#ned is just incredibly funky to me

[reallyprofoundkryptonite]

random ass sketch featuring my son.

Spud.

the resemblance is there (I mean this in the most positive sense.)

[franswaa3-but-a-bog-mummy]

10 people I'd like to know better!!

Captured and fitted with a bird ankle tag by @monsterultra-peachykineema

Last song: looks like it's the Moon Safari album by Air!

Favorite color: oh I do love me some mossy greens,,

Last Movie: I just rewatched Spring and Chaos, what a spectacular movie. Lot of constraints were on it from low funds to a 60 minute timeslot they had to fit in for TV, but it's an incredible movie that only gets better. Planning on watching 30,000 miles from Chang'an again next.

Last Show: I'm getting my littlest bro on that JoJo hustle, his favorite part is still 2- though we had to pause on watching that one until he learned about WW2 in school. I did NOT want him seeing stronheim before he knew who the Nazis were.

Sweet/spicy/savory: I'M A SPICY FOOD BITCH!!

Relationship Status: Still on the lookout for a fly honey, as the kids say. Slim pickins in the south looking for the right kind of fellow fag 🦐

Last thing I googled: uhhh lemme check. Looks like the album cover of Ned Kelly (writing by shel Silverstein)

Current Obsession: MY TTRPG I'M MAKING I CAN'T GET IT OUT OF MY HEAD I CAN'T THINK OF OTHER THINGS!! ALSO JUST FINISHED PIRANESI MY GOD WHAT A GIVING BOOK!!!!!! I'VE SEEN INTERPRETATIONS OF IT AFTER FINISHING WHERE IT'S ABOUT MENTAL ILLNESS BUT I ACTUALLY LIKE IT BEING A TRIUMPHANT RESPONSE TO THE ALLEGORY OF THE CAVE!

The Beauty of the House is immeasurable; its Kindness infinite.

Thanks for tagging me bestie, and happy 11th anniversary! That's called winning at life 🦑

I'm tagging @charseraph (ur cool as fuck I can't wait to see ur bad ending happen, I shall embrace steel and plastic) @korblez (you're also funky fresh) @quinnred (I love your taste) @capt-biglou (I reblog ur stuff on my mass effect blogue) @powerburial (your posting is incomprehensible it's very fun) @cardo-de-comer (your art is deeply intriguing but also I am one of many followers I understand you not seeing this) @thelittlemissmisfit (sup dude! Time no see! Thank you for being good at posting!)

and I think I'm out of people I interact with in bad at holding blogs in my head and don't follow many people

[ofhomeland-a]

hello happy new year ! even though i’ve been on tumblr on and off for almost like 8 years or something , i’ve only been writing dinah on tumblr since october 23rd and even though i don’t interact with nearly as many people as i’d like to , it warms my heart that this many people enjoy what i write ! they enjoy my portrayal and they share the same love that i have for my muse , and that means everything to me ! because dinah madani ? oh , boy ... she stomped into my own home and snatched my own heart from my chest ; i love her so much , and i love writing her character so much . so uh , i know this is such an ugly post , but i was taken by surprise when i took a quick look through my followers this morning .

first of all , i want to thank each and every one of you for following me and wanting to interact . i appreciate you all not only for enjoying my content and portrayal , but just for existing and getting through it all . you’re here , it’s about to be a new year , and i’m proud of you for that . 

second , i do want to shout at a few people real quick because that’s what people do on these things , right ?

CLOSEST FRIENDS

@agentstein / @catwalksilhouette / @brightwasright / @finaldisorder — we’ve been at this for almost a decade . we met on this hellsite and we formed a relationship on this hellsite and now you’re my best friend and fiance . you support me and indulge all of my weird ass ideas . nothing is too ‘ far out ’ for you ; you never make me feel insecure about my characters or ideas . love that for me . love that for us . you’re the best and i’m just so thankful we met on our jim and molly blogs so feckin’ long ago . you’re the light in my life , and the main reason i continue on . as with every relationship , there are bumps , but god damn we work through them like the champions we are . keep on keepin’ on , you funky little love bug . i love you more than life .

