#it was hard to figure out a way to portray three guys singing a single long low note

[bmpmp3]

the rituals

[bestworstcase]

What characters do you think are bigger than their stories? Like, their original stories act almost like a prison, stopping them from reaching their true potential?

scream laughs in the Entire Cast of TTS 💀

which. it’s a disney princess cartoon, of course the character writing isn’t good—except, in a lot of individual episodes in s1-2, the character writing is actually really fucking good, and even in s3 when the narrative finally cratered in on itself there are traces, fingerprints, pottery shards of a story that could have been incredible if it were not doomed from the start by the fact of it being a disney cartoon.

like.

the writing team behind tts looked at rapunzel. looked at tangled. this disney princess story about a girl who grew up alone in a tower with nobody but a lizard and her viciously cruel, manipulative, abusive kidnapper, this girl who in the film is portrayed as a pure, sweet, innocent ray of sunshine. right.

and they went: the ray of sunshine is a shield she does not know how to put down, and this girl learned ALL of her social skills from an emotionally abusive manipulator, and now she’s a princess and a myth and a miracle and there is only one person in this story who can meaningfully tell her no.

and then they went: let’s give her a best friend who’s a little bit older, ambitious, hard-working, socially deft, and common. let’s make that best friend her lady-in-waiting on top of being a maid, and miserable in both those roles because all she wants is to be a guard like her dad. and let’s really lean into how she cannot say no to the princess, who learned 100% of her social skills from mother fucking gothel.

the core conflict of every single keyframe episode in this show is about the slow and painful death of that friendship, by rapunzel’s hand, until cassandra goes fuck this and literally! LITERALLY! steals rapunzel’s destiny, steals her structural role as the protagonist of the story, and throws herself into the arms of an Actual Demon because the demon is the first!!! person she’s ever!!! met who treats cassandra like she’s worth anything outside of being an appendage of the lost princess. and it tailspins from there, but like—HELLO!?

rapunzel the disney princess of all time. she barbecues her best friend’s hand with a rotting curse by accident and then has a whole episode about aggressively Not Apologizing. cassandra ends up apologizing to HER! for lashing out after HOURS! of rapunzel trying to corner her into talking about it. (note, not in a protagonist-centered-morality way: the episode begins with putting the reality that cass is disabled now because of rapunzel front-and-center, portrays rapunzel’s anger at cass as irrational and unfair, and makes a point of having cass say she’s still angry at the end; all of this is meant to be the death knell of the friendship and the next thing that happens is the arc where the Actual Demon befriends cass by being nice to her.) it’s fucking GREAT.

honorable mentions to: eugene “afterthought” fitzherbert, lance “he’s the funny black guy so him getting gruesomely almost murdered is about eugene’s romantic woes actually” strongbow, varian “convenient plot device” lastname, queen “the only alive mom in the series, we’ll throw her a crumb of characterization once every other season” arianna, adira “couldn’t figure out what to do with her in s3 so we wrote her out and then turned her into a mind controlled mook” lastname, and zhan tiri “all the depth and complexity of soggy cardboard” the ancient evil demon who nonetheless managed to be THEE best part of season three. and the separatists of saporia. and sugracha (best disciple). and tromus. and lady “we cast laura fucking benanti as a pirate anti-monarchist revolutionarybut we’re not going to let her sing, or appear in more than three episodes” caine.

[nikibogwater]

Niki Blethers: Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio LET’S FREAKIN’ GOOOOOOOOO--

In case it was not already obvious, this was my most anticipated movie of the year. Heck, it was my only anticipated movie of the year. Having learned the hard way just how deeply disappointment stings, I don’t usually get my hopes up this high. But darn it, everything I heard about this movie prior to its release just filled me with too much excitement to ignore, and now that it is finally available to the wider public, it is my great pleasure to say--

HOLY MOTHER OF MARMALADE, DID THIS MOVIE LIVE UP TO MY HYPE AND THEN SOME

(Mild spoilers below the cut, GO WATCH THIS MOVIE IF YOU HAVEN’T ALREADY I FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT IT’S A MASTERPIECE)

First up: stop motion animation. We love to see it. And this movie doesn’t cut any corners with the stop motion. Even the fire is stop motion. The backgrounds are paintings (gorgeous ones at that), not just CG landscapes. The sets are so incredibly detailed I could’ve spent several minutes just staring at any given wide shot. There were very few instances where I could clearly see any effects that were obviously done in a computer. The animators and set builders went hard on this movie, and they have 1000% of my respect for it. 

Despite being a whimsical fairy tale, there is a pretty heavy sense of realism with this movie. Like, one scene, you have an overeager Pinocchio singing a cute little song about how excited he is to be alive, and then in the next one, he and Geppetto are walking past buildings plastered with posters promoting Mussolini’s Fascist regime. The way the film balances these two tonal opposites is absolutely genius, and I can’t remember a single instance of a jarring shift in tone. The light and whimsical always eases into the dark and realistic in a way that makes me feel like the two sides couldn’t exist without each other. 

Also speaking of realism, CAN I GET A HALLELUJIA FOR SOME HONEST-TO-GOODNESS CATHOLIC REP IN A CURRENT-YEAR CHILDREN’S MOVIE?!

This is obviously a personal thing for me, but I pretty much never see any accurate, respectful portrayals of my religion outside of films that are specifically made for Catholics. And I’ma be real with you, more often than not, the films made specifically for us turn out to be unbearably preachy or saccharine (and they’re never animated--another major point against them). To see a character who simply IS a Catholic (because this is Italy during the 1910s, so it’d be a little out-of-the-ordinary for him not to be), doing his little Catholic things, without it being a huge focus of the story or directly influencing the plot--ie, Catholicism being portrayed as just another normal part of every-day life--GAH. IT WAS JUST REALLY SPECIAL TO ME, OKAY? 

Also Geppetto locking Pinocchio in a closet because he doesn’t have time to deal with this, it’s time to go to Mass is a big fat Catholic mood. 

Okay, I’ll shut up about the Catholic stuff. Back to the movie.

If I had a nickel for every time David Bradly made me cry with his performance as a struggling father-figure overcoming the estrangement between him and his adopted son, I’d have two nickels. Which isn’t very many, but it’s great that it happened twice. 

Ewan McGregor practically carries this movie as Sebastian J. Cricket. I knew he was going to be good, but somehow I failed to foresee just how good he truly is in the role. This interpretation of Jiminy Cricket as a mildly self-absorbed novelist who sees Pinocchio as little more than his house for most of the film is just *chef’s kiss.*

Ron Perlman as the Podestà was incredible. I actually didn’t realize it was him until three-fourths of the way through the movie, he just vanishes into the role so smoothly. And gotdang, is that character scary. 

Christoph Waltz clearly went all out with Count Volpe and I bet recording sessions with him were very fun. 

Gregory Mann did so great for such a little guy! It’s hard to find child actors, and even harder to find child voice actors, but he was fantastic, and really sold the character. 

Speaking of characters, OH MY GOSH I LOVE THEM SO MUCH WHERE DO I BEGIN

Geppetto is a very sentimental old guy whose only joy in life was his son Carlo. After Carlo is killed in a bombing raid, Geppetto completely collapses under the weight of his grief. Carving Pinocchio isn’t something he does out of creativity or joy, but rather the result of drunken and despairing rage. The scene is played out as a grotesque and heartbreaking moment, and I LOVE it. 

Pinocchio himself is a Very Real Boy from the start--by which I mean, he never shuts up, he gets into everything, he’s kind of a brat, and he brings unbridled chaos to Geppetto’s life in the way that only a young child can. I like it when movies portray children as, y’know, actual children, not just tiny adults. Yeah, kids are loud, they break stuff, they annoy the heck out of you, and they are also so, so precious, they’re worth every second of it. 

I’ve already talked about Sebastian J. Cricket so all I’m gonna say here is I felt the line “Oh, the pain! Life is such hideous pain” right down to my core.

This movie covers a lot of heavy themes, such as the difficulties of fatherhood, abuse, war, death, and grief. But it does so in a way that left me with a sense of hope. It doesn’t shy away from the reality of these things, but it assures you that you can endure them, that you can find immense joy even in the midst of great suffering. 

To get a little personal for the second time, the way this movie goes about presenting the reality of death and the grief of those left behind resonated with me very deeply. I’m the youngest child in my immediate family, and deep down, there’s a part of me that dreads the day when they will pass on and leave me behind. Barring any unforeseen accidents, I will likely outlive most of my siblings, and I’m lowkey terrified of that inevitablilty. So there was something oddly comforting about a film that speaks directly to my fear like that. A film that doesn’t sugar coat or try to persuade me that it won’t be so bad. A film that tells me my time with my family is so much more precious because it is so fleeting. 

So yeah, tears were shed, I’m not ashamed to admit it. 

I could probably say a bajillion things more about this movie, but it’s getting late now and I’ve prattled long enough. In conclusion, 10/10, easily the best movie of my year, and I truly think I can forgive Del Toro for Trollhunters: Rise of the Titans now. 

[popentertainmentmusic]

I WANNA DANCE WITH SOMEBODY (2022)

Starring Naomi Ackie, Stanley Tucci, Nafessa Williams, Tamara Tunie, Ashton Sanders, Clarke Peters, Bria Danielle Singleton, Daniel Washington, Kris Sidberry, Marilyn Swick, Naheem Garcia, Greg Roman, Alana Monteiro, Heidi Garza, Tanner Beard, Jennifer Ellis, JaQuan Malik Jones, Alexa Renée, Courtney Caruso, Dave Heard, Rob Lévesque and Lance A. Williams.

Screenplay by  Anthony McCarten.

Directed by Kasi Lemmons.

Distributed by Sony Pictures Releasing. 146 minutes. Rated PG-13.

Whitney Houston had a fascinating, exciting, tragic, complex life. There is a whole lot of stuff that went on in her life – both the highs and the lows – probably more than can be explored in a movie. Even a relatively long two-and-a-half-hour movie.

I Wanna Dance With Somebody rushes through the years; the accomplishments, the dramas, the scandals, the complications and the early death of arguably the defining singing voice of her generation, giving the film the feel of a greatest hits medley. However, many of those hits are pretty terrific, so it’s often very entertaining. You just never feel like you’re getting the whole song.

Interestingly, I Wanna Dance With Somebody seems to revolve around a single performance of Houston’s – a live medley of “I Loves You Porgy” “And I’m Telling You That I’m Not Going” and “I Have Nothing” which she did on the 1994 American Music Awards. The film starts and ends on the performance, and also mentions it several times throughout the run of the film as proof that Houston was the greatest voice of her time.

I’m not going to lie, I’ve never heard of this particular performance, and while it was stunningly performed (the film uses Houston’s vocals over the lip syncing by star Naomi Ackie) I’m not sure it was the most memorable performance in Houston’s career, not by a long shot.

And that is what I Wanna Dance With Somebody does best – reminding us of Houston’s music and performances, all with newly remixed and powerful sound.

Actress Ackie does a terrific job in portraying the different eras of Houston’s life – recreating performances, capturing her cadences and attitudes (although she doesn’t exactly look like Houston) and capturing her highs and lows.

It falls into a pretty standard music biofilm structure – the rise and fall of a terrific performer, from obscurity to the top of the world, touching on many milestones and showing the temptations of great fame.

As an officially sanctioned biofilm, I Wanna Dance With Somebody slightly pulls its punches on some of the darker aspects of her life. For example, they toy with the longtime gossip that Houston was gay or bi, and possibly involved with her longtime best friend Robin (Nafessa Williams), teasing the possibility of a relationship – even showing them cohabitation, kissing and Robin getting jealous – before pulling away from the possibility quickly and pretty definitively, coyly suggesting that maybe they were mainly just besties after all.

They also have ex-husband Bobby Brown played in a cartoonishly stupid way, almost feeling like a Chris Rock parody of the guy. Now, no one has ever claimed that Bobby Brown was a deep, thoughtful guy, but I have to believe that he was not the gangsta Casanova loser they play him off as. After all, even the film Whitney acknowledges that the drug addiction that ended up taking her life was not Brown’s fault and he got too much blame for it. (Although, in fairness, he certainly didn’t help…)

Also, super producer Clive Davis (as played by Stanley Tucci) is played out as an exceedingly sweet, magnanimous, supportive force in Whitney’s life. Maybe that is even true, but it’s hard to believe that in a relationship that lasted for well over three decades that there wasn’t some acrimony between them ever. However, the super-nice Clive may just be explained by the fact that Davis is one of the producers of the film.

Also, much like Davis, occasionally the film tends to reduce the diva to her sales figures. In the end credits chyron talking about her life, career and death, they make a point to say how she was the only woman to ever to be diamond-certified three times (her 1985 debut album, 1987’s Whitney and the 1992 The Bodyguard soundtrack). Now, I’m a music nerd, so I know what diamond-certified means (ten million albums sold, also known as ten-times platinum), but I’m pretty sure that stat will go right over the head of most casual fans. More to the point, is it really fair to reduce Houston’s career to units sold, or even awards she won, which the end credit chyron also lists faithfully?

Whitney Houston was much more complicated than that. And while I Wanna Dance With Somebody tries its best to capture the essence of Whitney, it comes off a bit more like the Cliff Notes version of her life. It hits on most of the highlights and lowlights, but it doesn’t explore most of them deeply enough. Perhaps this would have worked better as a limited series for TV or streaming, where the story and characters would have room to breathe and get more in depth.

But, man, what a soundtrack. Just hearing these songs again in full cinema sound is definitely worth the price of a ticket.

Jay S. Jacobs

Copyright ©2022 PopEntertainment.com. All rights reserved. Posted: December 22, 2022.

[jisungsplatforms]

Sunflower

Pairing: Lee Felix x gn! reader

Genre: angst, fluff; Hanahaki au, college au, non idol au, (mutual) pining

Warnings: language, tiny tiny spoilers & allusions to some of my other fics if you squint hard enough. Some elements of Seungmin x reader (platonic), passing out in school, idk what else really, i guess getting caught making out by a doctor?

Note: this does NOT portray Stray Kids’ true personalities. This is all purely FICTIONAL

(Page III)

Sunflower:

“Tall, cheery flowers that symbolizes

adoration, loyalty and longevity

These charming beauties are know for being the “happiest” flowers in the world.”

Lee Felix.

If anyone could describe the guy, they’d say he’s sweet, bubbly, cute, fun, laid back. The type of guy who’d treat you like you’re royalty, but won’t hesitate to scold you if necessary. The guy you’d rely on when you need a shoulder to cry on. The guy who’d go through the ends of the earth to make you happy. The guy who could light up a building with just his smile.

But to you. You would describe him as:

The stunningly beautiful man who sits beside you in class every single day whom you’ve had a crush on for the past two years, whose presence always makes your day when you see him and would kill to be the reason of his insanely cute smiles and want nothing more than for him to be yours and vise versa.

Okay, yeah, a little lengthy, but you get the jist.

You sighed, turning to face the window a table away from you. Outside, you can already see the field of flowers nearby the classroom (courtesy of the environmentalist club at your school). Looking at the sea of colorful beauties always made you feel at peace inside, especially the tall sunflowers that had its own little field that you absolutely adored.

“Hey, Y/n?”

Speaking of sunflowers.

You turned your head to look straight into Felix’s glimmering doe eyes. You felt your heartbeat race when he gave you an adorably tiny grin.

“So, I’ve been meaning to ask, and your answer, by the way, will affect our friendship okay?” he trailed off, putting his phone down beside him. Your eyes widened at his choice of words. Is this it? This is it. OMG. THE Lee Felix is asking me out on a date! you thought giddily, already planning out your “date” in your head. “This is a question I’ve wanted to ask you for a while so,” Felix let out a little sigh, making your heart pound in anticipation, before continuing, “are you a pineapple pizza hater?”

...What?

Your shoulders were slumped in disappointment but was quickly replaced in confusion once you let your mind dwell on the question he asked you. “Huh? What? How does this affect our friendship?”

“Come on, just answer! I gotta know!”

You huffed out a small giggle, turning to face him even more. But before you could reply to his silliness, the bell rang.

“Oh! Wait, nevermind, looks like I gotta go now, Y,n,” he said as he packed his stuff into his bag. “I needa run home first then meet up with you and Seungmin later. I’ll see you then, yeah? Just answer my question later.”

“Uh...Yup! We’ll talk more later,” you said, starting to pack up your own things, “See you!”

“Bye bye!” Felix gave you a cute smile as he waved goodbye.

“I’m pathetic.”

You let out a despondent sigh, your body hunched over the coffee shop’s table while Seungmin quietly consoled you as he pitifully strokes your back.

“I mean, granted, you wouldn’t be so mopey if you, i don’t know, ask him out instead?” he said, not even looking up from his phone. You shot your head up to look at him in disbelief.

“And risk ruining my friendship with the greatest person who has ever lived? No thank you.”

Seungmin rolled his eyes and finally looked at you. “Don’t be so dramatic, you big baby. It won’t be the end of the world if you rejects your offer.”

You snarled at him. “Maybe not YOUR world, mine, however, would literally be decimated into little particles of dust, Seungmin dear.” You smacked your forehead back down to the table after your little personal dramatic monologue.

He shook his head in disapproval, clicking his tongue. “Sheesh. Drama queen,” he muttered to himself.

“I heard that, you jerk.”

“Good. ‘Cause it’s true. You need to suck it up and ask the ‘love of your life’ out on a date or so help me, I will drive you both to the middle of nowhere so you can sort out your feelings for each other.”

You moved your head again to face him with a pout. “And you say I’m the drama queen.” Seungmin only huffed in annoyance.

