#lovin’ spoonful for example !!!!! | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

foreveralwaysanauthor · 3 years

Note

Okay, since you did such a good job with the last lot, I’ll send a few more! How about Mick and Butchy this time? Can’t wait to see what you put for them! 😁💕

Absolutely! I’m so sorry it took so long to post this, but there’s been a lot going kn in my life recently so I was trying to write both this and my prompts in between my busy times and I only got the chance to sit down and work on this today 😝 I hope you like this!

Mick

A song that reminds me of them

Do You Believe In Magic by The Lovin’ Spoonful. This was another one that was hard to choose for, but that’s because I have a very eclectic music collection and too much time on my hands at times. My other options were I Wouldn’t Mind by He Is We and Daydream Believer by The Monkees, but every time I played Do You Believe In Magic, I could see Mick dancing along to it. For some reason, it just works with her in my head, so I’m rolling with it.

Do You Believe in Magic by The Lovin’ Spoonful

What they smell like, in my opinion

Coconut, the faintest hint of metal and grease from helping her dad in his workshop, Oahu Sunset lotion (lots of it because of how dry her skin gets), surf wax, and mango chapstick.

An OTP I like featuring them

Alright, so this is fairly simple. Mick x Butchy is definitely my top OTP of all time

A character from another fandom I think they'd get along with

Alice from Twilight, Jack Dawson from Titanic, Leisel Meminger from The Book Thief, Wanda Maximoff from Marvel, and Irene Molloy from Hello Dolly (the 1969 version with Barbara Streisand that I’ve watched like fifty times on Disney+).

My favorite platonic or familial relationship

Honestly, this one is a tie between her relationships with Lela and Miles. I feel like her relationship with Lela is one I share with my two sisters so I really love that one even though I don’t write it much anymore. As for her relationship with Miles, I don’t know why, but it just flows so easily for me. Perhaps it’s because it’s close to what my relationship is like with my oldest nephew is like (he’s 9 months older than me and we’re practically siblings) or maybe it’s because I just really like the two of them as mock-siblings for each other. I don’t know, but I like it.

A headcanon for them that I've never posted about before

I almost made her and Miles end up as a couple, but that isn’t exactly a headcanon, so I'll just leave that where it is, and say that my headcanon list for Mick is pretty long. One that I have for her was that she

A crossover AU I’d love to see them in

I would love to say Hunger Games or Dirty Dancing, but since I don’t want to choose the same AU for two different characters, I’m going to pick Princess Diaries.

You cannot convince me that she wouldn’t have the same reaction to being told she was a royal:

I could imagine Mack’s Aunt coming and telling Mick she’s the only possible heir to the throne and Mick just being in complete denial about it for the longest time. The transformation from her going from a shy, but clever wallflower to a more confident, regal princess would be absolutely incredible to watch. Also, I could see Lela being in Lilly’s role and Butchy in Michael’s because they’re siblings and Mia ends up with Michael so it makes even more sense that way. Royalty AU has been one of my faves for a long time and I guess it just comes through with this.

Butchy

A song that reminds me of them

I would probably say Hey Brother by Avicii. My first instinct was Elvis, not gonna lie, but I think some of his songs would better reflect his relationships with others. Like, his relationship with Mick, for example; Elvis’ songs It Feels So Right and Can’t Help Falling In Love fit perfectly for that, but that’s beside the point.

Hey Brother by Avicii

What they smell like, in my opinion

Leather, metal, hot apple cider, caramel butterscotch candies, and caramel mocha coffee (definitely not something Mick got him hooked on)

An OTP I like featuring them

Once again, I feel this one is obvious, but Butchy x Mick. I also had a fondness for Butchy x Giggles for a long time, but that’s a background otp for me.

A character from another fandom I think they'd get along with

I feel like he and Darry Curtis from The Outsiders would be able to relate to each other in many ways (raising younger sibling(s), no parents, leader of their respective crews, etc) so that’s the first one to come to mind for him. Steve Rogers from Marvel. Gomez Addams from The Addams Family because their devotion to close family, their partner, and their friends rivals no other. Uncle Jesse from Full House (somehow becomes everyone’s favorite relative and is pretty great with kids despite not having any of his own yet). And, finally, Johnny Castle from Dirty Dancing because, well, you’ll see in another answer.

My favorite platonic or familial relationship

This one is so hard to choose between because he has a lot of family members for me to choose between. I think his relationship with Miles is one of my favorites even though I don’t focus on their relationship a lot anymore. I do plan on fixing that little problem soon, though.

A headcanon for them that I've never posted about before

Would you like that alphabetically or chronologically? I have a long list of headcanons for him, honestly. Probably one of my oldest headcanons is that he really likes plants. Like he loves flowers, growing vegetables, and taking care of assorted succulents, the whole lot. I don’t know where it came from for me, but I have it written down that his interest in plants was probably due to his mother’s love for them, but I think his interest in them just grew exponentially after her death. For some reason, I could always picture him teaching Lela to make flower crowns when they were young and later on making Mick little bouquets for dates and stuff. It just makes me so happy for some reason

A crossover AU I’d love to see them in

Dirty Dancing!

For some reason, this has stuck with me for ages. The surfers and bikers are now the staff - the majority of surfers are now the wait staff who are treated fairly well and are well-liked by everyone, and are possibly a bit snobbish about that while most of the bikers are the activity crew who are berated for trying to do anything outside of the box. Then, picture Butchy as Johnny, the tall dance instructor who is pretty standoffish and doesn’t like inviting new people to his circle because he doesn’t want anyone to get hurt. Now, tell me Mick isn’t just like Baby - a girl brought to the resort by her parents who seem to know everybody there while she’s just getting to know everyone. Butchy meets Mick at a no-guests-allowed party the activity crew hosted that Miles (Butchy and Lela’s cousin) brought her to. He shows her how to party their way to see if maybe she could be anything like them before leaving at the end of the song. As time goes by, he gets closer to her, accepting her as a friend when she offers to be his dance partner after his original partner gets injured. They go through lesson after lesson before the big showcase at another hotel, showing off what he’d taught her over her short time there. They only become more than friends when, on the ride back to their resort, he confides in Mick that he’d never felt that way with any of his other partners. Over the next week, their relationship slowly blossoms as Mick defends Butchy in front of other workers as well as her family who had only ever met him in passing.

I have part of this written out as a one-shot that I definitely plan on posting later on (along with all the other AU ideas I’ve gotten from these). Can you tell I’m excited about this? This has been one of my favorite movies for a while now and I just love this idea!

#character game #not writing

2 notes · View notes

thewinterwaifu · 5 years

Note

Heya! If you don't mind, can you do part 3 Jotaro x trans masc s/o fluff? I don't mind if you age him up, though. I just really like part 3 Jotaro a lot.

Heya! I'm the one that asked for the part 3 jotaro x trans masc s/o. I don't remember if I specified that I wanted headcannons.

I age up for NSFW, but I don't see why there needs to be aging up for fluff so I'm doing p3 Joot as he is!

•Jotaro is not a very cuddly person at first. He is a bit uncomfortable with being touched and needs a bit to time to adapt before getting cuddly with a partner

•When he finally feels ready though, he is more cuddly than what people might imagine. He might seem tough but he really loves his s/o and wants to hold them close

•Jotaro is very supportive of his trans boyfriend! He accepts them and loves them for who they are and nobody can change his mind about this

•If anyone is bothering his s/o about who they are (or bothering him in general) this guy is ready for fight. Seriously, messing with those dear to him is a bad idea

•Seeing his s/o in his jacket or hat is a guilty pleasure of him. He will never admit it and may act annoyed, but really, he thinks it's super cute!

•On that note about guilty pleasures, he likes picking his s/o up or carrying them in his arms if he likes it! He loves the feeling of having them in his arms

•For that same reason, he usually prefers being the big spoon when it comes to cuddling his partner in the sofa or wherever else

•Some days though, he just has a thing for being the small spoon for a change. This guy needs some lovin' and feeling like he is cared for and appreciated is something he adores

•Jotaro prefers dates in your house or his, he just doesn't like dates where there is a ton of people around. He loves staying in and cuddling you while you watch a movie for example!

64 notes · View notes

tamaki-amajiki-is-my-baby · 5 years

Text

Shigadabi Headcanons

(This is a l o n g b o i)

- Dabi is that annoying ass bf who uses corny lines just to piss Tomura off.

“What're u lookin at”

“Somethin handsome”

“>:(”

- Tomura's really ticklish. He just doesn't know what's going on.

- He's also really touchy

Not just cuz he's a touchy guy n really touch starved, but because he knows it actually makes Tomura feel more safe.

If Dabi just gets close and takes his shirt sleeve into his hand while they're crossing the street, it makes Tomura feel much more safe.

Tomura doesn't really trust himself despite what he tries to make himself think.

He doesn't like holding hands though. Even with gloves on.

We'll get into that one later on

- the nicest Shigaraki is is probably when a co-op game is going exactly how he wants it to, when he's drunk, or when he's exhausted.

But the second he dies it's game over for Dabi's eardrums too.

- Dabi finds it funny how Shigaraki's personality changes after a few drinks.

To document it, he says “this is your last one” every time Tomura yells him to get him another one and then writes down Tomura's response.

It usually goes something like

“I hate you”

“that ain't fuckin' fair”

“Noooo :((((”

“Meanie >:(”

- Tomura gets real cuddly when he's asleep.

You can't be not moving within an arm's length if you don't want him to grab you.

If you're standing by the couch, he'll try n grab your shirttail or sleeve or something like that.

He'll lean on you and you're stuck then, he'll grab on and not let go if you try to move.

This goes for anyone, even outside of the LoV if it so happens.

Dabi loves this n toltally takes a bunch of pictures and makes Toga send him the ones she takes.

Tomura's favorite cuddle position is either being a smol spoon or laying ontop of Dabi, with Dabi's arm around him.

Everything just to be close and to feel safe, because Shigaraki hates to sleep, and he feels vulnerable.

Dabi thinks that's because of AfO and wonders if Tomura would be that cuddly all the time if he grew up with someone else, he was doing it unconsciously.

- speaking of sleep habits, Shigaraki sleeps with a blanket.

Not with naps, those're fine. He can get through an hour and a half or so.

But he actually can't get to sleep, real sleep, without his blanket.

It's just small and blue with lil white and light yellow bunnies on it, he's had it since he was real little.

The only time he won't really sleep without it is if he has at least three stuffed animals around him. No less.

He's exhausted and none of this can be provided? He's not having a good sleep and he's barely comfortable.

- it's so fascinating to Dabi what having a bad childhood can do to you.