@kingoftheravens / @apogexn — *slaps top of head* this bad boy can fit so many creative ideas in it !!!! no but really , no matter how often i disappear , vicious is DEADASS always here to welcome me back with open arms with zero guilt trips or anything like that . we met ( briefly ) on this blue hellsite like 5+ years ago , and i always really looked up to her as a person and her amazing world building . she was actually one of the first people i met when i made loki all those years ago , so ofc when i saw her url floating around once i made brock , i had to reach out despite being scared to , and i’m so glad i did . <3 vicious , ily and you’re just spectacular . thank you for being such an awesome friendo .

@kupale / @hadncchoice — GOBS i know you aren’t here , but i miss you terribly . we’ve been through ... a lot together LMAO but we came out stronger because of it ! i’m so glad you decided to stick around , and i’m so glad we stuck with each other through it ! i know i speak for milo too when i say this , but you’re amazing . you’re a trooper and you’re going to keep trooping on . i miss you !!!! <3

@soulstcne — !!!!!! this is another one that is literally always here and ready to welcome me back with open arms whenever i disappear and decide to come back . i can never repay your kindness and patience , but i absolutely appreciate it more than anything . shauna is always ready to plot and just spitball ideas ALL day and i love it so much ! also ashley ?? whew , she’s just as amazing <333 

BABES

@zombleeds / @griefends / @whisperswar — MELANIE . ICB !!! i know i’ve said this 100 times , but i remember being in awe of your frank when i wrote on my bucky and i’m just SO glad i decided to reach out to you !!! i know once i stop being a massive potato , we are going to write beautiful and heart breaking things >) thank you for being so positively amazing !!!

@jigscw — i know we don’t talk often , but i just wanted to thank you for always indulging my random IM’s screaming about either dinah & billy or krista & billy . you’re honestly really easy to talk to , and your billy is just CHEF KISS . i love him !!! i love the way you write him ! the tone !!! HHHH everything . thank you for writing with me !

@cynicomplex — listen i know we don’t talk a whole lot , but i appreciate you so much ! i love how open you are to my dumb ideas , and you always support them ! i also love how much i love our two idiots here ..... they’re so dumb and i just can’t with them . i know we’ve only written a few things together , and haven’t really gotten too far in any of them , but the chemistry between dinah and devrah is undeniable ! soon they’ll see they belong together ... soon ... 

@affcgato / @readyforyours / @idumean / @takeseffort / @huntersprayer — i’m so glad i accidentally liked a random thread between you and someone else , because it MADE me reach out in order to apologize for being awkward . i’ve always loved your characterization , no matter the muse . you’re such a sweet and amazing person , i’m really glad we’ve started talking !! also , i just want to point out that fact that you’re incredibly strong , and i am so proud of you !! for getting through the BS that you did !!! and the fact that you’re able to come back ,,, <3 i really hope to plot with you very soon ( with any of your muses ! ) but i just ned to stop being Potato first !!! 

@tocxmply — I KNOW I’M A SLOW ASS POTATO , but we’re 2 replies into our thread and it’s already got me feelin’ some type of way . i love your take on bucky , i love your writing , and i love your dedication . thank you so much for not only following me , but also entertaining my ideas and helping me plot something wonderful . you’re wonderful !

@hakune — !!!!! we haven’t written yet , but when we do .... oh the dash isn’t prepared for it !!! i love your characterization , your write all of your muses with such dedication and love , it’s amazing to see . also your energy on the dash ? top notch . i’m living for it !! 

@warhunting / @blcckbiird / @knifesavvy — i’m sorry you have to put up with so much from shitty people in your inbox . every time i see it , it makes me so angry . but honestly , you’re such a strong person and i’m proud of you for continuing to do what you love ! also rick and dinah ? cuties . i hope to continue developing them in 2020 !

@ikumkani / @sundiety — wow ... your conviction . your energy !!!! your writing !!!!!!! i really admire you and T’Challa , like ... you write him and about him with such a dedicated passion , i can FEEL it radiating from every word ! i love the fact that i can hear his voice in my head with every word , and those headcanons ??? i can’t . also hold on a second , SOL CAME INTO MY OWN HOME and stole my heart , okay . i love her concept , i love her ! i love reading about her , and learning more about her . thank you so much for blessing my dash with your wonderful creations .