“Do something about it, or I will, Y/n. I’m serious!”

“Okay! Okay!” you said defeatedly. “I’ll get to it. Don’t worry.”

“You better,” he said, sternly, pointing his finger at you like how a mother would scold their child. His next sentence, though, you couldn’t quite catch. “I’m sick and tired of counseling you both like love sick puppies.”

You sigh for the umpteenth time today, slumping on your chair. The dainty bell handing on the entrance jingled, indicating a new customer. From your right, you could hear a cute but deep giggle. Then felt warm hands on each of your shoulders

“Aww, why’s my little cutie so pouty now?”

You did a literal double take hearing Felix call you ‘cute’, face heating up as you looked up at him. Seungmin gave you both the look before composing himself.

“What took you so long, Lix?” Seungmin questioned the blond. Felix pulled out a chair beside you to sit.

“Yeah, sorry about that,” he said, rubbing his nape, “Had to help mum out with something. It’s nothing bad though, don’t worry about it.”

“Hmm. If you say so,” you replied, “Let’s just work on some assignments, yeah?”

Several hours later, it was starting to get dark, so the three of you called it a night. You all gathered up your things as you talked.

“Oh, by the way, I might not be able to meet up with you guys tomorrow,” Seungmin announced. “Might be busy. Just to let you know.”

Felix was the first to reply. “Mhmm, that’s fine. We’ll just see you at school.”

“Yup.”

The three of you left the coffee shop, giving each other a quick ‘goodbye’. You and Felix walk in the same direction while Seungmin goes the opposite way. The two of you walked in silence for a while, enjoying each other’s company. You hummed a little tune amidst your walk home. You didn’t notice the adoring smile Felix was giving you.

“You have a beautiful voice,” he whispered. You glanced at him before turning your head down, feeling yourself get flustered.

“Thank you,” you responded, “you know, you have quite a beautiful voice too, Lix.”

Felix could feel the butterflies swarming in his stomach at your compliment. “No, no. It’s not the best, but thank you!”

You turned your head to face him again, a little shocked that he would doubt himself. “You serious? Dude, you have like this rich, deep ass voice when you talk but when you sing? It's like...”

Felix waited for you to find the right words to describe him.

“... I don’t really know how to describe it with just words but it's the best thing I’ve ever heard with my own ears! It’s like being blessed by god himself when I hear you. I could lose myself just listening to you sing.”

He was taken aback. Singing was something he was shy about, so hearing how much you love his own made his heart flutter. He smiled so widely, his eyes turned into little crescents.

“Thank you, Y/n,” Felix giggled. Hearing that, you felt yourself get embarrassed, realizing how you got a little carried away.

“You’re welcome.”

You didn’t even notice that you were already at your house. Dejectedly, you turned to bid Felix goodbye, even though you didn’t want to.

“Bye, Y/n! See you in our ‘date’ tomorrow!” he laughed half-jokingly. Only then did you realize that it was just going to be you and Felix tomorrow. You froze, a little panicked.

“Uh- yeah! See ya’!” you said hurriedly, making a beeline to the inside of your house. Once you made it to the door, you turned your body in a 60° angle to wave goodbye, to which he returned. You stumbled with your keys for a while before finally unlocking the door. You swear you could hear Felix chuckling at your blunder. You gave him an awkward smile before slamming the door shut.

You threw your bag onto the floor, sighing as you slid down the door. You held your forehead in embarrassment. “What is wrong with me?”

It was now after your last class for the day. You made your way to the coffee shop you, Seungmin, and Felixi usually go to do homework. You were beyond nervous. It was just going to be you and Felix, aka the love of your life, on a little table together for the next 3-4 hours.

Damn you, Seungmin, you cursed inwardly.

Speaking of Seungmin, you could see his figure two stores down from where you were supposed to meet up. You hurriedly jogged up to him to talk.

“Hey, Min! Kim Seungmin!”

He turned around at the sound of your voice.

“Hi, Y/n,” he greeted, “aren’t you supposed to be with Lix right now?”

“I’m on my way there now.” Looking at his hands, you noticed the small bouquet of Chrysanthemums in them. “Ooh...Who’s that for?” you asked like the nosy person you are.

Seungmin glanced down before looking at you a little awkwardly. “It’s, uhm, for my dead friend.”

You widen your eyes in shock. “Oh my gosh. I am so sorry!”

“No, no. It’s fine. You didn’t know. It’s okay, really!”

“I still feel bad though...”

“Hey. I told you, it’s okay. It’s no big deal.”

You hummed awkwardly, not knowing what to say other than apologizing. Somewhere in your mind, you really wanted to ask what happened to his friend, but decided not to in fear of offending him in any way. However, Seungmin seemed to read you. “Hey, Y/n, have you heard of the Hanahaki Disease?”

You looked in confusion. “Hantahapki? What’s that?”

“Hanahaki. It’s this disease you get from unrequited love that makes you cough a crap ton of flowers until you die.”

“Ohh man. That sounds terrible.”

“It is. That’s actually how my, uh, friend died.”

“Oh, Seungmin…”

Seeing your closest friend so upset made your heart ache. You stepped closer to him, being mindful of the bouquet, to give him a hug. Seungmin sighed in content, returning the hug. “Thanks. I need that,” he said quickly, burying his face to your shoulder.

“Of course, Min. You’re always there for me, let me return the favor, even if it’s just a hug.” You could feel Seungmin tightening his hold on you. He whispered a quiet “thank you” before letting go.

“Now go to your date with lover boy,” he said, smiling, “don’t keep him waiting. Nevermind me.”

You chuckled as well, waving goodbye. “Yeah, yeah. Bye, Seung!”

You walked a couple more steps til you arrived at your destination. Inside, you could already see Felix inside on his phone. You stepped inside, greeting the barista as you went in, walking to where Felix was. You dropped your bag in front of him, startling him a little.

“Hey,” you greeted with a smile.

“Hey,” He gave you a sweet smile.

You slid inside your side of the booth and got started on your work. For the first two hours, the two of you talked and talked. At one point, Felix mentioned the sunflowers that you both always see outside the window of your only shared class. Your eyes lit up.

“Oh my god. I LOVE them so much!” you gushed. “They’re so lovely and bright and tall too, like how the heck are they so tall? Honestly, how could you not love sunflowers!” Remembering a small little trivia about them, you beamed. “Did you know that sunflowers are known as the happiest flowers in the world? That’s why they’re the perfect gifts to give to friends!”

“Ohh really now?” Felix chuckled at your enthusiasm.

“Man, I have to thank my friend for convincing her club’s president to plant them! Seeing them everyday is, like, the one of the only reasons why I come to class everyday.”

He giggled at the dreamy look on your face. “I really like you, Y/n,” he said adoringly. “You should see how cute you look right now.”

Your heart swelled in delight. You were in such a shock, you didn’t know how to react. Your palms felt sweaty on your lap. However, your glee was shattered into a million pieces by his next sentence.

“I’m so glad to have you as a friend!” Felix adds.

A friend. What a terrible title it was.

Even though you were heartbroken to the core, you still didn’t show it on your face. Instead, you gave him the biggest, yet fakest, smile you could muster, ignoring the heaviness in your chest.

“I’m glad that we’re friends too, Felix,” you lied, voice nearly cracking at the word ‘friends’. Felix gave you a small smile before going back on his phone. In that moment, you really wished you didn’t see the familiar name that plagued his notifications. You could hear the keys on his phone clicking as he texted someone in the background, but that could be barely heard over the sound of your heart shattering.

If someone could hear your thoughts, they would say that you were being over dramatic, but you would beg to differ. Felix was the first guy you’ve ever had a crush on. Sure, you’ve found people attractive before, but no one has ever made your heart flutter the way this sweetheart of a man does. In the middle of your thoughts, Felix called out your name.

“Y/n? Hey, Y/n?”

“Hm, wha-?” you said, kind of in a daze.

“Sorry, I have to cut our session short. Something kinda came up.”

“Oh...Oh sorry. Uh, go ahead, I’ll just stay behind to work on a little more work.”

“You sure?” he looked at you worryingly. He tried reaching over to touch your hand, but you dodged it stealthily. Your hands swiftly went back to your laptop to type.

“Yeah. It’s okay. Go for it.”

His worried stare lingered a little longer than expected before he slowly packed his things. “Thanks,” he murmured. He slid out of his booth once he was finished, grabbing his phone on the table. “Bye, Y/n,” he said quietly with a strained smile, one you didn’t notice since you were trying your best to not look at him in fear of breaking down.

“Bye,” you said, flatly. You listened to his footsteps get quieter as he left the shop. Only when you heard the bell on the door jingle, indicating that he left, did you let out your emotions. You smacked your head onto the table and let your tears fall. Pathetic, so pathetic, you thought. You tried your best to cry silently, out of respect for the other customers in the shop and your dignity. It was a little embarrassing that you were crying in a public area, but you couldn’t bring yourself to be care about it.

The pressure in your chest was getting heavier and heavier. Thinking it was just a mere cough wanting to make its way out of your esophagus, you let yourself do so, angling your head away from the outside. The pressure, however, was heavier than you expected, so you continued hacking your lungs out. Forcing yourself to stop, you slowly lifted your head to drink your water to relieve your now sore throat. Through blurry eyes, you could see several yellow petals underneath you.

Are those...sunflower petals? you panicked, seeing how there weren’t any sunflowers, real or fake, in the coffee shop. Your eyes widened when you remembered your conversation with Seungmin a few hours ago.

Shit…

“What do you mean you got the Hanahaki Disease?!” Seungmin exclaimed. He stared with eyes so wide, you were afraid that they might pop out of his sockets. You almost wanted to laugh hearing him so surprised if the situation wasn’t so grim. You fiddled with your fingers, nervous to meet your other friend’s eyes. Taking a deep breath, you looked to see Seungmin’s horrified expression.

“I-I don’t know how! It just- I just started coughing out sunflower petals after he told me how happy he was that we are friends!”

Seungmin’s look of shock instantly changed into one of pity. “Oh...So he rejected you, huh?”

You nodded slowly, mumbling, “Yeah. Indirectly...” Seungmin hummed sadly, scooting closer to you to side hug you.

“I’m sorry, Y/n,” he murmured, rubbing your arm. You leaned your head onto his shoulder, pouting. “But, maybe you still have a chance? You did say indirectly so maybe he still doesn’t know that you like him and might change his answer.”

“Yeah, sure. As if the sunflower petals coming out of my mouth isn’t a clear indication of Felix not returning my feelings isn’t obvious enough.”

“Hey! Anything could happen!”

“I guess...I just...I don’t know. I can’t really think straight right now,” you groaned, moving your head from Seungmin’s shoulder to his lap. He leans back onto the couch, relaxing his back against his couch.

“I told you, Y/n. Anything could happen. It won’t hurt to try, right?” he said, patting your head.

“I guess,” you pouted, sighing as you closed your eyes to relax. “Love sucks, doesn’t it, Min?”

Seungmin laughed through his nose, a tiny grin playing on his lips. “I wouldn’t say it sucks, per say, but yeah. It’s hard, isn’t it?”

“Sometimes I wish that I can’t love anymore, you know? So I don’t have to go through the pain of heartbreak ever again,” you paused before continuing. “I’ve done a little research before you came but, it said that I can actually achieve that if I surgically remove the disease from me.”

The room stayed quiet for a while before you continued. “Maybe... I should do it.” Even through closed eyes, you could tell Seungmin was taken aback by your words. He stopped rubbing your head, his whole body stiff. “Min?” you whispered, opening your eyes to see the look of disappointment on his face.

“Don’t say that, Y/n. Ever,” he sighed as he sat up on the couch, urging you to sit up too. “I know you’re hurting. Trust me. I’ve been through it too. But this isn’t something you should decide on the whim.”

He grabbed your shoulders, a little tighter than anticipated. “Talk to Lix first before you make your final decision. Don’t make this one of the things that you’ll end up regretting.”

You look down, biting your lip to control the frown that was threatening to show. You knew, deep down, that he said this as your friend; as someone who wants the best for you, but your emotionally unstable mind warped it to say otherwise. You rolled your eyes, clicking your tongue. “What do you know? You’ve never been in love before.”

Seungmin’s eyes widened. He was upset that you’d say such a thing to him. Being the rational person he is, he knew that you just said that out of despair, but it still hurt him nonetheless. He let go of your shoulders, moving them to his lap instead. Looking up to see his sad face was the exact moment you realized you messed up.

“Min, I-”

He cut you off by standing up, brushing off your hand that was about to touch his arm. Silently, he walked out of the living room, grabbing his coat.

You felt a wave of panic within your body. “Hey, Seungmin! I’m sorry! I didn’t-”

“You didn’t mean it, I know, Y/n,” he replied coldly, his back still facing you. “I know you’re just upset right now, and I forgive you for that.”

Seungmin sighed, turning only his face to look at you. “But that doesn’t give you any right to be rude to me, to any one, actually. I just wanted you to think about it more. As someone who has experience.”

Your shoulders slumped, only realizing now the real reason why he was so hurt by you. “I’m...so sorry, Seungmin. I forgot. I- That was insensitive of me. I really didn’t…”

He finally turned his whole body around, the weak smile he was giving you fed your guilt even more. “I told you, I forgive you, Y/n.” Without another word, he opened your front door to let himself out. He tells you one last thing before shutting the door. “Just promise me that you’ll talk to him before you do anything stupid, okay?”

You slumped further into the couch in shame. You couldn't bring yourself to cry like you wanted to, the day being emotionally draining for you to handle. “I promise,” you whisper to yourself. You closed your eyes, opting to fall asleep on the couch for tonight.

You rubbed your hands together as you walked aimlessly on the streets. After locking yourself in your dark house the whole day, you went out into the busy, afternoon streets to treat yourself. You were feeling a bit cranky seeing how you haven’t eaten anything yet, but not knowing what you wanted to eat. You let yourself wander a little more until you remembered something Felix had mentioned to you yesterday.

“There’s a new café that opened just last week. We should go there together soon!”

You walk into the direction of the café, wanting a “preview” of the food there. Arriving there, you note the pastel colors painted the walls, instead of the boring browns and greys most cafés are. You peeked through the window, debating whether you should wait for the other two boys or not. Looking around, you note a familiar mop of blond strands hunched over another figure on the other side of the shop.

Your heart dropped when you recognized the yellow sweater he was wearing, the same sweater you bought him for his birthday last year. Your eyes weren’t deceiving you, it really was Felix and his “best friend” in there, shamelessly hugging each other. You wanted to run away, you thought that they were too intimate to be just friends at this point. However, Seungmin’s advice haunted you from running. Now, you were determined to ask them what their stance in their relationship is and to confess to Felix this instance.

If only it was that easy for you. You stopped once you saw Felix turn his head to kiss the top of their head. Tears filled your eyes. No longer did you need to ask, it was already obvious to you. They’re together.

You turned around and walked, borderline running, away from the café. Not feeling the need to eat anymore, you ran all the way home. Once in a while, you stopped to rid yourself of the damned petals invading your lungs. If only you paid attention enough to notice the red petals that surrounded the two.

You slumped yourself against your door, once you arrived home. Everything around you looked...blurry. You couldn’t focus anymore. The only thing you can see are the bright yellow sunflower petals scattered around your floor. You clicked your tongue, shaking and laughing at the irony. The flower that you once adored and cherished is now the bane of your existence. You hopelessly kicked the petals away from you, your anger bubbling even more when they flew back to you.

Groaning, you stood up to mope on your couch instead, face planting the moment your knees hit the arm of it. You let yourself wallow in despair for almost 10 mins before remembering about the tap that was still open on your laptop. Scrambling to get up, you nearly tripped yourself on your way to your room. You opened your laptop and clicked on the tab labeled ‘The Onesided Love Syndrome’. You reread the information on the website.

“The Hanahaki disease is a rare, deadly illness born from unrequited love. When contracted, first, the infected’s throat will begin to fill up with flowers. Then, they will proceed to cough up, or even emesis, the petals. Eventually, their lungs will fill up with the fully bloomed flowers and will suffocate, ultimately leading to their demise,” you read out loud, feeling yourself get anxious. “It can only be cured in two ways. Patient must surgically remove the flower from their lungs, which will result in the patient losing all (romantic) feelings of love altogether. Patient’s love must be returned romantically...otherwise it will result in...death.”

You stayed silent. You were contemplating if you should do the procedure. You didn’t want to die but you knew that there was no other option. Felix was a taken man, and you had to accept that. However, your mind keeps going back to Seungmin and his saddened face. You turned your head to look at your phone, the screen lighting up to reveal a picture of you, Seungmin, and Felix.

You were smiling wide with your teeth showing in the picture while Seungmin had a small, dorky smile on his face. Your eyes lingered in Felix’s face. He was smiling with his teeth as well. Only he looked cuter than you with his freckles decorating his delicate face. The ambiance of the picture felt so warm as opposed to the cold, lonely room you were in. You hunched yourself over your bed to cough out the petals.

You grimaced with teary eyes, hating how it felt like you were throwing up. You got up, purposely stepping on the sunflower petals, to get a cup of water. I’ll wait. I’ll wait to make the right decision.

You have successfully avoided Felix for the past week. It’s been 5 days since you’ve seen Felix and his lover in the café. 5 days since you’ve talked to Felix. Your chest hurt, yeah, every time you avoided him, but your chest would hurt even more if you actually did interact with him.

You walked past your next class, the class that you and Felix shared. You only had that class for 2 days of the week, so you didn’t feel bad skipping it. Not like I liked that class anyways. You were already 2 classes away when you heard your name being called.

