#my only 12 percent ep 7 | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

gayenerd · 4 years ago

Text

Another old article saved in a Word document, which I can only find behind a paywall now (but I linked it in case someone does have access to a subscription)

Green Day Rising Metal Mike Saunders, Bam, 28 January 1994 Popcore Ascending? Or Is That Just The First Phase Of 'The Greatest Band In America'?

'We were down in Irvine and Mike was having a pillow fight outside with his girlfriend. He was running away from her, and at the top of his stride he turned around, right into a horizontal beam five feet off the ground – Vhoom...Out cold. So that suggested the concept of ...misery.'– Billie Joe

WHERE IT all it the brick wall for me personally was 11th grade carpool. Four high school boys jammed into a VW bug, or worse, with the AM radio on for about 20 minutes en route to Hall High, Little Rock.

It was the season of the great Bubblegum Wars, that pint in time where the underground FM vs. plastic AM trench wars had reached the point of no return. Kids vs. pigs, rednecks vs. longhairs. Combat was the order of the day, even in music.

In the fall of 1968, the musical lightning rod was 'Chewy Chewy' by the Ohio Express: 'Turn it off' and 'Turn it down' were the majority opinions. I was for sure the only one going 'Turn it up!' The same routine was repeated just a few weeks later with the Archies and the 1910 Fruitgum Co. (the later with the classic top-five hit 'Indian Giver'), and it seems like ever since that point in time 'pop' has been a derogatory term. Something less than…what? 'Rock'?

What does this have to do with Green Day? Well, it’s like this: There’s this real lame tag – 'popcore' (say it once and erase it forever, pul LEEZE) that was kicking around for a while last year and was affixed to the East Bay trio’s style of music. Aw, hell, they’re just a great rock band.

If Santa came and went recently and there’s still no Green Day in your house, here’s a shopping list: 39 Smooth (Lookout!), Kerplunk (Lookout!), and Dookie (Warner Bros./Reprise). Forty-eight killer tracks by this country’s greatest band and, considering that only in the preceding 12 months did its members start to hit drinking age, possibly just the beginning of what could turn out to be an amazing career.

Proof is no farther away than the band’s new album, Dookie, its first for a major label, but proceeded by two LPs and three 7-inch EPs on Berkeley’s Lookout! Records.

Anyone who’s seen the threesome knows they can play like gangbusters; the difference between a tiny indie-label budget (try about $3000 for all 34 Lookout! Tracks combined) and a major-league endeavor is that for the first time you get proof 10 times over on tape. So you get raging guitar sounds and cracking snare rimshots that explode like the early who. Even the band’s chronic shortcoming – weedy studio vocals – has been corrected to an encouraging degree.

"Yeah," volunteers 21-year-old lead singer/guitarist Billie Joe, "for my vocals we used a Beyer microphone, which was used on some of the early Elvis Costello stuff. I’m really happy with the way it came out."

The entire album is a veritable role model for any guitar-heavy rock band. Says producer Rob Cavallo: "In the case of a raw, live-sounding record like this one, what I try to do is capture on the listener’s speakers the whole left-to-right stereo spread – what we heard in preproduction, listening to the band blast away in their practice room. The key to this, in Green Day’s case, is that they have such a focused idea as to what they sound like, and they’re great players in that style."

Specific elements of Dookie’s production style include a live rhythm guitar on every song, singletracked lead vocals only, and all vocal harmonies done by the second-stage voice, 20-year-old bassist Mike Dirnt.

Warner Bros.’ hands-off role, a characteristic of the company in the wake of its Mudhoney "creative control"-type underground signings, was crucial in shaping such a record. "Warner Bros. stayed out of the way and let us do exactly what we wanted to," says 21-year-old drummer Tre Cool. "All I can say is if you can get on Warners, you are one lucky son of a gun!"

The inclination to make a guitar-heavy record was present from the get-go. "I definitely wanted to get a bigger sound," recalls Billie Joe, "something with more meat to it." Which is achieved, in parts thanks to a borrowed vintage 1972 Marshall head hooked up to the same blue Stratocaster Billie Joe’s been battering since he was 11.

The wall of guitar sound was achieved with a live track and just one more rhythm guitar dropped in. "We had experimented a bit on previous records, stacking guitar tracks to try to get a thicker sound," recalls Billie Joe. "But this time with just the two rhythm guitars; we got a better distorted sound."

Like any other trademark-sound band, it’s the deviations on the record that are most interesting. We’ve got three here: 'Pulling Teeth,' 'When I Come Around,' and the album’s first single, 'Longview,' 'Pulling Teeth' leaps out of the album like a K-Tel cut buried in a techno set; it’s the tune Dave Edmunds never had to break his career Stateside. Tight harmony vocals frame a straight guitar-heavy country-rock melody with a conciseness worthy of the masters. Not one wasted word or second.

"We were down in Irvine," recalls Billie Joe of the song’s lyrical genesis, "and Mike was having a pillow fight outside with his girlfriend. He was running away from her, and at the top of this stride he turned ground – vhoom…Out cold. So that suggested the concept of…misery."

'Longview' hits a whole opposite style. It’s something you might imagine as a late’70s FM track, with a loping dumbo beat ("a rumble," suggests Dirnt) not too far off Tom Petty’s 'Breakdown', Lyrics about nothing, really-killing time, punching the cable remote, getting high. A two-chord riff to nowhere, then a basic garden-variety three-chord chorus. The trick is that the whole darn song is a hook. Simultaneously the dumbest and catchiest Van Halen guitar licks panning across the speakers.

"In a way, that song was cheap self-therapy for watching too much TV," recalls Billie Joe. "It was another case of writing about whatever mood I’m in."

Especially near to my heart (I’m from the South, y’all ) is 'When I Come Around,' an unintentional dead-on-evocation of Lynyrd Skynyrd at its top-40 hookiest. With a lazy turnaround beat like 'Sweet Home Alabama', it’s just about five degrees westward of the slightly ‘70s ballads 'Christie Road' and 'No One Knows' from the earlier Kerplunk album.

"On that one, we weren’t thinking country rock, but rather something that had a groove to it, almost like you could imagine having a martini and listening to it at the same time," explains Dirnt.

See, 80 percent of Dookie is in the trademark Green Day raging pop-punk. It’s this deviant 20 percent that makes one suspect they can pull off almost anything they want out of the trash-dump of earlier under appreciated rock styles. A mainstream audience could forge a very, very interesting alliance with this group.

Of the trademark pop-punk onslaught, averaging an airtight two minutes, 30 seconds apiece, 'Basket Case' and 'Sassafras Roots' are two of the strongest numbers. 'Basket Case' was about a friend who’s pretty loopy,' explains Billie Joe, 'but a bit about myself as well – like seeing your own trails in other people where it’s been taken to a total extreme. There are a lot more songs on this record that are about other people’s experiences, even though I might still be singing in the first person.'

The recording of Dookie went fairly fast by industry standards, the music and vocals finished last summer in three and a half weeks (at Berkeley’s Fantasy Studios), followed by an initial mix. The band then headed out on 40-date fall tour with the veteran LA punk band Bad Religion, which enabled them to come back to the project with a clean set of ears. The entire album was remixed with engineering whiz Jerry, Finn who paid special attention to the record’s amazing bottom end. At that point, the band’s 'creative input' reached its most extreme.

"We all three sat there for 10 days straight, 15 hours a day, and listened to every minute of the remixing sessions," recalls Tre Cool. Which is just short of four working-Joe (like me) work weeks without a day off.

Dookie is one of the rawest melodically oriented rock records to show up on a major label in the last zillion years. Usually when bands go from an indie to a major label, the result is a slicker product.

"When I listen to bad rock music occasionally, I just wind up going, ‘What the hell were these guys thinking of?" agrees Billie Joe.

I speculate that there have now been entire generations’ worth of bad drum sounds committed to record. "Huge room sounds on the drum with shitloads of reverb," responds Dirnit. "Flanged drum rolls," adds Billie Joe.

My favorite, rolls across the chromatic-tuned rototoms, comes in a close second.

While most bands with almost 50 tracks into their recording career hit the point of labored songwriting (that old saw about a band’s first album being its best), that hasn’t been the case with Green Day. "Actually, I think I was more comfortable with my songwriting on this record than I ever was before," insists Billie Joe. "I had a real good handle on what kind of melodies and hooks I wanted to come up with. Didn’t rush myself, just let them come out naturally. It was the previous time out, on the songs on Kerplunk, that I was consciously trying to outdo my previous songs."

The variation from Green Day’s uptempo style, now comprising a good one-quarter of the band’s most recent two albums, will continue. "We definitely are going to continue to expand the scope of our material; we don’t want to get into a rut where we rewrite Kerplunk or Dockie over again," explains Billie Joe. "There’s a lot of musical tastes that run through this band."

I did my homework on the band’s "song-about-girls" label (a tag, Dirnt complains, 'we got caught up in') going back to January 1992’s Kerplunk and assigning topics to each song. The tally was girls, four; mortality/meaning of life, three; neurosis/insanity, one; one novelty song; and alienation, motivation, and coming of age, one apiece. Dookie is more of the same, with topics ranging all over the map, the median perhaps being the pissed-off frame of mind of 'Chump' and 'F.O.D.' The girl-songs ratio is down around 30 percent.

The "girl-songs" tag must have sprung from what was the band’s classic 1990 debut, 39 Smooth, written and sung by Billie Joe and Dirnt at the ripe old ages of 17 and 16. A good 70 percent of the album’s songs related to the opposite sex, with the lead off track, 'At the Library', ranking as perhaps the best song ever written by a high-schooler.

One facet of a Green Day performance that’s impossible to capture on paper is the continuous bantering and riposting between the band and the crowd, much of it hysterical.

"It’s all part of making our audience feel like they’re at home, communicating on an eye-label basis," offers Billie Joe.

"See, before a show we’re usually making fun of each other – making a mess by playing baseball with apples or whatever, meeting new people who are funny and have jokes we haven’t heard – so we’re totally stoked by the time we get onstage," elaborates Tre.

It’s safe to say that after two trips to Europe, half a dozen ('at least') full American tours, and over four years of nonstop gigging, performance anxiety does not figure into this band’s equation. "We never have a list, we just make it up as we go," explains Tre.

I offer my theory that no matter how many fans a band has, there are five times as many people who think they stink, and 10 times as many who don’t care.

"I would see it as three different sections: the people who really like you, the people who really hate you, and the vast majority who are totally oblivious," muses Billie Joe.

The vast size of the record industry contributes to making yesterday’s barely gold act today’s 'Who?' (think Britny Fox, Vixen, and a half-dozen gold Loverboy albums). Indeed, if everyone who ever made fun of Motley Crue videos were assembled in one place, we would surely fill the Oakland Coliseum.

Speaking of videos, the world doesn’t faze our subjects – not yet anyway. "We’ve never done a video. They’ve got us scheduled to do one, so for now we think videos are cool," laughs Tre.

"We’re probably shooting the video in our house," adds Billie Joe, the "house" being what appears to be a subterranean Berkeley abode, complete with a tiny band-practice room; it’s not squalid, it’s absolutely slacker). "So…we figure our video concept will be kind of ‘Looks That Kill’ meets ‘Hot for Teachers’ meets 'Rock You Like a Hurricane'," quips Dirnt.

Given the absolutely superb quality of the band’s Warner Bros. debut, the only mystery is that a major label bidding war on Green Day took so long to materialize.

"Warner Bros. was the label initially considering the band," recounts band co-manager Jeff Saltzman. "But it was when Geffen and Sony/CBS jumped in with serious interest that Warners got serious about picking up the band."

Green Day never would have gotten so much done so fast, however, without the astute ears of Lookout! Records’ president and perpetual talent scout, Larry Livermore, who sent the band into the studio two months after first seeing the trio to record an EP called 1000 Hours, which was followed by the 39 Smooth album, which was recorded at the end of 1989 for less than $500.

"I knew Al Sobrante (Green Day’s drummer through mid-1990) from Isocracy, so I knew about his new band, Sweet Children [renamed Green Day six months later]," recalls Livermore. "My band, the Lookouts, were playing a house party up in Mendocino County, February 1989, so I invited Al’s band up to play also. I was so impressed with the band and their attitude, playing just in front of 15 people, that I hooked up with them immediately to record for Lookout! I never had any doubt about their potential, musically. I thought they were great the first time I saw them."

#all typos are in the article i'm pretty sure #the origin story of pulling teeth never gets old #but also who has a pillow fight OUTSIDE???#billie talking about outdoing himself even on KERPLUNK #our poor little workaholic #the stats on 'songs about girls' is sending me #green day #BAM #interview #article #articles

10 notes · View notes

boredout305 · 5 years ago

Text

Vitus Mataré talks Jeffrey Lee Pierce, The Last and DIY Production

Vitus Mataré is a Los Angeles-based musician, producer and architect.

Mataré was a founding member of The Last, Danny and the Doorknobs and Trotsky Icepick. As a producer, he recorded some of the earliest and most coveted Los Angeles DIY punk records, including The Urinals’ first three 7”s and the Keats Rides a Harley compilation. Mataré would later produce The Leaving Trains and Savage Republic.

The focus of this interview was Mataré’s brief tenure in Jeffrey Lee Pierce’s pre-Gun Club band, The Red Lights. Short-lived and with a revolving membership, Mataré played The Red Lights’ summer 1978 debut show. Two years later, he became the Gun Club’s first producer—recording the band on his portable Dokorder 4-track reel-to-reel.

Recently, Mataré released a new Trotsky Icepick record, I Haunted Myself (2019). The Last’s ill-fated and obscenely expensive sophomore LP, Look Again (1980), will finally get a proper release in 2020.

