#release the funky colored lights version!!! | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

yukeri · 2 years ago

Text

Love On The Weekend is Lovemonth's second mini album and was released on December 26th, 2022. This mini album had two title tracks: "불토 (Fire Saturday)" and "어디야? (Where are you?)", both being promoted for two weeks each.

~TRACKS~

불토 (Fire Saturday)

Coast of Azure

目がくらむ (Dazzling Lights) Hotaru Solo

LOOK

어디야? (Where are you?)

~STYLE~

Hair:

Yumin kept her bob from the previous comeback, but went dark for the first time. The outer layer of her hair was a dark brown, but the inner layer was still her trademark blond color. She decided to give her scalp a break for once, but she didn’t want to be completely unrecognizable.

Yeojeong continued with her dark hair. This time around, however, she went jet black. Although she was sad she had let some fans down, she tried to make it up by wearing funky-colored extensions for the stages.

Byeol dyed her long hair red to match her representative heart and kept the no bangs look. They also especially liked her look during the Fire Saturday promotions because the fire red hair made the loud seventies styling even campier.

Hotaru dyed her hair a honey blond that faded to a dirty blond throughout the era. ælifes were a little disappointed because they were expecting her to have Byeol’s hair transformation, but eventually grew to like this more elegant, mature version of Hotaru especially during the "어디야? (Where are you?)" promotions.

Chowon 86’d the bangs and dyed her hair ombre jet black-to-blond. Unlike the last comeback, she wore her hair almost exclusively straight. She also almost exclusively wore something on her head during the Fire Saturday promotions whether it was a hat, a bandanna, or a headband. Rumors started spreading that Lovemonth was working with a new stylist and an accident led to her getting a bald patch at the top of her head, but it was quickly dispelled during "Where Are You?" promotions when she wore nothing on her head

Since Saetbyul was the newest member, she didn’t get a huge makeover. Her hair was kept dark, but dyed a chocolate brown rather than being her usual jet black. As the "불토 (Fire Saturday)" promotions progressed, however, her hairstyles got more adventurous going from simple straight with a headband to Farrah-esque waves and tinsel extensions.

Stage Outfits:

불토 (Fire Saturday)

As the first title track that they would perform, the stylist wanted the girls to really catch people's attention. The loud 70s aesthetic was eventually decided upon. Color-blocked tops; loud, flair-legged pants; boot-cut denim jeans; ostrich feather tops; white go-go boots; and lots of headbands and bandannas. It's hard to tell, but it seemed that the goodbye stage outfits were the most well-received. The white collared tops paired with the embroidered royal blue pants was giving the 70s aesthetic with a modern twist.

어디야? (Where are you?)

The second title track was much more toned down, so the stylist went with a much simpler look: a high-low dress with ruffled sleeves and a bow. The girls were this outfit in a variety of pastel colors: baby blue and white, white and pale pink, pink and white, lavender and white, mint and white, etc. Interestingly enough, they never wore the pink and red outfits from the music video...

目がくらむ (Dazzling Lights)

Hotaru, as the only Loveomonth girlie that the fandom wasn't looking at sideways, got her own stage for her solo track as well as a performance MV! She personally decided on the city pop aesthetic for both of her outfits, choosing dresses with both elegant and cute features just like her. And of course she had to pair them with city pop's trademark accessories: lace gloves, a fascinator, and the plainest pair of shoes she could find.

~THE CHARTS~

"불토 (Fire Saturday)" peak positions:

Genie: --- MelOn: --- FLO: --- VIBE: --- Bugs!: ---

"어디야? (Where are you?)" peak positions:

Genie: --- MelOn: --- FLO: --- VIBE: --- Bugs!: ---

Music Show Wins: bffr 0

~ERA HIGHLIGHTS~

Lovemonth flop era pt. 2 Electric Boogaloo

A mess from start to finish.......let's start with the music videos!