He thought that his was the worst until he learnt of Tomura because, unlike Tomura, Dabi actually /had/ a childhood. He was quickly tossed to the side after his father learned his qhirk hurt him but he still grew to be about 15 in that household, with three younger siblings to give a bunch of love and support to, of whom also give a lot back. They went to the park, to the movies, school. They were neglected but that meant Dabi could sneak them out to have some fun.

Tomura didn't have anything after he got his quirk. He killed his entire family then was wandering the streets for who knows how long. Who knows what he whitnessed and went through in that time. Then who knows what happened after he was picked up by AfO. That scar on his finger posed quite a few questions.

Dabi had a childhood still, even if a good amount was taken. Shigaraki's was ripped away from him and he didn't get more than 4 years of it, maybe a bit less.

That's why he acted so childish all the time.

- Dogs are probably the things Tomura hates the least.

If he sees a smol doggo on the side of the road he will want to pet it and he will do anything it takes to achieve his goal. He'll usually pull his sleeve down over his hand if it's long enough, or just use the knuckle of his pointer finger.

But if he sees a corgi he'll probably cry.

It's not the biggest c r y, but like he's reminded of the dog he had when he was little and he can't handle being reminded of that experience.

Big doggos scare him.

- Dabi has considered taking him to a shelter, just so he can inteact. They'll adopt if they want, but Shigaraki mostly just enjoys going so he van have a fun time with the doggos.

- Tomura has a habit of getting lost while they're in a group.

Are they in the mall and pass by a GameStop? Tomura's gonna turn into that store, you can't stop him.

He always turns into arcades and play parks too.

Dabi never let's him though.

C'mon man let the kid have some fun >:(

- despite what you nay think, Dabi has a bunch of chapsticks on him at all times and he throws them at Tomura whenever he picks at his lips.

The further into the day it gets, the more he picks, the more force behind the blows.

- Dabi has a rainbow blanket tha the often uses to, as Tomura puts it, assault Shigaraki.

He'll throw it at him then kiss him when he pulls the blanket down, sling it over him with both ends in his hand so he can pull Tomura close n kiss him.

Gay shit like that.

- Dabi's more open about it — their relationship and his sexuality — than Tomura. He doesn't care. He'll say it if someone's looking at them weird or just looking at Tomura (bcus Dabi thinks it's bcos he's hot even though that's not why people are looking at him. Dabi he looks like a hobo calm down)

Tomura, though, doesn't say anything. Even if people ask. He's not exactly self-conscious or nervous or anything, he's just not one of those 'outwardly gay' people. Example, the op.

- Dabi does a lot of things to Tomura when he's asleep, since he's a deep sleeper.

Examples:

Cut his nails

Put ChapStick on

Brush his hair

And many more that Tomura will not do by himself.

- Okay so I saved this one for last because it's a long one.

We were at about 975 words before this one, and the toltal word count now that I've finished is about 1719, so this is a long boi.

Tomura doesn't like his hands getting anywhere near Dabi.

He isn't as cautious around anyone else and he really wasn't round Dabi till he realized how gay he was.

As most people know already, when Tomura's Quirk manifested, he killed everyone in his family present at the time. Maybe one or two was an accident, but he was so young and he most likely panicked and got scared. He did all of that with his hands, he caused so much destruction with his hands.

My headcanon is thay it manifested while he was lovin his corgi dog with his sister across the room. Of course, that's going to cause them both to scream and she ran over. Tomura probably didn't even know what had happened, how it happened, or how he'd caused it at that point, so he tried to grab onto her. That didn't work very well.

Screams alerted most in the house and Shigaraki, well, Shimura in this case, fit it together that it was his hands that caused it.

He couldn't understand what was happening or the true weight of the situation but he knew he was in some huge trouble.

Tenko didn't look back, just trying to shut up and do anything he could.

He didn't even have time to grab anything from his home, once everything had been done. The rush of adrenaline, fear, and panic were keeping him doing what he was doing but now that he was really understanding whay was going on, what he'd just done, what'd just happened, why it looked like he'd just dipped his arms and chest and face in paint.

And he ran.

He hated his Quirk for a while before he was groomed to realize he could use it for reasons not so hurtful to him. Before that, though, he tried on multiple occasions after learning how his Quirk really worked to slice his finger off.

He got the idea back when he found a documentary on the ‘Shimura Family Massacre.’ All he got from AfO was some 'reassuring words' and a hand on his shoulder.

He got to the bone one time, because AfO wasn't home to stop him, but he didn't have a good enough knife to get through it and all the really good and sharp Japanese knives were hidden and/or out of his reach.

Shigaraki shut himself off. When he slowly started letting himself feel emotions again, in the form of gaming and things of that nature, he still didn't let himself get close to anyone. Sure it happened unconsciously, he didn't realize the dependence or care for AfO until he was ripped away.

He didn't realize the little care that started to build up among the league either.

But Dabi was the one to really break that one, he blew it out of the fucking park, and Tomura feels... Really scared around him.

He's scared to love and get attached because he's sared that something like the massacre in his home will happen again.

He doesn't want to hurt Dabi.

It took him a really long time to even get that close to him.

When he really got into a relationship with Dabi was when he started wearing his gloves again. They're the ones digital artists use.

Tomura is really touch starved and is glad Dabi can provide hugs n cuddles n shit.

It took Tomura an even longer time to start hugging or snuggling back, but he'd still rip his hand away whenever Dabi tried to hold it — even if he was wearing gloves.

But he is slowly getting better at it.

Dabi linked their pinky fingers when they were at a bus stop (he fuggin held on so tight so Tomura wouldn't jerk away).

Tomura looked up at him and gave him the most fearful look, and it fucking shattered Dabi's heart.

He didn't let it show though, he just smiled a little and said “See? It's okay.”

They've been getting better bit by bit since then.

77 notes · View notes

amygdvoila · 5 years

Text

The evolution of my music taste

with thoughts on the genre-less (or genre-bending) era and the current musical landscape.

———

“Want to help me with my ‘New-Indie/Alternative’ playlist?”

My question was met with a response I was admittedly expecting: “Sure! But I don’t even know what that is anymore”.

And thus is the plight of the circa 2019, 20-somethin’, indie lovin’, Spotify playlist makin’ person.

Sometimes, I have no idea what genre of music I’m listening to. I just know that it’s good. (And that it’s not modern country) .............

If we want to simplify things, here are some examples of the evolution of my music taste with similar sounds from different time periods:

Belle and Sebastian --> Angus and Julia Stone --> Wild Child

Bear Hands --> Glass Animals --> Still Woozy

Miles Kane/Arctic Monkeys/The Wombats/Spoon --> Declan McKenna

Ray LaMontagne --> Hozier

Digable Planets --> Kooley High --> Smino

Alt-J --> Rainbow Kitten Surprise

Young Guns --> cleopatrick/Nothing But Thieves

Sonic Youth --> Best Coast --> Courtney Barnett/Wolf Alice

The Raconteurs --> The White Stripes --> The Dead Weather --> Jack White --> The Raconteurs

( this is part joke about Jack’s undying relevance and part accurate to my listening progression )

Obviously, each new artist is not a “replacement” of the one from a previous era. But rather, it was my natural progression into something different yet familiar, while still loving what other artists have offered/continue to offer. As I mainly listened to indie rock/alternative rock in the early to mid 2000s, I was also listening to Kanye and Kid Cudi and noticed their experimenting with modern indie. I started diving more into hip-hop. I fell in love with Blu & Exile, went through an A Tribe Called Quest phase, then explored Tom Misch’s elegant fusion of nu jazz, hip-hop, and electronic. Tom Misch was a turning point. From there, I became acquainted with Masego. Went down the rabbit hole, my friend joined Brockhampton lol, and then next thing you know I’m fuxing with Odie, Kota the Friend, and Abhi the Nomad while rediscovering the loml J. Cole. Then I started noticing something interesting. Music was becoming more genre-less. Allan Rayman, for example, was featuring grunge and hip-hop. Yeek blends traditional indie with R&B and hip-hop. Some more examples of genre-bending/genre-less artists are Rex Orange County, Dominic Fike, and Kevin Abstract.

There is also the term “Anti-Pop” to characterize essentially what I am speculating on. It often describes not only the genre-bending direction where music is heading, but also the vibe of simplicity, rawness, and lo-fi production. Of course, some genres are still alive and well. Rock n’ Roll is still very much Rock n’ Roll with Greta Van Fleet doing a great job at that. The Head and the Heart keeps indie-folk rock relevant with their new album “Living Mirage”. Electronic, like hip-hop, is splitting rapidly into various sub-genres. However, it still maintains a universal, distinct PLUR culture. And that early 2000s indie/alternative rock I’ve been searching for? The sound is still around and finding ground. Michigander and Trash Panda are artists I’m so excited to watch blossom. Catfish and the Bottlemen and Arctic Monkeys are as alternative indie rock as alternative indie rock gets, have remained relevant, and are ironically refreshing for current music. Rainbow Kitten Surprise brings a novel direction to the genre with an exploration into hip-hop and folk rock elements. Tame Impala has fun with pushing psychedelic rock into the modern era. Twenty-One Pilots, although also a genre-bender, is reminiscent of a Blink 182 feel. Now with this ramble, I think what I’m getting at is 2018/2019 is a bit of a fascinating musical landscape that I’ve been yearning to pinpoint. There is a definite prioritization in a “vibe” over a genre in underground music, which allows for much experimentation especially in the lo-fi scene. Whether a genre stays purely in its genre in the year of 2019, or if it completely bends and blends with others to make something beautiful, it is an indication of artists and listeners showing an appreciation for classic sounds and also being even more willing to experiment with those sounds.

In 2019, I see an era of bolder musical innovation.

30 notes · View notes

bookaddict24-7 · 6 years

Photo

MUSIC MONDAYS!

A series where I recommend a book, review it, and create a short playlist to give a sense of what the book is about.

This review may contain spoilers.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

The first time I saw the cover of With the Fire On High by Elizabeth Acevedo I fell in love. I’ve been blogging about books for years and never has a cover actually made me do a double-take. What worried me, however, was if the story would match the beautiful cover. And oh, did it ever. The bright colours, lush illustrations of fruits, and the strong profile of a confident mixed woman more than reflected the quality of the story. Also, oh man, that Latinx representation! I am in LOVE with the representation! It wasn’t overwhelming, or just used as a plot device. This is the kind of book I’ve been waiting for. The Spanish dialogue was correct, the religion wasn’t used as a plot device, and Emoni’s heritage wasn’t used as a way to mark her as “different” from everyone else. She just was who she was. Thank you, Elizabeth Acevedo!

