#only mentioning punk as a reference for loud crowd pops

[wolvesofinnistrad]

RDJ as Doom getting the same kinda pop CM Punk gets in his hometown this is truly insanity

[systastic]

sissasystem of three or four that are all bandmates and play different instruments/one sings?

oooh this is such a good idea!! :33 went with a punk rock group theme ~ putting them under the cut this time!! minor cw for transphobia mentions

collective name: beckham, billie, rowan, dallas, connecticut (connie for short), aida, reed

collective signoff: 🎶, 🎵, 🎼, ❤️‍🔥, dixgrace/disgrace (band name), “future pop stars”

name :: jax, juno, jace, jackie, jagger, london, billie, beckham

age :: 19 to 21

pronouns :: she/he (alternating), he/him, she/her, she/shim, it/its

roles :: sysadult, protector, appellisian, sexual protector, audeomate

species :: human, self-proclaimed “real life rockstar, babes!!”

gender identity :: AMAB, bigender, a proud crossdresser, and prefers not to label himself beyond that

orientation :: panromantic, multisexual

source :: brainmade, strongly connects with jem and the holograms

aesthetic :: new wave, glam rock, party animal

appearance description :: think of the most fabulous person you’ve ever seen. got them in your mind? good. now imagine them ten times hotter and more extreme in their fashion choice, and boom: you’ve got jackie! she will wear just about anything so long as he can style it. glittery cowboy boots? sure! a rainbow feather boa? why not! a wig that reaches the floor? you can bet your buttocks she would! billie is rather tall, standing at about six feet (and then some!!) which is only exaggerated by the fact that his favorite footwear is heels. hell, during pride, you might even see shim with neon everywhere and light-up heart glasses! jace takes dressing up as a challenge: she won’t settle for anything less than superb.

personality description :: juno is and always will be unapologetically shimself. she is loud and proud and ready to bring the house down for all the queer people who don’t feel safe enough to be out yet. she speaks loudly, exaggerates shir hand motions, has a deep laugh and always seems to be ‘in’ on the gossip. wanna know a secret about xyz? now you can, thanks to beckham’s superb social skills! jagger loves being the center of attention and having all eyes on shir. what kind of rockstar fades into the shadows? a bad one, that’s who! london will make people pay attention and be her friend whether they know it yet or not.

likes :: partying, “girly” drinks, performing songs, pyrotechnics, dramatics, drag (both himself and others), playing with her band, making a scene and being loud, people who have passion and a drive for change, protests, rallies, mosh pits, big crowds, high heels, singing & being center stage, fooling around with people

dislikes :: negative nellies, cops, the government, enforcing social norms on children, transphobes, transphobia movement, republicans (she can’t agree with the direction it’s going in), people who don’t match her vibe, homophobes, racists (& any other -ist, really)

front triggers :: social injustice, homophobia, anything glam rock, drag shows, roller derby

signoff:: 🎤, 🤘, or 🛼

art credit here!

name :: harlow, arlo, leo, merlo, harley, rowan, charlie (lee as a nickname)

age :: 17 to 20 (ageweird)

pronouns :: no pronouns, it/its, per/pers, hu/hum

roles :: buffer, disabler (speech), trauma holder, pseudo gatekeeper

species :: human

gender identity ::, nullgender / gendervoid

orientation :: aromantic, aegosexual

source :: brainmade

aesthetic :: punk, post-punk, alternative

appearance description :: nobody really knows why, but arlo tends to talk in the third person when referring to itself in front of others. it doesn’t like the concept of gender much. this is obvious by looking at how it dresses: skirts on top of pants, long jackets with floppy arms, tight fitting tops with loose bottoms, heels with fishnets under jorts. harlow spits in the face of gender norms one day at a time — and harley doesn’t even have to speak to do it. merlo prevents other people from seeing its eyes for a reason: it has coloboma, a condition that’s gotten it a lot of hate in the past.

personality description :: they don’t talk much, but oh boy, when they do? you best believe they’re spitting straight facts. lee is quiet, tending to stay out of the limelight. charlie remembers a time when it tried to be the center of attention… everything that came from it was horrible. weird managers, gross “challenges”, unwanted advances — it’s painful to think about, even more so if a memory gets triggered. harley is lucky to have their bandmates: juno goes out of shir way to keep harley safe and dress down any assholes who threaten their safety, while knox talks harley out of ones shell.

likes :: drumming its sticks on random objects, watching the world go by, listening to music, not having to say anything, being out of the spotlight, comfortable clothes, quiet rooms, talking to knox, hanging out with its bandmates, pita bread with hummus

dislikes :: talking with people it doesn’t know, being forced to front, being the center of attention, cajoling, excessive physical touch, stan behavior, hollywood (on principle), stalker behavior, being forced to do things that seem strange or uncomfortable, getting a haircut, other people seeing its eyes

front triggers :: the presence of others in their sisasystem, a good beat, alternative or punk music, stalkers, gross behavior directed at oneself

signoff :: 🥁, 🎧, or 🔇

art credit here!

name :: knox, kenji, kai, rowan, dallas, mav or vick (short for maverick)

age :: 19 to 21

pronouns :: he/him, hy/hym, hx/hxm

roles :: comforter, soother, battery, spoon generator, crafter

species :: plain ol’ human

gender identity :: maleflux

orientation :: heteroflexible, greyromantic

source :: brainmade

aesthetic :: darksynth, goth punk

appearance description :: rowan has darker skin in the headspace, with longer hair that is normally done in dreads. he doesn’t have to think too much about his dreads or maintain them, so it’s easier this way. dallas is almost always wearing hxs fishnet arm pieces with brackets jangling off of hxs wrists. hx opts for loose tanks and jeans, sometimes with a beanie, as they’re comfortable enough without making hxm overhead. in winter, mav is constantly in sweaters: most are plain, but hx has some truly horrendous ones for the holidays season.

personality description :: social anxiety? who’s she?? kenji doesn’t know her. hy’s so chill about everything that it’s hard to imagine hym ever being mad. its true: knox rarely, if ever, gets truly upset over something. that’s just the life of a headmate whose purpose is to relax and chill. if he does get upset, hy refuses to say anything or get upset over it, instead letting juno give the other party what for. hx is a soft fella with a large heart, open to listening to other people’s troubles and offer gentle solutions. he’s more of a passive force, and doesn’t actively take steps to make changes.

likes :: his guitar, strumming chords, coming up with new lyrics for songs, heavy bass, guitar songs in general, chilling with his pals, pepperoni pizza and soda, fried foods, and having a good ol’ jam session with the gang, sitting on the roof of his garage to watch the sun set

dislikes :: having responsibilities beyond the band, dead-end jobs (ie: anything that isn’t music), getting his flow interrupted, large dogs, having neighbors (they’re always complaining, sheesh), being told to turn it down, consistent disregard for his emotions and feelings, thinking about the future

front triggers :: playing or listening to the guitar, making art (usually music), sleepy afternoons, the smell of roasting coffee, chill environments

signoff :: 🎸, ☕️, or 🍫

art credit here!

