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dreaming-of-assclass · 3 years

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If you had to give the 3-E characters (plus maybe Asano) I Want Songs, what would they be about?

WAIT I LOVE THIS OMG

Note: an I Want song is like a character’s theme song, one that details their journey or plight or something they’re trying to overcome. Think Disney songs.

Karma: a rock theme for sure, super chaotic and all over the place. Sings about how he’s been let down and now doesn’t care for rules or authority since it’s all corrupt. Def could mention his parents too. And how he beats up bullies.

Isogai: lowkey thinking something a bit like “Almost There” from Princess and the Frog. An upbeat yet melancholic kind of vibe, showing his strength but his obvious fears for his family situation.

Okajima: this ones fun. A very jovial, nonsensical kind of beat. Lots of sarcastic interjections from other characters. Would likely be about him joking about porn being cool, but photography is his dream. And how he tries to really amend any class tension with humor.

Okano: MY BABY. Ok I’m thinking a Barbie song vibe. Pop-ish but emphasis on lyrics. Would be about her struggle to connect with her femininity, and how she has misplaced anger. The meaning of the song would contradict against the “girly” sound.

Okuda: something similar to “Waiting on a Miracle” from the Encanto soundtrack. A song about her social anxiety, fears, and how she’s just really misunderstood. Also definitely should highlight her love for science.

Kataoka: a song you would hear in one of those inspiring athlete movies haha. I imagine it playing in a montage of her swimming, doing work, student council stuff, training, etc. It would emphasize all her responsibilities and her strength. Think: Bea Miller type of vibe

Kayano: I genuinely don’t know lmao. Maybe a happy go lucky simple song about how much she loves sweets. Then after her reveal, she gets a much darker song 👀 maybe one about her relationship with Aguri and her grief.

Kanzaki: Mitski. That’s the exact vibe I get for her, nothing less or more. It’s the sad-girl vibe, but it’s just really poetic. I can also kind of see “Reflection” from Mulan sort of.

Kimura: LMAO WHY WAS MY FIRST THOUGHT THE ROCK SONG 😭 “it’s about drive, it’s about power- 👹” ok just kidding haha, for him I’m thinking either a really funny song or really emotional. No in between.

Kurahashi: a typical Disney Princess song, no exceptions. Very sweet-sounding, happy, etc. I can just imagine the animals and bugs singing with her lmaoooo. Specifically: Snow White vibes or maybe even Tangled

Nagisa: honestly I feel like he’d have a typical protagonist kind of song. About how he doesn’t believe in himself, but he wants to do his best for the class and the mission?

Sugaya: not sure about the sound of his song, but I can imagine the visuals to be exquisite while it plays. Like him singing about how he chooses art over academics, and it’s like the screen explodes in streaks of paint, bursts of color, etc.

Sugino: an athlete anthem, but more friendly sounding? If that makes sense? Like it’s inspiring and makes you feel good, happier.

Takebayashi: a really awesome anime-intro type of sound, and it’s almost kind of funny because it contrasts his image so much. Like rock is playing while he’s just in his uniform writing equations lmao.

Chiba: I’m gonna consult the Chiba expert on this one 💗 @fumiko-matsubara pls help me out haha. But I kind of get a rock/guitar sound? Maybe it’s about how his appearance gets judged a lot :(

Terasaka: a song about how much he loves his friends and the class :’) and how he has a lot of regrets about what he’s done and how he’s lived his life.

Nakamura: somehow I got the image of Meg from Hercules. I think her song would be kind of sardonic in a funny, relatable way. It has a really jazzy sound, and she almost sounds full of herself but if you pay close attention to the lyrics, you know she’s ashamed of herself.

Hazama: a spooky-sounding gothic type of vibe in the song. It has an eerie beginning, but is really catchy. And it would be about how she’s judged by others a lot, but still wants to just be herself.

Hayami: god I really can’t tell… it might be a song about how she’s hard on herself, but gets taken advantage of :( Like it’s hard for her to let her guard down maybe. I feel like it would be kind of soft-sounding.

Hara: a fun wacky chaotic song about her trying to do a million things at the same time because people are relying on her. Like she’s balancing a plate on her head while ironing something with a sewing needle between her teeth. Kind of more of a typical Disney sound.

Fuwa: a really wild, crazy anime song vibe where she sings about loving manga. She also breaks the fourth wall and talks about how she wishes she was the main character instead of Nagisa.

Maehara: it’s half-charming and nice to hear, half sleezy and makes you wanna roll your eyes. I’m thinking: “A Winter’s Ball” from Hamilton specifically the line “We’re reliable with the LADIES.”

Mimura: omg I feel like he’d have a cinematic but goofy sounding song? Like it’s almost ridiculous-sounding, and you don’t expect that from him since he’s very unassuming. Def would have interjections from Sugaya and Okajima.

Muramatsu: damn I’m really not sure for him… somehow I got a vision of Aladdin. So maybe a song like One Jump Ahead, showing his chaotic morning getting the ramen shop ready. But he loves it and still has pride in who he is.

Yada: lowkey I get a Moana vibe for her song, like something about how she’s persisting to be a strong career woman someday. And how men like to underestimate her, but jokes on them. Think “How Far I’ll Go.”

Yoshida: a fun retro vibe in his song, and some rock instrumentals. It has a lot of motorcycle and “bad boy” imagery, but the lyrics empathize how he’s a softie haha.

Ritsu: it sounds like a Vocaloid song. A Hatsune Miku song…since they have the same VA lmao. It’s about her trying to be more human, and how much she loves the world and her class.

Itona: oh lord. Definitely a song where he’s hard on himself and has conflicting feelings about his life. It would def talk about his past and what he went through with his parents. The song itself sounds very tense and heartbreaking.

Gakushuu: a song about his pressure and excellence in every area of his life, but it’s still not enough. Def would mention how he’s competing against his dad. I feel like the middle of the song would have an incredible guitar riff.

#assclass #ansatsu kyoushitsu #assassination classsroom #3-e #gakushuu asano #oh my god this took so long hahaha #headcanons

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chrissyslittleartwork · 4 years

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Heads up, this is MY personal opinion. I'm sorry if one of your favorite Disney princess is not in the place you feel like they should be. But again, these are my personal ranking of where I feel each Disney Princess lies. Let's go down the list... 1) Belle: Out of all the Disney Princesses and their moves in general, Belle is by far my top favorite. And Beauty and the Beast is my top favorite in the Disney Princess movies. It was my childhood. I loved it so much and I loved how strong Belle was. She is certainly my idol and I will always love her. (Not going to mention that stupid live action one. Ugh...) 2) Tiana: Princess and the Frog comes in second for my favorite movies and Tiana is awesome. I also like how she is focused on trying to achieve her goals but in the end, she learns that it's also good to embrace the little things. Otherwise, you will miss it. This is a really good lesson to learn. 3) Rapunzel: Rapunzel reminds me of myself when I was younger. Creative and also naive. She will always be in the top three for me. I really do love Tangled. It's a fun adventure and the songs are great. 4) Mulan: Rewatching Mulan has made me love her even more. I can understand why people enjoy the movie so much and I do too. Mulan is a great role model. She isn't perfect but that's fine. And it's not also because she's Asian like me. (Again...gonna ignore the horrible live action remake.) 5) Pocahontas: Okay unpopular opinion, but, I really love Pocahontas. Both the first and second. I guess I can see why people didn't like the movies in general, but for me, it's like with the Don Bluth Anastasia. I like historical fiction. And I feel both did great with these two. I love Pocahontas's spirit and how she fights for her people. I do think the one drawback I have is John Smith. It really boggles my mind people prefer him over John Rolfe when Smith is still a freaking racist sexist guy who only liked Pochontas for her pretty face and wanted to change her. Rolfe loved her for her who she is. Yeah, Rolfe all the way for me! 6) Kida: Ah yes, the forgotten queen. Recently I have watched Atlantis the Lost Empire and I really enjoyed it. The characters were great and I also liked the story. Kida is really kickass and able to look it while doing it. So yeah, awesome queen. 7) Moana: I really love Moana. Both her and her movie. Moana is a great character. Love the songs and I love how Disney went all out in doing their research to make such a beautiful movie. And of course, let's not forget The Rock playing Maui. XD 8) Megera: I have always enjoyed the sassy types and Meg is no different. I loved her no nonsense and then turning into a better person in the end. Plus Hercules is one of my favorite movies too. I love the style and I love coming back to rewatch it. The songs are seriously catchy too. 9) Elsa: Elsa is an older sister like me, so I can see where she comes from. I have seen people stating she is a horrible sister in Frozen 2, but honestly, I just don't see that way. Yes she should have told Anna about the voice, but let's be real, she grew up pushing Anna away because she was forced to. She's not used to being so open. And honestly, I know Anna is allowed to worry for her but um...I always felt she was too clingy. Frozen 2 I feel has some major issues, but I will explain that a bit more when I get to Anna. Bottom line, I prefer Elsa and her songs Show Yourself and Let it Go are still my favorites. 10) Esmeralda: In my childhood, I have never seen the Hunchback of Notre Dame. Reason why is that I just never was able to get the movie. But it did look awesome. I remember having a Esmeralda shirt when I was little and it was one of my favorite shirts. She is one of my favorites and I love how she never judged anyone until after she got to know them. 11) Ariel: Okay, we're kinda in the neutral zone right now. While I did enjoy The Little Mermaid for the most part, Ariel wasn't exactly my favorite. But don't get me wrong, I didn't hate her either. I guess I didn't know what to feel for her. Though I do like her singing and her voice actress Jodi Benson. 12) Jasmine: Again, like with The Little Mermaid, while I did enjoy Aladdin, Jasmine is just neutral to me. I do admire her for not wanting to marry just for the sake of it. And having a pet tiger is awesome. But she doesn't really stick out so much for me. So yeah... 13) Aurora: Considering Aurora doesn't have the biggest screen time compared to the other princesses, I seriously can't be too harsh on her. Sleeping Beauty is a nice movie and I love the art in it. But I felt the movie was more about the good fairies than Aurora herself. So it's why she falls in the D category. She didn't have enough screen time to give us a proper characterization. 14) Cinderella: This was kinda tough...Cinderella wasn't exactly my favorite movie. Though the character herself is fine. She doesn't have the most unique personality but I do admire for her staying kind and hopeful despite living with such an abusive family. I also feel bad that most people misinterpret her character who has to be saved all the time. 15) Merida: Ah yes, now to finally tell my real thoughts on Merida. Honest truth, she is really not my favorite. Far from it. If it wasn't for the Big Four fandom, I would have cared less about Merida. Her actions in her movie were...seriously selfish. And I know, she doesn't want to be married, I get that. And I have see her fans act like it's her mother's fault for doing that. But, keep in mind, her mother was doing it because she wanted to keep peace with the clans. Merida's actions almost sent them into an all out war. But I also feel Brave has some major issues. It could have been an awesome movie but it wasn't. It was one of Pixar's weakest and Merida isn't really all that great. 16) Anna: I don't know why, but Anna falls low on this list too. I have never been the biggest fan of her and she did not do herself well in Frozen 2. I know she loves Elsa, but she put herself in danger by running into the fire. Elsa didn't run into it, ANNA DID. And she treated Kristoff not so well either. She was more tolerable in the first because I know she just wanted to reconnect with Elsa. I feel like Disney tried to give Anna way too make quirks that...meh, I don't think I can really put up with her. Again, if it wasn't for me liking the idea of her being the daughter of Jack Frost and Rapunzel, I would care less about Anna. 17) Snow White: I know she's the very first Disney Princess and the fact she is in the first movie ever. But honestly, she's my least favorite due to her being kinda bland and forgettable. Though I did like her interactions with the Dwarfs. All in all, she's meh to me. So there you have it. My real thoughts on the Disney princesses and where they fall under for me. I'm sure people will have different opinions on this and that's fine. For me, this is what I truly think of them.

#chrissyslittlememes #disney princesses #belle #tiana #elsa #rapunzel #anna

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sinceileftyoublog · 3 years

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Riot Fest 2021: 9/16-9/19, Douglass Park

BY JORDAN MAINZER

Much like Pitchfork Music Festival earlier this month, this past weekend’s Riot Fest felt relatively normal. Arriving at Douglas Park every day, you were greeted by the usual deluge of attendees in Misfits t-shirts and dyed hair, the sound of faint screams and breakneck guitars and drums emanating from nearby stages. The abnormal aspects of the fest, at least as compared to previous incarnations, we’re already used to by now from 2021 shows: To get in, you had to show proof of vaccination and/or a negative test no older than 48 hours, which means that unvaxxed 4-day attendees had to get multiple tests. Props to the always awesome staff at Riot Fest for actually checking the cards against the names on government-issued IDs.

