periods. I think we all try and alter the things we love in the art we make, we celebrate it. I guess a person or band is original in the sense that instead of just doing a byrds cover or something, you write a song that kind of captures their sound. Maybe you add another influence in there if it feels right. So what started as a sort of attempt to imitate created an original piece. that's good. I think imitation is usually not as conscious and mechanical as the word makes it sound. The song you wrote that sounds like a band you like came out of having their music in your blood. It's gonna come out of you when you least expect it. It's natural and healthy and then you can do so many alternate combinations with music, it never gets boring. You can make that imitation byrds song and stick a distorted tuba or a vocoder in there to switch it up. Go nuts! 

On the topic of art, have you got other art projects you are working on right now? Any animation?

Mostly music related stuff every day lately but i need to continue making and selling toys now that i know what works and what doesn't. I'm getting back into that, gotta move these robots and monkey paws again! I’m working on a short called douche bag. 

I’ve done animated videos for a fair amount of bands. daiquiri, giallos flame, babysitter and fuck the facts among them, but animation is literally back breaking work and when I get involved with that again it's as a writer or director. Drawing thousands of drawings is dangerous for me. I’m more interested in puppets now since you dont have to animate every frame of a character's mouth moving. I have many projects in mind for puppets and they are slowly coming into this reality. 

(for music) Born winner as a one man live act is in the works, more church of aquarius shows, albums for both projects on the way, an album of me covering some film music such as empire strikes back....

What's happening with ghoul street?

Ghoul Street is a short feature puppet horror comedy i'm working on. It's bigger than my other projects. This involves getting a fair amount of people to help. Some human actors, lots of voice overs etc... It will see the light of day at some point, it's just a matter of time. Most of the puppets are made and are all waiting in an attic somewhere...

Is music your favourite art form? How is making music different from making a film or drawing? 

I get to express myself quickly with a song. The song's words and melody come out naturally, lyrics are nowhere near as complicated as writing a story. I get a lot out of it. If there's a chip on your shoulder, writing and singing a song about it takes care of that better than any other art form. You can make music pretty easily with just your voice or one instrument, you don't need much. Of course, that simple demo must evolve into a carefully arranged and well played recording but it's still easier than animation. Making movies is like trying to express yourself in slow motion. In quick sand. Music is a nice little walk in the woods. 

[doomedandstoned]

After Two Decades, The Obsessed Rally A Stunning Comeback

~By Papa Paul, with Billy Goate~

☤

Wet fur bears the smell of death...   

So begins the unimpeachable new record by THE OBSESSED, featuring living legend Scott "Wino" Weinrich (guitars/vox), Dave Sherman (bass), and Brian Costantino (drums).   It's both an unlikely return and a triumphant one, their first LP in over 20 years.   Beginning life as Warhorse in 1976, the Maryland trio dropped a series of demos in '80 and '85 under a new moniker: The Obsessed.   Not until 1990 did they issue their self-titled debut.   A second full-length followed just a year later, the much celebrated Lunar Womb.   The prolific stream of songwriting culminated in The Church Within in '94.   Then...radio silence.   A split and a pair of live albums put The Obsessed back in the public eye again in the new millennium, however briefly, but they went back underground as quickly as they'd emerged.   No one could have anticipated a resurgence this big, and 2017 continues to bear its surprises.

'Sacred' (2017 - Relapse Records) proves yet again that Wino is one of the great singer-songwriters of our time.   Though tragically unknown to the public at large, Wino has earned great esteem in metal circles.   Since the reactivation of Saint Vitus in 2008, a whole new generation of Born Too Late fanatics were born, drawn to the uncompromising, confessional nature of Wino's lyrics, which capture so perfectly the struggle with addiction, rejection, and despair.   In that same vein, Sacred encompasses vignettes of love, loss, and the life of a man "living true, living free" in a moonstruck world.

Wino's story is not unlike another well-known Maryland doomer: Bobby Liebling of Pentagram.   Both active since the seventies, Bobby and Wino were playing downtuned, riff-heavy metal before anyone knew what to call this emerging subgenre.   Both lived the wildest lives imaginable, their early success hampered by excess and addiction.   The Obsessed and Pentagram became the soundtrack for a generation of free-spirited bikers, misfits, and rebels who swore allegiance to the open road and the United States of Doom.

Sodden Jackal

The child is delivered unto the earth From the womb of a beast

Sacred by The Obsessed

"Sodden Jackal" wastes no time throwing us right into the deep end of the Lake of Fire.   A slow-burning chug ushers us into "a scene of evil unbelieved."   What's amazing is this song travels all the way back to the band's first ever recording.   'The Obsessed' (1983), predating the band's first LP by seven years, is a three-song EP which is now a coveted collector's item.   "Sodden Jackal" is its B-side.

As for Wino, in between the release of that 7" and the 12" eponymous, he was steadily building his rep in the emerging doom underground as successor to Scott Reagers of Saint Vitus.   I'm sure the rest of the Wino story, including his many bands and accomplished solo career, are well known to our readers.   If not, man do you have some treasures awaiting your discovery, so commence to digging!

Punk Crusher

Steal and lie to get your fix, We all know who you really are, Be gone with all your idle tricks I’m your Punk crusher

Sacred by The Obsessed

The heavy stomp of the first track transitions now to a song of equal heft, but with a considerably faster tempo: "Punk Crusher.   I'm reminded of a story from that sling of dates Saint Vitus played with Black Flag in 1984/85.   Wino & co. would open each show, much to the bewilderment of Mohawks across the concert hall.   Simply put, slow 'n' low was not a popular sound (far more underground then than now).   In an interview with Westword, Vitus axeman Dave Chandler recalls, "Pretty much ninety percent of them hated us with a passion...throwing whatever wasn't nailed down and generally fucking with us."   The guys proved equal to the challenge, however, demonstrating that punk attitude was as much at home with leaden metal riffs as it is was with the fast-talking swagger of Henry Rollins.

Sacred

Through dimension’s mists we fly Chrome fang, diamond eye

The album's namesake track is a real head banger.   This song could be classed seventies hard rock, but the way Wino belts out those riffs and sings with his trademark menace, it can't help but feel like heavy metal.   Those scorching guitar leads are a real standout here.   Wino's technique has matured like aged whisky, giving us plenty of kick and a ton of attitude.   The Obsessed is always about attitude!

Haywire

Took the gamble took the chances Made the choice

Sacred by The Obsessed

The fourth song is classic Obsessed, a track that might even be outlaw country were it played differently.   But Weinrich, Raley, and Constantino aren't planning on leaving their bad ass biker roots anytime soon.

Perseverance of Futility

You’d best back off Don’t tread on me!

Sacred by The Obsessed

"Perseverance" keeps the record's vibe rockin' steady.   Album after album, The Obsessed draw from a seemingly bottomless well of riffage that always manages to sound fresh, and occasionally surprises us.   Oh, and are those keys I'm hearing behind this haunted atmosphere?   Nice touch!

It's Only Money

Try to make a buck But you ever made a penny Know you need a little love But you know you won't get any

Sacred by The Obsessed

We're now at the half-way mark and this next one is especially interesting -- a killer cover of the Thin Lizzy song, "It's Only Money."   Thin Lizzy was one of baddest bands of funky town back in the '70s, though for me marred by the pursuit of commercial success.   I never thought of this before, but when Thin Lizzy was at their heaviest they had similar attitude to The Obsessed.   The difference was The Obsessed took that 'tude by the horns and never let go.   This remake proves just how heavy a rock and roll song can be.   Truly one of the highlights of Sacred.

Cold Blood

The day will come And time will tell Was this livin’ Or just a magical spell?

