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starrywyatt · 2 months ago

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chapter 1: at least i don't post myself shitting on the internet

☆ never saw it comin'- a george clarkey story ☆

! THIS STORY READS BEST IN DARK MODE !

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madison's pov:

two years ago, i graduated from performing arts university with a first in musical theatre and a masters in songwriting. the day i graduated, i shared the song i wrote for my final project to tiktok. somehow, i woke up to 10 million views and calls from major record labels wanting to sign me. fast forward two years and my debut album has just gone #1 the same day it was released.

my label were pushing me to do press, so i decided to go on one of my good friends, andrew's boyfriend's podcast. i was going on the useless hotline! i was so excited.

btw, george is ill so i'm just gonna join max as a co-host for the episode

so don't be nervous!

omg amazing okay

i feel better knowing you'll be there

i had never met george before, so i felt more comfortable talking about the album knowing andrew would be there as it was so personal to me.

"hey!" andrew pulls me in for a hug outside the front of the building where they film. "so happy to see you again!" i reciprocate the hug. i follow him upstairs and we make it to the studio. the past year has been so busy i definitely haven't made as much of an effort to spend time with andrew as i should have. i walk in and am greeted by a very excited max. i have met max a handful of times but he's always been so supportive of my music and is essentially my biggest fan. "the album has been ON REPEAT!" he says excitedly. i say hello to their producer, callum too and he briefs us on what we should talk about and then the cameras start rolling.

"i'm max balegde" max starts "and i'm george clarke" andrew says, sat in george's seat making me laugh. they then introduce me and i walk on to the set and andrew moves seats. "i don't think anyone would even notice george isn't here" max shrugs. "and today we are joined by arguably my favourite musician to ever exist, madison scott!" max cheers and claps and i laugh nervously. "even above little mix?" i question. "well... you're toeing a thin line" he adds.

we continue the intro for a while and max explains where george is and what he's been up to himself this week. "i wonder if anyone knows that me and andrew went to university together" i say. "yeah i wonder" andrew replies. "we literally lived together for 2 years" i laugh. "i know that's crazy to me. like when andrew mentioned he knew you i was in shock. what do you mean my andrew is friends with THE madison scott!" max says.

"anyways, we HAVE to talk about the album" max continues. "he has literally had it on repeat since midnight yesterday" andrew laughs. "it's just so good" max says. "thank you, that's so kind. yeah i mean it's called 'never saw it comin' i think that covers a lot of aspects of my life. like we literally left uni, i uploaded the song that i wrote for my dissertation to tiktok and suddenly it had 10 million views. and then my boyfriend dumped me, didn't see that one coming for sure" i say and andrew interrupts me, "hate to say it, but thank god because he was an asshole" "yeah you're not wrong, there is a few songs about him on this album but a lot of it is just about the growing pains of kind of growing up but also throwing the spanner of so called fame into the mix" i explain. "so i have to ask, will there be a tour?" max says, clapping his hands with excitement. "if so, i WILL be front row!" he adds on the end. "well hopefully! it's all in talks at the moment, i need to pick a support act actually" i say. "i know someone that would be perfect" max explains. "who?" i ask looking at him inquisitively. "i'll tell you after the podcast, i don't want to ruin the surprise for people because i really think it could happen" max explains and we do the rest of the podcast solving dilemmas and me and andrew recapping funny stories from our uni experience.

"great episode guys! thanks for coming, madison" producer callum smiles to me. "so who's this support act you're thinking of?" i turn to max. "arthur hill! he's so good" max says. "oh yeah, that would be so good" andrew agrees. "arthur hill" i say to myself. "i feel like i've heard the name" i say, almost questioning. "we've had him on the podcast" callum says, from behind us. "yeah, he's george's friend" max continues. "ahh okay, i'll have a look and put his name forward to the team. most people we've spoke to are unavailable for the dates we've chosen" i shrug. "we're actually going out to freedom (the club) with arthur and some of george's friends tonight. you should come! celebrate your album and meet arthur" max suggests and i hesitate for a moment but end agreeing. i guess we're going out...

i make it back to my flat and abigail, my best friend and flatmate is sat on the sofa. "we're going out out tonight" i say, dropping my bag on the kitchen counter. "i'm listening" she turns around with a big smile on her face. "andrew and max invited me out with some of their friends. they want me to meet arthur hill, say he could be a good support act?" i say, almost questioning the last part. "plusss, we get to celebrate your album!" abi says, excitedly. "something like that" i laugh. "okay great, do you know what time?" she asks me. "pres at the boys flat at 9" i tell her before getting up to go shower.

as usual, we get ready together in my room. abigail was on her phone, "shall i look at arthur's instagram and see who his friends are" abi says. i roll my eyes, "we'll literally meet them in like an hour" i laugh, now curling my hair. "ooo, he was at a football event earlier today with 3 guys" abigail explains and my social anxiety kicks in and i do kind of want to see who we could be potentially meeting. "chris, another arthur and george" she reads out the instagram tags. "the one in the middle is cute" abigail says. "abigail! you can't be going for my work colleague's friends" i joke. "colleague?" she laughs. "well i could be working with him" i shrug, laughing.

i was finally ready to go and we were heading over to the boy's flat for pres as they lived near the club. i was slightly nervous but we took some cans with us for the tube to give us some liquid confidence. we met andrew and max at the tube station and walked to the boy's flat together.

max calls george and he comes downstairs to meet us and i suddenly question if the boys even know if we're coming. "hello guys, come on up" george says, holding the door open for all of us and i smile thank you. "congrats on the album by the way" he says to me as i walk past him holding the door, catching me completely off guard, i almost look around as if someone else had released an album this week. "oh, thank you" i laugh nervously.

we make it upstairs and there's 3 other boys waiting for us to appear. "no way THE madison scott is in my kitchen!" the boy i recognised to be arthur hill says in a mock accent as we arrive. i laugh, "where?" i say looking behind me, making him laugh also and he walks over and hugs me. "lovely to meet you" he says and i introduce him to abigail. the other two get up to hug us. "hi, i'm arthur, the other one" he laughs and hugs me. "madison, nice to meet you" i say, also laughing. "hi, i'm chris" he hugs me.

"what's everyone drinking?" arthur h asks us all. "we bought some vodka and mixers" i say pointing to abigail's bag. "we all know you're all gonna be drinking beer, lads lads lads" max says making everyone laugh and he was right all 4 boys had cans of beer in their hands.

"so you're all content creators?" i ask the boys, trying to make conversation. "yeah, been doing it for years now" chris says, sipping his drink. "i don't know if you'd have seen them, they're football videos" he laughs. "yeah i don't think i've ever watched a football video to be honest" i laugh. "i think i've seen one of your videos" i say, pointing to arthur tv. "oh wow, really?" he smiles, shocked. " oh yeah, we watched a 90 day fiance recap thing" abigail points to me. "no way" george laughs. "yeah, we love the show!" i laugh and arthur raises his hand for a high five and i hit it. "i just make shit content really" george shrugs. "back yourself" i say to him. "or are you literally shitting in the content?" i ask, making everyone laugh. "yes, that's exactly what i do!" george agrees. "i mean i would like to call myself a singer but i have to create content to promote it" arthur sighs. "yeah felt you on that one" i agree with him. i don't know if he's heard anything about me potentially bringing him on tour yet so i decide not to mention it as i want to see if i get on with him but to be completely honest it was going well so far.

the drinks and conversation were flowing and it was finally time to head to the club. "so we'll get a couple ubers, if that's okay" arthur h says and i agree and book an uber for me, abigail, max and andrew and the boys do it for themselves. they both pull up at the same time and we hop in the cars and make our way to the club.

we get out the cars and make our way inside, thankfully the boys had contacted the club beforehand and we got guest list entry so we could just go straight in. we make our way over to the bar and suddenly there's about 4 people that ask me for photos, i of course take them and thank the people for coming over and george turns to me. "someone's popular" he smirks. "oh shut up, mr guestlist" i joke to him. "we don't like to wait with the peasants" he jokes and my mouth forms an O at his comment but i continue laughing. "the fames got to you" i say and we're interrupted by arthur h, "everyone good with jägerbombs?" he asks and we all agree.

we do the shots and head over to the dance floor. i spent most of the evening dancing with abigail and max and andrew but i could feel myself sobering up so i told everyone i was going to head to the bar. "wait did you say bar?" george says to me. "yeah, i need another drink" i say. "okay i'm coming, i do too" i nod and he follows behinds me.

we make it to the bar and there's a long queue, typical. "what you getting?" george asks me. "not sure, whatever will get me more drunk" i laugh. "probably double vodka coke or something" i shrug. "yeah i'm thinking similar" he says. "so, you listened to my album?" i smirk to george. "hmm, no i heard it's pretty shite" he shrugs. "wow, that's rude" i say, pretending to clutch my chest. "at least i don't post videos of myself shitting on the internet" i continue. "that's not what i do!" he says, laughing. "well you never told me what you actually do" i say but then we're interrupted as george was next to be served. "hi, can i get 2 double vodka cokes?" he says and i just assume he's ordering 2 for himself as he did seem pretty sober. but once he's done, he hands one to me. "what? you didn't have to buy me one!" i say, smiling. "take it as a peace offering for calling your music shite" he says, as i take the cup and i look up and smile at him. "thank you" i say and we walk back to the group. as we walk back, my song, 'good 4 u' starts playing.

"oh noooo" i say, putting my head in my hand knowing everyone is probably looking at me. i decide i need some dutch courage so down the drink that's in my hands and feel the rush go straight to my head. i look up and abigail and max grab one of my hands each and put my arms up in the air. i look up and all the boys are singing along, even george whose been too sober to sing pretty much a single word the whole night. "GOOD FOR YOUUU" we all scream the last words of the chorus and i almost forget it's my own song and just dance and sing along. as the song finishes, i look over to george and lean forward towards him, "thought my music was shite" i joke and he just shrugs, making me shake my head jokingly. we all keep dancing and after two more round of shots, i'm pretty drunk. "to madison for releasing the second best album of the year, following mine" arthur says as we all raise our shots in the air, laughing.

it was currently 1:40am and i assumed everyone would want to stay until the end so after the shots, we head back to the dancefloor. i had noticed abigail and chris had been getting close all night, so i left them to it. "you've seen them two talking all night too right?" i turn to arthur hill and he agrees, "i thought it was just me. i wouldn't worry too much, chris has shit rizz" arthur says, making me laugh.

"we're just going to the smoking area" abigail comes over and says to me, walking off with chris and i raise my eyebrows, she doesn't smoke. "okay" i laugh and she just smiles, definitely drunk but i let her do her thing. "where are they going?" george leans over and asks me. "to the smoking area?" i almost question. "chris doesn't smoke" george laughs. "neither does abigail!" i almost yell. "how the hell has chris managed to speak to a girl?" arthur tv says and everyone laughs. "to be honest, it would be more shocking if it was george!" arthur hill jokes and george just shrugs, unphased by the joke.

we carried on dancing a bit longer, me, andrew and max getting way too into every song. arthur h matched our energy but the other arthur and george watched on and laughed at us. i finally started to get tired and wanted to go home. "are chris and abigail still outside?" i ask the boys and they nod. "i want to leave, can one of you come with me to get them?" i say, not knowing how to approach chris but knowing i can convince abigail to leave. "let's go find the small man" george says and follows behind me to the smoking area.

we make it to the area and it's pretty much empty and they were not there. "chris is probably here, you just can't see him" george says, looking down at the floor. "shush, that's mean" i lightly slap george's shoulder, whilst laughing. "you still laughed" he points at my face. "i don't think they're here. for god sake" i say, sitting on the bench behind me as my legs hurt and all the booths were taken inside. "should we head back inside?" george asks. "my legs hurt, i might just sit for a second. you can go back in" i say. "to be honest, dancing isn't really my thing anyways. i'll sit" he says, sitting next to me. "what do you come to the club for then? pulling girls?" i say. "ahh yes, big ladies man, me. whopping success rate of 0" he says in a mock accent. "no way i believe that. you've definitely pulled at least 2 girls... in your lifetime" i say trying to be generous. "well, who knows" he shrugs and i roll my eyes. there's a gust of wind and it causes shivers across my whole body. "fucking hell, how is it still cold in spring" i say and george turns to me and sees my arms crossed, rubbing to make heat. "do you want my jacket?" george asks. i look up at him, "and you say you've never pulled a girl whilst you're pulling moves like that" i laugh. "it's just called being a good person" he says, taking the jacket off. "are you sure?" i ask "just take it" he says and hands it to me. i put it on and it's definitely oversized but it makes me much warmer than i was minutes ago. "are you not cold?" i ask. "honestly, no i was actually quite warm. i am just naturally a warm person. that's in temperature and looks" he smirks. "i knew the cockiness was in you somewhere" i say. "what does that mean?" he laughs. "well earlier, when you said your videos were shit. i know deep down you don't think that. i reckon you back yourself" i explain. "i mean, yeah i'm slightly confident in myself i guess" he shrugs. "be confident, it's attractive. girls will flock to you" i shrug. "did you just call me attractive?" he turns to face me. "what? no i did not!" i laugh.

"there you two are! abigail and chris came back, let's go!" andrew says, ushering us back to the club. we hug goodbye to the boys and the four of us taxi back to the tube station. we say goodbye to max and andrew and head back to our flat. me and abigail were both pretty much falling asleep on the tube but thankfully make it back to our apartment.

andrew text me to ask if we made it back,

i had never met george before, so i felt more comfortable talking about the album knowing andrew would be there as it was so personal to me.

andrew text me to ask if we made it back,

did you guys make it back okay? x

almost fell asleep on the tube but made it back, all good x

thank you for tonight, we had so much fun!

no worries, i'm so glad you came we need to do it more often!

1000%

i turn my phone off, put a glass of water next to abi's bed as she was a lot more drunk than me and decide to make a quick instagram post before heading to sleep.

i head to bed and wake up the next day and the comments are going crazy about me and george...