For a festival that dealt with a plethora of last-minute changes due to bands dropping out because of COVID-19 caution (Nine Inch Nails, Pixies, Dinosaur Jr.) or other reasons (Faith No More/Mr. Bungle because of concerns around Mike Patton’s well-being), there were very few bumps in the road. Whether Riot Fest had bands like Slipknot, Anthrax, or Rise Against in their back pocket as replacements or not, it very much felt like who we saw Thursday-Sunday was always supposed to be the lineup, even when laying your eyes on countless “Death to the Pixies” shirts. Sure, one of the fest’s main gimmicks--peeling back the label on Goose Island’s Riot Fest Sucks Pale Ale to reveal the schedule--was out of date with inaccurate set times and bands, and it still would have been so had Faith No More and Mr. Bungle stayed, since Fucked Up had to drop out last minute due to border issues. But the festival, as always, rolled with the punches.

The sets themselves offered the circle pit and crowdsurfing-inducing punk and metal you’re used to, with a few genre outliers. For so many bands of all styles, Riot Fest represented their first live show in years, and a few acts knew the exact number of days since their last show. For every single set, the catharsis in the crowd and on stage was palpable, not exactly anger, or elation, but pure release.

Here were our favorite sets of the festival, in chronological order.

WDRL

Last October, WDRL (which, amazingly, stands for We Don’t Ride Llamas) announced themselves with a Tweet: “y’all been looking for an alt black band,, well here you go”. A band of Gen Z siblings, Chase (lead guitar), Max (lead vocals), Blake (drums), and Kit Mitchell (bass guitar), WDRL is aware, much like Meet Me @ The Altar (who, despite my hyping, I couldn’t make it in time to see) that they’re one of too few bands of POCs in the Riot Fest-adjacent scene. Their set, one of the very first of the weekend during Thursday’s pre-party, showed them leading by example, the type of band to inspire potentially discouraged Black and brown folks to start punk bands. Max is a terrific vocalist, able to scream over post-punk, scat over funk, and coo over slow, soulful R&B swayers with the same ease. The rest of the band was equally versatile, able to pivot on a dime from scuzzy rock to hip hop to twinkling dream pop. Bonus points for covering Splendora’s “You’re Standing On My Neck”, aka the Daria theme song.

Joyce Manor

Joyce Manor’s self-titled debut is classic. The best part of it as an album play-through at a festival? It’s so short that you can hear it and you’ll still have half a set for other favorites. So while the bouncy “Orange Julius”", “Ashtray Petting Zoo”, and ultimate singalong “Constant Headache” were set highlights, the Torrance, CA band was able to burn through lots from Never Hungover Again, Cody, Million Dollars to Kill Me, and their rarities collection Songs From Northern Torrance. Apart from not playing anything from Of All Things I Will Soon Grow Tired (seriously, am I the only one who loves that record?), Joyce Manor were stellar, from the undeniable hooks of “Heart Tattoo” to the churning power chords of “Catalina Fight Song”. After playing “Christmas Card”, Johnson and company gave one final nod to the original fest cancellation, My Chemical Romance, who were slated to headline 2020, then 2021, and now 2022. If you ever wondered what it would sound like hearing a concise punk band like Joyce Manor take on the bombast of “Helena”, you found out. Hey, it was actually pretty good!

Patti Smith

Behold: a full Patti Smith set! After being shafted by the weather last time around, a sunglasses-laden Smith decided not to fuck around, leading with the inspiring “People Have The Power”, her voice as powerful as I’ve ever heard it. Maybe it was the influence of Riot Fest, but she dropped as many f-bombs as Corey Taylor did during Slipknot’s Sunday night headlining set. After reluctantly signing an adoring crowd member’s copy of Horses, she quipped, “I feel bad for you have to cart that fucking thing around.” It wasn’t just the filthy banter: This was Smith at her most enraptured and incendiary, belting during “Because The Night” and spitting during a “Land/Gloria” medley, reciting stream-of-consciousness hallucinogenic lyrics about the power of escape in the greatest display of stamina the festival had to offer.

Circa Survive

“It feels good to dance,” declared Circa Survive lead singer Anthony Green. The heart and soul of the Philadelphia rock band, who cover ground from prog rock to post-hardcore and emo, Green was in full form during the band’s early Friday set, his falsetto carrying the rolling “The Difference Between Medicine and Poising Is in the Dose” and the chugging “Rites of Investiture”. While the band, too, can throw down, they’re equally interesting when softer and more melodic, Brendan Ekstrom‘s twinkling guitars lifting “Child of the Desert” and “Suitcase”. Ending with the one-two punch of debut Juturna’s introspective “Act Appalled” and Blue Sky Noise’s skyward “Get Out”, Green announced the band would have a new record coming soon, one you hope will cover the sonic and thematic ground of even just those two tracks.

Thrice

Thrice played their first show since February 2020 the same day they’d release their 11th studio album, Horizons/East (Epitaph). To a crowd of fans that came to hear their favorite songs, though, the Irvine, California band knew better than to play a lot of the new record, instead favoring tracks like The Artist in the Ambulance’s spritely title cut and Vheissu standout “The Earth Will Shake”. Yeah, they led with a Horizons/East song making its live debut, the dreamy, almost Deftones-esque “Scavengers”, and later in the set they’d reveal the impassioned “Summer Set Fire to the Rain”. But the set more prominently served to emphasize lead vocalist Dustin Kensrue’s gruff delivery, on “All the World Is Mad” and “in Exile”, the rhythm section’s propulsive playing buoying his fervency. And how about Teppei Teranishi’s finger tapping on “Black Honey”?!? Thrice often favor the slow build-up, but they offered plenty of individually awesome moments.

Smashing Pumpkins

William Patrick Corgan entered the stage to dramatic strings, dressed in a robe, with white face paint except for red hearts under his eyes. He looked like a ghost. That’s pretty much where the semi-serious theatricality ended. The Smashing Pumpkins’ first Chicago festival headlining set in recent memory was the rawest they’ve sounded in a while, counting when they played an original lineup-only set at the United Center a few years back. It was also the most fun I’ve ever seen Corgan have on stage. Though they certainly selected and debuted from their latest electropop turn Cyr, Corgan, guitarist James Iha, drummer Jimmy Chamberlin, guitarist Jeff Schroeder, and company more notably dug deep into the vault, playing Gish’s “Crush” for the first time since 2008, Adore’s “Shame” for the first time since 2010, and Siamese Dream barnburner “Quiet” for the first time since 1994 (!). Best, every leftfield disco jam like set opener “The Colour Of Love”, “Cyr”, and “Ramona” was quickly followed by something heavy and/or recognizable, Chamberlin’s limber drum solos elevating even latter-day material like “Solara”. At one point, Corgan, a self-described “arty fuck,” admitted that years ago he would have opted for more experimental material, but he knew the crowd wanted to hear classics, the band then delving into a gorgeous acoustic version of “Tonight, Tonight”. And while Kate Bush coverer Meg Myers came out to sing Lost Highway soundtrack industrial ditty “Eye”, it was none other than legendary local shredder Michael Angelo Batio who stole the show, joining for the set closer, a pummeling version of Zeitgeist highlight “United States”. Leaning into the cheese looks good on you, Billy.

The Bronx

Credit to L.A. punk rock band The Bronx, playing early on a decidedly cooler Saturday early afternoon, for making me put in my earplugs outside of the photo pit. Dedicating “Shitty Future” to Fucked Up (who, as we mentioned, had to drop out), the entire band channeled Damian Abraham’s energy on piercing versions of “Heart Attack American” as well as “Superbloom” and “Curb Feelers” from their latest album Bronx VI (Cooking Vinyl). Joby J. Ford and Ken Horne’s guitars stood out, providing choppy rhythms on “Knifeman” and swirling solos on “Six Days A Week”.

Big Freedia

The New Orleans bounce artist has Big Diva Energy, for the most part. After her DJ pumped up the crowd to contemporary Southern rap staple “Ayy Ladies” by Travis Porter, Big Freedia walked out and showed that “BDE”, firing through singles like “Platinum” and “N.O. Bounce” as her on-stage dancers’ moves ranged from delicate to earth-shaking. At this point, Freedia can pretty much do whatever she wants, effortlessly segueing between a cover of Drake’s “Nice For What” to “Strut”, her single with electropop DJ Elohim, to a cover of Beyone’s “Formation”. Of course, the set highlight was when she had volunteers from the crowd come up and shake and twerk--two at a time to keep it COVID-safe--all while egging them on to go harder. Towards the end of the set, after performing the milquetoast “Goin’ Looney” from the even-worse-than-expected Space Jam: A New Legacy soundtrack, she pulled out the beloved “Gin in my System”. “I got that gin in my system,” she sang, the crowd singing back, “Somebody gonna be my victim,” a refrain that compositionally not only leaves plenty of room for the thundering bass but is thematically a statement of total power--over sexism, racism, the patriarchy--even in the face of control-altering substances.

Les Savy Fav

During Les Savy Fav’s set, lead singer Tim Harrington at various points--*big breath*--went into the crowd, deepthroated an audience member’s mohawk spike, found a discarded manikin head with a wig on it, revealed the words “deep” and “dish” painted on his thighs and a drawing of a Red Hot on his back, rode a crowd member like a horse, made a headband out of pink tape, donned ski goggles, surfed on top of a door carried by the crowd, squeezed his belly while the camera was on it to make it look like his belly button was singing, and referred to himself as a “slippery eel.” Indeed, the legend of Les Savy Fav’s live show starts and ends with Harrington’s ridiculous antics, as he’s all but out of breath when actually singing dance-punk classics like “Hold On To Your Genre”, “The Sweat Descends”, and “Rome (Written Upside Down)”. We haven’t heard much in terms of new music from Les Savy Fav in over 10 years--their most recent album was 2010′s Root For Ruin--but I could see them and the extremely Aughts genre in general become staples of Riot Fest as albums like Inches, The Rapture’s Echoes, and !!!’s Louden Up Now reach the 20-year mark. Dynamic vocalists, tight bands, and killer grooves: What’s not to love?

State Champs

This set likely wins the award for “most immediate crowd surfers,” which I guess is to be expected when you begin your set with a classic track 1--album 1 combination. “Elevated” is the State Champs number that will cause passers-by to stop and watch a couple songs, the type of song that can pretty much only open or close a set. And because they opened with it, the crowd immediately ramped up the energy. It’s been three years since the last State Champs full-length, Living Proof, so they were in prime position to play some new songs. As such, they performed their bubblegummy “Outta My Head” and “Just Sound” and faithfully covered Fall Out Boy’s “Chicago Is So Two Years Ago” (releasing a studio version earlier this week). But the tracks from The Finer Things and Around the World and Back were, as usual, the highlights, like “All You Are Is History”, “Remedy”, “Slow Burn”, and set closer “Secrets”. At the end of the day, it didn’t entirely matter: The crowd knew every word of every song.

Bayside

Putting State Champs and Bayside back-to-back on the same stage made an easy decision for the many pop-punk bands at Riot Fest. Bayside’s been at it for twice as long, so the breadth of their setlist across their discography is more variable. Moreover, they’ve thrice revisited their discography with acoustic albums of old songs, so even their staples are subject to change. They provided solid versions of Killing Time standouts “Already Gone” and “Sick, Sick, Sick”, Cult’s “Pigsty”, and older songs like their self-titled’s “Montauk” and Sirens and Condolences’ “Masterpiece”. For “Don’t Call Me Peanut”, though, they brought out--*gasp*--an acoustic guitar! It was a rare moment not just for one of the most popular pop punk sets but the festival in general, a breather before Vacancy shout-along “Mary”.

Rancid

“Rancid has always been anti-fascist and anti-racist,” said Tim Armstrong before the band played “Hooligans”. It was nice to hear an explicit declaration of solidarity from the street punks, reminding the crowd what really matters and why we come together to scream and mosh. The band expectedly favored ...And Out Come The Wolves, playing almost half of it, and they perfectly balanced their harder edges with more celebratory ska songs like “Where I’m Going” from their most recent album Trouble Maker (Hellcat/Epitaph). My two favorite moments? The breezy, keyboard-laden “Fall Back Down” from their supremely underrated 2001 album Indestructable, and when they asked the crowd whether they wanted the set to end with “Time Bomb” or “Ruby Soho”. “We have 4 minutes left, and it’s disrespectful to play over your set time,” said Armstrong. It’s easy to see why Rancid continues to make an impression--instrumental and moral--on touring bands new and old.