“Y/n!”

You walked faster, your heart pounding when you recognized the voice. “Y/n! Hey!” Holding your bag closer to you, you started sprinting down the hall, getting weird looks from the people you passed. Seemed like Felix wasn’t going to let you out easy, he started chasing after you. You tried running faster when his voice started becoming louder.

Felix, being the surprisingly athletic man he is, easily caught up to you, firmly but gently gripping your shoulder. “Y/n! I’ve been wanting to talk to you!” he panted harshly. You were out of breath too, but tried your best to refrain yourself from gasping for air, in fear of triggering the disease. You stayed quiet, not making eye contact with him.

“So, what’s up, Y/n? Why have you been avoiding me?”

Shock ran throughout your body, not expecting him to cut to the chase so fast. You made a little glance at him to see the sad expression on his face. You quickly looked away before he could catch you.

“Are you okay? Did I do something wrong? What’s happening to you?”

You hate it. You hate how caring he is. You hate the worried look on his face. You hate the way he holds you so gently. And you especially hate the way your heart flutters at the way he’s basically telling you that he misses you. You mustered up the strength to look at him in the eyes. “Nothing,” you said coldly, surprising both Felix and yourself.

“Nothing, huh? Then what’s up with you avoiding me then?” Felix asked with a stern tone. He stared at you with a soft but sad look, making you feel guilty for hurting him like this.

You murmured, “I told you it’s nothing, Felix. Just- leave me alone.”

Felix was surprised by your loftiness. He, however, chose to ignore it. “Fine. Don’t tell me what’s wrong. But at least tell me what’s up with you and Seungmin!”

“What about me and Seungmin?”

“You’re avoiding him too! And he looks like he doesn’t wanna see you either. What’s wrong, Y/n? You know you can trust me, right?” Felix moved his hand from your shoulder to your cheek. He caressed with his thumb while he muttered, “I care about you.”

Your face grew warm from the sudden intimacy. His face was unnecessarily close to yours, his warm breath fanning against your lips. His eyes were filled with so much emotion, it made your head dizzy. You wanted to kick yourself for leaning into his touch. You were so caught up in the moment that you couldn't bring yourself to push him away when his face leaned closer to yours. Fortunately, or unfortunately, Felix’s phone rang. Using the opportunity, you immediately pushed him away, missing the flash of pain on his face.

Slowly, he answered. Hearing him say the name you last wanted to hear, you could feel the sunflower petals making their way up your throat. From the corner of your eyes, you could see Felix’s face grow panicked. He then started calling out their name with such urgency that it made you feel a little panicked as well. Felix hung up then turned to you with a scared face. Even if you were jealous and annoyed that your moment was interrupted, that was still someone who was dear to Felix’s heart; someone who needed Felix.

“Go,” you said gently, “They need you. You care about them too, right?”

Without another word, Felix nodded, turning to run out of the school as fast as he could. Your heart ached the smaller his figure became. No longer could you contain the petals from spewing out of your mouth. You covered your mouth and coughed harder than you expected. Unlike the past few days, this couch was stronger. This time, you felt like you couldn’t stop. You coughed and coughed, grabbing the attention of a few people.

You felt lightheaded. You had a feeling that you would pass out. Right as your vision turned blurred, you could feel someone place their hands on your back and chest. “Y/n?! Y/n! Hang in there!”

“Seung...min?”

“Y/n!”

You opened your eyes, feeling heavy. Your body ached, it was like you fell from the top of a 80 story building. Feeling something, or someone, holding your hand, you turned your head to see Seungmin resting half of his body on your bed.

Wait.

This isn't my bed? You slowly sat up and looked around. Seeing the white walls, suspended tv, and the heart monitor by your side, you confirmed that you were in the hospital. Looks like Seungmin took me here.

You felt Seungmin grip your hand tighter, stirring a bit before sitting up. His eyes met yours. “Hi,” he said quietly, squeezing your hand again.

“Hi,” you whispered back.

“You feeling okay?”

“Yeah but...I didn’t...You didn’t make me-”

Seungmin knew what you were trying to ask, like usual. “No. I didn’t. I wanted you to make the decision yourself.” You sighed in relief, falling back onto the comfort of the hospital bed. You stared up at the white ceiling as Seungmin stared at you.

“The doctor scanned you while you were unconscious,” he said.

“Yeah? What did he say?”

“He diagnosed you; said you had the disease for about a week now, which I told him that we already knew.”

You hummed, acknowledging that you were listening.

“Then he told me-“ Seungmin hesitated, trying to find the right words to use.

You sat up again, staring him down. “He told you, what?”

He sighed heavily. “I’m sorry but, you only have about a month left to live.”

“Wh-Wha? Huh?” you were scared. Only one month? “But I thought- I thought I’d have a little more time than that! One month only? How-?”

“It’s an unpredictable disease, Y/n. I know it’s only a short time left, but I still wanted you to talk to Lix first before you do it.”

You bit your lip to stop yourself from tearing up. “I kinda talked to him already- he’s kinda the reason why my petals went haywire. There’s nothing to talk about anymore, Min.”

“Yeah, but-”

“Besides. He needed to go to- you know. I didn’t wanna stop him from going, it sounded urgent.”

“Oh!” Seungmin gasped, “Luckily you said that! Felix is actually here.”

“...What?”

“Yup! Apparently they have the Hanahaki Disease too and their petals went haywire, like yours did. They just finished the surgery not that long ago!”

“Hanahaki…? But, how? I thought that they were together?”

“That’s why I keep telling you to talk to him,” he said, placing his free hand on your knee. “I’ll call him?”

You nodded your head, not trusting your voice. Seungmin let’s go and stands up. “I’ll be fast.” He jogged out of the room, leaving you alone with your confused heart.

About 10 minutes later, there was a knock. You looked up to see a tear-stained face Felix and a breathless Seungmin at the entrance. “I’ll leave you guys now,” Seungmin announced, patting Felix’s shoulder and muttering a good luck to both of you.

Felix cautiously walked inside, his eyes on the floor. He wordlessly sat on the chair Seungmin sat on. The two of you stayed quiet, not having the guts to look at each other.

“So, you too, huh?” Felix’s voice rang out. You turned to find him already staring at you. Different kinds of embarrassment flooded your mind.

“What? About me liking you too or about the Hanahaki thing?”

His face looked confused at the first thing you said. “Uh, both?” he said with uncertainty. “Wait. ‘Too’ as in, you knew I liked you, or-?”

“You like me...too?” Now you were confused as well. “Wait wait wait. Start over.”

“I meant, you had the Hanahaki disease too?”

“Yeah...Yeah I did. I mean, I still do. Seungmin didn’t want me to undergo the surgery just yet. He kept telling me that he didn’t want me to regret anything.”

Felix chuckled weakly. “Yup. That’s Seungmin, alright,” he sighed. “Looks like you guys are good now.”

“Yeah.” Another wave of silence took over the room.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” he whispered again. You looked at the boy that was hunched over in his chair. His hands were stiffly laid on his lap, but it looked like he wanted to hold your hands instead. So you did. You grabbed his hands, cupping them into your own. His eyes widened.

“I was scared,” you confessed with determination. “I didn’t know if I was ready to get hurt. I didn’t want to get hurt. So, I just stayed quiet all this time.”

You looked into his eyes with the same amount of passion he had in his. “But then I saw you hanging out with that best friend of yours more often and- and I got jealous. I feel bad, you should be about to hang out with whoever you want, especially with them! I shouldn’t have been jealous but there's no helping it, I guess. God, I even thought that you two were freaking dating! I was- I...“

You sighed, getting overwhelmed. You took another deep breath before continuing. getting straight to the point, you said, loud and proud, “I love you, Felix.”

Felix’s face turned red. His mouth literally dropped open.

“I love you so, so much, Felix Lee. This all happened because I love you so much, and I was just being selfish because I didn’t want to lose you...I guess I just ended up hurting a lot of people, not just myself.”

He dwelled in your confession. Felix was ecstatic to hear this! He stayed silent, still in overjoyed shock, which you misread.

“If you don’t reciprocate, it’s fine. I just wanted to tell you before I do the surgery.”

All of a sudden, Felix shot out of his chair, making it tip over, and kissed you, which greatly surprised you. His small hands cupped your face with such care, you almost wanted to cry. You kissed him back, moving your hands over his. With that one kiss, you could feel all the weight on your shoulders, and in your chest, disappear. Felix was the first to pull away, leaning his forehead against yours.

“God, you don’t know how long I’ve wanted to do that.”

“Hm?” you mumbled breathlessly. “Why don’t you do it again? You know I’ve been waiting for this too.”

He pulls you in for another kiss, this one more intense than the last one. This kiss was more desperate, like you both were scared that this was a dream. Before anything could get heated, the sound of a knock and someone clearing out their throat interrupted you two.

“Sorry to interrupt you kids, but I have a patient to examine?” The two of you frantically moved away from each other, flustered. You both muttered quick sorry’s to the doctor. The doctor walked closer to you, holding some documents and a weird device that looked like a fetoscope in his hands.

“You’re L/n, Y/n, I presume?”

“Yes, sir,” you confirmed, still embarrassed from getting caught making out with Felix. The said boy rocked on his feet, his arms were comically stiff in front of him.

“Your friend, Kim, should’ve told you what I told him. Now that you’re awake, I wanted to ask you if you wanted to go through a procedure to remove the flower in your lungs. However, I’m guessing that that might not be necessary, anymore, hm?”

You and Felix grew hot. The both of you avoided eye contact with one another. The doctor only laughed at your awkwardness.

“It’s fine. No need to be embarrassed, youngins’,” he laughed, “This is way better than dying or living your life without love.”

You giggled stiffly, mustering the courage to look at Felix. “Yes, sir. You’re right,” you breathed out with a smile.

The Doctor hummed. “Well, judging by the little scene you’ve created, I think that you have already cured yourself from the disease,” he said, putting his documents down on the bedside table. “but just in case, please allow me to scan your chest to confirm.”

Hesitantly, you pulled down your shirt, revealing your chest. Felix, out of shyness, turned away from you with a red face. You had to resist the urge to laugh at his adorable-ness. The doctor gave you a lubricant to rub on your chest and held the device against it. He maneuvered it around your chest, observing the screen in his other hand.

“Well then, Y/n. Looks like you’re lucky! The petals have completely disappeared. You are now cured from Hanahaki!”

You smiled widely, looking at Felix, who returned your smile. The doctor excused himself out of the room, leaving you both alone.

“Congratulations, love. You now get to live a long life with your boyfriend!” Felix cheered. Your face burned at the title he had given himself.

“I love you,” you said happily.

“I love you too.” He steps closer to you to kiss you again when another knock interrupted you again. You laughed hearing the quiet “shit” that came out of Felix’s mouth. You both turned to see Seungmin standing there with a smug smile.

“I told you so,” he said proudly. You rolled your eyes at him.

“Yeah, yeah. I know. Thanks, Seungmin the wise,” you sarcastically said. The three of you laughed, happy that the bond between the three of you was now stronger than ever.

“Hey wait, you still haven’t answer my question, Y/n! Do you like pineapple pizza or not?”

(Case #XX2-

Name: Y/n L/n

Patient: Cured; discharged at XX,XX,XXX at XX:XX)

—————————————————————————

(back to Page I)

[muchymozzarella]

Ranking the Overwatch Cinematic Shorts (so far)

I’m gonna be ranking each short based on storytelling quality (since, let’s be real, all the animation is amazing) and the way it affected me personally, as well as the relevance of each short to their primary character or characters. 

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Junkertown: The Plan

I’m not putting this in my main list because it was animated differently from the rest, and mainly for a map rather than characters, even if it did a little bit of storytelling. However, the expressions in this were amazing, as was the comedy writing. Still an excellent piece, though I’m not putting it in my main rankings. 

Doomfist Origin Story

Though technically counting among all the other origin stories, because this was fully animated, I felt it needed mentioning. This 2D style is fantastic, exciting, and Sahr Ngaujah’s Doomfist has me in CHILLS every time I watch it. I’d rank it mid-high on my list if it were being ranked, but since it doesn’t count among the cinematic shorts, I’m excluding it. I need this anime in my life, tho.

NOW FOR THE MAIN RANKINGS! 

#11 - Reunion

Reunion was... disappointing. It was still beautifully animated, still exciting and fun, but as a character piece it felt more like a vehicle for Ashe and Echo than any real story. McCree wasn’t given the attention or character depth they gave him in his comic, or even in the Retribution.

Still good, but the most disappointing of the lot. 

#10 - Overwatch Cinematic Trailer

The OG! The first look that made us excited about Overwatch. It does what it needs to well, but being one of Overwatch’s earliest works, it has a lot of outdated elements, such as the subtle changes in Tracer and Widow’s design, and the more flat portrayals of characters that were much nuanced later on.

Still excellent, though, and a good way of portraying what Overwatch was meant to be as a game, as a concept, and as its own universe.

#9 - Shooting Star

Now this was an excellent character piece. I dearly appreciated the look it gave us into D.Va’s real personality underneath all the propaganda/media persona, and her anxieties and pressures and fears. It, however, didn’t affect me very much on first viewing, especially in comparison to the rest, and it isn’t the most memorable to me, so it’s lower on the list. Still quality, though. 

#8 - Rise and Shine

This would be higher on the list, but I wasn’t affected until maybe my third or fourth viewing. Something about the way the emotions played out seemed not to develop as well as the rest. However, this is still an emotional, touching, and surprisingly LONG short about Mei, and it really delves into her character and drive, while also giving us significant backstory on Overwatch’s role and situation in-universe. The music was lovely, and Mei as a character is just amazing, and so very compelling. Elise Zhang did a wonderful job, especially since she sometimes struggles with English, especially a fully English piece like this. And it is GORGEOUS. All of them are, but this one in particular captured something great in the lighting and setting. 

#7 - Infiltration

Now this is where I’m starting to have trouble picking between titles :P This one grappled with #6 for the higher spot, but I’m putting this here because the other one’s thematically stronger. This one, however, was about everything you’d want in a short. It’s exciting, it’s got deep and interesting, moving plot, it has multiple characters but shows us exactly what Sombra is about and gives her such PERSONALITY. The animation is great, the storytelling is great, and it plays out the way the best superhero animated series from the 90s and early 2000s played out. One of my favourites. But still not as high on the list as the next ones. 

#6 - Hero

I think what made this so impressive and memorable was actually the soundtrack. The mood was set so perfectly in this short alone, but also it was thematically stronger from start to finish with the idea that old heroes could still be heroes, and that new ones could arise as a result of the old ones. It was exciting, the action was excellent, and the world of Dorado just pops. 

But definitely the music. Who could forget that guitar at the end? 

#5 Alive

So they, uh... straight up MURDERED SOMEBODY??? 

Seriously though, this short, despite having the action and excitement of both Infiltration and Hero, rises above because of how it revealed the stakes of Overwatch. It revealed that they weren’t afraid to go there, to show the othering of sentient people with the omnic rights protests led by an omnic religious leader mirroring past tensions between an oppressed group and a majority, and to show someone who is both a major religious figure AND a political figurehead being straight up assassinated for the goals of a shadow organisation. 

This was an action-packed, exciting, visual treat with a terrifying and skilful villain who was a real threat, but above all else, it showed us that Overwatch wasn’t going to baby its audience. 

#4 - Recall 

Winston is such an excellent character, let me just say. As far as we, the audience, are concerned, he is Overwatch - at least, the new form of it, and the best form of it - and the way this short presents his desire to see the world be better, mixing in some deep universe lore and more action showing the threat that Talon is, this short is one of the most important just in terms of Overwatch’s story. It’s got action, it’s got some surprisingly effective humour, and it centres on a great character and his wants and decisions. 

NOW WE’RE IN THE HOME STRETCH - AKA THE PLACE WHERE I COULD NOT DECIDE WHERE TO PUT THESE TITLES. 

BUT I HAD TO RANK THEM. SO HERE THEY ARE. BUT ASSUME THEY ARE ALL EQUALLY AMAZING BECAUSE THESE ARE THE THREE BEST OVERWATCH CINEMATIC SHORTS SO FAR.

# 3 - The Last Bastion 

This was a masterpiece. Without dialogue, it conveyed emotion, it was a feast for the eyes, the music and sound design were on point, and it was honestly just... amazing. Really, it was perfect. The only reason it’s #3 is because #2 and #1 hit me harder in the emotions on first, second, third, and subsequent hundred viewings. But this short about a PTSD-ridden robot and their path to healing is just... beautiful. Heartwrenchingly beautiful, sweet without being saccharine, and way more real than we expected a short about a singing robot and their bird best friend to be about.

If you were ever to teach a masterclass in short form animated storytelling? You’d use this as an example. That’s why it won an award for Best Writing in Film & Video. 

#2 - Dragons 

God, this was hard. This was actually my favourite of ALL the cinematics, in fact, it STILL IS MY FAVOURITE. It’s the first thing I show people to get them hyped for Overwatch, when they still haven’t checked it out. It’s just amazing. The storytelling is masterful and exciting, and the way it tells two intertwined stories is both stylistically amazing and beautifully plotted out. 

It’s a visual treat, with excellent music, and the narration by Papa Shimada really sets the tone. The action is great, the characters are great - it’s all just great, and gets my heart pumping every time. And the art for the children’s story? Utterly amazing. 

And the only reason it doesn’t get top billing is because the last of these just makes me cry every single time I watch it, without fail. It just... it’s too much, guys. 

