#pure-hippie-vibes

[samantabrzozowska]

“Have a pure heart of the child of paradise.”

 ~ Sam

[earthstellar]

Earth Music on the Lost Light: Human Music That Cybertronians Like

we know for a fact that the Lost Light has access to human media, primarily movies, TV shows, and music-- and we know they generally seem to fucking love most of it, or at least find it interesting

but what would everyone's tastes be, in regards to Earth music?

time to talk about music for a long time!!! strap in, enjoy some tunes

we already know Cyclonus has impeccable taste and enjoys some of the best jams the 80s had to offer.

I can't help but imagine Rodimus being given a media archive of Earth tunes to approve for the Earth Dance would only result in chaos

(it's not like he would say no to anything, he absolutely blanket signed it all, it's just an obligatory thing-- or Ultra Magnus tells him it is, solely to keep him away from Important Captain Things that he would rather handle himself or hand off to Megatron, lmao. the shit that really needs to get done)

and this is how Rodimus discovers the somewhat questionable yet amazing genre of "mid-90s underground techno rave mix tapes"

(somewhat related, I still think Testarossa might as well be Rodimus' theme song, although it's not a 90s track and has more of an 80s synth vibe)

Rodimus would love that "computers are the future, fuck yeah let's make Digital Cool Future Music" mid-90s shit, there is no way he would not. it has the exact energy level that appeals to him and is also cheesy and weird and chaotic. and has like 500 different sub-genres, so his selection is endless, lmao.

he would probably find it cute that this is what humans imagined to be the peak of "digital sound" at the time. like lmao this was the best humans could do when asked to create music that sounds like it was made by robots or other mechanical space future cyber lifeforms--high concept!!! he would probably find it interesting and endearing. this is what organics think non-organic music is like!!

anyone acting as DJ at Swerve's on any given night would be so, so mad that Rodimus keeps requesting shit like "DJ MASSIMO ITALO DISCO BEST RAVE TUNES LIVE FROM LONDON 1995" or "DJ ARMPIT SLUDGE FEST HOUSE-RAVE-DRUMS N BASS SET 1996" for them to play, lmao

not individual tracks. the whole album. entire mix tapes of random, somewhat questionable mid-90s techno house rave bullshit.

that having been said, that good ass early 90s trance techno might send him into a spiral depending on his mood at the time, lmao (it's been known to happen)

but at the same time I can imagine him sharing tracks like Solar Quest - Space Pirates with Drift and they'd both just sit there and jam out, but quietly, thinking about shit while sitting in a port window next to each other (this was peak sleepover party techno, Back in My Day-- many deep conversations were had while listening to stuff like this, lol)

Drift would probably find some of Rodmus' recommended stuff to be pretty good for meditation-- although once he finds out about the human drug culture involved and certain concepts of experimental consciousness etc. that surrounded techno/rave and other related genres, it might cause him to pull back a little bit

(until he finds out about kandi culture, in which case, Drift would love the idea of hand-made unique bracelets and sentimental trinkets being made and exchanged at warehouse shows purely out of Good Vibes and Love for Fellow Beings and it turns out actually he fucking loves this shit, a chill vibes based "expand your mind" kind of music subculture appeals to his Spectralist sensibilities and he likes sharing tunes with Rodimus in return)

Drift picking tracks on his own would likely lead him down more of a classic rock road, but more of the chill side of things, more of the folksy type of classic rock -- I can see Drift really enjoying Spirit in the Sky - Norman Greenbaum or California Dreamin' - The Mamas and the Papas. or like, Incense and Peppermints - Strawberry Alarm Clock.

I mean, Drift might even go Full Earth Hippie and end up liking Green Tambourine - Lemon Pipers, lmao. in fact I am fairly certain of this.

I can see Drift loving Aquarius/Let The Sunshine In - The 5th Dimension. the whole vibe would probably appeal to him.

he'd quite possibly also like I Need a Dollar - Aloe Blacc, but it hits him in a place that still hurts to think about. so it's in rare rotation.

meanwhile Ratchet would probably be fine with classic rock too, like the good Dad Rock shit, just a lot of tracks from the 70s/80s -- a couple tracks he and Drift could probably agree on would likely lean more into the experimental/psychedelic rock side of things, like White Room - Cream or something like Wheel in the Sky - Journey

Rodimus tries to troll Ratchet by recommending Old Time Rock n Roll - Bob Seger, but joke's on him because it turns out Ratchet loves it, lmao

Swerve would go all out on classic bar jams for the evening playlist. Chill, good shit like Do It Again - Steely Dan.

Megatron would love Sinnerman - Nina Simone; He'd send it to Drift in a command crew level secured data packet, and they would both feel the hell out of this song. They don't need to talk about why. They never mention it to each other.

Megs would also probably love These Old Bones by Dolly Parton (mostly due to the lyrics, rather than the upbeat tune, but he would find it relatively relaxing), as well as 9 to 5 (of course), and similar music. Country from back in the day when country music was more about the struggle of poverty and the working life of rural people. Country music from back when songs told all the untold stories. He can respect that.

He'd listen to You'll Never Leave Harlan Alive by Patty Loveless and it would get him right in the fucking spark. Megatron is the Cybertronian equivalent of an Appalachian miner, god dammit. He understands.

Megatron would also like Johnny Cash; He would overthink Ghost Riders in the Sky and it would depress him, partly because it reminds him of Seekers... sigh.

I think he'd also like Cold War - Janelle Monae. He'd be way into good lyrics; What's being said in a song matters most to him. "This is a cold war, you better know what you're fighting for..." Indeed.

anyway I like thinking about what jams Cybertronians might like from their available selection of Earth tunes

[blackdragoness]

PICK-A-CARD READING

IF YOU WERE A DRUG, WHAT DRUG WOULD YOU BE?

WHY DO PEOPLE BECOME “ADDICTED” TO YOUR ENERGY?

Do you give off ALCOHOLIC vibes, CRACKHEAD energy, OR STONER vibes?

**THIS IS PURELY FOR ENTERTAINMENT** I am not calling any of you addicts. Its just a game to have fun so just enjoy it for what it is: ENTERTAINMENT. I am not a professional and the advice given is based off my own personal experience with these addictions. I share what helped me free myself from these vices but I strongly recommend speaking with a professional that can help you better. Without further ado....

LESSSKOOOO

PICK A CARD:

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PILE 1: ACE OF HEARTS

If you chose pile 1, the vice that best describes your personality is:

***STONER***

**** DISCLAIMER: I am not insinuating that you smoke alot of pot, even if that's true haha. I am not your doctor, pastor, therapist, parent, sibling, boss, the police, your parole officer, NONE OF THAT. So I dont care what you do on your own time. I am not condoning those actions either but at the same time, it’s your life and you can do whatever you want with it.****

Regardless of your personal choices, this is what it says about your personality:

Laid-back, chill AF – almost too laid back it can sometimes be mistaken for laziness – but at the same time, a lot of you reading this probably are lazy and already know that. Its not a roast, I’m just affirming what you already know LOL. Big couch potato energy. Very laxed. As contradictory as it sounds, this is actually why people become addicted to your energy. There isn’t a lot of people who have the chill factor that you have and being around you is like a break from the hustle and bustle of life.

The cool kid – the IT Boy/Girl. Everything you do is effortless

Iconic – does your own thing & known for not following the crowd

You guys have a mind of your own!

Unbothered – it is very hard to ruffle your feathers or get a reaction out of you. It is both an admirable and irritable trait depending on who you’re talking to. If not, you may just react to things very slowly and may find yourself hot and bothered after the fact

Very easy going and easy to talk to – you can chop it up with almost all personalities because you are very relatable and relaxed.

CLASS CLOWN VIBES - you may not take things too seriously and can find humor in anything! You say some funny shit man, and you aren’t even trying to be funny.

EFFORTLESS COMEDIAN.

Very witty and intelligent

You can hold a conversation with a variety of people. Whether its small talk or deep intellectual conversations.

People remember you for the conversations that they have with you and the energy that you bring to the conversation. You may not even realize the effect your words or energy have on people but it lingers on their mind and energy long after you have gone away. All a person needs is one “hit” of your energy.

Might be apart of the “woke” culture or many people would describe you as being “woke”

May be labeled an overthinker, borderline paranoid but also a very critical thinker. You may think about things that most people don’t think about. It may shock others how much you know about a variety of topics  

Very grounded and rooted in whatever it is that you do.