Sacred by The Obsessed

"Cold Blood" is vintage Obsessed, with some unbelievably catchy leads and hooks reminiscent of the beloved riffs of 'Lunar Womb' (1991).   Twenty-seven years later, The Obsessed have taken their bread and butter and slathered it with hot sauce, giving their trademark sound an exciting twist.   Interestingly, though the track comes with lyrics, it's played entirely without them.   This actually works, as it gives Sacred a sense of balance.   Hey, a good instrumental in the middle of an album always works for me.

Stranger Things

It’s only fair you get called out I’ve got plenty of my own misery And your trip I figured out It boils down to jealousy

Sacred by The Obsessed

An acoustic intro opens the eighth song, developing into a ballad-like theme with a chorus that's very easy on the ears.   Dare I say it has a radio-friendly feel to it?   This could be a good track to introduce The Obsessed to newcomers.   Popular appeal aside, "Stranger Things" ultimately stays true to the dark intensity of an Obsessed song.   Once again, Wino's guitar work is phenomenal.

Razor Wire

Ain’t no wrath Like a mad man that’s been burned

Sacred by The Obsessed

By now, I trust you've gotten to know the album's first single, which has been doing the rounds for a few months.   This, and the song that follows, feature some of the most intimate lyrics of the record. "Razor Wire" appears to be about the heartbreak of a love affair, perhaps hinting at one of Wino's own relationships. It started with a wistful feeling of love, hope, and trust, but the illusion faded as betrayal is revealed. The singer feels like he's trapped in a cage of razor wire, but he's pissed and he's about to tear right out of that rusty cage.

My Daughter, My Sons

My children dear Won’t you lend me your ear I got a song of love to sing you Live your own life, Be honest and kind Always speak your mind

Sacred by The Obsessed

As with his solo work and the recent collaborations with Conny Ochs, Wino bares his heart, giving us a rare window into his family life and the sacred bond between father and child.   Music-wise, this one is in the slowed-down, traditional doom style that I fell in love with some 30 years ago.   Wino is in top form, vocally.   Best of all, I got to play a bit of air guitar to that awesome picking!   Hey, I couldn't resist.

Be The Night

I know it’s been a long, dark life The sun will rise for you again

Sacred by The Obsessed

This track brings back memories of hanging out well into twilight, partying with friends, living "the life."   It triggers recollections of seeing The Obsessed in their prime, playing late into the night at some biker bar in the deep woods of Western Maryland.   This song is about the struggle between the proverbial devil on one shoulder, the angel on the other.   Who will win out?   "I'm gonna kill that man someday," Wino seethes.   Does this refer to someone he has a vendetta against or a dark manifestation of his own self?   You decide.

On So Long

Sacred (Deluxe Version) by The Obsessed

After an interlude, we arrive at a pair of bonus tracks that you'll find on the limited edition double vinyl.   "On So Long" bridges the late seventies and early eighties, reflecting the evolving face of doom.   The riffs in this one will pierce you right through the heart -- a prime example of why Wino is a living legend.   His singing is replete with emotion, contrasted with searing, short bursts of guitar.   It is this introspection that makes Sacred so special and confirms The Obsessed's place as one of my all-time favorite bands.   Regardless of who he's playing with, Wino has always been willing to give us a window into his soul.   This "realness" is one of the prime reasons he appeals to listeners.   I certainly identified with it when I was living the fast life.   Ultimately, I had to walk away to save my hide from jail, or worse.   This doesn't mean I enjoy The Obsessed any less.   Quite to the contrary, I find myself appreciating it now more than ever.

Crossroader Blues

Sacred (Deluxe Version) by The Obsessed

The last song, appropriately, pays tribute to the outlaw life.   Over the course of the album, the band has flexed the stylistic range, from stoner rock to heavy metal to plodding doom and now the blues.   The Obsessed have a full palette of color at their command here.

In the end, The Obsessed's return has not disappointed.   If you're as big a fan as I am, you've likely listened to the album dozens of times already.   Sacred is a triumph, the embodiment of the words Wino sang three decades ago: "Like life's living, make it sweet."

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[factsdontmatteranymore-blog]

Shook Ones interview

Tried doing a new zine back in December but the only band that got back to me with an interview was Shook Ones about a month and a half later. I really like how it came out so I figured I’d put it online. All their sales from Bandcamp this weekend are being donated to the ACLU and they also have a test pressing of their Easel split up on Ebay also going towards that. Check all that out.

Hi Kelly how’s it going today? What’s the current line-up of Shook Ones and how’s Seattle treating y’all? Seattle is still a very nice place to be, no matter how many project managers Amazon brings here.  The band lineup solidified a little over a year ago, now its Scott, Kelly, Bo, Aaron, and Phil.

You guys played a little bit this year along the west coast, how’d those shows go? What do you like about touring in 2016? What’s your favorite tour memory from previous years? All the shows that we've gotten to play recently have been so enjoyable! Traveling a bit on the west coast was very cool, the shows were great and we got to play with bands that are rad and have a bunch of long-time friends in them.  Since we're just dipping our toes back into the water of being a bit more active, it was nice to get out and play and do stuff as a band.  As far as "touring in 2016" goes, we're not really in the position where our band is the only thing we've got going on in our lives, so we're not talking about being on the road full-time or anything close to it.  We're able to do short trips so we're flying to save time, staying with friends or family that are central to a few shows... basically its a brief vacation where we play music.  It's great, and we're fortunate to be able to do it like this, or really to still be playing at all!

So you guys have made it very clear you’re writing for a new LP, probably the most annoying questions for any band but what can people expect from it? What influences are you drawing for it? Do you know who’s putting it out yet? Really happy you're asking about it, but I'm really gonna struggle if I try to give any explicit description of what's been going into the writing process.  All five of us have brought songs or riffs or revisions to the table, and we've already got a wide pool of material.  We had a practice where all we did was narrow down what to focus on for the record, and we've still got more than will fit on an LP!  Don't expect a double LP with bizarre instrumentation and pretentious experimental jams, though. Like our other LP's, you'll hear us trying out some new stuff here and there, but it'll still sound like Shooks. I do have a delay pedal I've been meaning to put to good use, though.

Between the three LPs which do you prefer? They’re obviously a lot different from each other, is there anything specific you like to take away from each of them? It's a tricky question to answer, but I think if someone were to tally up which LP has the most songs that we perform right now, it would be The Unquotable AMH.  And that's kinda how it should be if we think we're writing music that we still want to put out there.  The song we write today is gonna reflect what we're thinking and feeling and listening to today.  That's not to say that a lot of Shooks material isn't still important to us since its older or because it doesn't end up in the set, but I don't think we want to do the same record over and over.  We're also not so different as songwriters from record to record that you're gonna love one and hate another.  Actually people probably do feel that way, and it's very cool if people who care about music have strong opinions! AMH also has the benefit in that it's probably the most accurate representation of our sound, sonically. Our buddy Jackson did that record with us and has done everything since, and will be doing our new LP when we get to it. He's an old, old friend and he just gets us, y'know? Plus he's pretty fucking talented.