#1 - Honor and Glory

Dammit. I hate this. I love it. The timeless themes, the mix of old epic warriors and sci-fi battles, the perfect line that bookends the start and finish of this short. THE MUSIC, HOLY SHIT. Every time I watch this, I cry. It’s never failed me. It’s just so earnest and painful, and brings to tears even the most stoic people. 

It has the emotions of The Last Bastion and the same themes of old battles, but has this added tinge of tragedy with a character who is just so... worn down, that seeing him in the prime of his life just makes it even more tragic. 

This is my #1, top Cinematic Short out of Overwatch. And I need to watch it a thousandth time, because I’m still not over it. 

[thevampsupdate]

BARBOUR INTERNATIONAL SESSIONS: JAMES MCVEY

We're excited to announce that we have partnered with musician, James McVey, for a special Summer edition of the Barbour International Sessions. Over the course of the next month, follow along to see James introducing us to three of his favourite emerging acts, as he hosts each of their Sessions, and interviews them for our new Barbour International Youtube channel.

We had a chance to chat with James about being involved, his ties to Barbour International, and why biker inspired style resonates with him and his journey...

You’ve been a loyal follower of the Barbour International brand for years now; what was your first interaction with Barbour International?

I remember going round to a childhood girlfriend’s house after school and her dad would wear always wear a black Barbour jacket. I thought it was the coolest thing ever, but I was too small to fit into one of my own. I worked a weekend job after my GCSE’s and saved up until I could afford my very own tan Steve McQueen Barbour International jacket with the American flag printed inside. It was a dream come true.

After wearing the brand for a number of years, what is it about brand you love so much?

Barbour International screams British heritage to me: it’s classically iconic and is somehow able to portray both style and grit. The jackets are a core essential of my daily life and seem to only get better with age. The quality of Barbour International clothing is apparent from the get go too, something that’s rare in modern day fashion.

How do you relate to our motorcycle heritage?

Growing up in Dorset, I was accustomed to the roar of motorcycles ripping round the country roads on summer weekends. I loved the smell of the petrol and the heat of the engines. There’s something about the freedom of motorcycles that draws me in.

During this campaign, you’re introducing us to some of your favourite upcoming artists, fresh onto the music scene. Did you have a music mentor? Where did your love of music stem from?

I think we all have heroes that we look up to, regardless of our backgrounds or interests. For me it all began with American pop punk, but my passion for music really took a hold when I discovered Irish folk singer Damien Rice. The way he structured his songs fascinated me; they were unfamiliar, daring… like nothing else I’d ever heard before. I’d spend hours trying to learn his songs in my bedroom but what was invaluable was the way he encouraged me to modify simple chords: changing the position of a single finger would result in the slightest of changes. I still use those techniques to this day.

Can you give us any exclusive details on new music you have coming out?

We are hoping to release some new music by the end of the year, but have realised that you can’t force music, so after eight years of albums we are just doing what comes naturally to us. That said, we can’t stop song writing so it’s surely only a matter of time before we release something!

How do you know the artists you’re introducing?

I’m really excited to share the artists and musicians that I’ve selected for you. I feel like they truly represent the unsigned scene in Britain. The beauty of social media is that you are able to discover new music every single day, and that’s how I originally found these guys!

How would you describe their music?

I’m always drawn to something slightly different from the norm. I love how Tors (our first act) combine folk with modern day pop melodies, and how Callum Beattie retains his Scottish accent whilst singing.

What would be your top advice for aspiring musicians?

My main advice would be to not try and emulate other artists: figure out who you are and stick to it. Believe in your song writing and accept your emotions. Honesty is key… if your songs aren’t genuine then people will see through them.

Have you been following the sessions – which has been your favourite in the series so far?

It would have to be Tom Grennan. His voice is crazy. I’ve been lucky enough to meet him several times and I can only say good things about him, he’s such a lovely chap.

What do you think the acts will bring to the sessions?

I can’t wait for these sessions to be seen by the world. I think they’re going to bring real energy, but also emotion. Hopefully you’ll discover a new band or musician that gets you hooked. These acts are the real deal.

What does originality mean to you?

Originality is extremely important, but that doesn’t mean you should shy away from inspiration: we all take elements of things we like and make them our own, and I’m definitely guilty of that. However, it’s about building from your favourite bands and making your own style. Originality is what sets you aside from others.

Who are your originals in the world of music; your biggest inspirations?

I think bands like Mumford & Sons epitomise originality. They took folk and added big sing along pop choruses like nobody else had done before. I love genres merging, so people like Sam Hunt interest me. He’s a country singer who adopts an R&B approach to his writing: the rhythm in his melodies are amazing.

Who are your style originals?

For me James Dean and Steve McQueen are my main style inspirations. I don’t like people who ‘try to hard’: I love a classic approach. Jeans, a nice fitting tshirt and a Barbour International jacket. You can’t go wrong. I also love a good overshirt, or a check, something you can roll the sleeves up on and not afraid to get dirty in. It’s all about being understated, but calmly cool.

Subscribe to the B.Intl Youtube Channel to catch James hosting the Barbour International Sessions and interviewing the first act, Tors, out Tuesday 18th June.

[zukadiary]

Hustle Mates ~ Cosmos Troupe 2018

I know I'm here so often it's hardly special anymore… but this trip had the distinction of being my first VACATION in Japan in 5 years. I'd forgotten what mornings look like in this country (and as I'm now back at work for the remaining few days, I already miss them).

It also had the distinction of being Kazuki Sora's first lead. Of my standout favorites in my life thus far as a Takarazuka fan, Sora is the only one who, by some witch magic, grabbed me when she was a tiny child—before I ever set foot in a theater here, before she even got a shinko lead. After growing quite used to following her around the edges of the stage with my opera glasses and mentally cursing camera operators for not panning two inches to the left to get more than a sliver of her arm in some great dance scene, this year brought first an absolute dream role in Anita, followed by the center spotlight that I honestly wasn't convinced she'd ever get. It's been vindicating seeing her immense talents displayed so prominently, and deeply moving in ways utterly different from any of the other cyclones of emotion Takarazuka fandom has thrown upon me. A very non-Soragumi friend had a chance to see the show, and I felt nervous and wary like I was taking an acquaintance to my own child's recital (someone please tell me when I got old enough to experience THAT feeling). And much like a mom, I plan to throw out any attempt at objectivity and rave about my girl until you don't want to listen anymore.

Hustle Mates was primarily a collection of songs and dances from Soragumi history, with a few non-Takarazuka songs, MC sections, and mini skits thrown in. It's a tiny cast of 16, so if you like anyone in it you have a good chance of seeing her featured. Long-time Soragumi fans will likely find it very fun and nostalgic regardless. Sora leading a show about the history of Soragumi which contains a great number of songs with the word sora in them made it kind of sound like she was singing about herself for two hours, which greatly amused me (and apparently tickled Ishida-sensei too).

Act 1 opens with two original songs—the very upbeat Hustle Mates theme, and then more of a ballad (also with ample use of the word SORA)—followed by a selection of songs from some of the most well-known Soragumi musicals: Copacabana, Phantom, Top Hat, Singin' in the Rain, and an Elisabeth medley, which despite the general overuse of Elisabeth songs was still my favorite. Watashi Dake Ni was a group musumeyaku number, Mikaze Maira got to unleash her very impressive pipes on that last note. Saigo no Dance also started as a group otokoyaku number. Moeko entered partway through for a solo line, and I know she has the shinko Tod experience under her, but since I've never seen that, it was maybe the most surprising and powerful few seconds of Moeko I've ever witnessed. Then Sora came in to finish the song, and in some alternate universe where she's in a different class and tall enough to be a top star I'd sell both of my kidneys to see her Elisabeth every single day of the run. Sora solo Kitsch came next and was likewise flawless, so I guess I'll be satisfied with keeping my kidneys if they finally air that dang shinko in the next couple of months while Tsukigumi is playing.

Then we have a skit… I'm a bit fuzzy on exactly what went on in it, but I suspect I might be looking for sense where there was none. Setohana Mari enters dressed like a dominatrix, loudly cracking whip and all, with two other musumeyaku guards of Partial Time Prison. They do a roll call of past Soragumi characters who come out one by one and make meta jokes about themselves (discussing their offenses?) while the three guards smack them around. Sora is brought out last, as Lucheni, and gives a long speech, the punchline of which is he's on the path to reform thanks to his new life selling green juice mix in what is probably a pyramid scheme. Each performance she ad-libbed Louis and Marie Antoinette off the stage.

Moeko and Mineri who were playing Jose and Carmen in prison stick around to sing Temptation (GREAT song, I wanted a little more from these two) while the underclassmen get ready to sing Amapola a cappella conducted by Homare Seri. This was QUITE impressive, and I love it when they use Bow to give underclassmen little challenges like this. Act 1 ends with a medley of the Soragumi revue songs that got the most votes in the internet poll they ran a few months ago. They aren't listed individually in the program and I'm probably missing something, but off the top of my head I remember Millennium Challenger, Dancing For You, Funky Sunshine, Nice Guy, Phoenix Takarazuka, and Hot Eyes. Sora singing Funky Sunshine (SO—RA— POWER) was HIGHLY satisfying. They finish on Asu e no Energy, which still made me cry even though I JUST saw Citrus Breeze… but put my kid in the center of a song that always makes me cry anyway and I guess that's what you get.

Act 2 was less nostalgic and more interesting to me, probably because Sora's dance scenes multiplied significantly. They opened with a nihonmono medley, beginning with a Soran dance which I LOVED (the one from Viva Festa always gets me hyped too). Sora entered Takarazuka with a background in hip hop dance which I think always gives her movements a particular dynamic energy and a sharpness that sets her apart even from the other great Takarazuka dancers, but it stood out to me even more than usual in the Soran scene, probably in contrast to the traditional Japanese garb. I REALLY LOVED IT (even if I can imagine nichibu purists cringing). During my first two viewings of the show I was mostly overwhelmed and ecstatic that Sora had gotten a lead at all, but the last one, particularly in the Soran scene for whatever reason, it hit me HARD how much she's grown and how commanding and enthralling she is on stage.

After we spend a bit more time reliving Soragumi's very brief nihonmono history through song, there's a "rain corner" featuring a folk song that I rather like and a skit that made me feel COMPLEX THINGS. Mappu (Matsukaze Akira) plays some kind of rain god/wizard/???, in a whimsically decorated raincoat with two cute little ghosts hanging off her umbrella. Sora enters playing a guy out for a walk in the park in the rain where he meets a girl (Mineri) who lets him share her umbrella, and when the rain stops she asks him what he's doing in the park in the rain without one. BEAR WITH ME HERE: he explains he felt like coming to visit the spot where his dog Liza died, on a rainy day just like this one, after running away from their car (side note, I hope they named the dog Liza because Mineri's name is a play on Minelli?? Is it even?? There's a good ochakai question 6 days too late). He reminisces about all the tricks Liza could do, and Mineri imitates them. He shows her a picture of Liza, and surprisingly they're wearing the same dress?! It becomes evident that Mineri is actually the human form spirit of Sora's late pet, granted a few precious moments on earth by Rain Wizard Mappu to talk to her former owner, thank him, and say goodbye… she disappears with Mappu before Sora fully figures it out. HERE'S THE THING: As WTF?? as this entire concept is, Sora's acting was so damn heartbreaking I TEARED UP on the THIRD VIEWING even though I TOTALLY KNEW WHAT TO EXPECT?? I'm GENUINELY ANGRY that she took THIS SKIT and managed to MAKE ME CRY, and now I'm also praying to all the gods that this isn't her last lead, because I NEED to see her in a proper play with a proper partner. Where do I sacrifice the goats?

Next the whole team sings a song from Never Say Goodbye, leading up to Sora coming out for a solo barefoot dance, custom engineered to wound me as gravely as possible. Setohana Mari follows this up with an attempt at If I Were a Bell from Guys & Dolls, with brilliant all-in drunk acting but barely recognizable English (A for effort given the speed of the song though).

AND THEN

Okay. There's a rare special thing that I've now had the… fortune? I guess? of experiencing twice, that I hope you all get to experience someday, not because it's good or fun but just because it's An Experience. Sometimes there are secret little treats hidden in Takarazuka shows just for the foreigners. They're secret because I am pretty sure the directors have no idea what treats they are. And sometimes, through a combination of luck and the kindest friends, you make it to your first viewing with no spoilers, and a song starts playing that you recognize within half a note, and you begin having an experience so separate from every other person in the theater you feel as though you might as well be floating above the audience with all their disapproving gazes drilling into you, wondering what the heck you're doing up there when clearly the place for you is down here. The first time was when I waltzed unassuming into HOT EYES!! in an era when my feelings re: Soragumi were "I guess I have to watch them if I want to see Sora," and in my heart-pounding state of shock brought about by the first however many scenes Eye of the Tiger began to play, and out came involuntarily a VERY noticeable raspberry spit of quickly stifled laughter (before Makaze's everything shut me right the heck up).

The second was when amidst the polite applause following Secchan's Ding Dong Ding, the curtain rose on the remainder of the cast beginning a fiercely literal staging of the entirety of Bohemian Rhapsody in English. There are so many things to unpack:

Mikaze Maira, playing a literal mother, opens the number by emotionally reading a literal letter from her literal son who has literally gone off to war

The others, with Sora in the center, are playing soldiers armed with sizable rifles, portraying the horrors of war via aggressive interpretive dance

Sora's English, while certainly not flawless, was SO PASSABLE, especially when compared to a) history in general and b) specifically Can't Take My Eyes Off of You from 2 years ago, I was FULLY SHOOK

Her dancing and acting in this number were SO FRIGGIN GOOD I could DIE

The performance overall was SO PASSIONATELY ACTED and thus SO DISTRESSING that people in the audience were CRYING from BEING MOVED to the point where later in the run they BEGAN SNIFFLING BEFORE THE NUMBER EVEN STARTED

It forced me for the first time in my life to sit down and hella contemplate the lyrics to Bohemian Rhapsody, the conclusion of which was a) yeah that sure was a 500% valid interpretation of the lyrics and b) there is absolutely no way I could ever begin to explain to a Japanese person why in my culture it's a FUNNY SONG

I was EXTRA TICKLED that Kotti, who can't speak above a whisper off stage, was the one who got to run up onto a box and scream SO YOU THINK YOU CAN STONE ME AND SPIT IN MY EYE

Every viewing my body shook so hard from the effort it took to keep myself from making any sort of noise I wouldn't be surprised if everyone in my row could feel the tremors and I am honestly still tired just thinking about it

If this is cut I’m making a GoFundMe for the rights. Everyone start saving now please.

As a palate cleanser, Mineri sings a pop ballad in a gorgeous gown before the proper kuroenbi to Ai, which is a song that has a lot of nostalgic value for me personally, making it a very emotional backdrop to Sora leading an otokoyaku dance with the top star sparkles on her tailcoat and hitting that final pose with a heart-shattering bang. They reprise the two original theme songs for the parade, and that's Hustle Mates.

Additional notes from my particular viewings: I had a lucky aisle seat where Hanaki Maia, who I'm pretty obsessed with, serenaded me, and Mappu gave me a great smile and a little hand squeeze in lieu of a high five. I am completely charmed by Kotti, she's like a Great Dane that grew up and still thinks it's a lap dog—striking otokoyaku on the outside and a sweet shy earnest inside that hasn't quite caught up yet. Senshuuraku should be the day that shows up on Sky Stage eventually, but in the Partial Time Prison scene Homare Seri (playing Rhett Butler) started a really awkward slow clap with the audience in an attempt to ad lib, then had no idea where she wanted to go with it so she just gave SoraLucheni a big hug, and Moeko got flustered, decided that was enough, and cut off everyone’s laughter and applause by stepping in front of the action and saying her next line as loudly as possible.

My raku seat was close range, and after watching Sora’s perfectly calculated facial expressions, and the tiny backlit beads of sweat flying off her brow as she danced her heart out in HER SHOW, I'd sit in lava for her I love her so deeply.

[for-f0rever]

i saw Dear Evan Hansen for the second time on December 17 at the 3pm show, and figured I’d write a recap on it/comparisons between MLB and the show the first time and Noah/the show the second time! 

i apologize in advance that this is so long! I’ll put it in a read more because i tend to ramble a lot and figured maybe people don’t want to read this because it’s probably going to be long? so you don’t have to scroll forever just to see this! but if you have any specific questions or you just want to talk about it you can always ask them i’m so willing to answer anything! :)

i write notes on my phone on the way home from shows i see every time, so i’m going to go through them and kind of make them more coherent for you guys :) i have one about MLB’s performance as well, so if anyone wants that i can do this again :)

starting with the theater:

the Music Box is honestly one of the most gorgeous theaters i’ve been to. It’s small in my opinion, but so intimate that i can honestly say wherever you sit is a good seat. I was in the mezzanine the first time around (like three row from the last row in the theater), and the orchestra this time, and both times i felt like i could feel everything just as well both times. the theater really lends itself to immersing you in the show and the storyline without feeling disconnected.

the show:

Act 1

there were no understudies on :)

in the opening when Evan is saying why it’s going to be a good day and why he shouldn’t have to worry, Noah pauses a lot, thinking about what he’s going to say. he puts a lot of emphasis on certain words but he was so funny about it and definitely played the part so well, i really believed how anxious he was about having a good day and just being himself and not worrying about anything

When Heidi enters, she spent a lot of time rubbing his back/shoulder and trying to encourage him that this year will be great. it felt so intimate if that makes sense? i’m not sure, it just felt like she was really rooting for him/was just as invested in him having a good year as she wishes he was

when the Murphy’s enter, Connor is playing with the spoon in his hand, generally looking high and not listening. Zoe bounces her leg uncontrollably like she’s constantly on edge by her family, and Larry is scrolling through his phone not paying attention.

when Cynthia says that Connor has to go to school, Mike leaned his head back to look at her, and kind of rested his head against her arm. I don’t know if it’s intentional or not (the first time i saw it i was off to the left and so i couldn’t see the angle i was at this time, but it was a cute thing i noticed and i’m not sure that it happens every time)

when Connor says fuck you to Zoe and Cynthia denies that he’s high Mike does this little smile that is so funny and cute at the same time before he storms off

Laura rolls her eyes when she says if Connor isn’t ready she’s going to leave without him

Will is INCREDIBLE at making things feel lighthearted when they seem to be getting too intense, and he starts right away like i love it.