#george clarkey #george clarkey y/n #george clarkey x reader #george clarke #arthurhill #arthur hill y/n #arthurtv #chrismd

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veeenix · 2 years ago

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i have to rant about this or i might cease to exist.

lokius...

for one, i love queer ships (canon or not) but i also like to stay true to the show i’m watching, and i personally don’t have a big problem with sylki (just a little underwhelmed with it if i’m being honest). but the more i look at loki and mobius’ relationship, the clues and that damn song, the more it feels actually plausible that this could turn into something real.

i’m going to somewhat rank these from 1 downward, 1 being its probably coincidental, down to this is too spot on to be nothing. all while i sip leisurely at my tea.

1. “i’ve studied almost every moment of your life..”

it kind of speaks for itself. its a pretty simple bit of dialogue, and most likely doesn’t mean all that much, but what is mobius’ fascination with loki variants? this is higher on the list mainly because mobius has been assigned this case, he's a detective and its his job to dig deep, he's consumed by his work, therefore it isn't strange for him to know so much about loki's life on the sacred timeline.

2. the tie adjustment scene

trust me, i'd love to put this lower on the list, but theres one thing that makes me believe this is-- albeit disappointingly-- a coincidence. it was improv. maybe that, for some people, is more of an indicator of canon lokius, that tom hiddleston felt that that scene was being led in such a flirtatious direction, however, this scene was more his following along owen's playful presence on set, which just makes it kind of sweet. but this is one of my favourites scenes, regardless of the intention behind it. loki will always be a flirt, after all.

3. loki's bisexuality

as much as i would have loved to see more on loki's sexuality-- perhaps slightly more explicitly given his status as the god of mischief-- i'm not going to hate on sylvie and loki, because that would simply erase the existence of bisexuality, hetero-presenting relationships exist and to deny so would again, erase the meaning of bisexuality. however, the ending of season 1 does raise some questions. loki and sylvie's separation sets up the future of marvel, it needed to happen, so this might not mean much at all and we now know that season 2 will focus on loki searching for sylvie through timelines. but how purely queer would it be for loki to realise some stronger feelings toward one agent mobius, and perhaps loki and sylvie's relationship was something that was meant to stay platonic, who knows? this is considerably more fanon than my other theories, but i had to include it, given that to me, its a reasonable arguement. lgbtq+ characters need to be introduced and this was kate herron's goal from the beginning. she also said that she hoped marvel went further with this new information and explored more thoroughly. forgive me for this more outlandish inclusion, but it has been on mind for awhile now.

4. the presence of the dagger / "love is a dagger..."

we all know this one, we've all screamed over it and we all hope it means something more than just a coincidence. with marvel's history of in-depth attention to detail (comic references, foreshadowing years prior to a movie's release), it feels a little too purposeful, doesn't it? again, i'm trying to keep rank these into something somewhat believable with viable evidence, so something i will mention is that loki has lacked any close friendships his whole life. gaining a relationship like this would hold deep value to him, and parting ways would likely pull forth some deep bittersweet emotions. platonic love is arguably more important than romantic, the need to be understood without judgement and that is what both mobius and loki have given each other. the tears in loki's eyes during this scene is a clear indicator of their care for each other, but whether that goes deeper is unclear.

my thoughts fluctuate on this one. for one, its simply so beautiful and meaningful to loki's development (and mobius') that whether its meant platonic or with an underlying romance, feels like it hardly matters, because it holds as much meaning either way. "love is a dagger", it appears in so many forms throughout the series: mobius giving loki his daggers, only for them to be taken away by B-15 a second later, this hug scene and loki and sylvie's fight in the citadel. its so prominent in this scene, its hard to dismiss, yet marvel fluctuates so much with their details that its hard to tell if this was intended the way i'm seeing. regardless, its beautiful and definitely a worthy inclusion.

5. the lokius song / mobius' apparent jealousy

lets get one thing straight, natalie holt is an amazing composer and i will back that to no end with my spotify wrapped this year, trust me on this. so when i first started listening through the second album, like a true neurodivergent kid, i was memorising every song name and i have to say, i lost it a little when i saw the name of this song. natalie confirmed that sif and loki had a 'thing' during the point that the time loop scene was set, so one cannot dismiss the possibility that she could know a little more about the prior scenes than we realise. i was skeptical when i first saw people's impressions of these scenes, after all, they had all reunited after loki technically betrayed mobius, so it was understandable that mobius wouldn't exactly be pleased with the circumstances that they're meeting again. but something about the way he looks at loki and sylvie when he's leading them down the hall, he just looks kind of heartbroken and disappointed. again, this could have been the result of loki's betrayal, if the way he calls him a bad friend is anything to go by, but the substance of this scene holds so much in it. and his little rant about loki and sylvie's "twisted romantic relationship" breaking his reality, hits a little hard. maybe this wouldn't have meant much if it hadn't been with that bloody song, because tell how just an angry, hurt mobius = lokius? it can be jealousy regardless of romantic feelings, friendships feel it too, but this feel a little more substantial.

worthy inclusions:

sylvie's "he cares about you" comment in the void, and loki's near dismissal of it.

loki falling asleep in the archives, he trusts mobius.

am i the only one that finds it cute how loki hangs out at mobius' desk while mobius is off doing other work?

conclusion:

look, i'm going to be honest here, i grow sceptical of my own arguments at times. these are very minor things, and i didn't even realise they were pushing loki and sylvie in the direction they were until they kiss (in other words, i'm a little oblivious), so i want you all to take this with a grain of salt. i like to stay true to the actual characters and their makers, i don't have unrealistic expectations and i am no director, actor or screenwriter. i am not saying how i think the next season should go, i just wish it could go to in this direction to some degree. i have my doubts, but my hopes too. regardless, i'm just happy to see these characters at all!

this is what so many seem to forget. there may be restrictions (cough cough disney), but everyone working on these shows and movies have put their hearts into it and i want to appreciate that for what it is! this doesn't mean you aren't entitled to your own opinion, of course you are! but just remember the show/characters you've fallen in love with and if you didn't have them at all. i'm overjoyed to see loki with a close friendship after so many years of watching him being proverbially kicked while he was down. ultimately, loki and mobius' friendship (and possible romance) is what technically saved loki and that's something beautiful in and of itself.

I don't think its impossible! but i keep an open mind for both directions their stories could take.

#lokius #wowki #mcu loki #loki #loki laufeyson #loki odinson #mobius m mobius #loki series #loki x mobius #shipping #lgbtqia #character analysis

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barn-dawg · 1 month ago

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okie I made a post re: making a list of music I enjoyed this year so here it is because @rotmaxx and @m1stth3c4t were nice enough to say yes to that so the rest of you have to suffer

going to limit it to music released in 2024, everything is under readmore bc it's going to be link and word salad hell - this is in no particular order

got into screamo this year thanks to a brooklynvegan article covering their favourite screamo albums that had come out in 2024 at the time of the article's writing - I listened to everything At Least Once but two albums were on repeat for me

One of those was Frail Body's Artificial Boquet which is blistering front to back, starting with the blistering Scaffolding and never relenting in its 40 min runtime. It does have some more quiet moments (though they are still pretty crushing), which are an appreciated break from some of the tightest playing I've ever heard since Deafheaven's Sunbather.

The next was Respire's Hiraeth, a slower but more complex album with orchestal sections and quite a few medleys. They're self-described as "post-everything" on their spotify, which I can see since they remind me a lot of Godspeed! You Black Emperor. I appreciate that Respire isn't afraid to slow things down and just let you breathe for a minute - a lot more so than the Frail Body album. My favourite off the album has to be Home of Ash.

Another screamo album I was anticipating was Touché Amoré's Spiral In A Straight Line, an excellent addition to the screamo/post-hardocre band's discography filled almost front to back with bangers (save for Force of Habit, which is a dud imo), the opening track, Nobody's, feels like a song tailor-made to be screamed back to Jeremy Bolm at the beginning of every show the band will do for the rest of their career - I highly recommend this album if you want to get into the band.

In a similar vein, Agriculture released an EP this year called Living Is Easy. They're a breath of fresh air in the black metal scene, their music being far more hopeful and optimistic than their contemporaries. Agriculture is screaming in defiance of the void rather than embracing it, I think the title track shows that off really well.

There was also Bongripper's Empty. Extremely heavy stoner metal following in the footsteps of Sleep's Dopesmoker, a great instrumental album that would probably scare me a little bit if I got high to it.

For something even more oppressive, check out Civerous' Maze Envy if you want to be crushed to death by audio It speaks for itself really.

There was also Chat Pile's Cool World, imo it's a far groover, less uncomfortable experience compared to their previous album God's Country though arguably equally as crushing. My favourite off this album has to be Masc, an uncomfortable look into how toxic masculinity affects the relationship between a man and his partner and how the simple fact that he has needs as a human negatively impacts his self perception.

Taking a sudden left turn into hip-hop because a lot of good fucking rap albums came out this year!

Starting off strong with Doechii's mixtape Alligator Bites Never Heal, easily the most varied piece to release this year, Doechii flexes her muscles by hopping from sub-genre to sub-genre and does it really fucking well from back to front, and keeps doing it with jazz renditions of songs off that album - Doechii is definitely one to watch, I'm really excited to see what else she comes out with. My personal favourite off her mixtape is NISSAN ULTIMA.

Doechii also featured on a song on Tyler The Creator's new album, Chromakopia, which was announced without warning around the 21st of October before releasing a week later. Tyler has had an amazing run since Flower Boy and shows no signs of stopping. This album, to me, feels like a mix of Igor and Call Me If You Get Lost in terms of aesthetics and sound. Chromakopia has an explosive opening in St. Chroma, and goes on to explore Tyler's thoughts on aging and different aspects of sexual and romantic relationships, includin polyamory and a pregancy scare, it's an easy recommend from me.

Speaking of surprise releases, Kendrick Lamar silently released GNX on the 22nd of November. It's very different from his prior releases, not having an overarching story or idea, though that doesn't mean it's any less deserving of appreciation as a piece of art. GNX is a love letter to west-coast rap and RnB. The opening Wacced Out Murals, to me, feels like a manifesto for Kendrick's jaded view of the rap game and its current state - it managed to get responses from both Lil Wayne and Nas (who had opposite reactions). I think, overall, GNX is Kendrick is showing that he's capable of stooping down to the level of his peers and outdoing all of them (as if this year's beef didn't show that already).

Changing gears, we also have The Thief Next to Jesus by Ka - the final album released before his passing earlier this year. A lo-fi rap album with a heavy emphasis on religion.

There was also Memoirs In Armour by Navy Blue, a very mood rap album with an amazing mix on the piano seen in the opening of Take Heed.

VEENA by Heems was another album to release album, instrumetally I thought it was fantastic though it can be spiritual lyrical individual bar-wise, however I think it's well worth checking out. The album art is also very nice.

Another album with fantastic instrumentals to release this year was I Lay Down My Life For You by JPEGMAFIA, definitely the most unique release of this year. Peggy shows it's entirely possible to do a rap-rock fusion and do it very very good. It's intense from beginning to end and I really hope JPEGMAFIA continues making music in this style. Just linking the whole thing because asking me what my favourite song isoff of this album is like asking me what my favourite oxygen molecule I've breathed in recently is.

Capping things off, we also had Killer Mike release Michael & The Mighty Midnight Revival, Songs For Sinners And Saints . This is a direct follow up to last year's MICHAEL, bringing back the gospel choir that did a lot to elevate that album. KM&TMMR is, to me, an elaboration and build-up of the musical ideas presented on MICHAEL, I'm pretty confused by SLUMMER 4 JUNKIES because a huge portion of that track is just SLUMMER from MICHAEL which I just don't understand personally.

Kneecap has a pretty intense year, releasing both a movie and an album, Fine Art, which lives up to its name. Fine Art is almost a concept album, covering the West Blefast trio's night out in the pub, doing drugs and avoidng the dealers they owe money to, and going to raves. The album has beats making use of traditional irish folk music, the gaeilge language, with adoration of club bangers that shine on songs like I'm Flush. They also hate british colonialism, and as a Fenian cunt I respect that to put it mildly.

The hatred of The UK contiunes because Bob Vylan, a grime/punk duo released Humble As The Sun which comes out swinging on the title track, advocating for a united Ireland and railing against the exploitation of black men for white profit within the music industry. Humble As The Sun is a staunch refusal to be submissive in the face of british systemic racism and austerity while celebrating black art.

While I've enjoyed rap for years, this year in particular I really branched out and found new artists to keep an eye on. My usual wheelhouse is punk, which also had a pretty profilic year for releases.

This is especially true for Fucked Up, who released three seperate albums within a pretty short time of each other - all of which had been written and recorded within 24 hours (one of them livestreamed too), those albums are Another Day, Who's The Time & A Half, and Someday. Who's Got The Time was only available for 24 hours on bandcamp, so I won't cover that one.

Another Day is Fucked Up's shortest album to date, clocking in at 37 minutes, and is the sequel album to 2023's One Day and it's definitely audible. It very much sounds like they immediately stopped recording One day and immedately went into Another Day. It's not as synth-forward as One day is, the synths take a backseat - however they still make songs like Stimming.

Someday, in constrast, is the most unique of the trilogy, most of the songs make use of aso many features that Damian Abraham's signature bark is a rarity on the record and none of the songs are what you would expect from a punk album, songs such as I Took My Mom To Sleep straying pretty far from the genre. The album mainly focuses on the hostility of Canada towards migrants and is incredibly blunt with its messaging, something I always appreciate from hardcore bands. Off of Somneday, Feed Me Your Feathers has been on repeat for me with its infectous melody.

Drug Chruch also released PRUDE, I don't have tons to say about it - for me, it's a continuation of their ideas from 2022's Hygiene which I enjoyed quite a bit.

