#kelly devos

[myplussizebookshelf]

Happy Halloween

Carrie by Stephen King

The awesome by Eva Darrows

Camp sylvania by Julie Murphy

When life gives you vampires by Gloria Duke

A dark and starless forest by Sarah Hollowell

Eat your heart out by Kelly Devos

Chemistry by C.L. Lynch

Magic in the mountains by Mary Warren

The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy by Megan Bannen

The witch King by H.D. Edgmon

Beshadowed by Selina A. Fenech

[signal-failure]

Every Body Shines: Sixteen Stories About Living Fabulously Fat

Every Body Shines: Sixteen Stories About Living Fabulously Fat

Every Body Shines: Sixteen Stories About Living Fabulously Fat, is edited by Cassandra Newbould, with a intro by Aubrey Gordon (from Maintenance Phase!), with short body-positive stories by Nafiza Azad, Chris Baron, Sheena Boekweg, Linda Camacho, Kelly deVos, Alex Gino, Claire Kann, amanda lovelace, Hillary Monahan, Cassandra Newbould, Francina Simone, Rebecca Sky, Monique Gray Smith, Renée…

[jonathanpongratz]

Book Review: Eat Your Heart Out

  Hey guys! Guess what? With this post, I am one class lighter and I have earned my reading freedom back! Hoorah! I may take a brief hiatus on reading for the next week so I can focus on the final assignment for my last remaining class, but the end is near. So excited! Today I’m sharing my review of Eat Your Heart Out by Kelly deVos. I love zombies and was super excited to give this one a try.…

[goodbooksandgoodwine]

Audiobook Mini Reviews Part One

Audiobook Mini Reviews Part One

Hi besties! I have been an audiobook listening machine lately! Here’s my first round up of what I’ve been listening to lately — with another round to come later this week! Any audiobook recommendations? Zyla & Kai by Kristina Forest Zyla & Kai by Kristina Forest was such a GOOD listen. I was RIVETED. This story follows the title characters through their love story. It opens when Zyla and Kai…

[hardtickettohomevideo]

Schlocktoberfest XIII - Day 15: Night School

Night School (1981) Trailer: *Spoilers Throughout* What’s This About: In her first film, Rachel Ward is caught up in a web of intrigue, gory murder, and getting raspberries smeared on her in the shower. Here are some of my observations as I watched the film: Welcome to Boston everyone. Go Celtics, but fuck the Pats and fuck the Sox. I’m currently writing this on a semi-remote farm in Vermont…

[dustedmagazine]

Telehealth — Content Oscillator (Self-Release)

Photo by Mikayla Neves

Content Oscillator by Telehealth

Telehealth, out of the Seattle suburbs, makes retro-futurist new wave songs out of cheesy synths and drum machines, resuscitating the nostalgic sounds of Devo, the Human League and Eddy Grant, while critiquing the cutting-edge technologies of right this minute. Alexander Attitude (possibly a stage name) and Kendra Cox of Lemolo make up Telehealth (you can hear her on “Blinding Hour,” for instance). Content Oscillator is as idiosyncratic as a two-person, end-of-the-world, disco-sci-fi outfit can be, and it’s a non-stop bop all the way through.

Why not start where the record does with “Idiot Proof?” Its hammering one-note riff that sounds like a migraine coming on, the walls closing in, the nightmare turning real, but the synths dance around it in giddy joy and the chorus is as bright and twitchy as the Comstat Angels. It is followed by a song called “Hype Tech Green Investment Guy,” all taut, preening, late-1980s sheen, but with pokes at Alexa, tech dudes and private equity bros. (“Not a republican/fiscally conservative/exploit the system/watch it rot/I work hard, I’m not a cop.”)

“Taliesin Grid” is likewise, full of bounce and menace. It is possibly relevant here that Attitude trained as an architect—Taliesin is one of Frank Lloyd Wright’s buildings—and concerned with climate change, but not to the degree that it gets in the way. Telehealth has Devo’s way of packaging techno-dread in shiny danceable wrapping.

The disc ends with anthemic “Yr Groove,” where the synths bubble over in anxious, end-of-times hedonism. It’s a pneumatic groove, powered by renewables, irresistible and anthemic and devoted to self-actualization even in the direst times. “If things are ending/doesn’t mean I’m free/the world is burning, let me be me,” crows Alexander Attitude, and yes, here’s to the oddballs running wild.  

Jennifer Kelly

[cardinalcringe]

(And in case you don’t have a NYT subscription, here they all are):

“We don’t take an oath to a country. We don’t take an oath to a tribe. We don’t take an oath to a king or a queen, or to a tyrant or a dictator. And we don’t take an oath to a wannabe dictator.” - Mark Milley

“The president has very little understanding of what it means to be in the military, to fight ethically or to be governed by a uniform set of rules and practices.” - Richard Spencer

“President trump and other officials have repeatedly compromised our principles in pursuit of partisan advantage and personal gain.” - HR McMaster

“Donald trump is the first president in my lifetime who does not try to unite the American people- does not even pretend to try. Instead, he tries to divide us. We are witnessing the consequences of three years of this deliberate effort.” - James Mattis

“ I have a lot of concerns about Donald trump. I have said that he’s a threat to democracy.” - Mark Esper

“ a person who admires autocrats and murderers dictators. A person who has nothing but contempt for our democratic institutions, our Constitution, and the rule of law.”- John Kelly

“ I think the events of the capital, however, they occurred, were shocking. And it was something that, as I mentioned in my statement, I cannot put aside.”- Elaine Chao

“Unfortunately, the actions and rhetoric following the election, especially during this past week, threaten to tarnish these and other historical legacies of this administration. The attacks on the Capital were an assault on our democracy, and on the tradition of peaceful transitions of power of the United States of America, brought to the world.”- Alex Azar

“Moron.” - Rex Tillerson (re: trump, repeatedly)

“It’s more than just a bunch of papers and what big deal is this and so forth. Lives can be lost.” - Dan Coats

“I didn’t feel he did what he needed to do to stop what was happening.” -Betsy DeVos (a stupid bitch overall, but still right)

“It will always be, ‘Oh, yeah, you work for the guy who tried to overtake the government.’” - Mick Mulvaney

“The fact of the matter is he is a consummate, narcissist, and he constantly engages in reckless conduct that puts his political followers at risk and the conservative and Republican agenda at risk.” -Bill Barr

“By the time I left the White House, I was convinced he was not fit to be president… I think it is a danger for the United States if he gets a second term.” -John Bolton

“We need more seriousness, less noise, and leaders who are looking forward, not staring in the rearview mirror claiming victimhood.” - Mike Pompeo

“He asked me to put him over the Constitution, and I chose the Constitution, and I always will.” - Mike Pence

“He went down a path he shouldn’t have, and we shouldn’t have followed him, and we shouldn’t have listened to him. And we can’t let that ever happen again.” - Nikki Haley

Stupid. Selfish. Divisive. Authoritarian. Unserious. Tyrant. Professional Victim. Insurrectionist. Narcissist. Dangerous. Moron.

Trump’s best people sum him up.

[vote-democrat-president-congress]

"In any election, it’s hard to know whose word to trust. And in a polarized country, many Americans distrust any information that comes from the other side of the political divide. That’s why the criticism of Donald Trump by those who served with him in the White House and by members of his own party is so striking. Dozens of people who know him well, including the 91 listed here, have raised alarms about his character and fitness for office — his family and friends, world leaders and business associates, his fellow conservatives and his political appointees — even though they had nothing to gain from doing so. Some have even spoken out at the expense of their own careers or political interests.

The New York Times editorial board has made its case that Mr. Trump is unfit to lead. But the strongest case against him may come from his own people. For those Americans who are still tempted to return him to the presidency or to not vote in November, it is worth considering the assessment of Mr. Trump by those who have seen him up close.

Administration insiders:

He will always put his own interests and gratifying his own ego ahead …”

Bill Barr

He was extremely vulnerable to manipulation.”

Fiona Hill

… he was getting input from people who were calling him up, I don’t know who ...”

Anthony Fauci

… undermined American democracy baselessly …”

Thomas P. Bossert

He doesn’t take responsibility for the bad news …”

David Lapan

… says a whole lot more about him than it will ever say about Asian Americans.”