Interview by Ryan Leach

Ryan: Do you recall where you first met Jeffrey Lee Pierce?

Vitus: I met Jeffrey Lee Pierce at the Capitol Records Swap Meet. Jeff was there selling records and hanging out.

Ryan: That’s where Larry (Hardy) first spotted him.

Vitus: Right. Jeff was always roaming around the Capitol Records Swap Meet in his typical style. Over the top, excited about this and that. When Jeff found something that he was interested in, he got into it one-hundred percent.

Ryan: Did you meet him in 1978?

Vitus: Yes. I met Jeffrey in 1978.

Ryan: Being a big fan of power-pop and ‘60s groups, it makes sense that Jeffrey was a Last fan. How did he enter The Last’s orbit?

Vitus: There was a gig (September 18, 1979) at Gazzarri’s and The Last played with Jeffrey’s band, The Cyclones. Pleasant Gehman was the singer. We put it on. The show was a disaster. It was hard to get a draw. It was The Go-Go’s first real show and the first time The Urinals played in Hollywood. We put our favorite people in bands together for the bill: Jeff with The Cyclones, The Last, The Urinals and The Go-Go’s.

Kjehl Johansen (The Urinals) punched me in the nose while we were dancing to The Go-Go’s set, so I had a bloody nose for the rest of the night. But before I got punched, I sat down with Jeff at soundcheck. He showed me the chords to “Jungle Book,” a song he had done with The Red Lights. “Jungle Book” is one of the first songs I learned to play on guitar. Jeffrey was teaching me the song and guitar at the same time. That was really cool. We were just killing time. (The Last’s) Joe (Nolte) was there and had already suggested that we start incorporating “Jungle Book” into The Last’s set.

Shortly after the Gazzarri’s gig, we played a show with The Plugz and Jeff came up and sang “Jungle Book” with us. Phast Phreddie also came up that night and sang The Seeds’ “Pushin’ Too Hard.” There were several other gigs where Jeff sang with The Last.

Ryan: How did you and the late Jack Reynolds (drummer of The Last) end up playing with Jeff and Anna Statman in The Red Lights?

Vitus: Jack Reynolds was a whole different story. Jack passed away (in December 2009). I liked Jack a lot—he was great—but he was a tough guy. He enjoyed getting into fights and drinking and perhaps taking drugs to excess. Jack didn’t drive, so I was his driver. We’d be cruising in my beat-up sedan, his drums thrown in the back with no cases, and we’d go by a construction site at 7:30 p.m. on our way to a show at the Starwood. He’d say in his British accent, “Woah, woah, pull over!” He’d find a chunk of concrete with rebar sticking out of it at a jobsite, throw it in my backseat—there goes that bit of upholstery—and he’d walk into the club with it. It’s 8:00 p.m. at the Whisky or the Starwood, so there’s no one there but the bouncers. They’d say, “Hey, fella, where are you going with that?” Jack would respond, “Have I got to stick it up your arse? Out of my way.” Even the bouncers would leave him alone. He’d use the concrete to weigh down his kick drum. After the set, he’d abandon the 200-pound concrete chunk up on the stage. I remember we played a show with 20/20 and the guys in the band were getting their guitar cables snagged on the rebar sticking out of Jack’s concrete block. The three of them couldn’t lift it whereas Jack brought it up there himself.

Greg Shaw brings in a band from New York called The Boyfriends. I don’t know what they ever did—apparently they were really good—but I never got a chance to find out. The Last was opening up for them at the Whisky. It was a night Greg Shaw put together and promoted. We’re late; Jack’s in my car and he had forgotten his cymbals. The Boyfriends had done their soundcheck and they’re gone. We get to the Whisky and someone walks past us. Jack says (affects British accent), “Hey, can I borrow your drummer’s cymbals there?” The guy responds, “Sure. Help yourself.” Well, he had nothing to do with The Boyfriends or their equipment. Jack breaks his drums sticks as usual, so he’s out there playing with beer bottles on the guy’s cymbals. The Boyfriends’ drummer is not pleased about it.

We got an encore. We’re in that little black corridor that’s up the stairs at the Whisky, towards the backstage. The Boyfriends’ drummer grabs Jack as we’re headed back to the stage. I guess the message he was trying to convey was, “Hey, who said you could use my cymbals?” Jack responds by pummeling this guy’s head into the wall. That’s all we heard: “Thud, thud, thud.” The Boyfriends’ drummer went to the hospital that night and they never played. I can give you ten other similar Jack Reynolds stories. So, when Jeff (Pierce) asked, “Hey, would you be willing to play Farfisa with me and do you know someone who can play drums?” I just figured, “Well, Jack’s drums live in my car, so why don’t I bring him too?”

I only played one show with The Red Lights (July 14, 1978, at the Whisky benefit for Lobotomy fanzine). The lineup was me on Farfisa, Jack Reynolds on drums, Jeff on guitar and vocals and Anna Statman on bass. It was rather unrehearsed. We had one practice at a place called The Jungle. Jeff was really fun, but he was unsure of himself. He could get cranky and difficult.

We played The Red Lights show and Jeff did great but he was embarrassed about it for no reason. There were only a few people there and most of them didn’t get it. Nevertheless, it was awesome.

Ryan: The Red Lights only played a handful of shows. Was Jack Reynolds their permanent drummer?

Vitus: Jack wasn’t. Jeff had to use other people. Jack may have played two or three gigs with The Red Lights. I only played that one and I do not know how many more gigs followed.

Ryan: There’s a photo and review of your Red Lights show at the Whisky in issue #9 of Flipside.

Vitus: I remember Al (Kowalewski, founder of Flipside) asking us our names for the show write-up. He asked Jack Reynolds his name. Jack was drunk, possibly stoned and angry so he said, “I’m Jeff Fucking Beck.” Al’s like, “Okay, dude.” And then Jack points to me and yells, “The keyboard player, his name is Keyboard Player!” That’s why Al’s review credits me as Keyboard Player and Jack as Jeff Beck. I remember a lot of nights like that with Jack.

On the other hand, Jeff (Pierce) was never belligerent or impossible when he was drunk. I know other people will tell you totally different stories. I only had great experiences with Jeff.

Later on, I did some preproduction with The Gun Club. I arranged with this guy Patrick (Burnette) over at Quad Teck—it was Hank Waring’s studio—to record The Gun Club. I had everything lined up but then I accidentally drank some gasoline. I got very, very sick and I had to go to the hospital and wasn’t available for that session. They went with Tito (Larriva), which was a great choice. Of course, that later became Fire of Love. But I was originally scheduled to engineer and produce that at Quad Teck.

Ryan: So, you were going to record the Gun Club tracks for the 12” split release that was supposed to come out on Fatima Recordz? The Gun Club was going to get one side of the LP; no one seems to recall the band who’d get the other side. When Fatima went belly-up, those tracks later appeared on Fire of Love (1981).

Vitus: Right. It all worked out for the best and I fully recovered. There were so many incidents back then where something took a wild left turn because of some issue or emergency.

Ryan: Do you remember recording The Gun Club tracks for the Keats Rides a Harley (1981) compilation? Obviously, those recordings predated Fire of Love.

Vitus: Of course. We recorded those tracks at a horrible rehearsal space next to Hollywood High School. I can’t recall the name of the place, but I do remember it was named after the street it was on. I recorded The Gun Club on my cheap, 4-track Dokorder. It was a pretty low-budget, multitrack recorder.

Ryan: Digressing back a bit, to my knowledge the first releases you produced were the Urinals 7”s.

Vitus: I did stuff way earlier when I was a little kid. There were two guys who got kicked out of The Seeds. I recorded them when I was 13 years old. I was using my parent’s reel-to-reel and two fabulous electrostatic mics. They were amazed I could do sound-on-sound recording.

But coming back later, The Urinals Self-titled EP (1978) was the first vinyl record I had recorded by a band other than The Last. The Last was recording (L.A. Explosion!) at Village Recorder in West Los Angeles. There are four studios at Village Recorder. At the time, Fleetwood Mac is in there doing Tusk (1979). They’re tucked away with their cocaine and other vapors. Frank Zappa is in another studio where the air is clean and he’s doing parts of Joe’s Garage (1979) and Sheik Yerbouti (1979). The other studio has a high turnover rate; the Stranglers used it while we were there. And we’re in this dingy little room known as The Royal Scam. All of the equipment in there belonged to Steely Dan. John Harrison, the first bass player of Hawkwind, got us in there. Harrison was the engineering guru for what was happening in the Zappa sessions.

When I got a test pressing of the first Urinals single I was so proud to have it that I gave my copy to John Harrison. Harrison ended up passing it on to Frank Zappa. The next night when I came in—we’d start at around midnight—John Harrison says to Zappa, “Hey, Frank, this is the guy who produced that record I gave you last night.” Zappa is lying down in this little step-down conversation pit on the couch. He can’t see me; I can barely see his shoes sticking out. He doesn’t get up but says, “That’s the worst damn record I’ve ever heard. But with a name like that (The Urinals), they should go far.”

Ryan: Considering Zappa was a big fan of The Shaggs’ Philosophy of the World (1969), that’s saying something. John (Talley-Jones), Kjehl (Johansen) and Kevin (Barrett) really outdid themselves.

Vitus: (Laughs). Yeah. The Urinals singles predated The Gun Club stuff.

Ryan: I was under the impression that you were more interested in producing bands than playing in them. And that those early recordings you made with your 4-track were out of necessity—for groups just starting out or that were too left of the dial to get a recording contract.

Vitus: That’s right. And I never thought about major releases. For example, I never thought of recording The Go-Go’s. I would be hampering their progress. Same thing when The Bangles asked me to record them, back when they were called The Bangs. That’s not really what I did. I wanted to make records that sound like you’re in the shower and the water is beating on your eardrum. I would record bands so they’d have tapes to bring to clubs to get bookings. The recordings didn’t need to be overly clean.

Ryan: It easy to forget nowadays, but back in the 1970s you had different-tiered studios. Places where people would cut demos to pitch to Club 88 on one end and 24-track studios on the other end.

Vitus: Exactly. I was helping bands get their songs recorded. I wasn’t working under some delusion that I’d be in a 24-track studio, cutting tracks with these bands a week later.

Ryan: How did the Keats Rides a Harley compilation come together?

Vitus: There are two different versions of that story. John Talley-Jones has one version and I probably have another. The compilation was sort of my idea. Initially, The Urinals’ record was going to come out on Backlash. And there were two issues that came up at the same time. The Last’s manager, Randall Wixen, had started a publishing company called Backlash. He just took the name and then asked us to stop putting out records under the name Backlash. The other issue was that I played the first Urinals single for Joe Nolte when he wasn’t in a good mood. Joe ended up loving The Urinals, but at the time he said, “Hey, don’t put that crap out on our label, please.” That kind of jettisoned everything. I remember The Urinals were a bit disappointed when I told them, “Dudes, it’s not going to come out on Backlash, so let’s make up another record label name.” They came up with Happy Squid and put it out themselves.

Joe and I always had our differences. I was drafted into The Last to play keyboards, but what I wanted was to be the Magic Alex—the guy who did sound effects and produced stuff. I wanted to record bands. I didn’t want to be on stage. I hated that. I didn’t get to do that with The Last, but I got to do it with The Gun Club and The Urinals which was great.

I wasn’t doing whole records, just demo tapes, but I thought the sampler concept was a good idea. I wanted to put together a record that was a snapshot of what was happening in that particular garage on that street at that point in time. We just pulled all these bands together. The Urinals came up with the title of the record and actually put it together and got it out.

Ryan: It’s an exceptional comp. Living in Arizona, The Meat Puppets mailed their recordings in. But you recorded the rest of the album and the bands are exceptional. Human Hands, Gun Club, Leaving Trains, 100 Flowers…

Vitus: All of those groups had people in them who were interesting to hang out with. They weren’t idiots or burnouts. To this day, the ones who are still alive remain great people to chat with.

Ryan: For Gun Club fans, Keats is a must have. As you mentioned, the recording is raw, but everything is mixed well. You can hear Rob Ritter’s bass and he remains the unsung hero of the early Gun Club. Fire of Love (1981) and Miami (1982) are great records, but their mixes aren’t the best.

Vitus: The tracks on Keats have poor frequency response, but great atmosphere.

Ryan: There’s another Last connection to Jeffrey Lee Pierce and The Red Lights. “Jungle Book” appears on The Last’s ill-fated sophomore record, Look Again (1980). Only test presses were made of that record, correct?

Vitus: I’ll tell you the whole story if you have ten minutes.

Ryan: Absolutely. I remember around 2004 seeing a copy of Look Again at Amoeba Records in Los Angeles selling for several hundred dollars.

Vitus: It’s not a good investment. It’s about to be reissued. I think it’s coming out on a label I’m not allowed to mention. Jonny Bell is doing the remixes right now. We baked and transferred those reels. But what needs to be told about that record is that we were not to produce it ourselves. Joe (Nolte) was to stay out of Jo Julian’s way. He was from the band Berlin. Julian co-engineered and produced the record even though he apparently had zero interest in doing so. There was a studio called Audio Arts. I believe Julian needed to get some sessions in and out and collect some money, so that’s what we were about.

Ryan: That’s a horrible situation to be in.