What’s next for Shook Ones besides new music? Getting the new music written/recorded/release are really the only items on the agenda for the immediate future.  We will play some more shows eventually, but it isn't anything we're focusing on at the moment. Was it wild putting out records with Rev? I’m sure working with them in the 2000s was odd. What are your favorite releases they put out? It was great. Bob Shedd was doing A&R at the time, he's great, and he's responsible for recruiting all of those bands that happened at the same time (Sinking Ships, End of a Year, Gracer), bands who we are all still buds with till this day. And of course, it was a trip to have a record come out this legendary label that we all grew up. When our first 7" came out on Rev, it was pretty unbelievable to think that we got to be REV134. Seeing our name on that label's discography is still a pretty incredible thing, even as we get old and jaded. There are lots of incredible records that are universally celebrated that Revelation put out.  It feels silly to list them here, like "ever heard of Youth of Today/Warzone/Gorilla Biscuits/Chain of Strength/Judge?", so feel free to just assume we all love that.  CIV is one of my favorite bands.  Here's a couple that might be consider overlooked: Battery - Whatever It Takes By A Thread - Last of the Daydreams Elliott - False Cathedrals Garrison - The Bend Before the Break, A Mile in Cold Water. Oh, and I think the World Be Free record that came out recently is awesome, too. Shook Ones has played Vegas like a couple times right? Anything fun memories from that? We actually have not ever played Vegas! We were supposed to a couple times and they both got cancelled right beforehand. I know we all have friends in Vegas and are big fans of its neighbors (Reno, ABQ, LA, etc) so I'm sure we'd have loved it, it just wasn't meant to be. I actually still have never been to Vegas in my life, which is nutty. I've been to Orlando like a dozen times, but never Vegas. That doesn't seem right. That Run For Cover 7” is seriously so underrated, those songs are so good in my opinion and I feel like it doesn’t really get talked about that much. What can you tell me about those songs? Like what they’re about and where you guys were when writing and recording them Those songs came at a strange transitional time. We had members spread out in grad school and had just started playing with our famously talented new (and current) drummer, Aaron O'Neill. While all of our songs are pretty collaborative, due to the distance and timing, those ones actually ended up being largely the brainchild of our singer, Scotty. Those were also the first recordings we did in our friend Jackson's studio that he built (along with plenty of carpentry from Scott), so I think that environment and his input really helped to shape those, as well. It was kind of a stressful and tricky situation to navigate, but being able to just hunker down with him and knock them out made things SO MUCH easier and, at the end of the day, better. What do you all do outside of the band? Scott makes rain jackets, sells clothing and builds things. Kelly teaches ungrateful adolescents. Bo spins spreadsheets all day with his cousin/our friend Derek (who did backup vocals on AMH) Aaron does cabinetry and has many drumming projects. Phil upsets small children with Autism and records bands. What music are you into currently? Oh man, the Division EP is the best thing to ever be heard by the human ear, and if you still buy records, it is available from Alternatives Label.  The Solar demo that came out through Alternatives is also the single best thing you'll ever get to check out. While you're there you might as well get the Hiding Place EP which is pretty good, and then get on Bandcamp to track down the Lowest Priority demo before those are all gone. And Golden West Service put an EP called See up on Spotify that is the best thing that exists on the internet. Drug Church has been consistently knocking it out of the park, and a couple of our friends put the Open City LP that dropped just today and is pretty incredible. I’m visiting Seattle for the first time in January, besides freezing to death what stuff should I be doing up there? Where the crap is the Brotherhood picture? Well, we're responding to this just a bit too late to help you for your trip, but we've got cool hikes nearby and places to eat and record stores.  Kerry Park is where the Brotherhood photo comes from, and it's one of the only views of Seattle where the Space Needle looks bigger than the rest of the skyline.  Formerly the Jimi Hendrix Experience Music Project, the MoPop (Museum of Pop) is really cool every time I go. Seattle is less of a tourist, "make sure you hit this" spot and more of a just explore and experience type spot, so I'm sure nothing we would have said would have changed much. Sorry it was cold as shit, though! Thanks for your time Kelly! is there anything else you wanna add? No John, thank you! Sorry this took so long. One day we'll be on time.

[pendulumprince]

TIME FOR EPISODE ONE ONE ONE!

After the opening!

EDO GOES IN FOR THE ATTACK

BUT OUR YOUNG TOMATO MANAGES TO GRAB AN ACTION CARD BEFORE THE ATTACK CONNECTS!

THIS GREATLY ANNOYS EDO, WHO HAS NO CHOICE BUT TO END HIS TURN!

HOW SPLENDID!

So the girls discuss Edo’s trap

But Grace seems to think he can do it!

Noru, on the other hand, has a MIGHTY NEED to see Edo defeated

He is sweating profusely at the thought of his position being undermined

(BTW I finally learned everybody’s names! Aren’t you proud of me? c:)

Meanwhile, yuya and Yuto exchange some talks

Yuto tells Yuya to give up on saving Edo’s soul from Leo’s clutches

BUT YUYA WON’T GIVE UP

HE’S THE MOST STUBBORN SON OF A BITCH EVER IN LIFE

SO HE TAKES HIS TURN, AND—!

Holds up his pendulum

TRIES TO HYPNOTIZE HIM INTO SUBMITTING

EDO ISN’T FALLING FOR IT

YUYA GOES IN FOR THE PENDULUM SUMMON

BRINGS PSUDO!YUSHO AND ODD EYES

RELEASES THEM BOTH

SUMMONS A 2500 ATK MONSTER THAT ALSO SORT OF LOOKS LIKE HIS POPS?? JUST WITH PURPLE HAIR???

YUYA GOES IN FOR THE ATTACK!

EDO’S TRAP BRINGS DYSTOPIAGUY’S ATTACK UP BY 100!

YUYA INCREASES HIS OWN MONSTER’S ATK POWER BY 1000 IN TURN!

SO IT’S 3000 VS 3500

EDO, FOR SOME REASON, DECIDES TO ATTACK ANYWAY

THIS ACTIVATES YUYA’S TRAP

HE SENDS THE ATTACK BACK IN EDO’S DIRECTION

AND YUAY’S MONSTER ATTACKS EDO BY EFFECT

BRINGING HIM DOWN TO 3100 LP

HIS MONSTER GOES BACK DOWN TO 2500 LP

ENDS HIS TURN!

Edo’s still trying to convince Yuya his father’s style is shit

Yuya won’t accept it

MMM FLASHBACK TIME!

TO WHEN HE DUELED YUSHO

EDO ATTACKED YUSHO DIRECTLY!

YUSHO FALLS TO THE GROUND, AND—

He’s looking down at his leg

Sadly.

Fuuuuuuuck my dude

I mean, I’m glad to see him finally showing some emotion other than happy, but it still hurts

Edo, naturally, takes a moment to gloat

They exchange some serious words about dueling and fun and Yusho already looks like he feels sorry for the poor bastard

BUT YUSHO GETS BACK UP AND PLAYS SMILE WORLD

HE SUMMONS SKY MAGICIAN AND THERE’S SMILY FACES FLOATING EVERYWHERE AND FIREWORKS AND DAMN THIS DUDE IS CHEESY AS HELL

Back to the present!

Edo is still stuck in his ignorant, genocidal ways

HE TAKES HIS TURN!

GOES IN FOR THE ATTACK!

Yuya tries to go in for an action card

BUT EDO TUGS ON THE ROPE CONNECTING HIM AND YUYA

CAUSING HIM TO FALL AND MISS IT??

Damn Edo that’s some dirty shit right there

Yuya’s down to 100 LP

Even the Tyler sisters look like they don’t approve

BOWL CUT IS SIMILARLY DEVESTATED

EDO SETS A FACE DOWN, ENDS HIS TURN

BUT FOR YUYA, THE FUN HAS JUST BEGUN (AND ALL THAT JAZZ)

YUYA TAKES HS TURN!

DRAWS!

AND IT’S SMILE WORLD AHAHAHAHAHA

GRACE AND NORU ARE OVERJOYED (though not for the same reasons)

GLORIA IS ANNOYED AT THEM BOTH, FOR DAMN GOOD REASON

YUYA INCREASES HIS PENDULUM ZONE FROM 4 TO 10

ANOTHER PENDULUM SUMMON, COMING YOUR WAY!