Elaine Chao

… equality and freedom can never be equated with white supremacists …”

Gary Cohn

His behavior had grown increasingly erratic and unnerving.”

Betsy DeVos

The F.B.I. is under attack by the president of the United States.”

Andrew McCabe

A person who admires autocrats and murderous dictators.”

John Kelly

Sometimes it’s just better to steer clear of him.”

Anthony Scaramucci

… I do regard him as a threat to democracy …”

Mark Esper

Trump’s temperament wasn’t rational …”

Cassidy Hutchinson

… doesn’t know the difference between the truth and a lie …”

Dan Coats

… he tries to divide us.”

James Mattis

… loyalty was mostly a one-way street.”

Cliff Sims

… I think he’s a terrible human being.”

Mick Mulvaney

… caused direct harm …”

Deborah Birx

… very little understanding of what it means to be in the military …”

Richard Spencer

… the most reckless and deadly piece of information I have ever heard.”

Rick Bright

Literally everything I’ve tried to do on cutting drug costs, you have killed it.”

Alex Azar

… played to Trump’s ego and insecurities with flattery.”

H.R. McMaster

… flashbacks to my earlier career as a prosecutor against the Mob.”

James Comey

The turnover suggested instability and disorganization to our adversaries …”

Mike Pompeo

… renders coherent foreign policy almost unattainable.”

John Bolton

He is wholly unfit to be in office.”

Alyssa Farah Griffin

… a huge violation of your most important oath …”

Marc Short

He has built up a DNA of defensiveness.”

Sean Spicer

You are using the military to create fear in the minds of the people …”

Mark Milley

… Anyone that puts themselves over the Constitution should never be president …”

Mike Pence

… not consistent with our national security objectives.”

Rex Tillerson

Trump relentlessly … puts forth claims that simply are not true.”

Ty Cobb

The root of the problem is the president’s amorality …”

Miles Taylor

Do you think Trump wants a guy to win after him?”

Steve Bannon

… He’s saying some crazy shit.”

Don McGahn

… They are loyal to no one.”

Stephanie Grisham

The Trumps & Trump Inc.

You can’t trust him.”

Maryanne Trump Barry

… a cheat, a liar, a fraud, a bully …”

Michael Cohen

‘I wanna do what I wanna do’ … ”

Fred Trump III

Trump does not have the temperament …”

Kwame Jackson

He pushed me up against the wall …”

Jill Harth

…actually a racist.”

Omarosa Manigault Newman

Honest work was never demanded of him …”

Mary L. Trump

… the competition reality show set about an American fraud …”

Bill Pruitt

… the hint of menace beneath the surface …”

Gwenda Blair

Our job was to make him look legitimate …”

Jonathon Braun

If you disagreed with Donald, he put you out of his inner circle.”

Randal Pinkett

Republican politicians

He is a coward.”

Dick Cheney

This man is a pathological liar.”

Ted Cruz

He's a race-baiting, xenophobic, religious bigot.”

Lindsey Graham

There is nothing ‘conservative’ about Donald Trump.”

Adam Kinzinger

The cheapest S.O.B. I’ve ever met in my life.”

Chris Christie

He’s not loyal.”

Justin Amash

He sought a coup by misleading people with lies.”

Arnold Schwarzenegger

… Power, revenge and retribution is his real motivation …”

Denver Riggleman

Reckless, outrageous and undignified behavior …”

Jeff Flake

The healing of the Republican Party cannot begin with Trump as president …”

Geoff Duncan

… taking advantage of the trust placed in him by his supporters …”

John Boehner

He is a con artist.”

Marco Rubio

… a weakening of our shared American values …”

John Kasich

I think he’s toxic for the Republican Party and for the country.”

Larry Hogan

He’s willing to significantly undermine them …”

Bob Corker

There has never been a greater betrayal by a president …”

Liz Cheney

… an intensifying crescendo of conspiracy theories …”

Mitch McConnell

He should have immediately denounced the mob …”

Kevin McCarthy

… the most expensive and least effective way to do border security …”

Will Hurd

… not decency, not truth, not character, not integrity …”

Bill Weld

He tried to violently overthrow our government.”

Joe Walsh

… We shouldn’t have listened to him.”

Nikki Haley

… bitterness, combativeness and self-interest.”

Charlie Baker

Donald Trump is a phony, a fraud.”

Mitt Romney

… will spend the entire campaign whining about his legal troubles …”

Chris Sununu

… requires the kind of character he just doesn’t have.”

Paul Ryan

Conservative voices

He built a wall of lies …”

Charlie Sykes

If someone says something nice about him, they are our friend …”

Henry Kissinger

He wasn’t motivated by what he didn’t know.”

Hugh Hewitt

… corroded and corrupted American democracy …”

J. Michael Luttig

This is not leadership our country needs.”

Bob Vander Plaats

… We need a new standard-bearer.”

Erick Erickson

Lying is Trump’s toxic superpower.”

Rich Logis

… a floundering, inarticulate jumble of gnawing insecurities …”

George Will

Trump might be the greatest charlatan of them all.”

L. Brent Bozell III

World leaders

… I can't understand how Donald Trump can be on the side of Putin.”

Volodymyr Zelensky

A frightened dog barks louder.”

Kim Jong-un

… stands for a great division in the country.”

Olaf Scholz

… If there is a second time, it won’t be easy …”

Justin Trudeau

I deeply regret that President Trump has not conceded defeat …”

Angela Merkel

Where has our role model for democracy gone?”

Kazuyoshi Akaba

… clearly a threat.”

Christine Lagarde

… President Trump radiates insecurity.”

Kim Darroch

He’s a show-off.”

Mauricio Macri

[reverienne]

Honestly, I have no idea whether writing a ficlet in Italian and then translating it into English counts as two separate entries to Wayfarer's Giveaway so let @idrellegames be the judge here!

Corinne Varyn is Italian-coded and it was very important for me to write their diary entry in Italian first. (And then I had to translate it because I only have, like, 2 friends who would be able to understand the original...)

"caro diario," has an English translation by me / both the translation and the (clunky) Italian original are available on ao3 as well

a diary entry set during the Prologue, spoiler-free, gen

555 words / Corinne Varyn (then - Corina Briadis), a little bit of complaining about the hardships of being a recruit, simple language because my Italian is simple

___

caro diario,

Mi chiamo Corina Briadis. Ho 13 anni. Non ho i poteri magici, sono una persona che posso essere chiamata un magianis, ma questo non significa che sono una persona noiosa.

Esistere senza poteri in un mondo dove tutti sono magici è difficile. Il mondo crede che tutte le persone come me sono uno sbaglio. Uno scherzo della natura.

Ovviamente non è vero, non è giusto, ma cosa possiamo fare? La società ama la magia.

Non avere poteri è molto raro. È facile non incontrarsi qualcuno come me tutta la vita. Perciò, è facile “dimenticare” che non tutta la gente possono usare la magia... e la magia è l’ingrediente necessario per fare molte cose nella vita quotidiana.

Se non hai i poteri magici, devi essere creativo.

Io devo essere creativa se voglio vivere nella societá.

Per esempio, devo passeggiare molto perché usare la tecnologia che richiede l’uso della magia come il teletrasporto è impossibile per me.

Non mi piace questo. Non mi piace fare sport ma non ho la scelta perché non posso diventare una maga.

La mia famiglia naturale mi ha abandonnata. Non si piace il fatto che sono nata senza i poteri. Sono le persone orribile.

Odio loro.

Non voglio vedere mia madre, mio padre, i miei fratelli e le mie sorelle, i miei cugini e le mie cugine, e gli altri parenti mai più.

Spero che sono tutti morti.

So che sono tutti bene.

Non è giusto ma c'è ancora tempo.

La mia famiglia nuova è l'Ordine di Wayfarer.

La mia insegnante preferita, Brissa Varyn, è una mia mentore.

Anche è un mio tutore legalo. Lei è più come una madre per me della mia madre naturale.

Lei ha un partner, un’altro insegnante, Rindan Cenric, e mi anche piacerlo.