Emoni Santiago has a magic touch when it comes to cooking. Somehow, she always knows just what to add to a recipe to make it memorable and special enough to feel like magic. But being a single teen mom makes life more complicated for Emoni. Her daughter is her life, but she knows she needs to do something more than just provide for her. She wants to be a chef someday and for that to happen, Emoni needs to find the time to take the new culinary class in her high school. Through life lessons that teach her that she’s not as alone as she thinks (besides her abuela, who is a constant in her life), surprising new friendships, and cooking adventures she never expected, Emoni will learn that even though dreams may seem impossible, it’s worth the fight and the hope to want better for your life.

With the Fire On High has a special essence to it that immediately drew me in. Emoni is a single mother who has so many things against her. If someone were to look her way, they would think she wouldn’t succeed in life because of her circumstances. This could have easily become a story about the stereotypes following young mothers, but Acevedo instead introduces a story about a girl who has people rooting for her. I remember being particularly touched by a chapter where a teacher basically tells her that they know that she is capable of anything. I can’t imagine how hard it must be to believe in yourself in a situation like Emoni’s, but hearing someone you respect tell you that must have been incredibly powerful. How many women like Emoni never had someone believe in them the way this person believes in Emoni?

What drew me in even more into With the Fire On High were the short chapters. I personally find that shorter chapters tend to make the flow of a story better because it isn’t cluttered down by chapter fillers. It also made it easier for when I was reading on the go. I could pick the book up, read a two-page chapter, and continue on my way. The only downside to this is that there were instances where the story felt almost episodic--each chapter a different instance in Emoni’s life, especially at the end.

Emoni herself is a very complex character who always put her daughter first and acted her age while still maintaining that level of adulthood needed when someone else becomes dependent on you. I liked the fact that Emoni is understandably careful around the people she lets in, but doesn’t let the drama affect her relationship with her daughter. This was especially evident when Babygirl, her daughter’s nickname, and her father’s family came into the story.

Some of the side characters were also fun and I loved seeing the representation in this novel. Emoni’s best friend is a rock for her and I was grateful that I didn’t have to read another story about best friends who break up as a means of furthering the plot. What I also liked about the side characters is that some of them had some great character growth, while remaining true to their core being. For example, someone who is a bitch at the beginning didn’t magically become an angel just because the protagonist and her finally understand each other.

A lot happens in this book, which felt fun but also at times overwhelming. I could tell that Acevedo is a poet because though her novel is written in prose, the way that events are introduced and even the short chapters felt segmented like a poetic stanza. Everything adds up to a whole, but events are all grouped into different events within the story. This again reminds me of my earlier comment of this book sometimes feeling episodic.

One of my only other complaints about this book was how easily everything was concluded. I kept waiting for certain events to happen--to the point where my anxiety was starting to freak me out--because they were alluded to in the book, but they never happened. Everything just got tidied up really well and while the romantic in me is happy for Emoni and for the way everything concluded, I wish there had been a better arc for us getting to that conclusion.

Overall, I would strongly recommend this book. It was fun, heartfelt, and it was sweet watching Emoni become the woman she’s meant to be. Also, her relationship with her abuela and her daughter is the cutest thing ever. Plus, who wouldn’t want that piece of art of a cover on their bookshelf?

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5

Age Recommendation: 14+

Genres: Contemporary, Coming of Age, Family, Cooking, Friends, Romance

Add it to your Goodreads here.

See the playlist on Spotify here.

The Playlist:

Do You Believe in Magic? by The Lovin’ Spoonful

Treat Me Like Fire by Lion Babe

Breathin’ by Ariana Grande

A Sky Full of Stars by Mother’s Daughter & Beck Pete

Espana Cani by Real Orquesta Sinfonica de Sevilla

No Scrubs by TLC

Streets of Philadelphia by Duo Calientes

Have you read this book yet? Would you recommend it?

Happy reading!

22 notes · View notes

sunsetstudiesx · 6 years

Text

11 Questions Tag

Thanks @studylei for the tag! I’ve been a studyblr for a grand total of about 3 hours now, so I was very pleasantly surprised to be tagged.

1. What was your favourite online/board game as a kid?

My favourite board game as a kid was probably either Sorry! or Battleship.

2. If you were given the power to jump back to any point in your life and relive those months and years, basically writing over the past but keeping your current memories as a guide, would you do it? What point would you jump back to if you could only use the power once? If you could use it whenever you wanted, how often would you use it, if at all?

I think I would use it. There are a few times that I would like to relive. If I could do it only once, I would probably go back to the time I “helped” my grandpa build their new deck, when I was around 4 or 5. My grandpa is gone now, and I’d just really like to remember that a bit better.

If I could use it whenever I wanted, I would probably use it only every so often. I know that every once and a while I remember something that happened and think about how I’d like to see it again. But not too often.

3. Rain or shine?

Shine! I love the rain, but the sun is too wonderful. Plus, I just find grey skies depressing.

4. Do you struggle with procrastination?

Big time, yeah. Trying to break out of that habit and get some motivation, though.

5. Have you ever been to a grandparent’s home? If so, describe the aesthetic there. If not, describe your ideal aesthetic for a home where you grow old.

Yes, I’ve been to my grandparent’s homes on both sides of my family. My grandma’s house on my dad’s side is ideal for me, though. It’s modern, but she’s lived in it for forty-one years now so it has touches of old. For example, her sewing machine and her iced tea jug that she’s had for thirty years.

Pictures all over the walls, and photo albums in every closet as well as old tupperware that she still uses to this day because “things made thirty years ago were made to last.”

The aesthetic is very modern and if you had to guess who lived there you would probably say someone in their thirties. But, in some parts, there are signs of the old days and the way she used to live/the places she used to live in and that, for me, is ideal.

(That was way longer than I meant for it to be. Sorry, I just love my grandma, she’s the coolest lady and I could talk about her for eternity.)

6. What’s your opinion on mousepads?

Love ‘em. It’s a wonder how I live without one, honestly.

7. If you could only take classes in one academic subject for the rest of this year, which would you choose? Math, science, history, language, or arts?

History! I love learning about history, it’s super interesting to me.

8. Are you an early bird or a night owl? What do you like to do in the small hours of the night/morning that’s not studying?

I’m a night owl, definitely. Especially in the summer. I just hate mornings, honestly. In the nighttime, I usually watch tv, read and write. I think I get my best writing done in the middle of the night. (I.e. last night at 3:00am)

9. What was the last song you listened to?

Do You Believe in Magic by The Lovin’ Spoonful

10. Are you afraid of rollercoasters or heights?

I love rollercoasters and am terrified of heights.

11. If you had a lifespan of 1000 years, most of it being in your prime, how would you spend it?

I’m not sure how I’d spend it. Probably trying to make the world a better place. If I had so much more time, why wouldn’t I? Climate change isn’t going to fix itself.

Here are my questions:

1. What is your favourite music album?

2. What is your favourite childhood memory?

3. If you could go anywhere in the world right now, where would you go and why?

4. If you were to get a tattoo/already have one, what would it be/what is it?

5. What is the strangest tradition in your family, if any?

6. What is your go to way to relax after a stressful day?

7. If you could only listen to one song for the rest of your life, what would it be?

8. What has been your favourite vacation that you’ve taken?

9. What historical event would you most like to have witnessed?

10. What are three things on your bucket list?

11. Favourite flower?

I’m tagging (completely random, but I would like to get to know you guys better): @atlantis-studies @glassesclasses @einstetic @jupiterinstudyland @leviostudies @acaldemics @alimastudies and anyone else who would like to do it!

I know that wasn’t 11 people but I’m lazy.

#tagged #11 q tag #mine

7 notes · View notes

grapevynerendezvous · 4 years

Photo

The Sopwith Camel - Sopwith Camel A prime example of how fast things can develop, The Sopwith Camel released their only hit single less than one year after they had started rehearsing as a band. Within a week after founder Peter Kraemer met guitarist Terry MacNeil (later known as Nandi Devam) at Big Little Book Store in San Francisco they had written several songs, including Hello Hello, Frantic Desolation and You Always Tell Me Baby. By the end of 1965 they added three other band members guitarist William Sievers, drummer Norman Mayell, and bassist Bobby Collins who soon gave way to Martin Beard. The band started rehearsals in a former firehouse on Sacramento St. In April they laid down six tracks for a demo recording.

Thanks to Bobby Collins, who had briefly played bass for Kraemer and MacNeil in the beginning, a copy of the demo ended up in the hands of Erik Jacobson. A New York producer with Sweet Reliable Productions, Jacobsen had been responsible for seven top ten hits for The Lovin’ Spoonful in one year. He had also worked with Tim Hardin as well as with The Charlatans, another fledgling SF band. Particularly attracted to Sopwith Camel’s Hello Hello, Jacobsen came to California to meet with them in May. Within the week the band signed a contract with his Sweet Reliable Productions. In late summer he took them into Coast Studio in SF to do the basic track of Hello Hello. The band then relocated to New York City to record the album and while there, signed with Kama Sutra, for which Jacobsen had produced two albums with The Lovin’ Spoonful. The Sopwith Camel was the second San Francisco band of the era to be signed to a label. Recording was done intermittently throughout the Fall while The Sopwith Camel also toured as an opener for The Lovin’ Spoonful. This meant they spent an extended period of time in New York.

Not long after Hello Hello b/w Treadin’ had been released as a single the band returned to San Francisco. After the release of their next single, Postcard From Jamaica b/w Little Orphan Annie, in April 1967. Sopwith Camel went back into Coast Recorders and recorded one more track, The Great Morpheum. In May the eponymous album was released. By this time Hello Hello had gone off the charts and that next single, had not been successful. Considering this, a sticker was placed on the album upon release that said, Remember Hello Hello! In early October a third single, Saga of the Low Down Let Down b/w The Great Morpheum was released but did not chart. It took over five months for the album, Sopwith Camel, to enter the Billboard Top 200 and after two weeks it went off the chart. By this time the band had started slowly disintegrating.

Hello Hello was not the song one would have expected to be the first Top 40 hit to herald the up-and-coming San Francisco psychedelia music era. It was released in mid-November 1966, b/w Treadin’. It entered the Billboard Hot 100 on Dec. 24 and by January ’67 crested at No.26 on the Top 100,y becoming the first San Francisco band in that era to have a Top 40 hit song. It did very well in some markets across the country: No.2 in San Jose CA, No.3 in San Diego CA, No.4 in San Francisco CA, and Louisville KY, and No.5 in San Antonio TX and Boston MA. It was one of the first songs written by band founder Peter Kraemer and guitarist Terry MacNeil right after the first met. The style harkens back to the days of Vaudeville, which was the primary live music source from the the late 1800’s to the early 1930s. The lyrics are about a simple desire to meet someone, get to know them, to share with them.