[thetwistedcryptid]

What will your monster-au dorm kids be for Halloween? :3 <3

thanks for the ask! hmm certainly one that i've pondered before, but not too intently. in some ways i assume they'd all have an agree'd on theme, much like the dorms in canon during those halloween events - so they'd probs have smth similar to maybe riddle's dorm, with the undead theme. but at the same time i think that's expected and maybe a little too basic, for these monster boys at least. their overall dorm theme would most likely be a more militaristic theme i guess?? but for just these specific boys in a group? personally i think it would be funny if they wore either of these two group costumes: the first group costume would be the ghost busters (the ramshackle perfect mentioned it in passing to cailean, who's in Ramarak's study group.. and Ramarak thought it would be funny! Kaiyō and Taranis find the jump suits uncomfortable due to their tails and whatnot, so they got them tailored. but Kaiyō is on board and making soo many jokes. even convinced the ramshackle perfect to tell him all about the story the costumes are from, and probs becomes a die hard fan cuz any kind of hunt/fighting entices him. Taranis isn't down for costumes that dont look scary but cant go against the dorm head on this.. so just broods in silence. Hikaru is neutral either way, doesnt usually celebrate this stuff, Eleu is usually just here for the food/candy.. the festivities are too loud/crowded for him so he usually disappears for a little bit every hour or so to regulate himself but likes to see everyone else have fun. only Kaiyō and ramshackle perfect understand the references that their making.. well, inside jokes are fun and they dont mind. their friends' confusion is priceless the second group outfit.. def a k-pop band sort of deal! (i might draw that tbh). the k-pop kaiju, lmaoo. this is also probs due to the ramshackle perfect.. who probs got Hikaru and Ramarak into the music (Ramarak is mostly into the aesthetics.. while Hikaru thinks its better then the metal and rock his dormmates blast all the time). Taranis is probs the one that adds a bit of 'punk' or 'delinquent' to his outfit, since he doesnt wanna look like like some preppy goody good boy. that's embarrassing to him, but he does revel in the attention... Eleu is just super frigidity and bashful about it - compliment him, lightly, or else he'll flee with a red face! he doesnt sing much, is mostly just dancing. and Ramarak probs tries to get the group to learn a song to preform infront of everyone while the fireworks are set off (how did he get Eleu and Taranis to agree? no one knows.. some think he's just that good at persuasion. probs offered to do their homework for a week or smth, Eleu has stage fright so is mostly in the back of the group and Taranis doesnt wanna feel like a jester.. but somehow they both end up being the best at it??). legit the group becomes big hit online and people on magicam think their a real boy band?? they get a following but probs arent aware of it unless they go into town and are bugged by fans of the recorded preformence. then again them dressing as the dudes from the princess bride... also works.. and i think would be hilarious. god i can already imagine the comedy potential- but.. individually? well, that might be a bit more tricky, but here's what i think they'd dress as solo:

Kaiyō -- some kind of knight, wanting to be a fighter rather then a noble (that he already is) stuck in a golden cage, since knights are free to roam. probs tried to carry a real sword, but it got confiscated, so not he just has a wooden practice one sold at the school shop. Taranis -- maybe a zombie ?? (ramarack would do the makeup), he think's its scary and he wants to be intimidating (it works, he gives some freshmen nightmares for weeks, which he's proud of) Ramarack -- this thing, idk what it is, he'd do it just for jump scaring as a light hearted prank (cailean gave him the idea). probs tries to eat the most candy/snacks, somehow has no ill effects of all that sugar the next day..

Hikaru -- either a chef like similar to those outfits in the master chef cooking event, or just taping a bunch a receipts and bank notices to his shirt and calling himself "debt" cuz he couldn't think of anything else (i did that one year, lol) Eleu -- florist <3 need i say more? pretty self explanatory, he'd probs hand out flower crowns to everyone - different flowers for each crown, depending on the person its for.

[mynameisdreartblog]

Devilish Deals 3

Libra: Offered cool-ass, hellfire bullets. On my route to work, there’s several things I always remark a subtle difference of change in whenever I pass them by: The color of this single window that portrays a lovely dining room scene, the angle the traffic lights hang at, and the name engraved on a rather fancy mausoleum to long-dead celebrity. I can’t tell if I was endowed with a foresight to detect the incredibly subtle, or if it’s an involved process like deciphering anagrams. Regardless, certain messages have been changing to be something that corresponded with recent events within my life. Two years ago, a supply that was supposed to arrive at six in the afternoon was late by another six hours: I checked outside the coordinates they gave me, and I ran only to find out that the site was abandoned. The truck was still there, but it was torn nearly in two and the books were gone. Witnesses had nothing to say before casting their attention to darker corners, alluding that something had happened here that they didn’t want to tell me. [,] The morning after, I passed by that window and it was tinted an irradiated yellow that reflected just enough sunlight for you to avoid seeing what’s behind it. Then, I passed by the traffic lights and they hung at an unusual angle that was 30° facing north from where they’re positioned normally: Not only this, the second light was duller and quite hard to make out. Finally, the mausoleum located in the bottom-right corner of the local cemetery said that it was honoring Yisrael Katz, who — last time I checked — was still alive somewhat. I was passing by the first two attempting to avoid how they were calling to me until I got to the last sign: At that point, I had to ask someone. So, I got off my horse and approached a gravedigger in the cemetery… But he refused to look towards me and instead to arbitrary corners: Indicating that someone was there I couldn’t sense. Suddenly, I was back on my horse towards my workplace as usual. […] Later I was approached by crossing guards who took their duty very seriously, though the ones that stopped me didn’t wear brightly colored vests and actively carried military weaponry. That was something that wasn’t out of the ordinary, so I forgot all about the paranormal disturbances from earlier and I continued on with my day… that was until today where the crossing guards weren’t carrying assault rifles. [,] «Cool, that’s… actually quite interesting. Spare me another story will you?» Heh, and here I was expecting the same old sarcasm from you.