C’è anche un ragazzo circa la mia età del nome di Aeran Kellis, chi è un’altro studente e un protetto di Varyn.

È come un fratello per me.

Aeran è molto coraggioso. Non ha paura di litigare con nostra mentore, Varyn, o qualcun altro.

Io, invece, sono piena di paura di tutto.

Il mio futuro sembra molto spaventoso.

Dovrò diventare una guerriera perché la mia famiglia nuova è piena di guerrieri.

Quando entri nell'Ordine di Wayfarer, devi diventare un guerriero. Non hai una scelta qui.

Anche Varyn - chi ha un vero talento per la diplomazia e lavora come una diplomatica per l'Ordine - è una guerriera molto brava.

E io?

Sono nervosa e timida.

Quando la gente mi guarda, diventerò più nervosa, e quando la gente mi ascolta... no, è troppo strano per me.

Sono stata invisibile tutta la mia vita e diventare coraggiosa quando hai 13 anni ancora non è facile.

Le persone con qui devo parlare sono spesso antipatiche, ma io devo essere sempre gentile e diplomatica con loro.

È un lavoro molto difficile, molto duro.

Non mi piacerlo.

Purtroppo - o per fortuna? - sono meglio a parlare di Aeran.

Aeran semplicemente rifiuta essere gentile e diplomatico.

Varyn dice che ho un po’ della sua abilità di conversazione.

È incredibile... Sono meglio a qualcosa di qualcuno per la prima volta...

...ma ora se voglio una conversazione riuscita, devo essere coraggiosa e parlo tutto da sola, e io odio questo.

Non sono una guerriera buona.

So che devo imparare. Non voglio morire giovane...

Ma è molto difficile e io sono stanca...

A prossima volta!

Corinne

[the-psudo]

Trump's People

“The American people deserve to know that President Trump asked me to put him over my oath to the Constitution. … Anyone who puts himself over the Constitution should never be president of the United States.” — Mike Pence, Trump's vice president

“Someone who engaged in that kind of bullying about a process that is fundamental to our system and to our self-government shouldn’t be anywhere near the Oval Office.” — Bill Barr, Trump's 2nd attorney general

“Donald Trump is the first president in my lifetime who does not try to unite the American people — does not even pretend to try. Instead he tries to divide us.” — James Mattis, Trump's 1st secretary of defense

“I think he’s unfit for office. … He puts himself before country. His actions are all about him and not about the country. And then, of course, I believe he has integrity and character issues as well.” — Mark Esper, Trump's 2nd secretary of defense

“We don’t take an oath to a wannabe dictator. We take an oath to the Constitution and we take an oath to the idea that is America – and we’re willing to die to protect it.” — retired Gen. Mark Milley, Trump's chairman of the joint chiefs

“(Trump’s) understanding of global events, his understanding of global history, his understanding of US history was really limited. It’s really hard to have a conversation with someone who doesn’t even understand the concept for why we’re talking about this.” — Rex Tillerson, Trump's secretary of state

“He used to be good on foreign policy and now he has started to walk it back and get weak in the knees when it comes to Ukraine. A terrible thing happened on January 6, and he called it a beautiful day.” — Nikki Haley, Trump's 1st ambassador to the United Nations

“Someone who I would argue now is just out for himself.” — Chris Christie, Trump's presidential transition vice-chairman

“We saw the absence of leadership, really anti-leadership, and what that can do to our country.” — HR McMaster, Trump's 2nd national security adviser

“I believe (foreign leaders) think he is a laughing fool.” — John Bolton, Trump's 3rd national security adviser

“A person that has nothing but contempt for our democratic institutions, our Constitution, and the rule of law. There is nothing more that can be said. God help us.” — John Kelly, Trump's 2nd chief of staff

“I quit because I think he failed at being the president when we needed him to be that.” — Mick Mulvaney, Trump's acting chief of staff and US special envoy to Ireland, resigned after January 6th, 2021

“He is the domestic terrorist of the 21st century.” — Anthony Scaramucci, one of Trump's former communications directors

“I am terrified of him running in 2024.” — Stephanie Grisham, another former communications director

“When I saw what was happening on January 6 and didn’t see the president step in and do what he could have done to turn it back or slow it down or really address the situation, it was just obvious to me that I couldn’t continue.” — Betsy DeVos, Trump's secretary of education, resigned after January 6th, 2021

“At a particular point the events were such that it was impossible for me to continue, given my personal values and my philosophy." — Elaine Chao, Trump's secretary of Transportation, resigned after January 6th, 2021

“…the president has very little understanding of what it means to be in the military, to fight ethically or to be governed by a uniform set of rules and practices.” — Richard Spencer, Trump's 1st secretary of the Navy

“The President undermined American democracy baselessly for months. As a result, he’s culpable for this siege, and an utter disgrace.” — Tom Bossert, Trump's 1st homeland security adviser

“Donald’s an idiot.” — Michael Cohen, Trump's former personal lawyer and fixer

“Trump relentlessly puts forth claims that are not true.” — Ty Cobb, Trump's White House lawyer

“We can stand by the policies, but at this point we cannot stand by the man.” — Alyssa Farah Griffin, one of Trump's directors of strategic communications, now a CNN political commentator

“Donald Trump, who would attack civil rights icons and professional athletes, who would go after grieving black widows, who would say there were good people on both sides, who endorsed an accused child molester; Donald Trump, and his decisions and his behavior, was harming the country. I could no longer be a part of this madness.” — Omarosa Manigault Newman, a top aide in charge of Trump's outreach to African Americans

“I thought that he did do a lot of good during his four years. I think that his actions on January 6 and the lead-up to it, the way that he’s acted in the aftermath, and his continuation of pushing this lie that the election is stolen has made him wholly unfit to hold office every again.” — Sarah Matthews, one of Trump's deputy press secretaries, resigned after January 6th, 2021

“I think that Donald Trump is the most grave threat we will face to our democracy in our lifetime, and potentially in American history.” — Cassidy Hutchinson, Trump's final chief of staff’s aide

[uboat53]

Cabinet Endorsements

One thing that's flown a bit below the radar in this election is that former cabinet members haven't been acting like they usually do. Normally, former cabinet members will automatically endorse their former boss for re-election, but Trump's have not been doing that.

This is of particular interest because, while we, the voters, get to see the President give speeches and the like, we don't actually work with him. Presumably a cabinet member is someone who agrees with the president and who the president trusts and who gets to work closely with the president, so their opinion of the president is an important benchmark.

With that in mind, let's take a look at the 44 former cabinet members of the Donald J. Trump administration and the 2 former cabinet members of the Joseph R. Biden administration. I'll put an (E) next to the ones that have endorsed their former boss, an (H) next to the ones who haven't yet, and an (R) next to the ones who have outright refused to do so.

Cabinet Members of the Donald J. Trump Administration (R) VP Mike Pence (H) Sec. State Rex Tillerson (H) Sec. State/CIA Director Mike Pompeo (E) Sec. Treasury Steven Mnuchin (R) Sec. Defense James Mattis (H) Sec. Defense Patrick Shanahan (nominated) (R) Sec. Defense Mark Esper (H) Sec. Defense Christopher Miller (acting) (H) AG Jeff Sessions (R) AG William Barr (H) AG Jeffrey Rosen (acting) (E) Sec. Interior Ryan Zinke (H) Sec. Interior David Bernhardt (H) Sec. Agriculture Sonny Perdue (E) Sec. Commerce Wilbur Ross (H) Sec. Labor Andrew Puzder (nominated) (H) Sec. Labor Alex Acosta (H) Sec. Labor Eugene Scalia (H) Sec. HHS Tom Price (H) Sec. HHS Alex Azar (H) Sec. HHS Pete Gaynor (E) Sec. HUD Ben Carson (H) Sec. Transporation Elaine Chao (H) Sec. Transportation Steven Bradbury (acting) (H) Sec. Energy Rick Perry (H) Sec. Energy Dan Brouillette (H) Sec. Education Besty DeVos (H) Sec. Education Mick Zais (acting) (H) Sec. VA David Shulkin (E) Sec. VA Ronny Jackson (nominated) (H) Sec. VA Robert Wilkie (R) Sec. HS John Kelly (H) Sec. HS Kirstjen Nielsen (H) Sec. HS Chad Wolf (nominated) (E) US Trade Rep. Robert Lighthizer (H) DNI Dan Coats (H) DNI John Ratcliffe (H) UN Ambassador Nikki Haley (H) OMB Directory Mick Mulvaney (E) OMB Director Russel Vought (H) CIA Director Gina Haspel (H) EPA Admin. Scott Pruitt (H) EPA Admin. Andrew Wheeler (H) SBA Admin. Linda McMahon (H) SBA Admin. Jovita Caranza