Kristolyn delivers her lines so perfectly and when she’s talking to Evan on the first day of school you can’t help but laugh at how awkward things are

When Jared says Connor’s new hair length is very school shooter chic, Connor looks up with the huge smile on his face like he can’t believe he just said it.

He pushes Evan to the ground so hard (because i was so close i could hear a lot of the sounds on the stage that i didn’t hear before, and Mike’s hands slammed pretty hard into Noah’s chest. it didn’t seem like it hurt, but damn it sounded like it did) (also to be fair mike did slap his own leg, chest, arm quite a bit and he did it just as hard as he hit noah)

i was so impressed by Noah’s vocals the whole show? i wrote like in the notes that WTAW was incredible but? the whole show i was just so impressed by how great he was. i didn’t expect much mostly because i didn’t know much about him and i don’t know, but i definitely was blown away by him singing and playing this part that is so hard

when Connor goes to sign Evan’s cast and grabs his arm roughly, Noah yelps much louder than MLB did, which isn’t a bad thing, it’s just a little difference between the two

also when he asks Evan how he broke his arm and Evan says he fell out of a tree Connor says “that’s the saddest fucking thing i ever heard, oh my god” and kind of laughs. in this show when Mike laughed he didn’t even finish the word god he just sort of laughed through it, smiled and shook his head

at the end of For Forever, Cynthia just grabs Evan and hugs him so tight while thanking him a million times. it takes Evan a moment before he hugs back

will sincerely, me ever not be a bop? Noah and Mike definitely looked like they were having so much fun doing it, they were smiling and laughing at each other during the dance parts. also Will’s laugh in this song gives me life it’s so funny

Connor does this little smile after “dude i’m proud of you” and like points to himself and it’s so cute

when Connor says “my sister’s hot” Noah’s version of “what the hell” is more annoyed than horrified that Jared would write that 

when they’re going through the bridge of sincerely, me, Evan like awkwardly grabs Connor’s arms when he says “dear connor murphy i’m just glad to be your friend” except Noah? rubbed Mike’s nipples? i collapsed

this isn’t specific to this point in the show, but Will mimics the pitch of Noah’s voice a lot when he’s mocking Evan, and it’s hilarious

Laura cried during requiem when she crumples the emails in her hand, Cynthia sobs into Connor’s pillow. she just holds it and rocks back and forth. Larry mostly just tries to hold it together

Evan got flustered a lot during If I Could Tell Her (fidgeting with his cast, his collar, really everything)

During Disappear when they’re telling the Murphy’s their plan Jared tries to butt in and Evan holds his arm out to stop him and Jared just looks upset that he’s not as included

When Cynthia tells Evan that Connor hadn’t been invited to a single bar mitzvah she is so upset and trying not to cry at the thought when she’s giving Evan the tie

in between Evan’s speech and the beginning of YWBF Evan drops his notecards and falls to the ground and has a borderline panic attack trying to collect himself in front of everyone. Noah portrays this INCREDIBLY well, it made me feel like he really was having a panic attack and my heart hurt just watching him struggle to breathe and shaking (side note his shoe fell off? i cannot for the life of me remember that happening to MLB, so i’m not sure that was planned)

during the bridge of YWBF baby pictures of Connor flash on the screen and Larry is center stage looking up at them. he breaks down, stumbling over with his hands on his knees, just crying. Cynthia runs over and embraces him, holding him tight as they both sob. (i could hear both JLT and Michael Park just sobbing holding each other and it was so heartbreaking)

Act 2

the first song is a sincerely, me reprise, and Will and Mike were making each other laugh so much when they were doing it it was funny. (when they say hey to each other they both did really weird voices omfg). when Evan interrupts them and says Jared can’t make things up Jared pushes Connor off the stage

during to break in a glove, Larry bites his lip to try to stop himself from getting emotional just after “you’re just trying to do your best to a kid who’s lost control”

Evan finally invites Zoe over, and when she says they need to talk he’s scared she’s breaking up with him and rambles about how he doesn’t even know if they’re dating officially. she stops him and says she’s not breaking up with him, and he reaches out and rests his hands on her arm and is like “thank you” and she laughs and does it back to him and goes “you’re welcome” it’s so awkwardly hilarious

during only us Zoe just seems so appreciative of Evan? they were super cute

the scene where the Murphy’s offer Evan Connor’s scholarship money for college is so tense and awkward that you can’t help but feel something watching it. it’s so beautifully written and acted out, but god is it tough to watch

Evan and Heidi’s fight just after is SO TENSE. Evan almost slips up and calls the Murphy’s his family, which sets Heidi off. It’s insanely tense to watch, but RBJ and Noah play this so well and I was in love

Evan says that he’s a burden to her, and Heidi gets emotional and yells about how he’s the one good thing that’s ever happened to her

good for you is also a bop, and the whole thing is just pinning Evan in the middle so he can’t escape thinking about what he’s done. it’s so claustrophobic the way they pin him in

during good for you Evan says to Jared that they’re only friends so Jared’s parents will pay for his car insurance and Jared is just so hurt and says “fuck you, Evan! Asshole!” and runs off. it kind of feels like the first time Jared really has a huge problem with Evan.

just after good for you is a Connor/Evan scene, where Connor tries to get Evan to keep the lie going. Evan wants to just end it all, but Connor says he can’t. I love Mike Faist with my whole heart and i’m definitely biased, but good god is he incredible. each time he’s on stage you can’t help but watch him, but this scene is where he shines. He is so set on Evan keeping the lie going, letting his parents believe all these things about him.

Connor gets Evan to admit that he’s lying to himself about how he broke his arm, and the whole thing is so intense. i’m definitely overusing that word but i don’t know what else to say about it.

during the for forever reprise Connor cries while he’s singing, he starts crying just before with his little speech (”you can get rid of me whenever you want...”

the buildup to Evan revealing the lie to the Murphy’s is almost anxiety-inducing. you can sense something is coming, you know it’s going to be intense and earth-shattering, but nothing prepares you for the way Evan yells “he didn’t write it!” and the silence that falls over everyone before he says “i wrote it” while sobbing.

Cynthia SOBS during Words Fail. Not small sobs, but covering her mouth, breaking down, unable to control herself sobs

Connor comes out and stares at Evan during Words Fail just before “this was just a sad invention” and he just looks so sad and broken that someone could do this and admit the lie to the family that was struggling so much

the scene just after where Heidi and Evan are talking on the sofa is heartbreaking. you can see how broken Heidi is that she had no idea how much her son was hurting. Evan says “if you had any idea how broken i am” after he says she’d hate him if she knew, Heidi says “I already know you, and i love you” and god, her face when she says it. i can’t even describe how emotional she is.

RBJ’s vocals speak for themselves in this song, i can’t write anything that would even come close to doing them justice

during so big/so small Evan flings himself at Heidi, and god, she holds onto him so tight, rubbing his back, singing to him, rocking back and forth

when he pulls away she rubs her thumbs along his cheeks, trying to force his mouth into a smile, wiping his tears away. it’s just so soft and motherly and caring and it’s all a bit much for me to handle through my own sobs and tears

when Zoe and Evan meet at the orchard Zoe gets choked up when she says “it’s been...it’s been a really tough year” and god, you just feel awful for this poor girl who’s been through so much. she tells Evan about how the orchard saved her parents, how they’re there all the time having picnics, and how everyone needed it for something. Evan tells her how he’s trying to get to know Connor better by reading his 10 favorite books that he listed in a yearbook, but he knows it’s not the same. Zoe tells him it’s something.

Evan asks her why she wanted to meet there just before she leaves, and she says “i wanted to be sure you saw this”, and his face is just so hopeful? emotional? a little bit of everything

the finale Evan turns around to face the cast, and they’re all emotional/smiling and the screens turn from blue to this orangey-purple to mimic a sunset, and it is GORGEOUS

during bows Will and Jennifer hug and Will said something to make Jennifer laugh. Mike and Kristolyn hugged, then Mike hugged Michael. When Jennifer and Michael were running out Jennifer said something and both of them died laughing and then Mike and Kristolyn laughed at them. Rachel walked over to Jen and held her hand, and then Noah ran out and they all smiled and clapped for him.

differences between MLB and Noah/the show the first and second time around

i can confirm that even if you know what’s coming, you’re still going to cry! i definitely did!

i genuinely cannot pick who i liked better between MLB and Noah. Going in I had no opinions on Noah, but i knew he had a lot to live up to because MLB just blew me away at how talented he was in this role. Noah definitely brings something different, but it’s a good different that’s so believable that you just can’t help but immerse yourself in the story the same way between the two

overall, there’s little blips that are different. Noah has a litlte bit more of a confident side with Evan at points, whereas MLB definitely played him a little more shy, a little more anxious. again, NOT a bad thing, just something a little different.

Noah’s rambling has a few more pauses, some vocal intonations that rise and fall, and Michael was more a quick talker with more emphasis on some words.

i loved both of them and felt like they both did such an incredible job, and if you’re seeing either of them you’re in for a treat! both of them bring this role so much depth and do this character justice, and i’m just so proud of both of them?

there really isn’t much i can say about the differences between the shows, because i think it’s so consistent show to show that there isn’t much that changes. maybe little moments between the actors on stage where they smile or laugh at each other, but the acting was all virtually the same -- so gut-wrenchingly emotional, hilarious, and incredible all at once.

this has nothing to do with anything, and maybe i’m biased, but JLT deserved a tony nom. good god, this woman spends 85% of the show crying, and your heart breaks for her and god, she brings it to a level that you just understand how heartbroken she is over the loss over her son and how she just wants to hang on to the little pieces she has left via Evan. i understand why she wasn’t nominated, but god, i wish she was.

okay, this was far too long i’m so sorry! if you have any questions about parts in the show/MLB and Noah comparisons feel free to send me an ask! i’ll answer whatever, i promise :) like i said earlier i also have a recap of MLB’s performance in my phone if you want something similar to this, please let me know :)

[hiroki-moriuchi]

2017′s best releases that you’ve missed

2017 was an interesting year in music. By that I mean that I went to a Breaking Benjamin concert, where someone asked me “Hey, do you play RS?” and since then I’ve been worried about how in the world a random guy could recognize me as a Runescape player, and how I can annihilate this part of me that shows this.

As for music releases, 2017 sucked. I know that’s not what I’m supposed to say at the beginning of a list of the best albums of 2017, but I can’t lie. There were few good albums in 2017. Thankfully, they were not entirely non-existent. I tried picking out the few good releases of this year, and here they are!

Artist: Moonfall EP: Empty Cage Genre: Alternative rock Rating: 7.5/10

NY-based alternative rock band Moonfall are back with another EP! With their first EP being a mostly progressive experimental piece, the band then experimented with other styles for 2 singles, and now they’re back with a new EP that seems to be more electronic than their previous works. A risky choice, because there have been many bands who incorporate electronic sounds into their music. What can make Moonfall any different? 

The answer is: their different musical influences. The track Colorless being inspired by EDM, while title track Empty Cage seems to be more influenced an indie sound. And, not to forget, the clear J-rock influences in the bass playing: where other bands often ‘forget’ about the bass, Moonfall incorporates the bass guitar as a full part of the music, not just as something that has to be added “because that’s just how rock works”.

Listen on Youtube: Empty Cage Buy: Official site

Artist: While She Sleeps Album: You Are We Genre: Metalcore Rating: 8/10

Maybe you know this about me already, but I’m a sucker for balance in music (with some exceptions, like Crystal Lake’s Machina). As a result, this album is a real treat for me. While being generally heavy - what else to expect from metalcore? - the stunning clean vocals and catchy choruses or cool verses bring moments of relative rest, before you launch into a heavier part again. Also, it’s great music for moshing, as I discovered at their concert. If you have the chance to see them, grab it.

Listen on Youtube: Steal the Sun Buy: iTunes Nuclearblast.de Stream: Various options

Artist: The Last Sighs Of The Wind Album: We Are Trees Genre: Instrumental rock Rating: 7.5/10

Okay, so I have a confession to make. I’ve always been an emotional boy, but this year something special happened. For the first time in my life, I cried about instrumental music. And the people who made it happen are the people in The Last Sighs Of The Wind, with their song Your Wave Caresses Me. This band knows how to catch your attention with emotion-driven songs, and they don’t need vocals for that. This band is especially recommended to people who like post-rock - this band is clearly influenced by that genre - but I’d recommend it to anyone who can stand rock.

Listen on Bandcamp: Your Wave Caresses Me Buy: Bandcamp ($4)

Artist: Blank Slate EP: I Have Considered The Following Genre: Progressive rock Rating: 8/10

This EP is an experience. It’s some chilled out progressive rock, but what really puts this band apart from other bands is the vocalist. I must admit: at first, I felt like she was the ‘weak link’ in the band, and that she had some practicing to do. I felt that she didn’t have enough power in her voice. But as I listened more and more, I grew to like her soft singing. It’s quite unique; it’s not overbearing, it’s just a part of the instrumentation. Her voice gently carries you through the EP. As for the rest of the instruments: they work together very well to bring intricately woven, but not overly complicated songs. I’d say: take a listen.

Listen on Bandcamp: Tangency Buy: Bandcamp ($5)

Artist: Crystal Lake Single: Apollo Genre: Metalcore Rating: 8.5/10

I’d say that, in metalcore, there’s different levels of heaviness. From heavy to heavier: something can be “heavy”, “really heavy”, “holy shit”, “what the FUCK”, or it can be plain irresponsible. The song Machina falls in the last category, and is the reason this single made the list. While the other two songs are great as well, I feel Machina is a must in your music library.

Listen on Youtube: Machina Buy: iTunes ($2.58), CDJapan (¥2100)

Artist: Julien Baker Album: Turn Out The Lights Genre: Indie Rating: 9/10

We Are Trees is not the only album that made me cry this year. Julien Baker also managed to do it with the first song I heard by her, Appointments. Her open-heartedness shines through in her music. Which, with her apparently sad heart, makes for some really sad music. Her soft music is genuine, filled to the brim with emotions. Her at times powerful voice conveys the emotions in this album well. And, fun fact, this album was recommended to me by many different people that I met in a Facebook group for a metalcore band. I just mean to say: this album is to be enjoyed by anyone. You wouldn’t normally say a piano and soft guitar-driven album would be well-liked by metalheads, but Julien Baker is talented enough to turn the tides in her favor.

Listen on Youtube: Appointments Buy: Matador ($8)

Artist: I, The Mighty Album: Where The Mind Wants To Go / Where You Let It Go Genre: Alternative rock Rating: 8/10

I’ll be honest: this album is disappointing for one very specific reason: the album starts with Degenerates, which is a song that is, without a doubt, worth a rating of 10/10. Every song after that can only be a disappointment relative to Degenerates. That being said, the other songs are certainly good too. I feel like I have to write more stuff about this album but genuinely, I don’t even know why I’m typing up a short review for each album when I don’t enjoy typing it. Just get this: this album is about as heavy as most of the songs on Linkin Park’s Minutes to Midnight, so if you like that, you’ll like this.

Listen on Youtube: Degenerates Buy: iTunes

Artist: MY FIRST STORY EP: ALL SECRET TRACKS Genre: J-rock Rating: 9/10

What a surprise. On December 12, Japanese news sites suddenly announced a new MY FIRST STORY EP, for sale on December 13. A nice surprise no one saw coming, considering that the band had released another EP (ALL LEAD TRACKS) just a few months before. So, for such a ‘secret’ release that didn’t have much of an advertising campaign going for it, I expected it to be less good than their previous EP, ALL LEAD TRACKS, which was advertised a lot. How wrong I was! With ALL SECRET TRACKS, MY FIRST STORY delivered a musically diverse, yet cohesive EP. The opening track The Anthem, though in my opinion a bit too similar to a previous opening track, Weapons, offers a good introduction to the album. Then it goes on with violin-driven 終焉レクイ��ム. Then, MONSTER offers us a powerful, heavy track. It is driven mostly by rap, but it is Hiro’s screaming that makes this track stand out. Next, we calm down a little with 君のいない夜を越えて, and later even more with the acoustic track See You Again. The closing track Love Affair is a bit more upbeat again, and ties the album up well.

This EP is MY FIRST STORY playing around with things they haven’t played around with before, and it works very well. It is very good, but I don’t think this is MY FIRST STORY at their best yet. I look forward to what they will release in the future.

Listen on Youtube: MONSTER Buy: CDJapan (¥1800)

And the best album of the year is...