Cancer: In a bus. It was a cold, drowsy morning: One that told you God listened to too much loud music and it started giving him early symptoms of tinnitus. Here, we zoom into a quiet corner of the Patagonian landscape into a somewhat isolated townscape that’s aching with the fog that surrounds it: Even the dry plateaus felt misty this morning. In the center of this village, the statue of Blessed Whoever stood as unquestionably incompetently as you’d expect, decorated with the linings of bird defecation. From its mighty stone finger pointing eastward, there could be seen a low-end shopping center that served as the fourth quadrant that made up the village square. All was quaint except for two villagers having a troublesome argument near the fountain. There’s nothing else for us to do here as eavesdroppers from inside the walls, — the one they just so happened to lean on when they began to fuss — so we’ll take whatever information we can receive from the outside. [,] Peer into a life you were never meant to understand and ask yourself questions: Why are they arguing? Are the typical, emotionally logical reasons why it’s occurring, or is it strange, esoteric reasons? What’s the tone of voice being used by each party? Are they pious people or secular snakes? Is it about the, uh, family business? […] We’ve been eavesdropping for so long that the sun has turned a noticeable fifteen degrees in the sky. And for as much as the sun had turned, the conversation had turned for the worse. Both of the voices were becoming louder and more parched as the subject matter shifted from academic performance to finances. Each party is becoming more thoroughly stubborn in their assessments. It seems that it’s in our interests that no compromise is reached if we’re continued to lay near this building and pretend we’re only homeless in the moment. You lived long enough to know that getting too far up one’s own ass is a very real thing, and you’re aware of the epiphanic powers that one’s inner self holds in how the reconsiderations never leave the space where the self feels trapped oftentimes by their own causation. We’ve spent long enough invading privacy; let’s leave, Kokin: We’ve done enough amoral narration for now. […] Oh, I meant this literally; I have no idea why you thought I was talking about arrogance when I mentioned shoving one’s head up their own ass.

Virgo: By dancing for them. Like the band Paramore (whose recent work was pretty good; I don’t know why so many think it’s lackluster just because it’s not traditionally punk), we must complete an arbitrary number of world-records to the tune of a new power-pop track. <Bluma turns toward the crowd of unamused city-folk gathered around her rather dignified soapbox.> I see you must’ve all come here for a reason, and we mustn’t disappoint. <A small coughing can be heard in the back of the crowd, and another person reacts with disgust over the cougher not covering their mouth with their shoulder.> Before we perform, we must list all of the feasible, previously uncontested world records that we’ll attempt to perform today. Refer to the whiteboard above me, read it, and understand the potential records as its followed so you don’t become confused during the process. <The whiteboard is shown, and all the records are written in a dried, green marker that makes the text hard to read.> [,] For those who still can’t grasp it, I’ll read them out: 1. The highest stacking of Starbursts. 2. The fastest time to teach a child how to comprehend Baudrillardian thought. 3. The farthest-reaching skipping stone. 4. The most amount of ding-dong-ditches in the span of six hours. 5… <Those of the audience who wanted to see some action left as they became bored through the persistent listing, adding to Bluma’s plan.> [,] Now, those of you with the proper faith left to trust us, we’ll be performing in T-minus sixty seconds. I’m Bluma, and this is my band: Gamerghazi. «Wait, was this supposed to be a concert? I thought it was just a demonstration.» <Bluma drops down from her soapbox and kicks it into the crowd, indirectly hitting the one who asked that question.> Well, actually, it’s not really a musical band: It’s an unclear organization of people that doesn’t fit into any neat category, so I just call it a band for simplicity’s sake. I named it Gamerghazi after an existing indie band from Canada. <The questioner, now on the ground, responds> «Oh okay, that’s neat.» […] <While in the midst of completing the second record, Bluma triggers a supernatural event> In that moment of silence that broke everything — and broke more world records for me than any of those Guinness books I stole in my childhood — I felt like I was in a space of reality completely tailored towards who I’ve become to be over this quarter of a lifetime. There was a serenity that I somehow knew wasn’t meant to be there, and had to come at the cost of removing the presence of others to restore a sense of balance. It’s as if all of those years of listening to the powerful anthems of contemporary pop music — that which was calling for world domination via style alone — made all the sense in the world to me. <Bluma awakes to find out that she’s been accused of faking the first record by using non-traditional flavors of Starburst.>

Sagittarius: For some job experience. I forgot what time this took place… It seems to have shifted so much, and I feel like someone can live on the same planet that I do but be a hundred years ahead in terms of how quickly than can coordinate action. There’s someone out there who’s an exact pinpoint reflection of myself and the path of life I’m tracing out, and that almost everything about them is identical to myself, yet having such varying differences in how they merely comprehend knowledge. They’re probably some sorta silicone-based lifeform, and they probably have a civilization that chose to etch its language into a more insane physical material through a process I can’t even begin to imagine… Might be that they live in a solar system the same as ours, only that they inhabit a slightly modified version in which Venus became the most hospitable place for life. They likely would’ve inhabited Ishtar and had a funny accent compared to those on the island of Tellus, but they’re too self-conscious to admit they have their own funny way of pronouncing Lakshmi words. «Let me guess, you’re projecting your desire for exploration on fictional worlds again, aren’t you?» <The atmosphere of the scene is settled in with the intrusion of Swayo’s words make their case. The exposed comfort of the campfire lights the entire scene, and Rossouw lowers their flask of gin. It was a far call from the nakedness of the AC back at home-base: Something that she had to finally accept as her new home and pass on by as if she’s never had a concept of stable living.> I feel like too much time has passed between your friendly intrusion and my monologue, but please, sit down and gaze further with me. [,] It’s not often that I engage in these; I generally despise sit-downs that I didn’t form myself because I’m paranoid that they’re gonna attempt to redirect me rather then the preferred: That I redirect them. But, I’ll make an exception for you because you broke my focus, and that warrants the punishment of getting to know me. «Uh, I just wanted to ask about your shirt.» Then why the comments from earlier? I was gonna make this at least somewhat heartfelt and now you’re just proving my point that any glimpse of peace I can have is just ripped away by people who didn’t even mean it, God. <The fire begins to die and the gin in Rossouw’s bottle begins to reach its last drops. The wind that feels like an AC returns at the small sense of comfort she had began to dissipate into usual expectations. It was a close call to the nakedness of the AC back at home-base.> [,] I’m gonna pretend you didn’t interrupt me...  You’ve seen it on the news, and you’ve heard it in stories of abduction, sometimes we’re just granted with biological technology around us that grants us something that pushes us “ahead” in certain areas. «Where did you get that shirt, though?» I feel like too much time has passed… in general. I hope my otherworldly self has a home.

[kihocrystal]

Winter 2018 Final Impressions

I’m a month late, as usual (whoops!), but here’s my final thoughts on the animes I watched this past season! 

The “reviews” will be in alphabetical order!

3-gatsu no Lion S2 - 9.0 / 10 (A)

This second season of 3-gatsu was great! It’s just… a really great drama show about fighting depression (& a bunch of other character storylines)!

First off... THE BULLYING ARC WAS REALLY GOOD

extremely complicated, emotionally complex… this arc brings all sorts of emotions & angles into the forefront

multiple perspectives too: Hina’s, Rei’s, the bullied girl’s, the bully’s, the teachers’, and Akari too!