Cabinet Members of the Joseph R. Biden Administration (E) Sec. Labor Marty Walsh (E) OMB Director Neera Tanden (nominated) (H) Office of Science and Tech. Director Eric Lander

The first thing we notice, obviously, is that there are a whole lot more former Trump cabinet members. This is partially because Biden is still in office so his 23 current cabinet members are not counted (it'd be a huge surprise if they didn't endorse him and they probably wouldn't still be working for him if they didn't), but it's also because Trump had way above average turnover for cabinet officials, 19 in the first four years not including the 5 who resigned due to his handling of the 2020 election results (not included because Biden hasn't reached that point in his first term yet), while Biden has had far below average turnover, only 3 so far.

So a lot more people shuffling in and out of the Trump administration, but we also notice a ton more H's than E's there. Heck, there's almost as many R's among Trump's people as there are E's (5 to 7). Meanwhile, Biden's shooting 2 for 3 and the third one hasn't (at least not that I could find) ruled out endorsing him.

Keep in mind, endorsing the nominee of your party is pretty much the bare minimum that any party operative needs to do. Imagine if you applied for a job somewhere, the first question was "do you think this company should be in business", and you answered "no". You probably wouldn't be getting a job there. In other words, refusing to endorse has some big consequences for the people doing it, not just costing them a job in the potential next Republican presidency, but locking them out of the party entirely, and yet a good deal of the people who worked for Trump disliked working with him so much that they're doing it anyways.

As I said, this tends to fly below the radar because it's kind of a formulaic ritual; of course members of the President's party who are closely tied to him are going to endorse him for re-election! That's why you should pay attention now that most of the people who've worked with Trump aren't doing so. It says something, something big.

[weneverlearn]

Aaron Lange, Peter Laughner, and the Terminal Town of Cleveland, Ohio

Cleveland-based artist, Aaron Lange, tackles his first graphic novel, Ain't It Fun -- a deep dive into the oily depths of the Rust Belt's most influential music town, it's most mythological misfit, it's oft-forgotten artistic and political streaks, and beyond...

Aaron Lange and his book, 2023 (Photo by Jake Kelly)

--------------------------------------

There’s a recurring line in Aaron Lange’s remarkable new graphic novel, Ain’t It Fun (Stone Church Press, 2023), that states, “Say the words out loud. The River isn’t real.” The river Lange was speaking of is the Cuyahoga, that infamously flammable mass of muck that dumps out into Lake Erie.

Peter Laughner (the ostensible topic of Lange’s book) was an amazing artist who probably could’ve ditched the banks of the Cuyahoga for more amenably artistic areas back in his early 1970s heyday. Aside from his frequent pilgrimages to the burgeoning NYC Lower East Side scene (where he nearly joined Television) and a quickly ditched attempt to live in California though, he mostly stuck around northeast Ohio.

While desperately trying to find his sound and a workable band, Laughner smelted a post-hippie, pre-punk amoebic folk rock, and formed the influential embryonic punk band, Rocket from the Tombs, which later morphed into Pere Ubu. All of which – lumped up with other rust-belted oddballs like electric eels, Mirrors, DEVO, the Numbers Band, Chi-Pig, Tin Huey, Rubber City Rebels, and more – essentially helped formed the “proto-punk” template.

Laughner was also a rock writer of some regional renown, and contributed numerous amphetamine-fueled articles to regional mags like The Scene and Creem -- mostly concerning where Rock'n'Roll was going, colored as he was by the Velvet Underground, the Stooges, David Bowie, and Roxy Music playing in Cleveland a bunch of times around his formative years.

Sadly, in June 1977, Laughner died of acute pancreatitis at age 24. Aside from the first two seminal Pere Ubu 7-inch singles, the rest of Laughner’s recorded output was just one very limited self-released EP and, posthumously, a great double-LP comp of demo and live tracks, Take the Guitar Player for a Ride (1993, Tim Kerr Records). A surprisingly large batch of unreleased lost demos, radio shows, and live tapes appeared on the beautiful and essential box set, Peter Laughner (Smog Veil Records, 2019), that brought Laughner’s legend just a few blocks outside of Fringeville, as it received universally great reviews….

The Dead Boys became the most well-known act of that mid-70s Cleveland scene, though that only happened once they high-tailed it to NYC. Aside from DEVO, Chrissie Hynde, and the Waitresses (all of whom did their own versions of high-tailing it), nearly every other act in that fertile Cle-Akron proto-punk vortex soon dissipated, eventually getting the cult treatment at best.

Cleveland is indeed right there with NYC and London as punk ground zero, but Americans tend to equate buyable products as proof of import, so shockingly, the Pagans and The Styrenes just aren’t the household name they should be.

Decades of tape-trading stories, sub-indie label limited releases, and fanzine debates kept the mythology of those acts barely breathing underneath the end of the milennium’s increasingly loud R'n'R death knell. And as that mythology slowly grew, the fans and even the musicians of the scene itself still wonder what it all meant.     

Which, as you dig deeper into Ain’t It Fun, becomes the theme not just about the legendary rocker ghost of Peter Laughner, but of Cleveland itself. Ala Greil Marcus’ classic “hidden history” tome, Lipstick Traces, Lange interweaves Laughner’s self-immolating attempts at Beatnik-art-punk transcendence with a very detailed history of Cleveland, with its insane anti-legends and foot-shooting civic development.

Like much of the dank, rusted, and mysterious edges of the one-time “Sixth City,” the Cuyahoga has been cleaned up since, though I still wouldn’t suggest slurping up a swallow if you’re hanging on the banks of the Flats. I grew up in Cleveland and visit as often as I can because it’s an awesome place, no matter what they tell you. Or maybe, because of what they tell you.

If you are keen to swim down through the muck and mire of Cleveland’s charms, you don’t just get used to it, you like it. As for the “Cleveland” that the City Fathers have always tried so vainly to hype, us hopelessly romantic proto-punk fanatics say to those who would erase Cleveland’s fucked-up past and replace it with that weird fake greenspace underneath the Terminal Tower: “The City isn’t real.”

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Give us a quick bio.

Born in Cleveland, 1981. We moved to the west side suburbs when I was six. My parents didn’t listen to much music, and I don’t have older siblings. So I didn’t really listen to music at all until I was in high school, and I didn’t listen to any of the grunge or ‘90s stuff that was popular. I got real into the Beatles when I was in ninth grade, and at some point I got the Velvet Underground’s first album from the library because I saw Andy Warhol’s name on the cover. I didn’t know anything about them, so that was a real shock. I probably first heard Iggy Pop via the Trainspotting soundtrack, and pretty soon after I started getting into punk and generally more obscure stuff. Now I listen to more electronic stuff, ambient stuff. I also like most anything that falls under the broad “post-punk” umbrella. I really hate “rama-lama ding-dong” rock and roll.

What came first – music or drawing interest?

Drawing. I was always drawing… I’ve been a semi-regular contributor to Mineshaft for many years, which is a small zine/journal that features a lot of underground comix related stuff, but also has a beatnik vibe and includes poetry and writing. I’ve done the odd thing here and there for other zines, but I don’t really fit in anywhere.

Don’t really fit it – I feel that phrase describes a lot of the best / more influential Ohio musicians / bands. Did you feel that kind of feeling about Peter as you researched and wrote the book?

Peter was well liked, and he knew a vast array of people. If anything, he fit in in too many situations. He was spread thin.

When you lived in Philly, did you get a sense of any kind of similar proto-punk scene / era in that town? I sometimes, perhaps jingoistically, think this particular kind of music is almost exclusively confined to the Rust Belt.