Kill Lincoln released their No Normal, a ska-punk rager and follow up to 2020's Can't Complain. It's tighter, higher energy, everyone brings their A-game, it's fun - No Normal is everything ska-punk should be. The opener I'm Fine (I Lied) being a great example of this - if they ever put out a modern Tony Hawk's Pro Skater I expect Kill Lincoln on that soundtrack.

This last section is for albums I listened to that are in their own genre.

Starting with the metalcore heavy-hitter for this year, Knocked Loose's You Won't Go Before You're Supposed To, an album that feels like being punched in the face for 27 minutes straight. This album is unrelenting, vocally and instrumentally punishing from beginning to end - it's pissed at you for deciding to listen to it and you're going to feel that the entire time. My personal favourite track is Suffocate, which has a feature from Poppy on it.

In a completely opposite vein (mostly) is Mount Eerie's Night Palace! A lo-fi indie album, entirely recorded on analog equiment (just like Phil Elverum's magnum opus, The Glow Pt. 2), the album skips from fuzzier cuts like the title track to groovier cuts like the follow-up Huge Fire, alongside references to the prevoisly mentioned The Glow Pt. 2 and Mount Eerie's devastating A Crow Looked At Me. It's an album about colonisation and our society's deteriorating relationship with nature, Phil Elverum's muse, first and foremost though imo.

After the band went on hiatus, Black Midi's Geordie Greep released The New Sound, an album that pulls from many many different genres, from prog to jazz to latin to rock. It's an excellent display of technique and whatever pervert Greep was embodying in the lyrics.

Foxing released their self titled too, a vast depature from their prvious material that I was familiar with. I'm not even sure what to label it genre-wise, is it screamo? At some points, sure. Industrial? potentially! Regardless, it is easily their best worth without a doubt with Secret History and Greyhound being my personal favourites off the album. I'm not sure how you scream like that without fucking up your voice permenantly.

Vampire Weekend also released a new album, Only God Was Above Us, their first since 2019's Father of the Bride, and what an album it is from front to back, this is some of the most unique music I've heard ever, not just from this year. Connect has to be my personal favourite, the piano on this song is just beautiful.

There was also a personal favourite of mine, Trauma Ray's Chameleon. This album is a crushing wall of sound with dreamy vocals, excellent shoegaze that almost feels like that state you're on the cusp of falling into a really deep sleep - it's a suffocating embrace of an album from beingging to end, my personal favourites are Ember and the title track.

There's also Hiatus Kaiyote's Love Heart Cheat Code, an album that's hard to pin down with it bouncing between soul, funk, and psychedelic, it's definitely worth your time with it being beautiful from beginning to end.

A highly anticipated release this year for me was Godspeed! You, Black Emperor's "NO TITLE AS OF 13 FEBURARY 2024, 28,340 DEAD" a direct reference to the death toll of the Gazan genocide, which most likely has doubled since the date mentioned in the title, though we don't know for sure.

This is an instumental album mainly, the only break being the reading of a poem by Michele Fiedler Fuentes on Raindrops Cast In Lead. To me, this album contains multitudes, having moments that are extremely bleak only to be contrasted later by moments of hope. There are highs and lows that alternate, there are green shoots sprouting from grey rubble. There's a lot to be said about this album and what it envokes, but all that there is really worth saying is

NO TITLE AS OF 25 DECEMBER 2024, 45,400 DEAD

#ray.txt #long post #very long post

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newmusickarl · 5 months ago

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youtube

5-9’s Album of the Month Podcast – latest episode out now!

The latest episode of the 5-9 Album of the Month Podcast is here and it’s a bit of a sad one as 5-9 Editor Andrew Belt was unable to join us! So this time around it’s just me and Mama Mañana Records' Kiley Larsen reviewing five high profile album releases from the past month in music, ultimately naming one as our Album of the Month at the end of the discussion.

For our June 2024 episode, it was John Grant’s synth-soaked majesty on The Art of the Lie that took home the coveted Album of the Month title. For our latest episode, we look back at five big releases from July and the albums vying for recognition this time around are:

King of the Mischievous South Vol. 2 by Denzel Curry

Django’s High by Future Utopia (Poll winner, thanks for voting!)

As Above, So Below by Highly Suspect

Harmonics by Joe Goddard

HEAVY JELLY by SOFT PLAY

If you want to listen to this or any previous episodes simply follow the links below, but also be sure to follow 5-9 Blog on Instagram, Twitter and now YouTube for more news and polls relating to the podcast.

Listen on Spotify here

Watch, like and subscribe to our YouTube channel here

Album & EP Recommendations

Wild God by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds

Let’s face it, Nick Cave doesn’t make bad records. However, even by his incredibly high standards across his illustrious career, his recent work has been truly exceptional, towering bodies of work. Fuelled by unimaginable tragedy, grief and loss, albums Skeleton Tree and Ghosteen rank among my favourite albums of the last decade, listening experiences that are beautiful yet emotionally devastating. His last album with just him and Warren Ellis, Carnage, was no slouch either, finishing in my Top 10 of the year back in 2021. Now both have reunited with the full Bad Seeds ensemble, and new album Wild God continues their recent hot streak.

Emerging out of the vast darkness, their eighteenth studio album is a much brighter and more joyous experience compared to its predecessors. Filled with uplifting, string-drenched arrangements, some of which include none other than Radiohead’s Colin Greenwood on bass duties, the lyrics also find Cave in a much more optimistic mindset. It all makes for another endlessly captivating listen, with Joy the real standout in the first half, as Cave’s poetic lyrics are spun across a mostly minimal, piano-led composition. However, the finest moments for me are in the back half, with the gospel cries and stomps of Conversion, the operatic and ghostly Cinnamon Horses and standout single Long Dark Night a particularly incredible trio.

Once again, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds have crafted one of the finest albums I’ve listened to all year. Impactful and stunningly orchestrated, it’s another stirring collection of songs that will keep you absorbed across countless repeated listens.

Listen here

I Lay Down My Life For You by JPEGMAFIA

Another album that has quickly become one of my favourites of the year, NY-rapper JPEGMAFIA has followed up his sensational collaborative album with Danny Brown, 2023’s Scaring The Hoes, with arguably his strongest solo outing to date.

It’s a rap record but with punk rock energy, with most of the tracks here under the three-minute mark and plenty of heavy guitars powering the sonics. JPEG uses the record’s frantic pace to jump wildly between each bold idea, with the production never anything less than stellar. Collaborating with the likes of Flume and Kenny Beats on the production front, he also pulls in other current rap superstars like Vince Staples and Denzel Curry to lend a few bars too. It all makes for a thrilling wall-to-wall listen but if I’m to pick out just a couple of highlights, it’s the metal-charged SAN MIEDO and string-tinged experimentation of Exmilitary.

Colliding fast and furious bars with heavy punk, noise rock and industrial influences, all in mesmerising fashion, this is without a doubt the rap record of the year for me so far.

Listen here

No Name by Jack White

Another man who rarely disappoints, guitar maestro and all-round modern legend Jack White returned recently with a surprise new album. Initially stealth releasing on vinyl towards the end of July, the record officially released to streaming platforms and critical fanfare at the beginning of August. While I may not agree with the consensus that this is his best solo outing to date, there’s no denying that this is another fun and mightily impressive release.

You see while some critics have found White’s solo discography to be quite patchy, I’ve actually been a big fan of his output over the last 12 years. Blunderbuss and Lazaretto both boasted songs that could be dubbed as instant rock classics, Boarding House Reach was wild but always fascinating in its experimentation, and the duo of Fear of The Dawn and Entering Heaven Alive showed that White’s songwriting shone through, whether plugged or unplugged.

With No Name, for me, what we ultimately get is more of what White has already done before and proved he can do previously. That said, the lo-fi production and fuzzy rock riffs still sound terrific, especially on tracks like Old Scratch Blues, Archbishop Harold Holmes, What’s The Rumpus and Terminal Archenemy Ending. So, while it lacks anything new or revolutionary and brings with it an air of safe familiarity, there is no denying that White can still rock out. If you’re a fan of his previous work, you’ll still find plenty here to enjoy.

Listen here

Lagos Paris London EP by Yannis & The Yaw

And finally on the EPs front, Yannis Philippakis of Foals finally released his long awaited first solo project, Lagos Paris London. A dazzling, collaborative five track EP featuring the late-great Nigerian drummer Tony Allen, the EP is as vibrant and sonically adventurous as the globe-trotting title would suggest. While Yannis brings his signature guitar grooves to the table, some soaring string arrangements, jazz-like horns and Allen’s Afrobeat-style drums ensure the project always has a different feel to anything under the Foals banner.

Whilst the whole EP is well worth 20 minutes of your time, it is Rain Can’t Reach Us and Clementine that particularly stand out for me.

Listen here

Also well worth checking out:

DAYS BEFORE RODEO by Travis Scott

Imaginal Disk by Magdalena Bay

True Magic by Salute

This World Fucking Sucks by Cassyette

A Firmer Hand by Hamish Hawk

Participation Trophy by China Bears

Heartbreak Town EP by GIRLBAND!

Song Recommendations

The Emptiness Machine by LINKIN PARK

It’s been quite the month for big comebacks, hasn’t it?!

First came the colossal news that the Gallagher brothers would finally be reforming Oasis for a huge 2025 tour, before Linkin Park also made their long-awaited return, announcing new album From Zero will be dropping this November. The Emptiness Machine is the first taste of that new record and their first single to feature new vocalist, Emily Armstrong.

Emily’s arrival into the band has certainly caused controversy, with her links to Scientology already a hot topic amongst fans. While that debate will continue for the foreseeable, what is clear from this single and the band’s return livestream performance is that Emily certainly has the vocal capabilities needed to front the iconic, much-loved band. While of course no-one could fully replace the late-great Chester Bennington, I am glad to have Linkin Park back making music once again.

Listen to The Emptiness Machine here

Watch the livestream performance back here

All You Children by Jamie XX featuring The Avalanches

A late contender for song of the summer, this huge collaboration between Jamie XX and The Avalanches was on heavy repeat for me towards the end of August. Propelled by an infectious tribal beat that will just make you want to get up and dance, it’s left me hugely hyped for Jamie’s new album In Waves dropping in a few weeks’ time.

Listen here

He by Hayden Thorpe

Another album I cannot wait for dropping at the end of September, Hayden Thorpe’s adaptation of Robert Macfarlane’s book Ness will also soon be here. With book and album both inspired by Orford Ness in Suffolk, He is the ultra-groovy second single from the project. Featuring an endlessly fascinating arrangement that even includes a sackbut (a 15th century early trombone) and a spinet (a small 17th century harpsichord), Hayden's unique songcraft shines through once again.

Listen here

A Landlord’s Death by One True Pairing

And Hayden is not the only Wild Beasts alumni to be releasing new music this year. A month later in October, Tom Fleming will also be releasing his second solo album, Endless Rain. Working with acclaimed producer John ‘Spud’ Murphy, the singles so far have suggested a much more traditional and folk-inspired sound compared to his solo debut. A Landlord’s Death continues this hypothesis, featuring some stomping acoustic riffs, wild strings and a catchy chorus.

Listen here

Sick Of The Blues by Porridge Radio

Another album due for release in October, indie rockers Porridge Radio will be returning with their new opus, Clouds In The Sky They Will Always Be There For Me. Sick of the Blues is the closing track for the project but also the album’s first teaser single, finding frontwoman Dana Margolin in an apathetic mood as raw rock riffs build and erupt around her.

Listen here

Straight To Heart by ALT BLK ERA

From MOBO and Heavy Music Award nominations to storming festival sets at the likes of Glastonbury and Download, there is absolutely no stopping ALT BLK ERA’s momentum right now. Now with their highly-anticipated debut album Rave Immortal due for release in January, the alternative sister duo have released the second taste of the upcoming record. The synth-soaked track highlights the continuing maturity of their songwriting, with Straight To Heart seeing Nyrobi open up and reflect on her agonising battles with chronic illness.

Listen here

Nothing Compares To Nineteen by Fiona-Lee

Another one of the UK’s most promising emerging voices, singer-songwriter Fiona-Lee has recently returned with her second-ever single. A hugely emotive track, it was written in the wake of Fiona tragically losing a lifelong friend after he took his own life. Recalling her struggles with anxiety, grief and depression, along with conversations with her father on mental health, it’s another hard-hitting single that absolutely soars.

Listen here

Split Lip by Dolores Forever

One of my other favourite new music discoveries in 2024, I’ve had the pleasure of catching indie-pop duo Dolores Forever twice over this summer’s festival season. With their debut album finally dropping at the end of September, Split Lip is one of the latest singles taken from the project and a song that really stood out in their live performances. Hugely anthemic amidst captivating vocal harmonies and shimmering synths, this upcoming record is slowly shaping up to be one of the best debuts of the year.

Listen here

One Day by Hallworth

Released at the end of August, singer-songwriter Hallworth also recently released her heartfelt new single, One Day. Inspired by the Netflix movie of the same name and written while she was in Nashville, it’s a stirring track about her struggles with a long-distance relationship. With Hallworth’s own tender vocals at the fore, it’s a gorgeously laidback love song that will have you hitting the repeat button.

Listen here

Never Meant by Iron & Wine / For Sure by Ethel Cain

And finally, this year marks the 25th anniversary of one of my favourite albums of all time and a seminal work that still inspires countless musicians today – American Football’s self-titled debut. To mark the occasion, the band are releasing a remastered version of the original record, along with a brand new covers version.

The first two of these covers have been revealed and they are both unsurprisingly stunning. Firstly, American singer-songwriter Samuel Ervin Beam transforms the iconic Never Meant into a wonderful, folky lullaby, reminiscent of Bon Iver. Then, the much beloved Ethel Cain has turned the haunting For Sure into a near 10-minute moment of beauty and ethereal transcendence.

If all the covers are to this standard, with more cuts from the likes of Manchester Orchestra and Blondshell still to come, this project could be something very special.