The art style can pull off both thick-outlined / bright colored style and watercolor-esque style incredibly well

it really is beautiful how it can visually portray both light-hearted and emotionally intense scenes

This season continues to show how good it is at character development for characters both main & supporting!

We get to see Rei moving through the ranks as a shogi player

and also moving through the ranks of conquering his depression! He’s improved more than ever before!

We get to learn about the white-haired master player (Souya); I liked how he has his own quicks and challenges he has in his daily life

Along with the other head shogi guy (Yanagihara)! (& how he shoulders his legacy for his friends)

Even the last episode offered some perspective from the foster mom about Rei & her kids

this show is just… really good at making normally-hated characters sympathetic, hot damn

Aside from bullying arc, this season also showed Hina preparing for the transition to high school

The finale episode was nice and sweet, with Hina saying goodbye to Takahashi and even getting a haircut!

This continues to be one of the best drama anime in recent years! Not to mention SHAFT’s best show since Madoka Magica :3

Cardfight!! Vanguard G: Z - 7.5 - 8.0 / 10 (C+)

And so ends the G series of Cardfight Vanguard… this final season I’ll say though is kind of a mixed bag

The plot had interesting ideas and moments at times, but the execution and pacing left a bit to be desired

though I will say it was definitely better than last season (CFV G NEXT)

This season didn’t waste any time getting to the main plot, as Chrono has to face off against a Diffrider right away

the diffrider stuff is continued from last season, but for the most part, it’s a new plot kicking off!

The rollout of all the new Diffrider Apostles (& them showing their strength) definitely made them look like powerful foes

not to mention the Zeroth Dragons, which were also shown to be powerful and very risky to use

Also knowing that anyone in the main cast could end up being The Vessel added some intrigue as well

the reveal that Kazuma would be the vessel definitely was a well executed twist imo~

However the pacing in places felt a bit too fast for me… the Relics subplot felt like it wrapped up too quickly, for example

the final fight against Gyze also kinda felt rushed… Gyze didn’t even have any dying words after his defeat :/

As a final season specifically, I feel like it kinda pales in comparison to Stride Gate, unfortunately

The cast was also kinda hit and miss in terms of how well they were utilized in the plot

some of the apostles definitely had more screen time than others (gredora only got like… two episodes)

plus gastille (the supposed apostle leader) got beaten sooner than like 3 other ones???

some villains carry over from last season too, such as Noa (Chaos Breaker) and the red-head punk kid

I liked all the new villains this season, personality-wise! (Also Yukari Tamura in there is a plus)

also no Am and Luna this season, really…

the previously established OG cast were integrated fine, for the most part

including Aichi and Kai getting the kill against Chaos Breaker Dragon

but the final episodes kinda just shoe-horn in a bunch of cameos that just didn’t feel natural :/

it just felt like “OH SHIT, this is the last season actually! Quick, throw in a bunch of cameos!”

this also applies to G characters, which makes less utilized characters (like Am & Luna, as mentioned before) look out of place :(

Sure, I’m saying a bunch of negative stuff right now, but I REALLY LOVE THIS CAST… I JUST WANT THE BEST FOR THEM

It’s the main reason I love CFV G, after all~

This season was definitely an improvement over NEXT for sure! The plot was interesting, I just wish the conclusion was better

The final episode basically just felt like an OVA, really… aside from the last scene, it didn’t really feel like an epilogue at all

I guess it just bums me out bc the original series got a good epilogue episode, so I know they could do it here, too…

In any case, I’M GONNA MISS THIS CAST, BIG TIME ;A;

In any case, this was a decent season to end the G series with! Not the strongest, but not the weakest either.

I’m gonna look back on my time with CFV G fondly for sure, if for nothing else than the great ensemble cast :’)

It’s gonna be weird going back to the OG cast for sure… I arguably liked the G cast better than the OG one :’D

Osomatsu-san S2 - 8.0  / 10 (B)

The consensus among fans seems to be that this season wasn’t as good as the first season

As for me, I… probably agree with that (though I still enjoyed this season!)

As with most comedy anime, whether the jokes land is pretty subjective. I feel like I didn’t laugh as hard this season? IDK

There were more “seasonal/holiday”-based episodes this time around (i.e. summer, new year’s, etc.)

What stays the same though is that this show is at its best when featuring the main brothers themselves

Skits involving the side characters (like Iyami, Dayon, etc.) didn’t make me laugh much…

I will say though that I enjoyed the second half of the season more than the first half~

Enough about the negatives, let’s talk about this season’s memorable skits / episodes!

The premiere was really good, as it poked fun at the huge popularity the show unexpectedly got xD

plus a bunch of references that *aren’t* gonna get them removed from streaming sites this time!

Jyushimatsu getting an “apprentice” with a little kid was also pretty funny~

The Karamatsu taxi skit, the spooky inn, & all the characters being stuck on an island were also good skits!

Ep. 18 (Iyami, Alone in the Wind) was also a crowd favorite, since it brought the feels for a change :’)

The finale 2-parter pulled a bait-and-switch yet again!

Part 1 was actually pretty serious, but the actual finale just has them trying to break out of hell xD

OH YEAH, I still really like the live-action stuff they do during the ending sequences

the first half’s ED was my favorite (the stop-motion of the brothers riding in the car)

I don’t have much to say about comedies generally, but Osomatsu-san is still my favorite in recent years ^^

Even though this season didn’t hit as hard as S1, it still provided some fun laughs~

Pop Team Epic - 7.5 / 10 (C+)

What can I really say about this show? It kind of defies description ^^;

Ok, yeah, it’s a sketch comedy, but it’s a really… crazy and random sketch comedy

The jokes are hit and miss (and in my experience was a bit more… miss than hit)

I never really laughed out loud at this show either

but then again, the humor here is more “being confused at what’s going on, but going along with it anyway”

There’s also a lot of modern anime references, so you might not get those jokes if you don’t follow most recent anime

Each episode has a long skit in it, plus a bunch of bite-size skits

I personally preferred the short skits over the long ones

There were a couple song parodies which I enjoyed (including the Earth Wind & Fire parody)

Also, this series definitely benefits from having an English simuldub! Some skits I found funnier in English!

OH YEAH, the voice actors (in both languages) change every episode, with female and male VAs in each episode

that enhanced the enjoyability of the sketches too, since I liked hearing favorite VAs do silly dialogue and performances!

I wouldn’t say this ranks among my favorite anime comedies, but it’s definitely unlike any other I’ve seen! ^^;

Your mileage will *definitely* vary with this one, so give it a try and see if it’s for you!