Artist: Sufferer Album: Sufferer Genre: Post-hardcore Rating: 9.3/10

Sufferer is an ambitious project. On their bandcamp page, they say that they are “detailing a day in the life of a Sufferer, with three vocalists portraying the Subject, his Anxiety, and his Depression.” If you ask me, they succeeded flawlessly in their portrayal of what it’s like - both lyrically and musically. Lyrically, they don’t fall into self-pity the way many other song writers do. Rather, they show awareness of the self-pity, and how they think they make their own bed, but still cannot get out. This album is in a sense isolated from the world. It’s got a kind of madness that I can relate to, while, looking at it from the outside, you wonder what in the world is going on inside a mind such as the one portrayed. The desperation of the Subject also speaks from the music arrangements. The music is chaotic, nervous. Even with all the lyrics left out, the music does a good job of depicting the mind of the Subject. In short: Just listen to it. Though a short warning in advance: the album may not be suitable for everyone. It may get you down, or the subject matter (suicide, alcohol abuse, among other things) may be triggering.

Listen on Bandcamp: Chapter III Buy: Bandcamp ($10)

Honorable mentions

He Is Legend - few (Hard rock, rock n roll): Great album, drenched in loneliness. If you listen to this in mid-summer you’ll probably still be cold. How can an album have these kind of vibes?! Taiga Woods - Taiga Woods (Stoner rock): Some really good stoner rock. It’s got a fair replay value, but not an unlimited replay value. By the time I made this post I didn’t love the album as much as I did before. Movements - Feel Something (Alternative rock): A GREAT album but also really sad. KILL LE KILL - Cabin in the Woods session (Acoustic pop-punk): When you listen to this, it feels like you’re in a cabin in the woods and one guy whips out his guitar and starts to sing. It doesn’t matter that he’s bad at it because you’re in the woods anyway and it’s not about the music, it’s about the experience. But he’s still not good at it. Also, here’s a free, legal download link. Entheos - Dark Future (Death metal): Extremely good prog death metal, but I figured it didn’t fit this blog. Turn For Our - Silence in face of Injustice is a crime (Hardcore punk): I’m a sucker for hardcore punk. gotta love it. S’efforcer - Survive​}​•​{​Discover (Experimental metal): This album puts me at ease for some reason, despite it being quite heavy at times. This album would have made the list had I discovered it not on December 30th.

[dweemeister]

The Great Muppet Caper (1981)

Like a security blanket to bundle into on a cold, distressed day, the Muppets have been a force of happiness and entertainment for several decades. 1979′s The Muppet Movie had been a rousing success, as had The Muppet Show – which had just completed its fifth and final season when Jim Henson directed (his directorial debut) The Great Muppet Caper. This second Muppets movie was an attempt to steer the franchise towards its future: feature films (Caper is the second of eight Muppets films so far) and television specials. The Great Muppet Caper does not result in a sophomore slump for the franchise, but there is an important tradeoff that occurs in the film. As Henson created the Muppets, it should be no surprise that this entry represents one of the more faithful portrayal of the Muppets as characters (to an extent). However, this comes at the expense of the heartwarming humanism and messages of perseverance that one comes to expect in a movie starring the Muppets.

More than any other movie in the Muppets franchise, The Great Muppet Caper topples the fourth wall repeatedly. In fact, it happens so often there might not be a fourth wall. Traveling by hot air balloon, Kermit the Frog, Fozzie Bear, and Gonzo are commenting on the opening credits – yes you three, some weirdos out there read the opening credits (it includes yours truly, and like Kermit says, the people in the credits have families, too) – and land their balloon just outside their workplace: the Daily Chronicle. The trio are investigative reporters and are tasked with a London assignment where fashion designer Lady Holiday (Diana Rigg) has become victim to a headline-grabbing jewel robbery. With the Daily Chronicle refusing to cover expenses, our Muppet reporters fly in ninth-class (which apparently means the airplane’s cargo hold, with a dangerous method of disembarkation) and check into the battered, but free Happiness Hotel. There they meet up with the rest of tenants – which includes the rest of the Muppets, save one. That one is Miss Piggy, who Kermit mistakes as Lady Holiday and will ask out on a date.

The other human star of note is Charles Grodin as Nicky Holiday. Cameos include John Cleese, Joan Sanderson, Jack Warden, Peter Falk, Robert Morley, Peter Ustinov, and Muppet performers including Henson (Kermit, Rowlf, Dr. Teeth, Waldorf, Swedish Chef), Richard Hunt (Scooter, Statler, Janice, Beaker, and Sweetums), and Jerry Nelson (Floyd Pepper; originated Sesame Street’s Mr. Snuffleupagus and played Count von Count from 1972-2012). One Sesame Street character makes a brief, hilarious cameo with Peter Ustinov.

There are running gags in The Great Muppet Caper that I should not describe in the slightest. In writing a movie for the Muppets, there are two formulae to choose from: the Muppets playing themselves as they look at a tricky situation through their point of view (think: The Muppet Movie and 2011′s The Muppets) and where the Muppets are playing characters that, though somewhat unlike them, retain a part of their Muppety essence (1992′s The Muppet Christmas Carol). The Great Muppet Caper is the latter (even after seeing four Muppet movies, some of the original television series, and the failed 2015 TV series, I’m not sure which I prefer; perhaps you have a preference). The most important joke running throughout the film is that the characters know that they are in a movie and the characters they are portraying are distinct from the Muppets themselves. For example, Kermit and Fozzie are supposed to be related and screenwriters Jerry Juhl (multiple Muppets movies), Tom Patchett (The Bob Newhart Show, ALF), Jack Rose (a longtime writer for Milton Berle and Bob Hope), and Jay Tarses (Bob Newhart, The Carol Burnett Show) – with their formidable, combined comedic writing experience – somehow keep that gag fresh, among others, for the entire ninety-seven minutes.

This film is clever as hell. Its screenplay lands its jabs to the funnybone cleanly, almost never missing. Yet that means as The Great Muppet Caper is reveling in its comedy, the Muppets themselves lose their trademark gentleness and belief that tomorrow is a fresh start to dream, laugh, and play. That positivity – with the exception of The Muppet Christmas Carol – is always embodied by the characters made of felt, fur, and fleece. The Muppets have become so familiar to those of us who have enjoyed their company, and that is why they are allowed to be as self-referential here as they are. Few other comedians or comedic pairings/groups could plausibly make a movie like this and inspire so much laughter.

I don’t mean to sell the writing short, so I will note that The Great Muppet Caper treats Fozzie Bear and Miss Piggy with tremendous respect. These are the two people Kermit the Frog has always cared most about; through playing other characters, we see how that love is expressed.

Fozzie is not always effective in The Muppet Movie as he should be – that film portrays Fozzie’s inability to read social cues as a character quirk, not as something that brings disappointment, wrecking his self-confidence. Notice how Fozzie reacts when he believes that when Kermit is going on a date with Lady Holiday Miss Piggy – how innocent this misunderstanding is, how deeply Fozzie is hurt at first when Kermit says that his furry relative (remember, in this film, they are related) can’t come along.

For Miss Piggy, her vanity and volatility are more visible than her vulnerability. As Frank Oz (her performer) once said about Miss Piggy, “she is a seething mass of conflicts... It’s hard enough being a woman in our society. It’s even harder being a pig.” So determined is she to be successful in whatever she decides to pursue, she sometimes forgets the feelings of others she comes to care about. At a younger age, I found this behavior to be frustrating – I’m a guy, so a gendered bias is also involved. Thus, when her misunderstanding with Kermit comes, I felt a sadness there I might not have felt fifteen, maybe even five years ago. Her defenses have fallen, exposed and embarrassed. She and Kermit find a space to reconcile.

That reconciliation, and so many elements to the plot, is expressed through song. Composer Joe Raposo (various pre-Muppet Show Muppet specials, The Electric Company, Sesame Street) wrote all seven original songs appearing in The Great Muppet Caper – none of them mediocre, yet not a single one achieves the transcendence of “Rainbow Connection”. What makes Raposo’s musical score work is that – without the Muppets running around – if these songs were written for humans, they would still be as effective. Opening with “Hey, a Movie!” is a high-energy, exposition-hastening number, even if it might be a discount “That’s Entertainment!”. “Steppin’ Out with a Star” is a fun romp of what some men might do to prepare for a date – the dialogue and banter, of course, being G-rated. But the one song gifted with lush orchestrations is “The First Time It Happens”. It is played as a straight love song, with all the tenderness that Kermit and Miss Piggy can provide with their singing voices. Shortly afterward, Miss Piggy channels her inner Esther Williams in a synchronized swimming sequence entitled “Miss Piggy’s Fantasy” (complete with Dick Powell-like singing from someone dubbing Charles Grodin). Raposo’s familiarity with the Muppets pays dividends for The Great Muppet Caper.

That old saying about something not happening before pigs fly? You might need to update that to pigs performing complicated choreography in the pool. For this scene, eighteen professional swimmers were employed with all lighting, camerapersons, and speakers being placed underwater. Frank Oz had three days to learn scuba diving so that he could have Miss Piggy perform these sequences to perfection.

With Jim Henson directing, there are other ways in which the Muppet performers – Henson, Oz, Jerry Nelson, Richard Hunt, Dave Goelz, and Steve Whitmire – are allowed to show off. Where Kermit riding a bike impressed audiences and critics a few years prior, Henson figured that he might as well have all the Muppets riding bikes at the same time. For the musical number, “Couldn’t We Ride”, no computers were used. Instead, all of the Muppet performers clambered into cranes and rode bicycles of their own – attached to the Muppets’ bikes – while synchronizing their pedaling with the music and lyrics. Kermit’s stunt where he is riding his bike with only one hand included some complicated string puppetry. The final sequence where everybody is seen riding together saw Henson and two children (including one of his sons) riding oversize tricycles attached to the Muppets’ bikes with rods to complete the illusion.

Because The Great Muppet Caper knows that it is a movie and that it actively recalls Hollywood’s musical past, it comes off comforting nostalgia that neither alienates younger viewers or distracts older ones. It lacks that clear-eyed humanity of other Muppets movies, but this film has what one would want from Kermit, Miss Piggy, and company as it preserves what is essential to these characters: humor, vibrancy, and reassurance. Though we laugh at their pain (pain is funny), we witness how courageous they are in remaining optimistic through their struggles. As we watch the Muppets, we question if we are capable of such fortitude. I tend to think we already know the answer – sometimes, we just need a reminder.

My rating: 7.5/10

^ Based on my personal imdb rating. Half-points are always rounded down. My interpretation of that ratings system can be found here. 

[sargenthouse]

Nick Reinhart Interview // Marcel’s Music Journal

Big Walnuts Yonder–an incredible supergroup featuring Minutemen’s Mike Watt, Wilco’s Nels Cline, Deerhoof’s Greg Saunier, and Tera Melos’ Nick Reinhart–just put out one of the most powerful and marvelously eclectic rock records of the year. Even though the band formed way back in 2008 and didn’t record the album until 2014, it still sounds raw and fresh as hell. The dirty funk of opener “All Against All” accurately portrays the LP’s unique blend of lo-fi math rock and noisy, throwback ‘90s skate punk, while the energetic “Raise the Drawbridges?” gloriously flaunts ear-piercing guitar licks and groove-heavy percussion.

Aside from recording seriously great music with Watt, Cline, and Saunier, Nick Reinhart has proved himself to be one of the most strikingly innovative guitarists in recent memory with his countless other bands and side projects. He is best known as the frontman of Sacramento-based experimental rock trio Tera Melos, who explored complex, mind-bending indie-math zones on their most recent release, 2013′s X’ed Out.

Reinhart has also worked with drummer Zach Hill in Bygones and Death Grips; played live in Rob Crow’s band Goblin Cock; and performed a series of engrossing, entirely improvised live sets with Dot Hacker’s Eric Gardner as Swollen Brain, all of which are discussed in our interview below (the power of collaboration is definitely key here).

 You and Eric Gardner from Dot Hacker just played some shows as Swollen Brain. How did this whole project come about?

I met Eric through my friend Jonathan Hischke, who plays bass in Dot Hacker. When I originally moved down to Los Angeles I lived in a duplex next door to Eric. I would house sit his Vietnamese pot bellied pig, Francis, a lot. I was a big fan of his drumming in Dot Hacker and at some point it came up that we should play music together for fun. We had a pretty immediate chemistry in playing free, improvised stuff. We played our first show in September 2015 and we had a nice response, so we figured make it a regular thing. No intense band practices, no songs, no rules. It’s a really fun musical project to be a part of.

How do you feel playing improvised sets?

I really enjoy improvising. While I’ve done solo improvised sets, it’s a lot more fun having someone else to connect with on previously unpaved musical roads. With my band Tera Melos we take practice and preparing for a set/tour pretty seriously. We usually need around 12 full days, give or take, of long band rehearsals before we’re comfortable enough to play a show. We even dump lots of brain power into designing the set and which songs or transitions go where. For me practice is usually fairly stressful, as I wear a few different hats- playing guitar, singing and running some sort of sampler/keyboard rig all while doing the pedal tap dancing thing, and I want it all to sound cohesive and thoughtful. there’s a lot of work that goes into that. So as far as improvising goes- it’s amazing to ditch all the preparation and just play music without preconception. It’s very liberating. With Swollen Brain we do play together in our rehearsal studio, but it’s less “practice” and more just playing little sets. We’ll generally do 20 minute bursts of sound just to keep our improv brains fresh, which after 2 rounds of bursts our brains are actually very not-fresh haha. To get better at improvising it seems you just need to do it often. So in a way it’s sort of practicing, but not really… “Practicing” is also a way of familiarizing ourselves with whatever gear we happen to be using at the time. In my case it’s usually a freshly constructed pedal board. I like to have time to see what works sonically and what doesn’t before we play a show. The other thing I like to consider when playing a free-form set is how to keep things flowing and interesting- for me and the audience. Obviously you can’t force magical moments to appear in that context, but I want to set myself up for those moments to occur. Generally that means having the tools that will allow me to make little musical stories with dynamics and tension. One of my favorite parts of an improvised performance is when someone walks up to you afterwards and asks, “so how much of that was improvised?” and the answer is, “well, all of it.” I’ve been the person asking that question and when you get that answer it’s a magical moment in and of itself.

Do you think Swollen Brain will remain solely a live band? Would you ever be interested in recording studio material?

We actually just started making a record. The process of how to go about capturing our vibe was hard for me to envision. It took me a second to wrap my mind around how we could best accomplish a recording. Because it’s very much a live, organic process of improvising it would make sense to just set up some mics and hit record on a bunch of sound bursts, but we felt that it should be sonically more interesting than just drums and a single guitar track. When we play live I end up looping layers of sounds and then repurposing the loops to relate to what I’m doing with the live guitar sounds. Then once we land on something that works we turn that into a little mini song. So one of the recording methods was playing until we landed on some interesting loops, then capturing the performance of drums + loop action, and then overdub myself improvising over that. We did variations of that method for a couple of days. The next step is sifting through all of that and making sense of it.

You also played in Rob Crow’s band Goblin Cock on a tour of theirs late last year. What was that like?

It was great. I love Rob Crow. He’s one of my favorite musicians. Tera Melos toured with Pinback a couple years ago and it was one the my favorite tours we’ve ever done. He’s super thoughtful and just a really great person all around. I was stoked when he asked if I wanted to do the Goblin Cock tour. It was challenging because i had to learn a style of music that I wasn’t really familiar with- whatever brand of metal Goblin Cock is I guess. He uses alternate tunings and B.C. Rich Warlock guitars exclusively. So I had to relearn chord shapes and which notes went where on a really weird guitar, then apply all that to a kind of music I’d never played. Oh and we wore cloaks and face masks that were very hard to see out of, plus all fog machines and strobe lights raging. So there’s actually just about zero visibility on stage. But yea, it was strange and really fun.

You’ve mentioned before that Aphex Twin, Squarepusher, and Underworld rank among your top influences when it comes to electronic music. What drew you to the sound of those artists and what impact did it ultimately have on your own playing style?

When I was 16 a friend showed me those artists. At that point I was really into punk rock. The electronic music that I was hearing had this relentless energy and all these really melodic sounds mixed with abrasive sound effects. That was really new and exciting to me. I had a super natural, positive reaction to it. The same friend had a Playstation and a game called MTV Music Generator. You could make your own songs by placing pre-recorded samples onto a timeline. It was a very dumbed down way to make something resembling the electronic music that we were listening to. So I’d mess around with that at his house after school. A couple years later I got a desktop computer and found the program Fruity Loops, which was the next step up in music programming from the video game. A couple years after that I got a program called Reason, which I have worked out of ever since. At that point I hadn’t really gotten into guitar pedals and sonic exploration. I mean, I had some pedals, but I was still playing in a punk-ish band and bedroom moonlighting as some electronic music poser. Eventually Tera Melos was created and the guitar pedals section of my brain expanded. I started to recognize the ability to recreate some of the sounds I had learned to make on the computer. Incorporating that sort of stuff into an outside-the-box rock band became really exciting, and still is for me. I should also mention that my knowledge of electronic music in general never really reached beyond those three artists. I think there was just something really special about them that opened my mind at the right time.

Do you think collaborating with other people allows you to think outside the box and push the limits of your own sound? I can sense an almost cosmic force from these Big Walnuts Yonder recordings.