Vitus: Yeah. We were totally unimportant. Joe (Nolte) quickly realized that there was a bad vibe. Joe had a lot of input into L.A. Explosion! That was Joe’s record. It’s about Joe as a songwriter. I had one song (“A Fool Like You”) in there that made fun of A&R people. The second record was supposed to be a closer split between me and Joe. I would write one-third of the songs, and I would have more say about the production because it was supposed to be more pop. So I get locked out of the control room when it was time to mix. Jo Julian does direct injection on a Rickenbacker 12-string guitar, a Rickenbacker bass and a Farfisa. So, you have all this lovely 4,000-cycle signal with no life to it. John Frank, The Last’s new drummer, couldn’t hear us as we were playing. The mixes were terrible even though Joe’s songs are great. At the very least, it should’ve been interesting, but it wasn’t. Today we’re going back and re-amping the signals. Not adding anything, but getting a clean mix. The record should be out in late spring (2020). And “Jungle Book” is on there. It’s also on the new Trotsky Icepick record that is called I Haunted Myself (2019).

Ryan: Listening to you describe the Look Again situation, I’m able to put the pieces together. At least locally, The Last were really popular around the time of L.A. Explosion!

Vitus: The Look Again debacle killed it.

Ryan: You guys even had a billboard on the Sunset Strip, right?

Vitus: Yep.

Ryan: That’s a real shame.

Vitus: All of that is fine. We got to play some great shows and events. There were wonderful experiences. And we never got dragged on the road and stiffed by some bar owner in Arkansas.

We played a Gronk and Jerry Dreva art exhibit Downtown with The Screamers and The Bags in an art gallery. What an experience. Ray Manzarek autographed my keyboard. David Bowie was in the audience, wanting to produce The Screamers. There was a whole energy to that night. It was better than having a number-one record.

#vitus matare #the last #trotsky icepick #jeffrey lee pierce #the red lights #happy squid records #the urinals #danny and the doorknobs #joe nolte

14 notes · View notes

rqs902 · 5 years ago

Text

22 questions

tagged by @tanqram aka one of my favorite tumblr friends ❤️

1 & 2 - Name / Nickname: annie

3 - Star Sign: gemini

4 - Gender: female

5 - Sexuality: straight

6 - Favorite colour: purple

7 - Time Right Now: 11pm

8 - Average Hours of Sleep: 7 hours

9 - The last thing I googled: uniqlo store hours

10 - Number of Blankets: 1

11 - Favorite Fictional Character: baymax from big hero 6

12 - What are you wearing right now: pajamas

13 - Favourite Book: fresh off the boat (aw nini your answer so cute hahahha)

14 - Favourite Musicians: Nine Percent members, Mr. Tyger, YouthEnergyF, BlackACE, Tangram, Liao Juntao, Zhao Tianyu, Eric Chou, Lumi Xu, Chen Sijian

15 - Dream Job: something where i can feel like i am making an impact on others (omg nini official translation team yesss can you imagine being paid to do subs hahahha)

16 - Number of followers: 1k+ (thanks to everyone for putting up with my rants ❤️)

17 - When did you create your account: apparently, i joined this tumblr place at 04/12/2013 11:27:19 pm. HAHAHA but for specifically when I switched to being a cpop blog... apparently i made my first posts about nongnong on 1/26/18, so it was around then LOL (apparently thats like around the 2nd ep of Idol Producer)

18 - What do you post about: qcyn and idol producer kids

19 - What made you get an account: i started blogging cpop stuff and becoming super involved all due to the fact that chen linong’s initial audition had me sold

20 - When did your blog reach its peak: maybe around the time when i was making translated tyger content regularly during qcyn.... or if i were to go back more, maybe right after idol producer ended and i started translating / creating content for trainees who weren’t as popular

21 - Do you get asks on a daily basis: nope, only occasionally, but when i do, it usually brightens my day! (nini you’re so approachable, what are you talking about??)

22 - Why did you choose your url: once i committed to watching qcyn and committed to biasing lin mo, i chose linm0mo because it reflected my previous url n0ngnong. i still kept n0ngnong tho, because i’ve always thought in the back of my head i might switch back one day, because being n0ngnong was really such a memorable phase of my time here... it was when i met a ton of friends and got really involved in the super warm community that was the ip fandom, and it was really such a fun, happy time! and even tho i dont post nongnong content bc he’s popular enough that i dont feel the need to promote him, i still love him

— tagging @mr-linmo @zh0ushiyuan @shao-haofan @jiayoujiayi @roiqin @zhenings @zhyixuan @qinfen-qingshen if you would like to be do this!

#friends #thanks for the tag nini c: writing these answers made me reminisce about ip and im so happy that we've been friends through this whole time!

5 notes · View notes

stormysummerskyed · 6 years ago

Text

Rewatching the Firefly series.

Here comes my totally random commentary! 1) I forgot how Firefly opens with all the lasers and explosions of Mal and Zoe in what we later learn is the battle of serenity valley. For some reason I always think it opens with Wash and the dinosaurs. "grrr!" 2) "We've done the impossible and that makes us mighty." 3) "You know why we're not going to die? Because we're so very, very pretty. We're just too pretty to die." 4) I always loved how the opening scene cut from the noise and confusion of the battle to the silent and slow movements of Mal and the crew in space. It made for an very impacting opening sequence. 5) "We will rule over all this land and we will call it... this land. -- I think we should call it your grave. -- Ah, curse your sudden but inevitable betrayal!" Classic Wash 6) "Oh motherless son of a b--" totally going to steal this

7) Out of all the sci-fi shows I've watched, I still think the Serenity is my favourite ship. She's a beauty! 8) Firefly also gets all-time-favourite theme song "You can't take the sky from me." 9) "I don't believe there's a power in the 'verse that can stop Kaylee from being cheerful." 10) 1/? Plot threads that never got answered before Firefly was cancelled that I'm still annoyed about -- what was Inara running away from when she joined Serenity's crew? 11) 2/? Plot threads that never got answered before #Firefly was cancelled that I'm still annoyed about -- who the hell was Sheppard Book??? 12) Malcolm Reynolds calling Crowley out on his BS long before Dean Winchester came into the picture 13) "I got a share in this job. Ten percent of nothin'. Let me do the math here. Nothin' and then nothin' carry the nothin'--" Classic Jayne 14) "Jayne, your mouth is talking. Might want to look to that." I always forget how much I love the dialogue in this show. 15) Zoe: "Sir, we don't want to deal with Patience again." Mal: "Why not?" Zoe: "She shot you." Mal: "Well, yeah, she did a bit." 16) Mal: "Anyone gets nosy, you know, just... shoot 'em." Zoe: "Shoot 'em?" Mal: "Politely." #lols Always loved the Mal / Zoe dynamic. 17) I love how they made Simon out to be sinister and creepy in the first few scenes he was in. Great misdirect for the real bad guy later 18) Mal: Did you send word to Patience?" Wash: "Yeah, but ain't heard back yet. Didn't she shoot you once?" Mal" "Everyone's making a fuss!" 19) Mal: "She's a whore." Kaylee: "The term is companion." Mal: "I always get those mixed up. How's business?" Inara: "None of yours." Mal you were kind of a jerk sometimes. Lucky Inara could hold her own. 20) Book: "Captain, you mind if I say grace?" Mal: "Only if you say it out loud." 21) oh man I forgot all the !drama! in the first ep. And Kaylee is the one who ends up getting shot during the stand off with the Alliance agent 22) Jayne: "Move out of the way." Book: "You're not killing this man." Jayne: "Not right away." Classic Jayne 23) Simon talking about River and what happened to her 24) "Can we maybe take a vote on the whole murder thing?" Wash trying to be the voice of reason 25) "Got me a boatload of terribly strange folk making my life a little more interesting than I generally like." Gotta love Mal's way with words. 26) Mal: "Now you only gotta scare him." Jayne: "Pain is scary." Jayne logic 27) Great characterisation with Jayne's loyalties to Mal being a bit of a grey area. Willing to take a bribe and betray the captain? Or is he? 28) REAVERS!!! 29) they did such a great job of making the Reavers this ambiguous yet horrifying and credible threat throughout the eps and into the movie. 30) "You're lost in the woods. We all are, even the captain. Only difference is, he likes it that way." 31) Ah yes now I remember how much the UST between Mal and Inara drove me crazy. 32) Mal telling Simon that Kaylee was dead and then laughing about it with the rest of the crew on the bridge while Simon was in a panic running down to save her #badman 33) Mal: "I do believe that woman's planning to shoot me again." Jayne: "Here's a concept I've been working on. Why don't we shoot her first?" Wash: "It is her turn." Totally Reasonable Conversations. 34) "One of those will feed a family for a month. Longer, if they don't like their kids too well." Mal's understated sense of humor is a great aspect of his characterisation. 35) "I did a job and I got nothing but trouble since I did it. Not to mention more than a few unkind words as regards to my character. So let me make this abundantly clear. I do the job. And then I get paid." 1/? reasons not to cross Mal. 36) "You don't know me son, so let me explain this to you once. If I ever kill you, you'll be awake, you'll be facing me and you'll be armed." - Mal Honor among the outlawed

#firefly #rewatch #commentary #randomness #serenity

10 notes · View notes

paulisded · 3 years ago

Text

The Ledge #502: Best Records of 2021 NYE Countdown

So your favorite online radio DJ decided to spend a bitterly cold New Year's Eve playing over six hours of the best music of 2021. But what else would I have done? New Year's Eve is amateur night, and I haven't ventured out of my house for the big night in years.

With the big night lining up with a Ledge weekly broadcast, the decision to do a "Casey Kasem" was easy. So this show is a true marathon. First off, there's a countdown of the 20 best reissues, box sets, compilations, and tribute albums of the year. Then there's a countdown of the 40 best albums of 2021, and we hit the stroke of midnight in the eastern and central time zones with tracks from some of the great singles and EP's of the year, along with tunes from a number of great albums that barely missed the cut of making the big countdown.

Honestly, while the world is melting down we are somehow seeing a cultural renaissance. How else could I put together a six hour playlist of nothing but music from the past year? It's simply incredible how much wonderful music is coming out on a weekly basis from all over the world. This is why I do The Ledge, and why there's an episode every month that consists of nothing but new releases.

I sincerely hope everyone enjoyed their holiday season, and that 2022 turns out to be a magical year for you all!

I would love it if every listener bought at least one record I played on either of these shows. These great artists deserve to be compensated for their hard work, and every purchase surely helps not only pay their bills but fund their next set of wonderful songs. And if you buy these records directly from the artist or label, please let them know you heard these tunes on The Ledge! Let them know who is giving them promotion! You can find this show at almost any podcast site, including iTunes and Stitcher...or

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE SHOW!

Here's the tracklist of the entire show, beginning with a countdown of tunes from the 20 best reissues, box sets, and tribute records of 2021:

20. The Beatles, Don’t Let Me Down (First Rooftop Performance)

19. The Rolling Stones, Fiji Jim

18. The Jacks, (You're) so Wrong

17. The Dogmatics, Sister Serena

16. Green Day, 2000 Light Years Away

15. Sex Pistols, Anarchy In The UK

14. Neil Young, Helpless

13. PJ Harvey, The Life And Death Of Mr. Badmouth (Demo)

12. Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Walls (No. 3)

11. Swell Maps, One of the Crowd

10. Elvis Costello & The Attractions, Pump It Up (feat. Juanes)

9. Bob Dylan, Blind Willie McTell (Take 5 - Infidels Outtake)

8. The Pretty Things, L.S.D. (Saturday Club Presented by Brian Matthew, May 1966)

7. The Pretenders, The Wait (BBC Live Session)

6. Kurt Vile, Run Run Run

5. Richard Hell & The Voidoids, The Kid with the Replaceable Head

4. Gang of Four, Damaged Goods

3. John Lennon, God (Take 42 / Raw Studio Mix)

2. The Replacements, Raised in the City (Studio Demo)

1. George Harrison, All Things Must Pass - Day 1 Demo

And now tracks from my countdown of the best albums of 2021:

40. Indonesian Junk, One More Try

39. Neil Young & Crazy Horse, Human Race

38. Beebe Gallini, Little Sister

37. Colleen Green, Highway

36. The Hold Steady, Spices

35. Dry Cleaning, Unsmart Lady

34. Lord Huron, Mine Forever

33. Dinosaur Jr., I Met The Stones

32. Juliana Hatfield, Gorgon

31. Nick Cave & Warren Ellis, Old Time

30. Mountain Movers, I Wanna See The Sun

29. Guided By Voices, High in the Rain

28. The William Loveday Intention, They Wanted the Devil But I Sang of God

27. Michael Beach, Curtain Of Night

26. Acid Dad, She Only Eats Organic

25. Gentleman Jesse, Become Nothing

24. Split Single, 95 Percent

23. Blunt Bangs, She's Gone

22. Ty Segall, Pictures

21. Shannon & the Clams, Year Of The Spider

20. The Courettes, I Can Hardly Wait

19. The Umbrellas, Lonely

18. Geoff Palmer, What Would Paul Westerberg Do?

17. Brad Marino, Local Show

16. Chime School, Fixing Motorcycles

15. Scientists, Moth Eaten Velvet

14. CTMF, Where the Wild Purple Iris Grows

13. Courtney Barnett, Take It Day By Day

12. IDLES, The Beachland Ballroom

11. The Blips, Throw Me Around

10. Parquet Courts, Walking At A Downtown Pace

9. Viagra Boys, Ain't Nice

8. Aaron Lee Tasjan, Sunday Women

7. Night Beats, Stuck In The Morning

6. John Murry, The Stars Are God's Bullet Holes

5. Amyl and The Sniffers, No More Tears

4. Jeremy Porter and The Tucos, Dead Ringer

3. The Exbats, Ghost In The Record Store

2. Kiwi jr., Undecided Voters

1. The Shadracks, Don't Let Go

And, finally, another two hours of great 2021 singles, EP's and albums that barely missed the countdown:

1. Watts, Queens

2. Dany Laj And The Looks, You And Me

3. French Girls, Independent Woman

4. The Shang Hi Los, Skipping Records

5. Lydia Loveless, Let's Make Out

6. Liz Phair, Bad Kitty

7. The Ex-Bombers, Beat Heart Beat

8. Pearl Harbour, Trouble

9. Hayley and the Crushers, Jacaranda

10. Tommy And The Rockets, Listen to the Heartbeat

11. Psychotic Youth, Talk to Loretta

12. The Queers, Valleri

13. K7's, Censorshit

14. Lars Frederiksen, Tomorrows Girls

15. Independent Country, Left Of The Dial

16. Civic, As Seen On TV

17. Berlin Blackouts, Make Punk Rock Great Again

18. Chubby and the Gang, I Hate The Radio

19. Killer Hearts, Do Your Thing

20. Liquids, Dont Wanna Get to Know You

21. Local Drags, Give A Shit Anyway

22. Vista Blue, Stealing Signs

23. Tommy Ray, Beer Wine & Whiskey

24. The Routes, Broken Goods

25. The Peacers, Ghost of a Motherfucker

26. Low Rats, Taxi Driver/Brand New Cadillac

27. New Rocket Union, Out of Mind

28. Friends Of Cesar Romero, The Lonely Popular Girl

29. Teenage Bottlerocket, You're Never Going out of Style

30. RMBLR, Machine Gun!!

31. Hard-Ons, Fucked up Party

32. Apollo 66, Fly Trap

33. Dan Israel, Pandemic Blues

0 notes

nerdmars · 7 years ago

Link

Bruno Mars’ many Grammy wins for 24K Magic was more than just a victory for the musician. It’s a victory for R&B music as a whole. The Grammy for R&B Album of the Year has often been completely segregated from the major awards. (Frequent nominees and winners include people like John Legend, Mary J. Blige, Boyz II Men and Alicia Keys.)