The Ancient Magus’ Bride (Mahoutsukai no Yome) - 8.5 - 9 / 10 (A-)

This was a very enjoyable fantasy drama show! Some people feel this show was overhyped, but I still thought it was really good!

I really liked the cast overall, especially Chise

She has really good character development throughout the show! She really becomes more strong and confident!

Seeing the fantastical world through her eyes was interesting as well!

Especially since those mystical elements were also responsible for her terrible childhood…

Elias was also an interesting guy… he and Chise have an interesting relationship together

Their relationship definitely has aspects that are unhealthy, but they do grow closer to each other by the end

If people can’t get past the whole premise of “him buying Chise to be his bride” though, I totally understand ^^;

They help each other learn too, which I liked to see

The supporting cast was also enjoyable! Not much to say about them individually though

The dragon keeper was nice and we got to learn about Elias’ origins through him

The dragons in general were great! Especially the old one that turned into a tree :’)

He gives Chise some good sage advice, even after death :’)

Angelica, Silky, and Stella (among others, like the other anti-hero duo) were good support characters too~

I liked Stella’s role of “normal girl who learns of the supernatural’s existence”

Cartaphilus was an… okay villain, I guess (though his methods were quite creepy indeed, which added some intrigue)

Some character designs are a bit questionable though… like who approved the vampire’s design? ^^;

Another large appeal of this was the world building of the fantastical elements!

I liked seeing all the different types of locales & supernatural creatures, both good and bad

As a low-fantasy show, this show does a Dang Good Job with the fantasy!

Chise learning more about herself and gaining confidence through these experiences were a highlight as well

I enjoyed each story arc as well, even though most of them were more explorative and introspective

This show can be dang beautiful sometimes, through both its art/animation and its stories (Thanks, Studio WIT!)

Some were better than others, but they all deliver either a heartwarming (or a dark) story

Some favorites of mine were the dragon-based ones, and the vampire loving the old man

The finale was good too! It’s unknown whether this conclusion is anime-original or not, but it was definitely a good S1 ending~

If you love low-fantasy shows, this is definitely one to check out!

Violet Evergarden - 8.5 - 9.0 / 10 (A-)

Best *new* anime (that I watched) of this past season, hands down~

Though to be fair, I still need to watch A Place Farther than the Universe… and Yuru Camp… and After the Rain…

Going into this season, this show was hyped and back and somehow… a lot of people were *disappointed* with this show?

I think it had to do with expecting a different show than what we got; as for me, I knew it’d be an episodic drama the whole time :P

But yes, this show has a (mostly) episodic plot with an overarching character arc. If that’s too slow for you, then you probably won’t like this show.

In any case, back to the positives! The first one being how good this show looks visually… as expected from KyoAni~

there’s so much detail in the backgrounds and the character elements (especially the lighting on objects like Violet’s metal hands)

this aspect is one thing *everyone* agrees on regardless, so… yeah, this show’s really pretty!

The main star (and focus) of this show was Violet herself… you can really see how she changes for the better from beginning to end

You get to see how “robot-like” she was at the start of the show, but she slowly learns about dealing with emotions of others… and herself

This character arc is definitely the “main” plot of the show, along with her coming to terms with Gilbert’s death and her war killings

The episodic plots were good in their own right, too!

Ranging from Violet’s start as a Memoir Doll to the different clients she works with, they all teach her something along the way

These sometimes focus on the side characters working at the Doll Agency too, so we get to learn more about them as well

The one that comes to mind first is Iris’ episode, where she (messily) reconnects with a former lover

Not all of them get a full episode in the spotlight, but they do get some focus scenes from time to time

Violet’s clientele episodes were the most memorable out of this lot IMO

ESPECIALLY EPISODE 10… that was the BIGGEST feels trip

I knew exactly how the episode was going to end, but I still teared up at that ending!

The finale was action packed, but also was a beautiful way to show how far Violet has come

I know some people’s issue with this show is that “it doesn’t know what show it wants to be” re: the action stuff, but I was fine with it personally

in any case, it was a pretty good book-end for Violet’s development, since she finally understands (a least a little) what “I love you” means :’)

I understand certain people’s gripes with this show, but this really is a great little drama show that *will* deliver the feels~

P.S. I also watched Fate/Extra: Last Encore this season. It hasn’t technically ended yet, so I can’t give final impressions on it right now. However, my current score for it is a 7.5/10 (C+).

[dearly]

The band have seen more than their fair share of people through turbulent times, tending to collect the vast majority of fans in the throes of adolescence and carrying them through from there. Considering how different each album sounds – from the wounded, cutting pop-punk of Your Favorite Weapon to the self-aware, sex-obsessed Deja Entendu; the desperate soul-searching of The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me to the abstract chaos of Daisy – it wouldn't have been surprising to see their fanbase splinter into factions defined by era, like those of Conor Oberst or Manic Street Preachers. But Brand New have continually reinvented themselves while fundamentally providing the same thing on each album – namely confirmation that, yeah, being alive is quite difficult if you think about it to any meaningful degree, and that undercurrent of dread which you feel most days is probably justified, and here are 50 minutes worth of relatable reasons why plus some new ones you hadn't even considered. That's what stops them from being lumped in with all your other favourite bands from back when you had snakebites and a fake ID.

Before we get into the meat of things, it's worth mentioning that Jesse Lacey has always been the kind to wear his influences on his sleeve. The man performs in front of a mic stand wrapped in flowers; make no mistake that he worships Morrissey. I once watched him have a go at a festival crowd for opting to watch Brand New instead of Explosions in the Sky, who were playing at the same time. Brand New named one of their lead singles after a famous quote from Rushmore, another after Audrey Tautou, another after a line from a fictional gangster film in Home Alone 2, and another after a short story written by a character in Stephen King's Secret Window, Secret Garden. "I Will Play My Name Beneath The Spin Light" borrows lines from "Chumming The Ocean" by Archers of Loaf, and several bootlegs of Jesse Lacey's solo sets have become cult essentials for containing covers of Jawbreaker's "Accident Prone", Built To Spill's "Car" and Neutral Milk Hotel's "Oh, Comely" or "Two-Headed Boy". The list of references goes on and on. Such direct nods were largely abandoned on Daisy and replaced by samples from reel-to-reel tapes that Jesse bought online from an estate site, leaving fewer dots for fans to connect on Reddit. So, it's both unsurprising and a welcome return to form that Science Fiction appears to be assembled on touchstones.

Ahead of it's release online, Science Fiction was mailed to everyone who preordered the vinyl, as a CD containing one long track called "44.5902N104.7146W" – the approximate coordinates for Devils Tower National Monument in Wyoming (also the setting for Close Encounters of the Third Kind). It came with a booklet featuring quotes from the fictional Poole vs HAL 9000 chess match in 2001: A Space Odyssey. The number plate on the car in the cover art reads "SOS 666", while the photograph itself, shot by Swedish photographer Thobias Fäldt, originally appeared in a VICE fashion spread about intelligent textiles. The two girls jumping off the roof are wearing clothes designed to turn stiff in response to impact, making it much harder for them to get hurt.