I lived in Philly for nearly 11 years. As far as the old scene there, they had Pure Hell. But back then, anybody who really wanted to do something like that would just move to NYC.

So, is there a moment in time that started you on a path towards wanting to dig into Cleveland’s proto-punk past like this?

It was just something I had a vague interest in, going back to when I first heard Pere Ubu. And then later learning about the electric eels, and starting to get a feeling that Cleveland had a lot more to offer than just the Dead Boys. The Rocket from the Tombs reunion got things going, and that’s when I first started to hear Laughner’s name. A few years later, a friend sent me a burned CD of the Take the Guitar Player for a Ride collection, and I started to get more interested in Peter specifically.

Despite any first wave punk fan’s excitement about a Laughner bio, this book is moreso a history of Cleveland, and trying to connect those odd underground, counterculture, or mythological connections that the Chamber of Commerce tends to ignor as the town’s import. Was there a moment where you realized this book needed to go a little wider than only telling the tales of Laughner and the bands of that era? (Not that there’s anything wrong with that!)

Very early on I realized that none of this would make sense or have any true meaning without the appropriate context. The activities of the early Cle punk scene need to be viewed in relation to what was going on in the city. I think this is just as true with NYC or London – these were very specific contexts, all tangled up in politics, crime, rent, television, and also the specifics of the more hippie-ish local countercultures that preceded each region. You’ve got Bowie and Warhol and all that, but in Cleveland you’ve also got Ghoulardi and d.a. levy. Mix that up with deindustrialization and a picture starts to form.

So when did you decide on doing this book? You’ve mentioned this was your first attempt at doing a full graphic novel – and boy, you went epic on it!

I did a short version of Peter’s story back when I was living in Philadelphia. But upon completing that version – which I now think of as a sketch – it became clear that there was a lot more to say and to investigate. I spent about a year just thinking about it, forming contacts with some people, and tracking down various reference materials like records, zines, books, etc. Then my wife got a new job at Cleveland State University, so we left Philly. Once I landed back in Cleveland I started working on the book in earnest.

Page from Ain't It Fun -- all book images courtesy of the author.

By any chance was Greil Marcus’ book, Lipstick Traces (1989), an inspiration, as far as the “hidden history” factor, the trying to connect seemingly unconnected and lost historical footnotes into a path towards the culture’s future?

Yes. I read Lipstick Traces when I was around 19 or 20, and I’d never seen anything like it before. It really blew my mind, all the stuff about the Situationists and Dadaists and all that. Later on, I read Nick Tosches’ Dean Martin biography, Dino, and that was another mind blower. Another major influence is Iain Sinclair.

Ah Dino, another Ohio native. So, Laughner’s one-time partner, Charlotte Pressler’s book is mentioned, and I’ve seen it referenced and talked about for years – any inside word on if/when she might have that published?

Charlotte never wrote a book, though she did co-edit a book that collected the work of local poets. As far as her own writing, she’s done all manner of essays and poetry, and probably some academic writing that I’m not familiar with. As far as her completing “Those Were Different Times”— which was intended as a total of three essays— I’ve got some thoughts on that, but it’s not really my place to comment on it.

Pressler sounds like a very serious person in your book, as you say, she was kind of older than her years. But how was she to talk to?

Charlotte is serious, but she’s not dour. She’s got a sense of humor and she’s very curious about the world, always looking to learn new things. She’s an intellectual, and has a wide array of interests. We get along, we’re friends.

The fact that the town’s namesake, Moses Cleveland, left soon after his “discovery” and never came back – that’s like a template for how people envision a town like Cleveland: nice place to grow up, but you want to get out as soon as you’re legal. Even the musicians of the area might’ve agreed with that sentiment, even if many never left.  Do you think that has changed?

I’m glad I left Cleveland, but I’m also glad I came back. First off, my family is here. Second, the cost of living is still reasonable. I don’t know how people live in New York. I never have any money. I’d make more money if I had a full-time job at McDonald’s. That’s not a joke, or me being self-deprecating. How do artists live in New York? How do they afford rent and 20 dollar packs of cigarettes? I’m just totally confused by the basic mechanics of this. So yeah, I’m in Cleveland. It’s not great, but what are my options? I can’t just go to Paris and fuck around like a bohemian. I would if I could.

In Ain't It Fun, you reveal that one of the seminal Cleveland scene dives, Pirate's Cove, was once a Rockerfeller warehouse  – these kind of enlightening, almost comically perfect metaphors pop up every few pages. Not unlike the mythology that can sometimes arise in musician fandom, I wonder if these are metaphors we can mine, or just an obvious facts that the town drifted down from a center of industry to relative poverty.

“Metaphor” might be at too much of a remove. These facts, these landmarks — they create a complex of semiotics, a map, a framework. The city talks through its symbols and its landscape. If you submit to it and listen, it will tell you secrets. There is nothing metaphorical about this.

Is it a sign of privilege to look on destitution as inspiration? I’m guessing the sick drunks at Pirate’s Cove in 1975 weren’t thinking they were living in a rusty Paris of the ‘30s. Though I will say a thing I really loved about your book was that, for all its yearning and historical weaving, you still stick to facts and don’t seem to over-mythologize or put any gauze on the smog, like “Isn’t that so cool, man.” You capture the quiet and damp desperation of that era and Laughner’s milieu.

Poverty, decline, decay, entropy – these things are real. By aestheticizing them we are able to gain some control over them. And once you have control, you have the power to change things. This is not “slumming.” “Privilege” has nothing to do with it.

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Do you know why the Terminal Tower (once the second tallest building in the world when it opened in 1928) was named that? It seems somewhat fatalistic, given the usual futurist positivism of the deco design era.

Terminal as in train terminal. It really pisses me off that there was once a time where you could go there and catch a train to Chicago or New York. It’s infuriating how this country dismantled its rail systems. And the Terminal Tower isn’t deco, but I think it is often confused with that style just by virtue of not being a gigantic rectangle. In that sense it does have more in common with a deco structure like the Chrysler building. Honestly, if you are looking for deco you might find more notable examples in Akron than you would Cleveland.

I notice a kind of – and bear with my lesser abilities to describe illustrative art – swirly style in your work that kind of aligns with art deco curves, maybe some Gustav Klimt…? In general, who were some illustrative inspirations for you early on?

That “swirly” style you describe is art nouveau. Deco came after that, and is more angular and clean. Additionally, a lot of underground comix guys were also poster artists, and there was often a nouveau influence in that psychedelic work – so there’s a bit of a thread there. As far as Klimt, I came to him kinda late, but I love him now.

The music of many northeast Ohio bands of that era has been generally tagged as “industrial” (the pre-dance industrial style, of course), cranky like the machinery of the sputtering factories in the Flats, etc… My guess is maybe the musicians were already finding used R'n'R instruments in thrift stores by that time, which would add a kind of layer of revision, turning old things into new sounds. Did you hear about of any of that? Or were there enough music stores around town? I know DEVO was already taking used instruments and refitting them; or electric eels using sheet metal and such to bang on…

I’m not a musician, so I don’t know anything about gear or stuff like that. I do know that Allen Ravenstine made field recordings in the Flats, and utilized them via his synthesizer. Frankly, I wish more of the Northeast Ohio bands had taken cues from Ubu and early Devo, because an “industrial” subculture definitely could have formed, like it did in England and San Francisco. But that never really happened here.

That kind of music was pretty popular on college radio and in a few clubs in Cleveland, though not many original bands with that sound arrived, aside from Nine Inch Nails who quickly took his act elsewhere… So in the book you mention local newsman, Dick Fealger. My memories of him are as a curmudgeon whose shtick was getting a little old by the time I was seeing him on the news, or his later opinion columns. Kinda your classic “Hey you kids, get off my lawn” style. You rightly paint him as a somewhat prescient reporter of the odd in his earlier days, though. I once had to go to a friend’s mother’s funeral, and in the next room in the funeral home was Dick Feagler’s funeral. I always regret not sneaking over and taking a peak into it to see who was there.