Natural beauties and very natural bodies.

“LOVE CHILD”

Hippy vibes

You have a reputation for always being in a good mood and always being happy for no reason. Its very rare that you are in a bad mood. It doesn’t mean that you don’t have those days. You just know how to guard your emotions and only let a small number of trusted people see your vulnerable side.

Y’all are A VIBE. Periodt. Point. Blank.

You can vibe with a crowd AND you can vibe all on your own. You could be both introverted and extroverted depending on your mood. Sometimes you might be in a corner on your own doing your own thing, other times you’re mingling with a variety of different people. Just depends on your mood.

You probably have lots of conversations with your self all the time. People might think you’re a little weird for that but you might find it funny

Very unique and one of a kind

You might have your own distinct smell. Maybe you have a certain perfume/cologne that you use all the time that people know you for. OR maybe you just stink and smell like body odor. It can be either one of those two extremes LOL (Smokers LOVE the smell of weed, nonsmokers tend to strongly DESPISE the smell of weed so it goes both ways. Don’t shoot the messenger HAHA)

May have a love for music or be very musically inclined

Lyricist, journalist, writer/author - may be very good at articulating your thoughts and emotions but you may mumble or speak softly.

Every moment with you is a HIGH moment – by “high”, I mean when people see you, even if the interaction is short, its most often the HIGHlight of peoples day.

Everyones BUDdy

Wall FLOWER vibes

May be looked at as slightly ditzy

ADVICE:

Tap into your creativity more. This pile has the creative abilities, if improved and mastered, can be monetized on greatly.

Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there and to stand out.

If you struggle with overthinking, it means you aren’t taking enough action. Start moving and putting your amazing thoughts into action so you can manifest the life you dream about all the time. Mistakes are inevitable and part of the growing process so don’t be afraid to make mistakes or make a fool out of yourself. That’s how you learn. The longer you sit on your ideas, the easier it is for doubtful thoughts to creep in which in turn will stop you from taking any type of action. It is time to take action and slow down the voices in your head telling you that you aren’t enough.

Believe in yourself more and learn to love yourself for all your flaws. Your biggest critic and your biggest competition should always be yourself so build yourself up more. Quit the negative self talk. Critique yourself towards improvement but not to the point of giving up. You’re more than you give yourself credit for.

Be more comfortable speaking your mind in the moment instead of bottling everything up all the time. You only end up beating yourself up in the end and it slows down your progress.

If you are addicted to the drug, my advice is to take a break from it for a bit so you can start being active again in your own life. You don't have to quit cold turkey. Take it one day at a time but the wheels will start moving for you soon as you make that change. Too much of anything, even if it's good for you, can eventually start to work against you. But it's your life. If you can find that balance while still keeping it in your life, more power to ya! 😊

CHANNELED SONG:

MOVING ABOUT MY WAYS by Josh Wawa White

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PILE 2: ACE OF CLUBS

If you chose pile 2, the vice that best describes your personality is:

***ALCOHOLIC***

**** DISCLAIMER: I am not insinuating that you drink a lot of alcohol, even if that's true haha. I am not your doctor, pastor, therapist, parent, sibling, boss, the police, your parole officer, NONE OF THAT. So I don’t care what you do on your own time. I am not condoning those actions either but at the same time, it’s your life and you can do whatever you want with it.****

Regardless of your personal choices, this is what it says about your personality:

BIG GOOFBALL ENERGYYYY

Very energetic and MAFANA (pronounced “mah-fah-nah” meaning “heated” in the Tongan language). You might always be MAFANA and ready to do anything at any moment. Also you might literally be MAFANA in body temperature. Might have a warmer body temperature or may always be hot even in colder temperatures. May enjoy very hot showers as well.

Extremely physically attractive. Sexy and sultry type of aesthetic

Very seductive mannerisms and voice

Very spontaneous and slightly chaotic

You might speak in slang a lot – doesn’t matter the slang, but you have your own way of speaking

People would probably describe you as being very bold and confident. You aren’t afraid to say what’s on your mind and you don’t care who hears.

True to yourself

Very genuine and authentic in all your interactions

You’re probably sociable and outgoing

Extremely outgoing – very rarely are you ever alone. You always have a crowd of people surrounding you or with you.

You have your own unique sense of style and fashion taste. People know and recognize you for your fashion sense. It’s just very……YOU.

Brutally honest but honest nonetheless – people may avoid you because of how honest you can be. But people know when they really need an honest opinion, you are the first person to come to mind.

People may describe you as having multiple personalities. It can be both a good thing or a bad thing depending on who you are talking to. One things for sure, getting to know you is NEVER a bore.

Never a dull moment when you are around

LIFE OF THE PARTY

You are the person everyone hopes to see at an event or a party because they know it will be a fun time if you are around.

Very confident – ALPHA vibes – BOSS energy

You may be everyone’s “go-to” person when they need to vent or get things off their chest. Interacting with you is like a glass of wine at the end of a really rough day. If it was a really tough day, you’re more like 3 shots of Henney instead of wine, lets be honest.

You have a “numbing” effect on people – interacting with you is like nothing else matters but the present moment. You’re a very rare type of person

You are the person to impress! Every room you walk into and every person you interact with, you are the center of attention & people will do anything to get your attention praise, & validation.

Not only are you the person to impress, you are also a very impressive person. You impress through your looks, your skills, your intellect, etc – ALL AROUND impressive

You are very expressive, blunt, and outspoken. You say whatever is at the top of your mind and react to everything based off of your emotions in the moment.

May at times be very moody

Night owls

Kareoke King/Queen

Shameless

No one ever knows what to expect with you. You keep everyone on their toes

Maybe a bit clumsy and silly but thats why people love your energy. Its giving "overgrown child" vibes and its refreshing.

You help heal alot of peoples inner child just by being yourself. You bring that young vibe to any occasion.

ADVICE:

Take more time for yourself and away from the noise and the audience. I sense that you don’t enjoy being alone because that is when the dark thoughts creep in. Maybe you dislike feeling lonely. Get more comfortable with being on your own and in your own energy. Sort out those dark thoughts. Try to figure out where the darkness originated from and learn to heal it. It will improve your social interactions greatly.

Learn to enjoy silence. A lot of positive ideas, peace, and self discovery can be found in the silence.

Your greatest strength is your outspokenness. However, by remaining silent, you can avoid a lot of regret for yourself. You can also learn a lot about others simply by listening and remaining silent. Stay outspoken, but add silence into your personality every now and then to bring more balance to your character

SLOW DOWN - in all areas! Speak slower, walk slower, think slower, react slower, develop relationships slower, etc. You may start many things very quickly and burn out just as fast. Learn to pace yourself and develop your mental/physical stamina

If you are addicted to the alcohol, my advice would be to find a healthier hobby to substitute that vice. Exercise helps with regulating your emotions as well as a healthy eating plan. Get more sleep and start journaling. Having an outlet to really pour out your emotions will keep you from pouring another cup. Take it one day at a time, but the wheels will start rolling for you once you make that change. But it's your life, do as you please! If you can find that balance in your life, more power to ya!

CHANNELED SONGS: ALCOHOLIC by COMMON KINGS

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PILE 3: ACE OF DIAMONDS

If you chose pile 1, the vice that best describes your personality is:

***CRACKHEAD***

**** DISCLAIMER: I am not insinuating that you’re a meth/coke head, even if that's true haha. I am not your doctor, pastor, therapist, parent, sibling, boss, the police, your parole officer, NONE OF THAT. So I dont care what you do on your own time. I am not condoning those actions either but its your life and you can do whatever you want with it.****

Regardless of your personal choices, this is what it says about your personality:

The most energetic of all the piles

CEO/Supervisor energy

Very focused and determined to accomplish anything you set your mind to. You are willing to start things over as many times as you need until you get it right.

You may have an addictive personality but also others may find your personality very addicting as well. Once someone has tasted your energy, its very hard to shake you.

People may become very obsessed with you. You circle peoples minds multiple times a day. They just cant figure you out. You may also be very obsessive and possessive yourself.

FOCUSED. FOCUSED. FOCUSED, Extremely focused individuals. Your focus is probably your most admirable trait.

As focused as you are, you are also probably a very great multitasker

Entrepreneurs or entrepreneurs in the making. You may be very business minded

You are usually always 10 steps ahead of the game. You see all sides and make very calculated moves based off of your observations.