EDO IS FREAKING OUT??

YUYA IS CALM AS HELL, JUST LIKE I WANNA SEE HIM

YUYA BRINGS BACK ALL THREE OF THE MONSTERS HE USED DURING THE DUEL: ODD EYES, PSUEDO!YUSHO AND PURPLE!YUSHO

YUYA PLAYS A MAGIC CARD!

AND… HE GIVES PSUEDO!YUSHO AND ODD EYES TO EDO??

LOL OKAY BRUH

YUYA PLAYS SMILE WORLD!

THE ABSOLUTE BAIN OF EDO’S EXISTENCE!

EVERY MONSTER ON THE FIELD STARTS SMILING ADN WHATNOT

EVEN FUCKING DYSTOPIA GUY

THE MORE SMILES HE’S DSURROUNDED BY, THE MORE INDIGNANT EDO BECOMES

EVERY MONSTER ON THE FIELD STARTS GIGGLING

EDO ACTIVATES DYSTOPIAN GUY’S EFFECT, WHICH WOULD DESTROY PURPLE!YUSHO

YUYA GOES IN FOR THE ACTION CARD

EDO TRIES TO PULL HIS SAME DITY TRICK FROM LAST TIME

HIM PULLING ACTUALLY ENDS UP HELPING YUYA, SO HE SENDS A CARD TO THE GRAVE TO GET RID OF THE FIELD SPELL

PURPLE!YUSHO GOES DOWN

YUYA’S STILL RUNNING AROUND AND WHATNOT

BUT EVERYTHING DISAPPEARS

EDO GRABS THE ACTION CARD HIMSELF

SOMEONE OUGHT TO POP THIS DUDE IN THE MOUTH

AT LEAST WE HAVE A SHOT OF YUSHO LAUGHING RANCOROUSLY AT HIM

EDO THINKS HE’S WON, BUT WAIT! THERE’S MORE!

YUYA IS ABLE TO DRAW ANOTHER CARD? SOMEHOW?

HE BRINGS OUT BRAVE EYES AT 3000 ATK

AND ALL THREE MONSTERS ON EDO’S SIDE OF THE FIELD GO TO 0 ATK

BRAVE EYES, DUE TO IT’S EFFECT, GOES UP TO 3300 ATK

YUYA GOES IN TO ATTACK DYSTOPIAGUY

WHAT’S GONNA HAPPEN

EDO THINKS BACK TO HIS DUEL WITH THE 40 YEAR OLD CLOWN

BACK TO THE PRESENT, HE ACTIVATES A TRAP!

DYSTOPIA GUY GOES UP BY 100 ATK

AND ANOTHER TRAP IS ACTIVATED!

DYSTOPIA GUY GOES UP TO 1700 ATK

AND EDO PLAYS THAT ACTION CARD HE STOLE FROM YUYA

DYSTOPIA GUY GOES UP TO 3400 ATK

YUYA STARTS RUNNING AROUND FOR AN ACTION CARD

YUYA TRIPS, TUMBLES, AND PLAYS THE ACTION CARD HE DREW!

THIS… AMUSES EDO?!

WAS THAT A SMILE I SEE ON YOUR FACE, GOOD SIR?!

AND BRAVE EYES GOES UP TO 6600 ATK

THE ATTACK GOES THROUGH

AND EDO GOES DOWN TO 0!

YUYA WINS

I knew our favorite son could do it

Edo is laying on the ground

Arm over his eyes

Rethinking his life choices, which were all obviously awful

The action field dissipates

And for the first time since we’ve seen post!invasion Heartland

THE SUN IS SHINING?!

Damn Heartland looks halfway normal for once

GRACE, YUYA’S #1 FANGIRL, HUGS GLORIA IN CELEBRATION

NORU’S JUST HAPPY EDO DIDN’T WIN, AND THUS MAKE HIM LOOK BAD

Wait

Wait

OH NO

NO NO NO

NORU CALLED IN REINFORCMENTS

SEVERAL TRUCKS ROLL UP

AND IN AN INSTANT, YUYA AND EDO ARE SURROUNED BY OBELISK STUDENTS

UGHHHHHHHHH

FUUUUUUUCK

Preview time!

Back in Fusion!YSDS

Yusho looks none too pleased to see Asuka, Yuzu and Yugo

I CAN ONLY IMAGINE HIS REACTION TO YUGO LOLLLLL

AND

Aw fuck

It’s Dennis

He’s back

AND IT LOOKS LIKE EDO IS DEFENDING YUYA AGAINST ACADEMIA

AND MY BABY TOMATO IS BACK WITH HIS BOYS GON CHAN, SHINGO, AND KAITO

Glad to know at least that subplot works out

[bthenoise]

Play Ball: Riley Breckenridge Talks MLB Opening Day Plus 15 Years of Thrice’s ‘Vheissu’

Photo by Julius Aguilar

As you are probably well aware, most musicians have passions outside of music. Some like to draw. Some like to skate. Others, like Thrice’s Riley Breckenridge, enjoy America’s national pastime -- baseball. 

Growing up watching the game at an early age and later playing it in high school and college, the Thrice drummer has always been drawn to the bright lights of the big league.    

“My earliest memories are watching baseball games with my dad,” recalls Breckenridge. “He had it on at the house all the time. I'd go play in the yard as a little kid and as soon as there was an opportunity to play organized ball I played.” 

Now, with Thrice currently out on the road celebrating 15 years of their beloved  LP Vheissu and MLB’s Opening Day right around the corner, we figured what better time than now to catch up with the soft-spoken Puig Destroyer member and talk all things baseball.   

To check out our Q&A with Breckenridge discussing World Series predictions, the Houston Astros cheating scandal and how well his Los Angeles Angels are going to do this year (plus a little insight into the Vheissu tour), be sure to see below. Afterward, make sure to grab tickets to see Thrice out on tour here.

MLB’s Opening Day is almost here. Any thoughts? 

Riley Breckenridge: I'm excited. The Angels made a great addition in Anthony Rendon. I wish they would have got some more pitching but they haven’t done that yet. So I'm cautiously optimistic about the Angels’ chances. As far as the game as a whole, I think it's gonna be a weird season with all the Astros drama. I don't think that's going away anytime soon. I don't think Major League Baseball handled it properly. Because of that, I feel like players feel like they're gonna have to kind of fend for themselves and punish them in their own way. I don't know if that's gonna come in the form of beanballs or dirty slides or protests or anything like that, but it should be interesting to see how it all plays out.

How do you think it should all go down in your opinion? Like if you were pitching, what would you do?

I don't know. I'm not a big fan of the beanball war. Even though they're entertaining, I don't think I would enter into that if I were a pitcher. The risk of hurting somebody and then shortening a career is just too frightening to me.  

What were your thoughts when you initially found out about the Astros sign-stealing?

Super disappointed. I mean, I genuinely liked the Astros. I have a friend who works in the front office there. So even though I'm an Angels fan and they’re a rival, I really liked watching that team. I mean Altuve, Bregman, Correa, George Springer... they got a lot of really cool, good young talent and it was awesome to see them be so successful so quickly. So to find out that it came by some shady practices is super disappointing.

Aside from stealing signs from second base, do you think other teams are cheating similar to how the Astros did?

Well if you listen to Major League Baseball, they would say outside of the Red Sox, no, the other teams are not. But I have to think that with the tools baseball gave teams to do the instant replay stuff, challenging calls and stuff, they gave them the tools to do this cheating and they didn't police it well enough. So I would be surprised if other teams weren't doing it because it would almost be foolish in a way even though it's unethical. But I think there's a lot of stuff that goes on in baseball that we don't really know about and we aren't privy to. There's a lot of insider secrets.