Winning the R&B Album of the Year Grammy rarely leads to walking up to the stage at the end of the night for the big prize — or even being nominated for it. Lauryn Hill pulled it off for The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill back in 1999. And it hasn’t happened since — until Bruno Mars’ 24K Magic brought home both awards among several others.

Does this mean the Academy now respects Black music and is recognizing its’ worth? That remains to be seen. It can be seen as a start.

Bruno Mars is doing his part to bring light to the musicians that have been an influence on pop music for decades. While collecting his Album of The Year Grammy, he gave a heart-warming speech, dedicating his award to Babyface, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis and Teddy Riley. He put it plain: “This album wouldn’t exist if it wasn’t for these guys.”

With a monstrous record like this, there’s plenty you probably don’t know. Here are 24 things you didn’t know about 24K Magic.

To get started, here’s a good one: winning Record, Song and Album of the Year in one night gives a musician entry into a very small group of musicians like Simon and Garfunkel, Norah Jones and Adele. (Even Michael Jackson doesn’t belong!) 24K Magic achieved this incredible feat and Bruno is the 10th artist to hold the big three.

Here’s more…

(1) 24k Magic was born in a top-secret and, well, magical spot. Unlike most albums, 24K Magic was recorded entirely in one studio. The Glenwood Recording Studio in Burbank, California, has hosted everyone from the Black Eyed Peas to Britney Spears. But don’t look for information anywhere. Even the website has only a phone number.

(2) Yet, 24K Magic was almost not born at all. After the success of "Uptown Funk" and Bruno’s not one but two Super Bowl appearances, the singer spoke about having writer's block and not being satisfied with a lot of the early songs he recorded.

(3) Shampoo Press & Curl is part of the formula for the worldwide success of 24K Magic. The production group, originally known as The Smeezingtons, initially wrote and recorded for other artists while Bruno was still developing as a solo artist. They are credited on just about every track.

(4) 24K Magic won the big three at The 2018 Grammys but the album also scooped one of the obscure awards. In the non-televised ceremony held earlier in the afternoon, the album won for Best Engineered Album, non Classical. Tom Coyne, the master engineer on the project, passed away last year, so Bruno made sure his wife was on stage to collect the award on his behalf.

(5) Many of the songs on 24K Magic were recorded live. Not in front of an audience but performed live with instruments in the studio. The standard these days is recording in parts and then using Pro Tools. That’s if instruments are used at all. Most artists who use live music save it for the tour.

(6) The entire album is pretty short as music goes. 24K Magic clocks in at just a bit over 33 minutes. A piece of music must be at least 30 minutes in order to be considered an album and not an EP.

(7) The artwork for the album comes courtesy of Greg Gigendad Burke. Known for his innovative work with artists like Jay-Z, T.I. and Wiz Khalifa, Burke often does both artwork and design for album covers. For this album, Bruno did the art direction himself.

(8) Bruno is clearly loyal. The Stereotypes, a Los Angeles-based production team, has been in the game for over a decade. After years of hits and misses, they reconnected with Bruno. 24K Magic was already done but Mars still invited them into the studio and ended up creating “Finesse.” That late addition made the album — and became history.

(9) Outside of the remix of "Finesse" with Cardi B, there are no features on the album. It’s a rarity in this era to skip the tradition of plumping up an album with guest rappers or vocal duets for a varied audience and sound. Bruno decided to keep it simple — even though he’s known to pump up music for other artists.

(10) Bruno’s got nothing against remixes though! Official remixes for "That’s What I Like" include tracks with Gucci Mane and Party Next Door.

(11) Last year Beyoncé appeared at a Bruno Mars show with gold hoops spelling out CHUNKY, a song from Bruno’s album. The whispers started immediately. Would there be a collaboration perhaps? And then, eagle-eared listeners began insisting that Beyoncé is singing backgrounds on the song. Does it sound like it could be her? Maybe. Is that likely? No. However, there are no background vocalists credited on the song…

(12) Bruno Mars fully credits New Jack Swing pioneers like Teddy Riley and Babyface for his new work. Just in case you don’t know what New Jack Swing means: in the late '80s and '90s, a particular form of pop music borrowing heavily from hip-hop and R&B was born with acts like Bobby Brown and Guy. The name comes from early ‘80s hip-hop slang for a newcomer.

(13) The opening lines from "24K Magic"? That’s Mr. Talk Box, a musician known for his work in gospel music. And because his portion of "24K Magic" was sampled on Kendrick Lamar’s "Loyalty," the musician contributed to more than one 2017 megahit.

(14) Bruno’s album helped Cardi B. achieve yet another chart success. With “Finesse,” she becomes only the third person in history — and the first woman — to have five singles on the Top 10 at the same time.

(15) The funk that led to "Chunky" comes courtesy of Charlie Wilson and The Gap Band. One of Bruno Mars’ producing partners told him about a party he went to where everyone played the wall and stayed on their cellphones — until the DJ played "Outstanding" by The Gap Band. Bruno says hearing that inspired him to write "Chunky."

(16) There’s a wink-and-nod lyrical homage to R. Kelly’s "Seems Like You’re Ready." If you don’t know the 1993 song, you might miss it. But he literally croons out the line on his ballad "Versace on the Floor."

(17) A quick run-down on all of the hair-related terminology Bruno spits on “Perm”: He tells a woman to relax (which is another word for perm). He mentions sheen (usually used in aerosol form). There’s a tribute to pat-pat-patting your weave. And he urges us to “activate” the sexy, as in activator used for '80s-era curly hairstyles.

(18) If you’re one of the few people on earth who haven’t heard the album in its entirety, here’s a random factoid: Yes, that’s Halle Berry in a voicemail recording in the middle of the song “Calling All My Lovelies.”

(19) While working with Babyface, a song Bruno never finished began to play. Babyface said he needed to finish it that day. The song became the tearjerker “Too Good To Say Goodbye.”

(20) Music lovers began hyperventilating when photos surfaced of Missy Elliott and Bruno Mars in the studio together. Alas, they were “just hanging out.” Maybe next time.

(21) Bruno is known for keeping things old school when he’s recording. When it was time for him to allow journalists to listen to the album before release, the album was loaded on one iPod stored in a safe at his record label offices.

(22) While Bruno admits that he was nervous when he started recording, he personally put himself against his own biggest work. The title track for 24K Magic was recorded while "Uptown Funk" was still No. 1 on the charts.

(23) Ever the perfectionist, Bruno will tweak a song until he’s 100 percent happy with it. Case in point: his latest single "Finesse" had over 20 different versions.

(24) And speaking of perfectionism, the power ballad "Versace on the Floor" was completely done. Then Bruno listened and felt like he didn’t get it right vocally. He actually ended up writing the song over completely.

(25) Did you stream this album? It’s all good. But Bruno kind of wishes you had it on CD. He designed and wrote all of the inserts for the physical project and then realized that the idea of holding and reading liner notes may soon be a distant memory. He worked really hard on designing the fonts for the song titles. (No, really.)

Written by Alisa S. King

#Bruno mars #article #BET #24kmagic

12 notes · View notes

thecrookedgavel · 4 years ago

Text

The Crooked Gavel - Ep 1 Transcript

Here is the transcript for Episode 1 of the queer audio drama - The Crooked Gavel.

Audio of the episodes can be found here

Episode 1 Transcript

Credits Voice: You are listening to episode 1 of The Crooked Gavel: A 1920’s tale of court drama and lesbian romance, produced by Crooked Gavel Productions. This episode contains a scene of sexual assault, please look after yourself while listening.

Alice: I need an Earl Grey tea with just a bit of milk. It’s for Miss Paprika over at table 7, so make sure it’s cooled off a bit before I take it over to her!

Harry: Thank you, Alice. One noodle juice with a splash, less of a quilt and more of a bedsheet, on the way.

Alice: So as I was saying, my Daddy’s doing just fine, thanks for asking. He’s still working hard as headmaster and loving it. He did say he’s missing having you around in his last letter though, if that’s what you were wondering about.

Harry: *laughs* well if I’ve got to be honest, I was wondering just that. Some days, I miss teaching those little Joe Brooks, but making java and beating my gums with other intellectuals is the place to be. *sigh* Last time your father was here from Texas, we saw a Yankees game together. Say, did you listen to this week’s game? Hot dawg, I tell you, it had me jumping!

Alice: Oh no, Mr. Tarragon. I don’t much care for baseball. Never really interested me at all. The way you men drone on and on about it… Why, I am likely to be bored to tears.

Harry: Oh, come now, in my experience, everyone loves baseball. Even the ladies!

Alice: Only when they’re trying to impress a big timer.

Harry: In that case, you’d do well to learn a bit about baseball to aid you in your search for a husband.

Alice: Oh, Mr Tarragon, I’m not exactly husband hunting at the moment.

Harry: Really? Then what are you here in Brooklyn looking for? And please, give me a straight answer this time.

Alice: Well, inspiration. Direction. Belonging. Living in Texas just wasn’t for me. I found big city life to be very appealing. I’m sure you know the feeling.

Harry: You got me there. It took me a while to find where I fit in. But running The Crooked Gavel seems to suit me just fine. I do hope you find what you’re looking for. Order up!

Alice: Thank you Mr Tarragon, I think that I will.

---

Alice: Here’s your tea, Miss Paprika

Lillian: Thank you very much, young lady. *takes a sip* The tea is lovely, just the right temperature for me to start drinking. And I didn’t even have to ask this time!

Alice: You’re quite welcome. How’s your nephew doing, by the way?

Lillian: He’s doing wonderfully! Mathew’s started to get a lot of cases, possibly more than he has time for. But he just can’t say no to someone in need, I can tell you that.

Alice: I’m glad to hear that being a prosecutor has started to bear fruit. Speaking of, would you like me to bring you an apple to your table?

Lillian: Oh no, thank you. I’ll be leaving shortly after I finish my tea. I’m meeting Matthew outside as soon as he finishes up his paperwork for the afternoon. The boy has quite the gift for it, I’m told. This coffee house is so close to the courthouse, it just makes sense to drop in and see you! We’ll be taking a walk as soon as he gets here, since it’s such a lovely September afternoon.

Alice: Sure beats the storm last week. It started raining pitchforks so suddenly that I was caught walking home without an umbrella. Let me tell you, by the time I got home again, I looked like a cat that had a whole bathtub full of water dumped on her. Positively dreadful.

Lillian: *laughs heartily* That’s hard to imagine, given you look like the cat’s meow today! My dear, if only I were a few years younger.

Alice: Or if I were a few years older.

Lillian: *chuckle* if only… Anyways, my dear, here’s what I owe you for the tea. And don’t worry, you can keep the change.

Alice: Why thank you very much, miss Paprika. I do hope you have a lovely walk outside and an even lovelier day.

Lillian: Thank you, Alice. Good day to you, too.

---

Alice: I’m back!

Harry: You seem full of energy all of a sudden. Well, more so than usual.

Alice: I am indeed, and not because miss Paprika gave such a generous tip. She’s simply a pleasure to talk to. By the way, she said her tea was the perfect temperature for drinking.

Harry: Oh, Glad to hear, though you were the one who reminded me to let it cool. You have such a mind for people. I don’t know how you do it.

Alice: That’s very kind of you to say, Mr Tarragon. Why, I don’t think anything can ruin my mood right now!

*Door with bell opens*

Alice: Aww, shoot. I guess I spoke too soon. Well if it isn’t --

Harry: Judge Cayenne, always a pleasure to see the old egg

Alice: More like a bad egg. I know how he talks to you! You ought to hear how he talks to the rest of the staff. One time that high hat broke Betty’s poor heart down to tears. And she’s a regular bearcat!

Harry: John? What a bunch of malarkey! He is a pillar of our community… Why, he --- Well… To be honest, I have been hearing some rather nasty rumours about him lately

Alice: Yes? Do tell.

Harry: Let’s just say that if chin music is to be believed, that old bird makes the Crooked Gavel look straight. They all stem from the man he walked in with, Frank Saffron. That’s Cayenne’s assistant. He’s known to keep track of some rather dirty laundry. Mix in the fact that he’s so deep in the judge’s pocket, that he might as well be a couple of clams, and you’ve got yourself some moonshine that’ll put you straight in your coffin.