Run the Jewels

The brilliant hip hop duo are masters of balancing social consciousness with the desire to fuck shit up for fun. Live, the former tends to come in between-song banter, the latter with their actual charismatic, tit-for-tat performances of the songs. However, Run the Jewels also are probably the clearest live performers in hip hop today, Killer Mike and El-P’s words, hypersexual and woke alike, ringing in the ears of audience members who don’t even know the songs. (Looking around, I could see people smiling and laughing at every dick joke, nodding at each righteous proclamation.) Some of the best songs on their most recent album RTJ4 (Jewel Runners/BMG) are perfect for these multitudes. Hearing both RTJ MCs and the backing track of Pharrell Williams and Zack de la Rocha chanting “Look at all these slave masters posin’ on yo’ dollar” on “JU$T” as the rowdy crowd bounced up and down was the ultimate festival moment. For those who had never seen RTJ, it was clear from the get-go, as Killer Mike and EL-P traded bars on “yankee and the brave (ep. 4)” that they’re a unique hip hop act. For the rest of us, it was clear that Run the Jewels keep getting better.

The Gories

It felt a little weird that legendary Detroit trio The Gories were given the first set of the final day--I’d have thought they’d have more draw than that. No matter what, they provided one of the more satisfying and stylistically varied sets of the festival, showcasing their trademark balance of garage punk and blues. Mick Collins and Dan Kroha’s guitar and vocal harmonies were the perfect jangly balance to Peggy O’Neill’s meat and potatoes drumming on “Sister Ann” and “Charm Bag”, while folks less familiar with The Gories were treated to their fantastic covers of Suicide’s “Ghost Rider” and The Keggs’ “To Find Out”. Smells like time for the first Gories album in 20 years!

FACS

I thought it would be ill-fitting to watch a band like FACS in the hot sun, early in the day. Their monochrome brand of post-punk seems better suited for a dimly lit club. But the hypnotic nature of Brian Case’s swirling guitar and Alianna Kalaba’s slinky bass was oddly perfect in a sweltering, faint-inducing heat. Just when you thought you might fade, squalls of feedback and Noah Leger’s odd time signatures picked you back up. Songs from their new album Present Tense (Trouble In Mind) such as “Strawberry Cough” and “XOUT” were emblematic of this push-pull. And everything from the band’s red, white, and black color palate to their lack of stage banter suggested a cool minimalism that was rare at a festival that tends to book more outwardly emotional bands.

Alex G

On one hand, Alex G’s unique combination of twangy alt country and earnest indie rock makes him an outlier at Riot Fest, or at the very least a mostly Pitchfork/occasional Riot Fest type of booking. On the other hand, like a lot of bands at the festival, he has a rabid fanbase, one that knows his back catalog hits, like “Kute”, “Kicker”, and “Bug”, as much as if not more than hyped Rocket and House of Sugar singles, like “Bobby” and “Gretel”. Backed by a band that knows when to be loose and when to tighten up--and the instrumental chops to do so--Alex G was better than he was a Pitchfork three years ago. He still sings through his teeth, making it especially hard to hear him on louder tunes such as “Brick”. But when the honesty of his vocals combines with the dreamy guitars of “Southern Sky” and circular melodies of “Near”, it’s pure bliss.

HEALTH

The formula for the LA industrial noise band has pretty much always been Jake Duzsik’s soft vocals contrasting John Famiglietti’s screeching bass and pedals and BJ Miller’s mammoth drums. Both in 2018 and Sunday at Riot Fest, the heat affected Famiglietti’s pedals, which were nonetheless obscured by tarp. Or so HEALTH claimed: You wouldn’t know the difference given how much their sound envelops your whole body during one of their live sets. Since their previous appearance at the festival, the prolific band has released two new records on Loma Vista, Vol. 4: Slaves of Fear and collaboration record Disco4: Part 1. Songs from those records occupied half of their excellent set, including battering opener “GOD BOTHERER”, “BODY/PRISON”, and “THE MESSAGE”. It was so wonderfully loud it drowned out K.Flay’s sound check drummer, thank the lord.

Thursday

Last time Thursday played Riot Fest, Geoff Rickly was battling heroin addiction, something he talked about during the band’s triumphant late afternoon set on Sunday. He mentioned the kindness of the late, great Riley Gale of Power Trip in extending a helping hand when he was down and extended his love to anybody in the crowd or even the world at large going through something similar. To say that this set was life-affirming would be an understatement; after 636 days of no shows, Rickly was at his most passionate. He introduced “Signals Over The Air” as a song the band “wrote about men beating up on women in the pit,” that a record exec at the time told them that it wouldn’t age well because he thought--no kidding--sexism would eventually end. Rickly’s voice, suffering from sound issues last time around, simply soared during Full Collapse’s “Cross Out The Eyes”, No Devolucion’s “Fast to the End”, and two inspired covers: Bruce Springsteen’s “Dancing in the Dark” and Texas Is The Reason’s “If It's Here When We Get Back It's Ours”. The latter the band played because TITR guitarist Norman Brannon’s actually on tour with them, though Rickly emphasized the influence the NYC post-hardcore greats had on Thursday when they first started. Never forgetting where they’ve come from, with self-deprecating humor and radical empathy, Thursday are once again a force.

Devo

Much like the B-52′s in 2019, Devo was the set this year of a 70′s/80′s absurd punk band with some radio hits that everybody knows but with a swath of die-hard fans, too. It’s safe to say both groups were satisfied. You walked around the fest all day wondering whether the folks wearing Devo hats were actual fans or doing it for the novelty. By the time the band actually took the stage after a career-spanning video of their many phases, it didn’t really matter, because it was clear the band still had it, Mark and Bob Mothersbaugh and Gerald Casale’s vocals booming throughout a massive crowd. They ripped through “Peek-a-Boo”, “Going Under”, “That’s Good”, “Girl U Want”, and “Whip It”, which caused the fans waiting for Slipknot (and presumably some Devo heads) to form a circle pit. And that was all before the first costume change. Mark passed out hats to the crowd, fully embracing converts who might have only known “Whip It”. The feverish chants of “Uncontrollable Urge” and synth freakouts of “Jocko Homo” whipped everyone into a frenzy. And the band performed the “Freedom Of Choice” theme song for the first time since the early 80′s! I had seen Devo before, opening for Arcade Fire and Dan Deacon at the United Center, but the atmosphere at Riot Fest was more appropriately ludicrous.

Flaming Lips

“The Flaming Lips are the most COVID-safe band in the world,” went the ongoing joke, as throughout the pandemic they’d give audience members bubbles for their bubbles to be able to play shows. The normally goofy and interactive band scaled back for Riot Fest. Before launching into their traditional opener “Race For The Prize”, Wayne Coyne explained that while the band is normally proud of where they come from--Oklahoma City--they’re saddened by the local government’s ignorant pandemic response and wouldn’t risk launching balloons or walking into the crowd because they might be virus spreaders coming from such an under-vaccinated area. To his and the band’s credit, they wore masks during the performance, even when singing; Coyne removed his only when outside of his bubble that had to be deflated and inflated many times and that sometimes muffled his singing voice even more than a mask. Ever the innovative band, they still put on a stellar show. Coyne autotuned his voice on “Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, Pt. 1″, making it another instrument filling the song’s glorious pop melodies. Less heavy on props, the band favored a glitchy, psychedelic setlist that alternated between beauty (”Flowers Of Neptune 6″, “Feeling Yourself Disintegrate”, “All We Have Is Now”) and two-drummed cacophony (“Silver Trembling Hands”, “The W.A.N.D.”). They’ll give a proper Lips show soon enough, but in the meantime, it was nice to see them not run through the motions.

Slipknot

Apart from maybe moments of Slayer, I’ve never witnessed a headliner at Riot Fest as heavy as Slipknot was. Even the minor ethereal elements present on their most recent and very good album We Are Not Your Kind, like the chorus of voices during “Unsainted”, were all but abandoned live in favor of straight up brutality. Sure, there were moments of theatricality--Corey Taylor’s menacing laugh on “Disasterpiece” and pyrotechnics in sequence with the instrumentation on “Before I Forget” and “All Out Life”--but for the most part, Slipknot was the ultimate exorcism. Taylor’s new mask, with unnaturally circular eyes, seemed like it came from a particularly uncomfortable skit from I Think You Should Leave. They bashed a baseball bat to a barrel during the pre-encore performance of “Duality”. And the songs played from tape, like the gasping-for-breath “(515)”, were designed to contrast Slipknot’s alien appearance with qualities that were uncannily human. For a band whose performances and instrumental dexterity are otherworldly--who else can pull off tempo changes over a hissing, Aphex Twin-like shuffling electronic beat on “Eyeless”--the pure seething emotion on songs like “Psychosocial” and “Wait and Bleed” shone through. Like Smashing Pumpkins, and like so many other successful Riot Fest headliners, Slipknot abandoned drama for pure, unadulterated dirt.

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surviiived · 4 years

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VOICECLAIM HEADCANONS!!! I’mma list a character, say the name of their voice claim (with a link in the name to a song by their vc that fits them), and maybe give a little explanation of why I picked that person..!!

Joseph—Brendon Urie.

I headcanon that Joseph is actually a really excellent singer, but he doesn’t sing anymore. He hasn’t held a tune with his voice ever since his brother died. If you can actually get him to warm up to you and convince him to sing, he may do it...and when he does, it will be beautiful. I had to go with Brendon Urie for this cause he’s my all-time favorite male singer, plus Joseph has all of the AWESOME range that Brendon Urie has and i just...god i love his voice.... T^T

Emily—Susan Egan.

So all I get for Emily singing is a skin and an accessory that has her heal by singing, so yeah, she’s gonna be a helluva excellent singer~~ I want her to have a more womanly tone, seasoned but not old in the slightest. I think this song is a perfect representation of how I imagine Emily’s voice to sound—not like Susan Egan’s Meg, even though I adore Meg, but she just doesn’t sound like Emily does. Plus...this is a song about being trapped and having to find a new home in this horrible place. It screams Emily to me~~

Norton—Jonathan Young.

Oh boy i love this man... I imagine Norton to be able to sing, yes, but have a sort of gravelly tone. Plus he would totally fit rock songs~~ I had heard this song’s cover with my sister and immediately thought of Norton towards Mike (or any of his ships), and then I found his cover of “Shiny” which totally fits his hunter verse, and I realized...yeah...his vc is ABSOLUTELY Jonathan Young LOL!!!

Kira—Idina Menzel/Carrie Manolakos

While she may not be the most well known out of all of these vcs, Carrie Manolakos is Kira’s main vc. She just holds that youthful yet soulful voice—plus that sound would totally fit her if she found actual love again. But... I also adore Idina Menzel, and that song is actually what I based her IDV verse on entirely!! Sooo that’s cool!!

Yidhra doesn’t have a voiceclaim as of right now, but once I find one I’ll add it.!!

#~ʷᵉ ᵃʳᵉ ᵗʰᵉ ʷᵃʳʳᶦᵒʳˢ ʷʰᵒ ˡᵉᵃʳⁿᵉᵈ ᵗᵒ ˡᵒᵛᵉ ᵗʰᵉ ᵖᵃᶦⁿ~ /Character Study/#~ᵐᵃʸᵇᵉ ᶦ ᵍᵒᵗ ᵐᶦⁿᵉ ᵇᵘᵗ ʸᵒᵘ’ˡˡ ᵃˡˡ ᵍᵉᵗ ʸᵒᵘʳˢ~ [Kira Black]#~ᶦ ᵈᵒ ᶦᵗ ᶠᵒʳ ᵗʰᵉ ᵍˡᵒʳʸ~ [Norton Campbell]#~ᵐᶦʳʳᵒʳ ʷʰᵃᵗ’ˢ ᵗʰᶦˢ ᵗʰᶦⁿᵍ ᶦ ˢᵉᵉˀ ʷʰᵒ ᶦˢ ˢᵗᵃʳᶦⁿᵍ ᵇᵃᶜᵏ ᵃᵗ ᵐᵉˀ~ [Emily Dyer]#~ⁿᵒ ʷᵒⁿᵈᵉʳ ʷʰʸ ᵐʸ ʰᵉᵃʳᵗ ᶠᵉᵉˡˢ ᵈᵉᵃᵈ ᶦⁿˢᶦᵈᵉ; ᶦᵗ’ˢ ᶜᵒˡᵈ ᵃⁿᵈ ʰᵃʳᵈ ᵃⁿᵈ ᵖᵉᵗʳᶦᶠᶦᵉᵈ~ [Joseph Desaulnier]

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archivedatl · 18 years

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AP web exclusive: All Time Low tour diary

Posted by Scott Heisel on 08-Dec-06 @ 04:43 PM

Last month, Baltimore pop-punkers All Time Low took to the road with Sugarcult for a series of shows on the West Coast. Here's some of what they saw, in words and pictures. Learn more at www.alltimelow.com.