Listen to Never Meant by Iron & Wine here

Listen to For Sure by Ethel Cain here

Also worth checking out:

Ego by Halsey

You by Ktlyle

JACKIN’ THE SYSTEM by NOISY

Tonight, Tonight (Smashing Pumpkins Cover) by Snail Mail

Hometown Edge by Kele

Bright Lights by The Killers

HERE WE GO! by Lil Nas X

Find The Way by Peggy Gou

SO WHAT by Confidence Man

SilverCane by Corinne Bailey Rae

REMINDER: If you use Apple Music, you can also keep up-to-date with all my favourite 2024 tracks through my Best of 2024 playlist. Constantly updated throughout the year with songs I enjoy, it is then finalised into a Top 100 Songs of the Year in December.Add the Best of 2024 playlist to your library here

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musicreveiwsbyezti · 10 months ago

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What's up babygirls (literally no one reads my blog) here's my March topster

This month was mostly shit I thought it would be interesting to listen... so lot of metal again. Also for the sake of my sanity I have 2 records that I genuinely don't know what the fuck I should do with.

Unrated: Current 93-I have a special plan for this world (Dark Ambient/Poetry): Arguably the best scary stuff I have ever listened but I never want to hear this again as once was perfectly enough. It gives a really disturbing atmosphere and the poetry part itself was interesting too. I highly recommend checking it out at least once. Slipknot-Iowa(Nu metal): I don't get it. The instrumentation is good but the lyrics are so god damned corny that it hurts. It doesn't help that it sounds like death metal for people who don't want to listen to actual death metal. I probably give it another chance later... not now tho I still can't take The Heretic Anthem seriously.

Alright now the actual tierlist begins:

14th: Combat Wounded Veteran-Electric Youth Crew(Powerviolence): I had a small journey and sat down to listen through the entire CWV discography (it's not that long definitely recommend it to get into powerviolence) and this is arguably the "weakest" of their releases. It doesn't really stand out and can be forgotten easily.

13th: CWV-This Is Not an Erect, All-Red Neon Body (Powerviolence/Grindcore): Idk it just doesn't click as well as IKAGWDCSP.

12th: Death-The Sound of Perseverance(Death/Prog Metal):Jesus Christ this album was a major disappointment for me. As a last Death album I expected it to be a last brutal yet technically extreme blast...but they just had to listen to 30 hour acid freeform jazz or some shit to get inspiration. This album has genuine fire songs, but they just had to fuck up the in the middle with a boring ass bass "solo" or someshit... Also the Painkiller cover is the worst song I heard this year so far, how the fuck can you ruin a perfect song when you are already a talented vocalist is beyond me.

11th: CWV-Duck Down for the Torso(Powerviolence/Grindcore): A short and sweet end for CWV's discography. Having it end on a Folded Space song was a great choice which gives an interesting feeling for the end.

10th: Stabbing-Extirpated Mortal Process(Brutal Death/Slam metal): Now this is a good slam metal album.

9th: Sematary-Bloody Angel(Horrorcore/Chicago drill): After Sems last EP I thought it was over... BUT IT ISN'T! It gives vibes of RB2 with RB3 mixing with some HAW mixed in. He can cook just let him do his thing :pray:

8th: Spycada-Hiking Lung(Psychedelic rock): It's good, great vibe, good tones, overall enjoyable. Looking forward to their next stuff.

7th: Magrudergrind-Self title(Grindcore/Powerviolence): THE grindcore album. Absolutely slaps, the sample use is interesting.

6th: Igorrr-Spirituality and Distortion(Avant Guard Metal/Breakcore) This... is Schrödinger's kitchen. I don't know if the kitchen is burned down or has served a 5 star menu, until I care to write an actual criticism of it. (Also the mixing of metal, break core and classical music is insane and the sheer heaviness this album gives is phenomenal, though it falls of gradually on the second half)

5th:Sweet Trip-Velocity : Design : Comfort(IDM/Glitch Pop) At least 200 people already circle jerk around this album, yes it is good, no I don't explain why I love it because I ain't talking about why breathing air is good.

4th:Have a nice life-Deathconsciousness(Post Punk/Shoegaze): Same as last time, people already told you enough why it's good, just fucking listen through it already. (side note some of the songs on this albums mixed weirdly quite for some reason, and it's kinda wack how the drone parts are the best, but still really good)

3th: Dead in the Dirt-The Blind Hole(Grindcore/Powerviolence) Jesus I listen to a lot of powerviolence this month... Anyways this is probably my favourite pw record yet. Probably the more understandable vocals help to lift it just a little bit above the rest for me.

2th:Mastodon-Leviathan(Sludge metal/Prog metal) Fun fact in the 2000's 2 whale concept prog metal albums came out, both of which are peak. I don't know how they got The Moby Dick nailed so well in metal form but they sure did with heavy riffs and amazing vocal performances.

1th: Electric Wizard-Witchcult Today(Stoner/Doom metal): I was afraid to check out the rest of EW discography after Dopethrone cuz it is too peak... However this album is probably as good as Dopethrone. Something about this album gives more OG metal vibes with less insanity.

#metal #rym #rateyourmusic #topster #topsters

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skeppsbrott · 10 months ago

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4, 12, 13, for music asks

Music ask game list

4. Is there a song you love but don't like its music video?

Do people still... care about music videos...

12. Who’s the most obscure artist you listen to?

Depends on how you cut it. My instinctual response is Arab Strap, a scottish duo who make these wonderfully moody and dark synth and sort of indie rock tracks, had a brief moment in the 90s and came back a few years ago. Saw them live. Absolutely brilliant.

Same category is Black Grape, the follow-up band to Madchester staple Happy Mondays. They released the album Pop Voodoo in 2016 which I genuinely love.

Another 2016 album that changed my life was Life Will See You Now by Jens Lekman, who, while he has a smaller following in terms of numbers, is probably proportionally bigger in Sweden than either of the other two are in the UK.

Finally, by smallest number of monthly listeners on spotify, the answer is probably John Holm. That said, John Holm is kind of a your-favourite-artists-artist type guy, who had a production during the 1970s and then vanishen, returning briefly now and then. He's arguably quite influential on Swedish popular music, even if his name isn't so well known and his music doesn't play much on the radio.

13. Who’s the most popular/mainstream artist you listen to?

I am not immune to the Taylor Swift

#bluh bluh #this is my new ask tag #music tag #hitcchiker without a guide

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yestolerancepro · 1 year ago

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My dear girl, there are some things that just aren't done, such as drinking Dom Perignon '53 above the temperature of 38 degrees Fahrenheit. That's just as bad as listening to The Beatles without earmuffs!” A blog inspired by the music world of James Bond Part 3B View to a Kill a sad Goodbye to Roger Moore and More

Introduction

Hello there and welcome to another episode of my blog that looks at the musical tastes of James Bond over the last 60 years the last episode looked at the Bond films that I don’t like for various reasons this chapter continues that trend.

I really have mixed feelings about A View to a Kill if you asked the 8 year old me about it in 1985 what I felt about It I would have said I was really excited after all Roger Moore was my favourite Bond and their was a lot of Buzz around the film it seemed to be everywhere I remember one offer on Smith crisps offering a Free Poster I eat all the crisps and got myself one it looked really exciting the Tagline for View to a Kill was Has James Bond Finally Met his Match judging by the Posters and the film trailers I really thought they would kill James Bond off they wouldn’t do that would they ?

Jumping ahead 38 years and taking off my rose tinted glasses I wore as an 8 year as the Doctor says in a 1984 episode called Warriors of the Deep “there should have been another way” and in the case of View to a kill I agree with him.

The film starts really well a great title song by Duran Duran you can watch the video for the song by clicking here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fp4CR2HcHLQ&list=PL17vqAEJv6CUxmeZBk3JGDLBbcPEd4CDp&index=39 It also has one of the best pre-title sequences ever featured in a Bond film. But that’s about as good as the film gets.

The Villians in the film namely Max Zorin and his Hench woman May Day played by Grace Jones are both just way over the top even for A Bond film.

I even find Tanya Roberts as Stacey Sutton off putting as well as she seems to channelling Faye Ray from King Kong in her performance.

When Roger Moore himself dislikes the film you know there is something wrong. I love Roger Moore as Bond but his era shouldn’t have ended like this he should have left the series with his head held high at the end of For Your Eyes only or Octopussy.

I don’t know what made them do this but the What Culture website decided to give Christropher Walken’s performance as Max Zorin the best bond moment of the film,

A View to a Kill is quite possibly the worst James Bond film ever made. It's been widely criticized for still having Roger Moore as Bond even though he's visibly almost 60 years old, and the sight of this far-too-old action hero awkwardly stumbling his way through the action scenes and bedding women young enough to be his daughters is a great analogy for the movie itself.

View is every bit as energy-free and cringe-worthy as its lead performance, thanks to its disastrous mixture of terrible action, risible comedy and total lack of zest, but as has been said before, greatness lies within every Bond movie. In this case, Christopher Walken is legitimately brilliant as main villain Max Zorrin.

Both fiendishly entertaining and chillingly evil, the great actor is absolutely magnetic every moment he's on screen and he's so good it feels like you're watching a different, far better movie every time he appears.

Comparisons to Alan Rickman in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves - a terrible movie that only becomes watchable when Rickman's incredible villain is on screen - would be completely justified here.

His Super intelligence also makes Max Zorin a great bond baddie according to the Screen Rant article the top 10 Bond Villians with Super Powers where Max Zorin landed at number 5 in their list Screen Rant had this to say about his brain power

By the time A View to a Kill was released in 1985, Roger Moore was arguably too old to play Bond and it wasn't believable for him to fight henchmen with superhuman abilities. The 57-year-old no longer looked like he could take on men with robotic arms. The filmmaker's solution to this was Max Zorin, a byproduct of Nazi experimentation that lead to hyper-intelligence. While not as visually spectacular as other Bond villains, Christopher Walken lends Zorin an eerie presence that gives the very goofy film some stakes.

Likewise Mayday came in at number 3 on Moviewebs list of the Deadliest women in the Bond Franchise Yes she is but she is still bloody awful here is what Movieweb said about Mayday

Portrayed by model, singer, and actress Grace Jones, May Day is the fierce and incredibly strong lover and bodyguard of the German KGB operative-turned-billionaire industrialist Max Zorin. She is also responsible for selecting and training all his female guards, and assassinating anyone he deems a threat, whether via strangulation, a poisoned stage prop, drowning, or defenestration.

After being betrayed by Zorin, she joins forces with Bond (Moore), but is killed by an explosion. Her dying wish from Bond is, “Get Zarin for me!”.

Jones’ portrayal is so on-point that, according to her autobiography, even Moore himself was afraid of her on set.

The film is also way too violent there is way too much killing in it particularity in the last 20 mins why the film only got a PG rating is beyond me

To watch a retrospective review of A View to a kill from Oliver Harper’s You Tube channel click here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YsuG2nOmbrs Sorry about the unintended pun

To watch a trailer for View to a kill click here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=buOK9kJIJA4

To watch a tribute to Roger Moore from the You Tube channel Jo Blo orignals click here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FX8JsR1D9Vc&list=PL17vqAEJv6CV1syq4_fFKgBwSqGdJzH9z&index=286

To watch a short video which shows Roger Moore best bits of James Bond Click here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ee4ghr-Y1tI&list=PL17vqAEJv6CV1syq4_fFKgBwSqGdJzH9z&index=287&t=45s

To read an article on how the Roger Moore James Bond films are ranked by James Bond fans click here https://www.cinemablend.com/news/2555559/roger-moores-james-bond-movies-ranked

To watch a tribuite video for a View to a kill click here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46x4H9heJoM

Further reading

According to this article A view to a kill is the best bond film of the franchise click here to read it https://movieweb.com/james-bond-a-view-to-kill-best-movie-in-franchise/

Licence to Kill

The last James Bond of the 80’s and the last James Bond film to star Timothy Dalton which to me was a shame as he was excellent in the Living Daylights but for me this is not the way Timothy’s Bond should have gone.

But once again let start with the positives first and finish with the negatives later the film has an excellant title track by Gladyis Knight.

The Music

Here is a little background on the song with thanks to Wikipedia.

Initially Vic Flick, who had played lead guitar on Monty Norman's original 007 theme, and Eric Clapton were asked to write and perform the theme song to Licence to Kill and they produced a theme to match Dalton's gritty performance, but the producers turned it down[30] and instead Gladys Knight's song and performance was chosen. The song was based on the "horn line" from "Goldfinger", seen as an homage to the film of the same name,[30] which required royalty payments to the original writers.[31] The song gave Knight her first British top-ten hit since 1977.[32] The end credits feature the Top 10 R&B hit "If You Asked Me To", sung by Patti LaBelle.[33]

The song was composed by Narada Michael Walden, Jeffrey Cohen and Walter Afanasieff, based on the "horn line" from Goldfinger, which required royalty payments to the original writers.[3] At 5 minutes 13 seconds it is the longest Bond theme, though 45 single releases featured a shorter edit, running 4 minutes 11 seconds. The version used in the movie itself was edited to 2 minutes 53 seconds

To watch a video for the song click here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1iRaS3gqws&list=PL17vqAEJv6CUxmeZBk3JGDLBbcPEd4CDp&index=41

On the production front Carey Lowell is excellant as Pam Bouvier she made number 15 in Collider films list of the 16 best Bond girls this what they had to say about her:

Timothy Dalton’s tenure as Bond, albeit being just two movies, is the most underrated era in the franchise’s long and illustrious history. Nestled within it are some of the most raw and engaging characters the Bond films have to offer, which is brought to the fore in Licence to Kill as it combines the Bond movie formula with a gritty revenge narrative.

As Bond strives to avenge his friend and colleague Felix Leiter, he finds a valuable ally in Leiter’s CIA collaborator Pam Bouvier (Carey Lowell). A former fighter pilot for the U.S., Bouvier is more than capable of looking after herself and even rescues Bond as they seek justice for their comrade.