Alice: Now that sounds more like the fella I know

Harry: Both looking over here like they know what they want. *pause* That’s your cue, Alice.

Alice: Ooooh, but Mr Tarragon… Mr Cayenne makes me feel so uncomfortable. The way he talks down to me… it’s detestable. Couldn’t you serve him instead?

Harry: *sigh* Alice, I’m not paying you to be comfortable, I’m paying you to serve customers. He’s a customer, so serve him.

Alice: Oh, alright. I’m going, I’m going.

---

Alice: Welcome to the Crooked Gavel. My name is Alice, and I will be serving you today. Is there anything I can get for you?

Cayenne: Finally, we have been waiting for ages! You really know how to put the ‘wait’ in ‘wait staff’

Frank: *laughs a little too loudly* That’s a good one! You slay me, your honor.

Alice: Now that’s a load of hooey! You’ve not been here two whole minutes and yet you’re complaining. Now tell me, sir, did you bite into a lemon while I wasn’t looking, or is that face of yours just natural?

Cayenne: Buh - How dare you, you little trollop! You have just confirmed in my mind that you are disrespectful, vapid, and difficult to get along with

Alice: Well, for a judge, you don’t seem to be a very good judge of character

Frank: Oh yeah? Says who? Alice: Says everyone I’ve met with today. They all seemed to think very highly of me. Meanwhile, Mr Cayenne, you seem ill-tempered, antiquated, and like you’d be the wet blanket at a party.

Cayenne: *growl* You are living proof that women are best seen and not heard

Alice: As opposed to you, who is best not seen at all

Frank: *whispers* Wow, she sure got you good

Cayenne: *whispers* Silence… *normal tone* We would like to start with two espressos, mine with milk, his with sugar. Make sure his is cooled, and mine is hot

Alice: One test of my patience, coming right up

---

Cayenne: Though I usually prefer to be served by a woman for what I think to be… Obvious reasons…. It really can be quite taxing to have to actually speak with them

Frank: And how! You certainly have a way with words, your honor.

Cayenne: Thank you, old boy. That’s very kind of you. But that’s enough about her, let’s get down to business. Any changes to the monthly… donations to the John Cayenne fund?

Frank: Let me take a look. Hmmm… Everything seems to be in order…. Ah yes, it looks like the Mace brothers have missed their payment for the second month in a row.

Cayenne: Well... won’t they be surprised the next time either of them ends up in court. And exactly how much… creative accounting were you able to pull off this time?

Frank: This month I was able to get you 12 percent off the top.

Cayenne: *laughs* Attaboy, Frank. Excellent work, as always. You really are my right hand man, you know.

Frank: Aww shucks. It was nothing, your honor, really.

Cayenne: The only thing that would make this day better is to teach that flippant waitress a lesson. Wait, *chuckles* I have an idea that will put our little miss in her place...

---

Alice: Here are your drinks, made just the way you asked

Cayenne: Here, let me take them from you

Alice: No need to --- Woaaah! *Crash*

Alice: Now why’d you have to go and do a thing like that? You know I’m perfectly capable of placing drinks on a table myself!

Cayenne: Oh, sorry, sorry. How completely foolish of me. I don’t know what came over me.

Alice: You better be sorry, now I have to stoop down and clean this mess up all by myself

Cayenne: Yes, I suppose you will

*Slap*

Alice: *Gasp* Now would you kindly remove your hand from my backside, please? I-I-I find that wildly inappropriate… Your honor

Cayenne: Inappropriate? But you were the one who bent down in front of me. Wearing that dress… Wearing those heels. Why, you were simply asking for it.

Alice: I did not ask for you to… *gulp* try and woo me in that manner. I-I-I was simply doing my job

Frank: Your honour, don’t you think---

Cayenne: ubp, ubp, ubp! Woo you? Ha! Don’t flatter yourself thinking I was trying to woo you, sweetheart. You’re not even that good looking of a girl!

Alice: Well… Well then, why would you ---?

Harry: Alice, could you come over here a minute? Now?

---

Harry: For crying out loud, Alice! Not only have you wasted a perfectly good set of espressos, but you’ve painted a customer’s suit with them! And not just any customer, I might add, but John Cayenne? He could shut the place down if he wanted to. What is the matter with you?

Alice: Please, Mr. Tarragon, you have to listen to me. None of this was my fault. He… That prune pit... Tipped over my hands on purpose! And worse, he did it so he could… So he could paw at me. I don’t feel so good. My knees feel so weak. And my head…

Harry: Oh here, why don’t you have a seat? *chair moving*

Alice: Thank you… I can’t believe this has happened to me. You hear stories like these all the time, but I never thought it would happen to me. This just can’t be happening.

Harry: Oh, Alice. I can see how this would be awful for you. But you have to look on the bright side. He didn’t hurt you, or steal something of yours. No real crime was committed here today

Alice: No, that was definitely a crime, I know it must be. This whole thing has made me feel more terrible than I ever have in my life!

Harry: I understand, but there’s nothing left to be done. You’ll feel better in no time! I’ll give you a few minutes to compose yourself

Alice: I think I’m going to need more than a few minutes, Mr Tarragon. And there is so something that can be done! He can be pinched and shoved into a jail cell for what he did.

Harry: You can’t be suggesting that -

Alice: Yes I am, indeed. I’m going to take him to court. And you’re going to be my witness

Harry: Oh, no, that I cannot do. With the kind of pull that man has in the legal community, one word and there’d be a boycott on this establishment from every lawyer, aide, and clerk in Brooklyn. That’s more than half our regular clientele!

Alice: Please, that awful man needs to be taken off the streets. You said yourself that he’s not on the level. He deserves to rot in jail for touching me like that.

Harry: I’m sorry Alice, but I… I didn’t see it happen. I can’t help you.

Alice: Baloney! With all the commotion, the entire BLOCK must have looked over.

Harry: I was already fixing up some java to replace the order that you… Well, he… dropped. Even if I had seen, I’d be out of a job if I spoke up. You’d be out of a job too.

Alice: I’m going to be out of a job this instant if you don’t pledge to help me!

Harry: Alice… Please don’t do this. I already said I can’t help you. Think of your future, think of your father, what would he say?

Alice: My father would support me no matter what. I’m sorry that you don’t share the same conviction. This is goodbye, Mr. Tarragon.

Harry: Alright, alright, I’ll tell you what. I’ll give you two months pay to hold you over until you find another job. Just don’t come back here expecting a place at the Gavel when your kale goes sour.

Alice: *Pause* Thank you Mr Tarragon. You’ve always been very kind to me. I will remember that.

Harry: I can see it in your eyes that you’ll see this court idea of yours through to the end. Go on now, I’ll clean up this mess myself. You go along home and get some rest.

Alice: Then, this is not goodbye. Only farewell. I do hope to see you again soon, only next time with justice by my side.

Harry: *Chuckles* Farewell then, Alice.

---

Alice: Mr Cayenne, a pleasure to see you, as always. Next time I see you, it’ll be in court!

Cayenne: Seeing as I have a career as a Judge, that is indeed a place you’d expect to see me

*Door with bell closes*

---

Credits Voice Thank you for listening to episode 1 of The Crooked Gavel! Follow us on Twitter @TheCrookedGavel for updates and discussions of this and other queer projects. This episode’s cast in order of appearance:

Katte Noel as Alice Cinnamon

Nicholas Alain as Harry Tarragon

Kaidan Cormier as Lillian Paprika

An Capuano as Frank Saffron

Michael Hope as John Cayenne

And An Capuano as the credits voice

Directed by - An Capuano

Produced by - An Capuano

Written by - An Capuano

Copy Editing by - Sharon van Wyngaarden

Casting by - An Capuano

Sound Design by - An Capuano and BA Nemo

Logo Artist - McKenna Pipher

Audio Editing by - An Capuano

Audio Mastering by - An Capuano

Music by - Kevin MacLeod

Music used in this episode is attributed in the description.

#Queer #Lesbian #Drama #voice acting

0 notes

sapphireskys · 7 years ago

Text

TLJ SPOILERS (my review!!)

OK SO I JUST WATCHED IT AND WOOOOW

1. REY AND BEN. yeah that's all. It's says enough on its own lmao

2. That uhhh... Milk scene.... Was the weirdest shit I've ever seen lmao

3. THE HUT SCENE!!! I just... It was so beautiful, and how he took off his glove, which was just so telling of... Well, him being himself, him being vulnerable. He wasn't hiding behind a mask to Rey, no, he was being himself, and that's just so beautiful

4. Also lmao at Rey being like PUT SOME CLOTHES ON and Ben just straight up ignores her lmao

5. Luke was perfect. And well... The way he went, it was just so fitting tbh. Well done

6. OK but at that part where Luke dusts his shoulder after getting blasted at the whole goddamn cinema started clapping like honestly I suddenly love my people lmao

7. They did this again when it was revealed Luke was actually just sitting on a rock lmao and yes same tbh

8. I?? Love?? Amilyn Holdo?? So?? Much??? Honestly I was so sad when... You know...

9. Poe got character development and I'm so happy lol

10. Finn and Rose. Again no words needed. Perfection

11. Shout-out to Paige Tico for making me attached to her in like the first 5 minutes lmao

12. Rose

13. That scene where Poe hugs BB8 like??? So beautiful

14. Honestly DJ I trusted you (almost)

15. BB8

16. OK but that scene where Leia just straight up majestically floats through space like an actual goddamn princess lmao like honestly that's so Leia

17. THE PRAETORIAN GUARD FIGHT

18. Snoke's death should be in those "Oddly Satisfying" videos like honestly I never knew such sadistic glee till his pieces scattered lmao

19. OK but Snoke's death being so anticlimactic was honestly just... Really poetic. It showed that no matter how strong you are, how much control you think you have, you don't. I mean I could probably phrase this better but it's late and my thoughts are scrambled lol

20. Again I love how Rey and Ben were, but what I lived the most is that when Ben, during that one moment, reverted back to Kylo (the mask) she rejected him, because he honestly needs to fix himself, and he can't do that if she goes with him

21. Luke and Leia's scene killed me. Yes, I am indeed a ghost writing this long ass review lol

22. Also Snoke is an ass. That is all. He's an ass.

23. But seriously that moment where they were all in the throne room and he just decided to manipulate Rey and Ben both by saying their bond was his doing, making them feel as though it shouldn't exist, that it was a perverse lie, BUT THEN IN THE END YOU SEE IT STILL EXISTS DESPITE SNOKE'S DEATH LIKE AAAAAHH

24. Luke's death was, once again, beautiful. It was like Yoda's, in a way, and he just accepted that his part was played. He had no role in any of this anymore. He had fulfilled his purpose, and was able to die in peace. Hence "Peace and Purpose"

25. Also I love that Ben wasn't the one who killed him.

26. OK but honestly Luke really messed up with Ben. I mean he tried to kill a child in his sleep. And then what Luke said "I saw the eyes of a child betrayed by his master" or something like that

27. Anyway the porgs were cuter than I thought they'd be, BUT THE CRYSTAL FOXES THO

28. AND THE FATHIERS

29. And that ending! Rey's disappointed face as she looked at Ben and closed the door, and Ben's sad face, as the dice disappeared, symbolizing that he could not escape his past (I think)

30. OK BUT now that Rey's saber is broken, DOES THAT MEAN SHE REBUILDS IT AND IT'S CRACKLY??? I MEAN NICE

31. The while movie in general. Enough said lol. I mean it was so great that my sister (who hasn't seen star wars and only knew the base outline of the movie that I literally told her today) loved it, and was sad when certain characters died (not you Snoke) and I'm like highkey sure she's trying to chill and appear calm regarding Rey and Ben lol

32. also I forgot this but when Luke showed up in the hut during the Hut Scene™ and exploded it I could literally feel everyone thinking "oh shit Luke what the hell NO srsly bro don't no wonder Ben hates you" and honestly I agree 100 percent lmao

33. Oh and I love the recurring thing that Ben says ie "Say it" because it shows not only that Rey's lying to herself, but also that Ben is too, only he's unable to see the good as Rey is the bad, and I just really love this parallel

34. Anyway since it's obvious that if Ben dies Rey will too (raw powah + 2 halves + Force Bond?? Duh) so either they're gonna pull a Romeo and Juliet in 9 (pls no) or they're gonna inverse Anidala and have Ben make comments on sand (lol)

35. ALSO "Join me and we'll rule the galaxy together!" "Anakin, please, you're going down a path I can't follow!"... Ring any bells? THAT'S RIGHT "Join me Rey, together we will rule the galaxy (or something idk)" "Please, Ben, don't do this. Don't go this way. (or something)"

36. ALSO I sense a pattern with Ben, he's inversing Anakin, 7 was the Vader stage, 8 was ep.3 stage (see above), AND 9 WILL (hopefully) BE THE EP.2 STAGE (get ready for Extra as hell Emperor Ben floating pears and making commentary about sand lmao)

37. I was joking about the sand and pears.

38. Also Yoda appeared and was Classic Yoda as always lmao

Anyway I wanna know Rian's ao3 account because honestly I'd read everything there lol

#tlj spoilers #spoilers #Reylo #Honestly I'd tag this more but I'd like don't feel like it lol #Also anyway I had my heart broken them patched up with scotch tape #Or whatever that weak papery tape is called lmao #I'm like sad because DUH but also sorta happy and hopeful because as I see it there's gonna be a happy ending in 9 #Bcuz if Ben dies then so do Leia and Rey #And that'd be a disservice to Leia #Killing her offscreen lmao #She'd go out in style lol #Despite it all #She is a Skywalker lmao

4 notes · View notes

docholligay · 7 years ago

Text

Jetty Jetty Wolf Wolf’s Birthday Weekend Extravaganza

Hello, this is your local Holligay. As we all know, I hate Jet. I hate with a passion and intensity that could move mountains. Jet has always given me the gift of her intense hatred for my birthday (This year, by freeing Michiru from her cardboard prison,) but I never reciprocated, either because I am a shitty friend, or I work, or both.