#1------------------------------------------------------------ Ooohooo So last night we celebrated two awesome occasions...well 3 since matt's molars finally grew in...anyways yesterday was Haloween and our first night of our tour with Sugarcult. I must say, it is pretty strange touring with a band who I spent the better years of my middle school life watching on MTV. Regardless of where this band has been, it definetly didn't eff with their personalities. They were all super nice to us and each came up and introduced themselves. The show went pretty well but it wasn't a good judgement of our the whole tour is going to be because Sugarcult didn't even headline, the Eagles Of Death Metal did, and the tickets for $25 on Haloween night :) I'm sorry but I would never go to a show if those were the circumstances...I'd be out expanding my collection of holiday treats. Tonight the 'real' tour begins so we will see how it goes. We are playing Washington State University in Pullman Washington. We haven't done too many college shows, so this should be interesting...anyways before we got on the road a couple days ago we were couped up in Ben Harper's (formely of yellowcard, now in amber pacific) house/studio in long beach, CA working on our new CD :). We demoed some hot licks that were going to send over to our producer matt squire so that he can put in some input. I heard my blogs are going to be posted on the Alternative Press website for this tour, so if that's the case then...helll yeah! Well I just woke up from sleeping in the van so I am gonna walk out into the freezing streets of Pullman, WA crack my back and grab some Qudoba. Much Love, Jack --jbstar #2------------------------------------------------------------ Yoo dooodds, So I'm gonna update you guys on the passed couple shows...on Wednsday we played Washington State University. Those kids are freaking crazy! Everyone seemed to be having a good time and we made some awesome new friends. I cannot stress enough, how cool the Sugarcult guys are. Which is really cool because I have been listening to those guys since 6th grade! Anyways before we played, matt thought it would be a good idea to have a fork and knife fight backstage...yeah it turned pretty ugly and we should have some footage online soon enough. That night we partied at 'The Christmas House'. Lets just say that I'm pretty sure alex made out with a dog...I really miss Hit The Lights :( Anways...we played Seattle after the college show and it was offf the hoooook. Everyone in the room was dancing and it got pretty redic. As soon as we told them the alex/dog story they went nuts. We met up with the Pink Spiders that night. We were nervous about that because we've heard some stuff...but for real those guys are the shit. There all super nice and we have no complaints about them. We have yet to tour with a band who we don't get along with (fingers crossed). We also heard that we may be doing a few shows with Cobra Starship in Dec, if that happends that would be sick. I'll keep you guys updated. Someone made us a bucket of the craziest donuts ive ever seen at the portland show last night!! They were reallly good. Sorry for the lack of pics, I'll make sure my next post has more, its just hard to take good pics on a sidekick :). Talk to you guys soon!!Jacko #3------------------------------------------------------------ Yo Babaayyss, Last nights show was off the hook! I love playing at The Boardwalk in orangevale calii. The crowd was as wild as usual and a bunch of kids were singing along. A lot of the same kids who saw us there on the Amber Pacific tour came back. Its always cool to see so many familiar faces,,,cough cough hint hint nudge...you get the idea folks! The next couple shows should be interesting...reno and vegas. I wont be able to gamble but at least ill be able to look at a lot of lights. We all have family comming out, so that should be exciting. I havent seen my brother and sister in ages and i know their gonna be wasted so that means they will be even more friendly :) Also Meg n Dia join up in vegas which is sick, SO SIKED FOR THAT!!! We met them on warped and their super nice. anyways i think its time, i go to In and Out because after this tour im not going to be able to go back for a while :( im going to eat there everyday twice a day until we leave Arizona. Ive attached pics from our set on the Epitaph stage at this years Bamboozle Left and also some pics of our acoustic set the 2nd day! Thanks to everyone who watched us either/both days :) love you peace peace n a bottle o' hair grease, jack #4------------------------------------------------------------ Wow...vegas has to be one of the strangest places on this earth. First of all we showed up in Reno (shity city) only to find that only sugarcults crew was there and the show probably wasnt going on. We were welcomed by a hooker in a pink tanktop and no teeth asking if we had any shirts we could give her...Thankfully we have power windows and middle fingers. Thankfully zack was asleep or he might have took her up on some of her offers...he's getting desperate you know..just kidding! Anyways we decided to hang out with sugarcults crew for a little then start the drive to vegas early since it was 8 house. We got to go over the Hoover Damn which was sweet. It's seriously Vegas Vacation all over again! Anyways, we got to vegas around midnight and it was a fantastic site! My bro and sis were staying at the MGM so thats where i headed. Rian to the Excalibur, Alex and Matt to the Venecian and Zack to the Luxor. We all split up and hung out with our fam for the evening. My brother took me around vegas and boyyy was it interesting. I was approached by numerous drunk people. It was basically like an Ocean City, Maryland for older people. It's just a place for adults to drink, walk around drunk, act like teenagers and maybe gamble a bit here n' there. it was Akward to say the least. Anyways the next day was the show at the House Of Blues at Mandalay Bay...probably one of the nicest venues we have ever played. We introduced ourselves to the Meg n Dia folks and got to know our new tour mates as we shared a dressing room. We soon found they are awesome people and they share a love for getting wild! The show was pretty cool, and the crowd was big. It was weird though because the merch was not in the venue, it was in the cassino haha. Anyways Vegas was an experience we wont forget, and I cant wait till we go there again. I hope the next time we go, were 21...actually nevermind because that would be three years :)stay rad, Jack #5------------------------------------------------------------ Lame! Tonight was our last show on the Sugarcult Tour featuring The Pink Spiders and Meg n Dia :( Damone will be taking our place on this great lineup. I am jelous that they get to join up! Anyways we made some lifetime friends on this tour and it was a great experience for everyone. Every single show was amazing and the fans never let us down. Traveling to bumfuck arizona and hearing a couple hundred kids sing your song is the coolest feeling ever. Sugarcult was very warming towards us and their personalities suprised the shit out of me. they were such cool guys and even when zack was sick they made him soup and gave him Emergen-C. WHO DOES THAT !?!? Thats like something my mom does...so in a way Sugarcult are our parents. They actually reffered to us as their younger brothers on stage. At the last show of the tour in Little Rock, Arkansas us and Meg n Dia ran on stage during "Bouncing Off the Walls" and started bouncing around and took over Tim's Guitar n Mic, Marko's (my twin) guitar and Airens Bass. It was so fun to bro down with a band that ive been listening to since middle school haha. Alex also got to soundcheck with sugarcult at Texas AM College because tim was at the hospital taking care of his sickness (i think he had a nasty cold). It was so crazy to see alex soundcheck with a band who for the past few years have held a special spot on my ipod and in my cd player :) I attached a pic of him sound-checking for fun. At the end of the show we said our goodbyes and gave our hugs. This is'nt the end of these friendships though, only the beggining...now we head home to write a new cd. Catch us on the road in the northeast in december when we head out with Cobra Starship! Stay safe, Jack

#2006 #blog #Jack Barakat #text #alternative press #all time low #sugarcult tour

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galoogamelady · 6 years

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What love Song would perfectly describe Meg and Butt's relationship?

Oh boy I’m not very well versed in love songs but I really like Imogen Heap’s Goodnight and Go (Ariana Grande’s cover too!) because I love that part of their relationship where they’re friends but they’re both too shy to admit they have deeper feelings for each other. PINING IS THE SHIT!

I like a bunch of songs from V V Brown too (Quick Fix especially - that’s a great Meg song!, Crazy Amazing, Travelling Like The Light and the ever-so-cheesy I Love You). That album is just awesome overall imo and the rock and roll theme fits the Fallout au. Most of these are pretty sentimental and chill and they fit really well with all the calm situations I imagine for them.

Let’s not forget this one serenade Tim Roth gave in one of his movies that I though was really cute too!

#Fallout 3 #OC #Buttons #Meg #couple #gif #love song #music #crystalpeachyy

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patricksilvrrozartistry · 6 years

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Current Music Obsessions: December 1 - 16, 2018

I'm a bit late on posting this, but better late than never. I didn't listen to too much stuff this first half of December since I've been busy with life and also listening to and finishing my list of new releases (which the top 10 favorite albums post will come out either on the 23rd or 26th). But enough of that, let's see the honorable mentions.

Within the Ruins - Resurgence Sylvaine - Severance Helalyn Flowers - When it is Not Black Enough Meg Myers - Tear Me to Pieces Shattered Skies - Fall from Grace TroubleMe - Шрами Tragodia - A Temple in Time Enemy Inside - Halo Aesma Daeva - The Loon I:Scintilla - Human Conception - Into the Wild Conception - My Dark Symphony In the Woods... - Empty Streets Northward - Drifting Islands feat. Irene Jansen (Floor's sister) Northward - Northward Phuture Doom - Doom Terror Corps Circus of Fools - Smile Baby, Chelsea Smile feat. Antoine Marionette

And now for the main obsessions.

Heart of a Coward - Hollow

This song randomly got stuck in my head one day and I wound up rekindling my love for it. It's a pretty djenty death metal-ish track. I remember hearing it on Music Choice one day a few years ago and really digging it back then and I still do today. I need to check out the metal station on MC again, but I know I'll still not like majority of the stuff on there.

Enemy Inside - Falling Away

After falling in love with Lullaby, I had to check out the Phoenix album. It's such an epic album and was a close contender for my top 10 favorites of the year list. This track has such a cool flow to it that I really dig. And I love Natassja's orange eye makeup in one scene in the video. Definitely an awesome track that packs quite the punch.

Doorway to Salvation feat. Georg Neuhauser (Serenity, Phantasma)

Got another song from these guys. This and Lullaby are definitely my favorites off the album. Natassja and Georg's voices go so well together. I'm already a sucker for his voice because that lower register just makes my bussy quiver, but both of them singing together is perfection. It's such a gorgeous track and I absolutely recommend you guys check it out.

Sylvaine - Worlds Collide

This song is so pretty. It's so peaceful and lovely. A perfect song to just chill to. The vibe of it just seems like one of those songs that would be perfect to listen to on one of those days when you're just not feeling it or when it's raining outside.

Décembre Noir - Barricades

Found this song through their record label and really loved it. It's a wonderful death-doom track. The singer's cleans are absolutely gorgeous and I wished he used them more in the way he does on this track on the rest of the Autumn Kings album. That aside, I really love this track. The power and the production are absolutely wonderful.

Progenie Terrestre Pura - Toward a Distant Moon

I'm honestly surprised by how much I really dig these guys. I'm genereally not into this style of black/death metal, but I really like these guys so far. The aggressive riffs and overall vibe really contrasts against the transitions into ambient parts of their music, and that work is really present on this track and I love it. I also really dig the slight symphonic elements on this track.

Cupcakke - Dangled

This is her latest single and it's so bomb. I really love her more serious tracks like this. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE tracks like Duck Duck Goose, but homegirl really knows how to talk about life and things that really matter. It's a new dream of mine to see her live and to possibly even meet her one day. She's such an icon, especially for us queer folk.

Meg Myers - Take Me to the Disco

Just like Progenie Terrestre Pura, this is another artist I wasn't expecting to love as much as I do. This song is so different from Jelous Sea and Numb, but it still fits in with her brand. It's so chill and pretty, but there's this slight sense of melancholy to it that I really love. I'm a sucker for sad music. I keep finding myself humming the tune and singing the chorus throughout the day. It's so lovely.

The Great Discord - Army of Me (Bjork cover)

I was so excited when they started teasing a new song, but I wasn't expecting this. Army of Me is such an iconic Bjork song, so for them to cover it is such a bold choice, but that wasn't the only bold choice they made with this. They went on a full on industrial kick with this track. It suits the track so well, but I wonder how it would've sounded in their typical progressive metal sound, just simply out of curiosity. Anyways, I love this cover so much.

Starkill - Evil Inside

They did that. They fucking did that. This is a perfect single for them. Shows off every member's talents. I was beyond shocked when I heard Sarah screaming on this track. I wasn't expecting it. She keeps proving to be an epic more and more with each new track. And again, this track sounds the way Shadow Sleep should've sounded. The production is amazing.