I like Feagler in the same way that I liked Andy Rooney on 60 Minutes. These were people that my grandparents liked. So I suppose my appreciation for Feagler is half nostalgia, half irony. I like cranks, grumps, letter-writers, street prophets. I like black coffee, donuts, diners, and blue plate specials – that’s Feagler’s world, the old newspaper world. Get up at 6 am and put your pants on, that kinda thing.

Yeah, I still found Feagler kinda funny, but like Jane Scott, while respect was always there, by the later ‘80s/’90s, both were set into almost caricatures  who were kind of resting on their laurels. 

Yeah, I remember seeing Jane at some random Grog Shop show back in the ‘90s, and I was kinda impressed. But no, she was never really cool. Jane was pure Cleveland, her career couldn't have happened anywhere else.

I remember seeing her sit right next to a huge house amp at the old Variety Theater for the entire duration of a Dead Kennedys show, taking notes for her review. Pretty impressive given her age at that point.

You also make a point of carving out an important space for The Damnation of Adam Blessing, a band that seems to get forgotten when discussing Cleveland’s pre-punk band gaggle. I find that interesting because in a way, they are the template for the way many Ohio bands don’t fit into any exact genre, and so often people don’t “get” them, or they’re forgotten later.

Damnation worked as a good local example for that whole psychedelic thing. They were very ‘60s. While the James Gang on the other hand, was more ‘70s— the cracks were starting to show with the ‘70s bands, they were harder and less utopian. Damnation feels more “Woodstock,” so they were useful to me in that regard.

I must add – for years I thought it was pronounced Laugh-ner, as in to laugh, ha ha, not knowing the Gaelic roots. Once I learned I was pronouncing it wrong, I still wanted to pronounce it like laughing, as it seemed to fit so darkly correct with how his life went, and Cleveland musicians’ love of bad puns and cheap comedians and such… Of course when I learned that it was an “ethnic” name, it made it that much more Cleveland.

Yeah, everybody says his name wrong. I used to too, and had to really force myself to start saying it as Lochner. But everybody says Pere Ubu wrong as well – it’s Pear Ubu.

I hate any desecration of any artwork, but I always loved the blowing up The Thinker statue story, as it seemed such a powerful metaphor of the strength of art, and Cleveland itself – the fact that The Thinker himself still sits there, right on top of the sliced-up and sweeping shards from the blast. It’s still there, right? And isn’t it true that there are like three more “official” Thinker statues in the world?

Yeah, I don’t condone what happened, but it is kinda cool. As a kid, the mutilated Thinker had a strong effect on me — I couldn’t have put it into words at the time, but I think it gave me a sense of the weight of history. It’s almost like a post-war artifact in Europe, something that is scarred. And yes, it’s still there outside the museum. And it’s a cast. I think there might be five official ones, but I’d have to look that up. If you are ever in Philadelphia, swing by the Rodin museum and check out The Gates of Hell.

I have only become a bigger fan of Laughner’s as the years pass. But there is something to the critique that perhaps he never really found his singular sound; that he was copping bits from Lou Reed and Dylan, and couldn’t keep a band together to save his life. And there was supposedly a feeling among some in the NYC scene that he was a bit of a carpetbagger.

Everybody has their influences, so Peter wasn’t in any way unique in that sense. I know he has a reputation for doing a lot of cover songs — which is true — but he also wrote a lot of originals, and there are some damn good ones which are still unreleased. “Under the Volcano” is just one such unheard song which I mention in my book, but there are others. As far as finding his own singular sound, he probably came closest to that with Friction. That group borrowed heavily from Television and Richard Hell, but also drew upon Richard Thompson and Fairport Convention. And when you think about it, those were really unlikely influences to juxtapose, and it created something original. Frustratingly though, Friction never achieved their full potential, as Peter was already losing it.

Yeah, Friction is kind of way up there with the “What if” bands… It’s interesting that for all his legend as a proto-punk figure, perhaps Laughner’s signature songs – Sylvia Plath” and “Baudelaire” – were gorgeous acoustic numbers. Though of course those early Pere Ubu songs were proto-punk and post-punk templates, somehow...

I honestly don’t know what happened with Ubu, as it is pretty distinct from Peter’s other work. Thomas isn’t really a musician, so we can only give him so much credit with how that sound developed. I honestly don’t know. There just must have been some sort of alchemy between the various players, and Thomas understood it and was able to encourage and guide it in the projects that followed over the years.

Page from Ain't It Fun

You also didn’t really detail Pere Ubu’s initial breakup – was there just not much to say?

Yeah, I think I mentioned it, but no, I didn’t really get into it. Pere Ubu is kind of a story unto themselves. But it might be worth mentioning here that Home and Garden was an interesting project that came out of that Ubu breakup. And Thomas also did some solo albums, but I’m not as familiar with those.

Yeah, I saw Home and Garden a few times way back, good stuff. You’ve mentioned to me that there were some people that didn’t want to talk to you for the book; and that people were very protective of Peter’s legacy and/or their friendship with him. To what do you attribute that?

It has everything to do with Peter’s early death. Some people are very protective of how Peter is remembered. And I think some people weren’t exposed to Peter’s dark side, so when they hear those descriptions of him it strikes them as untrue. I think Peter showed different sides of himself to different people.

I kind of felt as I was reading that you might say more about Harvey Pekar, as not only is he an interesting figure, but the most famous graphic novelist from Ohio, and I assume an inspiration of your’s.

Pekar’s great. Especially the magazine-size issues he was doing in the late ‘70s up through the ‘80s. It was important to me to include him in the book. But Pekar was a jazz guy, and that’s a whole other story, a whole other tangled web.

So, Balloonfest! Hilarious. I almost forgot about that. But I do remember Ted Stepien owning the short-lived Cleveland professional softball team; and for a promotion, they dropped softballs off the Terminal Tower, and if you caught one you won $1,000 or something. Do you recall that? It’s one of my favorite fucked-up Cleveland stories. Balls smashed car roofs, and cops immediately told people to run away.

Yeah, I’m aware of that baseball stunt. I generally try and stay away from anything even remotely related to professional sports teams — it gets talked about more than enough elsewhere. Oddly, I am interested in athletes who work alone, like Olympic skiers. I’m attracted to that solitary focus, where the athlete isn’t competing against other teams or players, but more competing with the limits of the human body, competing with what the physical world will allow and permit, that whole Herzog trip. I’m also interested in the Olympic Village, as this artificial space that mutates and moves across time and across continents.

As far as Balloonfest, I still watch that footage all the time. I use it as a meditation device. I’ll put it on along with Metal Machine Music and go into a trance.

A few years ago, as I am sure you are well aware, noted British punk historian Jon Savage put together a Soul Jazz Records comp of Cleveland proto-punk called Extermination Nights in the Sixth City. I grew up in Cleveland, lived in Columbus for awhile, and I never heard it called “the Sixth City.” Have you? If so, what does it refer to?

Nobody calls it that anymore. It’s an old nickname back from when Cleveland was literally the sixth largest city in the country.

I’d guess Ain’t It Fun was a tiring feat to accomplish. But do you have another book in the works? And if someone wanted to option Peter’s story for a movie, would you sign on? I personally dread rock biopics. They’re almost universally bad.

Yeah, I’ve got an idea for another book, but it’s too early to talk about that. As far as biopics, they are almost always bad, rock or otherwise. Rock documentaries are often pretty lousy too. A recent and major exception would be Todd Haynes’ Velvet Underground documentary, which is just goddamn brilliant. A film about Peter in that vein would be great— but there’s just no footage to work from. He didn’t have Warhol or Factory people following him around with a camera. So unless somebody like Jim Jarmusch comes calling, I won’t be signing off on movie rights any time soon.

Unless there is more you’d like to say, thanks, and good luck with the book and future ventures!

Stone Church Press has a lot of projects planned for 2024 and beyond, and I encourage anyone reading this to support small publishers. There is a lot of very exciting stuff going on, but you have to work a little to find it. Amazon, algorithms, big corporate publishers — they’re like this endless blanket of concrete that smothers and suffocates. But flowers have a way of popping up between the cracks.

Aaron Lange, 2023 (Photo by Jake Kelly)

[gamernerdwrites]

Writer introduction!