Yes, 100%. Musical collaborations that take you outside your comfort zone are crucial for growth and creativity. When I began playing music with Zach Hill it was like my musical brain got super charged and started wandering in different directions that I previously hadn’t really explored. Rob Crow and I have been batting ideas back and forth for awhile now as well that will hopefully take shape soon. I’m excited to see where that collaboration will take me in terms of new musical territory. And yes, of course the Big Walnuts Yonder thing had a lot of cosmic force going for it. Those guys are all very big inspirations for me, so making that record was a big part of my creative timeline. I think it’s too soon and close to the album release to be able to recognize the greater impact it had on me, but what comes to mind immediately is exercising the ability to to maintain creativity and keep up with these musical giants, and for them to be stoked on what I was bringing to the table. It would be like an indie game dev that grew up playing Nintendo all of the sudden getting to work on a new game with Shigeru Miyamoto. And not only that, but Miyamoto is excited about your ideas and he’s reacting to them with new ideas. It’s sort of like that. Pretty crazy. The other thing that comes to mind is that I had never written guitar parts to pre-existing bass parts in this capacity. 8 of the 10 Big Walnuts Yonder songs were born in Mike Watt’s brain and started with his bass as “song forms,” as he calls them. In other words, I was having to figure out how to write interesting guitar parts to songs that consisted of only bass. In Tera Melos I can probably count on one hand the amount of times where even just a small portion of a song’s construction started with bass. I can recall being very frustrated trying to come up with guitar parts that way because it’s so foreign to me. Of course out of that frustration comes great things. I was well prepared for this challenge though. It took me a while to understand Watt’s compositions (they’re pretty wild) but once I was comfortable with his approach to song writing I think some really cool, unique stuff came out of it.

What was it like recording the album in just three days?

When we started the process of creating Big Walnuts Yonder Mike had been sending me songs that were just bass compositions. So I would sit with them and contemplate different ways to compliment what Mike had written. Now Nels and Greg on the other hand- they had heard what Mike and I had worked on, but I don’t believe they had fully composed “parts” like me and Mike, that is to say I think they had “ideas” and then brought them to life in the studio. It was so crazy and inspiring to see it happen like that. So when we were all set up and ready to play we would jam a song through a few times, talk about the sections, iron out a thing or two and then hit record. It was 99% live. I was actually a little nervous because I hadn’t recorded live like that for many many years, since being in a crappy sounding punk band as a teenager. I mean, my bands usually record live, but then guitars are scratched and then redone. So this is truly a live record with all of us in the same room reacting to each other. I think that nervous energy really helped me pull it together personally.

I think Zach Hill is an artist who compliments your musical style and approach really well. You played on the last two Death Grips albums, Jenny Death and Bottomless Pit. Was that a particular collaboration that gave you the chance to explore new themes and ideas? What were the recording sessions for those records like?  

Zach Hill is a very big inspiration for me. He’s one of my favorite musicians of all time and I think he’s contributed some really important things to music. The way I play and perceive music is directly related to him, so it makes sense that what we compliment each other. Contributing to Death Grips’ body of work was really special for me. I respect that band so much and to be able to help them shape their vision is a really cool thing. I think the reason it works well is because I understand where they’re coming from and where they want to go. I haven’t worked with anyone else in that context, so in that sense there are new ideas that appear that otherwise wouldn’t. A lot of the time our creative ideas are simpatico and feel really natural. It’s like as soon as I’m around those guys my brain’s bluetooth automatically connects to their system.

Aside from the recently announced tour with CHON, Covet and Little Tybee, does Tera Melos have any special plans for this year?

I think Tera Melos will probably start doing fun stuff pretty soon here.

Reinhart has a new band with Mike Watt (Minutemen), Nels Cline (Wilco), and Greg Saunier (Deerhoof) called Big Walnuts Yonder. Their self-titled debut is out now on Sargent House.

Via Marcel’s Music Journal

[teramelos1]

Nick Reinhart Interview // Marcel’s Music Journal

Big Walnuts Yonder–an incredible supergroup featuring Minutemen’s Mike Watt, Wilco’s Nels Cline, Deerhoof’s Greg Saunier, and Tera Melos’ Nick Reinhart–just put out one of the most powerful and marvelously eclectic rock records of the year. Even though the band formed way back in 2008 and didn’t record the album until 2014, it still sounds raw and fresh as hell. The dirty funk of opener “All Against All” accurately portrays the LP’s unique blend of lo-fi math rock and noisy, throwback ‘90s skate punk, while the energetic “Raise the Drawbridges?” gloriously flaunts ear-piercing guitar licks and groove-heavy percussion.

Aside from recording seriously great music with Watt, Cline, and Saunier, Nick Reinhart has proved himself to be one of the most strikingly innovative guitarists in recent memory with his countless other bands and side projects. He is best known as the frontman of Sacramento-based experimental rock trio Tera Melos, who explored complex, mind-bending indie-math zones on their most recent release, 2013′s X’ed Out.

Reinhart has also worked with drummer Zach Hill in Bygones and Death Grips; played live in Rob Crow’s band Goblin Cock; and performed a series of engrossing, entirely improvised live sets with Dot Hacker’s Eric Gardner as Swollen Brain, all of which are discussed in our interview below (the power of collaboration is definitely key here).

 You and Eric Gardner from Dot Hacker just played some shows as Swollen Brain. How did this whole project come about?

I met Eric through my friend Jonathan Hischke, who plays bass in Dot Hacker. When I originally moved down to Los Angeles I lived in a duplex next door to Eric. I would house sit his Vietnamese pot bellied pig, Francis, a lot. I was a big fan of his drumming in Dot Hacker and at some point it came up that we should play music together for fun. We had a pretty immediate chemistry in playing free, improvised stuff. We played our first show in September 2015 and we had a nice response, so we figured make it a regular thing. No intense band practices, no songs, no rules. It’s a really fun musical project to be a part of.

How do you feel playing improvised sets?

I really enjoy improvising. While I’ve done solo improvised sets, it’s a lot more fun having someone else to connect with on previously unpaved musical roads. With my band Tera Melos we take practice and preparing for a set/tour pretty seriously. We usually need around 12 full days, give or take, of long band rehearsals before we’re comfortable enough to play a show. We even dump lots of brain power into designing the set and which songs or transitions go where. For me practice is usually fairly stressful, as I wear a few different hats- playing guitar, singing and running some sort of sampler/keyboard rig all while doing the pedal tap dancing thing, and I want it all to sound cohesive and thoughtful. there’s a lot of work that goes into that. So as far as improvising goes- it’s amazing to ditch all the preparation and just play music without preconception. It’s very liberating. With Swollen Brain we do play together in our rehearsal studio, but it’s less “practice” and more just playing little sets. We’ll generally do 20 minute bursts of sound just to keep our improv brains fresh, which after 2 rounds of bursts our brains are actually very not-fresh haha. To get better at improvising it seems you just need to do it often. So in a way it’s sort of practicing, but not really… “Practicing” is also a way of familiarizing ourselves with whatever gear we happen to be using at the time. In my case it’s usually a freshly constructed pedal board. I like to have time to see what works sonically and what doesn’t before we play a show. The other thing I like to consider when playing a free-form set is how to keep things flowing and interesting- for me and the audience. Obviously you can’t force magical moments to appear in that context, but I want to set myself up for those moments to occur. Generally that means having the tools that will allow me to make little musical stories with dynamics and tension. One of my favorite parts of an improvised performance is when someone walks up to you afterwards and asks, “so how much of that was improvised?” and the answer is, “well, all of it.” I’ve been the person asking that question and when you get that answer it’s a magical moment in and of itself.

Do you think Swollen Brain will remain solely a live band? Would you ever be interested in recording studio material?

We actually just started making a record. The process of how to go about capturing our vibe was hard for me to envision. It took me a second to wrap my mind around how we could best accomplish a recording. Because it’s very much a live, organic process of improvising it would make sense to just set up some mics and hit record on a bunch of sound bursts, but we felt that it should be sonically more interesting than just drums and a single guitar track. When we play live I end up looping layers of sounds and then repurposing the loops to relate to what I’m doing with the live guitar sounds. Then once we land on something that works we turn that into a little mini song. So one of the recording methods was playing until we landed on some interesting loops, then capturing the performance of drums + loop action, and then overdub myself improvising over that. We did variations of that method for a couple of days. The next step is sifting through all of that and making sense of it.

You also played in Rob Crow’s band Goblin Cock on a tour of theirs late last year. What was that like?

It was great. I love Rob Crow. He’s one of my favorite musicians. Tera Melos toured with Pinback a couple years ago and it was one the my favorite tours we’ve ever done. He’s super thoughtful and just a really great person all around. I was stoked when he asked if I wanted to do the Goblin Cock tour. It was challenging because i had to learn a style of music that I wasn’t really familiar with- whatever brand of metal Goblin Cock is I guess. He uses alternate tunings and B.C. Rich Warlock guitars exclusively. So I had to relearn chord shapes and which notes went where on a really weird guitar, then apply all that to a kind of music I’d never played. Oh and we wore cloaks and face masks that were very hard to see out of, plus all fog machines and strobe lights raging. So there’s actually just about zero visibility on stage. But yea, it was strange and really fun.

You’ve mentioned before that Aphex Twin, Squarepusher, and Underworld rank among your top influences when it comes to electronic music. What drew you to the sound of those artists and what impact did it ultimately have on your own playing style?

When I was 16 a friend showed me those artists. At that point I was really into punk rock. The electronic music that I was hearing had this relentless energy and all these really melodic sounds mixed with abrasive sound effects. That was really new and exciting to me. I had a super natural, positive reaction to it. The same friend had a Playstation and a game called MTV Music Generator. You could make your own songs by placing pre-recorded samples onto a timeline. It was a very dumbed down way to make something resembling the electronic music that we were listening to. So I’d mess around with that at his house after school. A couple years later I got a desktop computer and found the program Fruity Loops, which was the next step up in music programming from the video game. A couple years after that I got a program called Reason, which I have worked out of ever since. At that point I hadn’t really gotten into guitar pedals and sonic exploration. I mean, I had some pedals, but I was still playing in a punk-ish band and bedroom moonlighting as some electronic music poser. Eventually Tera Melos was created and the guitar pedals section of my brain expanded. I started to recognize the ability to recreate some of the sounds I had learned to make on the computer. Incorporating that sort of stuff into an outside-the-box rock band became really exciting, and still is for me. I should also mention that my knowledge of electronic music in general never really reached beyond those three artists. I think there was just something really special about them that opened my mind at the right time.

Do you think collaborating with other people allows you to think outside the box and push the limits of your own sound? I can sense an almost cosmic force from these Big Walnuts Yonder recordings.

Yes, 100%. Musical collaborations that take you outside your comfort zone are crucial for growth and creativity. When I began playing music with Zach Hill it was like my musical brain got super charged and started wandering in different directions that I previously hadn’t really explored. Rob Crow and I have been batting ideas back and forth for awhile now as well that will hopefully take shape soon. I’m excited to see where that collaboration will take me in terms of new musical territory. And yes, of course the Big Walnuts Yonder thing had a lot of cosmic force going for it. Those guys are all very big inspirations for me, so making that record was a big part of my creative timeline. I think it’s too soon and close to the album release to be able to recognize the greater impact it had on me, but what comes to mind immediately is exercising the ability to to maintain creativity and keep up with these musical giants, and for them to be stoked on what I was bringing to the table. It would be like an indie game dev that grew up playing Nintendo all of the sudden getting to work on a new game with Shigeru Miyamoto. And not only that, but Miyamoto is excited about your ideas and he’s reacting to them with new ideas. It’s sort of like that. Pretty crazy. The other thing that comes to mind is that I had never written guitar parts to pre-existing bass parts in this capacity. 8 of the 10 Big Walnuts Yonder songs were born in Mike Watt’s brain and started with his bass as “song forms,” as he calls them. In other words, I was having to figure out how to write interesting guitar parts to songs that consisted of only bass. In Tera Melos I can probably count on one hand the amount of times where even just a small portion of a song’s construction started with bass. I can recall being very frustrated trying to come up with guitar parts that way because it’s so foreign to me. Of course out of that frustration comes great things. I was well prepared for this challenge though. It took me a while to understand Watt’s compositions (they’re pretty wild) but once I was comfortable with his approach to song writing I think some really cool, unique stuff came out of it.

What was it like recording the album in just three days?

When we started the process of creating Big Walnuts Yonder Mike had been sending me songs that were just bass compositions. So I would sit with them and contemplate different ways to compliment what Mike had written. Now Nels and Greg on the other hand- they had heard what Mike and I had worked on, but I don’t believe they had fully composed “parts” like me and Mike, that is to say I think they had “ideas” and then brought them to life in the studio. It was so crazy and inspiring to see it happen like that. So when we were all set up and ready to play we would jam a song through a few times, talk about the sections, iron out a thing or two and then hit record. It was 99% live. I was actually a little nervous because I hadn’t recorded live like that for many many years, since being in a crappy sounding punk band as a teenager. I mean, my bands usually record live, but then guitars are scratched and then redone. So this is truly a live record with all of us in the same room reacting to each other. I think that nervous energy really helped me pull it together personally.

I think Zach Hill is an artist who compliments your musical style and approach really well. You played on the last two Death Grips albums, Jenny Death and Bottomless Pit. Was that a particular collaboration that gave you the chance to explore new themes and ideas? What were the recording sessions for those records like?  

Zach Hill is a very big inspiration for me. He’s one of my favorite musicians of all time and I think he’s contributed some really important things to music. The way I play and perceive music is directly related to him, so it makes sense that what we compliment each other. Contributing to Death Grips’ body of work was really special for me. I respect that band so much and to be able to help them shape their vision is a really cool thing. I think the reason it works well is because I understand where they’re coming from and where they want to go. I haven’t worked with anyone else in that context, so in that sense there are new ideas that appear that otherwise wouldn’t. A lot of the time our creative ideas are simpatico and feel really natural. It’s like as soon as I’m around those guys my brain’s bluetooth automatically connects to their system.

Aside from the recently announced tour with CHON, Covet and Little Tybee, does Tera Melos have any special plans for this year?

I think Tera Melos will probably start doing fun stuff pretty soon here.

Reinhart has a new band with Mike Watt (Minutemen), Nels Cline (Wilco), and Greg Saunier (Deerhoof) called Big Walnuts Yonder. Their self-titled debut is out now on Sargent House.

Via Marcel’s Music Journal

[marcelsmusicjournal-blog]

An interview with Nick Reinhart, one of the most innovative guitarists modern rock has to offer

Photo courtesy of the artist

Big Walnuts Yonder--an incredible supergroup featuring Minutemen’s Mike Watt, Wilco’s Nels Cline, Deerhoof’s Greg Saunier, and Tera Melos’ Nick Reinhart--just put out one of the most powerful and marvelously eclectic rock records of the year. Even though the band formed way back in 2008 and didn’t record the album until 2014, it still sounds raw and fresh as hell. The dirty funk of opener “All Against All” accurately portrays the LP’s unique blend of lo-fi math rock and noisy, throwback ‘90s skate punk, while the energetic “Raise the Drawbridges?” gloriously flaunts ear-piercing guitar licks and groove-heavy percussion.

Aside from recording seriously great music with Watt, Cline, and Saunier, Nick Reinhart has proved himself to be one of the most strikingly innovative guitarists in recent memory with his countless other bands and side projects. He is best known as the frontman of Sacramento-based experimental rock trio Tera Melos, who explored complex, mind-bending indie-math zones on their most recent release, 2013′s X’ed Out. 

Reinhart has also worked with drummer Zach Hill in Bygones and Death Grips; played live in Rob Crow’s band Goblin Cock; and performed a series of engrossing, entirely improvised live sets with Dot Hacker’s Eric Gardner as Swollen Brain, all of which are discussed in our interview below (the power of collaboration is definitely key here).

--

You and Eric Gardner from Dot Hacker just played some shows as Swollen Brain. How did this whole project come about?

I met Eric through my friend Jonathan Hischke, who plays bass in Dot Hacker. When I originally moved down to Los Angeles I lived in a duplex next door to Eric. I would house sit his Vietnamese pot bellied pig, Francis, a lot. I was a big fan of his drumming in Dot Hacker and at some point it came up that we should play music together for fun. We had a pretty immediate chemistry in playing free, improvised stuff. We played our first show in September 2015 and we had a nice response, so we figured make it a regular thing. No intense band practices, no songs, no rules. It's a really fun musical project to be a part of.

How do you feel playing improvised sets?

I really enjoy improvising. While I've done solo improvised sets, it's a lot more fun having someone else to connect with on previously unpaved musical roads. With my band Tera Melos we take practice and preparing for a set/tour pretty seriously. We usually need around 12 full days, give or take, of long band rehearsals before we're comfortable enough to play a show. We even dump lots of brain power into designing the set and which songs or transitions go where. For me practice is usually fairly stressful, as I wear a few different hats- playing guitar, singing and running some sort of sampler/keyboard rig all while doing the pedal tap dancing thing, and I want it all to sound cohesive and thoughtful. there's a lot of work that goes into that. So as far as improvising goes- it's amazing to ditch all the preparation and just play music without preconception. It's very liberating. With Swollen Brain we do play together in our rehearsal studio, but it's less "practice" and more just playing little sets. We'll generally do 20 minute bursts of sound just to keep our improv brains fresh, which after 2 rounds of bursts our brains are actually very not-fresh haha. To get better at improvising it seems you just need to do it often. So in a way it's sort of practicing, but not really... "Practicing" is also a way of familiarizing ourselves with whatever gear we happen to be using at the time. In my case it's usually a freshly constructed pedal board. I like to have time to see what works sonically and what doesn't before we play a show. The other thing I like to consider when playing a free-form set is how to keep things flowing and interesting- for me and the audience. Obviously you can't force magical moments to appear in that context, but I want to set myself up for those moments to occur. Generally that means having the tools that will allow me to make little musical stories with dynamics and tension. One of my favorite parts of an improvised performance is when someone walks up to you afterwards and asks, "so how much of that was improvised?" and the answer is, "well, all of it." I've been the person asking that question and when you get that answer it's a magical moment in and of itself.