The Hardkiss - Complicity

One of the big reasons why I absolutely adore these guys is the fact that even though they are a progressive pop/rock band, they aren't afraid to teeter alond the lines of metal, and this track definitely shows that off. I love it when they get like this. They just keep getting better and better with each album. I wonder when they're gonna drop a fullblown metal album. I'm so down for that. Anyways, go check this amazing track out.

Lighthouse in Darkness - Photography of a Ghost

They finally have a new single out and it is everything. Helen's voice is absolutely stunning here. I love how she sings in her lower register so much with this project so far. Also I'm so shocked by the operatic vocals in this track. If that's her, gurl. So much yes. I can't wait for the album to drop early next year. Flowing Tears will always be amazing to look back on, but I think this might be Helen's best work.

Kambrium - Ghost Shaman

I found this track through Unknown Power Metal on YT and I must say, I was shocked to hear something like this. You don't hear that many power metal bands that blend death metal into their music and it actually turn out great. The flow and energy in this track are epic. It's definitely a powerhouse of a track.

Within Temptation - Raise Your Banner feat. Anders Friden (In Flames)

THIS. THIS IS WHAT I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR. It feels like it's been so long since these guys released a track with so much raw emotion. And the music video is everything. I can't wait for Resist to drop. Even though the power and rawness of the song are the main reasons why I love this song, I also love how relevant this track is today. Stand up against the oppressors and fight for freedom.

öOoOoOoOoOo - Rules of the Show

I got to listening to Samen again recently and wound up falling in love with this track. Chenille are one of the weirdest bands out there all thanks to Asphodel being the insane lady she is. This song is definitely the epitome of avant-garde metal, but holy tits is it weird. Like I said, Asphodel is a weirdo, but that weirdness gives birth to amazing shit like this.

Kalidia - Circe's Spell

I'm not into a lot of their music since it's too much on the power metal side a lot of times, but they also have amazing tracks like this that I absolutely love. I love the oriental vibe of the track. This track shows off Nicoletta's vocal range so well. She has such a good range and a wonderful voice.

Viktoria Modesta - Prototype

I found this track while listening to Kerli one day and holy shit was I blown away. I didn't know what to expect when going into this, but I for damn sure wasn't expecting that. This song goes off in the beat department. It's one of those tracks where you absolutely need to put your headphones in and blast it. Also, the video is divine. I love visual videos so much.

The 3rd and the Mortal - Ring of Fire

I decided to listen to Kari's old band after listening to her solo stuff one day and came across this song. It's so lovely. I kinda wish she would make doom metal these days, but the shoegazey experimental folk music will suffice. This track is so lovely and haunting. So good.

Beast in Black - Sweet True Lies

The 80's cheese is real with this one, especially with the video. The video is everything. These guys are definitely one of the few heavy metal bands I like and it's all because of the cheese and Yannis' powerful voice and range. I can't get enough of it. This song is just so good and beyond cheesy.

And that's it for the first half of December. The final installment of the year is just right around the corner. I wonder what's gonna be on it.

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shemakesmusic-uk · 6 years

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INTERVIEW: Air Waves

Air Waves (aka US musician Nicole Schneit) is heading to the UK this week with a London date at The Islington, then on to Bristol, Oxford and Brighton (see full dates below). Air Waves' third full-length, Warrior, came out last year on Western Vinyl. Her signature style of pop rock swings between the pastel-tinged and the downright melancholic. The record features contributions from Kevin Morby, Katie Von Schleisher, and Meg Duffy from Hand Habbits.

We had a chat with the singer-songwriter about the upcoming tour and performing live, collaborations, her struggles within the music industry and future plans. Read the interview below.

Your third album Warrior came out in April last year. What has life been like since the release of this record?  

“I wrote Warrior about my mom fighting her fallopian cancer. Unfortunately since the record came out she got diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, but shes still being a warrior and fighting it bravely and without complaint. Our release show for the record was really exciting, and our local shows have been well received. Also the music video for ‘Warrior’ came out which Im super proud of. Ive been teaching, enjoying NY and working on some new songs. This is the first time we are touring since the record came out.

You are about to return to the UK for a handful of tour dates. What is your favourite thing about England? Is there anything you're looking forward to doing whilst over here?

“My favorite thing are some of the musicians from there, like Savages, Tirzah, Mica Levi. Im looking forward to seeing old friends.”

What can someone that has never seen you live expect from an Air Waves show?

“Fun, a lot of heart and fancy foot work.”

What do you love most about touring and being on stage?

“My band mates, I love the rush of performing and the audience reaction.”

Which of your songs are your favourite to peform live and why?

“’Blue Fire’, because of the arrangement of back up vocals, and ‘Warrior’ because of how driving it is.

You collaborated with some pretty awesome artists on Warrior. Is there anyone else you would love to collaborate with in the future?

“Cass Mccombs, Mica Levi, Wye Oak, Dan Deacon because I love their music so would be awesome!”

You've been in the industry a long time now! What struggles have you faced as an artist in the music business and how have you overcome them?

“I used to let bad press or lack of press really bother me, but now I try to remember that success comes in different forms. The real reason I play is because I love performing and being able to express myself lyrically is the most theraputic thing.”

Do you have any advice for other queer musicians wanting to make it in the music industry?

“Go for it! Never be afraid to express and be yourself.”

Finally, what does the future hold for Air Waves?

“More songs, more tours, more adventures.....”

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Tour dates:

31 January - London, The Islington 01 February - Bristol, Crofters' Rights 02 February - Oxford, Wheatsheaf 03 February - Brighton, The Hope & Ruin

Find tickets HERE.

#interview #air waves #warrior

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waveypedia · 6 years

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Get to Know Me Tag

I was tagged by @superwolfiestar! Thanks!!

Nickname: Wavey, Wave, Analytic, Amethyst, Ana

Gender: Female

Star Sign: Pisces

Height: 5′2 I think. I’m a shortie.

Time: 9:52 PM

Birthday: February 21

Favorite Band: I don’t really have one. I have lots of different favorite songs by lots of different artists! I tend to like a lot of Fall Out Boy, Maroon 5, Panic! At the Disco, and Coldplay as far as bands go.

Song in my head: I doubt anyone knows it, but The Howling. It’s part of my marching band music this year and I just came from marching band. It’s from some rock musical about werewolves or something and it’s super cool! Give it a listen! I can’t find the original song, but it sounds really cool!

Last movie I watched: Ummm I think it was The Meg. I saw it with some friends a couple weeks ago. It was okay. Action movies really aren’t my thing but it wasn’t bad.

When did I create my account: Back in march! It feels like a really long time ago!

What do I post: A lot of Ducktales since that’s my current obsession! I also do Miraculous Ladybug, Steven Universe, Tangled the Series, Bh6 the Series, Svtfoe, Gravity Falls, Camp Camp, and OK KO. I do theories/analysises, AUs, fanfics, and (shitty) art. I also reblog a crap ton of stuff.

Last thing I googled: The Howling... I was trying to find the song for you guys :P It’s really cool! But sadly I can’t find it.

Do I have any other blogs: Well, I’m part of the Huey Week team. I also created this blog @headcanonsoftheduckverse a while ago, but I haven’t had the time to work with it at all.

Do I get asks: Uhh, I get writing prompt requests from time to time, but not much more than that. I would love more though! :P

Why did I choose my url: I’m a very analytical person, I love making theories and analysises. Amethyst is my birthstone, my favorite color, and one of my favorite SU characters. Plus it sounds nice :P

Types of blogs I follow: A lot of Ducktales people and a handful of people from my other fandoms. I’m trying to find more!

Following blogs: 180

Followers: 145 (daaaaang! that’s crazy! I didn’t think I would get so many :P)

Nationality: American

Favorite Colors: Purple

Favorite songs right now: FRIENDS by Marshmello and Anne-Marie, the entire Mamma Mia soundtracks from both movies, Toy by Netta, Set Yourself Free and Let Me Make You Proud from Tangled the Series, Say Amen (Saturday Night) and High Hopes by Panic! At the Disco

What am I wearing right now: My marching band show shirt from last year, jean shorts, and a hoodie

Number of blankets Right now, just my sheet and comforter. But I loooove piling blankets on me when it’s cold and snuggling deep in my cozy cocoon! It makes it hard to get up though :Pz

Job: animation writer, though any job in animation would be awesome!!

Favorite Food: french fries!

I tag: @ginyang98 @awendysfrosty @moocow-the-person @delta-toons @foxi-is-a-nice-crumb @laurelbakestoomuch @lawnmowerasmr @oreganocactus @foggyday-funtimes @penguinluv129 @meiloorun-notthefruit @jswatson-holmes @adamarinayu @neminine @hellnoimoutofhereakamerlin @crunchy-galactus-big-one-9 and anyone else who wants to do this cause I’m tired and my mom is yelling at me

#tagged #wavey speaks

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tinkdw · 7 years

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Cas and Dean could have been totally platonic.

But they decided to make it romantic.

During seasons 4-5 we could have had all the Cas / Dean scenes minus the UST. We could have had heated arguments that turned into a mutual understanding and Cas learning that he had always been different, always loved Humanity and through both Sam and Dean fallen and decided to rebel to help them.

They could have kept it as this:

But they didn't. They made it all about Dean and added scenes like this:

Side note: they could also have TOTALLY portrayed Dean as a dude-bro straight as a rod hetero guy.

But they didn't

In fact there’s so much talk about Dean being bisexual it’s just... everywhere, not just on tumblr but in so many reviews and articles about the show e.g. just the latest one I’m aware of:

http://uncannymagazine.com/article/dean-winchester-commander-shepard-walk-bar-fanon-matters/

Then throughout the later seasons, they could have backtracked. They could have said hey, that was all fun, but nah, let’s keep Cas and Dean as a more brotherly familial love, to tie in with the “family don't end in blood” theme.

I would have TOTALLY gone with that, happy Dean and Cas and Sam, all together as brothers, could have been AWESOME.

But they didn't.

They consistently wrote them through ROMANTIC storytelling.

I’m just going from the season 7 resurrection because prior to this it was most likely not ever going to be endgame if it’s true they were going to kill Cas off.

Season 7:

- They could have not cast someone who looks like Dean’s female twin as Cas’ wife when he is amnesiac.

- They could have not had Meg call Dean his boyfriend first and make Meg/Cas romantic while Dean looks on with both Daphne and Meg with hurt in his eyes.

- They could have not introduced a queer character and make her immediately bond with Dean right at this point and then continue this theme over the years.

Season 8:

- Purgatory could have been a bro-ment, except they gave that role to Benny and placed Cas firmly in the romantic role, especially post purgatory with Dean’s visions being paralleled to Sam’s of Jess and his boner moment in 8x07, literally, wtf, that is not brotherly affection.

- They could have not had multiple episodes after Cas’ putting himself in harms way to save Dean in purgatory that revolved around a Supernatural being doing this for the human they loved.

- Then a whole story around brainwashing which one gets the other out of through telling them I love you I need you, followed by a whole storyline of Dean behaving like a JILTED LOVER and Cas trying to fix it, meanwhile Sam looks like the awkward person caught in the middle between a couple fighting, NOT his own two brothers!

Season 9:

- They could have had a story where Dean chose Sam over his best friend and newly found blood-brother, who he did a blood pact with and loved dearly in Bad Boys, but no, it was a ROMANTIC parallel.

- They could have had Cas not have sex with April or it be Sam who killed her and clutched his face in agony, so Gadreel felt it and healed him while Dean was knocked out. They could have then had Dean NOT sensually wrapping his mouth around ANYTHING OTHER THAN A PENIS SHAPED BURRITO whilst making sexual innuendos to Cas. But they did.

- They could have had the bar scene in 9x09 be all about the 3 brothers having a great time together, playing darts, having fun and chilling, rather than having a flirting winking thing going on between Dean and Cas and Sam just looking on open mouthed like WHAT IS HAPPENING WHY AM I HERE.

- They could have had a story that wasn't focused all around sex in Rock and a Hard place, but they chose it to be sexual (when that ep was supposed to come right after 9x06).

- They could have had Ephraim going after people who were in pain and suffering due to familial loss when he went after Cas, but they didn't, they made it a ROMANTIC parallel again.