Hello! My name is Alice (ALS) I'm a writer that's working on too many damn stories for the life of me. I'm working on stories on Quotev and Wattpad right now, and I'm working on physically publishing my first ever book that's the first in the series! Yay!

Personality type: ISFJ

Zodiac Sign: Taurus

Pronouns: They/Them and She/Her

Hobbies: Writing, watching shows/movies/anime, gaming, art, reading, and listening to music.

Right now, I'm editing my first book in my Zodiac Series: Aries, I'm currently writing a rough draft of the next book: Taurus, and I'm working on another WIP called "Lyric Turned Poems".

Other WIPs (Work in Progresses): Dying Together, Are You Ready to Play?, Lyric Turned Poems, Devilish Detectives, and The Place I Called Home.

Planned Stories for Quotev/Wattpad: Dying Together, Lyric Turned Poems, Devilish Detectives, and The Place I Called Home.

Current show I'm watching: Ghost Stories

Current game I'm playing: Pokémon Scarlet

Current book I'm reading: "Go Hunt Me" by Kelly Devos

Small note: Uh, I would like to thank @7azrael7 for encouraging me to use this fucking app to also promote my writing. Thanks friend!

Here's my linktree that should have access to my Quotev and Wattpad, along with other links that leads to my other socials. Enjoy!

[ref-uncensored]

Review reposted from Reddit cmm.

Antes de iniciar gostaríamos de salientar que trabalhamos com música há anos, mas com embasamento e perspectiva distintos que não se derivam diretamente de um estudo acadêmico universitário e sim, do trabalho árduo e individual das artistas. Você pode conhecê-las melhor em nosso post inicial!

EFFY TOPIC.

Não esperava trazer até aqui um conteúdo musical teórico, mesmo que tenha uma base emocional íntima e não necessariamente de estudo acadêmico; que está ligado diretamente ao meu modo de experenciar música, que para mim, se trata de um conjunto de fatores sensoriais unidos num único áudio. O poder da música é gigantesco e hoje venho compartilhar pela primeira vez minha análise pessoal e, na inauguração de um pequeno projeto pessoal, sem embasamento teórico, apenas com o poder da tão apaixonante sinestesia, então desta vez, não esperem algo, de fato, didático — deixarei isso nas mãos da RiSK.

Desde que tive a oportunidade de ouvir atentamente o lançamento do álbum GOLD, do ITZY, Imaginary Friend se tornou minha faixa favorita do EP imediatamente, e talvez até mesmo de toda a discografia do grupo, fico feliz em ver que a música está sendo promovida e valorizada como merece, porque não é apenas uma faixa de um EP, mas um sentimento.

O ITZY é muito conhecido por apresentar faixas carismáticas e impetuosas, mas desta vez fomos surpreendidos com uma música de melodia melancólica e, de longe, uma das mais cativantes de toda a discografia do grupo com sua densidade íntima, cheia de cores, movimentos e encaixes vocais perfeitos, com camadas de voz extremamente bem posicionadas. O instrumental rico em dance pop nos proporciona uma sensação de imersão única e profunda.

Sua melancolia vem com cores, não azuladas, mas acinzentadas e nubladas, como um verdadeiro dia pesado e solitário, ao anoitecer do outono, sendo visto através de uma janela de um quarto relativamente abafado. O tato é uma superfície quente e grossa, como roupas para o frio; porque apesar de solitário, nos proporciona uma sensação indescritível de acolhimento. Talvez essas experiências sensoriais sejam derivadas do fato de que essa música traz em sua letra questionamento de identidade e solidão, quando um amigo imaginário é tudo aquilo que você precisa para seguir com suas atividades e sentir que não precisa e, tampouco, deve parar. Seus movimentos são sentimentais e leves, dance pop permite que você possa explorar elementos envoltos da música contemporânea, mas de muita intensidade.

Poder vivenciar a experiência que é essa música por quase três minutos e meio é um grande privilégio diante da era que dominou o mundo do K-POP com músicas curtas e sem ponte; com seus vocais tão bem posicionados e camadas vocais que contemplam o pré-refrão da forma mais agradável e harmoniosa possível. Essa densidade e construção são coisas que aprecio muito em lançamentos da indústria.

Ouvir essa música é como se sentir abraçado em meio a um momento de solidão, é uma música que te permite sentir para dançar livremente, assim como te permite viver a típica cena com fones, sentado no ônibus, encarando a rua conforme o trânsito passa. Devo lembrar, inclusive, que o perfume que essa música me remete se trata de um item de fundo levemente amadeirado, com notas salinas e adocicadas, formando juntos um aroma único; podemos usar como exemplo o perfume OAK Perfume Oil de Kelly Jones, compartilhável lançado em 2016. Exalando elegância, charme, fascínio, e muito intrigante. Combinando a contemporaneidade com a leveza e singularidade da canção ao expressar o quão grande é o valor de um amigo imaginário — palavras que apresentam dualidade com relação ao termo infantil, mas de grande peso —, que te impulsiona para o mundo.

Para tornar ainda mais imersivo o conteúdo fazendo analogia a perfumaria, resolvi unir a arte e a ciência, convidando uma perfumista para que ela possa reforçar a análise do aroma. Tornando assim a experiência ainda mais palpável.

Como perfumista, sempre busco fragrâncias que me ofereçam uma experiência sensorial única. O OAK Perfume Oil é um desses perfumes. Primeiramente, a complexidade olfativa é um dos pontos fortes. A combinação de notas amadeiradas e terrosas, junto a um toque sutil de especiarias e notas doces, cria uma experiência multifacetada, que torna a fragrância intrigante e envolvente, desde a primeira borrifada, as notas de caramelo e carvalho se destacam, e trazem uma sensação de frescor que é ao mesmo tempo revigorante e reconfortante. É como caminhar sobre folhas secas, sentindo a umidade do solo sob os pés, sabe? Me imagino em um bosque ou trilha ao primeiro contato. A durabilidade do perfume também me encanta, pois ele permanece perceptível na pele ao longo do dia. Esse fator é muito importante para quem deseja uma fragrância que os acompanhe em diversas situações. Além disso, OAK Perfume Oil é versátil e adequado para uma variedade de ocasiões, desde momentos cotidianos até eventos mais especiais, o que o torna uma opção prática e mais sofisticada. Versatilidade é uma das características que mais aprecio em fragrâncias (depois da durabilidade). As notas de coração de sal e baunilha, ao meu ver, são o charme desse perfume, é muito complexo criar esse equilíbrio em fragrâncias, e nesse perfume foi muito bem feito. Esse tipo de combinação também pode evocar sensações de leveza e calor, fazendo com que a fragrância seja agradável e fresca. Além disso, é considerado um perfume unissex, acaba encaixando em qualquer tipo de pessoa. Recomendo esse perfume para quem valoriza autenticidade e praticidade. Ele oferece uma experiência olfativa única e envolvente com essa combinação equilibrada de notas amadeiradas, terrosas e um toque doce, muito bem produzidos.

— Floral Scent's CEO, Siena.

RiSK TOPIC.

Minha opinião não é embasada numa formação no curso de música, e sim na minha experiência como produtora e designer focada no audiovisual.

Escutei 'imaginary friend' do itzy pela primeira vez uma semana depois do lançamento, por recomendação de EFFY; fiquei boquiaberta. acompanho o trabalho das meninas do ITZY casualmente desde a estréia, e foi a primeira vez que escutei as vozes se encaixarem daquela maneira.

Contextualizando, pra ser técnica: todas as garotas do grupo tem a classificação vocal mais aguda, soprano. É extremamente raro de se ver idols femininas que não sejam soprano no K-POP atual!

Pela facilidade natural do tipo de voz que elas partilham, não era de se esperar que a equipe evitasse tirar proveito disso. A discografia do ITZY tem a maioria das músicas chegando a, no mínimo, quinta chave dos acordes (bem alto), porém a técnica incentivada pelo treinamento que tiveram é a voz de cabeça (leve, costuma soar mais feminina). Nisso, sustentar um canto tão agudo vinha a ser contraditório com a extensão vocal mais confortável de cada uma. Mesmo assim, preciso parabenizar como elas construíram esse nome meio a performances extremamente estáveis ao vivo, equilibradas enquanto apresentam melodias altíssimas ao dançarem coreografias exigentes.