@putrifyre — i’ve said it once and i’ll say it 100 more times : I LOVE TASS . I LOVE HIM !!!! I LOVE EVERYTHING YOU HAVE ABOUT HIM . i love how emotional he is !! how loving he is toward his SO’s ! how Soft™ he can be !!! one wouldn’t expect it coming from someone like him , and that really just adds so much to his character ! i’m in love with everything you have for him !! and then you !! oh , you’re a gem ! i know we’ve only spoken a few times , mainly because i’m Shit with keeping up w people , but you’re so ,,, nice . you’re so easy to talk to !! 

@arrowfcrged — !!! omg I LOVE victor , and I LOVE his and dinah’s dynamic so much . and i LOVE how sweet you are ! you’re very welcoming , very fun , and you’re always up for plotting and tossing ideas around ! love that ! thank you so much for writing with me , and for inadvertently helping me figure out dinah’s own sort of vigilante verse . writing with you definitely assisted in fleshing her reasoning out , and it’s wonderful that i was able to do that with you <3

LOVELIES

@cthlicdevil / @warstrike / @boundedbygrief / @elataan / @lcdiablcblanc / @stormweathered / @riddel / @deferentially / @rouqehair / @deivll / @venomtm / @hoyled / @prcsopa / @sniperwithasmoke / @br6vo / @detectiev / @dunnithole / @wardogsong / @hittcr / @fbiartist / @huntreborn / @becomedeviant / @craene / @warcharged / @lasw3ll / @childhealcr / @standsready / @tlmebreaks / @codedhonor / @marredset / @aresblessed / @avocadefense / @fairdoves / @wristful / @falsedking / @hlekter / @miserybled / @cadisfly / @brightprofiler / @healsiick / @thestarskiller / @palespyder / @shitgiven / @ashtouch / @awbartonno / @hopeswrath / @geneticempath / @conflyct / @lucifeyr / @tapewormking / @suppetior 

happy new year , everyone ! let’s make it a great one <3

[onett199x]

Top 10 Jazz Albums of 2017

I followed new jazz music more closely than ever this year, which is good, because this was a great year for jazz music.  We got great music on just about every front of the genre this year, from elder statesmen with well-established careers to the young and hungry, and from the fringes of the genre’s biting avant-garde to its most classic and approachable sound.  Here are 10 albums from this year I really enjoyed.

10.  Fred Hersch | Open Book

Fred Hersch continues to put out a new album each year like clockwork, and the consistently high quality of each of these new releases makes that consistent schedule all the more impressive.  His newest, Open Book, is a solo piano outing combining some excellent originals with covers of Monk, Jobim, and Billy Joel, all centered around a nearly 20-minute meditation called Into The Forest, improvised on the spot a la Keith Jarrett.  Hersch’s reserve and emotiveness in his playing have driven his albums for years, but Open Book shows that there’s still plenty of new territory to explore, even if this is his eleventh (!!!) solo album.

9.  Ben Markley Big Band | Clockwise: The Music Of Cedar Walton

If I tend to repeat artists from year to year on these lists, it’s due more than anything else to the fact that I’m still a very imperfect, biased listener.  This isn’t to say that perennial favorites of mine (like, for example, Fred Hersch) aren’t good, just instead to note that there are hundreds of talented artists with albums out each year, and I tend to gravitate towards the ones I already know.   All that being said, I had never heard of Ben Markley before this year, or anybody in this whole band for that matter (with the exception of guest artist Terrell Stafford, with whom I only have passing familiarity).  I knew who Cedar Walton was, and I knew I liked big bands, so when one of my friends told me to check this out, I had decently high expectations, and I was not disappointed.  Ben Markley deftly adapts Walton’s hard-bop workouts into driving big band performances.  Tracks like Fiesta Espanol and Bolivia sound like they were made to be big band tunes.  Clockwise shows you don’t have to be a New York cat (Markley and his band are from that bustling jazz mecca of Wyoming)  to know what’s good.