- They could have NOT had a renowned romantic song about loneliness, a deep shade of blue, the sun not shining anymore (when there had been so much Cas = sun visuals this season prior to this) and being “without love” with an “I NEED YOU” playing over softly interspersed images of Cas and Dean’s sad faces, when they had to separate due to duty (seriously, the one shot of Sam is just of him looking at Dean and worrying about how he is feeling during the intro before the lyrics play. Pfft).

- They could have had Dean help Cas get ready for his date by doing a Charlie-esque totally platonic scene where he took him shopping for a sweater and jeans, rather than making it look like he was undressing him with his eyes, forgetting to leave cos he’s just staring at him and looking longingly at him while calling him Tony Manero, a heavily subtextually bisexual character.

- They could have NOT paralleled Dean and Cas’ huge emotional traumatic break up in 6x20 with canon star-crossed lovers in 9x20. But they did.

- They could have had Metatron talk about how much Cas cared about puny humans and how he’s a sap for the mud monkeys, rather than making it ALL ABOUT SAVING DEAN WINCHESTER and using words like HE’S IN LOVE (giant ass pause).... with Humanity.

- They could have then not had Amara telling Dean that he literally represents humanity and Chuck backing this up. Pff.

Season 10:

- They could have used Hannah as an actual romantic love interest for Cas rather than paralleling her unrequited love with Cas’ perceived unrequited love of Dean and using her to EXPOSE this. Or they could have just not made Cas’ story sexual/about romance AT ALL.

-They could have had SAM be the person Dean gets soft around instead of Cas or if they wanted to make Cas the brotherly figure, they could have done so in a way that didn't scream ROMANCE like putting them in a date-like set up, making Crowley call Cas Dean’s BOYFRIEND, exposing how he’s doing it all for Dean and dying for him whilst paralleling this to Hannah’s romantic/sexual interest in Cas.

- They could have NOT repeatedly paralleled Cas with Cains’ WIFE in the Dean/Cain parallel, the love of his life, who softened him and made him want to be a better man.

-They could have had Dean get just as squicked about Destiel as W*ncest in the 10x05 fan fiction episode but they DIDNT. They made Dean squicky about W*ncest and testing the water with Sam by mentioning Destiel, then getting embarrassed by it instead of grossed out.

Season 11:

- They could at any time have made Cas/Sam stronger by the way by this point. But they didn't. They purposefully made Sam/Cas less strong than Dean/Cas for *reasons* and those aren't because Cas and Sam don't care about each other and love each other as brothers/best friends because they repeatedly state that they DO. So go figure.

- They could have had the Angels torturing Cas as not making it sexual whilst talking about his loyalty and love for the Winchesters. But they did.

- They could have had Dean worry for and fight for Cas while he is possessed by Lucifer in a totally brotherly fashion as he would with Sam, but they made it ROMANTIC.

- They could have had the banshee in 11x11 go after people (again in parallel to 9x06) who were in pain due to familial loss rather than ROMANTIC loss when it went after Dean. They could have had the heartbroken manager look and say things that DIDN’T remind us of Cas before this happened, BUT THEY DID. They could have left it there but instead they gave us Mildred telling Dean that he’s PINING for someone. Just before he tells us in 11x13 that he is NOT pining for AMARA. So WHO is he PINING for?! Who has gone missing AGAIN? Who is he repeatedly over this and the next season worrying about?

-The monster in 11x13 didn't have to be a DARKEST DESIRES monster (and not a love monster) and the story focus on unrequited love and therefore expose that although Dean’s feelings are of dark desire here, he states they are NOT love and that he ISNT pining for Amara.... SEE ABOVE.

-Amara could have gotten to Dean through a MULTITUDE of different options, through their own apparently strong bond. But they DIDNT. They did it through CAS and specifically THROUGH HIS HEART. I MEAN JEEZ.

- They could have NOT introduced at this point two characters who are gruff awesome hunter men who TOTALLY personality wise, story-wise and visually through their shoulder patting interactions are GIANT METAPHORS for Dean and Cas, while referring to the earlier ‘settling down with a hunter’ discussion in 11x04 through DEAN curiously wondering “what’s it like, settling down with a hunter?” after having mixed up brother / romantic vibes off them.

-They could have had the 'you’re our brother’ moment in the car in 11x23 feel wonderful and fulfilling but instead (because of all this previously and the way it was framed) it felt OFF and WRONG. Because this isn't the full truth is it Dean.

- They could have not had the whole season be a giant metaphor for this through Amara mixing up a brotherly and romantic “bond” (their words not mine) through Chuck and Dean.

THIS WHOLE SEASON COULD HAVE NOT BEEN A GIANT EXPOSITION FOR DEAN’S ROMANTIC FEELINGS FOR CAS AND HIS OWN INNER MONOLOGUE OF SELF WORTH AND ACCEPTANCE, LEADING TO HIS ARC AND CLIMAX OF THIS IN SEASON 12 AND SPECIFICALLY 12x22.

Season 12

- They could have introduced Cas to Mary as their brother from the OFF but at no point did either of the boys tell her that Cas is like a brother to them. She just... assumed he fit in as “one of her boys” and in the family by proxy and is the one who consoles CAS while he is not able to function while Dean is missing (but was able to function totally perfectly to find Sam with Dean) and she always looks to DEAN when talking about Cas. I WONDER WHY.

- They could have NOT had Crowley call Cas a “love slave” or had Dean glance over at Cas when he picked up the satiny pink panties. But they did.

- They could have NOT had an ambiguous double-over voice of Sam telling Mary "I love you” and Dean talking to Cas on the phone. That was TOTALLY UNNECESSARY and just made everyone pause and rewind to figure out what was said.

- They could have had a backstory filling in the blanks around nephilim that didn’t also have a story about an Angel falling in love with a Human and him projecting this onto Cas and Dean as his human weakness whilst also explaining that Angels are not supposed to have romantic or sexual feelings for humans at all and that it means they are bad, wrong and should be killed, that it is a sacred oath not to do so, meanwhile showing Cas as extremely duty bound and still loyal even though he has fallen.

- They could have had Cas CLEARLY tell the boys he loves them as family and they are dear dear brothers to him. Instead we got a season of double clarifications leading up to this where it was CONSISTENT that the first was to one person and the second was to everyone, on top of every other time Cas has done this the first is ALWAYS to Dean, so the ambiguously seeming “I love you, I love all of you” was blatantly a romantic / familial divide between Dean and Sam. Before you even look at the fact that he can't hold eye contact for the first but looks at Sam for the second and the reactions of Dean and Sam show that they know exactly what this means.

- They could have had Dean give Cas ANYTHING OTHER THAN A ROMANTIC TROPE 101 lesson 1 first 5 minutes into the class MIXTAPE as a gift of ‘familial bonding’. But no, they used a romantic one.

- They could have not used the band chosen on the tape a band that is consistently made romantic through the Mary/John link and even before this a way for guys to get into Jo’s pants and a way for the siren to first try to seduce Dean.

- Throughout the whole show they could have given Dean any romantic love interest where it wasn't directly linked since season 7 with him losing Cas, feeling like he just wants comfort and SETTLING for someone else. Then in 12x18 they could have NOT made this totally clear by at this point showing it to us through him firstly worrying about Cas AGAIN, in a 2 season long repeated hammering home of Dean worrying about Cas more and more and Sam trying to console him, then settling for the omelette right afterwards and being UNSATISFIED by it.

- They could have NOT paralleled Sam pulling Dean away to the rift with Dean pulling Sam back from Jess.

- They could have NOT paralleled Dean falling to his knees as a standard romantic trope to Cain doing it for Colette.

- They could have set the whole thing up for YEARS so that Sam and Dean have a much more similar bond with Cas, a three-way brotherly bond that could totally fit with the “family don't end in blood” theme, just as Bobby was their surrogate father and Jody their surrogate mother, Cas could have been both their additional, chosen brother, given that Dean and Sam were so forced into their codependency, their choosing to be together and add another brother could so nicely cement their own bond too by adding Cas in his way.

But instead they chose to make their relationships palpably and obviously different, even though Sam loves Cas as a brother, for *reasons*.

In Conclusion:

EVERY TIME Dean/Cas has been narratively paralleled with 2 people on the show it’s been a ROMANTIC couple (eg. Violet/David, Maggie/Donald, Jesse/Cesar, Bobby/Karen, Mary/John, Betsy/Cacao, Chronos/Lydia, Cain/Colette...) not BROTHERS (as Dean/Sam have e.g. Lucifer/Michael, the kids from 1x18).

When Cas and Dean have been targeted by monsters it’s often because of a ROMANTIC reason - one which on the surface might look like it’s for example Nora or Amara but is textually shown NOT to be, meanwhile setting their own interactions in the same episode between each other as heavily subtextually romantic.

They could have made Dean/Cas a brotherly relationship and that could have been AWESOME and totally relevant to the themes of the show. But they CHOSE to make it romantic.

I SHIP DEAN/CAS AS A ROMANTIC PAIRING BECAUSE THE SHOW MADE ME DO IT.

#destiel #the evolution of destiel #the show made me do it #why i ship destiel #storytelling #narrative parallels and tropes are a thing #tropes tropes everywhere #using ALL the tropes #ensures we notice

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viruswithsaas · 6 years

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Roadburn 2018: day by day (2/3)

The festival kicked off on thursday and our original plan was to start with the Waste of Space Orchestra set that the organisation had commissioned for the festival but the line to enter the otherwise spacey 013 main hall was so disencouraging that we decided to enjoy the sun a bit longer and then check out the first Earthless set.

Like mentioned earlier, Earthless was one of the San Diego jam rockbands that more or less invaded Tilburg with sets all over the place with the first in the 013. Besides the Cheech & Chong version of jazz, jam rock is also a difficult genre for the audience. It requires some effort and an adventurous mindset and even then it is pretty much hit or miss. If the band is not “feeling” it, you can expect a half assed cacophony but if it’s good, it is a thing of wonder that will fill you up with delight. Earthless were definitely on a roll and sure, the guitar player had a bit of a Jimi Hendrix-complex and loved his wah-pedal very much, but it was a perfect opener.

Insect Ark in the hot, small and crowded Cul de Sac was less than perfect. Just like the show in Brussels one or two years ago, the doom duo started off awkwardly and didn’t pull itself together until the last third of the set or so. A shame because I like Insect Ark and love Ash Spungin’s drumming style; clever, never one hit too much or too few. Just like Meg White of the White Stripes but tighter.

After some much needed post-Cul de Sac rehydration, it was time for Cult of Luna’s final show with Julie Christmas. Don’t you just love her name? All joking apart, that was an amazing show, the post metal band played incredibly and la Christmas is an energetic Wednesday Addams-esque appearance that filled up the entire stage on her own. With a landslide the highlight of the day, not even Weedeater, a proto-type stoner metal band with bears and gnarly fuzzes that rather plays loud than tight, could change that. Good times, good times. Maybe we were not as pro-active as we would like to have been but tomorrow we were going to change that.

But we didn’t. We started out with a plus two hour set of Motorpsycho. Weird thing is that I’ve seen the individual members with other bands but never with the “mothership”. So, I sort of knew what to expect but not really. Anyway, it was amazing. Its start was slow. Very slow but after the opening song the band kept the tempo up. Of course you had to be into instrumental 70′s styled jazz/heavy rock music to enjoy but euhm, yes, Motorpsycho, damn.

From Motorpsycho with its intricate, jazzy style to the hard, brutal and loud Converge playing the “You Fail Me” album (with another detour to rehydrate) and it was.... I can’t say. Metalcore is one of the few genres that I find awful (along with reggae) and although Converge is brainier than Five Finger Death Punch (not difficult, “plus bête, on meurt”) it never really connected with me.

Seen that we liked Earthless the previous day, we decided to head over to the new venue Koepelhal, basically a giant patched up warehouse but still very cool, and check out their set with singer Damo Suzuki. But given the monotony of the band and Suzuki, we quickly headed back to 013 for Godflesh which was equally monotonous but only much louder and with the compressors running red hot.

Luckily Igorrr was there to save the day with a superb electro-metal set, a drummer and two brilliant singers. It was fun, it was danceable and the theatrics of the singers gave it a bit of a cabaret feeling. Yes, a lot of the music was pre-recorded and blablabla but one, it’s 2018 so shut up about 1979 already and two, this shit was TIGHT AF! But, second day, all in all, we didn’t see as much as we would have liked. Third day was going to be different.

Euh, yeah kinda? We started off slowly by skipping Bell Witch playing the entire funeral doom opera “Mirror Reaper” but we saw the Húgsja set with Ivar Bjørnson (Enslaved) and Einar Selvik (Wardruna) which was gorgeous. It wasn’t too different from Wardruna, perhaps a bit more mellow and new age-y, but with Selvik’s esoteric vocals and the wonderful folk music, who really cares?