There are two ways of reading this. You could go deep on Stanley Kubrick and try to connect his juxtaposition of imagery with Jesse Lacey's lyrical content in a Charlie_Kelly_At_Pinboard.jpeg approach to deconstruction. Or, you could set that aside and grab the common thread of dread and dissociation that runs through it all. Both have value; the title itself speaks to that. "Science Fiction" is a tangible element of pop culture. We know what to expect from science fiction, we're familiar with the concepts it deals with, we "get it" – hence the Close Encounters and Space Odyssey references. But it's also inherently oxymoronic. If you strip away the context, it says more about a disconnect between fact and perception, reality and the surreal, understanding and fabrication – things that are much harder to grapple with in a definitive way. If you go further down that path, Science Fiction becomes a question of perception. The cultural references extend branches to grab onto, but they don't root anything down. That's the point. The world may be made up of concrete things that exist – the people you know, the moon, a laccolithic butte composed of igneous rock in northeastern Wyoming – but the only reality is the one you make for yourself based on how you view them.

Trauma can manifest in many ways: avoidance, anxiety, depersonalisation, hallucinations, self-harm, dissociation. The lyrics allude to pretty much every single one as we hear from Jesse Lacey as well as various fictional narrators and real strangers (like the therapy patient) attempting to understand themselves by reconciling the internal and external forces around them. Some of those forces are a bit on the nose; it's impossible to ignore the political context of "137" and its playground-esque chant about nuclear war, but it's hardly a political song. It romanticises an event in which we're all "vaporised" at once and nobody has to deal explicitly with loss. Equally, "In The Water" references each Brand New album – including the making of this one – in a swan song that writes anxiety, writer's block and expectation directly into the band's history before tethering it to tragedy. It ends with a line from Daisy's title-track, followed by the words "seven years" looped seven times in reference to "Limousine" – a track from The Devil and God about a girl called Katie Flynn who was killed in a car accident when she was seven years old. It's an odd callback to put at the end of a song that's ostensibly about Brand New's own career, but in the context of Science Fiction as a whole it feels symbolic of the endless and universal nature of pain as a significant part of the human experience.

Unsurprisingly there are multiple allusions to death and rebirth, but they feel much less linked to questions surrounding religion or the afterlife. Now, those allusions mostly appear within images of water or the body, which – while formless and temporary, respectively – are easier to hold on to than a belief system. This re-focus on the tangible makes sense when you consider that, for all the obvious external forces on the album that either make themselves apparent or offer themselves up for projection, it's the internal ones that feel most threatening. "Could Never Be Heaven" ends with audio of someone in a therapy session questioning, quite manically, the degree to which conditioning has influenced their beliefs and decisions. It's the voice of someone desperate to know who they really are, like it's the key to understanding why they have such a hard time existing and, maybe, if they had that understanding it wouldn't be so hard anymore. Of course, the more you interrogate yourself like that, the deeper you will fall into an existential hole where everything about yourself and the world splinters into infinite different timelines and you lose yourself among them. A different voice cuts in, saying, "You don't know how to break through this contradictory mess and really find your own authentic individuality," emphasising the word mess. The track that follows is generally about flawed human nature and specifically about someone trapped in a cycle of self-loathing and self-harm.

Brand New albums have a timelessness that's missing from those by most of the bands they came up alongside. After The Devil and God, a certain level of trust had been established that whatever they did next would be "right" even if nobody could be sure how it would sound. But as the years went silently by after Daisy – the distance between the band and their fans widening as both grew older, and possibly apart – doubt set in. There wasn't just the matter of whether a new album would ever materialise after they announced their impending breakup, printed a run of T-shirts that read 'Brand New 2000 – 2018' and then released several new Very American Rock songs that never went anywhere. There was the matter of whether Brand New would still be recognisable, or even relevant. A statement by the band later confirmed that a new album was coming, and would be their last. "What's left should be a strange demise, but hopefully one as loud and as fun as the rest of our time together has been," it concluded. "Please send flowers."

Science Fiction feels like a fitting ending, and parts with the same sort of advice an older sibling or a mentor might give to you before they fuck off to college or otherwise move on with their life. "Batter Up" reflects on the self-referential world that Brand New have built for themselves over the last 17 years and resigns itself to the fact that existing is just really bloody hard. Depending on what mood you're in, it could either feel like an inspirational mantra or the kind of depressing truth that knocks the wind out of you. It could either be, "Batter up! Give it your best shot!" to which you say: "Hell yeah, thanks Jesse, I will!" Or it could be, "I tried, someone else have a go," to which you take a deep breath and silently brace yourself.

I imagine it's the latter. If someone you may well have turned to over the years to do all your articulating for you couldn't make much progression in all this, then the fact that he is purposefully leaving you with the image of him offering you the bat to take your own swings in the dark is very bittersweet. We spend so much time clinging to the idea that things are moving towards some sort of logical conclusion, that there is forward momentum in all we do, but there is a quiet beauty in the fact that, for the most part, everything is cyclical and almost maddeningly simple. If you strip away all the hows, whys, wheres and whats that we spend our time preoccupied with in hope that the answers will ascribe some concrete meaning to being alive, there's really nothing to do besides step outside and hope for the best. That's basically the gameplay, in a nutshell: you give it your best shot and then you die. If you're lucky, someone might send flowers.

[avenger-hawk]

Do you have any Itachi or Sasuke music headcanons? Like, what kind of music they'd be into, or what instrument you'd see them playing?

It’s kind of tough because music is an extremely subjective thing on which everyone has strong feelings. Long post ahead.

This ask is obviously referring to modern AUs. Usually I like modern AUs that aren’t US based because obviously not, or too weeb-Japan based either. Even though Naruto is set in a Japan-based fictional world and its values are Japanese based, it’s still a fiction, broader and more open than real world after all. Anyway My music knowledge is based on European and American sounds.I ignore mainstream pop. I didn’t mention (almost) Italian stuff because only I would know it. I only know a few Japanese artists/songs not counting anime music. I dislike Kpop. Deal with it. Hawk

Although I add music to my edits and writing, doing a more direct thing is tricky. Shinobi are associated with silence, secrets, sacrifice. Itachi is private and mysterious, and Sasuke is straightforward but private as well. On the contrary music is not just a silence breaker but it’s also a revealing mean of self-expression.  