The films Villain is very good if slightly underrated Robert Davi plays Franz Sanchez in Licence to Kill The Collider Website rated his performance as number 1 in their top 10 list of James Bonds underated Villains so what makes him so good.

The films spawned from Timothy Dalton’s brief tenure as 007 boasted a toughness their predecessors lacked but still had a healthy appetite for flamboyance when the opportunity arose. While this resulted in an underwhelming villain in The Living Daylights, the franchise struck gold in Licence to Kill with Robert Davi’s Franz Sanchez.

A violent and ruthless drug dealer, Sanchez attracts the ire of Bond when he had Felix Leiter maimed and his wife brutally murdered on their wedding day. Sanchez is one of the most violent villains Bond has ever encountered, and yet the intimidating criminal was made all the more compelling thanks to his moral code and the value he placed on loyalty.

The Death of Franz Sanchez in Licence to Kill was highlighted in the Screenrant.com article as one of the 6 moments that defined 007 in the article they comment

Timothy Dalton only played Bond in two movies, but he’s been lauded for being the most faithful to Ian Fleming’s source material. Dalton’s Bond is a cold, calculated killing machine. His second and final outing, Licence to Kill, is a violent revenge thriller that sees 007 abandoning his official MI6 assignment to pursue a personal vendetta against drug lord Franz Sanchez for killing Felix Leiter’s bride. In the explosive climax of the movie, 007 lights Sanchez on fire with the lighter that Felix gave him as a gift. This moment is an appropriately brutal ending to the darkest Bond film, and the use of Felix’s wedding gift offers poetic justice.

Franz Sanchez was also included in the screenrant article Every James Bonds Iconic Villain Ranked in that article they say

Timothy Dalton only ever appeared in two Bond films, but out of his two villains, Licence to Kill’s Franz Sanchez is much more memorable than The Living Daylights’ Brad Whitaker. Whitaker is a typically smarmy arms dealer who adheres to all the Bond villain clichés, but Sanchez is wholly unique within the 007 canon. Licence to Kill is basically Bond versus Scarface as 007 pursues a personal vendetta against a ruthless drug lord. Sanchez is one of the most brutal Bond villains. He kills and maims people for fun. He’s so evil that he gets the audience emotionally invested in Bond’s fight against him.

Q Branch

The film makes good use of Q as well which is always an added bonus when 007 makes Q an agent to help in his revenge scheme which gives Desmond Lewleyns Q probably his longest appearance in a Bond film he also brings with him a whole load of gadgets to help Bond on his quest these include:

Exploding alarm clock

"Guaranteed never to wake up anybody who uses it."[84]

Signature camera gun

A camera that can be taken apart and assembled into a sniper rifle. The grip is programmed to recognize only Bond's hand.[85]

Laser Polaroid camera

When the flash is used on this camera, it shoots a laser. It can also take x-ray pictures.[11][3][9]

Broom radio

used by Q to communicate with Bond's companion while disguised as a grounds man. Q throws this item away after using it.[7]

By far the Best gadget in Qs overnight bag is the Dentonite Toothpaste which also made number 8 in Den of the Geeks Top Ten of the Best Gadgets used in the Bond films.

A Bond movie wouldn’t be complete without explosives. All manner of situations require a little dynamite to help an agent on their way, and Q usually had an ingenious method to hide these lethal gadgets in plain sight. For License To Kill, the movie took an unexpected approach, relying on a household item. However, unlike other equipment from the series, this was not based on a real-world brand.

His Majesty’s Secret Service had transformed a tube of toothpaste into an explosive device. Comedically titled Detonite, the false branding alluded to the contents within. It’s terrifying that someone could have mistakenly used this product as was intended, but James Bond took advantage of the gadget when he made an assassination attempt on Franz Sanchez (Robert Davi). While his goal was unsuccessful, the toothpaste itself destructed without issue. A cleverly disguised cigarette packet became the detonator in another spectacular design choice.

So what's my issue with Licence to Kill?

I get that the film is a revenge story but the film is ruined by too much killing Timothy Dalton who was excellent in Living Daylights is turned into a John McClane clone.

James Bond is not Bruce Willis The tag in this film should be James Bond meets Die Hard and for me its not a good look.

To watch a retrospective review of Licence to Kill from the Oliver Harper You Tube page click herehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DL10kuq39gw&t=8s

To watch a video of Timothy Daltons best moments as James Bond click here

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3XJu4vWLUSs

If you have read and liked this blog please consider giving the Tolerance project a donation by clicking on the above link https://gofund.me/5cf25de4

Pictures

1) Smiths Crisps View to a kill Poster Promotion

2) Poster for a view to a kill

3) Max Zorin

4)Tanya Roberts as Stacy Sutton

5) Grace Jones as May Day

6 a foreign poster for Licence to Kill

7) Cary Lowell as Pam Bovier with Timothy Dolton as James Bond

8) Robert Davi as Franz Sanchez

Notes Thanks to Oliver Harper for the respective on Licence to Kill also thanks to Stormchaser Z for the video on Timothy Daltons best moments as Bond thanks also to the following websites Den of the Geek for their article the top ten best gadgets used on the Bond films What Culture website for their best moments and the Culder website for the 16 best Bond girls article also Wikipedia for some of the background material.

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imathers · 2 years ago

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youtube

2022: Aidan Baker Corner

I’ve mentioned this in, I think, several reviews I’ve written of records Aidan Baker plays on at this point, but dude is very prolific. Like I suspect most listeners I first encountered him in immense drone doom duo Nadja but he’s in a bunch of other groups/duos/etc as well, and puts out lots of solo material as well. At the end of the year he made an Instagram post listing all of his 2022 releases and even though I’d heard a ton, I think I was still under half?

I do like a lot of his stuff; he tends to work in genres and modes I enjoy, and he’s very good at them. But at this point putting a bunch of them on my “top 40″ feels vaguely counterproductive (only in terms of covering what I listened to this year). (This also can make it hard to review, because I’ve said a lot about his music at this point and don’t want to repeat myself.) But he also consistently makes some of my favourite records of the year. So who knows how often I’ll listen to and love enough of his work that a lil’ mini-list just for him makes sense, but I was kind of amused that it did even just for one year. After the cut, a quick roundup of what my top picks for 2022 were, with links to the Bandcamp pages.

Aidan Baker — The Evelyn Tables

Named after the earliest known “anatomical preparations” in Europe, the track titles here are things like “CNS” and “Distribution of Veins“ and the sound (based entirely I believe around guitar, both electric and acoustic) is “textural ambient drone.” Very gentle and soothing, kind of crepuscular, potentially more background-y than even his other ambient stuff but in a very successful way. Has he done soundtracks? Someone should get him to do soundtracks.

Aidan Baker — Tenebrist

A solo power trio record, instrumental again but a lot more riff-based and fuzzy. Still textural (and FWIW, still excellent working music in my opinion), but maybe textural sludge instead of ambient. Heavy in a very basic, direct way and I mean that as a compliment.

Baker Ja Lehtisalo — Crocodile Tears

This is an interesting one; Lehtisalo is the main guy from Circle, a pretty interesting Finnish metal/experimental band who’ve been around for a while an done a lot. I’m not super familiar, but if you haven’t heard the record they did a few years ago with Richard Dawson, you should. He and Baker both play a bit of everything here, with Lehtisalo’s keyboards and vocals being the most audibly distinct new bits. These are palpably songs but long, dense, repetitive ones; the 14.5 minutes of the opening “(And I Want Your Perfect) Crocodile Tears“ (longest song on the record!) should tell you whether you’re on its wavelength.

Nadja — Labyrinthine

I didn’t save the two records from arguably Baker’s “main” gig with partner Leah Buckareff for the end; we’re doing alphabetical order, as always. But I did include a video for (half of) one of the tracks from this record at the beginning of this post because it’s my favourite, and honestly one of my favourite records of the year, full stop. It’s also, along with the Hatchie, the one I’m the most sad and frustrated that I couldn’t pull together a review of. At least in this case it’s partly because I reviewed another (excellent) Nadja LP in 2022. The fact that the two “main” Nadja LPs in 2022 included distinctly novel elements for the duo (four guest vocalists here, a drummer on Nalepa) is not, I think, an indication that the core concept of the band is lagging or running out of steam. I mean, I thought Luminous Rot kicked ass too! But it’s definitely exciting to see what four very different vocalists brought to Nadja’s music here, and how the duo changed things up to match each singer. The biggest praise I can give: I would listen to full LPs by all four of these distinct “bands.”

Nadja — Nalepa

Okay, so this one I reviewed. And if I wound up slightly more excited by Labyrinthine, more bands should strive to have something this good be the second-best thing they’ve released recently. Record live in studio, Ángela Muñoz Martínez brings a lot to this record. I frequently find myself wanting to compare Baker’s work in this mode (with Nadja or elsewhere) to, like, storm systems and this one really keeps putting that in my head. I also liked his solo accompanying LP of the same name but it felt like cheating to include that here too and these mini-lists already feel enough like cheating.

#2022 review #music #aidan baker #nadja

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8iunie · 2 years ago

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Måneskin: ‘People are going to talk s**t about you. It’s part of the game’

From X Factor to Eurovision to interstellar fame, the Italian rockers have turned not being cool into a superpower (posted on 21.01.2023)

Down a video link from Rome, Gen Z’s favourite rock band, Måneskin, are making enthusiastic thumbs-up gestures. “Yeah, yeah, yeah,” says guitarist Thomas Raggi, in his rich and rococo Italian accent. “We’re gonna vote for Ireland,” agrees frontman Damiano David. “Go for it.”

The Irish Times has just canvassed Måneskin’s opinion about Public Image Limited singer John Lydon’s ambition to represent Ireland at Eurovision 2023. The former Johnny Rotten wants to boldly go where no punk iconoclast has previously ventured by following in the footsteps of Dana, Johnny Logan and Dustin the Turkey.

Johnny Rotten singing for Ireland is, in theory, an absurd proposition. But so is the idea of an Italian rock band in sex-dungeon dungarees conquering Eurovision with lyrics such as “you better hold on to your balls”. Which is exactly what Måneskin achieved in Rotterdam in 2021 with the zinging Zitti e Buoni (“Shut Up and Behave”).

Indeed it is arguable Lydon might not have even considered Eurovision were it not for Måneskin. Squeezed into unforgiving leather trousers, tattoos on proud display, they gatecrashed Rotterdam with red eyes and flared nostrils. In doing so, they refashioned Europe’s pre-eminent cheesefest in their own image. Eurovision has been a lot of things in the past 20 years. It took Måneskin to make it cool.

Since then they haven’t looked back. Måneskin have won Best Rock Act at the MTV Europe Music Awards, supported The Rolling Stones in Las Vegas and covered Elvis’s I Can Dream for Baz Luhrmann’s hit Presley biopic.

Now, they are about to open the most exciting chapter of their career to date with the release on January 19th of their fantastic third album, Rush! It captures the group at their most riotous – so much so that it comes as a shock to learn it was produced by Taylor Swift/Britney Spears collaborator Max Martin. At moments they sound like Queen trapped in a Fellini movie. Elsewhere, they’re straight-ahead punk. At one point they appear to be channelling Rage Against The Machine – hardly a surprise since RATM guitarist Tom Morello guests on new single Gossip.

“We’re trying to play with our own rules. And not the rules that in the past five to 10 years have dominated the music industry,” says David (24), earrings glinting in the harsh studio light.

Måneskin don’t claim to be reinventing the wheel. Still, they are well aware of how much they stand out in a musical landscape dominated by pop.

“We go on TV shows and play rock music. Which is uncommon. We do analogue music, which is uncommon. We are a four-piece band,” says David, radiating lounge-lizard charisma. “There are a lot of things in how we create or project and how we show ourselves… I wouldn’t say it’s unique. It isn’t anything that hasn’t been done before. But it’s unique in today’s environment.”

Måneskin have come along at the perfect moment. Mainstream rock, comatose for a least a decade, is crying out for a recharge. Now the status quo has been upended by a group who make headbanging riffs and cock-a-hoop bass solos seem as fresh and daring as Harry Styles in a dress.

“A lot of people love us because we are showing them something that feels new,” says David. “For a lot of kids, rock music is new.”

It isn’t just the kids. Iggy Pop cameos on Måneskin’s 2021 single, I Wanna Be Your Slave. At Coachella last year, Jared Leto sought them out for a selfie. Chris Martin insisted David have lunch with him on that same trip. People don’t simply like Måneskin – they adore them.

“We get messages where people say, ‘my five-year-old is now obsessed with Rage Against The Machine because he listened to your song,’” says David. “Basically if you want to make it simple: we sound new for many different reasons – even though we are not new.”

Not all new fans are as welcome. After the Eurovision, French president Emmanuel Macron suggested Måneskin be disqualified because of the “fake cocaine” controversy [see below]. One of those rallying to their defence was right-wing politician Giorgia Meloni. She was subsequently appointed prime minister of Italy. The musicians weren’t aware of her intervention on their behalf before The Irish Times brings it up, and would rather Meloni keep her opinions to herself.

“I don’t want support from them,” says Raggi.

Måneskin’s music isn’t explicitly political. But they know where they stand. And it isn’t with Meloni’s populist Brothers of Italy party. Following her election, David took to Instagram to lament Italy’s drift to the right. “Today is a sad day for my country,” he wrote, linking to a story in newspaper La Repubblica.

“I would do it again. One hundred per cent,” he says, shrugging. “I don’t even know what to say. It’s hard not to say something offending [about Meloni and her supporters]. It’s clear that we’re making the same mistakes that we made in the past. Maybe we didn’t study the story well enough. Our generation is not going to make the same mistakes, hopefully. Italy has a very good taste for old-fashioned things. It doesn’t surprise me,” he continues, referring to Italy’s history of supporting right-wing politicians.