Do you think sign-stealing is worse than steroids?

That's a tough question.

Some players say if you know what pitch is coming, that's a lot easier than just being a super muscular dude.

Yeah, that's definitely true. I mean, if you're taking steroids, sure you're going to be stronger and you're going to recover from injury quicker and there'll be less wear and tear on you during a long season, but you still have to hit the ball or throw the ball. So yeah, knowing what's coming eliminates a huge challenge.

Okay, so we're gonna get some predictions from you now. Who’s your pick for the World Series this season? And if you say the Angels, we don't blame you whatsoever.

No, I'm gonna go Yankees and Dodgers. Barring any catastrophic injuries, they clearly seem like they're a level above everybody. I think the Astros are gonna have a tough season just because of all the drama. There's gonna be a tremendous amount of scrutiny and it's hard to play through that. Even if you're immune to that kind of stuff, it's still difficult. But yeah, Yankees and Dodgers. They're both stacked. The Dodgers look like an all-star team.

The Dodgers getting Mookie Betts from the Red Sox is just insane.

Insanity, yeah.

So what do you think will win between the two of them?

I would say the Dodgers but the Dodgers seem to be cursed. They make it pretty deep into the postseason every year and they just can't finish.

Clayton Kershaw can't seem to get it figured out.

Well now with the cheating stuff, how much of his postseason struggles can you chalk up to the other team knowing what's coming?

Wow, that's very true. Okay, how about MVP and Cy Young predictions?

AL MVP, I'm gonna go with [Mike] Trout again. He's just absurdly good at baseball. Unless he gets hurt, there's no reason to think he's not going to be even better this year than he was last year.

Especially with Anthony Rendon batting before or after him.

A better, healthy Shohei Ohtani too will be helpful. AL Cy Young, I would probably say Garret Cole. A full season with the Yankees is gonna be nuts.

We assume you're pretty bummed he didn't go to the Angels.

Very bummed, yeah. I mean if they needed one thing this offseason, it was like a front end starter and he's legit the best pitcher in the game and he was available. The Angels definitely had the money to throw at him but they just couldn't do it.

NL MVP and Cy Young: I think maybe [Cody] Bellenger again or [Christian] Yelich and Cy Young, even though he's on a terrible team, it would be a repeat again but Jacob deGrom. He's just too good. I feel awful for him that he's on a terrible team.

Some people think the Mets might turn it around this season.

That would be nice if they weren't the Mets. Like, I feel like they just have a thing where even if they're supposed to be good, they can't be good. That's kind of like the Angels too. I mean, every year I'm like, “I think they'll be decent this year.” And then they're like 81 and 81 every season.

So before we jump into your current tour with Thrice, how did you get into baseball as a kid? Did you play Little League?

My earliest memories are watching baseball games with my dad. He had it on at the house all the time. I'd go play in the yard as a little kid and as soon as there was an opportunity to play organized ball I played. Then I played through high school and through my first three years of college but quit to do the band thing. Then -- I stopped doing this a few years ago -- but I played in an adult men's league with a bunch of dudes that played in college and some guys that were in the minors for a little bit. So it was super competitive and it scratched that itch even though I'm way too old to do that [laughs].

Did your brother and bandmate Ed ever have a passion for baseball? 

He played. He played until like sixth grade. He had one season where he got hit a bunch and he was kind of getting into skateboarding at the same time. So he was like, “I'd rather injure myself on a skateboard than get injured by somebody throwing a ball.”

So just talking a little bit about these shows. You guys are celebrating 15 years of Vheissu. What has the tour been like so far?

It's been awesome. It's been really cool revisiting this record. It's a record that we're super proud of. And you know, 15 years after putting it out I still enjoy playing every song in the setlist. I can't say the same for other records. Like, we play some old songs and I'm like, “Ehhh I wish we would have done this different or that different or I'm not a huge fan of this chorus or something.” So it's been cool to play those songs. The crowds have been awesome. Our touring family is awesome. The bands that we're out here with are great. Holy Fawn is incredible. Drug Church, I loved before this tour started but getting to see them live every night is... they're so fun, and they're so good and they're so tight. Patrick, their singer, is such a good frontman. And then, the mewithoutyou guys we've known for 12 or 15 years and they're an incredible band. I'm bummed that they're putting an end to it but I'm stoked we get to do this with them one last time before they go away.

When you guys were rehearsing these songs again, were there any that were really challenging to learn again?

A lot of them actually. I mean, there were two. There's one album track and one b-side that we'd never played before. And then I think there were only like four songs from Vheissu that are in regular rotation in our sets. So a lot of it was like, “Oh man, we haven't played this in like 12 years or 15 years even.” Like, we played it on the first Vheissu tour and then we just put it to bed. So it's cool. It's challenging too because there's a lot of stuff going on. So there's like samples and guys are playing keys too. So we had to figure out the logistics of it all and track down some old samples. So it was challenging but it's been awesome.

Looking forward to the future of Thrice, what excites you most about the band?

Seeing where our brains go for this next record. It's always an exciting and scary time because I feel like we always have an idea of what we want to do and then people start sharing ideas and we get a little bit clearer idea of where the record is going to end up. And then by the time we're done writing and recording everything, it ends up being something completely different -- in a good way, though. So I'm excited to see where we end up with this one.

Do you think playing some of these more experimental songs every night might influence the future record in a way?  

I think so. I think it's been a cool exercise to go back to a record that was so important to us as far as branching out and trying different stuff. It's inspiring to get familiar with that stuff again and that way of thinking and then head into a brand new creative process. It's like, it's a better headspace than just kind of rolling from the last record to whatever comes next.

Since you guys have come back from your hiatus, you’ve been pedal to the metal releasing new music and touring nonstop. Is that how you guys want to keep going?

Yeah I mean, I think after this tour is over we're going to go away for a little bit. We're not really busy for the rest of the year. I mean, we have deadlines that we're trying to hit and stuff but it's a little more relaxed then maybe the last record cycle where we finished touring, we started writing immediately [and] we were like under the gun finishing songs at the very last minute so we could get into the studio and record. This time around, I think we're going to take our time a little bit more and enjoy being home for a little bit.

A break is very well deserved.

The only bad thing about not working and being at home is that when you're not working, you're not making money [laughs]. And stuff still costs money when you're at home. So we can't afford to go away for too long but we're gonna go take our time and hopefully come out with something good.

[skerbango-blog]

Desert Island Album

By Big Jim Walker

What to write about? Easy to say, “Write about something you know or are passionate about”, but harder (for me anyway) to come up with more than one or two coherent sentences on said subject.

Whatever. As someone has probably said at one time or another: Here goes nothing.

Music is a passion of mine and one I have lots of thoughts about, most of which are certainly useless. However one subject most everyone has an opinion on is their idea of a “desert island album”, so let’s give that one a go.