Song two of the album, Frantic Desolation, was also one fo the first songs Peter Kraemer and Terry MacNeil wrote together, but , according to MacNeil, they didn’t perform it early on. They decided to record it because they needed songs for the album. It was a distinct shift from the good timey vaudevillian Hello Hello to a distinctly psychedelic sound. The fuzztone guitar played by Terry MacNeil was noted by Elvis Costello to be ‘one of the best examples of psychedelic guitar from the period’. In an interview with the The Psychedelic Guitar MacNeil said that he wanted to reflect the meaning of the words desolation, desperation, in his guitar playing. He sat close to the amp for feed-back and played as weird as he could. In later reincarnations of Sopwith Camel it was regularly played.

William “Willie” Sievers penned The Saga of the Low Down Let Down. This has a good time feel to it musically, but it is about a low down let down none the less.. MacNeil again shines on the all too short, but effective guitar solo. Little Orphan Annie is a musical version of the syndicated newspaper comic strip that first appeared in 1924. Back to the vaudeville era, but with just a hint of the ‘60s hippie chick as well. The tongue-in-cheek performance has a a very winning way about it, with a skillful instrumental interlude featuring twelve-string guitar. One can’t help conjuring up images of Annie and Sandy in this winning “comic strip” tune.

The final two songs on side one each have their own character about them. You Always Tell Me Baby recites a complaint about how the protagonist is being told how to do things by their counterpart. It features flowing harmonies behind the lead vocals and well placed trumpet throughout. The conclusion of the song seems poised for the following song. Maybe in a Dream is basically an instrumental until the final quarter of the song. It has an optimistic feel as guitars and keyboards soar and glide throughout. The most arresting song on the album, Cellophane Woman, starts off side two. It is the other psychedelic number but with a harder, almost punk quality to it. The lyrics, written by Willy Sievers, seem to be an anti-materialism metaphor that doesn’t quite hit it’s mark. Yet the angst is there and the instrumentation takes it over the top right to the finish. Returning to the roots of the album, The Things That I Could Do With You takes it straight back to the vaudeville era. Again written by Kraemer and MacNeil, this one is a fantasy about all the things someone could be doing together with their girl. Well, not quite that kind of fantasy, unless you let your imagination run wild. It features a nice little harmonium solo. Walk in the Park continues in the vein of old-time vaudeville, only this time going back to the 19th century for inspiration. While very original in many ways, composer Willy Sievers seems to take a cue from British songwriter Harry Dacre’s 1892 “Daisy Bell (A Bicycle Built for Two)”. Sievers replaces a ride on a bicycle with a walk in the park. The ragtime-style piano style fits in perfectly as do the background harmonies. On top of all this, the comedic voice-over in the middle is priceless as William, shyly but slyly, asks Daffney to take a walk in the park with him. The Great Morpheum was the last song written and recorded for the album. Like Hello Hello, it was recorded in San Francisco. It was in April 1967, the month before the album release. The band had just recorded four 45-second commercials for Levi Strauss. Peter Kraemer recalls that he and Terry MacNeil went into a smaller studio at Coast Recorders to write the song. Along with guest saxophonist Terry Clements, Martin Beard and Norman Mayell had the basic track cut on the second take. After inclusion in the album it later became the B-side of their third single. The pace of the song slows considerably from the other cuts on the album. It has variation within itself though and the highlight happens when Clements’ saxophone comes to the fore. The song is about a surreal movie at a theater (the Morpheum). I was recently enlightened by none other than Peter Kraemer, that the Great Morpheum is in fact, about the Vietnam War. I agree that, with a bit of thought and understanding, makes perfect sense. Thanks to Peter for pointing this out. Who else would know better than he? The song’s conclusion builds to a dramatic finish, but once again the last note, so to speak, hangs in mid-air. It also leads into the final song.

Postcard From Jamaica begins with a postman ringing a doorbell announcing a mail delivery. It’s a message from a girlfriend who is visiting Jamaica, and an invitation for the reader to take a trip to see her there. As the album had not come out as yet, Postcard From Jamaica b/w Little Orphan Annie was released as second single. The haste to get it out created a scenario as told by Peter Kraemer, "Sopwith Camel was being interviewed by the DJ at a radio studio in Dallas when a guy named Richie, from Cavallo’s (the band’s manager) office, brought the 45 in from New York. When the engineer in the sound booth dropped the tone arm it bounced and skated right off the record. He tried again; it did the same thing. He looked at the band through the double glass and sadly shook his head; the bass was cut too hot and the record wouldn't track. It would play on the more primitive equipment in jukeboxes and became what was called a 'jukebox hit' in some parts of the country and in Canada.”

The album featured poster artist Victor Moscoso’s first great pop-art cover. Essentialy the design already was used for a Matrix poster back in February. The back liner cover had the first infra-red band photo, shot by Jim Marshall.

While Hello Hello wasn’t precisely one of my favorite songs, when I spotted the album at the record store I decided to find out what the rest of it sounded like. I thought it strange that there was a sticker on the cover that said REMEMBER HELLO, HELLO. Of course I remembered it, but at the time I perhaps didn’t completely get that their only hit song had come and gone three or four months before the album hit the market. I immediately enjoyed what I heard though, and quickly added it to my small but growing collection.

I felt that overall, the song-writing, arrangements, originality, vocals and instrumentality were really top-notch. It’s notable that the music was all band-written, not something usually encountered at that time. What struck me most about some of the writing was its’ droll humor. In particular I was quite taken by Little Orphan Annie and Walk in the Park. They are among those songs on the album that harkened back to vaudevillian style, yet worked so well in the renaissance of the ‘60s. I was equally intrigued by Frantic Desolation and Cellophane Woman, both of which explored the more experimental aspects of the period. While I enjoyed the rest of the songs, the final two took me a bit longer to warm up to. I simply didn’t listen to them as much for quite awhile. Eventually though, I began to appreciate the more elaborate arrangement of The Great Morpheum, and the warmth and optimism of Postcard From Jamaica.

The record quickly became one of my favorites. I can still fairly well sing along with most all the songs. It’s unfortunate that, since the album faded so quickly once it finally appeared, not many people really got to hear all Sopwith Camel had to offer. It turns out that by the time of the release the band had started to fall apart due primarily to bickering and, as one band member called it, immaturity. Willy Sievers had announced in November that he intended to leave to start a solo career, but didn’t actually do that until late spring of the next year. The band members still played in other projects, some of which included two or more of them, but things seemed to be over for good. At least for the time being. I missed a golden opportunity to see not only Sopwith Camel, but Buffalo Springfield and The Standells as well in 1967. The event was a tri-school dance that had been put together by a student named Rod Jew at Cubberley High School in Palo Alto. Held at the high school pavilion, the concert was on April 27th, just prior to the Camel’s album release. All the bands had, or were enjoying, big hits. I thought I had lost any opportunity after that but Sopwith Camel was to have more in store.

Another opportunity unexpectedly came up in 1971. After not hearing anything about Sopwith Camel for nearly four years, they resurfaced playing a dance concert at Foothill Community College in Los Altos Hills CA. By this time I was a student there and attended the show in the gym with my girlfriend/future wife. While he was not aware that this event had occurred, based on information obtained through a blog done by music historian Bruno Ceriotti, it appears that four of the original band members had reunited. Hearing them play songs from that first album live was like a dream come true.

Speaking of Bruno Cerotti, through three decades of research he created a day-by-day diary of The Sopwith Camel as well as other bands. Utilizing information from interviews, as well as gathering many visuals, from several individuals and news media sources, it gives far more details than one would would normally expect to encounter. Particularly for a band that had but two albums (not counting re-releases), three singles, one hit song, and lasted less than a decade at their height. He also documented their return to performing from 2009-2016. Finally looking into what Bruno has accomplished I decided to reach out to him and we have become friends. He was quite amazed and excited to hear of the show at Foothill College. He helped me hone in on the year it must of happened and now all we need to do is get a precise date and any other details. It’s good to be interactive.

http://brunoceriotti.weebly.com/the-sopwith-camel.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sopwith_Camel_(band)

https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-sopwith-camel-mw0000117772

website https://www.sopwithcamel.com

Joel Selvin articles https://www.sopwithcamel.com/stories2.html

https://www.sopwithcamel.com/stories4.html

https://sopwithcamel.org/about-the-band/

https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/sopwith-camel-where-are-they-now-93996/

https://www.sopwithcamel.com/Albums.html

https://vancouversignaturesounds.com/hits/hello-hello-sopwith-camel/

http://therockasteria.blogspot.com/2014/09/sopwith-camel-sopwith-camel-1966-67-us.html

https://www.discogs.com/artist/391236-Sopwith-Camel

https://www.sopwithcamel.com/stories4.html

http://www.rockremnants.com/2013/06/22/song-of-the-week-hello-hello-sopwith-camel/

http://andrewdarlington.blogspot.com/2014/01/

https://www.sopwithcamel.com/Terry.html

https://fictionliberationfront.net/erik_jacobsen.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erik_Jacobsen

Hello Hello https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YjYsl__loTw

Frantic Desolation https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uaxiKL-Rzjk

Saga of the Low Down Let Down https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KdcMbtkQxaQ

Little Orphan Annie https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-y-afIkukg

You Always Tell Me Baby: Maybe in a Dream https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yU2Saf1EKlc

Cellophane Woman https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_0LxEQnnVI

The Things That I Could Do With You https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3-kM0brrXQ

Walk in the Park https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3CIG6Xc-GFc

The Great Morpheum; Postcard From Jamaica https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DU5e3lcHkx0

LP25

1 note · View note

roadscholarmusic · 4 years

Photo

Astrud Gilberto: Beach Samba Brazilian singer Astrud Gilberto is perhaps best known for contributing vocals to hit song “The Girl from Ipanema” from Getz/Gilberto, a 1963 collaboration between Stan Getz, her then-husband João Gilberto and Antônio Carlos Jobim. Eventually landing her own Verve contract, Gilberto’s solo albums don’t break any new ground but that’s kind of the point; her strength and freshness lie in her laid-back vocal delivery, which, along with the lush instrumentation, instantly evokes sandy beaches and refreshing cocktails. It’s all about the mood music, people. The appropriately titled Beach Samba (1967) is a prime example of this with its effortless bossa nova/pop style. While it didn’t generate the “Ipanema”-like hit that Verve desired, it’s a solid album that stays with you. The gentle “Misty Roses” seduces, “The Face I Love” enchants and there’s also the best duet between mother and son ever on her cover of The Lovin’ Spoonful’s “You Didn’t Have to Be So Nice.” Sometimes the simplest mood-setters are the albums you reach for the most. https://www.instagram.com/p/CK2bAuYltT4/?igshid=boe807batk8z