Very observant individuals. You probably notice and remember the tiniest details about people and you know how to make people feel really special in every interaction with you. People don’t expect you to remember certain things they’ve mentioned or worn, but when you bring it up to them long after the fact, you really make people feel SEEN & HEARD. This makes you more trustworthy in their eyes.

May be accused of being narcissistic but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. You may have been a victim to narcissistic abuse in the past so you’ve learned the ins and outs of all the mind games being played. So when someone uses a mind game on you, you flip it back on them and then they have the audacity to call YOU the narcissist. It has become your tool for self defense but also agitates those on the receiving end of your narcissism. To put it into perspective, most super heros and world leaders are narcissistic because they need to be. If not, they would get chewed up and spit out by the world and wouldn’t last a day in their position. If they wanna call you a narcissist because you refuse to adopt their mindset or their perspective, then so be it! Accept the title and keep it pushing. Remain true to yourself.

Very self-reliant and reliable. You conquer every task and assignment thrown at you and you do an amazing job at it in a very time efficient manner. People may try to discredit you or say you couldn’t have done it all by yourself but the proof is in the pudding darling. In reality, these folks are just projecting their own insecurities on to you because we all know, if they were in your position, there is no way they could have done that on their own. No one can deny your workmanship because you prove it time and time again.

Lone wolf vibes. You may not have many friends or you may not be open to inviting new people into your circle. “NO NEW FRIENDS” vibes

You probably have a sturdy set of friends and you’ve known them for a long time.

Very secretive and private. You may enjoy your privacy and may tend to keep a lot of your life hidden from the public eye.

Very protective of your energy and your space.

May have a lot of people who constantly have an opinion on your life. You do a great job at blocking them and their noise out of the way and continuing to push along.

STRONG STAMINA – yall can last for a lonnnngggg time (however you interpret that LOL)

Great debater – if someone wants to come at you sideways, they better come prepared with their arguments because going against you isn’t easy. You know yourself, you know your facts and you know what happened. Barely nothing gets past you.

Out of all the piles, this pile has the most haters. I don’t know why and neither do you. You must be someone of significance to have this many haters. You represent PRESSURE and people feel that energy as soon as you walk into the room. This is a compliment for you but a threat to your haters. No one wants to feel pressured to improve. You don’t try to apply pressure. You just ARE pressure.

You cant be tamed. Very hard to lock down and hard to pin down.

Unbeatable

Invincible

Immunity

Misjudged and misunderstood but never stops remaining true to yourself. Let the haters do their thing but keep doing you booboo.

Diamond in the rough

Might wear a lot of jewelry or you should wear more jewelry but this is something people notice about you. Maybe you have tons of jewelry or you have a piece of jewelry that people remember you for. If not, I suggest wearing more jewelry because it looks great on you.

ADVICE

Learn to handle the pressure that comes your way. You attract what you put out there and unfortunately, this is one of those things that is out of your control. People feel pressured when you are around therefore, you may feel as though pressure is constantly being applied to you. Don’t sweat it. These experiences are to show you how strong your character truly is but you must remain true to who you are if you want it to work in your favor.

Its okay to be more open and available to others. You can still maintain your strong boundaries but you don’t have to shut the entire world out. Remain open!

Keeping an open mind may also be helpful for you. Not everything will play out the way you envisioned it in your brain so keep an open mind so you can solve your problems as they arise.

Take some time to relax. You give off very strong workaholic vibes and sometimes you can overwork yourself to exhaustion. Give your body the rest it needs through sleep. Remember to eat throughout the day and fill your body up with the nutrients it needs to keep you going and alert for your various tasks. Go outside and enjoy the outdoors. Take time to care for yourself.

 Learn to lighten up a little. Your laser focus can sometimes make you too serious to be around. Laugh a little. Smile more. Let loose. Enjoy the life in front of you. Balance out your work and play and you’ll find your life is more enjoyable that way.

If you are addicted to the drug, my advice would be to invest in yourself more. You won't have the money to spend on drugs if you throw your money into something that will benefit you more in the long run. Take a class to build on a skill you already have, sign up for a committee, give yourself responsibility and bring purpose back into your life. But start small. Learn to depend on yourself and hold yourself up before trying to overextend yourself for others. Too much responsibility is probably what got you to this point or maybe it was the lack thereof. Whatever the case be, you need to love on yourself more & know that you are more than enough. The wheels will start moving for you once you make that change and the clarity that follows will bring you immense joy.

CHANNELED SONG: WINNAH WINNAH by RIA ft SPAWNBREEZIE

[batsarebetterthanpeople]

Punk music is, politically speaking, a vehicle that was built to express sentiments of working class rage and destructive tendencies. That doesn't mean it's perfectly left wing, poor people are not perfectly left wing. From the patches and safety pins and ripped denim that are staples of punk fashion to the subject matter of songs by the Dead Kennedys, The Clash, Black Flag, and even the Sex Pistols, its all class rage and resentment all the way down.

Goth and Punk both as subcultural movements have relatively clear intentions, even if the politics get jumbled. They're nihilistic, angry, angsty reactions to a world that beats down on poor people. It's the idea that there is something deeply wrong with a society that doesn't take care of its people and using music to express how you feel about that situation.

I came up in the 2010s, which meant that Emo was on the back end of its moment when I was discovering music outside of my parent's taste and whatever was on the radio. I've heard a lot of things about the emo movement as it relates to other subcultures but one thing I heard that I want to respond to here is that it's not about anything, which is not perfectly correct but it looks that way on the surface and is actually a very interesting observation. Punk's about how we can't pay the rent our government is taking advantage of us, rich people are taking advantage of us, and unlike those hippies who think they can solve all the worlds problems with peace and love and non violent protest, we're gonna break stuff. We're gonna make it everyone else's problem. Goth coming from the punk scene was less angry and more purely nihilistic and death obsessed but still had that sort of vibe of the aristocracy's time has come, look how easily I can look like a decaying version of them. Emo doesn't really have that clear of a message by comparison.

I would like to posit that this is because Emo is end of history punk. There's still that feeling that there's something deeply wrong, there's still angst and rage and nihilism and resentment, but by now the enemies of the United States' capitalistic global hegemony have fallen, there is no alternative, terrible things keep happening but the propaganda machine is pumping it into your brain every single day that this is the best of all possible worlds. The problem can't be society it has to be you.

So punk music evolves, we're not doing a revolution anymore the revolution is dead, we're not watching it decay anymore because this shambling corpse won't drop dead and has managed to convince us it's immortal. But the feelings are all still there. So they turn inward. The destruction becomes self-destruction. You can't be feeling this way because society is bad, it must be you, you must be depressed, that girl you didn't really like that much broke up with you, maybe it's that. It couldn't possibly be the fact that you're poor and you're sick but can't get help and the corporations are destroying the planet and you can't do anything about it. This is the best of all possible worlds, remember? You are an acceptable casualty of that, if you don't like it you can either suck it up, take pills, or slit your wrists, the choice is yours. And the emo scene says maybe I will slit my wrists because I can't live like this.

I think now both punk music and emo music along with the fashion are having a bit of an interesting revival, and I don't think the revival is good but I definitely think it is necessarily a sign of the times. The common person has been given access to a certain level of celebrity, the cracks in the political hegemony that the 90s and 00s propaganda told us would last until the heat death of the universe are showing, corporations in their quest for endless growth have made us into modern serfs and commodified every aspect of our lives. We see so much death every day from covid from state violence that used to be easier to cover up. The apocalypse we were warned about but unable to stop is here. There's an appetite for the nihilism, the rage, the self destruction from the failure to change anything, and in pursuit of profit, the companies see that appetite and respond to it with fast fashion and industry plants, and the common person who is under constant surveillance and has been convinced it's what they want has prettied up the grittier aspects of the scene in order to make it social media ready. The goth bars close and the regular bar has an emo night, social media influencers who used to bully you for your DIY fashion does a "Tradgoth" makeup trend that looks more like Gottmik than Siouxie Sioux just to wipe it off and post it for a Sephora sponsorship. You say anything about any of it and you get accused of being more hardcore than thou even though you're just making observation about the scene you've been in for a decade. And you look around you and the same thing is happening to hip-hop and the state of the music scene is even worse for normies so this is clearly a universal problem.