Panopticon had to deal with a bad soundmix but their furious, take-no-prisoners black metal went down easily. Not really super duper original but still good.

Last minute we decided to skip Boris, getting hydrated with friends, and Zola Jesus, because the headliner was coming up: the post rock titan collective that is Godspeed You! Black Emperor.

It was a brave decision of Roadburn to make this band the headliner of 2018. GY!BE is pretty much anti-headliner material. Long songs without a catchy chorus or vocal hooks, a style and aesthetic that feels more like an arthouse movie entrance than a full fledged band, bit of a murky image without a recognisable face and no hits, even by independent standards. During the show, I felt that many spectators didn’t bother check out the band before coming to Roadburn and were expecting something completely different. Well, fuck them because GY!BE was AWESOME! Close your eyes and you’ll see apocalyptic landscapes, fields of grass waving in the wind, comets flying by. A lot of bands say that they are all about the music but there is only one band that can and should make that statements.

After the brilliance of GY!BE came Thou x The Body and it was basically a fuckload of heavy noise. It has the sophistication of a donkey raping a goat and it even sounded like that too! But in its sloppiness and uncontrollable noise, it was fun.

Excellent third day!

Before heading back home to our own homes and showers, we wanted to see few more acts. The first was the other commissioned piece “Vánagandr: Sól án varma”, thank heavens for copy/paste, from the Icelandic black metal scene. This piece was just… wow… It was brutal, layered, dense and incredibly creepy. At moments it felt like the score for a horror movie. With a MIDI-controller, three guitars, drums, bass and four people singing, there was a lot going on and it packed enough variation and dynamics to keep this overwhelming 90 minutes long blastbeat fest interesting. The performance was spot on and the response to it was amazing.

A band that slipped under our radar but turned out to a pleasant surprise was Watter in the Green Room and a nice change of scenery. Watter played a mellow hybrid of alternative rock and soft electro. With all the super loud black metal mayhem going on in the main room, this was an oasis of tranquility. Perhaps this would sound a lot more boring on record but in the then current context it worked. In the main hall afterewards it was time for more black metal with Wiegedood. It was more straight forward and “simpler” than the commission from the far north but was at the time just a bit too much. Before getting in the car we wanted to catch another glimpse of the second set of Godspeed You! Black Emperor. This time the people were prepared for it, you could the many people sitting down and attentively listening, and the atmosphere was more relaxed and respectful. Again, GY!BE was by far the best thing of the entire weekend, no question about it.

Like stated earlier, Roadburn is at a turning point and the focus might change but the team behind the festival have crafted out their own little world where it can do as it pleases. With Heilung as headliner, it looks like we can expect another edition where anything could happen.

I used to say that Roadburn is always ahead of the curve but that no longer applies. Roadburn IS the curve.

#roadburn #motorpsycho #icelandic black metal #godspeed you! black emperor #igorrr #watter #earthles

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weekendwarriorblog · 4 years

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The Weekend Warrior 9/11/20 – I AM WOMAN, BROKEN HEARTS GALLERY, RENT-A-PAL, UNPREGNANT AND MORE!

Thankfully, we’re getting a slower week this week after the past few weeks of absolute insanity with so many new releases. This week, we also get a nice string of movies about women that are mostly made by women directors, so hopefully these won’t get lost in the shuffle of theaters reopening.

To be perfectly honest, I went into Unjoo Moon’s I AM WOMAN (Quiver Distribution) – this week’s “Featured Flick” -- thinking it was a doc about ‘70s pop sensation Helen Reddy. Imagine my surprise to discover that it actually was a narrative film with Tilda Cobham-Hervey playing the Australian singer who moved to New York in 1966 after winning a contest, expecting a record deal but only winding up with disappointment. Once there, she’d meet journalist Lilian Roxon (Danielle Macdonald, being able to use her real Australian accent for once) and Jeff Weld (Evan Peters), the man who would become her manager and then husband. Once the couple move to L.A. with Helen’s daughter Traci (from her previous marriage), things began to pick up at the same time as Reddy starts dealing with issues in her marriage and friendship with Roxon.

Listen, I get it. To some (or maybe all) younger people, including film critics, Helen Reddy represents the cheesier side of ‘70s music. I only know her music, since I was a young kid who listened to AM Top 40 radio for much of the ‘70s, but by the end of the decade, I had already switched to metal, punk and noisier rock. As you can tell from watching I Am Woman, Reddy is a particularly interesting music personality, particularly once you realize how hard she struggled to get into the business with a husband who only feigned to support her after dragging her to L.A. for “her career.”

There were many takeaways from watching Moon’s film, but one of the bigger ones is how amazing Cobham-Hervey is at portraying a woman that few of us may have actually seen perform even on television. I’m not sure if Cobham-Hervey did any of her own singing or is lip-syncing the whole time, but it doesn’t matter because she instills so much joy into the performances, especially the two times she sings the highly-inspirational title song live.

Although there isn’t a ton of major drama in Reddy’s life, most that does exist revolves around her relationship with Wald, who is depicted by Peters as an out-of-control coke-sniffing monster. Those in Hollywood may have dealt with Wald as a movie producer or during his stint as Sylvester Stallone’s manager, and only they will know how exaggerated this performance is. Far more interesting is Helen’s friendship with Macdonald’s Roxon which would inspire her to perform the song “You and Me Against the World.” (Seriously, if you want a good cry, throw that song on after watching I Am Woman.)

Moon does a great job with the material, whether it’s recreating New York in the ‘60s – often using music to set the tone of the period -- or by framing Reddy’s story with Phyllis Schlaffly’s fight against the ERA, as depicted in FX’s mini-series Mrs. America. Still, it never loses track of Reddy’s journey and her role as a mother to Traci and slightly less to Wald’s son, Jordan. The movie ends with a wonderful and tearful epilogue, and I will not lie that I was tearing up more than once while watching this movie.

I Am Woman may be relatively uncomplicated, but it’s still a compelling relaying of Reddy's amazing story bolstered by an incredible knock-em-dead performance by Tilda Cobham-Hervey. It’s also one of the most female-empowering film I’ve seen since the Ruth Bader Ginsburg movie On the Basis of Sex, starring Felicity Jones.

This week’s primary theatrical release is Natalie Krinsky’s THE BROKEN HEARTS GALLERY (Stage 6/Sony), starring Geraldine Viswanathan as Lucy, a young woman who works at a gallery who is still obsessed with her ex-coworker/boyfriend Max. On the night of her disastrous break-up, Lucy meets-cute Nick (Dacre Montgomery from Stranger Things), who later inspires her to rid of her hoarding issues by creating the “Broken Hearts Gallery.” This is a place where people who have broken up can bring the remnants of said relationship by donating the mementos they’ve maintained from their partners as sentimental value.

I’m a big fan of Viswanathan from her appearance in Blockers and TBS’ “Miracle Workers” series, as she’s clearly very talented as a comic actress, but I couldn’t help but go into this with more than a little cynicism, because it does follow a very well-worn rom-com formula that can be traced right back to When Harry Met Sally. Yup, another one. Much of this movie comes across like a bigger budget version of a movie that might play Tribeca Film Festival, and I wish I could say that was a compliment because I’ve seen a lot of good movies at Tribeca. But also just as many bad ones.

The problem is that The Broken Hearts Gallery isn’t very original, and its roots are especially obvious when it starts interspersing the recently-heartbroken giving testimonials. It’s also a little pretentious, because rather than the real New York City that would be recognizable to anyone who lives there, it’s more of a Millennial woke fantasy where everyone is a 20-something LGBTQ+ of color. Even so, the main trio of Lucy, Nick and Nick’s business partner Marcos (Arturo Castro from Broad City) do keep things fun even when things are getting predictable.

To be honest, I’ll be perfectly happy to see Viswanathan become the next Meg Ryan, because part of the reason why I warmed up to the movie is because I thought she was quite great in it. (I hate to say it but she’ll definitely need a simple name to remember to make that happen. I’d like to suggest G-Vis… as in G-Vis, she’s awesome!) There’s no question she’s the best part of the movie, but it also thrives from some of the other women cast around her, including Molly Gordon, Phillipa Soo and (surprise, surprise!) Bernadette Peters. (At times, I was worried Lucy’s friends would get particularly annoying, but you’ll warm up to them as well.)

Krinsky’s movie is cute, and while it certainly gets a little overly sentimental at times, there are also moments that are quite heartfelt, so basically, it’s a tolerable addition to the rom-com genre. The fact that the characters are so likeable kept me from outright hating the movie, especially once it gets to its corny and somewhat predictable ending. Another thing I like about Broken Hearts Gallery is that at least it’s making an effort to have some sort of theatrical presence, including drive-in theaters.

Next up is Jon Stevenson’s RENT-A-PAL (IFC Midnight), a rather strange and very dark horror-comedy. It stars Brian Landis Folkins as David, a lonely 40-year-old living with his elderly mother suffering from dementia, who has been using the services of a dating service called Video Rendezvous. This is the ‘80s after all, so it involves getting VHS testimonials from various women. One day, David finds a tape labelled “Rent a Pal” and he decides to check it out. It turns out to be a video of a guy named Andy (Wil Wheaton aka Wesley Crusher from Star Trek: The Next Generation) who David begins having conversations with, but once David gets his chance to have a real relationship with a nice woman named Lisa (Amy Rutledge), he’s been dragged too far down the rabbit hole with Andy’s evil urgings.

This was recommended to me by my own personal rent-a-pal, Erick Weber of Awards Ace, who saw it weeks ago. I totally could understand why he would have liked it, because it’s pretty good in terms of coming up with an original idea using elements that at least us older guys can relate to (especially the living with your Mom part which I had to do a few years ago). I wasn’t sure but I generally thought I knew where it was going, because David’s trajectory always seemed to be heading towards My Friend Dahmer or Maniac territory. What I liked about Folkins’ performance is that you generally feel for him right up until he gets to that point. I also really liked his innocent relationship with Lisa and was hoping things that wouldn’t get as dark as where they eventually end up. I also have to draw attention to Wheaton’s performance, because as one might expect if you only know him from the “Star Trek” show he did as a kid, this is a very different role for him similar to Seann Michael Scott in last year’s Bloodline.

Either way, Stevenson is a decent writer and director who really pushes the boundaries with where Andy takes his new friend, and it’s especially great for its synth-heavy soundtrack that reminds me of some of John Carpenter’s best scores, as we watch David’s inevitable descent into madness. You’ll frequently wonder where it’s going, but for me, it just got too dark, so I only really could enjoy it up to a point.

A little cheerier is UNPREGNANT (HBO Max), the new film from Rachel Lee Goldberg, who directed the recent Valley Girl remake, although this time she’s adapting a book written by Jenni Hendricks. It stars Haley Lu Richardson (from Split and Support the Girls) as 17-year-old Veronica who discovers that her dopey boyfriend Kevin has gotten her pregnant. Since women under 18 can’t get an abortion in Missouri without a parents’ consent, she goes on a road trip with her estranged childhood friend Bailey (Barbie Ferreira) to New Mexico to get the job done.

It’s more than little weird seeing this movie come out in the same year as a much more serious version of the same movie in Elyza Hittman’s Never Rarely Sometime Always. That aside, Goldberg and her cast do their best to make this something more in the vein of last year’s Book Smart, although that’s also a fairly high watermark for any movie.

Because this is a road trip comedy, it tends to follow a fairly similar path as other movies where they meet a lot of strange characters along the way, as they try to get a ride after being busted cause Bailey stole her mother’s boyfriend’s car for the trip. For instance, they meet a friendly couple who tend to be pro-lifers who want to change Veronica’s mind, and the best side character is Giancarlo Esposito as a conspiracy theorist named Bob.

I guess my biggest problem with the movie is that it just isn’t that funny and feels fairly standard, but at least it has a decent ending to make up for the predictability of the rest of the movie.