Itachi’s taste would be eclectic. He would like refined sounds like classical music, certain vintage and classy bossa nova, but also lots of (classy) electronic, and dark, mysterious and suggestive imagery like some dark ambient/dark folk (Sopor Aeternus, Ataraxia, Qntal). He wouldn’t be too much into guitar riffs and power chords but he’d love synthetizers and bass based sounds, so he’d like 80s new wave, and new new wave (Interpol). He would also love crossovers, music that mixes different genres, like new wave and jazz (like Tuxedomoon), punk and electronic (like PIL) ethnic/punk/indie mixes (like there’s an Italian band called Traffic Lights Orchestra whose best song that is about the ghost of a soldier died in the Balcan war and it’s heartbreaking and musically amazing and really deep). He would also like some rock, like grunge bands, not their heaviest and angriest songs but the most suggestive and poetic.

He would mostly be drawn towards mysterious, meaningful lyrics, whether they carry a deep political/social message or a suggestive and bizarre imagery, or they’re thought provoking, not to mention puns, wordplay and symbolism. 

He would lean towards older sounds compared to newest ones, and despite he’d prefer less known or even obscure artists, he would appreciate some popular classics. Also, lots of David Bowie.

Sasuke would grow up beside Itachi so he’d naturally assimilate a lot of his taste. He would like new wave, grunge and indie, but he would prefer punk and harder rock to electronic ambient. I don’t mean to continue the emo Sasuke cliché here, but I imagine him liking dark-ish sounds. And I see him drawn towards lyrics that have a strong personal meaning to him, like, he’d be drawn to a single line because it would have some connection to his own experience and feelings, no matter the context. So mostly angsty lyrics and angry/gloomy sounds depending on the moment. Uh sorry but I can’t think of anything better than Avenged Sevenfold, AFI, Nerve Agents, Pitch Black and more. 

Some songs and lyrics would have a magical quality because he grew up with Itachi listening to them, so they’re a part of his soul, and whenever they play his mind would wander back to those moments. He would also love to be with Itachi when those songs are played, for example Transmission by Joy Division, or Annarella by CCCP (another Italian band, sorry it’s not in English but it’s a heartbreaking song and the lyrics make me think of them).

He would also get suggestions by his friends and peers but he would mostly dismiss them, as his taste is well formed already and very much influenced by Itachi, whose suggestions he would instead follow. But he would freely express his dislike for certain things. He might sometimes like random mainstream songs or happier sounds. He doesn’t actually hide this fact but he doesn’t announce it out loud. But, when someone (not Itachi) discovers it and tries to laugh at it, he simply admits it matter-of-fact, no shame at all.

Oh, System of a Down! Itachi likes them mostly for the vibe and different influences, and Sasuke for lyrics and energy.

About musical instruments.

Itachi is the type who’s good at everything at the first try, so he’d pick up the basics of most instruments he stumbles upon. Unless it’s an AU where he’s a musician though, I only see him playing as a hobby in most others, as his main interests might be more philosophical and political. Anyway he’d definitely could play piano and guitar (and, returning to canon universe, shamisen!). Also synthetizers and bass, because it’s the instrument that makes up the rhythmic section and even though it’s not noticed by everyone, it’s what builds up the song. Also in a band bass players are less flashy than guitarists, and more mysterious. Just like him~ 

Speaking about bands, I don’t see Itachi as the lead singer. He’d have a beautiful deep voice and he’d sing well but he’d prefer being the backup singer. But I also kinda see him singing in a band, where he’d have an amazing presence, not moving very much but capturing all eyes on himself. The type who when the song is over the crowd stays silent a few seconds because he made them dream.

Sasuke is a fast learner. In the official illustrations he plays flute and shamisen, so of course they count. In a modern AU he’d learn after Itachi, always wanting to be like him and to spend time with him. So he’d play guitar, a little piano, and bass. He is a bassist type as well. If he sang he wouldn’t have a powerful voice, but its distinctive rasp would make it recognizable. Also he would be calm mostly but on some parts he’d kinda engage the audience aggressively or his singing would become very heartfelt. Unlike Itachi in the average AU I can imagine him being a musician as more than a hobby because he expresses himself more freely.

I’m kinda imagining him as the bass player in a team 7 band, and the singer in Team Taka, sounding like either AFI or White Lies ~

What else? Ah, yes. Itachi and Sasuke playing together. Because they would. In Itachi’s room, since they are young, Itachi playing guitar and humming the song, Sasuke following him. Itachi praising his voice and Sasuke blushing and singing louder. Or playing in a band together, one singing with or without guitar, the other playing bass and backing vocals, looking at each other during the chorus~

Somehow I’m imagining White Lies again, or Better Than Love by The Hurts, in case they sound kinda synthpop…oh but also some grunge rock like Mailman by Soundgarden. Just…that song must be sung by Sasuke no matter what, because of..uh, reasons.

Classical instruments. Itachi playing piano but also cello, because it has a warm sound that fills the room and has an eerie quality that is very fascinating. Sasuke playing clarinet but also violin, that has an intense sound that resonates with feelings very much. Also cello is played while sitting, violin is also played standing up and that’s how I picture them. 

I also kinda picture them playing Beethoven’s Kreutzer Sonata, a duet between piano and violin (btw Tolstoj wrote a short novel with that title, about a woman and a man playing this sonata which was so intense in the dialogue between the 2 instruments, that it was almost sinful, a sort of replacement for an affair. I associate this intensity to Itachi and Sasuke’s bond a lot).

Also what about a jazz era/mobsters AU where Itachi plays stand-up bass and the Sasuke plays clarinet (aah Akatsuki+Taka big band..)~ 

Edit June 2018: courtesy of a conversation with @moonsuke: what about a Showa/Taisho era AU where Itachi goes to study abroad and when he returns he plays cello in his room and Sasuke kneels on the ground close to him, mesmerized by the sight of his big brother playing that mysterious instrument, holding it close between his legs, caressing or strongly stroking its chords~

[girlieinterns]

I wanted to share the Raveonettes 2008 album Lust Lust Lust released on Vice records as an important personal record of mine.

The album made a big impact on my a shift musical taste opening a flood gate of shoegaze, noise pop and post punk revival that before I had only a surface interest in. I found myself diving deeper in to bands like The Jesus and Mary chain, Love & Rockets, My Bloody Valentine , Lush and even The Velvet underground all of up until then I only liked “the hits”.

Produced by Sune Rose Wagner, the album was recorded between Los Angles, New York and Copenhagen. I think what makes the album interesting is despite how “loud” and powerful it is it was recorded with no studio musicians . Sune and Sharon used drum machines and recorded most bass and non-guitar sounds with keyboards. Sune would go on to say that the album was “ I think  Lust Lust Lust is the strongest body of work to date. All of the songs are just really good and the sound just sort of melts into each other. It's also super minimal how we recorded it yet so full on at the same time."