Do you think Swollen Brain will remain solely a live band? Would you ever be interested in recording studio material?

We actually just started making a record. The process of how to go about capturing our vibe was hard for me to envision. It took me a second to wrap my mind around how we could best accomplish a recording. Because it's very much a live, organic process of improvising it would make sense to just set up some mics and hit record on a bunch of sound bursts, but we felt that it should be sonically more interesting than just drums and a single guitar track. When we play live I end up looping layers of sounds and then repurposing the loops to relate to what I'm doing with the live guitar sounds. Then once we land on something that works we turn that into a little mini song. So one of the recording methods was playing until we landed on some interesting loops, then capturing the performance of drums + loop action, and then overdub myself improvising over that. We did variations of that method for a couple of days. The next step is sifting through all of that and making sense of it.

You also played in Rob Crow’s band Goblin Cock on a tour of theirs late last year. What was that like?

It was great. I love Rob Crow. He's one of my favorite musicians. Tera Melos toured with Pinback a couple years ago and it was one the my favorite tours we've ever done. He's super thoughtful and just a really great person all around. I was stoked when he asked if I wanted to do the Goblin Cock tour. It was challenging because i had to learn a style of music that I wasn't really familiar with- whatever brand of metal Goblin Cock is I guess. He uses alternate tunings and B.C. Rich Warlock guitars exclusively. So I had to relearn chord shapes and which notes went where on a really weird guitar, then apply all that to a kind of music I'd never played. Oh and we wore cloaks and face masks that were very hard to see out of, plus all fog machines and strobe lights raging. So there's actually just about zero visibility on stage. But yea, it was strange and really fun. 

You’ve mentioned before that Aphex Twin, Squarepusher, and Underworld rank among your top influences when it comes to electronic music. What drew you to the sound of those artists and what impact did it ultimately have on your own playing style?

When I was 16 a friend showed me those artists. At that point I was really into punk rock. The electronic music that I was hearing had this relentless energy and all these really melodic sounds mixed with abrasive sound effects. That was really new and exciting to me. I had a super natural, positive reaction to it. The same friend had a Playstation and a game called MTV Music Generator. You could make your own songs by placing pre-recorded samples onto a timeline. It was a very dumbed down way to make something resembling the electronic music that we were listening to. So I'd mess around with that at his house after school. A couple years later I got a desktop computer and found the program Fruity Loops, which was the next step up in music programming from the video game. A couple years after that I got a program called Reason, which I have worked out of ever since. At that point I hadn't really gotten into guitar pedals and sonic exploration. I mean, I had some pedals, but I was still playing in a punk-ish band and bedroom moonlighting as some electronic music poser. Eventually Tera Melos was created and the guitar pedals section of my brain expanded. I started to recognize the ability to recreate some of the sounds I had learned to make on the computer. Incorporating that sort of stuff into an outside-the-box rock band became really exciting, and still is for me. I should also mention that my knowledge of electronic music in general never really reached beyond those three artists. I think there was just something really special about them that opened my mind at the right time.

Do you think collaborating with other people allows you to think outside the box and push the limits of your own sound? I can sense an almost cosmic force from these Big Walnuts Yonder recordings.

Yes, 100%. Musical collaborations that take you outside your comfort zone are crucial for growth and creativity. When I began playing music with Zach Hill it was like my musical brain got super charged and started wandering in different directions that I previously hadn't really explored. Rob Crow and I have been batting ideas back and forth for awhile now as well that will hopefully take shape soon. I'm excited to see where that collaboration will take me in terms of new musical territory. And yes, of course the Big Walnuts Yonder thing had a lot of cosmic force going for it. Those guys are all very big inspirations for me, so making that record was a big part of my creative timeline. I think it's too soon and close to the album release to be able to recognize the greater impact it had on me, but what comes to mind immediately is exercising the ability to to maintain creativity and keep up with these musical giants, and for them to be stoked on what I was bringing to the table. It would be like an indie game dev that grew up playing Nintendo all of the sudden getting to work on a new game with Shigeru Miyamoto. And not only that, but Miyamoto is excited about your ideas and he's reacting to them with new ideas. It's sort of like that. Pretty crazy. The other thing that comes to mind is that I had never written guitar parts to pre-existing bass parts in this capacity. 8 of the 10 Big Walnuts Yonder songs were born in Mike Watt's brain and started with his bass as "song forms," as he calls them. In other words, I was having to figure out how to write interesting guitar parts to songs that consisted of only bass. In Tera Melos I can probably count on one hand the amount of times where even just a small portion of a song's construction started with bass. I can recall being very frustrated trying to come up with guitar parts that way because it's so foreign to me. Of course out of that frustration comes great things. I was well prepared for this challenge though. It took me a while to understand Watt's compositions (they're pretty wild) but once I was comfortable with his approach to song writing I think some really cool, unique stuff came out of it.

What was it like recording the album in just three days? 

When we started the process of creating Big Walnuts Yonder Mike had been sending me songs that were just bass compositions. So I would sit with them and contemplate different ways to compliment what Mike had written. Now Nels and Greg on the other hand- they had heard what Mike and I had worked on, but I don't believe they had fully composed "parts" like me and Mike, that is to say I think they had "ideas" and then brought them to life in the studio. It was so crazy and inspiring to see it happen like that. So when we were all set up and ready to play we would jam a song through a few times, talk about the sections, iron out a thing or two and then hit record. It was 99% live. I was actually a little nervous because I hadn't recorded live like that for many many years, since being in a crappy sounding punk band as a teenager. I mean, my bands usually record live, but then guitars are scratched and then redone. So this is truly a live record with all of us in the same room reacting to each other. I think that nervous energy really helped me pull it together personally.

I think Zach Hill is an artist who compliments your musical style and approach really well. You played on the last two Death Grips albums, Jenny Death and Bottomless Pit. Was that a particular collaboration that gave you the chance to explore new themes and ideas? What were the recording sessions for those records like?  

Zach Hill is a very big inspiration for me. He's one of my favorite musicians of all time and I think he's contributed some really important things to music. The way I play and perceive music is directly related to him, so it makes sense that what we compliment each other. Contributing to Death Grips' body of work was really special for me. I respect that band so much and to be able to help them shape their vision is a really cool thing. I think the reason it works well is because I understand where they’re coming from and where they want to go. I haven't worked with anyone else in that context, so in that sense there are new ideas that appear that otherwise wouldn't. A lot of the time our creative ideas are simpatico and feel really natural. It's like as soon as I'm around those guys my brain's bluetooth automatically connects to their system.

Aside from the recently announced tour with CHON, Covet and Little Tybee, does Tera Melos have any special plans for this year?

I think Tera Melos will probably start doing fun stuff pretty soon here. 

Reinhart has a new band with Mike Watt (Minutemen), Nels Cline (Wilco), and Greg Saunier (Deerhoof) called Big Walnuts Yonder. Their self-titled debut is out now on Sargent House.

[wordcollector]

Animated Life Lesson #6: Family

Family (noun) – a basic social unit consisting of parents and their children, considered as a group, whether dwelling together or not

Steven Universe is about a boy being raised by a trio of magical, sentient space rocks as he trains to save the world.  Yes, it’s really as bizarre as it sounds, but it’s also brilliant and fun and generally happy, although there’s a dark undercurrent that’s becoming more transparent as the show moves along.

This darkness stems from the fact that the Crystal Gems—the three aliens who are raising Steven—are the self-exiled remnants of a rebellion against their home planet, aptly named Homeworld, and the Diamond Authority.  The Homeworld leaders planned to use Earth as an incubation chamber for one of their monstrous creations, a plan that would’ve destroyed the planet and wiped out the entire human race.  A rebellion against this plan formed, led by the powerful Rose Quartz, who believed that mankind, with their ability to grow and change, should be left alone.  A bitter war followed, and although the Crystal Gems ultimately won, they couldn’t return home, and they instead began new lives on the very planet they had fought to save.

Hundreds of years later, Rose Quartz fell in love and chose to give up her physical form to have a child. That child is Steven, whose half-Gem status imbues him with a plethora of magical abilities.  That’s where the other Gems step in, to raise Steven and help him learn how to use his powers while his human father is around to teach him about life in general.  What results is an interesting family structure, with Steven’s main upbringing coming from three mother figures.

For a cartoon, this image of a family is essentially unheard of.  Although live-action television has families that don’t fit the image of a nuclear family, cartoons over the past few decades haven’t been so inclusive. Sure, there are plenty of Disney movies with a single-parent family—typically the heroine being raised by her widower father—but even then, there’s a lack of diversity in the type of family units.  

Steven Universe is just the opposite.  There are a number of different families living in Beach City. Aside from Steven’s unique familial set-up, there are single mother families, single father families, families with both parents, and multigenerational families.  There are small families, large families, families with different races and ethnicities, families by blood, and families by bond. Not every type of family is portrayed, but there’s certainly a wide range, wider than most other shows.

And what this shows us is that there’s not just one type of family.  The world is made up of so many different kinds of alternative families, and Steven Universe does a wonderful job of showing that reality within the confines of their little seaside city. There are many things Steven Universe does well—it’s visually beautiful, the music is amazing, and the story is clearly much more complex than we know—but at the heart are the relationships between Steven and the Crystal Gems.  Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl are the only mothers Steven has ever known, and they’re hid best link to his biological mother and the people and values she believed in.  They’re his teachers and his friends, and they’re also the best equipped to help Steven fight back against the returning Homeworld threat.  

That’s not to say that Steven’s father, Greg, isn’t a supportive and loving parent—because he totally is—but he’s just a human, and there’s only so much he can do against an alien invasion.  Likewise for Steven’s friends in Beach City, and it’s Steven’s love for his friends and the other townspeople that pushes him to fight so hard to protect them.  He knows that he and his family are the only ones who can save them and their families, and so Steven’s willing to do whatever it takes to save the day.

Steven Universe is a science-fiction fantasy show that tackles topics that few other shows are willing to address at all, let alone in such a front and center way.  Steven is such a good-hearted and joyful character, but he’s not afraid to ask hard questions or to use his powers against the bad guys.  It’s a joy to watch as he grows both as a person and as a hero.  And it’s also a joy to see how he makes new friends and expands the circle of people he cares for.  Although Steven can be tough and capable of making the hard calls when he needs to, he’s naturally a happy person, and he’s never happier than when he’s spending time with his family. 

Together, they face both the good times and the bad; they take the time to play games, to sing together, and to explore, and when things go south, whether due to unforeseen mistakes or to  Homeworld threats, they trust one another and work together to make things right.  They treat each other like the family they are, even though they’re bound by experiences and beliefs and love rather than blood.  Without seeing one another as their family of choice, Steven and the Crystal Gems would never be able to work so well with one another to save the world time and time again.  But because of their strong bond, they’re able to fight as one, proving that it doesn’t matter what kind of people make up your family; when you’re facing trouble head-on, your family are the ones standing beside you, whether they’re the same race or gender or even species as you.  

[performingtheartsrp]

Meet Mercedes Jones. She is 24, and originally from hometown utp. She is straight and single. She plays Eden Williams on Performing The Arts. Mercedes is currently unavailable for auditions.

 🎬 Off-Screen 🎬

Mercedes Jones is the second child of Kelvon and Tricia Jones, a dentist and hair salon owner, respectively.  Born five years after her brother Bentley, Mercedes, or CeCe as her family calls her, was welcomed by her big brother with excitement. He finally had someone to tell his superhero stories to and be his trusty sidekick. Well, at least once she could walk and talk.  And sure enough, the Jones siblings became the best of friends, having adventures in the backyard and just being typical, energetic kids.

Her mom put her in dance classes as a toddler, hoping it would help her burn off the excess energy she had at home. Putting Bentley in sports had given him another outlet, so perhaps this would do the same for CeCe.  Tricia had no idea she would take to it so well.  Mercedes always had a bright smile, but it was clear even then that dancing made it even more exuberant.  By the time she was 10, she was dancing six days a week in various concentrations, but her favorites were always jazz, hip-hop, and contemporary.

The Jones family went to church every single Sunday without fail, they were staple members.  So it was no surprise that Mercedes was singing  before she even knew all her ABC’s.  What was a surprise was how well she could sing. Known as the little girl with the big voice, she was singing solos and features in the choir by the time she was 7.  And as much as she did really like to sing, she loved dancing more.

She had always been a little thicker in the torso than most of the other dancers, but she figured she’d eventually get that perfect dancer’s body, she just had to work harder.  But it didn’t happen.  In fact, as she got older and puberty began to take over, her body became everything a typical dancer’s body was not.  Big boobs. Big butt. Big thighs. No where near flat stomach.  Teachers that had praised her and had her in the front just a year before, were now putting her in the back of classes and performances.  Her ballet teacher flat out told her that she saw no point in her pursuing the class since there was no way she could be a professional dancer.  That chipped away at her spirit.

With the whispers and looks from other dancers compounded with typical teenager life, and Bentley being away  in California for college, high school was not a great time for Mercedes.  The only dancing she did was in her room, keeping her joy for it and her affinity for superheroes hidden from her peers.  She kept the things that made her happy to herself, away from anyone else’s judgement.  She put all her energy into her academics, singing, and church activities, becoming really good at settling into everyone’s expectations of her.  

By the time she started applying to colleges, all she wanted to do was get away from her small town and try to find her own identity.  Choosing Spelman College was a perfect fit. Surrounded by women that understood each other’s struggles and would uplift instead of tearing down was exactly what she needed. Mercedes felt she was able to break free of expectations of her and regain a confidence in herself that she had lost.  She began to explore theater arts, dance, and education, wanting to be a better teacher than the ones that had discouraged her own dreams.

During her second semester, she was contemplating what to do for Spring Break when her Aunt Kay called her and told her they were going on a girls only getaway to Los Angeles, with a visit to Bentley included. She had no idea how that trip was going to change her life in so many ways.

Her aunt and Bentley had secretly sent in the paperwork for a popular dance show and the audition was that week.  At first, Mercedes had been livid, but after a deep heart to heart, they reminded her that no one had the right to steal her joy, and dancing had always been her joy. Even if she didn’t get on the show, just being on the stage and dancing again would make her feel renewed.  And they were 100 percent right. Mercedes danced like no one was there to judge her, it was just her, the music, and the stage.  The standing ovation she received brought tears to her eyes and had filled her heart with so much happiness that she thought she would burst.

Everything that happened afterwards was almost too surreal to Mercedes.  She not only got on the show, she made it all the way to the top five. During those months she developed a tough skin out of necessity.  Having people comment on her body and ability back home was one thing, but on a national level? There were many tear filled calls to her parents for awhile, but eventually she focused on the positive things instead of the internet trolls. So many little girls told her how excited they were to finally see someone like them doing the same dances that the other girls did. If she had seen a dancer like her when she was being told she should give up, she would’ve fought harder.

Mercedes moved to Los Angeles not too long after the show was over, staying with her brother until she could get a place of her own.  Ready to take the opportunity she had been given and try to build a career, Mercedes let her determination and new found thick skin get her through the hard process of LA auditioning. She was a featured dancer in the movie To The Beat, and she has been on a few tv shows as a special guest, but nothing steady.  

She was giving vocal lessons at a private studio when she got the call about Performing The Arts.  She was a little skeptical because she had been offered a similar role on a Disney show, but the character was just going to be trotted out like a show pony to sing big notes in songs and then put back in the barn. That character had no real depth, they just specified they wanted ‘an Aretha Franklin diva’ stereotype.  But the producers of Performing The Arts actually wanted this character to be a dancer, in fact, they told her that they created the role with her specifically in mind, which was a delightful surprise.

Connections

Sam Evans: Mercedes thought Sam was full of it when he asked her out, but he was persistent, and eventually he wore her down. They dated for almost two years, but they haven’t spoken since.

Rachel Berry: There’s something about Rachel that rubs Mercedes the wrong way. She’s been nothing but nice and professional, but she isn’t sure that they’ll ever get along.

Santana Lopez: When they first met, Mercedes had no idea what to make of Santana. She was definitely crazy, but in the best ways. They cut up on set and always have a good time.

🎬 On-Screen 🎬

About Eden Williams: Eden is the middle child of three and is used to being ignored for the most part. Dancing used to be the only way for her to get attention, but it was something she loved so it wasn’t a hardship. She’s one of the wealthiest kids in school, but she’s modest about it. She’s not even sure how she became one of the popular kids, but she doesn’t let that define her as a person.

Why she’s at New Burton: Eden’s concentration is dance.

The In-Crowd or Outcast? In-crowd

Mercedes on Eden:

Mercedes knows she’s lucky that the producers created Eden especially for her, so even though she will be using a lot of her own experiences for the character, she also wants to make sure Eden is relatable and not a walking stereotype. So many African-American girls that are in the popular crowd are portrayed as mean and bitchy on tv, and she wants Eden to be friendly, funny, and caring.  

Eden will have a bit of vulnerability to her due to her parents lack of attention, but not because of her weight. She wants everyone to know that you can be thick, full figured, hell, even fat, and still be healthy, active, and beautiful.

Connections

Zane Tucker: They’ve been partnered together for  showcase, and at first Eden thought he was going to be some arrogant, hot guy, but he’s the opposite. She found she actually liked just sitting and talking to him, and she has no idea that he’s had a crush on her for almost a year.

Tatiana Rodriguez: They don’t travel in the same circles, but when Ivy invites her to sit with them at lunch, they always end up chatting. Eden doesn’t actually have a problem with Tatiana. She’s just a little worried about what Ivy might have planned.

Jasper Banks: Eden thinks that Jasper’s ideas are pretty far out there, but she really enjoys how he says things that make people think.