The band formed in Rome in 2016. David, Raggi and bassist Victoria De Angelis [who is under the weather and sitting out the interview] knew each other from high school. They met Ethan Torchio, from the suburb of Frosinone, after advertising for a drummer on Facebook.

De Angelis came up with their name. “Måneskin” is Danish for moonlight. The bassist suggested it, in part as tribute to her Danish mother who died when her daughter was 15. From there they had a rapid ascent. A stint busking in central Rome was followed by a tilt at X Factor Italy, where they blitzed their way to the final with molten versions of Somebody Told Me by The Killers and Take Me Out by Franz Ferdinand. Then came Eurovision and the global stage.

Måneskin are great fun. But the energy rippling through their music is interwoven with a fascination with the dark side of human nature. Gossip, for instance, interrogates the American dream and finds it wanting. “Welcome to the city of lies/ Where everything’s got a price,” they sing. They also take on Christianity. The Eurovision winner Zitti e Buoni contains the marvellously baroque lyric, “I wrote above a tombstone: ‘In my house there is no God.’”

“None of us is very Catholic. We don’t have that much influence. We have the opposite influence,” says David. “We feel the weight of the church on society, on our country. We see how late we are on many, many things because of the influence of the church. We have this hateful relationship.”

He pauses, at pains not to be misinterpreted. “I would like to make it clear that [Måneskin’s problems] are with the institution of the church. Nothing against religion. It’s a beautiful thing. The institution of the church and the money-laundering and all that… I’ll shut up.”

Eurovision was a baptism for Måneskin. However, their coming-out party threatened to turn sour amid an ersatz scandal over David supposedly taking cocaine. A photograph of the singer leaning over the table in the green room was seized on as evidence of illicit drug use.

The image was beamed around the world. There were calls – from Macron and others – for the group to be stripped of their title. Which is what prompted Meloni’s unwelcome intervention. David passed a drugs test and was cleared of any inappropriate behaviour. By then, though, Måneskin were all over the front pages and the talk of the internet. Did they fear they had blown it?

“We were laughing,” says David. “But we were pissed off. We were not worried about anything. The thing that disturbed me was that we had done something meaningful and great. We were a four-piece rock band from 20 to 22 years old who were breaking the hugest TV show in Europe. This was being overshadowed by some assholes who were not good at accepting the loss. I was pissed off that they had the power to do it. And that people were letting them do it.”

They made peace with the controversy by accepting that it was merely a downside of success. Once you achieve a certain level of celebrity, people will come after you.

“We know that being famous and winning and having a good career leads to criticism,” says David. “People are going to wait for you to make some mistake and talk s**t about you. It’s part of the game. You have to be stronger than it. If you are able to make irony about it and laugh about it… It’s kind of a superpower.”

There have been other controversies. Their performance of Supermodel from the 2022 MTV VMA Awards was heavily edited to conceal De Angelis’s exposed breast (though the cameras still caught David’s bare-bummed chap trousers).

“They have weird censorship rules,” says David of MTV and American broadcasting in general. “You can show guns and people dancing on huge dicks on stage. You cannot show a female nipple. I think it was worse for them than for us. We did our performance. They showed how it doesn’t make sense – their politics.”

Rush! copperfastens Måneskin’s status as the most exciting force in mainstream rock. It confirms, too, that they are magpies, with David drawing on everyone from Freddie Mercury to Kurt Cobain. And from Bono. U2 are adored in Italy and David says that their influence has seeped into his band.

“U2 have been so big it’s impossible not to be influenced. Indirectly, you’re influenced. The idea of the big frontman and blah blah blah. I think that indirectly it has been very strong. Also, putting the political into the music… they really changed that. Made it more common.”

The comparison goes beyond music. U2 were never much bothered about being cool. They never went out of fashion because they weren’t particularly fashionable to begin with. The same is true of Måneskin. From X Factor to Eurovision to interstellar fame, they have turned not being cool into a superpower, as David acknowledges.

“It’s a bit insecure to have this mindset [of wanting to be credible]. The idea that if you go to a pop environment, you’re not rock any more. It’s insecurity. Fortunately we were confident enough of our music and our identity to not think a stage or a TV show could change us. In fact, it didn’t happen. We brought ourselves everywhere we went. It was always the right thing to do. It is the only advice we could give to anybody. Bring yourself to the table. Don’t try to conform.”

Writer: Ed Power for The Irish Times

#måneskin #maneskin #article #interview #january 2023 #my posts 💫#the irish times

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sunflowerryvol6 · 4 years ago

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Movement - H.S

Warnings - Angst

WC - 2.4k

Hey! So I promise I don't intend to write such angsty things, but it just came to me! Hope you like it. Feedback is always welcome, and my ask box is open for requests. This might have a part two, but I'm not sure yet, let me know if you would like it. Please like and reblog. I have some more non-angsty ideas, but I'm stuck, so I'll try to work on them and put them out.

Masterlist

Today Mohini sat by the windowsill in her parent's home, silently counting fruits on the mango tree in her neighbours' yard. Teentaal played in the back. Shed, she was doing her warm-ups when she got distracted. The dark green raw mangoes were a clear sign that summer has begun in full swing. She and Harry had come down to India arguably during the worst time of the year. But this was the only time her guru(teacher) could give her the time she needed during the year. Mohini has been up since 5 am in doing stretches for a very strenuous riyaaz by herself before stepping away for class with her teacher.

Harry wasn't awake yet, he usually wakes up by around 7, and she's well into her hour-long tatkar footwork by then. She comes out to the terrace balcony to open up and use the more vacant space for chakkars (pirouettes). She sets her mat down and starts with sun salutations and some prayer. Silently working on arm movements where teentaal plays dimly in the background. She thinks back to how she and Baba would do riyaaz together. She had become a dancer because of him, of course. He was the one that pushed her to pursue her dream to become a dancer. If not for Baba, she'd have never met Harry. The same Harry who was now asleep in the room upstairs, who she doesn't want to wake up so early, which is why she pushes tatkar to the last of her riyaaz. She makes a mental note to tell him all about the time she and Jaya stole mangoes from their neighbours' yard and how she wants to show him how to do it, to recreate that memory in a way. With that thought, she goes back to working on her pirouettes.

He's not really used to the muggy heat in Mumbai, but it's not too unpleasant. They try to avoid stepping out when it's hot anyway. Today he's pleasantly lulled out of sleep by the sound of her ghungroos. This his favourite way to wake up, he thinks. That lights up an idea in his mind. He knows she'll be working on her footwork for a bit. It gave him enough time to scour through his stuff and find his latest purchase, the Exakta RTL 1000. He knew it was the right moment to take it out for a spin. A Photowalk was due, but with their conflicting schedules, they hadn't ventured into town yet. Staying close by in the suburbs, so Mohini could help out with her dance teachers classes. They did have plans to explore the city, maybe go away for the weekend, but hadn't been in a rush. They were here all throughout the Indian summer and some of the monsoon. He slowly walked down the stairs, camera in hand, ventured out into the balcony where he knew the music was coming from. He could hear her feet patter away to the rhythm of the music. Looking at her right now, he's taken back to the first time he'd seen her at the dance studio a few years ago. He'd been there rehearsing for treat people with kindness music video, and she was in the studio room right next to his, blasting Fineline. It had really caught him by surprise, so he wanted to see who was playing the music. He was met with Mohini at her finest, in a red flowy cotton tunic and loose linen pants, she had these gold bells tied to her ankles that he now knows are called ghungroos. She was performing to his song, easy to say he was in awe. The way she moved effortlessly to the music, was really a treat to watch. He stood by the door and watched her perform to the whole 6 minute song, tearing up by end at intensity and fervour her performance exuded. He knew then that he was done for. After watching her for so long, he felt obligated to tell her how much he loved it. He approached her, only for her to get really startled and then upset that he was eavesdropping. He apologised of course, but he was expecting her to recognise him, considering the song, you know? Turns out, her friend had hooked her up to a gig at an art gallery in London to do an experimental piece; and she also suggested the song. Mohini really had no clue about him. What were the odds that she would run into this international pop star in a beat-up studio in Hampstead? But that's precisely what happened. He asked her if he could attend this said performance since it was his song and all. She reluctantly agreed and told him where it was. He went there the next week, in a poor disguise, to catch the least attention possible. But he needn't have done that, because nobody cared who he was, at Akademi Dance, they were there for her. They watched in awe, tearing up just like he did that same week. He didn't need a better sign. It was love at first sight, really, at least for him. He called Jeff after that performance and had his management contact her. It wasn't that hard. She was very known with the south Asian classical dance community but tough to book. So he went back to that studio in hopes of finding her there. Today he's not ashamed to admit, that he went there consistently for 2 weeks before she showed up, surprised to see him there. He told her what he had in mind.

Today that's known as one of the most viewed classical meets western ballad performance. They had to contact the gallery to erase any trace of that performance. Mohini rechoreographed it to the music, with Harry and his inputs, though they were very few, if at all. With his audience, she had dance companies contacting from all over the world. But all Moh wanted was to stay in London and teach. The one thing he hopes, she remembers fondly, is her falling in love with him during that project. Rest is history. He went on tour for the album. She continued teaching, performing a fair bit. The two met up at different venues, depending on where the other person was.

The morning sun hitting her just right, sweat glistening her face and chest. She had a thin gold chain with an H pendant around her neck which swayed as she moved. Her hair was slightly damp, likely from the heat and her practice. Mohini's side was facing him. She was wearing a light pink tunic with loose white linen pants. He was waiting for her to turn so he could quickly capture the elation on her face that he knows is there when she's practising. "Moh! Why don't yeh give me dazzle?"

She turns when she hears Harry, quickly covering her face with her palms. "H! I'm so sweaty right now! Stop it!" she's laughing now. Having stopped dancing, he chases her around the balcony getting as many photos of her as he could. He stops when he's cornered her at the edge. Her back hit the rim of the balcony, she leaning outwards. He puts the camera on the table where her speakers are placed and locks her within his hold. Both hands on either side of her waist, she's breathing heavily now, adrenaline coursing through her. He slowly moves one finger to swipe the sweat that gathered on her exposed chest. Her breath hitches at that, taking in the look in his eyes, but she knows she can't back away now, so she takes charge, grabbing him by his face, inching closer to kiss him. Just when he thinks she's going to kiss him, she leans forward and gently nibbles on his ear, which has his knees weak. She whispers, "Think we should smoke that blunt, Jaya got us last week", and ducks under his arm, laughing as she runs back into the house. "I'll get yeh back fo' that, Moh! Just wait yeh little minx," shaking his head smiling.

That evening, Moh and Harry brought out the works. She only smoked when she felt the tension to release some of that pent up energy. Harry will use any excuse to spend some time with this girl, knowing he wouldn't get any time with her this summer. They were here for her work, after all. So he pulled out all the stops for the night, went out and got her favourite snacks, whipped up some quick salad for dinner, knowing they would be gorging on munchies. He set up a blanket on the balcony floor, brought out all the food while she showered upstairs. He had been working on some writing and recording today. They brought a bunch of their recording equipment along, so Harry could set up in her dad's study. Ever since her parents passed, her home in Bombay laid vacant for her to use whenever she pleased. Coming home to an empty house had been hard for her last year, but Harry had been there by her side through everything. Cleaning out all the supplies, arranging things, throwing out old items and keeping things that would remind her of her parents. He made it home for her that year. So when she was asked by her teacher to spend the summer here, she readily agreed because Harry would be with her, and going back home wouldn't feel so morose. The first week had just been setting up the house to their liking. They were just about getting comfortable around the house. Somehow Harry knew the terrace balcony was special for her, so that's where he'd set up their make-shift date night. She walked in, wet hair from her shower dripping all over. She was wearing one of his loose t-shirts and he was lounging in a pair of white shorts. He looked up at her, smiling softly. "How was class today? Is Madhuri doing any better?"

"Yeah, I think so, she is, but she was resting, we did some footwork with the kids, movement exercises and whatnot, and with me, we just went over some of the stuff I'd been working on back home", she smiles.

He sits down, leaning against the railing, and pats the spot next to him, silently motioning her to join him. She does so, reaching her place and leaning in to kiss him on his nose before picking up the joint. She lights it and takes a long drag from it. "I miss baba", she exhales.

He takes the joint from her, "Know yeh do, pet. D'ya want to talk about it?"

"No. I just hadn't said that out loud in so long. Felt like it was eating away at me, y'know?"

"Yeah, know what yeh mean, s'okay though, we can just sit here and take that in for a bit."

"Madhuri Ji, asked me if I'd considered coming back," she said

"Yeah? Well, yeh are here now, and we'll be here all summer." He added

"No, I think she meant moving back here, but I didn't give her an answer yet"

"Are yeh really considering that? Thought we were looking to put the down payment for that house in Chelsea when we went back?" He asked, slightly confused

"Yeah, I mean, we are, but I didn't want to not consider it. I'd be able to help her out with classes more often, work on new projects with artists that I don't get to back home, and just" she pauses ", I just wanted some time to think about it, y'know."

"Okay, well, yeh know I've got to go back after the summer, pet, if you'd like to stay for longer, that's okay, we can figure something out." He sighed. He knew Vrindavan was vital to her. She had too many memories attached to it. She thought she had time with those here, but with her parents passing away in an accident last year, it really took that opportunity away from her. So now she felt cheated of her good memories of her home. He knew she'd want to keep this place, but they'd always talked about settling in London and coming down here for her performances and to meet Madhuri. Something changed her heart, and she seemed unsure of their plan to settle in London.

He kissed her softly and put an arm around her, bringing her close to him, "We'll sort it out, darling. Baba and Ma are going to be with yeh no matter what."

That conversation ended with them lazily passing the joint, munching on the snack laid out. Both of them passed out contently in each other's arms out in the open terrace that night.