[sinisxtea]

MOOT TAG: What genre of music does your moots remind you of ?

im honestly not a very big genre specific person, i listen to whatever slaps so i don't usually choose music based on genre lol... but these are just my thoughts!

psychedelic pop/acid pop - @ldh0000

everytime we talk i lowkey feel like we're both high as fuck and honestly psychedelic pop really fits ur vibe idk... haunting hippy??? love u, let's not get a divorce

kr&b - @aquaphoenixz

if the walk album is anything to prove lol… you definitely have a thing for r&b. (ahem seori ahem cough cough seori) but valid… i love r&b as well <33

hyperpop - @syatchy

this isn’t even a discussion lol. love u 🫶🫶

disco - @lyvhie

girl you give off such 70s vibes but with a modern edge kinda? like the whole, “stop thinking, let’s dance!” thing that bruno mars, dua lipa, lady gaga (kinda) have got going on!

indie pop - @polarisjisung

or the genre i like to call mental illness /j (for legal reasons that's a joke don't come after me) no bc you embody this feeling of nostalgia? that's kind of like peaceful and calming, but also can definitely turn up the volume if needed? i'm thinking lana del rey, mitski, tv girl, maybe some 21p in there too.

afrobeats/amapiano - @riri4andy

although the genre has recently blown up, you have to really feel the vibes in order to like this genre of music, from what i've noticed it's usually a hit or miss if someone likes this style, but the vibes i get from you really embody the soulfulness of the genre.

y2k pop - @chenlesfavorite

you might not listen to a lot of y2k pop, but the y2k vibes are really coming from you! you seem so stylish, classy and fashionable! your creative endeavors are all over the place! it very much reminds me of that period in between the 90s and the 00s, although some modern songs have that vibe (stream midas touch by kiof 🙏)

house music - @galacticnct

when i thought of music genres for u the first thing that came into my mind was "gay people getting it down in the club" which i was then like. idk what genre that is, but i think i've managed to just place it upon house music. think bibora...

alt r&b / indie rock - @spiderm444rk

honestly i couldn't decide between the two lol. i feel like you fit the alt r&b aesthetic more than the indie rock vibe, but i'm only keeping indie rock on here bc of... mark lee!

synth-pop - @yeonzzens

tbh i know we have similar music taste, so i was thinking of how i could categorize it as? synth-pop is quite broad actually, and there a lot of different sub genres under it, but i feel like it really embodies the type of music that you like.

city-pop - @lotties-readings

city-pop but purely for the vibes. <33 it's so cozy and comforting, but also feels like a blend of the past and present. both seem so nice and peaceful, that it's almost like you're perfectly content with where you are right now. (did not mean for that to get poetic um i just yapped)

kpop - @nanaxwi

SDJSKDJKS I GAVE UP i tried. i wanted to pick a unique category but honestly i can't get a vibe for what type of music you listen to. kpop is broad and embodies many different genres and music techniques and it's very experimental and open to new things, which embodies you as well!!!!

[ephysalis]

My friend and I just finished our rewatch of Star Trek: TOS. What a fun, fun trip it was.

Purely for my own enjoyment, here are the 10 Star Trek: TOS episodes I liked the most. Heavily steeped in my love of retro cheese and B-Movies.

10. Arena

The Kirk vs A Lizard episode. The rocks are very obviously foam, the fight choreography is peak Trek and the lizardman wears a go-go dress lovingly crocheted by meemaw. At the end a bedazzled space twink shows up. A classic for a reason.

9. The Corbomite Maneuver

Structured like so many other Trek eps (ship gets in predicament, Kirk must pull a solution out of his ass in the 11th hour) but with great twist ending that blew my mind. Showcases Kirk's brand of cleverness very well.

8. Turnabout Intruder

The last episode of the series has a fascinating plot: one of Kirk's ex-girlfriends forcibly switches bodies with him. There's a lot of unfortunate gender discourse but if you decide to view the whole thing as a typically 60s trans allegory, it becomes fascinating. Spock recognizes the captain through a mind meld and defends him in court. Good times.

7. The Cloud Minders

The best episode of season 3 imo. Beautiful painted backgrounds and amazing retrofuturist interiors. The story is a really solid metaphor for classist oppression right until you learn the workers actually ARE violent and stupid because of some gas in the mines. Still loved it.

6. Operation: Annihilate!

The crew visits a planet decimated by alien parasites that look like flying rubber pancakes. Spock gets got and it's very tense and dramatic. Good Spirk vibes, plus I love it when my blorbos suffer.

5. The Way to Eden

The Enterprise picks up space hippies trying to find a fabled paradise planet. The costumes and songs are super enjoyable. A shining example of an ep that was probably extremely cringe back when it aired but has aged like a fine, campy wine.

4. The City on the Edge of Forever

Ok this one isn't underrated, everyone knows it's good and they're correct. Kirk and Spock get stuck in the past together and it manages to be incredibly gay despite Kirk literally dating a woman. Excellent story. Spock wears a beanie.

3. The Trouble with Tribbles

Another one where I agree with the general sentiment: it's silly and fun and I will never tire of seeing Shatner buried in furry little potatoes. The Animated Series episode "More Tribbles, More Troubles" is a hilarious sequel.

2. Amok Time

The Spirk episode that started it all, featuring a fascinating look into the mix of uptight decorum and violent heritage that makes Vulcan culture so compelling. I did particularly enjoy the extremely awkward conversation between Kirk and Spock about "Vulcan biology" at the beginning. "It happens to the birds and the bees..."

1. The Devil in the Dark

Shatner's favorite ep and also mine. The acting is on point and seeing Spock yell "JIM!" with obvious concern on his face is just 👌🏻. I love the retro cheesiness of the paper mache caverns and the alien who looks like a lasagna; I love how testy Bones is about having to do first aid on said lasagna; I love the horror-like story structure and overarching message about understanding others. 100/10.

[peskyvinot]

sometimes I think about how random and thus insanely cool our fav duo/trios formed. like

scar/grian/mumbo. you can't even really pinpoint the moment they became The trio. the mumscarian agenda. mumbo just picked up that random fresh-out-of-problematic-highschool-series creatieve mode Player out of NOWHERE and became besties with him, later seeing him join hermitcraft and change the server forever

scar and grian had almost no interactions up to the build off in s6. then the magic of s7 happened. newfound besties.

then s8 happened and well. found family doesn't spare Anyone. and it's like- sure scar and grian got closer in s9 when mumbo wasn't that active but then the reunion happened (that one mumbo video. OHHH that one mumbo video) where you don't even QUESTION that yes. they are THE trio of best buds

but then we dig deeper. rendoc???? (btw yes um using ship names as a placeholder) been on the same server for YEARS had some chemistry chemistry s5 and that one hippie/area77 storyline but then almost out of nowhere BOOM the most iconic duo of s8 and onwards. like. I'm not stupid it's all in the behind the scenes and becoming friends that lead to such iconic videos BUT LIKE.

can I talk about ethubs. I'll admit I didn't watch mindcrack in full I have no idea what went down there but every time I Watch early mindcrack/ooge/etc clips I'm like "OK this shouldn't have worked. but why it do. WHY IT DO"

xb and keralis. if they were separate content creators that never interacted you would never in a billion years guess they would click. but knowing what we do in that universe of ours, I will argue they're one of the most iconic duos.

impulse gem and pearl. the soup group. once again the s9 magic happened. it was an rng roll that put those 3 together in the first episode. and it worked SO WELL and I STILL can't really put into words why

giggs. I don't think anyone would ever argue with me abiut how iconic they are. but thinking about how I remember the first ever gigs streams before they even adopted the fandom "gigs" name. I kid you not grian&scar interacted with skizz like thrice before that. and yet they clicked INSTANTLY. I think it's the power of getting to know "new" people (I would argue even grimpulse didn't Know each other that well before phasmo. I know. the 4 pre-s9 gripulse enjoyers put down your forks) with your besties by your side. imp&skizz and desert duo get bonded over the horror game yeah tell THAT to a pre gigs fan. and YET. (also the way gem is so awesome she fit RIGHT IN. ANF I WOYLD ARGUE BY PURE CHANCE TOO. she was one of those "teaching _how to play phasmo" one off guests. but she was so awesome she stayed)

jimmy and tango. it is truly a mystery to me specifically. the only thing I woyld say was the string connecting them before dl was the silliness meter. period. but then again 2 different worlds that collided so hard the universe exploded. if the plate up streams have a say in this

boat boys. when the first dl episodes came out I didn't even Regester their duo (maybe it was because I didn't really watxh etho and deffenetely haven't watched joel before that). now tell me why their soulmate pair is THE most iconic duo for me in dl huh. and how smoothly it went on. etho and Joel. THINK ABOUT BOAT BOYS PRE DL. YEAH? YEAH. NEVER IN A BILLION YEARS WOULD I THINK. double life literally changed this fandom forever

honorable mentions: cleo and scar (+ bdubs) I can't recall a Single interaction of them pre s9 and pre limited life clockers. but BOY am I glad we have them now.