Since I’m insane about such things, I’ve spent way too much time considering if greatest hits albums count or if that is cheating. If they are admissible, it’s much easier to create an album list to spend the rest of your days listening to as you slowly starve to death or die from lack of clean water. If they don’t count, the decision is a little tougher. It’s not tough to come up with at least one stone cold lock though, and that is Stevie Wonder’s “Songs in the Key of Life”.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCHJ_UFSaes

SKL was released in 1976 (what better way to celebrate the bicentennial of the good ol’ US of A?) to great anticipation after a lengthy two year wait following 1974’s Grammy Award winning Album of the Year  “Fulfillingness’ First Finale”. During the 70’s Stevie was a mainstay at the Grammy Awards having won Album of the Year twice already ( FFF as noted and Innervisions). Paul Simon won the award in 1976 and jokingly thanked Stevie in his acceptance speech for not releasing an album the previous year.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmKshpLXnxE

In 1977 Stevie would win the award yet again for SKL, this time accepting the award remotely from Africa. Technology being what it was in 1977, there were issues with the video feed which prompted host Andy Williams to ask “Stevie, can you see us?” Laughter of course ensued, which must’ve been nice. Now of course we know that such a comment clearly meant that Andy Williams was racist for purposefully teasing Stevie Wonder like that and would have rightfully had his career ruined. The cheek on that bastard!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXvSxA4EztQ

Being so highly anticipated, the album debuted at #1. The first time ever by an American artist, and only the third time overall. Elton John had done it on consecutive albums the year before. It sold over 10 million copies and was #1 in Canada as even the snow and ice-covered denizens of America’s Hat recognized its genius.  Guests on SKL included Herbie Hancock, George Benson, with background vocals by Deniece Williams and Minnie Riperton. Stevie Wonder albums are like old 70’s sitcoms, everyone turned up on one sooner or later. Check out the liner notes on his albums and it reads like a Who’s Who of the music industry.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVme1NvQ4NU

For me the 70’s was the Golden Era of music as there was so much classic music created and performed by real bands with actual instrumentalists, and talented songwriters and singers who weren’t dependent on Auto-Tune to sound good. Music that is still played heavily nearly 50 years later. Elton John, Chicago, Fleetwood Mac, Queen, Pink Floyd, The Eagles (shut your face), ELO, Steely Dan, etc. to name just a few. Will Jay-Z and Kanye’s music be played in 2060? I’m gonna go out on a limb and say no. Music is disposable now, and on the rare times when I’ve heard it I would say that’s something to be thankful for. SKL contains nearly a full album of music about love and relationships, and another full album on social and spiritual issues. How refreshing to hear music centered around meaningful human experience, compassion, and empathy as opposed to lightweight pop fluff (which does have its place) or braggadocio. Also, in a h/t to an early master “Pastime Paradise” draws on the first eight notes and four chords of Bach’s “Prelude No. 2 in C minor”. But you probably knew that already.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3zq8fvriLs

One story I read that I had not heard before: By the end of 1975, Stevie had become serious about quitting the music industry and emigrating to Ghana to work with handicapped children. He was disillusioned with the way that the U.S. government was running the country (if he was upset then, oy vey!). A farewell concert was even being considered. But thankfully Stevie changed his mind and signed a new contract with Motown in August of 1975. The contract was a seven-year, seven LP, $37 million deal and gave him full artistic control, making this the largest deal made with a recording star up to that point. Only $10 million was guaranteed though, and Motown added an injury clause and label opt out after three years in which case the remaining balance wouldn’t count against the salary cap. If threatening retirement was a contract ploy, it appears to have worked. Well played Stevie, well played.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFam9Tkmeug

You’ll notice I didn’t go through the album song by song. I’m no music critic so I can’t say much other than “listen to how great this song is” and you probably know many of them already anyway. The only comment I’ll make on a song is this: If you don’t sing along and tap your toes to “Sir Duke”, you are dead inside. Ok, one more: “Love’s in Need of Love Today” is so appropriate for our current times, see if you don’t agree. If you haven’t heard them in a while, check out the ones embedded in the post and then do yourself a favor and get a copy of the whole album. Stevie Wonder is one of our last musical geniuses after having lost so many recently, so celebrate him while he’s alive instead of after he passes. He’s created hit music over 3 decades, along with writing much of his music himself and playing multiple instruments on his recordings. Few other artists can say that.

Is “Songs in the Key of Life” the best album ever recorded? No less than Elton John, Prince, Michael Jackson, and George Michael think so (can’t believe EJ is the only one still alive out of that group, that’s insanity). Definitely Top 3 for me. Anyway, thanks for reading. I’d love to hear your thoughts on Stevie, the album, and/or music in general.  And oh yeah, get off my lawn.

[demitgibbs]

Don’t Be Stupid, You Know Shania Loves You

Contrary to popular belief, some things _do_ impress Shania Twain. The country-pop icon and paragon of leopard print has great admiration for her LGBTQ fans, who she says have become guiding lights in her own life.

Twain’s inspiring story is one of survival, from her childhood hardships while growing up in the small town of Timmins, Ontario, where she raised her three younger siblings after her parents died in a car accident in 1987, to her 2009 divorce from Robert “Mutt” Lange, producer of Twain’s 1997 crossover behemoth Come on Over. The best-selling country album of all time was a game-changer with an impressive track record – 40 million copies sold globally, 50 weeks atop the Billboard country charts over three years, 11 singles released – that Twain still champions in the female-artist arena.

Fifteen years after dropping her last juggernaut, 2002’s Up!, Twain, 52, is again demonstrating slay status to her legions of loyal, boot-stompin’ queer fans. Even a neurological voice disorder called dysphonia couldn’t keep the genre subverter, who once thought she’d never sing again, from recording her long-overdue fifth LP, Now. Released in September, Twain wrote every song, and her shiny résumé got even shinier when the album instantly seized the No. 1 spot on the Billboard albums and country charts.

Country-pop’s comeback queen was an open book during our recent conversation, speaking  passionately and candidly about her LGBTQ activism at the onset of her country career in 1993, having to “agree to disagree” with those who aren’t pro-gay, and bringing drag queens and Bud-guzzlin’ bros together with “Man! I Feel Like a Woman!”

But, also, you don’t get Shania Twain on the phone without reminiscing on 1998’s VH1 Divas, when Twain shared the stage with an epic mix of icons – Aretha Franklin, Mariah Carey, Celine Dion and Gloria Estefan – for one of the most legendary, gay-loved nights in diva (and hair) history.

Do you have enough leopard print gloves to go around for all the gays to partake in celebrating your comeback?

(Laughs) I should make them, right? What do you think would be the preferred fabric? Silk or…?

Velour.

Yeah, like, velvet.

We need a million of those by tomorrow. But first, Shania, after all these years, how do you explain your connection to the LGBTQ community?

I can’t really explain my connection in any sort of theoretical way to anyone. But I would say my intentions are to inspire and connect with people, to be relatable then and now. I think that it is what resonates – we relate to one another, we relate to struggle, and then surviving struggle and celebrating who we are and what we are and appreciating that as a community of people regardless of what it is. Just celebrating together to the anthemic nature of some of those songs, and on this new album there are several like that as well.

Is there something specific you hope to convey to LGBTQ audiences with this album?

Surviving against the odds. A song like “I’m Alright” – just that statement there and telling yourself, “I’m alright. I’ve made it through. I’ve survived.” And with a fist-in-the-air attitude, with conviction.

What was your introduction to the gay community?

I work with a lot of gay people and they’re just a part of my almost daily family world. So, they’re just part of my friends and my community. I guess more when I started to become successful, I was really surrounded by more creative people, and there are so many creative people in this industry who are gay, both men and women. It just becomes the norm.

During some of your rough patches, did you get any sage advice from your gay friends?

Oh, I get good advice from gay friends all the time! (Laughs) I think more than anything I’m inspired by the spirit of where the gay community is right now and that conviction to be who you are. I love standing up for that. It’s just so important to be transparent and open about who you are and to not hide behind fear.

Have you clung to that sentiment as a way to push past your own personal pain?

Completely! I mean, my whole transition into where I am now in this moment has been facing fears and taking that leap of faith myself, and that would be my advice to anyone out there. A gay person who has been living behind their fears and then makes that courageous decision to start living as who they really are and stop pretending and embrace it – it takes a lot of courage.