Come monsoon that year, Moh decided she wouldn't go back to London, so she sat on her bed, watching the love of her life pack away all his stuff to leave for his home the following day. The yellow light of their room fell on him, which only made him look more beautiful. She realised how much she would miss watching him play her his new songs sitting in the same spot he sat now. Rain poured mercilessly, almost as if Bombay was weeping at the state of their relationship. She didn't want this to end, but she also couldn't leave the only semblance of her father behind. She wanted Harry to stay, desperately hoping he would make it work, but she also knew that wasn't rational. He couldn't fly back and forth so often, it would be detrimental to his health. So she turned her face away to wipe the tears that lined her waterline.

"I wish you'd at least consider coming back with me. If yeh still don' like it there, you can come right back, Moh" his voice shaky, she knew if she listened to him any longer, she wouldn't be able to hold her sobs back. So she looked at him with this vacant look, tears brimming in her eyes. "I'm not ready for that yet, Harry. I don't think I will be. It's not fair to you."

"Okay then, if you change your mind, know I'll be waiting for yeh, pet" he wipes away a lone tear and goes back to packing.

The following day she waves Harry goodbye and rushes to the balcony terrace to watch him go gently twisting the H hanging from her neck. The mangoes are long gone, so is the light from those summer mornings.

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caspianjames · 3 years ago

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BONUS Up And Coming: Julie and the Phantoms

Up and Coming: Julie and the Phantoms Jennifer McCreedy, Junior Correspondent

On this month’s issue of Up and Coming I had the privilege of sitting down with one of America’s biggest up and coming bands, Julie and the Phantoms. Julie Molina (17), Reggie Peters (18), Alex Mercer (17), and Luke Patterson (17) began rapidly gaining popularity as YouTube stars last fall. They created music videos for songs they wrote themselves, editing them to appear as if the band were ghosts “popping in” behind Julie. Don’t understand what I mean? You can click here to check it out for yourself!

The band has a strong air of camaraderie, and it’s the first thing I notice when I walk into the room with them. They’re all piled on our big interview couch, Molina and Mercer are pressed together whispering. Patterson is bantering with Peters and flicks him in the forehead. They’re like any group of teenagers bordering on adulthood, excited and eager to please. It’s immediately apparent that to all of them, the band has a deep meaning of friendship and support.

Of course, the first topic of conversation was about the band - what inspired the structure of their music videos, how they got their name, and which came first - the ghost music videos or the ghost band!

“Since my mom died, my brother has really been into ghosts,” Molina explained to me. “It was actually his idea for the band to pop in like that. My dad does videography as his job, so he was able to help us film and edit. My best friend, Flynn Taylor, came up with the band name.”

The boys all laugh when I ask if they liked the name right away or if there were discussions before they went public with it. “Flynn doesn’t do discussions,” Mercer smiles at Julie like there’s an inside joke there. There probably is, seeing how close these four are. “They came up with the name and made us posters, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter before even asking us what we thought.”

“We loved it,” Peters is quick to jump in. “And we love Flynn. She knew we’d like it, or they wouldn’t have gone ahead with everything.”

Flynn Taylor, Julie’s best friend, doubles as the band manager - she is on tour with them, but opted not to be present for the interview.

Since beginning their tour with Panic! At the Disco, all their videos have amassed over one million views each on YouTube and their music has been released on Spotify with startlingly quick success. Molina, I discovered, is actually the newest member of the band, although I would never have known from watching the four bandmates interact. She is also the youngest by a year, having just had her seventeenth birthday as the boys are all turning eighteen, but she holds herself with a quiet confidence that all the boys seem to look to. Even this early into the interview they defer to her to answer questions and look to her for reactions to their own answers.

This made it especially surprising to find out that the band existed before Julie joined it, just under a different name. Sunset Curve. Clearly, it did not have the popularity that Julie and the Phantoms has even a few months into their creation. “We played a couple school shows and stuff,” Patterson told me, “but nothing clicked until we met Julie.” Luke Patterson carries a humming energy with him that comes across in his words. In true rocker fashion, he struggles to sit still, tapping his fingers on his thighs and softly bouncing on the couch.

Unsurprisingly, Molina used similar words to describe the band’s first meeting. “The first time I sang with them at school we just clicked,” she says, smiling at Luke.

Of course, given their success, I had to ask the question everyone wants to know. How did they end up opening for Panic! At the Disco, despite being relatively unknown outside the Los Angeles music scene previous to their debut at The Orpheum?

“We’ve seen some wild theories,” Mercer confides to me with a small smile on his face. He is arguably the most subdued of the group and generally seems content to watch his bandmates answer my questions. Don’t be fooled, though - not only is he a phenomenal drummer, he also sings backup vocals for Julie and the Phantoms. “My favouirte theory was one that caught a lot of steam on Twitter about us using ‘ghost powers’,” he adds air quotes with his hands and laughs, “to hide the scheduled opener’s tour bus and then pop into the venue in their place at the time they were supposed to perform.”

The whole band laughs at this - clearly it is a favourite theory amongst them. Peters adds, though, that it was clearly an unfounded theory given that “Julie doesn’t have any ghost powers, anyways. That’s why it’s Julie and the Phantoms. But I’d kill for ghost powers in real life.” When I ask what he’d use them for, though, he seems stumped. “I think it would just be cool to walk through walls.” We’re with you on that one, Reggie!

But what actually did happen to get them into the coveted opening spot at The Orpheum? Molina gives me a modest smile when I ask. “We were honestly just in the right place at the right time,” she explains.

Patterson picks up the story from there with a little bit more flair, telling me that the opening band had actually gotten food poisoning - “from a street dog vendor, believe it or not” - and the manager of the Orpheum happened to be familiar with the Julie and the Phantoms YouTube page.

“Since we were local,” Peters explains, “It was just a phone call. And then suddenly we were on stage doing a proper professional soundcheck for the first time in our lives.”

“Everything moved so fast after that,” Patterson adds. Each of his bandmates nod in agreement as he speaks. “We blinked and we were on a tour bus, suddenly.”

It seems that the band is handling the change well, though.

“It’s definitely different,” Molina tells me. “We have to be responsible for our own school and make sure we’re turning in assignments on time. There’s a lot of driving and a lot of time to kill. We can get on each other’s nerves quite a bit, but there’s always a lot of time for songwriting, too.”

When I prompt her about who gets on who’s nerves, the whole band turns in tandem to look at Luke. He laughs and shrugs at me. “I’m an early riser,” he explains. “I like music in my hands twenty-four seven. I always have my guitar, but it isn’t always appreciated.”

“We’ve had to compromise,” Mercer says with a long-suffering sigh. If I didn’t know better, I’d think he was the oldest of the group. “Luke isn’t allowed to start playing music until eleven in the morning the day after a show.”

As for being on tour with Panic!, none of them seem all too bothered by the fame of the headliners. “They’re really cool,” Peters explains to me. “They’ve been doing this a long time and they always have advice for us which I think we really value right now.”

Otherwise, though, the band seems to keep to themselves. When asked about their favouirte hobbies, Peters speaks at length about Star Wars. “I can’t watch the prequels before bed,” he says. His bandmates groan and shake their heads, although he seems unbothered. “Jar-Jar gives me nightmares.”

Other than Star Wars, “We try to make sure we get time and space for ourselves every day,” Molina says. “It’s a lot of us in a small space, and if we don’t get away from each other for a bit we argue a lot more.”

When I ask each of them who their favourite bandmate is to live with, all the boys say Julie and then turn expectantly for her answer. “I suppose Flynn doesn’t count as a bandmate,” she said with a sigh. “Probably Alex, but we live together normally so it’s not something that’s new.”

Mercer confirms this piece of information with a nod and a smile. “I prefer sharing a room with your brother to sharing a bus with you, though,” he says to Julie. She just rolls her eyes.

When pushed, Mercer elaborates a little bit. “I’ve been living with Julie’s family for my senior year. It’s a better environment for me and is much closer to our school than where I lived. My parents are happy that it gives me more time to focus on school.”

Since I have Mercer’s attention now, I ask him a question I’ve been dying to know the answer to. Does he know what a role model he is to gay and questioning children and teens that get to see him be himself so publicly?

As all the boys have been doing, he looks to Julie before answering. “I don’t think about it much, to be honest,” he says candidly. “If people think I’m a role model then I’m glad, but I’m just me. And being gay is part of me, a part of me that’s always been completely accepted by my band, just like my drumming or my singing.”

There was no tension, the band members explain, upon finding out about Alex’s sexuality. “No one was surprised when Alex came out,” Patterson adds. “We were only, like, twelve when he came out to us, anyway. It’s just a fact about who he is. Like, Alex is gay and hates mornings and I play the guitar and love mornings and we’re best friends.”

“Plus, I’m bisexual,” Peters adds, “So it would be hypocritical to have a problem with Alex.”

“I’m pansexual,” Patterson pipes up again. “And Alex being himself helped me figure out that part of myself.”

Molina doesn’t seem to have much to add. “Alex was already out when I met him,” she says. “It was never a surprise and someone’s sexuality shouldn’t be something that causes tension or makes people upset anyways.”

When I point out that it has seemed to cause some tension among fans, they all sigh. For unaware readers, the band has been stirring up quite the debate on Twitter and Instagram amongst fans and haters alike as to who is dating who. Patterson and Molina confirmed their relationship before going on tour and have been dating since before their band became popular. Recently, a Twitter user attending a Julie and the Phantoms meet and greet noted the closeness between Molina and Peters, causing fans to speculate that Molina is cheating on Patterson with Peters. When I ask if they'd like to address it, however, they all nod.

“Luke and I have been dating for a few months,” Julie says, “very happily. Neither of us have cheated on each other, nor would we ever. But we’re both also dating Reggie.”

When I ask for clarification, Peters adds, “I’m dating Luke and Julie, just like Julie is dating me and Luke and Luke is dating Julie and me.” Although it doesn’t sound clear, it does seem to be clear for them.

“We’d like people to give us our privacy, although we know that probably won’t happen,” Molina says. “We’re allowed to define our own relationships in the way that works for us, we don’t have to hold them up to anyone else’s expectations or preconceived notions of what a relationship should look like.”

When I ask if there’s anything they’d like to add before we wrap up, Patterson pipes up with a confident “Yes.”

“We’re Julie and the Phantoms,” he says, prompting Peters to follow up with “Tell your friends!”

Tell your friends, indeed. You can find Julie and the Phantoms everywhere that Panic! At the Disco is playing for the next four weeks.

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taglist under teh cut (ask to be added or removed!!)

@screamin-amuseum @angelwiththeblue-box @defultuser @peter-parkerson @willex-molina @thedepthsofhell @themongosianhorse @theamd426 @k-padfoot39 @wholitzukoonfire @invisibleraven @williesskateboard @leodolphin @moss-on-a-tree15

#jatp #julie and the phantoms #jatp fic #jatp smau #julie molina #luke patterson #reggie peters #alex mercer #flynn taylor #flynn lolastname #willie nolastname #jukebox #rukebox #juke #ruke #flarrie #willex

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dailytomlinson · 4 years ago

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At the start of 2020, Louis Tomlinson had just kick started his solo career off proper – his debut album ‘Walls’ was released in January and he performed two dates of his world tour before the COVID-19 pandemic hit and every other date was either postponed until next year or cancelled. Fans of the former One Direction star were gutted (of course) but their happiness has been restored as Louis played his first virtual gig last night.

You might expect that a virtual concert consists of just a singer and their band sat in an empty venue, right? With no lights or affects, and in a way it looks ‘boring’? Well this was the complete opposite! The classic Louis red lighting and the strobe lighting almost made you believe that you were actually there in real life!

Louis walked out on stage with his new haircut – it’s a lot longer than what fans were used to seeing. Has he been spending too much time with Harry Styles, who knows? He kept things casual in a laidback £22 Reebok t shirt which is now sold out in every single size due to Tomlinson’s influence.

He then kicked the concert off (15 minutes late may I add – fans are convinced that he wanted to watch the football) with ‘Just Hold On’. This is a song he originally produced with Steve Aoki and is more of a dance record, a bit different to the indie sound he is now leaning towards. But, he adapted the four-year-old record to his new style and it was a great surprise for fans – especially to kick off the livestream.

He then continued to sing ‘We Made It’ and ‘Don’t Let It Break Your Heart’ – two new songs from his album ‘Walls’. He then followed these tracks into a classic One Direction song ‘Drag Me Down’. Fans from all around the world went crazy about this – nothing beats a One Direction member singing a One Direction song in their solo career (well maybe a reunion would beat this).

Later on in the show, he sent fans into a frenzy when he performed two more hits from his boyband days – ‘Through The Dark’ (arguably an extremely understated song) and ‘Little Black Dress’ – a song that Tomlinson has expressed is one of his favourites and as he has previously said: “And remember if it’s by One Direction and it’s a banger I probably wrote it”.

But of course, he did sing his solo songs. Hits such as ‘Habit’ echoed through the screen of thousands of fan’s laptops, phones and TV screens and you can almost guarantee that they were all screaming along to the iconic lyric “Come so far from princess park.” Louis also poured his heart out in the song ‘Two of Us’ – a song dedicated to his late mother Johannah.

He also performed a brand new song which shocked fans when he released the setlist earlier that day. In ‘Copy of a Copy of a Copy’ Louis sings “You won’t be the first or be the last to bleed, every broken heart as far as I can see is a copy of a copy of a copy” and fans are already demanding it is released as soon as possible. He also sang a cover of ‘Beautiful War’ by Kings of Leon and fans are hoping that it will be available to stream soon.

Fans are going crazy for the new song, Twitter user @Jailboyhamirah said: “Cause of death: Louis Tomlinson singing copy of a copy of a copy.” which just shows the light hearted banter the fandom has and it also shows how excited they truly are.

The rest of the songs performed were just as great as the others, you could hear the excitement and happiness in this voice as you could tell he was just so happy about being back on stage. You could just tell he was in his happy place doing what he does best.