ANYWAY THIS LONG WEEKEND IS ALL FOR HER BIRTHDAY

What will the schedule for that look like, you may ask? LET’S WATCH.

Friday, September 1st:

FIC DAY. I will be writing fics and ficlets, all tailored to Jet’s disgusting personal desires. Highlights include:

INNERS FRIENDSHIP

PHARAH TRYING TO EMOTION ABOUT FRIENDSHIP???

OUR PATHFINDER CHARACTERS ON A MAGICAL ADVENTURE

POTENTIALLY MANY MORE

AND LIKE ZERO PERCENT ROMANCE

(If I get lost, i’ll just kill Rei)

I will be writing from 10 am my time to 2:30 my time, then 6:00ish my time to 9 or so.

Saturday, September 2nd:

LIVEBLOGGING FOR JET. From 10 am my time to 5:30 pm my time, with only a brief jaunt to shove something in my face.

PLEASE SEE BELOW FOR THE ORDER OF LIVEBLOGS UNDER THE CUT

Sunday, September 3rd:

GAMING LIVESTREAM

Telltale Games’ The Walking Dead. Which I have never heard of outside I know it is a TV show, let alone know anything about it. JET ASSURES ME I AM IN FOR A WILD RIDE. I have never seen the TV show either, so I really know nothing about anything. I am told the story is very choices based, and that the gameplay is mostly about driving the story, SO I’M IN.

Getting started at about 10, short break for lunch, going till about 5:00

Monday, September 4th:

LIVEBLOG 2: ELECTRIC BOOGALOO

Same as Saturday, including the approximate times. I WILL FREAK OUT ABOUT JET’S PICKS YET ANOTHER DAY

I HOPE YOU JOIN ME IN FETEING JET AND I AM INTERESTED TO HEAR YOUR THOUGHTS ON ANY OF THIS

In keeping with Jet’s base and disgusting desires, I will be keeping meticulous tags of each day. Tag for the whole thing is #celebrate a jet wolf

What I am liveblogging, in the order I’ll be getting to it, AND what I know about it, under the cut:

Cagney & Lacey, S6 Ep 20 "Happiness is a Warm Gun"

I’ve been told she’s basically interested in this for one scene.

I have never seen Cagney and Lacey! I know it is a cop show that older lesbians all scream about loving, and that’s the extent of my knowledge. Apparently the fact that I have zero percent context for literally anything that is going on is the allure.

Neon Genesis Evangelion, Ep 25 "A World That's Ending"

I know three things about NGE:

. CONGRATULATIONS (I have no context for this other than I guess they were trying to find a stupider ending to a show than “naked protagonist wields a baby-sword and forgives a mass murdering fuckhead because she felt real bad about it. Also, her friends were there.)

. SHINJI GET IN THE ROBOT

Cruel Angel’s Thesis

Absent that, I have nothing. And I’ve been told I may, NAY AM ENCOURAGED TO savage the fuck out of everything going on onscreen. This ought to be great.

The Facts of Life, S4 Ep 13 "Magnificent Obsession"

A SHOW I HAVE SEEN. I watched a lot of The Facts of Life on Nick at Nite when i was like...12? Anyway, I am a big believer in Jo/Blair because please I am butch/femme class romance trash, and you don’t even have to look at that shit sideways to get there.

Jet said this really formalated her love of complicated friendships, because I can’t remember this episode at all. Because of this and the fact that she said I am allowed to “Holligay the fuck out of it” I assume ti about Jo and Blair, so look forward to me trying not to scream “LET THEM KISS YOU COWARDS” at the screen and utterly, utterly fail

JEM, S1 Ep 16 "The Rock Fashion Book"

I literally only know of JEM from watching Jet’s liveblogs of it. I know it is about rock girls who live together and fight crime I guess? I know they are truly outrageous, as I imagine I will find this show.

Rei and Usagi: The Most Beloved of Friendships: A Retrospective Filled With Adoration And Sincerity

Earlier, i was allowed to be my own person with my own unique and complex views on the world. Those times are over. Those times are dead. Jet’s city now. I have to do the Rei and Usagi bits of these episodes, giving them my full BROTP eye. This is where I live now. This is where my entire heart is. Mina and Haruka? Never heard of the bitches. All is Rei and Usagi and their deep and abiding friendship. These episodes are:

011 - Usagi vs. Rei! A Nightmare in Dreamland

090 - Premonition of World's End! Mysterious New Warriors

171 - For Love! An Endless Fight in Hell (okay this one is actually for the Rei and Michiru part)

194 - Holy War in the Galaxy, The Sailor Wars Legend

196 - Countdown to the Galaxy's Destruction! The Sailor Senshi's Final Battle

Bubblegum Crisis Ep 5 "Moonlight Rambler"

I only know the Bubblegum Crisis is an anime that exists! I know both Mike and Jet love it, so I’m interested to see how it goes.

American Horror Story Ep 7 "I Am Anne Frank, pt 2"

HNNNNRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR THIS IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE EPISODES OF ONE OF MY FAVORITE SHOWS OF ALL TIME. GOD I LOVED ASYLUM, and this episode is so good, and the squirrel monologue is one of the most effective pieces of writing and acting I have ever borne witness to AND SHE KNOWS I WILL TRY TO GET THROUGH EVERYTHING ELSE TO GET TO THIS.

The Twilight Zone S1 Ep 5, "Walking Distance"

.She actually picked this episode off a list I’d made for her to do someday, and it is one of my favorite episodes of TZ of all time, which is a show I know SO FUCKING WELL FRIENDS. It was the first complete series I ever bought, and shaped a lot of how I think about writing. This episode is such a great story, and it’s so interesting to put it in mind with what was being put out for TV back then. TZ IS SUCH AN AMAZING SHOW

#celebrate a jet wolf

33 notes · View notes

gillianthecat · 2 years ago

Text

💙Cake💙 💙See-eiw💙

I have many vague analytical thoughts about this episode in the back of my mind. But I just love these two boys so much I want to dwell in the tenderness right now instead of analyzing.

#cake x eiw #my only 12 percent ep 7 #my only 12%#my only 12 percent #cake x see-eiw #gillianthecat reacts to bl #reaction by gillianthecat

3 notes · View notes

monikakrasnorada · 8 years ago

Text

This was my fault.

Since S4 aired, I’ve had Mycroft on the brain. I’m not sure why but there has been something about him and his role in the wonkiness of the series that I can’t shake. I’ve made some passing, rather rambly remarks about him in the past few months, but hadn’t taken the time to go back and watch to really see if I was perhaps onto something. I’m still not certain I am, but by re-watching and paying close attention, it feels as if my misgivings about him and his part in it all may not have been unfounded.

Naive as it is to admit, I was- all the way up to the airing of T6T- staunchly in the pro-Mycroft / over-protective big brother / means well / isn’t a baddie camp. Wellllll, yeah. I’m not so sure of that reading any longer. Something’s rotten in Denmark and I think that something occupies a minor position in the British government. This is my incoherent attempt to work through some of what is bothering me about Mycroft and hope that by the end, something of it all makes a bit of sense.

*I’m sure a lot of this has been brought up / discussed before by many others. This is in no way an attempt to claim these ideas as my own. Just trying to work through the thoughts as they come. Apologies in advance.*

Loads of pics and rambling word-vomit below the cut.

Mycroft

Living in a world of goldfish can’t be easy for the arch enemy of Sherlock Holmes.

I love Mycroft. I’ve been a staunch advocate of his since the beginning. Naively touting that he really does have Sherlock’s best interests at heart. That his machinations couldn’t possibly be nefarious. Just a meddling, overbearing, too-deeply invested big brother that wants to be the hero of his baby bro. I still believe that to some degree. I don’t know why? I just can’t find it in my heart to accept he knowingly / wittingly played Moriarty’s game. Or, worse yet- that the game was all him and Moriarty happened to be a pawn as well.

I think a lot of my misgivings and willingness to excuse Mycroft’s actions up until now had a bit of a personal aspect for me. I have the kind of older brother that would (and has) done terrible awful things to me in order to make himself look good or to win the attention of other memebers of the family and make it a me vs him sort of deal. That’s not fun. It’s super harmful and I just wasn’t willing to accept the show I loved as my ‘get away’ from the nastiness that can be rl, would be the show that could kind of (if I squint my eyes just right) resemble a bit of my own family dynamic.

But, I digress.

What was his fault?

MYCROFT: This was my fault

SHERLOCK: This had nothing to do with you.

MYCROFT: A week in a prison cell and I should have realised.

SHERLOCK: Realised what?

MYCROFT: That in your case, solitary confinement is locking you up with your worst enemy.

This exchange from TAB was interesting. At the time it aired, it seemed only relevant to what had happened in that ep. Sherlock had used again to either figure out the reason Moriarty had returned via the Ricoletti case or he intended to die before his exile could begin.

S4 changed all that. To me, this seemed to become a much bigger admission of guilt on Mycroft’s part. But, what of it?

MYCROFT: Nobody deceives like an addict.

Throughout the entirety of the series, we’ve never witnessed Sherlock ‘the addict’. I think he may have been using off and on-

But only for the reasons he said:

SHERLOCK: I’m not an addict. I’m a user. I alleviate boredom and occasionally heighten my thought processes.

(though, I would add alleviating a broken heart to that list as well. Poor lamb.)

A disguise is always a self-portrait

Mycroft calling Sherlock out on his addiction in TAB, for me, is a bit of a pot / kettle situation. Sherlock isn’t ‘technically’ an addict, but there does seem to be a Holmes brother with an addiction problem- . Mycroft and his addiction to power and need to control every aspect of Sherlock’s life.

MYCROFT: I was there for you before.

SHERLOCK: Before what?

MYCROFT: I’ll be there for you again. I’ll always be there for you.

Mycroft admits in TAB, that it was his fault. They- he and Sherlock- have an agreement. Ever since that day. Which we are then led to believe was some random moment in the past that Sherlock had ODed and Mycroft had come to the rescue. None of which correlates to the true reason Sherlock is the man he is if any of TFP is to be taken at face-value.

If Mycroft’s vow was that he would always be there for him. (Oh, that sounds familiar. Where have I heard that before?)

Then where was Mycroft when Sherlock needed him after Mary’s death? As Sherlock spiralled out of control and went straight to hell??

More to the point, where was the infamous list in TLD? Mycroft was miffed to have been called out of a meeting with the Prime Minister but it was clearly evident he was aware of Sherlock’s using during the intervening time since Mary’s ‘death’ but didn’t do anything about it. Didn’t demand the ‘list’. Just brought his spooks in when Sherlock was practically dead to find out what ‘triggered’ his time ‘back on the sauce’. Hmmm.

Wow, so much for being the smart one there, Myc.

So, what exactly was Mycroft admitting fault to? The levels of that admission in TAB are staggering: Sherlock’s isolation in solitary confinement, his drug use, the reason for his drug use.

However, in TFP we get the real reason™ for Mycroft’s confession of guilt: the re-writing of Sherlock’s memories. The list of Mycroft’s misdeeds regarding his brother (nevermind Eurus at the mo, that’s a whole other can of worms) now seems endless and a little much to swallow from a normal human being. I’m sorry but Mycroft is no Svengali in any literal sense of the word. If he were capable of all of this- to be responsible for all of Sherlock’s trials and tribulations- then Mycroft’s influence is beyond compare.

Oh, but wait- No it isn’t.

That is one hell of a family trait!

I’ll be mother.

@gosherlocked wrote an interesting post about the Holmes family recently. In it she points out this line from the show:

“Every choice you ever made; every path you’ve ever taken – the man you are today … is your memory of Eurus.”

Which she then refutes beautifully with this comment:

Sorry, but no, Mycroft. This is not true. Sherlock may have been influenced by a lot of things but he cannot have become the man he is today just because of a non-existent memory. If he did not remember Eurus for decades, it is not possible that she has completely shaped his life.

Can you hear me screaming “THIS!” in response as I read that. Because that’s it right there in a nutshell, isn’t it? The whole reason nothing of this series makes a lick of sense because it completely edits and erases what came before it in the show.

And- HA! Isn’t that fucking hilarious because it’s exactly what Mycroft tells us at the beginning of T6T:

So, everything is up to Mycroft’s discretion. Interesting. Stick a pin in that thought because we will come back to it in a bit.

Alternatively

There are two instances where this word comes into play and is the main reason I am now compelled to write all this down (and hope that much smarter minds than mine can make the connection a lot clearer). It feels as if this word is pivotal to what has happened in the show since HLV.

Immediately following TAB, during the convos that brought @gosherlocked and @the-7-percent-solution and I together in order to birth EMP theory, I made a random post about this word appearing in the opening sequence of TAB:

noun:

1.a choice limited to one of two or more possibilities, as of things,propositions, or courses of action, the selection of which precludes any other possibility

adjective:

1.(of two things, propositions, or courses) mutually exclusive so that if one is chosen the other must be rejected

2.employing or following nontraditional or unconventional ideas,methods, etc.; existing outside the establishment

At that time, I merely found the word intriguing, in relation to what we were shown in TAB. The opening montage of what came before in the show up until the airing of TAB was a bit mind boggling. Not only was the timeline questionable, but the things which they decidedly omitted was a head-scratcher.

What happens once the alternative is introduced?