For me, I’ve just learned that there’s no time to waste. You need to take that leap and be who you are, and we’re in a society now that is making it easier. We still have a long way to go, but there are a lot more outlets.

But the gay community – and minority communities in general – are always fighting. I have a song on the album called “Swingin’ with My Eyes Closed” and it’s a fun party song, but the true depth of the song is about even when you can’t see what is in front of you, you still have to move forward. You can’t move backwards; you gotta keep moving forward and fighting for that freedom to exercise independence and courage.

There couldn’t be a better time for a song like that. In 2013, you tweeted about the Supreme Court overturning the Defense of Marriage Act, saying, “Congrats to everyone celebrating equality today in the U.S. #loveislove.” Why is it important for you to take a stand on gay rights and other LGBTQ issues?  

I just feel very saddened by any kind of oppression in our society in today’s day and age. I mean, it’s so negative. Equality should be a no-brainer, automatic, all the way around. We need to have mutual respect all the way around. Supremacy of any sort is just poison. I just feel like we’re not above each other in any way and mutual respect and an admiration for an individual’s abilities, talents, heart, commitment – I mean, what does that have to do with any minority status that we might be labeled with today, whatever that may be? Certainly, I know that gays feel that.

How does it feel knowing that your songs “Forever and For Always” and “From this Moment On” have probably been the first dance at a number of same-sex marriages?

Awww! That’s lovely. It’s so lovely. But love is beautiful, and music is very much a part of our lives and monumental moments of our lives.

Because country music has long been deemed conservative in its views, could we speak as openly as we are now about LGBTQ issues at the beginning of your career?

I mean, I did. You know what this is really about? This is about pro-equality, this is about pro-mutual respect. And if you’re really for those things in life, then why would there be any boundaries? Why would you side where there are? Why would you a draw a line there?

In the country community, I think it comes down to the fear of potentially alienating conservative fans.

I think everybody has the right to their opinion, and that I would never argue with. That is a huge part of freedom of speech and mutual respect, having the right to your own opinion. If you’re not pro-gay, then you’re not pro-gay, and we just have to agree to disagree. I would never get into a fist fight with somebody who didn’t agree. I just think that would be counterproductive. So, I think we all have to respect each other’s opinions on these issues.

But, listen, with a song like “Man! I Feel Like a Woman!” – and this is, what, 20 years ago?  I’m over that come a long time ago. A lot of straight men sing “Man! I Feel Like a Woman!” just for the sheer entertainment of it. So, I think songs like that have been great, maybe, contributors to bringing us together, if not for anything than just for the common denominator of music and owning that for whatever it means to them, and that breaks down barriers.

WATCH:

How do you reflect on your gender-bending style, when you donned menswear, in that video?

I like to have a sense of humor about everything, especially things that can have a lot of tension. A song like “Man! I Feel Like a Woman!” just smacks it dead for me. The audience issue is not something I worry about. I’m respectful to my audience and I appreciate them for relating to my music regardless of their point of view on whatever it is, whether it’s politics or social issues. I’m not here to judge.

Tell me about the first time you encountered a Shania drag queen.

I went to an imposter show in Las Vegas and it was incredible. You brought up the country world and maybe how that might be more conservative, but it’s funny, three of the artists that were in the show were myself, Reba McEntire and Dolly Parton. I thought that was so wonderful. It’s like, “OK, we’re country artists, and we’re in there!” Any artist that is, on a visual level, very expressive would make a great imposter night subject!

What is the one thing a queen cannot go without if they truly want to feel like Shania Twain?

Probably something leopard print, and I would say a top hat. The boots, for sure!

For gay men everywhere, 1998 was one of the best years as it was the inaugural VH1 Divas, the best and most iconic. It doesn’t get any better than you, Mariah Carey, Gloria Estefan, Celine Dion, Aretha Franklin and guest performer Carole King. Of them, who are you still in touch with?

Mariah Carey. Celine Dion. We still cross paths – it’s great. I always like to catch Mariah when she is live, and Celine, too. It was such a wonderful group of ladies, really terrific.

Who most lived up to the diva title during the show?

I think Mariah had the biggest hair, so probably her. (Laughs)

You were second, I think.

I was! I said, “OK, I gotta look at Mariah’s hair. I want to try for it to be as big as hers,” because she has this naturally big, amazing hair. So I’m like, “Come on, let’s go for it. I know Mariah’s gonna have bigger hair than me, so I’m gonna go for it and have fun with it.” She has that hair that I want, that naturally big hair with this gorgeous wave and those ringlets.

When you all performed “Natural Woman” as your encore, I wasn’t sure who was stealing the spotlight: Mariah’s hair or Aretha.  

(Laughs) I know! Nobody can kill Aretha’s spotlight.

If you did another Divas, what other diva would you want to sing alongside?

Rihanna, for sure. She’s just so awesome. I love her voice; I never get tired of it. Never, never. And we hear it so much on the radio, right? She’s every second song on the radio and I just never get tired of it. Even with “Love on the Brain” – I mean, it just doesn’t get better than that. So, she’d definitely be on my list.

I’m hoping for you and Taylor to team up – our two country-gone-pop queens.  

Taylor would be a good one. She’d be a must on Divas, for sure. She’s awesome. She’s such a great creative person and a super songwriter and really uses her brain, so it’s lovely to watch her.

Lastly, how many costume changes can gay audiences look forward to when you hit the road?

(Laughs) How many would a gay audience find ideal, do you think?

At least 15.

(Laughs) Whoa. OK, that is a friggin’ high demand. I’d have to change every two songs!

As long as you bring out the iconic ensembles, no harm, no foul.  

Gotta have a little flashback moment here and there, yeah!

from Hotspots! Magazine https://hotspotsmagazine.com/2017/10/26/dont-be-stupid-you-know-shania-loves-you/ from Hot Spots Magazine https://hotspotsmagazine.tumblr.com/post/166819963270

[hotspotsmagazine]

Don’t Be Stupid, You Know Shania Loves You

Contrary to popular belief, some things _do_ impress Shania Twain. The country-pop icon and paragon of leopard print has great admiration for her LGBTQ fans, who she says have become guiding lights in her own life.

Twain’s inspiring story is one of survival, from her childhood hardships while growing up in the small town of Timmins, Ontario, where she raised her three younger siblings after her parents died in a car accident in 1987, to her 2009 divorce from Robert “Mutt” Lange, producer of Twain’s 1997 crossover behemoth Come on Over. The best-selling country album of all time was a game-changer with an impressive track record – 40 million copies sold globally, 50 weeks atop the Billboard country charts over three years, 11 singles released – that Twain still champions in the female-artist arena.

Fifteen years after dropping her last juggernaut, 2002’s Up!, Twain, 52, is again demonstrating slay status to her legions of loyal, boot-stompin’ queer fans. Even a neurological voice disorder called dysphonia couldn’t keep the genre subverter, who once thought she’d never sing again, from recording her long-overdue fifth LP, Now. Released in September, Twain wrote every song, and her shiny résumé got even shinier when the album instantly seized the No. 1 spot on the Billboard albums and country charts.

Country-pop’s comeback queen was an open book during our recent conversation, speaking  passionately and candidly about her LGBTQ activism at the onset of her country career in 1993, having to “agree to disagree” with those who aren’t pro-gay, and bringing drag queens and Bud-guzzlin’ bros together with “Man! I Feel Like a Woman!”

But, also, you don’t get Shania Twain on the phone without reminiscing on 1998’s VH1 Divas, when Twain shared the stage with an epic mix of icons – Aretha Franklin, Mariah Carey, Celine Dion and Gloria Estefan – for one of the most legendary, gay-loved nights in diva (and hair) history.