0 notes

naturalbornworldshakers · 7 years

Photo

Bell Bottom Blues all day long today... Lost Guitars: Clapton and Harrison's "Lucy"~ Of course "Lucy" is named after a fiery redhead. Why wouldn't she be? "Lucy" is one of the world's most famous guitars, of course, and for good reason. First of all, she's a 1957 Gibson Les Paul Standard, a cherished guitar regardless of player pedigree. Second, she has one hell of a player pedigree. The guitar players who made music with "Lucy" are among the most celebrated in rock 'n' roll history. There was John Sebastian of The Lovin' Spoonful, for example, and guitar extraordinaire Rick Derringer. But there was also Eric Clapton and The Beatles' George Harrison, the latter of whom gave the beauty her name when Clapton gifted her to him in 1968. "Lucy" went on to perform the guitar solo in the Harrison-penned Beatles' classic "While My Guitar Gently Weeps," among others. It was her theft from Harrison's Beverly Hills home in the early 1970s that may have added most to her story, however. The guitar surprisingly ended up in a Hollywood music shop, according to Gibson, where it was soon purchased by a musician from Mexico for a sweet $650. Through a series of events that aren't totally clear, the guitar and its new owner came to the attention of Harrison sometime later. Through what Gibson terms as "a complex set of negotiations," Harrison acquired it once more. "She got kidnapped and taken to Guadalajara,” he half-joked at one point afterwards. "And I had to buy this Mexican guy a Les Paul to get it back." Written by Russ Penuell for WMMR @djrusselp @933wmmr

4 notes · View notes

jonasmaurer · 5 years

Text

What to do, see, eat, and where to stay in Tucson

Sharing some tips from a Tucson native on what to do, the best restaurants, and where to stay in this amazing lil city.

Hi friends! Hope you’re having a lovely morning. We’re having an amazing Beautycounter promo right now: order any regimen or collection and get a free full-sized product! Details are here. You know how much I love Countertime! If you didn’t get this week’s safe skincare newsletter and place an order, email me and I’ll let you know about something special I’m doing for clients right now.

To join the safe skincare newsletter, click here!

For today’s post, I’m sharing some of my favorite things about Tucson! While I totally understand that Tucson isn’t the must-see destination of the US, it is a really unique spot with incredible local restaurants and exquisite scenery. There aren’t many places like it, and while I’m biased since I was born here, I’ve grown more fond of Tucson as I’ve gotten older. (For example, in high school I was like, “GET ME OUTTA HERE” and then when I finally moved far away, I couldn’t wait to eventually come back.)

Lately, I’ve been inundated with requests on where to eat and where to stay here in town. We’re at the end of winter and hitting some of our most gorgeous weather, so it makes sense that so many people plan on early springtime trips.

Here are some of my top suggestions for what to do in T-town!

What to do, see, eat, and where to stay in Tucson

What to do in Tucson for a day

1) Wake up and grab a coffee at Ren coffee in St. Phillip’s plaza. They have incredible drink and snack options – I love their housemade vegan protein bars. If you’re lucky, it will be over the weekend and you can explore the farmer’s market and get a crepe from Planet of the Crepes for breakfast.

2) Head up to La Encantada for some outdoor shopping (they have an anthropologie, lululemon, kate spade, Athleta, and Pottery Barn) and a craft at Creative Kind. They have drop-in crafts that you have do, including indigo tie dye, wall macrame hangings, watercolors, and wreaths. This is the perfect spot to hang out with a friend and make a little souvenir with a Tucson twist.

3) Drive down Campbell and enjoy brunch at the best spot: Prep & Pastry. Everything on the menu is good and you can choose if you’d like something a little lighter, like their avocado toast or sweet breakfast bowl, or something more indulgent, like the biscuits and gravy or French toast (changes daily). No matter what you do: order one or two of their fresh pastries to share.

4) Head back to the hotel for some downtime at the pool, or down to University, 4th Ave, or the MSA Annex to explore the shops.

5) Late afternoon, enjoy a stroll at Sabino Canyon, which is one of the most picturesque hikes in Tucson. You can also ride on the eco-friendly tram that makes stops along the main trail. (The entire distance up and back is 7.4 miles.)

6) Dinner at Cafe Poca Cosa, followed by drinks and music on the patio at Hotel Congress or on the rooftop bar at Playground. Cafe Poca Cosa is still my favorite dinner spot for out-of-town guests. The menu changes twice daily, based on what’s fresh at the market and servers carry around an enormous chalkboard with the menu options. I recommend the Plato Poca Cosa, which is chef’s choice, and if everyone at the table orders the plato, they’ll all be different!

Favorite taco spots in Tucson

– Boca Tacos. These are our favorite tacos in Tucson! They have so many incredible flavor options, a guacamole flight (!), great margaritas, and chips that arrive hot out of the bag. Just do it.

– Calle Tepa. This is an awesome spot that we go to almost weekly for casual street Mexican food. The service is insanely fast and the good is always good. This is a great spot to take the kids!

– Blanco Tacos. Blanco is located in La Encantada (our most high-end shopping center), surrounded by shops, other restaurants (we also love North and Ra) and gorgeous city views. They have the BEST rice.. it’s creamy, buttery perfection.

Healthy restaurants in Tucson

Tucson has so many incredibly local restaurants with healthy options. You can go pretty much anywhere and find something that will sound good to you. (For example, you can go to Prep & Pastry and get the best pancakes of your life, or a sweet potato hash with eggs. You do you!) For this section, I’m focusing on the best restaurants that focus on health-centered food. What I mean by this: they’re plant-based, source local and organic incredibles, offer vegan and gluten-free options, and will make you leave completely full, but still feeling energized.

Goodness:

Goodness is one of my favorite lunch spots in Tucson. They have smoothies, bowls, fresh juices, kombucha, it’s awesome.

Charro Vida:

Charro Vida is one of the newer spots that I love. They have a ton of vegan and gluten-free menu options, including gluten-free chocolate churros!

Renee’s Organic Oven:

I’ve loved Renee’s Organic Oven for a long time. They use a lot of organic and local ingredients, have amazing pasta and pizza dishes, great wine, and fab desserts.

August Rhodes:

This is the best sandwich spot in Tucson, hand’s down. The sandwiches aren’t gluten-free, but they have salad and soup options. All of the bread is made in house and it is amaaaazing.

*Tumerico:

I actually haven’t been here yet but everyone RAVES about it! It’s Mexican food with lots of healthy options. Maybe we’ll finally head down there this weekend.

Lovin’ Spoonfuls:

This is an entirely vegan restaurant with lots of gluten-free selections. One of my friends from high school is their pastry chef and makes all of the ridiculous creations in the dessert case each day, including different brownies, cakes, pastries, and pop tarts (AHHHHH). My fave is the falafel, greek salad, and gf pita bread.

Saffron Indian restaurant:

Saffron is our favorite Indian restaurant in town – they catered my bday party! – and they have a lunch buffet, too.

Guilin Chinese Restaurant:

This is a healthy Chinese restaurant that Kyle goes to often. (if Kyle likes it, you know it’s good!)

Where to stay in Tucson

– Loew’s Ventana Canyon: This is the hotel I recommend the most often because it’s nice, they have a great pool, it’s perfect for families (they have a playground and a koi pond where you can feed the fish, plus a small trail that leads to a man-made waterfall), and their Sunday brunch is LEGENDARY. It’s also in a great location. It’s safe and quiet while being about 20-25 minutes away from most popular areas and destinations.

– Hacienda del Sol. Hacienda is a quieter hotel, nestled in the Catalina Foothills. They have a courtyard with twinkling lights, a fabulous restaurant on site, and is also in a desirable location.

– Miraval. Miraval is a world-renowned health resort, featuring on fresh and healthy cuisine, spa services, fitness classes, activities and treatments focused on well-being. It’s all-inclusive (so meals and many activities are included, plus you receive spa credit) so it’s definitely worth a trip if you plan to stay on property, Zen out, and life your best spa life. Check out my review of Miraval here!

– Arizona Inn. This is a historic boutique hotel in central Tucson. It’s closer to the university and downtown dining and shopping options.

– Tanque Verde Guest Ranch. This is another great choice if you bring the kiddos! The rooms are a little bit older, but they have awesome Southwestern casitas (see our review here!) and their Sunday cowboy cookout is amazing. We’ll often go for dinner when the weather is warm to enjoy the food, prickly pear margaritas, and live music. They also have a great pool, horseback riding lessons and camp for the kids, fishing, and activities.

Honorable mention: The Ritz-Carlton at Dove Mountain. It’s a Ritz, it’s in a gorgeous location, but a pretty far hop on the freeway from most fun things in Tucson. I’d stay there if you don’t mind driving back and forth or if you just plan on living the hotel life while you’re here.

Honorable mention: Hotel McCoy. We haven’t visited this one yet, but I’ve heard so many positive reviews! It’s an art boutique hotel.

What to do in downtown Tucson

Some bars to check out:

– Sky Bar- solar-powered cafe, astronomy bar at night

– Downtown Kitchen & Cocktails- love the vibe here!

– Scott & Co – a small speakeasy for a low-key vibe (though it’s packed on the weekends)

– Highwire Lounge- this is a great people-watching spot on the patio

– Cobra Arcade Bar- they have game-themed cocktail and old-school arcade games

Date night options in Tucson

– Commoner & Co. – I’ve been raving about Commoner for years and it’s still our go-to date night spot. Just go and try it – make sure to get reservations first

– The Flying V – Their tableside guacamole is our favorite. Their food was just meh last time we went, but I’d definitely go for guacamole, chips, drinks and dessert

– Tito and Pep – their cocktails are incredible and they have add a Mexican flair to bistro cuisine

* The Coronet – haven’t checked this out yet but Kyle said it’s excellent

– Charro del Rey – the table side Caesar salad is SO good and they also have oysters (a rare find in Tucson)

– The Grill at Hacienda del Sol – a great date night spot and they often have live music on the weekends

– Gaslight Theatre – our local melodrama theatre, where you can “boo” at the bad guys, cheer for the heroes, and enjoy diner food while watching a live show. Definitely bring the kids along for this one

– Laff’s Comedy Club – this is our local comedy club where you can see local and national acts. They also have a bar + appetizers

– Top Golf – we’ve recently become huge Top Golf fans, which is funny since we’re not real golfers. The food is great and it’s fun to have a friendly competition (and quote Happy Gilmore the entire time).

I think that’s it!