8.  Ambrose Akinmusire | A Rift In Decorum: Live At The Village Vanguard

Ambrose Akinmusire’s entry into the storied jazz canon of albums called ‘Live At The Village Vanguard’ pares back the electronics, studio wizardry, and guest artists from his recent albums to get to the very essence of his music, and that intimate glimpse into the jagged and sometimes wounded sound of his music shows why just about everything he does succeeds - at its very core, Akinmusire’s music has a modern and unique identity, brought to life by musicians who understand how to do so.  His music on this album ranges from fairly accessible post-bop to some of the more grating and intense sounds made by a trumpet, but it’s all done towards a greater emotional purpose.  

7.  Blue Note All-Stars | Our Point Of View

Blue Note Records is a fan of these ‘state of the label’ albums - seems like every decade or two, they get all of their biggest names together for an album and see what happens.  For this recent iteration, the band includes Ambrose Akinmusire, Lionel Loueke, Kendrick Scott, Robert Glasper, Derrick Hodge, and Marcus Strickland, and the setlist consists of contributions from most of them as well as a couple of Wayne Shorter tunes (Wayne Shorter himself and Herbie Hancock join them for Shorter’s Masquelero).  This is a diverse group of musicians - if you put on each of their albums back-to-back, they might not sound like the best fit to work together, but their album finds common ground and allows each musician to stretch out on it.  I really dig their version of Wayne Shorter’s Witch Hunt, and Freedom Dance is a great closer.

6.  Bill Charlap | Uptown, Downtown

Like Fred Hersch, Bill Charlap is a storied modern pianist with a strong catalogue of solo, trio, and other performances.  Like Hersch, his sound seems to exemplify the idea of ‘less is more’, and his setlists eschew modern covers in favor of classic hard bop tunes and Great American Songbook standards.  For his newest album, Charlap works with his long-running rhythm section of Peter Washington and Kenny Washington to plunder some long-forgotten Tin Pan Alley obscurities, classic standards, and covers of the likes of Gerry Mulligan and Jim Hall.  The title track, a lesser-known Sondheim tune, capture’s Charlap’s wry sense of humor, while his take on Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most is one of the most aching and melancholy versions of that tune I’ve ever heard.  I think this is my favorite album I’ve heard from him since his own Live At The Village Vanguard.

5.  Ned Goold | 2016

The comparison of Ned Goold to Thelonious Monk is inevitable and immediate in just about anything written about him.  His is an idiosyncratic sound that pointedly, purposefully and joyfully explores different varieties and degrees of dissonance, bending normal-sounding melodies backwards with a clear, mathematical logic behind it.  This album takes that sound and injects real energy and humor into it with the addition of Goold’s son, Charles, whose funky, driving beats give songs like Car Alarm a playful, cathartic feeling.  It’s a sound that exists at the intersection of meticulous composition and a strong groove.

4.  Steve Haines | Secret Stash

Bassist Steve Haines’ latest brings together a powerful quartet of pianist Thomas Linger, drummer Larry Q. Draughn, Jr., and one of the best jazz guitarists playing today, Peter Bernstein, for a set of Haines originals and standards.  It can be hard to remain unbiased when you know the musicians personally, but even knowing Thomas and Q, this album is one that stayed in my car for weeks - Haines’ upbeat original Ketch Me If You Can, named for UNC jazz professor Jim Ketch; his excellent take on Dizzy GIllespie’s Con Alma; the soft and contemplative The Masquerade Is Over; and of course, the time-changing title track - all of these combine for one of the best straight-ahead albums I’ve heard in a few years.

3.  Charles Lloyd | Passin’ Thru

I don’t dislike Charles Lloyd by any means, but this album really surprised me.  I got it right around the time I did my ‘halfway through 2017′ list and made that list while this one was still fresh on my mind, so I didn’t include it then just because I might still be riding the wave of finding something new and fun, but even now, six months later, this is still one of my favorite recordings of the year.  Charles Lloyd deftly demonstrates the full breadth of his style over the course of this album, from long-winded post bop with an ostinato piano part a la Keith Jarrett on his Forest Flower, to searching spiritual jazz and groovy soul jazz.  It’s all cohesive, it’s all very well done, and Lloyd’s bandmates Eric Harland, Reuben Rogers, and Jason Moran have all been playing with Lloyd long enough that they lock in perfectly with his sound while still being able to explore their own identity as musicians.  The title track and Dream Weaver are two of my favorite jazz recordings this year, period.