skizz and tango specifically in the whole zits polucule (/j). those 2 in particular are the funniest duo to ever duo. and s10 stapled and glued and sawn this into truition. also once again shout out to the plate up streams

P.E.T CREW??? I swear I remember the season 10 start and them basing together and starting the mail service like it was YESTERDAY. the decked out royalty my beloved. I love you. I love you.

scar and bdubs. the vibes are immaculate. can't for the life of my imagaine beau-era bdubs and scar from-this-point-in-timeline in the same voice call. their s9 & s10 thou is smth akin to magic

like ik in the bigger picture is not surprising. buy I still. I still like to think about it

[lov3-from-loserlane]

desperately need to know what the thought process behind Kiyo's design is, he feels more like Hollywood's idea of an archaeologist than he does an anthropologist and i'm super curious what led you to it

Yeah no problem! And I see what you mean, but it’s important to know that anthropologists also do outdoor fieldwork, something I’d expect Korekiyo would be doing a ton of as the “ultimate” anthropologist. Both for work and his own enjoyment, based on what he’s said in game. Which is part of where the inspiration came from. Archaeology and Anthropology cover a lot of the same bases actually, but archaeology focuses more on the past and what is, whereas anthropology is more about the interpretation and includes more of the present.

But admittedly, yeah his design is inspired by popular interpretations of archaeologists, adventurers, or any other kind of outdoor researcher. Specifically, what a person doing this type of work would’ve worn in the 1910’s-20’s. I take a lot of historical references for my clothing designs, but haven’t taken much from this era before. So I thought this would be the perfect opportunity! I also incorporated some African textiles in his scarf and socks. The lining of his shorts and his pockets are just colored to match. I feel like he’d want to incorporate some cultural “appreciation” in his look, it’s a little tongue in cheek to “that type of guy” if you know what I mean.

His hair and sunglasses though are very late 60’s-70’s inspired. This was another big change I wanted to make to his design and to his character. I felt in the original, they were trying to go for a “well this guy is SO weird and scary that he couldn’t ACTUALLY be bad. Thatd be too obvious! …unless 😼” thing, which didn’t really work for me. So I wanted him to come off equal parts trustworthy and competent as he is weird and creepy. And at first, his “creepiness” would be easily explained away by him subtly accusing people who question his antics of being “culturally unaware.” So yeah, I thought giving him that 60’s-70’s, hippie, culturally aware, intellectual look would really sell that. He’d be looked to as one of the smartest, most rational people in the group. Even if the stuff he was saying sounded like pure fantasy, I think people would still believe him. Plus I’m sure Kiyo would be crazy for hallucinogens LOL which would fit the times. His “everything in life is beautiful and worth experiencing, even the ugly parts,” philosophy I can also see fitting in well with the era. That look I feel like also gave him just slight serial killer vibes. And, yknow, he is one. So I think it works.

Here are some of my specific references:

[autism0fadown]

Dndads characters as Pokémon!

Idk why but i’m trying to see what pokemon each dndad character would be (or at least untill i get bored of the idea) so im gonna do a poll to see what the ppl think. The dads go first !!

Starting with our crunchy munchy hippie dad Henry oak!

Pictures of the pokemon and expanding on the explanations below the cut ✂️

Psyduck

Look at this dumb anxious creature, doesn’t it just give off the pure essence of Henry Oak! Not only that, but when psyduck is under pressure or over whelmed it starts panicking and freaking out, just like Henry when he has one of his Henry Moments ™️ and starts yelling at one of the other dads

Also, psyduck has random moments where his psychic powers come to him and he’s really powerful. And this reminds me exactly of Henry in the beginning of the first season when he felt the surge of energy through his body and his powers would suddenly come to him

Bidoof

Idk, just something about this Pokémon reminds me of him… maybe its the crunchy munchy-ness of it. And also, looks like (or is close enough to) his wombat form!

Bulbasaur

The looks of this pokemon also kinda reminds me of Henry, especially the plant theme, but its mostly the vines that the Pokémon uses, just like how Henry uses vines for entangle

Meganium

just vibes honestly

Shaymin

Also just vibes and the overall plant theme, but i think it would be funny

Gogoat

I don’t really get henry vibes from this one just because it has a more serious expression, but henry being a goat Pokémon just makes sense to me and also it has a bit of a “crunchy munchy” look

Vileplum

Stinky and plant themed, just like our boy henry!

Mimikyu

Its kinda like how on the outside we see a pikachu costume but on the inside is a dark creature, and its almost the how on the outside we see henry, but inside him is an eldritch being (the doodler) but i know its not like the doodler is wearing Henry as a costume or to hide itself (unless you interpret it that way?), but it just makes me think about Henry and how he inherited the doodler within him

[sootyships]

For all of this, it's important to keep in mind that the City must by necessity be wholly self-sufficient and that there is no mass production.

The fabrics used by the factions are natural fibres that could be cultivated in the region even without greenhouses: Hemp, linen, wool, perhaps even nettle. Jeans are made of hemp, t-shirts are made of linen, etc. In-universe, these things are everyday enough not to warrant mention. (Canonically they do have cotton but cotton is so resource-intensive! Ugh!) Leather, obtained as a side product of meat production, is used extensively, particularly in shoes. Rubber is produced from the latex of rubber root dandelion. Elastics and rubber soles are used in apparel to a limited degree, because rubber has so many other more pressing uses.

Shoes tend to resemble a cross between current shoes, moccasins and mukluks. They're typically leather, quilted fabric or felted wool. The soles are usually leather, but can also be rope, braided fabric or sometimes other materials.

Dyes used are exclusively natural dyes which can be obtained from local wild sources or sources cultivated by Amity. Erudite may have processed such dyes into more potent forms or even created synthetic dyes from available resources, but, for the most part, the factions use Amity's dyes.

Abnegation's clothes are generally not pure grey, but drab blue-greys, green-greys and grey-browns. They also use some undyed, unbleached fabrics. (Unbleached linen is greyish.) Erudite clothes are indigo blues, but also violets and turquoises. Dauntless clothes are dark, with some more colourful details. (I do like the idea that the movies introduced, with colours used to indentify an individual's rank at a glance. At my brigade, the tradition was for conscript leaders to wear the lower jacket strings cinched while privates were only allowed to cinch the waist strings, allegedly so leaders could be identified even at some distance 🤔 Who knows.) (I kinda wanna say that Dauntless clothes stain their skin because I'm terrible--) Candor clothes play with the contrast of bleached white and dyed dark--obviously, for them, the dark fabric must be very colour-fast. Amity uses the widest range of colours and shades; practically everything not explicitly claimed by the others.

Undergarments are made of natural fibres. Undershirts, underskirts and longer underpants are often used to protect the outer clothes due to their value.

In Candor and Erudite, the prevalent bra style resembles a bullet bra(!). In Dauntless, the most common bra style is a sorts of sports bra, in line with the active lifestyle, though the style is fairly different from what we're used to (non/low-elastic, uses fastenings). They're also common in Amity, though all bra styles—including bralessness—are well represented. In Abnegation, simple Kestos-style bras are used. Large-chested individuals may use the same sports bra style used by Dauntless and Amity because it is also shape-obscuring.

Aprons! Are! A! Must!

Abnegation and Amity weave their own fabrics; the other factions largely employ the Factionless to weave their fabrics for table scraps.

Amity are artists, and as such, their fabrics are woven works of art. Amity prefer to discard as little fabric as possible when patterning, and instead using gathers, drawstrings and belts for shaping their garments. Wrap skirts are common, as are "shapeless" dresses and tunics cinched with the aforementioned methods. Amity also embroider and bead their garments. Nalbinding, crochet and lacemaking are popular. (Not knitting, simply because I want the yarnworks to have a different look. We can imagine it's some new future technique :') ) While the hippie vibe the movie went for makes sense, Amity are also the resident homesteaders & cowboys and should dress accordingly.