In the final song ‘Kill My Mind’, the screen behind Louis showed some lucky fans singing and dancing along behind him. This was a great idea – it gave fans a chance to perform with their idol and it made it feel even more like an actual concert. It was also a great ending to the livestream and made saying goodbye a little bit easier.

We also need to thank his musicians – if it wasn’t for them the concert wouldn’t have been as good as it was and they were all so incredible. His band is made up of Michael Blackwell on the guitar, Steve Durham on the drums, Matt Dinnadge on bass, Isaac Anderson also on guitar whilst the keys are played by Zac Craner. We also need a moment of appreciation for the brilliant string players that accompanied some songs and of course, the brilliant crew that made all of this possible for us fans.

Like always, Tomlinson’s fans don’t do anything by halves. ‘LOUIS TOMLINSON’, ‘THANK YOU LOUIS’, ‘LITTLE BLACK DRESS’ and #LTLivestream was trending worldwide and when tickets were released, the site crashed almost immediately. This is also the biggest show that Veeps have ever streamed before.

The virtual concert has also raised funds for the touring industry along with four other charities that are close to Louis’ heart – FareShare, Crew Nation, Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice and Stagehand.

Louis shared a message on the screen after the concert that said: “Thank you to every single person who helped make this livestream possible.

“Without my band, my crew and team, live shows just wouldn’t happen.

“The money raised so far from this show will help some important causes, so a big thank you to everyone for tuning in.

“I can’t wait to see you all on tour soon!

“Stay safe, Louis x”

This concert allowed fans to see Louis performing – he was in his happy place and he was able to give fans a taste of what his future concerts will be like, all being well. It also gave a chance for fans to connect and watch a concert all together – no matter what corner of the world you’re from.

#Izzy Hawksworth #review #131220 #louis tomlinson #the pulp conversation

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watching-pictures-move · 3 years ago

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Movie Review | The World, the Flesh and the Devil (MacDougall, 1959)

This review contains spoilers.

When we first meet him, the miner played by Harry Belafonte seems to be having a bad day at work. You see, the mine's just caved in, and he can hardly get in touch with anybody topside. Realizing that nobody's going to come down and save him, he manages to dig himself out. At this point, he finds himself bewildered by the total absence of people anywhere he goes, although as he goes looking, the picture becomes clearer, with newspaper headlines and old radio broadcasts confirming that he missed the apocalypse as he was trapped underground. Eventually he makes his way to New York City, and these initial scenes provide the movie's most haunting passage, juxtaposing him with a sea of unattended cars on a bridge and other landmarks. The most poignant of these images has him framed against skyscrapers, suggesting that as a working class black man, he could only attain such heights once society has totally collapsed.

At this point it starts to come into focus that this is not merely a cautionary tale about nuclear weapons (the same year saw the release of the talkier but no less involving On The Beach, and the following decade produced one of my favourites in the genre, The War Game, the sometimes bitterly funny and mostly terrifying pseudocumentary that hits like a sledgehammer). Belafonte eventually starts accepting his new reality, finding ways to amuse himself like befriending two mannequins, one male, one female (he does not however give the female a fake mustache and the male lipstick, nor does he make them kiss; his intentions are more dignified). He even regales them with a song, perhaps as a commercial concession and acknowledgement of Belafonte's other talents. Boy, this nuclear apocalypse sure is grim, here's a tune from the "Banana Boat Song" guy to cheer us up.

He eventually tires of the male and tosses him out the window, which leads to the reveal that he's not alone. In fact, a young woman played by Inger Stevens has been stalking him the whole time. They become friends, but up to a point, as Belafonte is unable to accept her affection, and the movie slowly reveals how their internalized racism colours their relationship, no matter how much they desire to bridge the gap. Further complications are posed by the arrival of a sailor played by Mel Ferrer, who announces that he's not a racist but is beholden to patriarchal notions, feeling the need to compete for Stevens' heart, neither man paying much heed to what she actually wants. Eventually he forces an ultimatum, triggering a showdown between both men that has them hunting each other across the city.

There is arguably something quaint about a movie that chooses to tackle racism and misogyny without explicitly addressing structural issues, but I found the movie quite moving in how it depicts the depth to which the characters have had such ideas ingrained in them by society that they're unable to shed them even said society has collapsed. It helps that it provides three very engaging lead performances. It helps even more that the delivery is so cinematic, with striking B&W scope compositions lending the proceedings an austere beauty and heightening the tension of the climax. And if the movie's resolution, which has the characters walking off like I assume Clint Eastwood, Sondra Locke and Lee Marvin do in Paint Your Wagon (which I haven't seen but am happy to make wild assumptions about), is a little hokey, I guess that's okay too. If Inger Stevens held our hands and looked deep into our eyes, I suspect many of us would be powerless to resist too.

#film #movie review #the world the flesh and the devil #ranald macdougall

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newmusickarl · 3 years ago

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Album & EP Recommendations

The Line Is A Curve by Kae Tempest

The term national treasure gets banded about a lot, but I think in reference to Kae Tempest it very much applies. An immensely creative, multi-talented talent artist who always produces emotive, thought-provoking work - be it a play, a poem, a novel or indeed an album.

Just focussing on the latter, Kae has already proven themselves to be an astute songwriter, having gained two Mercury Prize nominations for their incredible first two albums, debut Everybody Down and their colossal concept record Let Them Eat Chaos. Their previous effort, 2019’s The Book of Traps and Lessons, was another mammoth work, with Kae taking a perceptive and brutally honest look at the state of post-referendum Great Britain. Now back with their latest opus The Line Is A Curve, Kae has delivered another stunning and poetic collection of songs, with this one arguably their most accessible work to date.

That’s because unlike their previous work which was very much narrative-driven, in that you had to totally immerse yourself in the record from start-to-finish to reap the full rewards, this one is far more immediate and easier to digest. Of course, Kae’s dazzling wordplay continues to astonish and inspire, but with Dan Carey’s production work better than ever, the synth-driven beats will have you grooving away, and the refrains will lodge in your brain until you find yourself repeating them. Also, despite not being fixed to a single narrative this time around, the album remains tightly cohesive with each track beautifully segueing into the next for a seamless flow.

Additionally, this is also a much more collaborative album too, with a host of exceptional guest features showing up throughout. From the gorgeous, soulful tones of Lianna La Havas’ voice on ambient piano number No Prizes, Fontaines D.C.’s Grian Chatten lending his signature drawl to recent single I Saw A Light, to Brockhampton’s Kevin Abstract delivering a killer verse on album highlight More Pressure, they all drop in to help further elevate Kae and Dan’s brilliant songcraft.

That said, even in the moments when it is just Kae’s spoken word and an intricately crafted sonic backdrop, the album continues to shine. From the anxious pulse of opener Priority Boredom, the epic and visually evocative Salt Coast, the late-Arctic Monkeys’ waltz of These Are The Days, the sublime string-tinged haunt of Water In The Rain, the thumping electronica of Move and the acoustic closing hymnal Grace – everything here is all just exceptional and (much like that last sentence, sorry) will leave you utterly breathless.

I had a hunch from the teaser tracks that this was shaping up to be my favourite of Kae’s records and one of the Albums of the Year so far, and it seems indeed that my gut was right. Stunning, exquisitely crafted instrumentation and delicate, spellbinding lyrical majesty – it’s been a busy period for great releases the last couple of weeks, but there’s no record I found more gratifyingly enthralling than this one. Give it a go because it really does deserve your attention.

Listen here

Fear of the Dawn by Jack White

Elsewhere this week, music’s chief mad scientist is back in business - and he’s got a very busy year ahead. Late last year, Jack White announced that he had not one but two new albums dropping in 2022, with the singles suggesting a definitive split between them - with one album containing his more acoustic bluesy cuts, and the other his more experimental rock tracks. The one that has arrived this week is the latter entitled Fear of the Dawn, and it is the sound of a frenzied genius keeping himself entertained by making whatever sound he damn well pleases – and it makes for a fun and invigorating listen.

Although lockdown would’ve undoubtedly drove Jack to messing about with his instruments in the way that he does on Fear of the Dawn, you could argue that his solo career was always heading this way anyway. With his debut Blunderbuss he produced a straight up rock record that followed on nicely from his work with The White Stripes, The Raconteurs and Dead Weather. On 2014’s Lazaretto he mostly stuck to that same formula, before 2018’s Boarding House Reach threw up a real curveball. The sounds were weirder, the structures more abstract and the production just sonically all over the place – although it wasn’t for everyone, I found it a bold and fascinating listen.

Now although Fear of the Dawn isn’t quite as psychedelic and out there as Boarding House Reach, it is closer in DNA to that record than arguably any other of Jack’s work. On Fear of the Dawn, Jack is still playing around and pushing the limits of his blues rock sound, but this time around it is more of a controlled chaos. Where Boarding House Reach would have you smiling in bemusement at the crazy sounds you were hearing, Fear of the Dawn will have moshing out with your jaw on the floor, as Jack throws humungous riffs and all kinds of playful studio tricks at your ears.

Lead single Taking Me Back is the perfect opener, with some scintillating distorted guitar, buzzy synthesizers, and all of Jack White’s signature swagger. The title track then follows nicely with its buzzy riffs, trippy guitar slides and more than a couple utterly hypnotic solos, making for a thunderous two minutes. The White Raven then takes things up a notch with its harsh stuttering guitars and earth-shattering sonic reverberations – without a doubt one of the highlights here.

White’s unexpected collaboration with none other than A Tribe Called Quest legend Q-Tip is up next, the brilliantly batshit Hi-De-Ho. From that point onwards, the album only gets stranger in the best way possible with the rhythmic funk-rock groove of Into The Twilight and the chainsaw-like riffs of What’s The Trick standing out. Eosophobia and Eosophobia (Reprise) are both also great, with equal measures of heavy Led Zeppelin influence, meandering jazz-rock like passages and jittering art-rock riffs. Album closer Shedding My Velvet is then both simultaneously the most traditional and most subdued song on the record, undoubtedly setting the stage nicely for his second upcoming 2022 album, Entering Heaven Alive.

I am yet to decide whether this is my favourite Jack White solo effort to date, but I do know for sure that this man simply doesn’t know how to make a boring record, and like his other work this one is well worth your time. Fear of the Dawn will have you glued to your headphones, with mind-melting guitar work and astonishing sonic wonderment aplenty.

Listen here

TILT by Confidence Man

Now, the other week I was browsing in my local Rough Trade record store, and the most delightfully infectious dance song I think I have ever heard in my life caught my attention. Instantly nodding my head with the biggest smile on my face, I was completely taken away by the rave nostalgia being invoked – if I thought I wouldn’t get asked to leave the shop, I would have started throwing some mad shapes there and then. Needless to say, I did a “Shazam” by the speaker (not a David Blaine move, I used a music recognition app) and it turns out it was Holiday, the lead single from TILT - the sophomore album by Australian-based dance duo, Confidence Man.

A few days later, I dove into the rest of TILT and was delighted to find the rest of the album is equally mesmerising and giddily joyous. Thriving with the warm, uplifting sounds of the 90s dance scene, be it house (the aforementioned Holiday and Relieve the Pressure), UK garage (Toy Boy), Eurodance (Woman, Push It Up) or soul-charged dance-pop (Feels Like A Different Thing), Confidence Man serve up a variety of jubilant electronic tracks that feel like instant classics.

Overall, TILT is just an absolute blast from start to finish and I’m certain even the biggest music snob would have a hard time not getting completely entranced by this one. Intoxicating sounds and a whole heap of shameless fun.

Listen here

Just Another Dreamer by Low Island

And finally on the Albums and EPs front this week, electro-pop outfit Low Island finally delivered their new EP Just Another Dreamer, and it is quite simply four of the best tracks of the year so far.

Opener Everything Before Us is one of their finest songs to date, boasting heartfelt lyrics, an enchanting beat and some wonderful electronic flourishes. The title track is equally sensational, with a captivating melody and a beautifully catchy chorus, before Down To The Furthest Point arrives with its playful bassline and synth-drenched swells. Life’s Work then wraps things up in poignant fashion, a stunning ambient piano number dedicated to a member of the band’s late grandfather, who sadly passed away just a couple of days before the EP’s release.

This a faultless effort from Low Island, whose work just continues to go from strength to strength. If you have a spare 15 minutes this weekend, definitely check this one out.

Listen here

Also out, also great: Ramona Park Broke My Heart by Vince Staples (read my review for Gigwise here), DISCO4: PART II by HEALTH, Normal Fears by Fatherson

Tracks of the Week

Toni / Something Changed by Interpol

On the tracks front this week, the big return was that of NYC rockers Interpol who announced their seventh album, and their first in four years - The Other Side of Make Believe, due out in July. Along with the announcement they have given us not one but two new tracks in the last couple of weeks, album opener Toni and track five, Something Changed. Both tracks are quite laidback and understated, with a distinct lack of classic Dan Kessler riffing meaning neither song totally lights up. However, they are still worth checking out for the cinematic two-part short film that accompanies the two new songs.

Watch Part One: Toni here

Watch Part Two: Something Changed here

Looking High by Foals

Due to head out on tour in the coming days, the campaign for Foals’ seventh album Life Is Yours is in full swing with new single Looking High joining previously released cuts 2am and Wake Me Up. After the dark rock sounds of Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost Part 2, Looking High continues to suggest a move over to a brighter, more shimmering and dancefloor-ready sound. Although it’s not quite as strong as the first two singles, it’s still another fun cut that suggests that their next album is going to be another winner.

Listen here

Bliss by Yung Lean & FKA Twigs

And finally this week, although Stardust the latest mixtape from Swedish emo-rap pioneer Yung Lean is a bit of a mixed bag, the collaboration with FKA Twigs that opens up that record is definitely worth checking out. With a playful pop melody, killer hook from Twigs and a fun retro video, it’s a great way to kick off the long Easter weekend.

Watch the video here

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