Do you have enough leopard print gloves to go around for all the gays to partake in celebrating your comeback?

(Laughs) I should make them, right? What do you think would be the preferred fabric? Silk or…?

Velour.

Yeah, like, velvet.

We need a million of those by tomorrow. But first, Shania, after all these years, how do you explain your connection to the LGBTQ community?

I can’t really explain my connection in any sort of theoretical way to anyone. But I would say my intentions are to inspire and connect with people, to be relatable then and now. I think that it is what resonates – we relate to one another, we relate to struggle, and then surviving struggle and celebrating who we are and what we are and appreciating that as a community of people regardless of what it is. Just celebrating together to the anthemic nature of some of those songs, and on this new album there are several like that as well.

Is there something specific you hope to convey to LGBTQ audiences with this album?

Surviving against the odds. A song like “I’m Alright” – just that statement there and telling yourself, “I’m alright. I’ve made it through. I’ve survived.” And with a fist-in-the-air attitude, with conviction.

What was your introduction to the gay community?

I work with a lot of gay people and they’re just a part of my almost daily family world. So, they’re just part of my friends and my community. I guess more when I started to become successful, I was really surrounded by more creative people, and there are so many creative people in this industry who are gay, both men and women. It just becomes the norm.

During some of your rough patches, did you get any sage advice from your gay friends?

Oh, I get good advice from gay friends all the time! (Laughs) I think more than anything I’m inspired by the spirit of where the gay community is right now and that conviction to be who you are. I love standing up for that. It’s just so important to be transparent and open about who you are and to not hide behind fear.

Have you clung to that sentiment as a way to push past your own personal pain?

Completely! I mean, my whole transition into where I am now in this moment has been facing fears and taking that leap of faith myself, and that would be my advice to anyone out there. A gay person who has been living behind their fears and then makes that courageous decision to start living as who they really are and stop pretending and embrace it – it takes a lot of courage.

For me, I’ve just learned that there’s no time to waste. You need to take that leap and be who you are, and we’re in a society now that is making it easier. We still have a long way to go, but there are a lot more outlets.

But the gay community – and minority communities in general – are always fighting. I have a song on the album called “Swingin’ with My Eyes Closed” and it’s a fun party song, but the true depth of the song is about even when you can’t see what is in front of you, you still have to move forward. You can’t move backwards; you gotta keep moving forward and fighting for that freedom to exercise independence and courage.

There couldn’t be a better time for a song like that. In 2013, you tweeted about the Supreme Court overturning the Defense of Marriage Act, saying, “Congrats to everyone celebrating equality today in the U.S. #loveislove.” Why is it important for you to take a stand on gay rights and other LGBTQ issues?  

I just feel very saddened by any kind of oppression in our society in today’s day and age. I mean, it’s so negative. Equality should be a no-brainer, automatic, all the way around. We need to have mutual respect all the way around. Supremacy of any sort is just poison. I just feel like we’re not above each other in any way and mutual respect and an admiration for an individual’s abilities, talents, heart, commitment – I mean, what does that have to do with any minority status that we might be labeled with today, whatever that may be? Certainly, I know that gays feel that.

How does it feel knowing that your songs “Forever and For Always” and “From this Moment On” have probably been the first dance at a number of same-sex marriages?

Awww! That’s lovely. It’s so lovely. But love is beautiful, and music is very much a part of our lives and monumental moments of our lives.

Because country music has long been deemed conservative in its views, could we speak as openly as we are now about LGBTQ issues at the beginning of your career?

I mean, I did. You know what this is really about? This is about pro-equality, this is about pro-mutual respect. And if you’re really for those things in life, then why would there be any boundaries? Why would you side where there are? Why would you a draw a line there?

In the country community, I think it comes down to the fear of potentially alienating conservative fans.

I think everybody has the right to their opinion, and that I would never argue with. That is a huge part of freedom of speech and mutual respect, having the right to your own opinion. If you’re not pro-gay, then you’re not pro-gay, and we just have to agree to disagree. I would never get into a fist fight with somebody who didn’t agree. I just think that would be counterproductive. So, I think we all have to respect each other’s opinions on these issues.

But, listen, with a song like “Man! I Feel Like a Woman!” – and this is, what, 20 years ago?  I’m over that come a long time ago. A lot of straight men sing “Man! I Feel Like a Woman!” just for the sheer entertainment of it. So, I think songs like that have been great, maybe, contributors to bringing us together, if not for anything than just for the common denominator of music and owning that for whatever it means to them, and that breaks down barriers.

WATCH:

How do you reflect on your gender-bending style, when you donned menswear, in that video?

I like to have a sense of humor about everything, especially things that can have a lot of tension. A song like “Man! I Feel Like a Woman!” just smacks it dead for me. The audience issue is not something I worry about. I’m respectful to my audience and I appreciate them for relating to my music regardless of their point of view on whatever it is, whether it’s politics or social issues. I’m not here to judge.

Tell me about the first time you encountered a Shania drag queen.

I went to an imposter show in Las Vegas and it was incredible. You brought up the country world and maybe how that might be more conservative, but it’s funny, three of the artists that were in the show were myself, Reba McEntire and Dolly Parton. I thought that was so wonderful. It’s like, “OK, we’re country artists, and we’re in there!” Any artist that is, on a visual level, very expressive would make a great imposter night subject!

What is the one thing a queen cannot go without if they truly want to feel like Shania Twain?

Probably something leopard print, and I would say a top hat. The boots, for sure!

For gay men everywhere, 1998 was one of the best years as it was the inaugural VH1 Divas, the best and most iconic. It doesn’t get any better than you, Mariah Carey, Gloria Estefan, Celine Dion, Aretha Franklin and guest performer Carole King. Of them, who are you still in touch with?

Mariah Carey. Celine Dion. We still cross paths – it’s great. I always like to catch Mariah when she is live, and Celine, too. It was such a wonderful group of ladies, really terrific.

Who most lived up to the diva title during the show?

I think Mariah had the biggest hair, so probably her. (Laughs)

You were second, I think.

I was! I said, “OK, I gotta look at Mariah’s hair. I want to try for it to be as big as hers,” because she has this naturally big, amazing hair. So I’m like, “Come on, let’s go for it. I know Mariah’s gonna have bigger hair than me, so I’m gonna go for it and have fun with it.” She has that hair that I want, that naturally big hair with this gorgeous wave and those ringlets.

When you all performed “Natural Woman” as your encore, I wasn’t sure who was stealing the spotlight: Mariah’s hair or Aretha.  

(Laughs) I know! Nobody can kill Aretha’s spotlight.

If you did another Divas, what other diva would you want to sing alongside?

Rihanna, for sure. She’s just so awesome. I love her voice; I never get tired of it. Never, never. And we hear it so much on the radio, right? She’s every second song on the radio and I just never get tired of it. Even with “Love on the Brain” – I mean, it just doesn’t get better than that. So, she’d definitely be on my list.

I’m hoping for you and Taylor to team up – our two country-gone-pop queens.  

Taylor would be a good one. She’d be a must on Divas, for sure. She’s awesome. She’s such a great creative person and a super songwriter and really uses her brain, so it’s lovely to watch her.

Lastly, how many costume changes can gay audiences look forward to when you hit the road?

(Laughs) How many would a gay audience find ideal, do you think?

At least 15.

(Laughs) Whoa. OK, that is a friggin’ high demand. I’d have to change every two songs!

As long as you bring out the iconic ensembles, no harm, no foul.  

Gotta have a little flashback moment here and there, yeah!

from Hotspots! Magazine https://hotspotsmagazine.com/2017/10/26/dont-be-stupid-you-know-shania-loves-you/