Are you planning any little trips or vacations soon? What’s the #1 thing you recommend to people when they visit your hometown?

I’ll share a post soon with kid-friendly dining ideas and family activities!

xoxo

The post What to do, see, eat, and where to stay in Tucson appeared first on The Fitnessista.

What to do, see, eat, and where to stay in Tucson published first on https://olimpsportnutritionde.tumblr.com/

0 notes

newyorkermusic-blog · 7 years

Text

Ninth Time’s the Charm

TL;DR: I’m talking about the same band twice in a row, sue me

So in my last article I talked about Spoon, and I mentioned their next album was dropping very soon. Well, it came out, and I bought it. That was about two weeks ago, which makes this the obligatory review article.

If you’re not familiar with Spoon... well, just start going back through my previous articles and you’ll learn way more than you need to about them. This is Hot Thoughts, their ninth studio album (hence the name of this article), and first impressions are... weird. Looking back, we’ll probably end up calling this Spoon’s electronic record, which isn’t terribly surprising to me, given the direction they went with their previous album, They Want My Soul, as well as the increased writing input from Alex Fischel, fresh recruit in Spoon on that record after first playing with Britt Daniels (Spoon’s frontman) in Divine Fits. It also gets by far the most artsy, which seems to come in waves with this band, but I’m all about that kind of thing as long as it still sounds good. Melophobia, for example, was Cage the Elephant’s artsy album, and the truly weird parts of that record (like the atonal piano breakdown at the end of “It’s Just Forever”) ended up being my favourite little bits. Cage went back to something more like their old stuff with their next record, so we’ll just have to see where Spoon decides to go next.

Anyways, on to the record proper.

Hot Thoughts is weird for me in that the songs I like are songs I love, but the rest get dangerously close to mediocrity.

Firstly, the good: the titular opening track, “Hot Thoughts”, is sick. It’s pretty repetitive, and it’s clear they were really trying for a hit with it, but it’s super funky, gnarly, and a little bit gross when it wants to be. None of these are terms that describe music, but you’ll get what I mean when you hear it. So far it’s my favourite, though time may change that.

“Can I Sit Next To You” is another big highlight for me, with an Arabian-inspired synth line that puts the icing on a really excellently crafted dance-rock cake. To give you an idea, this is like Spoon channelling Arcade Fire, mixed with Klaxons, and a little LCD Soundsystem, but it’s got some major cojones. Coming from someone who loves dance-rock, and speaking about a band that hasn’t really done dance-rock before, they’ve certainly done an excellent job on that front with this record.

“Us”, the album closer, is a deliciously weird instrumental that focuses on saxophones and what I can only assume is a hefty dose of improvisation. This one feels like the music from an indie video game’s opening cinematic, if that makes sense. Among some other firsts, Spoon didn’t really do instrumentals prior to this album, but they did a good job here. It won’t be to everyone’s taste, but for me it’s an improvement for a band that routinely struggles to end an album in a way that satisfies me. This makes three, two of which are in a row, so here’s hoping the streak can continue.

“Tear It Down”, while being accidentally politically astute, is a nice throwback to an older Spoon. The chorus goes perhaps a little too far into the cheese factory, but the piano driven verses are totally movie-montage levels of juice. It isn’t quite the Van Morrison of Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga, but it wouldn’t feel out of place in that record. It’s very pop radio rock, almost specifically early-naughties pop radio rock, and Spoon continue to be a driving force in this area.

Moving on to the meat of the record, we get a handful of songs that really want to be highlights but just aren’t quite doing it for me. “WhisperI’lllistentohearit” (that’s Whisper I’ll listen to hear it) proves a point I made about The Heavy way back when I talked about The Glorious Dead in my podcast. They had a song on that record called “Just My Luck” that swaps back and forth between a fast-paced rock feel and a slower ballad feel. I thought it would have been more powerful if they only swapped twice: open with the fast part, eventually go into the slower part, then end with the fast part again, rather than flip-flopping like they do in that song. “Whisper” doesn’t quite do that, but it starts with this atmospheric synthy first half that speeds up into a noisy, rocking second half, and it works brilliantly. I have two complaints here though: firstly, this should have opened the album instead of “Hot Thoughts”, and secondly, they needed to commit to the noisy synth they transition with. Instead they strip it out too quickly without putting in anything more than the bass guitar to replace it, then they never bring it back. It could have been an amazing sucker punch, on par with “Can’t Play Dead” as a 10/10 opening track, but as-is it’s more of a disappointing slap.

“Do I Have To Talk You Into It” is what I call a groove-walk song, in that it sounds like the song the cool badass guy would be introduced with in a John Hughes movie - everything’s about the strut (think “Stayin’ Alive” from Saturday Night Fever). Instrumentally I love it, but this is actually an instance where I think Britt falls behind in the vocal department, a feeling I don’t think I’ve ever felt before. The verses check out, but again the chorus falters, with a vocal melody that sounds a lot more juvenile than I think what they were going for. Oh and don’t worry; despite the title, this isn’t actually creepy in a way like “Blurred Lines”.

“First Caress” is the most unabashedly dance Spoon has ever gotten, and it mostly works really well. The big thing here is that it never really goes anywhere. The verse is great, the chorus builds on it, but there isn’t a payoff. I might be too ingrained in the Foals school of writing songs (especially from Total Life Forever), but to me, this is a song that could have had one hell of a climax, but just... didn’t. I can appreciate them wanting to make it a shorter song clocking in at 2:49, so perhaps a 5 minute climaxing song wouldn’t be for the best, but I still think they could have made it an even 3:00 and done something more.

“Pink Up” is a pseudo-instrumental that introduces a lot of themes “Us” later plays with, and is a nice atmospheric sort of track in the style of “The Ghost of You Lingers” (from Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga), minus the staccato keys that were the focus of that track. Seeing as Spoon is a band that doesn’t write ballads, this takes the place of a ballad in the album structure. This sort of a song is a staple of dance-rock records in the style of Arcade Fire or Primal Scream, and in that regard it’s very well done, feeling like the end to the A side of a vinyl record (which it probably is - I don’t know where it cuts on the vinyl release). The reversed vocals near the end are extremely unsettling, but otherwise it’s a great song to groove out to. I do think it’s a bit lazy to have both instrumentals be so melodically similar, however. As a general Spoon song, it’s sort of out of place, but since this is their electronic/dance record, I’ll allow it.

“I Ain’t the One” is so close to being a ballad it’s almost a little scary, since I like the fact Spoon just doesn’t do ballads. It’s followed by “Tear It Down”, and the two together sound the least weird, which is a nice reprieve. In anyone else’s hands, this might be regular ballad fluff, but here with a drum machine and a very nicely distorted Rhodes, it’s a nice way for Britt to be more vulnerable than what we usually get. Between this and “Tear It Down”, this record briefly becomes a standard pop-rock thing, and it’s actually really nice. Not at all what I expect from Spoon, but perhaps a nice way to show someone Spoon without getting too weird. Definitely a little corner of this record that I warmed up to.

Now, there’s only one song left to talk about, and I’m going to have to get a little ugly. The song’s called “Shotgun” and it is the single worst song from Spoon that I have ever heard. There is a caveat: I haven’t listened to their debut album, which is apparently pretty garbage, but going strictly off the rest of their stuff (which is all good), this is the worst. I know what they were trying to do: the upbeat, hectic dance track that sounds a lot like “Satisfaction” by the Rolling Stones that most any dance record seems to require. I’ve seen it done really well, but for whatever reason, Spoon just did not do a good job. They did other dance-rock staples pretty well, so perhaps they felt like this was a box to check off their list (which is a terrible practice in my opinion), but this song just should not have been released, not like this.

It’s incessantly repetitive, never goes anywhere, and is frankly nonsensical. It opens like “I Was Made For Lovin You” by KISS, which really should be enough of a red flag. There is some cool synth breakdown stuff that shows up a couple minutes in, and I wish they focused more on that than the extremely old-sounding rhythm section thing they went with. It’s a blemish, but one that isn’t so severe as to seriously affect any of my other opinions.

One criticism I’ve heard a few times about Hot Thoughts is that it sounds like a transition record, as if Spoon wanted to go in a direction but didn’t quite get there. I adamantly disagree. I don’t see Spoon becoming a fully electronic band, so making this a dance-rock record rather than a full dance record, to me, is committing. Sure there are a couple songs that are a bit more like older Spoon, but that’s fine. Screamadelica was the album where Primal Scream merged alt rock with house music, and the songs on that record go all the way from just alt rock to just house. Hot Thoughts does something similar, with “Tear It Down” being on one end of the scale, and “Pink Up” being on the other. They hit most of the same beats I’d expect from a dance-rock record, so it all checks out to me.

If anything, that’s one of my biggest criticisms, that the record seems to be checking boxes a little too much, which I mentioned previously. As much as I get on Spoon’s case concerning song order, at least they keep things a bit surprising. Having said that, song order is much better this time around, with my only complaint being that “WhisperI’lllistentohearit” and “Hot Thoughts” should be swapped. Otherwise, I’m actually really impressed in that regard.

I also think a few of the songs could have used another month or so to tweak the arrangements, even just the band jamming out to it and coming up with a few more little ideas. Other than “Shotgun”, all the songs could have been amazing, they all have that potential. I’m sure in a month or two I’ll have warmed up to some of them even more, but I don’t think I’ll ever see this as a record of perfect successes.

I want to preface a score with the ratings I would give to other Spoon records, just to give you a relative idea. Gimme Fiction, Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga, and They Want My Soul are all 8’s from me, with each excelling in a different way to the others, but none of them being as consistently excellent as something like Foals’ Holy Fire, which is a 9. I don’t think Hot Thoughts is as good a record as any of those. I do however think it’s better than Transference (which is a controversial statement among Spoon fans), which I give a very shaky 6. I guess that makes Hot Thoughts a 7, which seems to be my rating for every review I do, and while I don’t see that improving with time, it could improve to a 7.5 if I did half points (which I don’t).

I think that about wraps it up. This one’s really long for an album review from me, but I had a lot of thoughts (hot ones perhaps?). I could have made this an episode of my podcast, but I didn’t want to do Spoon again so soon, and I wanted to get something out before too much time had passed since the album’s release. I think a few weeks hits the sweet spot between the took-way-too-long-to-come-out piece I wrote about Hurt and the Merciless and the too-soon-to-get-cozy-with-it piece I wrote about What Went Down. Let me know what you think.

I also tried a lot fewer jokes, and you’re welcome for that.