Immediately following his exchange with Lady S and Sir Edwin, where the alternative was first discussed:

MYCROFT: In any event, there is no prison in which we could incarcerate Sherlock without causing a riot on a daily basis. The alternative, however ... would require your approval.

LADY SMALLWOOD: Hardly merciful, Mr Holmes.

Which really, Mycroft? Really?

We are meant to believe the only alternative for Sherlock having killed CAM was a six-month suicide mission? When Sherrinford exists for the ‘uncontainables’?

The alternative is a turning point.

Nothing is ever the same in this show once that word is introduced. It immediately cuts to the tarmac scene and what do we get?

The first inkling that something is fishy with Mary’s characterisation:

No one expected this turnaround, did they? What’s a little fatal shooting between besties, right?

Then we have this painful exchange. The last words between two men that have thought the sun rose and set on one another. The best and wisest and bravest man the other has ever known and they have nothing of importance to say to each other as Sherlock goes off (if not to John’s knowledge of certain death, clearly you would think Sherlock having killed a man to save his family) John could nut up and say THANK YOU, AT LEAST????

AN ABORTED LOVE CONFESSION FOR CHRIST’S SAKE!!!!!

But (and here I’m shootting myself in my own EMP foot) isn’t this how all of this might have played out through the lens of an emotionally-constipated, not-good-with-humans person?

Perhaps this is Mycroft’s alternative tale. Editing. TD 12. Eurus’ influence. There’s no surprise that something has changed in the way this story is told. Maybe it’s the narrator. Maybe it’s simply Sherlock imagining the alternative because he knows Mycroft is at the heart of the problem, so he has put him front and center. I don’t know and I’m not sure any of us can really know until we get more (please, let us get more and answers to all of this)

What I am saying is that I don’t believe alternative was an accident.

Previously

In both TAB and T6T, we get this sort of thing at the beginning ^^. A montage of highlights to get us back up to speed. Again, something is fuuuuucky, because in neither one is there ever a callback to Mary shooting Sherlock.

From the moment we get the alternative, we get the retcon of Mary Morstan. Why? They solidly built her character to be the most amazing villain of the show. I daresay, capable of surpassing Moriarty in good old-fashioned nastiness.

And, it isn’t just Mary that is re-worked. No one since before the tarmac has been in character. I had previously stated my belief that S4 was merely a continuation of TAB- the Victorian personifications brought into the 21st century. It was John’s hair, of all things, that made me realise this as a possibility because it explains the why of John’s hair and Sherlock never bothering to mention it. But, looking at S4 in that vein, really did explain a lot- and make sense of the nonsensical- in a way nothing else had until that point.

I’m not saying I don’t still believe this isn’t all in Sherlock’s head- I do!- I just think that Mycroft has influenced it all much more than anyone originally thought.

Mycroft sees Sherlock as the child he still has to protect and I believe Sherlock subconsciously knows that, hence the exuberant andchild-like actions Sherlock has at the beginning of T6T. All of S4′s characterisations so wrong as to be laughable. Perhaps it’s howSherlock imagines Mycroft imagines them all to be?

Mycroft lied to us.

He told Sherlock and John about Redbeard. He apparently helped arrange their stunt to get onto Sherrinford, so why did he perpetuate the lie? He knew Sherlock was confronting Eurus and she would tell him the truth. Or, no, as a matter of fact, she never said a word about Victor.

Just that they never had a dog. The Victor bit was Sherlock’s own idea. But we saw the dog bowl. If Eurus brought Sherlock to Sherrinford to get emotional context to get to the truth of his repressed memories, why did she perpetuate the Redbeard story? She wanted him to remember “you don’t know about Redbeard”. She had him at Musgrave to reveal the story, but she kept the dog dish. Is this because it is really Mycroft’s mind and he still wanted to keep Sherlock from remembering?

No repercussions for Mycroft after Sherrinford.

All of that planning, plotting, scheming, disguises, setting up an asylum as your own version of Saw- for what? Emotional context? Her oldest brother lied to her parents about her death, kept her locked away and isolated for years. Exploited her abilities for his own gain and she did nothing to him when she had the chance? This woman, who as a 6 year old, killed her brothers best friend because he wouldn’t play with her?

Is Eurus some manifestation of Mycroft? There seems to be a theme here, and I can’t make the connections, so I want to add it and see if anyone else can connect the dots.

Cross-dressing Uncle Rudy and Lady Bracknell. Is Uncle Rudy a ‘codename’ for Mycroft? An invention, like Eurus, to keep Sherlock in line somehow? The East Wind?

Eurus’ song

As I wind down here with this whacked-out non-sense, I just want to leave this here. The last stanza of Eurus’ song and a reference we have seen made by Mycroft many times before:

Without your love he’ll be gone before Save pity for strangers, show love the door My soul seek the shade of my willow’s bloom Inside, brother mine Let Death make a room.

I have loads more about Mycroft I want to share, but I think this is already too long as it is, so I’ll say, if you’ve stuck around this far: stay tuned for part 2.

@loveismyrevolution @gosherlocked @ebaeschnbliah @isitandwonder @tjlcisthenewsexy @the-7-percent-solution @tendergingergirl @yan-yae @impossibleleaf @shadow3214 @shawleyleres @fvkingstraightculture @themanandthemachine @may-shepard @sarahthecoat

#sherlock #mycroft #this was my fault #emp #mk

180 notes · View notes

shorterxwong · 7 years ago

Text

Get To Know The Blogger

I was tagged by @ohmykhosh! thank youuuu (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧

1. Nicknames: noel

2. Gender: kinkshaming

3. Star Sign: sagittarius

4. Height: 5 feet of anger

5. Time: 11:12 pm

6. Birthday: december 16th

7. Favorite Band(s)/Group(s): let’s see...for american bands, i like imagine dragons...and my favorite japanese bands are galileo galilei, asian kung-fu generation, and porno graffitti. also don’t even get me started on kpop groups....let’s just say that i love the duo AKMU

8. Favorite Solo Artist(s): kyla la grange! her album, Ashes, was 👌. aimer’s music is also cool too, and omg hayley kiyoko is??? the best???????

9. Song Stuck In My Head: .....this song. my little sisters listen to this song on repeat, and now its stuck in my head pls send help

10. Last Movie I Watched: i think it was that one batman vs superman movie. i only watched it so i can see gal gadot’s wonder woman. tbh i skipped half of the movie and only payed attention when wonder woman appeared on the latter half.

11. Last Show I Watched: my hero academia. todoroki is my son and bakugou is my problematic fave

12. When Did I Create My Blog: sometime in late 2013? tho i didn’t really start using this blog until 2014.

13. What Do I Post: ...a little bit of everything to be honest. my blog is just a mismatched mess of fandoms and memes and self deprecating jokes

14. Last Thing I Googled: you dont want to know

15. Do I Have Other Blogs: i have an aesthetic blog but i only post sporadically and i forget that it exists ninety percent of the time

16. Why Did I Choose My URL: i created my url when i watched the first ep of yuri on ice. i intended the ‘katsuki’ to be for yuuri katsuki, but bakugou is cooler so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

17. Following: 3981 people lol

18. Followers: 641 followers. idek why?? like, how did you people find my blog i rarely make my own original post what

19. Favorite Colors: i like earthy colors! so like brown and green and dark orange 👌

20. Average Hours Of Sleep: my sleep schedule is a mess tbh. like, i’ll get 12 hours of sleep one night, but then it’ll be 6 hours of sleep the next night

21. Lucky Number: ??? i dont know like 3

22. Instruments: i used to play the flute in middle school i guess

23. What Am I Wearing: basketball shorts and a shirt that says “girls girls girls”

24. How Many Blankets I Sleep With: nONE. its triple digits over here help

25. Dream Job: get paid to read fanfics afsdgfaghsd

26. Dream Trip: omg outerspace tho

27. Favorite Food: buddy,,, pal,, friend,,,, dont even get me started but uhm wontons and gyozas are an international treasure

28. Nationality: asian american

29. Favorite Songs Right Now: ayyy. “the only thing” by sufjan stevens, “wouldn’t it be nice” by beach boys, and “rain” by motohiro hara. there are more! there are definitely more! but it’ll be a long list!

I’m tagging: @jeanjaquex, @xxxerik-killmongerxxx, @kayleeinfinity, and @coach-vitya-katsuki

#im hilarious tbh #about me #tag games

1 note · View note

butcharyastark · 7 years ago

Text

tagged by: @eruthiawenluin and @monkeysatemylastrolo

rules: you must answer these 85 statements and tag 20 people tagging: @radiant-sam @soulmistin @patchworksam

the last

1. drink: a weird new mountain dew

2. phone call: @eruthiawenluin when i was drunk like four weeks ago.

3. text message: also to @eruthiawenluin probably

4. song you listened to: subeme la radio by mah boi enrique.

5. time you cried: usually i cant remember bc i dont cry very often, but i had a breakdown in my yard at like midnight a week or two ago and that was p memorable .

6. dated someone twice: i’ve barely dated someone once, my guy.

7. kissed someone and regretted it: no, i’ve never kissed someone, unless sergio in third grade counts.

8. been cheated on: yes. fucking sergio.

9. lost someone special: a human? no. in general? yes.

10. been depressed: ahahahahaha.

11. gotten drunk and thrown up: no.

3 favorite colors

12. all colors.

13. all.

14. i cant pick favorites fam.

in the last year have you

15. made new friends: yes.

16. fallen out of love: no.

17. laughed until you cried: no.

18. found out someone was talking about you: no but someone probably was.

19. met someone who changed you: ..yes?

20. found out who your friends are: ..sort of.

21. kissed someone on your Facebook list: no.

general

22. how many of your Facebook friends do you know in real life: almost every single one. my fb friend list is ninety-eight percent family. obviously i don’t use it much.

23. do you have any pets: four doggos and a kittum.

24. do you want to change your name: no i love it.

25. what did you do for your last birthday: went to starbucks and got a RAD eyeshadow palette.

26. what time did you wake up: 2:30 pm. i’ve had two and a half hours of sleep.

27. what were you doing at midnight last night: waiting for my mom to get the fuck off her computer and go to sleep so i could watch the stargate eps she has downloaded on it.

28. name something you can’t wait for: nothing.

29. when was the last time you saw your mom: unfortunately she currently exists directly to my right.

31. what are you listening to right now: sofia by alvaro soler.

32. have you ever talked to a person named tom: my cousin’s half-sister’s not-husband is named tom. he’s canadian and annoys my mom.

33. something that is getting on your nerves: existence in general.

34. most visited website: DO U EVEN NEED TO ASK

35. hair colour: naturally? chestnut brown. atm? a sorta ombre brown-to-blonde-to-pinkish-tips. i dyed my hair fuchsia a while back but it didn’t work out the way i wanted so most of my hair was fuchsia and the top inches or so were blonde/brown and i let it grow out and now it looks cool-ish.

36. long or short hair: mine is long, and i WANT to get it cut in a cute shaggy cut but whatev.

37. do you have a crush on someone: no but i rlly want a datemate atm. fml.

38. what do you like about yourself: my humor is the best and only good part of myself.

39. piercings: me ears.

40. blood type: i have no fucking idea.

41. nickname: nay. my mom keeps calling me “babylicious” because she has recently in the last year started adding “-licious” and “-tastic” to the end of every fucking word and i hate it.

42. relationship status: single and ready 2 mingle.

43. zodiac: le creb.

^^actual footage of me.

44. pronouns: she/her is fine.

45. favourite tv show: stargate atm.

46. tattoos: none tattoos with left ear piercings.

47. right or left handed: apparently i was ambidextrous as a young child but the school system fucked that up like they do everything, so right-handed.

48. surgery: never.

49. piercing: do u think i have a secret piercing on my butt or smth. why u gotta ask twice fam.

50. sport: no thx

51. vacation: never been on one, don’t have any particular aspirations to go on one.

52. pair of trainers: u wot

53. eating: air.

54. drinking: my saliva.

55. i’m about to: continue blogging my life away.

56. waiting for: idk life to stop.

57. want: nothing except for my mom to STOP.

58. get married: if i ever get married pls stab me because that is not actually me, that is a pod person. i would not get married, ever. “naomi you’re being a stereotypical child of divorced paren--” shut up nancy.

59. career: hahahahahhahahahhahahahahha. ha.

60. hugs or kisses: hugs but don’t touch me unless i like you.

61. lips or eyes: those seeing orbs are pretty nice.

62. shorter or taller: i, personally, love dogs of ALL sizes.

63. older or younger: same as above.

64. nice arms or nice stomach: boi i’m a SLUT for nice arms. i’ll probably die if any future datemate of mine flexes around me. throw me over your shoulder and carry me off into the sunset.

65. hook up or relationship: me, the lowkey sex-repulsed, a-spec ppl with major intimacy issues: hmmmmm,,, a Tough Decision,,,,,

66. troublemaker or hesitant: both tbh. fight me and then comfort me when i cry over the confrontation.

have you ever

67. kissed a stranger: wtf no.

68. drank hard liquor: do wine coolers count idek what is technically classified as hard liquor.

69. lost glasses/contact lenses: no i have like almost 20/20 vision i think, so. wait i lost my sunglasses a couple years ago, does that count.

70. turned someone down: *remembers the twelve-year-old that propositioned me* yes.

71. sex on the first date: see: #65

72. broken someone’s heart: god i hope not.

73. had your heart broken: constantly my dude ye.

74. been arrested: no.

75. cried when someone died: a ppl? no. in general? yes.

76. fallen for a friend: i dated my best friend for a while soooooo....

do you believe in

77. yourself: L M A O

78. miracles: ‘course.

79. love at first sight: no.

80. santa claus: no, but i believed until i was like ten which is apparently unusual.