2.  Cecile McLorin Salvant | Dreams And Daggers

While it isn’t called Live At The Village Vanguard, this could be Salvant’s own album by that name.  Over the course of two discs, Cecile McLorin Salvant (accompanied by her rhythm section and a string quartet) digs into some of the oldest and, in some cases, raunchiest jazz and blues tunes from decades gone by.  Cecile McLorin Salvant is, in my mind, probably the freshest and most important jazz vocalist in years, presenting her tunes with a theatricality and a confidence that reminds you that so many of these tunes are not just reportoire to learn, but stories that tell us about time periods, cultures, and the personal interactions people have with each other.  Listening to a Cecile McLorin Salvant album is like watching a one-person show - she inhabits each song as though she is currently living it, and Aaron Diehl, Lawrence Leathers, and Paul Sikivie provide perfectly-constructed templates for the versatility of her voice and emotion to shine through.  Like plenty of other singers, Cecile McLorin Salvant is very technically proficient and surrounds herself with talented instrumentalists.  She is special because, on top of all of that, she seems to have the incredibly rare ability to tap directly into the very center of each song she sings and invites us into that place, so that we enjoy not just the wit of the lyrics and the beauty of the melodies, but also the human emotion that inspires anyone and everyone to express themselves.

1.  Vijay Iyer | Far From Over

Vijay Iyer is in a unique position for any jazz musician.  In addition to studying music theory and piano performance, Iyer has also studied the physics of tone and sound for a cross-disciplinary PhD in music cognition.  His discography so far has mostly been situated in the avant-garde to some degree, from more accessible works like his trio’s Historicity to the intense outskirts of free jazz on his duo album with Wadada Leo Smith, A Cosmic Rhythm With Each Stroke.  On Far From Over, Iyer enlists a sextet of musicians, including cornetist/flugelhornist Graham Haynes, saxophonists Steve Lehman and Mark Shim, bassist Stephan Crump, and drummer Tyshawn Sorey, for a set of wildly original and creative tunes.  Each tune inhabits a different idea, from the spacey, almost 90s hip-hop-esque Nope to the quiet, moody, Noir-like For Amiri Baraka and the intense, climactic Into Action.  I think this is the best album yet from one of the most consistently creative voices in modern jazz music.

[belgrills]

Melbourne, Australia

On our first day in Melbourne we were arrested! Only joking, we were fake arrested as part of the old jail experience. As part of the tour, selected people were given a role and I was Sally the substance abuser… cringe. Anyway, turns out the famous Ned Kelly was executed here. After the jail we visited the museum which was pretty cool despite the room that they dedicated to taxidermy. 

The next day we took the tram around Melbourne (we found this very confusing!) and visited St Kilda and Luna Amusement Park. In the evening we went to the European Bier Cafe which had a comedy club in the basement. We accidently had way too much to drink here and the next day one of us suffered greatly. 

The following day we visited Phillip Island for a weekend of motorbike racing (see previous blog for more details). For the return leg of Melbourne, we stayed at an amazing AirBnB right by the beach. The host (Suzanne) was so easy to talk to and happened to be in IT… so Mike and Suzanne were like mother hens chattering away for hours. She suggested spending the evening trying to p - p - pick up a p - p - penguin at the St. Kilda Penguin Parade. The parade happens just after sunset and it is rumoured that you will see penguins swimming from the ocean and climbing onto the harbour to settle for the evening. In honesty they were hard to spot, but we could hear their cute cries and actually found a few amongst the rocks. Whilst we waited we were entertained by a man in Speedos and a cowboy hat. For some reason he decided it would be a good idea to delve into the water and grab floating jellyfish. Next he lobbed them back into the sea… we presume it had something to do with stopping the penguins from being stung??