Saindo desse enredo, chegamos na era atual, gold, onde mostraram um novo lado sonoro em Imaginary Friend. Imaginary Friend tem quatro acordes: sol, ré, dó e mi menor, o último sendo o que traz o ar "obscuro" no fim de cada verso onde ele aparece, contrastando com os maiores.

Acordes em menor têm o poder de instigar melancolia, tristeza, profundidade e escuridão.

Levando em conta como esse som particular se faz sempre estrategicamente no final do verso, tenho a impressão de que a letra pende pra uma interpretação mais reflexiva do que o ouvinte costuma se atentar. Arquitetar a melodia por trás de afirmações como "sua imaginação desperta de uma nova forma" com os acordes maiores fez delas brilhantes, contudo a sequência sendo "ah, eu existo na sua imaginação" gradativamente descido ao mi menor, sugeriu ironia entre as falas. Um dos primeiros pontos sobre esse eu lírico que notei, foi como toda a narrativa é limitada a o que ele pode oferecer ao outro, não havendo relato do próprio querer ou vontade, e a construção instrumental esquematizou exatamente a provocação necessária: ser uma amiga imaginária é um fardo. vendo o videoclipe, me lembrei do típico anjo da guarda, quem zela pelo teu conforto, mas até que ponto esse vício de tomar nas costas a responsbilidade para com quem se ama é suportável?

Por fim, dois tópicos:

Uma das primeiras cenas é yeji colocando um gelo na costa da mão, vendo ele virar vapor pelo quão quente era a pele dela (existe a superstição mística de que anjos tenham a pele quente, também). Meu ponto é... Se ela queimava por inteiro, como um único cubo de gelo na ferida resolveria algo? foi uma súplica, um ato de desespero. RyuJin parece ser a única que, de fato, questiona os limites de onde estavam indo, se recusando a aceitar como um papel doloroso deveria ser mantido tanto por ela, quanto pelas outras — ela se vê como Cisne Negro, contradizendo o carisma salvador da letra, não se senta junto das outras, não encara a câmera como as demais frente à casa em chamas, porque não concorda mais com o rumo que tomaram.

1. Alcançar notas altas não é sinônimo de canto superior, ou de conforto para atingí-las corretamente. Yuna, por exemplo, sustenta até o fá sustenido na quinta chave (surf), mas o timbre dela nunca brilhou como agora, se mantendo em chaves verdadeiramente ideais para a voz doce que tem.

2. Acredito que Imaginary Friend seja um dos meus trabalhos preferidos desse ano. O videoclipe deu ao público uma nova pperspectiva não somente musical, como também visual do ITZY. a videografia delas é rica em trabalhos bem coreografados, edições caras e demandantes sendo a maior marca de destaque. Agora, no entanto, Imaginay Friend construiu um pequeno universo pra contar a história da música, focando em um mapa estético ao invés de efeitos e cenas bonitas sem correlação entre uma e outra — não é uma crítica! nem tudo precisa ter significado nas entrelinhas. estou ansiosíssima pelo o que mais dessa nova face ITZesca está por vir.

ᅟᅟ         

[cyarskaren52]

R&B Classics: Class Of '92 💿🔥🎶

1) Remember The Time. Michael Jackson 2.) Diamonds & Pearls. Prince & The New Power Generation 3.) I'll Always Love You. Whitney Houston 4.) My Lovin' (You're Never Gonna Get It). En Vogue 5.) End Of The Road. Boyz II Men 6.) Why Me, Baby? Keith Sweat 7.) The Best Things In Life Are Free. Luther Vandross feat. Janet Jackson, Bell Biv DeVoe & Ralph Tresvant 8.) Save The Best For Last. Vanessa Williams 9.) Come & Talk To Me. Jodeci 10.) In the Closet. Michael Jackson 11.) I'd Die Without You. P.M Dawn 12.) Real Love. Mary J. Blige 13.) Don't Be Afraid. Aaron Hall 14.) Humpin' Around. Bobby Brown 15.) She's Playing Hard to Get. Hi-Five 16.) Don't Walk Away. Jade 17.) Right Here. SWV 18.) If I Ever Fall In Love. Shai 19.) I Got A Thang 4 Ya! Lo-Key? 20.) Baby-Baby-Baby. TLC 21.) Honey Love. R. Kelly & Public Announcement 22.) Quality Time. Hi-Five 23.) Live & Learn. Joe Public 24.) Love Shoulda Brought You Home. Toni Braxton 25.) Sweet November. Troop 26.) Love's Taken Over. Chanté Moore 29.) Giving Him Something He Can Feel. En Vogue 30.) Baby Hold On To Me. Eddie & Gerald LeVert 30.) What About Your Friends. TLC

Key Events:

The "Not Guilty" Verdict In The Rodney King L.A.P.D Assault Sparks Outrage & Hurt Resulting In A Three-Day Riot In Los Angeles, California

Heavyweight Champion Mike Tyson Is Convicted Of R*pe & Sentenced To Six Years

Sitcom "Martin" Starring Comedian Martin Lawrence Premieres On FOX

Singing Superstars Whitney Houston & Bobby Brown Get Married

Director Spike Lee's Powerful Biopic "Malcolm X" Starring Denzel Washington Is Released

Former Motown Singer Mary Wells Dies At Age 49

Former Member Of Motown Singing Group The Temptations' Eddie Kendricks Dies At 52

Sitcom "The Cosby Show" Airs It's Final Episode On NBC

Director Joyce Eliason's Mini-Series "The Jacksons: An American Dream" Premieres On ABC

Director Mick Jackson's "The Bodyguard" Starring Music Superstar Whitney Houston & Kevin Costner Is Released

What is your favorite song /album from the year 1992?

[dustedmagazine]

PYPY — Sacred Times (Goner)

At various points in Sacred Times, PYPY jitters through a fusillade of funk shrapnel a la ESG, chugs a fuzzy freak beat like the Dirtbombs and tears a hole in the sky psychedelic-style. How you think about this veteran Montreal psych punk band depends, largely, on where you put the needle down, but if the form shifts, the intensity stays constant. This is one of the best punk albums of 2024, and not coincidentally, the hardest to pigeonhole.

This is PYPY’s second full-length album, following a decade-long hiatus in which members revisited other projects. Annie-Claude Deschênes, the singer and keyboardist, Phillippe Clement, the bass player and drummer Simon Besré, all did time in noise-freaked, body-shocked, caterwauling Duchess Says. Guitarist Roy Vucino lent his axe to Wire-y, Pop Group-ish Red Mass (and earlier played with CPC Gangbangs and Les Sexareenos, among others). Still, they meet here, a decade later, in seamless synchrony. Careening vocal flourishes, chaotic beats and incendiary riffs flare within locked-down, disciplined structures. Sacred Time is as tight as it is wild.  

Start with the single, “Lonely Striped Sock,” with its lurching bass line, its electroshocked guitar shrieks, its punk goddess deadpan rant. It’s a dead ringer for first wave, female-forward punk bands like ESG and Delta 5—in the best possible way—made fresh and funky by squeaky barrage of keyboard banging (this is literally my favorite sound on the whole record).

The band has a thing about poodles, apparently, dedicating not one but two very different songs to their curly headed canines. “Poodle Escape” rains sublime and radiant surf chords, while a carnivalesque keyboard melody goes soft in the heat. Deschênes whispers ominously in French way back in the mix as a squiggle of sci-fi synth flutters up to the fore. “Poodle Wig” slams and pogoes on a drum machine beat in a Francophile garage rock explosion worthy of Jacques Dutronc. Woof.

Vucino is quite a guitar player, and he lights his instrument pretty much on fire in psychedelic “15 Sec.” a lurid purple haze hanging over its sprawl and mayhem. He sings lead on the Devo-esque “I Am a Simulation” and while not quite as can’t-look-away compelling as Deschênes, his singing another color in PYPY’s considerable palette.

By now you’ve likely gathered that Sacred Times is volatile and wild, taking giant swings in any number of generations. That’s exciting, but even more so because with all that thrashing, they never lose the groove.  What a good time these Sacred Times can be.

Jennifer Kelly