81. kiss on the first date: i mean.... it’s ur life buddy..... u can do what u want my pal....

82. angels: ye.

other

83. current best friend’s name: both of my best friends are named tiffany/tiffani what the FUCK. @god: wyd

84. eye color: blu.

85. favorite movie: aint got one.

#tag thingy #like this post and validate me #jkjk

2 notes · View notes

doomedandstoned · 8 years ago

Photo

After Two Decades, The Obsessed Rally A Stunning Comeback

~By Papa Paul, with Billy Goate~

☤

Wet fur bears the smell of death...

So begins the unimpeachable new record by THE OBSESSED, featuring living legend Scott "Wino" Weinrich (guitars/vox), Dave Sherman (bass), and Brian Costantino (drums). It's both an unlikely return and a triumphant one, their first LP in over 20 years. Beginning life as Warhorse in 1976, the Maryland trio dropped a series of demos in '80 and '85 under a new moniker: The Obsessed. Not until 1990 did they issue their self-titled debut. A second full-length followed just a year later, the much celebrated Lunar Womb. The prolific stream of songwriting culminated in The Church Within in '94. Then...radio silence. A split and a pair of live albums put The Obsessed back in the public eye again in the new millennium, however briefly, but they went back underground as quickly as they'd emerged. No one could have anticipated a resurgence this big, and 2017 continues to bear its surprises.

'Sacred' (2017 - Relapse Records) proves yet again that Wino is one of the great singer-songwriters of our time. Though tragically unknown to the public at large, Wino has earned great esteem in metal circles. Since the reactivation of Saint Vitus in 2008, a whole new generation of Born Too Late fanatics were born, drawn to the uncompromising, confessional nature of Wino's lyrics, which capture so perfectly the struggle with addiction, rejection, and despair. In that same vein, Sacred encompasses vignettes of love, loss, and the life of a man "living true, living free" in a moonstruck world.

Wino's story is not unlike another well-known Maryland doomer: Bobby Liebling of Pentagram. Both active since the seventies, Bobby and Wino were playing downtuned, riff-heavy metal before anyone knew what to call this emerging subgenre. Both lived the wildest lives imaginable, their early success hampered by excess and addiction. The Obsessed and Pentagram became the soundtrack for a generation of free-spirited bikers, misfits, and rebels who swore allegiance to the open road and the United States of Doom.

Sodden Jackal

The child is delivered unto the earth From the womb of a beast

Sacred by The Obsessed

"Sodden Jackal" wastes no time throwing us right into the deep end of the Lake of Fire. A slow-burning chug ushers us into "a scene of evil unbelieved." What's amazing is this song travels all the way back to the band's first ever recording. 'The Obsessed' (1983), predating the band's first LP by seven years, is a three-song EP which is now a coveted collector's item. "Sodden Jackal" is its B-side.

As for Wino, in between the release of that 7" and the 12" eponymous, he was steadily building his rep in the emerging doom underground as successor to Scott Reagers of Saint Vitus. I'm sure the rest of the Wino story, including his many bands and accomplished solo career, are well known to our readers. If not, man do you have some treasures awaiting your discovery, so commence to digging!

Punk Crusher

Steal and lie to get your fix, We all know who you really are, Be gone with all your idle tricks I’m your Punk crusher

Sacred by The Obsessed

The heavy stomp of the first track transitions now to a song of equal heft, but with a considerably faster tempo: "Punk Crusher. I'm reminded of a story from that sling of dates Saint Vitus played with Black Flag in 1984/85. Wino & co. would open each show, much to the bewilderment of Mohawks across the concert hall. Simply put, slow 'n' low was not a popular sound (far more underground then than now). In an interview with Westword, Vitus axeman Dave Chandler recalls, "Pretty much ninety percent of them hated us with a passion...throwing whatever wasn't nailed down and generally fucking with us." The guys proved equal to the challenge, however, demonstrating that punk attitude was as much at home with leaden metal riffs as it is was with the fast-talking swagger of Henry Rollins.

Sacred

Through dimension’s mists we fly Chrome fang, diamond eye

youtube

The album's namesake track is a real head banger. This song could be classed seventies hard rock, but the way Wino belts out those riffs and sings with his trademark menace, it can't help but feel like heavy metal. Those scorching guitar leads are a real standout here. Wino's technique has matured like aged whisky, giving us plenty of kick and a ton of attitude. The Obsessed is always about attitude!

Haywire

Took the gamble took the chances Made the choice

Sacred by The Obsessed

The fourth song is classic Obsessed, a track that might even be outlaw country were it played differently. But Weinrich, Raley, and Constantino aren't planning on leaving their bad ass biker roots anytime soon.

Perseverance of Futility

You’d best back off Don’t tread on me!

Sacred by The Obsessed

"Perseverance" keeps the record's vibe rockin' steady. Album after album, The Obsessed draw from a seemingly bottomless well of riffage that always manages to sound fresh, and occasionally surprises us. Oh, and are those keys I'm hearing behind this haunted atmosphere? Nice touch!

It's Only Money

Try to make a buck But you ever made a penny Know you need a little love But you know you won't get any

Sacred by The Obsessed

We're now at the half-way mark and this next one is especially interesting -- a killer cover of the Thin Lizzy song, "It's Only Money." Thin Lizzy was one of baddest bands of funky town back in the '70s, though for me marred by the pursuit of commercial success. I never thought of this before, but when Thin Lizzy was at their heaviest they had similar attitude to The Obsessed. The difference was The Obsessed took that 'tude by the horns and never let go. This remake proves just how heavy a rock and roll song can be. Truly one of the highlights of Sacred.

Cold Blood

The day will come And time will tell Was this livin’ Or just a magical spell?

Sacred by The Obsessed

"Cold Blood" is vintage Obsessed, with some unbelievably catchy leads and hooks reminiscent of the beloved riffs of 'Lunar Womb' (1991). Twenty-seven years later, The Obsessed have taken their bread and butter and slathered it with hot sauce, giving their trademark sound an exciting twist. Interestingly, though the track comes with lyrics, it's played entirely without them. This actually works, as it gives Sacred a sense of balance. Hey, a good instrumental in the middle of an album always works for me.

Stranger Things

It’s only fair you get called out I’ve got plenty of my own misery And your trip I figured out It boils down to jealousy

Sacred by The Obsessed

An acoustic intro opens the eighth song, developing into a ballad-like theme with a chorus that's very easy on the ears. Dare I say it has a radio-friendly feel to it? This could be a good track to introduce The Obsessed to newcomers. Popular appeal aside, "Stranger Things" ultimately stays true to the dark intensity of an Obsessed song. Once again, Wino's guitar work is phenomenal.

Razor Wire

Ain’t no wrath Like a mad man that’s been burned

Sacred by The Obsessed

By now, I trust you've gotten to know the album's first single, which has been doing the rounds for a few months. This, and the song that follows, feature some of the most intimate lyrics of the record. "Razor Wire" appears to be about the heartbreak of a love affair, perhaps hinting at one of Wino's own relationships. It started with a wistful feeling of love, hope, and trust, but the illusion faded as betrayal is revealed. The singer feels like he's trapped in a cage of razor wire, but he's pissed and he's about to tear right out of that rusty cage.

My Daughter, My Sons

My children dear Won’t you lend me your ear I got a song of love to sing you Live your own life, Be honest and kind Always speak your mind

Sacred by The Obsessed

As with his solo work and the recent collaborations with Conny Ochs, Wino bares his heart, giving us a rare window into his family life and the sacred bond between father and child. Music-wise, this one is in the slowed-down, traditional doom style that I fell in love with some 30 years ago. Wino is in top form, vocally. Best of all, I got to play a bit of air guitar to that awesome picking! Hey, I couldn't resist.

Be The Night

I know it’s been a long, dark life The sun will rise for you again

Sacred by The Obsessed

This track brings back memories of hanging out well into twilight, partying with friends, living "the life." It triggers recollections of seeing The Obsessed in their prime, playing late into the night at some biker bar in the deep woods of Western Maryland. This song is about the struggle between the proverbial devil on one shoulder, the angel on the other. Who will win out? "I'm gonna kill that man someday," Wino seethes. Does this refer to someone he has a vendetta against or a dark manifestation of his own self? You decide.

On So Long

Sacred (Deluxe Version) by The Obsessed

After an interlude, we arrive at a pair of bonus tracks that you'll find on the limited edition double vinyl. "On So Long" bridges the late seventies and early eighties, reflecting the evolving face of doom. The riffs in this one will pierce you right through the heart -- a prime example of why Wino is a living legend. His singing is replete with emotion, contrasted with searing, short bursts of guitar. It is this introspection that makes Sacred so special and confirms The Obsessed's place as one of my all-time favorite bands. Regardless of who he's playing with, Wino has always been willing to give us a window into his soul. This "realness" is one of the prime reasons he appeals to listeners. I certainly identified with it when I was living the fast life. Ultimately, I had to walk away to save my hide from jail, or worse. This doesn't mean I enjoy The Obsessed any less. Quite to the contrary, I find myself appreciating it now more than ever.

Crossroader Blues

Sacred (Deluxe Version) by The Obsessed

The last song, appropriately, pays tribute to the outlaw life. Over the course of the album, the band has flexed the stylistic range, from stoner rock to heavy metal to plodding doom and now the blues. The Obsessed have a full palette of color at their command here.

In the end, The Obsessed's return has not disappointed. If you're as big a fan as I am, you've likely listened to the album dozens of times already. Sacred is a triumph, the embodiment of the words Wino sang three decades ago: "Like life's living, make it sweet."

youtube

Follow The Band

Get Their Music

#D&S Reviews #The Obsessed #Maryland #Doom #Metal #Hard Rock #Wino #Scott Wino Weinrich #Relapse Records #Papa Paul #HeavyBest17 #Doomed & Stoned

12 notes · View notes

teaandforeshadowing · 8 years ago

Photo

TJLC SURVEY 24-HOUR UPDATE

Captions explain how many responses there were for each question. You can right click and view in another tab for a closer look than the stinky tumblr view.

After 24 hours (2/5/17 3:22pm EST), we got a total of 2606 responses! Thank you so much to those of you who answered right away! If you haven’t taken the poll yet, don’t worry, it’s still open!

That being said, it’s a lot of data to go through alone, so in 4 hours I was only able to generate these 7 charts. I am working on putting together some box/whisker plots for the quantitative data, but here’s a rundown of the averages:

The average TJLCer is 21.38 years old.

The average TJLCer has been a fan of Sherlock Holmes for 6.49 years.

The average TJLCer has been a fan of BBC Sherlock for 3.83 years.

The average TJLCer has been a part of TJLC for 1.75 years.

The average rating for TJLC is 8.35/10.

I interpreted a lot of the responses I got for the pie chart data in my own way, omitting a lot of varied responses that didn’t fit into a category, and or were a slight variation on a category - I apologize to those minorities I had to shoe-horn into other identities for the sake of simplicity.

For Pronouns, 327 people indicated that they identified with more than one, so there is some overlap in the chart. Here are the responses I got that I organised into the “Other” category:

Ey/em Ne/nem/nir Xe/xer Xe/xem x6 Ve/vir x2 Ve/vim/vis Xe/xer x3 Xe/xyr Ze/zem

For Gender, I got a lot of responses for identities that I did not originally include as categories, so I decided to give them their own categories! No overlaps there, but any answers I got similar to “female” or “im a girl” were omitted since I could not determine cis/trans.

For Sexuality, 158 people indicated that they identified with more than one, so there is some overlap in the chart. I had to do a lot of interpreting with this, so if you said something like “straight-ish”, I put you under “Straight” and “Questioning”. As stated in the poll, prefixes are indicative of both sexual and romantic orientations. A lot of people answered with “demisexual/romantic”, which I included under Ace-spec.

I got a lot of varied data for how long people have been fans, so I converted all the data in terms of years: 11 months, 12 months, 1/13 months all got rounded to the nearest whole year; 2 months, 3 months, and 4 months got rounded to X.25 years; 5 months, 6 months, and 7 months got rounded to X.5 years; 8 months, 9 months, and 10 months got rounded to X.75 years. All data that was less than 1 month (aka all the TJLC newbies) were included in the “0.25 years” category. I also got a lot of responses saying “X+ years”, so I rounded down and specified in the charts that all values are at least X years. I omitted all responses for BBC Sherlock that were more than 7 years, and for everyone who answered more than 3 years for TJLC were included in the “longer” category (they would have otherwise been omitted as well).

There is a LOT of data to go through, so if you would like to see a specific correlation, please let me know! (ex. Fave episode vs. Rating, or Age vs. Fave Holmes) In order to not waste literally my entire life on this, I will only generate charts and release data for what you ask me for - so if you want it, ask for it! The survey will remain open for as long as we need it to be, so if you’re still asking for charts and data 3 months from now, so be it!

Please let me know if you have any questions concerning the data, I should be able to have all the raw data sorted out for public viewing by the end of the month!

Tags below the cut, let me know if you want to be removed or added for future updates!

@tjlc @loudest-subtext-in-tv @the-7-percent-solution @teapotsubtext @joolabee@graceebooks @marcespot @inevitably-johnlocked @toxicsemicolon @yorkiepug@hudders-and-hiddles @heimishtheidealhusband @warmth-and-constancy@waitedforgarridebs @incurablylazydevil @jenna221b @whimsicalethnographies@kinklock @sussexbound @twocandles @thepineapplering @watsonshoneybee @yorkiepug @vanetti @thebluecarbuncle @tykobrian @cupidford @finalproblem@deducingbbcsherlock

#bbc sherlock #fandom survey #johnlock #sherlock #sherlock holmes #sherlock s4 #survey #tjlc #tjlc survey #taqqy talks

185 notes · View notes