Cheers

#spoon #hot thoughts #music #music article

1 note · View note

auskultu · 8 years

Text

Donovan: All Is Friendly

Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 9 March 1967

WHENEVER returning from interviewing Donovan these days I feel that I've been the subject of a Sunday School treat. He surrounds himself with such nice friendly people down in Gipsy Dave's Wimbledon house it is impossible not to be enveloped by the warm friendly atmosphere.

Mostly they are young people with long hair who work for Don, like Nick, the chauffeur, who drives the Daimler, or Dave, the neighbour, who just dropped in through the window! There is Yvonne, a pretty blonde Swedish girl, who makes incredible prawn open sandwiches, and Susan, an American girl making a film with Don.

And, of course, the mustachioed, warm-hearted Gipsy Dave, who punctuates his every word with 'man' and 'cat,' which mean either! Last, but by no means least, there is Magnus, who is brown and black, and dribbles when you eat an apple in front of him. He's a mongrel, but does not mind!

There is a stranger from the BBC in the room, but he is as welcome as anyone. Cups of tea and food are pressed upon him until he, too, is "mellow-yellow" and "quite right" in the big lounge where we sit.

There are new and beautiful coloured pictures of enchanted forests on the wall, drawn by Gip with coloured Biros ("one mistake, man, and you have to start again") and proudly dominating the far end of the room is the snooker table which Don bought Gip as a Christmas present.

"Some men delivered it on Christmas Eve and they sent me to bed early so I wouldn't see it till next morning," said Gip, smiling.

Donovan sat on a sofa with the guitar by his side which is now almost an extension of his arm, and talked of 'Jennifer Juniper', his new hit song.

"The words 'Jennifer Juniper' just struck me as a beautiful combination," he said. "Rather like 'Sunshine Superman'. They seem to combine to sound right. I sang the last verse in French because we know that there are a lot of people in Paris who buy my discs and we thought it would be a sort of 'thank you' to them in their own language. Somehow the words sound as if they should be in French." He demonstrated by picking up his guitar and rolling a few r's around. Don's new directions in music can be clearly heard on his new album Gift To A Flower From A Garden. The key is simplicity and a natural selection of words used in every-day conversation.

"I really don't want any part of the stoned poetry – 'sparkling in her diamond-flecked psychedelic eye' – and I do want everyone to understand me. Of course, there is philosophy between the lines of my poetry if you want to look for it.

"For example, in 'First There Is A Mountain' I was just pointing out the universal law of things returning to themselves. First there is trouble, then there is no trouble, then there is!

"There is a very good book by an Arab called Kahlil Gibran, who writes things in parables, much the same way as Christ spoke in the Bible, called The Science Of Being. He thinks that a child's mind should be allowed to develop free as the wind. I feel very much the same about such things."

Tea appeared in cups which had no handles, but then they were not supposed to have – very clever these Swedish people! Donovan provided a brief musical interlude by singing a part of a song called 'Boredom', which the very much underrated John Sebastian, of the Lovin' Spoonful, had written.

"It could be even bigger than 'Daydream' was for them," said Don. "Sebastian must emerge as a huge talent one day."

Some two years ago Don told me that he would give up the pop business after a few years and just write about his travels. What has happened, of course, is that his experiences as a traveller have become a part of his music. "I have to travel to meet new people and see new things for my songs," said Don. "The song on the flipside of 'First There Is A Mountain' was called 'Sand And Foam', and that concerned some real experiences in Mexico.

"The reason for my recent trip to Greece was to look for new things. We stayed at a mountain lodge and sat around singing songs over an open fire. Then we went down to Athens and on to the harbour, where we drank wine with some people and met reporters."

The man from the BBC had to leave and Don asked him where he was from. Scene And Heard, said the man. Don gave him a copy of his new album, autographed to "Paul Williams of Scene And Heard, from Donovan 'the talk and walk'."

"I'm going to India to see the Maharishi but I'm not doing transcendental meditation," Don told me. "I take has advice over some things and I think he is a fine man, but there is time for meditation later."

Donovan's plans for the future include another concert at the Royal Albert Hall, in which he hopes to secure the services of a real Arab band.

"There are some skilful Arab musicians who play at a London restaurant called the House of Baghdad," said Don. "I may ask some of them to accompany me in addition to the orchestra.

"I'd also like to have the Incredible String Band on the concert. They are writing and singing numbers like 'Painting Box' and 'The Hedgehog Song' which I love – perhaps you would say 'Hello' through the article for me.

"They are a part of the travelling scene; travelling people who were previously beatniks, but not as the word has now become known. The String Band are rich in their Celtic folk lore and music."

We then had another musical interlude while Don played and sang 'My Painting Box' and 'The Hedgehog Song', with Gip and I joining in the chorus – all very Saturday-morning at the pictures!

Don believes that Dylan may have been influenced by his admiration for Aretha Franklin's style when he wrote 'Mighty Quinn'. He demonstrated on the guitar. We talked of more material things.

"Money is just a promise on a piece of paper to me," said Don. "A few weeks ago I was playing for fun in a Cornwall club for a beer. Shortly before that I was earning $25,000 for a concert in LA. To me £50 is still a lot of money.

"It's nice to have it to do things that I want – like travelling. It's nice to have my little 16th century cottage in the country. But when you earn thousands of pounds and get taxed at 19s. 6d in the pound, money means so much less. I have a bank account, but no idea what's in it."

I mentioned that I was surprised to see him do a song and dance routine on Cilla Black's TV show; it did not seem in keeping with his image.

"I saw Ringo do his song with Cilla and I just couldn't resist having a go myself. Tell everyone that I'm breaking into cabaret, like Frankie Vaughan, now!" The wandering minstrel smiled and filled the room full of teeth and happiness!

#donovan #nme #incredible string band #bob dylan #aretha franklin #john sebastian #lovin spoonful #folk #interview #1967 #sixties #60s #summer of love #hippies #counterculture #maharishi #india #1960s

1 note · View note

chuckprophet · 4 years

Text

Warren zanes on The Rubinoos

Warrenzanes

Following

Aug 23, 2019

· 13 min read

Berkeley, California presents . . . .

The Rubinoos, bringing you their new recording . . .

fifty years in the making. . . From Home

In a just universe you would give this bio your full and sustained attention. And in a just universe the story contained herein would be adapted and produced as a PBS American Mastersprogram (four-parts, ideally). Why? Because this bio has in it the story of The Rubinoos, a tale that has all the peaks and valleys of Shakespeare’s best. It’s the story of America’s favorite band (if only America had paid better attention). But it’s not a just universe, and this is not a story that comes to us froma just universe. It couldn’t. There’s no good music in a just universe. They don’t need the good music there. We need it here. That’s why we have the Rubinoos. Music for an unjust universe.

The occasion for this bio is a new album. A remarkablenewRubinoos album. I’m not being paid enough to lie about that (sorry, Yep Roc). I believe From Homeis an event, ifyou know enough to be ready for it. So, before turning to the specifics of this new recording, some set-up is required. Meaning, I want you to know enough to know to be ready for it. But, first, can we linger for a moment on this number? The Rubinoos stayed together fifty years to bring you From Home. How long did your band stay together? I’m referring to your band that recently had a reunion show and told a local newspaper you’d been “six years in the trenches together.” You said,“We’ll always be brothers, like family.” We’ve all said stuff like that. But next to the Rubinoos, our bands met in the morning and broke up that afternoon.

This is something else. Fifty years of pop exploration, of four people singing and playing as one, fusing themselves together. 10,000 hours? In Rubinoos terms, that’s a mere beginning. The Rubinoos adventure began in 1970, at a Berkeley, California middle school. Ronald Reagan, then Governor of California, gave the order to spray tear gas into a crowd of radicals on the UC Berkeley campus. The prevailing winds, blowing in from the Pacific, carried the tear gas onto the playground of that middle school. The future Rubinoos breathed it in. In that moment, they became a part of the fabric of American history. Or something like that.

And then, over fifty years, things including the following took place, listed here in no particular order. The Rubinoos:

1) Appeared on Dick Clark’s American Bandstand

2) Did 56 dates opening for Elvis Costello during the Armed Forcestour (playing encores at 55 of those shows — they were still “figuring it out” during the first show).

3) Appeared multiple times in Tiger Beat.

4) Were at one point produced by Todd Rundgren.

5) Had to sue Avril Lavigne for lifting their song “I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend,” eventually settling out of court.

6) Acted as Jonathan Richman’s backing band, The Modern Lovers, on classics including ��The New Teller” and “Government Center.”

7) Completed more than 15 tours of Spain . . . since 2000.

8) Had a top fifty hit in the U.S. covering “I Think We’re Alone Now,” originally by Tommy James and the Shondells.

9) Had a hit in the U.K. with “I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend.”

10) Recorded the theme for “The Revenge of the Nerds” and lived through the experience, their dignity intact . . . for the most part.

11) Have a band member who made demos for Holland-Dozier-Holland and another who wrote for Modern English.

12) Recorded their second record at The Who’s Rampart Studios, finding themselves frustrated that a singer down the hall was wasting studio time beating up the vocal line, “Whooooo are you? Hoo hoo, hoo hoo,” causing one Rubinoo to say, “When are these old fucks gonna be done so we can record?”

13) Were opening for Jefferson Starship and covering the Archies “Sugar, Sugar” when they were booed off the stage at Winterland (yes, this is on the things-that-went-right list)

14) Responded favorably to Chuck Prophet (the Alan Lomax of San Francisco pop?) when he suggested in 2018 that they record a new album.

14) Actually continued to enjoy one another’s company through five decades.

15) Recorded a live album or two in Japan.

16) I could go on, but I think you get my point.

You can’t get all that done in six years. Obviously. But what made The Rubinoos stay together? What allows that to happen? How does one great band manage to remain in working order when most great bands burst into flames? The answer to the question, I believe, is in the history part of it.

So, again, Ronald Reagan’s tear gas. The stuff came onto the middle school playground. And though one can’t be conclusive about direct effects, after that Tommy Dunbar and Jon Rubin both started having trouble in math class. Frustrated, their teacher would send them into the hallway, an ineffective form of punishment if the idea is to improve a student’s math skills. But it was a good move on the teacher’s part if the real consideration was Bay Area rock and roll. Tommy had been asking people to join groups since he was seven. He was that kid. In the school hallway a bond formed between the two mathematical exiles. And soon enough, Tommy popped the question. They were thirteen, and it was 1970. The Rubinoos came into being. Or something like that.