The track that stood out to me when I first bought the cd was the title track Lust. Sune would later say the song was “the vibe of the night life and references to Los Angles” . Some of the bells from the Copenhagen town hall made its way in to the final cute when Sharon was recoding her vocals, adding to the dark vibe of the song. I often revisit the album when sessions change. Tracks like “ Blush” and “Dead sound” are great to lay around the beach. As “ Aly , walk with me” and “Black Satin” are great for winter night walks.

I was lucky enough to see them live numerous times in the recent years, when ever tracks off LLL are performed the crowd always gets a little more electrified.  Needless to stay, last year I ran in to Sune Rose Wanger in the West Village, after sharing a couple of beers with him he mentioned he has no desire to ever tour again. #heartbroken. This just made all the times I’ve seen them perform this album a little more special.

Take a look at them performing at KEXP’s Bumbershoot.

https://youtu.be/xuw5GGreEJ8

-Justin

[morningrainmusic]

T-Shirts & Bands I Saw at Riot Fest 2017 Day 3

9/19/17

Freak flags fly high and proud at Riot Fest, which definitely should not have come as a surprise to me, but it sort of did. It was my first experience at the festival, which was in Douglas Park for its third year last weekend and Chicago for its twelfth. My friend Magda had won a pair of three day passes and was nice enough to give me her tickets for Sunday.

I arrived around 2:45 and began to survey the crowd, which included hardcore punks, indie scenesters, hip parents, children of hip parents, metalheads, aging emo kids, sportos, motorheads, geeks, sluts, bloods, wastoids, dweebies, dickheads—they all adore Riot Fest apparently. It was quite refreshing to see such an eclectic mix of music fans gathered in one space, and it makes a lot of sense when you take a look at the lineup which has artists like Queens of the Stone Age, Vic Mensa, New Found Glory, Paramore, and FIDLAR. Riot Fest is still largely a punk festival, but it seems to be gradually making room for more variety each year.

My friend Chandler met up with me shortly after I arrived and we headed to see The Orwells (Elmhurst’s own) play at the Rise stage. Lead singer Mario Cuomo has cut his luscious blonde locks and now sports a buzz cut. His manic energy hasn’t gone anywhere though—he stumbled about the stage with that glazed-over look in his eyes, erratically jerking his body around while mumble-shouting the lyrics to “Who Needs You.” I fear that The Orwells may someday fizzle into obscurity and be largely remembered as a band that built much of their success around a gimmicky torso-thrusting Letterman appearance. They’ve got some great tunes and can put on one hell of a live show. Unfortunately, their Riot Fest set felt a bit lackluster—perhaps the open space and Sunday afternoon time slot didn’t suit the band. A packed, all ages show at a mid-size venue on a Friday night seems more fitting for them and I would wager they agree. Cuomo finished the set by climbing on top of the stage right tent-cover mid-performance. He dangled an arm over one side, sang a few lines, and then disappeared off the back of the tent, leaving the rest of the band to play without him for the remaining five minutes or so. It wasn’t a lousy set—it was fine, really—but that ending was anticlimactic.

There were more people sporting t-shirts with band names on them than at any other festival I’ve been to. Something like forty percent of the crowd must have been wearing band shirts. From classic tees like Black Flag and Jawbreaker (headlining that night) to lesser-known, newer acts like Pinegrove and Twin Peaks—everyone was wearing a fucking t-shirt with a band name on it. There were two dudes walking together wearing the same Tool shirt. I also saw two guys at separate points wearing the same Replacements Tim t-shirt. The Descendants and their Milo character were highly represented, both in shirts and tattoos. People really love that band. Others opted to wear apparel expressing their shocking or aggressive attitudes. “Repent / You fucking savages / Repent” read one shirt. Another being worn by a woman with a warm smile said, “Teach children to worship Satan.” I wonder if she was at the fest in 2015 when Damien Echols and Jason Baldwin participated in the “Riot Fest Speaks” panel. Some wore no shirt. Some wore sloths. I digress.

After The Orwells, we saw indie rock stalwarts Built to Spill, who were playing their 1995 album Keep It Like A Secret in its entirety. “Riot Fest gets a lot of bands to do this,” some salt-and-peppered bearded dude told me after I mentioned (not to him) that I only know one Built to Spill album, and it’s not this one. “Keep It Like A Secret! This is their seminal album!” he said with an air of disbelief that I found a bit demeaning. I happen to love There’s Nothing Wrong With Love but for whatever reason I haven’t really listened to anything else by them. Anyways, Built To Spill sounded great. I’ll probably start listening to that record, and I assume that guy went on his way to lecture some other poor bastard about various indie bands’ “seminal albums.”

Riot Fest gets an older crowd than festivals like Pitchfork and of course Lollapalooza, which I also found refreshing. Those aging emo kids (they never really become adults in my eyes) were out in droves, presumably for Cap’n Jazz and whatever other bands on Sunday’s bill technically qualify as emo (Say Anything, yeah?). I eavesdropped on a few talking about their love of American Football and Owen, but not so much Modern Baseball and so on and so forth. The world of emo music is one I’m quickly learning is much more expansive than what I know and love, the ready-for-the-masses pop of early-aughts Fall Out Boy, Panic! At The Disco, Something Corporate, and Cartel. I’m still not sure it’s for me, though the few people I’ve spoken to who fall into this other camp are adamant that theirs is the more legitimate and musically superior. To each his own I guess.

Moving right along, next up on the agenda was TV on the Radio, also at the Rise stage. They were kind of exceptional and their set was a reminder that there’s really nobody like them in rock music today. Of the twelve songs they played, two were off Dear Science and two were off Return to Cookie Mountain, so their best albums were a bit underrepresented. But the new stuff (well, new-ish) sounded good and provided a much needed early-evening lift.

The last act Chandler and I caught was M.I.A. She was flanked by a support staff that included women in baggy orange jumpsuits and a DJ/hype-man who she referred to as “DJ Tiger.” It was predictably very loud and bass-heavy and high energy. I don’t know M.I.A.’s music or her live show well enough to judge whether this was a good set by her standards. She closed with “Paper Planes” and that was the main draw for me. Much of the show felt like an overblown mixture of Major Lazer and Jock Jams, with M.I.A. sauntering around stage in aviator sunglasses.

Overall verdict: I like Riot Fest. It’s probably the most mature and alternative Chicago music festival. It has a ferris wheel and for some reason they hand out lanyards and plastic covers for the festival brochure at the entrance. They accept cash and credit cards at the various beverage/concession stands—no need to purchase drink tickets (looking at you Pitchfork). The lineup was interesting and fairly wide ranging. And most importantly, the layout in Douglas Park generally makes sense—no sound bleed to report, not too crowded, well managed fest. Bravo!