Now streaming on Netflix is Maimouna Doucouré’s French coming-of-age film Mignonnes aka CUTIES, a film that premiered at Sundance and then stirred up quite a bit of controversy last month due to its marketing campaign, but is actually not the pervy male gaze movie which it may have been sold as. It’s about an 11-year-old Sengalese girl named Amy Diop (Fathia Youssouf) who wants to join the school’s “cool girl” dance group, known as the “Cuties,” even though it goes against her family’s Muslim beliefs. Amy learns to dance so she can be part of the dance team and take part in a dance competition, but you know that this decision will led to trouble.s

Cuties got a lot of backlash from for the trailer and Netflix’s decision to release Doucouré’s movie, which is about a young girl discovering her sexuality, although it isn’t really something lurid or gross but actually a very strong coming-of-age film. I haven’t seen the trailer, but I can only imagine what scene it focused on that got people so riled up, since there are dance scenes that felt a little creepy to me. Other than that aspect of the film, Cuties is as innocent as a Judy Blume book. I mean, how else do you expect kids to learn about real life than movies like this? (Unfortunately, the movie is TV-MA so young teens won’t be able to watch it.)

The big problem with the Cuties is that they’re actually kind of bratty and bullies, almost like a younger “Mean Girls” girl gang, so it’s very hard to like any of them. They’re also trying to act way older than they really are, and you can only imagine what dark places that might led, as you worry about Amy getting dragged down with them, just because she wants to have friends and feel popular.

Despite my issues with Cuties, Maimouna Doucouré is a fantastic filmmaker, and this is a pretty amazing debut, especially notable for how she’s able to work with the young cast but also make a movie that looks amazing. That said, Cuties is a decent coming-of-age film, although I feel like I’ve seen better versions of this movie in films like Mustang and The Fits.

Also from France comes Justine Triet’s SYBIL (Music Box Films), starring Virgine Efira (who appeared in Triet’s earlier film, In Bed with Victoria) as the title character, a jaded psychotherapist who decides to return to her passion of writing, getting her inspiration from an actress patient named Margot (Adèle Exarchopoulos), who she becomes obsessed with. I don’t have a lot to say about this movie other than it wasn’t really for me. As far as French films go, a movie really has to stand out from the usual talkie drama filled with exposition, and though I thought the performances by the two women were great, I didn’t really care for the script or the pacing on this one. After playing at last year’s Cannes, Toronto and the New York Film Festival, Sybil will be available via Virtual Cinema through Film at Lincoln Center and the Laemmle in L.A. as well as other cities. You can watch the trailer and find out how to watch it through your local arthouse at the official site.

Now seems like as good a time as any to get into some docs…

Liz Garbus and Lisa Cortés’ doc ALL-IN: THE FIGHT FOR DEMOCRACY (Amazon) follows Stacey Abrams through her run for Atlanta Governor in 2018, but it also deals with the laws that had been put in place to try to keep black voters from taking part in their right as Americans to be able to vote. I’m not sure what’s going on with me right now, but I generally just don’t have much interest in political docs right now, maybe because there’s so much politics on TV and in the news. I also have very little interest in Abrams or even having the racist history of the American South drilled into my head by another movie. I was born in 1965, my family didn’t even live in this country until 1960, and I’ve spent my life trying to treat everyone equally, so watching a movie like this and being preached to about how awful African-Americans have been treated in parts of the South for hundreds of years, I’m just not really sure what I’m supposed to do about it here in New York. I guess my biggest problem with All-In, which is a perfectly fine and well-made doc – as would be expected from Garbus – is that it lacks focus, and it seems to be all over the place in terms of what it’s trying to say… and I’m not even sure what it is trying to say, nor did I have the patience to find out. I thought Slay the Dragon handled the issues with gerrymandering far better, and I think I would have preferred a movie that ONLY focused on Abrams and her life and political career than trying to make a bigger statement. All-In will open at a few drive-ins (tonight!) and then will be on Amazon Prime on September 18.

I was similarly mixed on Jeff Orlwosky’s doc, THE SOCIAL DILEMMA, which debuted on Netflix this week. This one looks at the addiction people have for social media apps like Facebook and Twitter, and how the information of what people watch and click on is collected into a database that’s sold to the highest bidder. Basically, it’s your worst fears about social media come to life, but my issue with this one is that the filmmaker decided to hire actors to dramatize parts of the movie, showing one family dealing with social media and phone addiction, which seemed like an odd but probably necessary decision other than the fact that the topic is so nerdy and so over my head that maybe it was necessary to illustrate what’s being explained by programmers. Again, not a terrible doc, just not something I had very little interest in even if it is an important subject (and I’m probably spending too much on social media and essentially more of the problem than the solution).

I saw S. Leo Chiang and Yang Sun’s doc OUR TIME MACHINE at Tribeca last year, and I quite liked it. It follows influential Chinese artist Ma Liang (Maleonn) who collaborates with his Peking Opera director father Ma Ke, who is suffering from Alzheimer’s, on an elaborate and ambitious project called “Papa’s Time Machine” using life-sized mechanical puppets. I don’t have a ton to say about the movie but it’s a nice look into the Chinese culture and traditions and how the country and art itself has changed between two generations.

One doc I missed last week but will be available digitally this week is Michael Paszt’s Nail in the Coffin: The Fall and Rise of Vampiro about semi-retired professional wrestler Ian Hodgkinson aka Vampiro, who is a Lucha Libre legend.

There’s a lot of other stuff on Netflix this week, including THE BABYSITTER: KILLER QUEEN, the sequel to the Samara Weaving-starring horror-thriller, again co-written and directed by McG (Charlies Angels: Full Throttle). This one stars Bella Thorne, Leslie Bibb and Ken Marino, as it follows Judah Lewis’ Cole after surviving the satanic blood cult from the first movie.

I don’t know nearly as much about the British comedy series The Duchess, other than it stars comedian Katherine Ryan as a single mother juggling a bunch of things. Julie and the Phantoms is Netflix’s latest attempt to be the Disney channel with a movie about a young girl named Julie (Madison Reyes) who decides to start a band with a group of ghosts (hence the title). It’s even from Kenny Laguna, who is best known for the Disney Channel’s biggest hits High School Musical and The Descendants.

Other stuff to look out for this week include Kevin Del Principe’s thriller Up on the Glass (Gravitas Ventures), which is now available On Demand, digital and Blu-Ray; the Russian dogs doc Space Dogs (Icarus Films) – available via Alamo on Demand; Phil Wall’s doc The Standard (Gravitas Ventures), and Andrei Bowden-Schwartz, Gina O’Brien’s tennis comedy All-In (on Amazon Prime and VOD/Digital) and Sam B. Jones’ Red White and Wasted (Dark Star Pictures).

Next week, more movies not in theaters!

By the way, if you read this week’s column and have bothered to read this far down, feel free to drop me some thoughts at Edward dot Douglas at Gmail dot Com or drop me a note or tweet on Twitter. I love hearing from readers … honest!

#TheWeekendWarrior #Movies #Reviews #TheBrokenHeartsGallery #IAMWoman #Unpregnant #AllIn #Cuties #rentapal #Netflix #VOD #streaming

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en-hypen · 7 years

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Who do you ship your mutuals with and why?

All of my mutuals got this at the same time *-* I’m sorry if these r really random but ily & I hope u enjoy these ships frens!!

@laji-101 starting off with the tiniest bb, I think Kris would go really well w astro’s sanha :)))))) Have u ever seen this ddoca bc LMAO SHE WOULD FIT SO WELL WITH THEM kris is v smol but v loud (types in caps 24/7) and I think their energetic and fun personalities would go well together!!! Also the height difference is so real it would be so adorable asdfghjkl

@jihoonslattee my actual twin i love chiii so much ❤️ and u kno who else i love a lot???? seventeen’s joshua (he is actually my first bias ever! THIS IS HOW MUCH ILY CHIII ❤️) Both of them are really sweet and adorable AH it would be the softest pair omf. Also I bet the two of them would watch anime together and that’s literally goals :)))

@princess-megz I’m always regretful that I don’t check the chat as often as I want to :( but everytime I do, Meg is always there and she always makes me smile :))) Her personality is so kind (& ridiculously spontaneous i love it) so I ship meg with day6′s jae LMAO. Jae is the oldest but you would never know bc he is literally so ridiculous but entertaining? The two would have lots of fun 2gether and I 100% bet he would sing for her a lot omf. also i’ve never seen meg in glasses but jae would let her try his on and!!!! wow cute matching couple!!!!!

@cuddlyjihoonie my school started to majorly pick up so I haven’t been able to talk to Sophia in a heck long time :( (i miss u do u even remember me D:) Sophia is a boy group QUEEN there are so many people to ship u with omg. After some thinking I ship her with seventeen’s s.coups! She’s always on top of everything (ur blog is a1 its so updated) just like our local leader. They are both good at taking charge & doing their responsibilities but still making time for their friends!! ❤️

@seungkwanslowqualityenglish justine!!!! I ship her with pentagon’s hui! Justine is the oldest and has to deal with all of youngins, similar to hui and pentagon. She is also v smart and updated w everything just like our local leader. Justine is also very supportive of all of us and def would be the same w hui! Jammin to Energetic and NEVER is a daily activity ah god bless what a power pair

@simplicitwannaone Laura i miss u where did u go :( if u are reading this I ship u with exo’s Lay (bc i miSS BOTH OF YOU WHERE DID U GUYS GO) Yix is literally the softest person on the planet and his confused, victim personality would go well with ur kabedon ❤️ I feel like he would be ur s/o n also your best friend? The best hugs & would give u so much love!!!

@jonghyunandsamueldeservedbetter JENNY I LOVE YOU and I’ve been reading the chat!! fun fact you were my first mutual ever so of course I had to ship u with someone with equal importance. You are sososo kind n open-minded n outgoing so I have to ship you with wanna one’s Daniel. He is the definition of boyfriend material and yo your personalities together would be explosive can u even imagine

@thegentlemanukulele Natty is the rock of the group chat I really want u to know how much I appreciate u ❤️ This is REAL random but I ship Natty with shinee’s onew! First, they are hella similiar. Intelligent, gr8 leadership qualities, vocal legends, & v i s u a l s. I’m looking forward to their couple collabs bc holy fuck Natty is so good at singing (I shed a few tears at her NEVER english ver) Natty has an awesome personality and I just think the ship would be so powerful we would all die amen

@ladynightmareii when i think about it, i’ve never actually spoken to Naz before? Which is crazy bc we’ve had the group chat for so long?? But I know enough about Naz where I can say she would go well with yuehua’s euiwoong! Although Naz is the youngest, she is always ready to call us out n take charge ❤️. Similarly to euiwoong (who is the leader although he is a smol bby) Naz has to deal with us crazy older people. The two would work well together and always have each other when the other needs to rant about something ❤️

@dae-vil ❤️ I don’t get to talk to Dae often but she is real cool and always happenin. I ship her w got7′s yugyeom! Both of them are cute on the outside but on the inside everything gets WILD. Yugyeom is a little reckless and loves to poke at his members and I can see Dae joining in on some fun. Also although Dae is v v v tol, Yugyeom is a sky scraper so the hugs and the height difference are still cute

@daehwi-protection-squad I! love! dawn! so! much! She is the ult super daehwi stan, but if i had to choose another person I would say she would go well with brave’s samuel!! ❤️ Dawn is sososoosososoososos nice and hardworking (ur blog is so nice n updated) so I believe she would go well with Samuel. She also seems like a fun person to be around ❤️ and the atmosphere of their relationship would be so lit god bless.

@imagineproduce101 EVERYONE CARINA IS SO BEAUTIFUL HOLY SHIT A REAL V I S U A L. and you know who else is straight handsome that would kill it with rina? nu’est’s ren ❤️ Both of them would be beautiful 2gether!! and i feel like carina’s enjoyable personality will compliment ren’s super extra personality lmao. I bet carina and ren would go on fun dates a lot and overall always have a really good time together!

@kakaotaeks I MISS YOU ELENA ❤️ I ship you with the boyz’s haknyeon!!! He is such a sweet boi and would try his best to treat you right. Whenever haknyeon is tired of being w a ton of boys I can imagine he’d come to you for love n advice!! Also he is still in school too! yall will be the cutest couple in school everyone will be jelly amen

@heochannies meike 😍 why is everyone a v i s u a l omfg. I ship meike with nct’s johnny! Meike is older than most of us so she has some experience *-* I think meike n johnny would go out a lot (partying n bangers u feel) and go on lots of adventures together. Also johnny really likes traveling/ foreigners so I bet he would love 2 travel to visit meike ❤️

@peachiejihoonie i love u i love u i love u ❤️ i ship peachi with monsta x’s kihyun! Peachi is so adorable n kihyun is really cute and the two of them would just be the softest!!! Peachi also sends snaps from her work sometimes and I bet if kih worked with her, he would sing songs and try his best so work is fun for both of them :) if he didn’t work with her, i bet kih would come to visit a lot just so he can hang out ❤️

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