Dauntless wear some body armour while on the job. Back in the day, when they patrolled the Factionless areas, it was most likely that they'd have run-ins with sharp objects rather than projectile weapons, so their armour tends to reflect that. While the armour is standardised, it has essentially spread into the fashion of the faction, leading to them preferring to wear vests with closures on the sides and other clothes reminiscent of the same silhouette. Studs, small metal plates, rings woven into leather straps, quilting, woven fabric straps and stitch-and-slash are all methods employed to achieve clothing that can take a beating. In general, cutting and tearing already damaged clothing in an artistic manner is an aspect of Dauntless self-expression. DIY, even in the absence of skill, is everyday. Trousers almost always have reinforcements on the knees. Skirts tend to be shorter than among other factions; if you run the risk of stepping on the hem while running up stairs, the skirt is too long.

Abnegation clothing resembles those of current modest religious movements: the Amish, Orthodox Jews, modestly dressing Muslims, et cetera, all in Abnegation grey, of course. Clothes cover from the collarbones the the elbows and knees. Women's clothes are typically made of structured fabrics to facilitate camouflaging the details of the body. Simple, utilitarian styles of hair covering are fairly common, particularly among married women. Abnegation may use visible mending techniques which add texture, though not colour, to their clothes. While the mending may be visible, it is not to be attention-grabbing.

Each faction has its own strategy for handling transfers' old faction's clothes. In Erudite and Candor, the clothes are collected to be used as payment to the Factionless. In Dauntless, the clothes store has a collection box; clothes are dyed dark with usually black walnut and iron water and given to Dauntless artisans to create new Dauntless clothes with. In Amity, old clothes may be kept or given to an Abnegation representative on Visiting Day to be donated to the Factionless. In Abnegation, old clothes are, of course, donated to the Factionless.

[oliveroctavius]

Did you check out the first issue of the new Ultimate Spider-Man? I'd be curious to see your thoughts

I was planning on letting it pass by me, zen-like. I kind of... disapprove of the entire concept. The more redundant universes Marvel creates (note that I say redundant, in that I like some AUs with recognizably different heroes and story lines) the more it approaches a DC-like level of story fragmentation, where nothing has to matter and everything runs on vibes. Every new restart survives an even shorter amount of time. It's a death spiral.

But alright. I may not know who Hickman is but some other people seem to like him. I'm Charlie Brown, the new title is a football, here's some of the whistling my foot makes as it flies through the air.

First off a disclaimer: comics are into longform storytelling these days, so almost nothing happens in this issue by design. This is a setup, not a story. I can point out some pettier dislikes, but I can't know what might turn out well yet.

I get that this is going to tie in to the Maker, but calling this USM is a bogus decision that is going to cause so much confusion down the line. It's like they didn't want to admit they were setting up yet a third story. See above grouch about redundant universes.

Uncle Ben being alive instead of Aunt May is a hell of a decision. But I like Hell Of A Decisions if they're pulled off with confidence. I miss og USM's ponytailed gentle old hippie Uncle Ben, I admit. He had a surprising amount of characterization, which I always liked about that series.

I... do not get... why they are homewrecking Robbie + JJJ for Ben. Like, I'm kind of offended on Robbie's behalf. og USM already put some of Robbie's plotlines into Ben--I mean, Ben Urich's hands, but this is more based on 616, isn't it? Robertson's personal moral compass and how that interacts with his job and his safety and his journalistic ethics AND his relationship with Jameson's short-sighted tendencies have been the core of his character for 60 years. Could we not think of something new for Uncle Ben to be doing instead of overwriting an existing character relationship and adding next to nothing to it? And Robbie's there and just kind of fine with the Kingpin's proposal as far as we see so far. This is probably my biggest complaint.

The kids could be an interesting element, but we don't really see any of that yet so it's purely potential.

The Harry fans seem to like this new Harold and his visual design so far. I suppose he's not fully flavorless but the flavor that is there is like. Salt and pepper.

MJ could stand to look older and have more characterization but that is not an original observation. Wait, she's definitely based off her 616 self and not her USM self isn't she? God why DID they call this USM, this is a structural publishing nightmare

The Goblin design is what people think the Raimi goblin costume was, which is not exactly a compliment. Also I *know* I'm the Goblin Fan but are there, really no other villains you could think of to open with? No? Is this the only plot point that's ever going to get adapted over and over again? Maybe it will be good and I'll be glad, I think! And then imagine Charlie Brown and the football again.

Another thing that really got me was the churning camera angles on some of the simplest scenes here. I respect the dutch angle hustle, Chechetto, but if I'm feeling seasick while trying to follow a scene where people have a conversation while sitting down then you might want to rethink your strategy.

To misquote Roger Ebert for a second, "the penciler has learned from better comics that artists sometimes tilt their panels, but it seems he has not learned why."

[a-trick-or-two-with-lepers]

Hair (1979) Soundtrack Personal Ranking

I have fallen in LOVE with this musical; particularly the movie version. It encapsulates its message of peace and love in the time of war very well in my opinion. Since I'm also a freak for numbered lists, I've decided to rank the songs from my least to most favorite. Even my least favorite songs make me bob my head a little. This is a very groovy movie and everybody should watch it a least once. I'm going to be ranking these songs based on sound and meaning alone, rather than including the filmography of the scenes that go along with them, just to make things a bit fairer.

19. Hashish - This is less of a song and more of a chanting of the names of different drugs. The walking bassline and lackadaisical percussion are reminiscent of the effects of depressant drugs, which is pretty cool.

18. LBJ/Initials - This is a pretty short song, and I don’t have much to say about it. It doesn’t have many lyrics. I don’t care to know much about history, but evidently LBJ did become a hippy of sorts, which is interesting.

17. Sodomy - Whenever I hear this song, I always imagine two things: one, the faces of the audiences hearing this on stage for the first time were probably hilarious, and two, someone who doesn’t speak English probably thinks this song is beautiful and pure. The main vocals provided are really pretty, and the same goes for the instrumentation and background vocals. However, the lyrics are rather shocking. Woof literally just says the most heinous sexual words he can think of, and then questions why they evoke such disgust in people. In his opinion, which reflects the opinions of many hippies during this time, these words represent joy and good feelings among humans, so he doesn’t understand why so many people call them “dirty.” Although, I’m not sure why pederasty is included in this song. The relationships that word represents truly ARE nasty… 

16. Colored Spade - So. I’m white. I couldn’t nor would I ever want to sing the lyrics to this song, considering they literally just consist of every black slur under the sun. However, they are sung by black people, along with stereotypes associated with their race. It is genuinely a progressive song if you look at it a certain way, considering they are diminishing the importance of these words that have been used derogatorily against them. Additionally, Dorsey Wright’s voice here is fantastic. He sounds like a young Louis Armstrong in some parts, and he was just out of high school! I can fully understand how some people might feel uncomfortable with this song- I definitely do- but I think that’s the point. These words have been used to make black people uncomfortable for so many years, so by reclaiming them and using them satirically, the black folks in this song make everyone else feel uncomfortable for using them.

15. 3-5-0-0 - This is a really impactful protest song. I wouldn’t put it on my playlists or anything, but I can’t say it doesn’t hold a lot of meaning.

14. Electric Blues - This song is really interesting. It’s fully rebellious, and the fusion of R&B, rock, and jazz is just so, well, groovy! The bass and keyboard really shine in this song. If I were at a gathering in central park and this song was being performed, I’d be losing all my inhibitions and vibing with the crowd.

13. Good Morning Starshine - This one makes me want to ride down a highway in a roofless car with my homies. Although, I’d probably be sputtering and moving my hair out of my face the whole time. Still a cute song nonetheless. Also, Johnny Depp Willy Wonka reference! Yay!

12. Black Boys/White Boys - I don’t know what to make of this song. It makes me giggle. Especially with how they have the militia men also singing it in the movie. I think that’s supposed to represent how strange it was that men had to be examined by other men to be deemed worthy to fight. It was a similar process to how some women would choose men to sleep with. This song might offend modern viewers, but it was once again progressive for the time. Bi-racial couples weren’t quite accepted by society, so mixed races lusting over each other was about as radical as it got. 