Our final day in Australia was spent visiting the botanical gardens and an arcade bar. At the Pixel Alley Bar we had free gaming as we drank! Mike obviously beat me at everything haha. Our flight was pretty early the next morning, but we said goodbye to Australia in style as we flew Emirates to Auckland, New Zealand! 

If there is anyone following this blog and eagerly awaiting the next installment, then I'm afraid we have bad news. We are likely to be working for the next few months in Auckland so probably won't be posting again till around July!

Flight from Sydney into Melbourne

Funky coffee bar with chairs stuck to the roof

Huge jellies!

Which this nutter liked to pick up and throw back into the sea!

Where star fish go to sunbathe/die

Mike and I got arrested and processed at the Old Gaol!

The ladies side of the prison. Tash looks at home ;)

When did Mike become 6 foot!

Sally Substance

Cool street art

Charlie Pickering (from the Weekly) was the host amongst some incredibly funny acts at the comedy club!

Taking advantage of the Melbourne bike share sheme

Melbourne Museum

Waterslide bar

St Kilda Pier 

Water rat

Noisy penguin

Caught red handed

Horse escort

Botanical gardens

Sky graffiti 

Arcade game bar! :)

[thatwitchrevan]

I did see No Way Home last night, and.... It was way better than I expected, and I enjoyed it, but it was also the most surreal movie experience I've ever had because it was trying to be like. So many things at once, all while having this fanservice fest and being an mcu film.

And it worked?? Kinda? But also kinda not? Idk I love each actor's Spider-Man and each of the rogues gallery characters they brought in (particularly Alfred Molina's Doc Ock 💚), but seeing them in the MCU was so jarring. Each franchise has a different visual and tonal style and they don't blend together easily, and Disney is not especially adept at crossovers no matter how much they like doing them.

I did enjoy how it felt like a heartfelt longfic about multiple Spideys coming together but I also feel like the weirdness of it detracted from it being able to be A Serious Spider Man Film About Tom Holland. His storyline was pretty good, but everything got a little muddled there sometimes. And I felt like the villains deserved more screentime and development.

I did love seeing Tobey and Andrew come back to their roles and show off the differences and similarities in their portrayals and Tom's. I really enjoyed the rogue's gallery hanging out and working with Tom!Peter, especially Norman imprinting on him - that line where he says 'remarkable - the technology and you' absolutely killed me. I felt for Norman so much in those brief scenes. And Otto... I love him sm,, and he was so soft with Norman at the apartment, it was adorable. They are gay. Also when Tobey!Peter sees Otto and gets emotional, and Otto asks how he's been and talks about how he's grown up??? I did have emotions about it.

MJ is everything. I love Zendaya as MJ so much, she could redeem the MCU Spider Man franchise on her own. She's the funniest character but also in many ways the most emotionally mature. I love how supportive she was of Peter and Ned and eventually the other Peters, and I loved getting hints of more of her backstory and her own life. I think her not going by Watson implies she's not in contact with her birth father and that the dad her and Peter reference is a step dad, because MJ's birth father is abusive in other continuities - and if she does have a better family life than usual I love that for her. I do think it's very weird that she and May hadn't met yet because weren't Peter and Michelle friends for a little while between the first and second movie? I know they just started dating when Peter's identity was revealed but there must have been some time in there either before or after they got together when he could've introduced them. Also in most continuities May knows Mary Jane before Peter does, so to show May meeting this MJ in the middle of the chaos was just weird. And I wish they'd had more of a relationship in this one because MJ and May's relationship is incredibly important.

Matt Murdock's iconic cameo was beautiful ♥️ I love him. Ditto to Eddie and Venom, my confused bi disaster boys.

Anyway this is not at all an organized ramble but yeah this was a weird and weirdly fun movie but also my brain is confused and I have many questions and critiques. It's neither a seamless crossover or a crossover with deliberate, funky seams... It's kinda just a bunch of stuff thrown together and lampshaded a million times, mcu style.

I could see them soft-rebooting Tom's Spidey as the movie went on and I don't entirely appreciate it. Pressing undo and having Peter joke about being broke when that's never been evident in the MCU doesn't magically give him back what he was supposed to start with. If he ends up working at the Bugle in the next movie I will be zero percent surprised.