Tommy’s brother, Robbie, enters the story as soon as it starts. Robbie was in the band Earth Quake (originally Purple Earth Quake). To Tommy and Jon, Robbie was a symbol of possibility. Through his example the younger men could believe that, yes, bands can form, flourish, make records. In fact, with Robbie as a model, Tommy and Jon came to believe that if you form a band, that band should and willdo all of those things. When they eventually landed on American Bandstand, the feeling was less one of pinch me!than it was, “Yes, it makes sense that we’re here.” Raised in left-leaning Berkeley, tear gas in their eyes, this almost casual relationship with commercial glory can be partiallt explained by the fact that American Bandstandand Tiger Beatdidn’t register as heroic activity with the Berkley locals. The Rubinoos enjoyed what came their way, but it wasn’t going to attract the Troyskyite girls back home. But Robbie, that elder brother, did more.

In an act that may have seemed insignificant, Robbie Dunbar gave his younger sibling Tommy the Cruisin’collection. Cruisin’would haunt cut-out bins across the nation for years to come. It was classic rock and roll, year-by-year on nine albums, 1955–1963, with dee jay’s air checks, patter, and vintage ads spliced in. On the 1955 Cruisin’ album you could hear the Penguins “Earth Angel,” The Moonglows “Sincerely,” The Platters “Only You.” Chuck Berry and Bo Diddley were in there, as was Ray Charles. Good stuff. An education. Tommy and Jon spent hours and days pretending to be dee jays, singing along year-by-year. It became an obsession. They thought people harmonized because . . . that’s just what people do. Doo wop shaped their world view. Inadvertently, they found their way to the same kind of experiences that gave both The Beatles and The Beach Boys musical foundations in group vocals. When drummer Donno Spindt joined the band, he brought with him an opera-singing mother who helped the boys find the full natural resources in their lungs and throats. From the start, The Rubinoos had a gift for welcoming teachers, in any form.

This is not to suggest that doo wop and early rock and roll were exclusive interests. They were musical omnivores. They ate everything on their plate and picked things off their neighbor’s. It didn’t matter if it was the DeFranco Family or Hendrix, Toots and the Maytals or the Beach Boys, Frank Zappa or Iggy Pop. They didn’t differentiate, didn’t establish hierarchies of value. They just wanted more. Early on, they felt they were kind of a Prog Rock thing. But also an oldies band. Huh? It was as if they were cloaked in some kind of productive innocence, an openness to the world of music that in the end would give the band the widest possible pasture in which to run naked, musically speaking. It’s a quality they share with a few legendary outfits, including, in different ways, NRBQ, The Band, The Lovin’ Spoonful. But where NRBQ, for instance, would drift between the silly and the serious, The Rubinoos wouldn’t sleep with a song they couldn’t respect in the morning. They loved novelty records like “Purple People Eater” because they were funny, but The Rubinoos ultimately stayed with that same song because they saw it as . . . art! They were incapable of irony.

As Tommy explains, when they started covering the DeFranco’s “Heartbeat is a Lovebeat” they laughed until they found themselves forgetting to laugh, taken away by an honest admiration for the song’s internal order and beauty. Once they gotinside a song, they couldn’t put themselves above it. They maintained their wonder. Similarly, when they first started playing rock and roll classics from the likes of Jerry Lee Lewis and Chuck Berry, they thought playing the simple rock and roll would be, well, a simplematter. Not so. As Tommy describes, they found it was very difficult to make those songs sound as good as the original recordings. With Cruisin’as their first dunking in the holy waters, the experience of actually playing the songs from Cruisin’gave them their second. They were converted, young missionaries. Put another way, they quit school in ninth grade but were immediately enrolled a school of their own founding. And they always left the door open for visiting faculty, whether Donno’s mother, Robbie, and the others who would come to the door, something to offer.

Earth Quake would soon be a part of the scene forming around local label Berserkley Records. And the Rubinoos would follow. But The Rubinoos, by the time they signed with Berserkley, were in the kind of shape The Beatles were in when they arrived in George Martin’s world: fully fucking formed. A listen to their 1977 debut is all you need to know to grasp this for yourself. The teachings were all in there. If the timeline locates that first album in the punk era, the almost obsessive precision and craft the debut displays puts it somewhere else. Not everyone knew where. They still don’t. New York Rockertook a shot at it, describing it thus: “The best pop album of the decade.”

That first decade of The Rubinoos was crowned two years later with the release of a second masterwork, Back to the Drawing Board. “I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend” was the single and got a lot of airplay in the U.K. and elsewhere. The track’s co-writer, James Gangwer, had first approached Tommy asking if the young guitar player could tackle the “I Love Lucy” theme song on guitar. Tommy could. As Jon elaborates, it was James Gangwer who advanced The Rubinoos’s R&B and Soul education. The Elvis Costello tour came that same year, and Jon remembers watching Elvis Costello and the Attractions every night, studying them, moved by their power, looking for the lesson. There was a purity in that decade of teachers and students spilling into one another. But how could it last?

When Berserkley Records turned from a label into something much more like a management company for Greg Kihn, The Rubinoos continued to study, not always liking the subject matter. The lessons in that era would be less joyful, often relating to the sad cruelties of business than to music. With occasional respite, the band entered a long period of false starts and fodder for broken hearts. Meaning, they hit some of the stuff that makes bands break up. Yet they didn’t. Yes, they took on different shapes, witnessed some comings and goings of band members. But The Rubinoos didn’t die. There was concern in the Bay Area when Tommy got a driver’s license. “Have you heard? Tommy’s getting his license.” A kind of hush was heard. All over the world.

All of this is to say: there’s another list. And on it are the plot twists that chipped away at the inner workings of the band, including the following:

1) An extended residency in Lake Tahoe, The Rubinoos suddenly a lounge act playing for tourists. And it’s hard to back out of those kind of places without turning to see where you’re going.

2) Rumblings within the band, tremors of dissatisfaction that brought The Rubinoos as close to a break-up as they would come.

3) Bassist Al Chan’s departure, despite his natural fit as a Rubinoo. The worst part? He became an accountant.

4) Donno’s departure. Taking with him a piece of the band’s soul.

5) A move to Los Angeles, a city arguably different from Berkeley.

6) A deal with Warner Bros. and a producer by the name of Todd Rundgren, who at that time thought too little about the act he was producing.

7) Recorded vocals stacked in ways they never needed to be, bringing Jon and Tommy to a place many worlds from doo wop.

8) A Rubinoos quickly dropped by Warner Bros.

9) Less glorious work, including sessions with Kim Fowley on sessions for drag queens.

10) Jobs in wedding bands.

11) A bitter relationship with Beserkley Records that held up publishing and record royalties.

The producer of From Home, Chuck Prophet, was around fourteen years old when he fell for The Rubinoos. They were hissymbol of possibility, his Earth Quake. It took forty years of training for him to be ready to produce The Rubinoos. Over that time, he thought a lot about the band. I had Chuck Prophet on the phone, and he said, “You know Joseph Campbell’s idea of the ‘hero’s journey’? That’s a good frame of reference for understanding The Rubinoos.”

Chuck went on to suggest that the band’s arc echoes the hero’s journey as Campbell has defined it. I was compelled by what Chuck was getting at. After all, in those “missing years,” what really happened to The Rubinoos? If they didn’t break up entirely, what was happening? Chuck believes that Joseph Campbell’s theory of the hero narrative as a cross-cultural phenomena — The Odyssey,Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, The Epic of Gilgamesh, Star Wars — could be mapped onto The Rubinoos career. They didn’t break up, Chuck suggested, they went into what Campbell thought of as the unknown, the special world, where various trials and temptations and losses and hallucinatory wanderings lead to a heightened stage of consciousness. How interesting, I thought. It gave a framework for the less glorious twists and turns that led from the first records to the present, where they returned, more essentially and profoundly themselves. As I listened, I believed Chuck had something. “What does the band think of this theory?” I asked. Chuck paused. “They think it’s total bullshit,” he said.

As I already knew, The Rubinoos have, for a long time, taken an unconventional view of the markers of success, the American Bandstandstuff. They’re from Berkeley, after all. They didn’t see themselves as lost for forty years. They were touring Japan and Spain, showing up to the gig to find there was always an audience waiting. They loved singing together, were always making music. As Jon Rubin said by phone, “How lucky are we that we are still getting to play together? I enjoy the rehearsals as much as the shows.” Joseph Campbell might have felt a twinge of disappointment in hearing this. No suffering? No magical gift to illuminate the darkness mid-journey? No Yoda or Frodo? Depends who you ask, the interpreters or the participants.

From Homeopens with “Do You Remember?”, which feels a celebration of the return home from the other world, from the wilderness. “I want to tell you a story!” That shouted declaration opens the song, and then takes us through scenes from that first decade of Rubinoo life, when the boys were “singing acapella and getting it all wrong.” It recalls “DiFranco Family B-sides and the one by the Troggs.” For the lover of real group singing and smart pop songwriting, which is the stuff in which The Rubinoos partake, these are heroes returned to us. No, they were never lost to themselves. But I do believe they were lost to us. Our fault, not theirs.

But they’re back. From Homebreathes in the energy and recalls the crackle of the first two records, but with a difference. The Rubinoos have returned . . . slightly wizened? The second cut, “January,” is like a summer song that’s lived through a few break ups and seasons of worry, the harmonies as gorgeous as ever. Yet it’s not that The Rubinoos got serious and no longer live at the old address. They’re not indulging in melancholy or pondering mortality while strumming twelve-string guitars. That’s not the story. Listen to “Honey from the Honeycombs,” a beautiful musical lift that serves as a tribute to a legendary female drummer, Honey Lantree of British group The Honeycombs. Honey’s dead now, but the song resurrects her. For three minutes, it seems she could never age, and the young Rubinoos return with her, staring at their Honeycombs album covers, looking at that drummer, with her beehive hairdo behind the drum kit.

I’m not going to go song-by-song. You have to. But I’ll tell you a few of my very favorites. “Phaedra.” The mythological and art historical references somehow put this song out of time entirely. It’s perfect pop. “How Fast.” A car song that my kids understood immediately. They knew the hook line almost before they heard the song. “How fast does thing go?” A timeless sentiment from the backseat, for boys or men. “Masochist Davey.” “He’s only happy when you make him cry.” C’mon. More likely it’s divorce this time, not just a high school break-up, but The Rubinoos are still the best band to tell that sad bastard’s story. This band has given us a record as good as anything they’ve done. And they’ve showed us great since they were kids. Fifty years of showing up. Four voices falling together as one. It’s as beautiful as this music thing is going to get.

No one gives pop music credit for aging well. But they’re not thinking about greatpop. The Rubinoos prove that angle wrong. The good shit grows deeper. And the good bands, the ones that make it home? The same thing happens to them. Deeper. Not more somber, not more serious, not broken, not less alive. Deeper. I’m inclined to go with New York Rocker on this one: “The best pop album of the decade.” You choose the decade.

0 notes