11. Walking in Space - This song is quite the trip. I really like the soloist. I won’t go into an analysis of this song, as it’s so packed with metaphors that I fear it would take me all day, but the footnotes are basically that hippies saw drugs as beautiful, and they didn’t understand why someone would want to end this beauty for others, and they were very, very anti-war. I rather like the verse “To keep us under foot/They bury us in soot/Pretending it’s a chore/To ship us off to war.” 

10. Donna - I spent some time not understanding what this song was about. I found a small analysis online that suggested “Donna,” being a teenager and a virgin, represents the virgin Mary, and rather than looking for an actual young girl to corrupt, Berger is searching for salvation through his actions. This spiritual theme is present in many lines of the song. “I’m evolving through the drugs that you put down” seems to represent how Berger and many others feel closer to God when they are intoxicated. I really like this reading of the song; it makes it much easier to listen to. I’ll admit, I was a bit put off by “16-year-old virgin,” so I was just convincing myself it was okay because it was from a very different time, but thinking of the song this way makes me enjoy it a lot more. It’s a very upbeat and catchy tune. Also, Treat Williams really shows his range here!

9. Hare Krishna - Many hippies believed that chanting this phrase (and also ‘Hare Rama’) would have a direct impact on the soul, as it called upon pleasure and divine femininity. They chant other words with the same phrasing and melody, such as marijuana. This represents how they saw the use of drugs as a spiritual joy that brought pleasure and happiness to the user. It’s a really pretty song.

8. Manchester, England - This song is so much fun! You can tell Claude and Berger really enjoy each others’ presence. A lot of people don’t know what the fuck these lyrics mean, but here’s how I see it: the title itself is sort of a double-meaning. On one hand, Claude comes from a small town in Oklahoma, which is so different from NYC that it might as well be another country. On the other hand, at this point in the film, Claude is tripping balls. Get it? He’s on a trip? Anyway, I really love this song. Some of the references date it a bit, but it was representative of the time. Sometimes I just sing “MANCHESTER, ENGLAND, ENGLAND” for absolutely no reason. Treat Williams really lives up to his name, and John Savage is adorable. 

7. Hair - This song is super delightful. It shows how and why the hippies valued their hair so much: it was a symbol of their freedom, like their own flag. The military and social sensibilities told them to cut their hair, which they saw as oppression. They also sing about how their lifestyles and appearances reflected that of Jesus, who the American military sent them out to fight for. In the opinions of the hippies, Jesus would have agreed with their own lifestyles rather than the lives of those fighting in the war. According to nearly everything the Bible says, this is true. “My hair like Jesus wore it, Hallelujah, I adore it, Hallelujah, Mary loved her son, why don’t my mother love me…”

6. Aquarius - Due to the popularization of this song thanks to The Fifth Dimension band, this is probably the most well-known song from “Hair.” It’s the first song in the movie, and the bass and drums work to get the audience relaxed and excited for what they’re about to see. When the brass comes in, it helps to set the tone of the song, which is optimistic and warm. Then, of course, there is the solo vocalist. Her name is Ren Woods, and her voice is absolutely stunning. She was apparently only 19 when she sang this, and yet her voice sounds at least 30. I’m a sucker for mature voices that emphasize vowels and rhythmic intonation. The lyrics of this song may seem confusing at first to people who don’t know anything about astrology (I’m talking about myself here), but the main message of the song is about the sexual freedom movement that was occuring in the sixties. Despite the name, this movement was about much more than sex. It was about connection, love for one’s neighbors, mutual understanding, and empathy, among other ideas. From what I’ve learned, the ages of the zodiac signs last thousands of years each, and it was said that during the sixties, the Age of Aquarius would begin. This age was meant to bring a sense of peace and harmony to the world, and the hippies/flower children believed their own morals to be in line with this new age. 

5. I’m Black/Ain’t got No - The beginning of this song is so addictive, both instrumentally and vocally. These men proclaim their skin color with self-confidence and joy, and then Claude sings his bit about being invisible. I feel that Claude should have had more characterization in this movie, so I really like that part in particular. Then “Ain’t got No” starts, and I seriously can’t express how much I love this song. It’s almost tear-jerking in how passionate it is; the vocalists here really felt what they were singing (especially Kurt Yaghjian, who was also Annas in JCS 73)!! The hippies sing what they’re constantly told by higher class citizens: that they are lacking, dirty, and worthless. However, they intersperse these comments with what they’re grateful for not having, such as attachments to material possessions that strip them of their individuality. It’s amazing how a song with not much variation in its lyrics and phrasing can be so impactful. I could go on and on about it. 

4. Easy to be Hard - This particular rendition of the song, of all the versions I’ve heard, is my favorite. The soloist here has the most incredible voice, and the key fits her very well. The lyrics mean a lot to me in the context of the movie as well. While the movement the hippies were starting and going along with was morally admirable, the kindness and love they impressed onto the less fortunate did not always translate to their personal lives. Hud abandoned his fiancee and child and verbally abused the former in public. While he may be socially progressive, he was still upholding harmful patriarchal standards in his own life because they benefited him. (I still wish he received more on-screen comeuppance for this, but it is implied that Berger and the gang made him apologize). 

3. Flesh Failures/Let the Sunshine In - Aaaaand this is where the tears begin to flow. Seriously, the entire time this song was playing in the movie I was just sobbing. It’ll probably be my next lyrical analysis. I think this is probably the most impactful moment in the film because of this song. Berger reprising “Manchester, England” broke my heart in two. 

2. I got Life - This song makes me want to jump on a table and sing at the top of my lungs. Of course, I would never do that, what with my following of social norms and safety, but George Berger had no such inhibitions. He is just mesmerizing here, and that is thanks to the spectacular acting of Treat Williams. Just like “Ain’t got No,” this song repeats very similar phrases over and over again, and yet it is one of my favorites in the whole musical. This song almost feels like a sister song to the former; instead of singing about what he lacks, Beger sings about what he has, and with just as much, if not more, joy. “I got my ass!” Yes you do, Berger! Go off king!!

1. Where do I Go - I was really debating whether to put “I got Life” or this first. But then I realized I spent almost two hours making a lyrical analysis of this song last night (stay tuned for that post >:)) and decided, yeah, this is probably my favorite. The instrumentation at the beginning is so… just… I don’t even have the words to describe it. Just know that movies about young people dying in wars they didn’t start hit me in a really personal way somehow. I’ll go into more detail in my analysis post.

I know my blog is mostly about Jesus Christ Superstar, which still ranks above this movie for me. However, I was completely entranced by the music of this film, and since seeing it I have felt the intense need to analyze its lyrics and musicality. If you like JCS and haven't seen this movie, I sincerely suggest checking it out.

[spiders-hth-is-an-outlier]

Whenever I say that emotions are shitty liars and we should spend less time Validating them and more time exposing their calumny, people always want to make the distinction that feelings are always valid, only your reaction to the feelings can be judged. And the problem is that's true if you're arguing about "validity" as a moral category, which I am not because I don't give a shit about that.

And that's in some sense a privileged position that I have! Not in the sense of privilege as institutional power, but just like -- good fortune. I was raised in the Free To Be You and Me era, by hippies with advanced psychology degrees and Mr. Rogers. I already know that it's "valid" to experience negative emotions, in the sense of "normal and inevitable" and also in the sense of "thought crime is fake." I know some people were acculturated into an extremely different belief system that prioritized pure thoughts and a pure heart. That sucks -- people lied to you and it fucked you up a little, or maybe a lot. If that's where you're currently at, I get it, and probably what you do really still need is some version of Mr. Rogers coaching you nonjudgmentally through what to do with the mad that you feel. That's a little basic when it comes to emotional literacy, but if you never mastered the basics, you gotta start sometime!

However, I'm not talking about that because it's boring to me. What's fascinating to me is that emotions feel real even when they are "invalid" in the sense of "based on literally fuckall." Like, you know what makes me blinding angry? The self-checkout machine telling me nine times to scan an item I just scanned. I wanna put my fucking fist through the thing! I want to kill it.

Now, the reality is that there is nothing happening in those moments that truly justifies my emotional reaction. I don't react like that to actual human beings, even the ones who are trying to hurt me on purpose! Certainly a little piece of machinery making my checkout experience longer by maybe ten seconds is -- like, it's not even a thing! The proportional emotional reaction to that is basically nothing. And being angry with something that has no volition is ridiculous, but how often do most of us do it? We're angry at the traffic lights or the security questions on our bank app or the fucking weather. It's such an ordinary experience, we bond over how angry these random little inconveniences make us. And by the way, the people who value purity of heart most keenly do seem to displace extremely aggressive anger onto inconveniences at a disproportionately high rate, which is how you get high-vibes yoga moms or good church deacons screaming like a lunatic about some problem with their Instacart order.

So, like. Obviously something else is going on. I'm not angry at this machine for wasting my valuable ten seconds. Not really. I'm angry because so much of my life is spent interfacing with automated systems and I resent all the million little ways I feel unseen as a human being. I'm angry because I was raised by a culture that taught me the one and only realm of my life where I was allowed to have unquestionable authority over my own experience is when it's my turn to be The Customer, so it feels especially violating when I'm helpless within my Paying Customer Experience. And I'm angry because I usually do my grocery shopping on the way home from work, and I'm tired and hungry and my animal brain is feeling increasingly desperate about this threatening situation.

Those are emotions that are important, in the sense of needing to be validated and understood, but you can't even get to them until you you recognize that what feels enormously real right now -- that I hate this specific machine and long for the opportunity to break it -- is in fact false. The truth is, this doesn't matter, and I won't care about it five seconds after I walk out. The truth is, I wouldn't feel better if I broke the machine; it wouldn't solve any problem I have, and I'd just feel like a dumbass. The truth is, telling myself it's normal and healthy and valid to hate self-checkout machines obscures the actual powerful clarity I can achieve when I stop and think, what's the true thing that I can't focus on while I'm being angry about this fake thing? The emotion itself (I'm going to kill this fucking machine!) is a maladaptive response, even though I never actually act on it. The emotion itself is part of a set of lies I tell myself about my life and how I feel about it. It's not immoral, but it's an obstacle, the same way uncritically accepting any false thing is an obstacle to my ultimate goal, which is to live a life as unburdened by lies as possible.

[jasminessnostalgiaa]

I went to Lincoln City, OR. ⛱️ 🌊 🦭 ⛵️ 🐚 🐢

I had a notebook, cameras, & headphones. Pure euphoric vibes I meet so many people with hippie clothes.

[kaydreamer]

She's a Rebel, She's a Hippie, She's Hope

I started a little Fallout 4 fanfic to serve as some writing practice for Spring Tide Rebellion, and it kinda spiralled into a whole-ass hyper-fixation. Turns out I like writing just as much as I like drawing.

I heard there's a healthy writing community here on Tumblr, so I figured I'd cross-post it. You can also find it on Archive of Our Own.

It's a slow-burn romance between the Sole Survivor and Hancock, involving a flirting game, lots of character exploration, heaps of funny bullshit, and more fluff than a bus full of bunnies.

Also, some moments which will play your heartstrings like a sad violin, because one doesn't get to experience nuclear apocalypse without a healthy dose of trauma.

The synopsis is below, along with the link to Chapter 1.

Please enjoy!

---

LINK TO CHAPTER 1

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Hope. Her name was pure irony, given the state of the world she woke up to.

She had always despised Vault-Tec, with their shiny, corporate, sickeningly cheerful take on the spectre of nuclear apocalypse. It was her brother, Nate, who had written her name down on that list. She’d argued. But when the bombs started falling, she ran for the vault, just like everyone else.

The only person who didn’t want to walk into that icy tomb was the only person who walked out of it.

There was an irony to that, too.

Waking to a broken world, the passion which fuelled her in the Peace Movement drove her to join the Minutemen the moment she stumbled upon them. If she could help people survive, help to build a better world, she would - while her grief-torn vow to track down her stolen nephew led her on a wild chase across the Commonwealth, all the way to the gate of Goodneighbor.

It was there she'd meet a flirtatious ghoul whose charm and wit would light a fire in her soul, and whose own desire to help the people of the Commonwealth would show her the apocalypse could be about thriving, not just surviving.

It turns out the counter-cultural spirit lived on, and it survived in a ghoul named John Hancock.

---

A few extra notes about this story:

🔥 My take on Hancock's appearance is closer to his concept art. He's not been a ghoul for very long, he still has a nose and hair. (I use the 'Sexy Hancock' mod in-game.) He's got those soulful black eyes, though.

🌿 I also like my nuclear apocalypse to come with that overgrown Chernobyl vibe, so the Commonwealth is more of a wilderness than a wasteland.

✨ Hope is Shaun's aunt here - she was a little too footloose for the whole white-picket-fence vibe pre-war. You'll see why.

🔪 The first part - with jolly ol' Finn at the gate - has been done a hundred times in a hundred fics, but I hope you enjoy it anyway. I know I always get a kick out of reading how other people write it.

💕 The flirting starts in Chapter 2 and doesn't stop thereafter. And yes, it will get steamy later on. 😉

[dsenvs3000w24]

Nature in Music/Music in Nature

I think that music is very common in nature, and the more you look for it the more examples you can find. The obvious example of this is in the various melodies found in bird calls. However, many other things can make equally beautiful sounds. Walking around in Guelph, the sounds of toads and frogs calling add a bass-like musical drone or rhythmic beats. The crickets and cicadas provide more of a treble-y synth-like sound that I have spent multiple hours trying to recreate for my own music. The groaning of swaying trees can provide even more interesting sounds. Even the rustling of grasses and leaves can have a really lush sound that fills out the musical landscape similar to how people tend to add or leave in white noise in musical recordings to make them sound less empty. Some of the abiotic elements of nature can also be musical. The wind can literally whistle or function like a rising or falling synth effect as it changes intensities. The sound of moving water can also provide interesting heterogeneity to the background sounds.

Nature is also an essential part of music. Every human culture has some form of music, which seems to indicate we are naturally inclined to make and appreciate music (Gray et al., 2001). Similarly, a very common feature of good music is that it has an “organic” type of sound. This can either come from the sounds used and the production style of the song, or from the song structure and melodies or rhythms used. I find that I tend to like music that sounds more organic and has many imperfections and variations in the sounds used which can give a very warm quality to the music. Generally, this warm organic sound comes from using more analog equipment and real instruments instead of working digitally and using synthesized instruments, but many people will actually edit their digitally recorded music to try and emulate that analog warmth. This organic sound can be heard very easily in the sound quality of some of my favorite albums such as Pure Guava by Ween or this unreleased demo by them:

The vocals in this song are extremely warm and buttery, while the acoustic guitar and analog synth sounds add to the warm natural sound - the song also uses lots of natural imagery in the lyrics to add to the warm sunny vibe

However, another way to incorporate that “organic” sound can be through the actual structure or melodies of the song. This is a frequent part of improvisational music such as Jazz, Psychedelic Rock, or Klezmer music. Here is one example of this that I really enjoy and has a mix of both the organic sound quality and the organic sounding melodies and rhythm:

This recording sounds very warm and organic which is supported by the organic melodies and rhythmic and melodic variation throughout the song

Music can also be a great way to interpret nature to others (Beck et al., 2018). Music can be used to translate the emotional aspects of nature to an audience or to provide information in a memorable way (Beck et al., 2018). Well-made music can make nature interpretation more immersive and enjoyable for people and is a great way to translate and spread desired messages (Beck et al., 2018). Overall, we seem to naturally enjoy natural sounding music about nature :)

A song that immediately reminds me of being in nature is a song I made this past summer titled Hippy Dippy.

I used some of the warm and natural techniques to give this song an upbeat and sunny feel

During the summer I went for a series of long walks by myself through a local trail and tried to be mindful of the warmth and vibrancy of nature in the late summer. I then tried to translate those feelings into a song that I made for my partner. Listening to it both reminds me of them and of the warmth of the sun in August, the lush greens and yellows of open fields, and the vibrant colours of wildflowers. I get a similar upbeat feeling to walking around in the sunlight in summer when I walk around and listen to this song in the winter even when it’s cold and grey.

Works Cited

Beck, L., Cable, T. T., & Knudson, D. M. (2018). Interpreting cultural and natural heritage: For A Better World. SAGAMORE Publishing, 226.

Gray, P., Krause, B., Atema, J., Payne, R., Krumhansl, C., & Baptista, L. (2001). The Music of Nature and the Nature of Music. Science. 291. 52-54.