The "불토 (Fire Saturday)" music video was actually kinda fun. A huge party with Lovemonth welcoming in their temporary member, Saetbyul. She was definitely the focus of the video, having almost the same amount of screen time and center time as Yeojeong. Was there a huge, overarching narrative to the video? No. Did it need one? Not really. It was just a cute, campy, feel good music video that almost gave ælifes the feels. Unfortunately, the last couple of minutes made things weird: all the girls left "the club" arm-in-arm as Yumin followed closely behind, but turned back to the open doors of the club with a troubled look as if she'd forgotten something, alluding to the theme of the second music video...

The "어디야? (Where are you?)" music video was bad. It managed to be high experiment, arthaus shlock and pathetically transparent at the same time, but it was clearly meant to serve as an open apology of sorts to Rudy. There were several allusions to her absence: the girls sitting in six chairs with one empty one next to them, a scene with six full glasses of water and one empty glass, even the final shot with the girls posing 3:3 with a gaping hole in the middle of their formation. Pandering at its finest.

Although some ælifes gave the company credit for at least showing that Rudy is an integral part of the group and her absence is clear, most were not fooled and continued to follow through with the boycott.

Allegedly, Rudy tweeted "not that cringey ass mv lol" and then deleted it at some point 🥴

Needless to say, both music videos were incredibly slow to garner views due to the boycott. "불토 (Fire Saturday)" did manage to rack up about 1 million views after a month and a few weeks, but "어디야? (Where are you?)" barely made half that.

The sales for Love On The Weekend were similarly awful with freshly-debuted nugu groups outselling them. They didn't even chart.

Many of Lovemonth's gigs were cancelled because it was clear they were not welcome anywhere; shows that announced they would be appearing found their broadcasting companies flooded with emails urging them to cancel.

Even performing at Aes!OCNet Awards, what should've been the highlight of their year, became a disaster and a controversy.

The worst part was Saetbyul, who had absolutely no idea what she was getting herself into and was innocent in all the controversy, breaking down at a festival performance after someone threw a bottle on stage and cursed at them.

Yeah......this era sucked.

~SCANDALS & CONTROVERSIES~

#BoycottYURINCO: This hashtag spread like wildfire after Rudy’s livestream. Many ælifes vowed to boycott the comeback and any future comebacks until a public apology was made to Rudy. Because of this, the mini album pre-sales were abysmal and neither title track charted. Even when they performed live stages the crowds were quiet and didn’t do their fanchants. The “불어” era, as it’s been unofficially named, was basically one large scandal from Rudy’s livestream controversy, to the very obvious messaging in the music videos, to the Aes!OCNet Awards debacle…speaking of which…

Aes!OCNet Awards performance debacle: Lovemonth was invited to the Aes!OCNet Awards for the second time, but things have changed quite a bit over the past year. As soon as this was announced, petitions to have their invitation rescinded started circulating as Rudy-biased ælifes were demanding justice for their fave. The petition was ultimately not taken seriously and ended up being forgotten. Eventually, the initial backlash of the invitation started to die down and soon enough it was time for the event. It’s not really certain who was responsible for it or it was pulled off, but when Lovemonth took the stage a large portion of the audience’s lightsticks went out. It was more of a black pond than a black ocean, but it was just as mortifying and brought the relatively nugu group into the public eye for all the wrong reasons.

She said what?!: A profanity-laden audio clip allegedly of Byeol surfaced where she was talking about people not supporting their comeback because of Rudy. The clip is of pretty shitty quality, but Byeol’s voice is pretty distinct. This caused a bit of commotion on K-pop Twitter for about 48 hours before dying down, but some ælifes still think there’s some truth to it and it’s caused the fandom to side-eye Byeol a little.

~ACTIVITIES~

Not a lot of activities this era because of all the controversy, but they did get to do a few things!

The girls appeared on the talk show Idol2Idol (a show where idols interview other idols they’re promoting with) alongside peekAboo. Hotaru talked about her background in waacking and voguing in Japan, revealing she co-choreographed "Naughty", one of the songs from her and Byeol's web series. She then did a little demonstration for the girls and did what needed to be done.

For this era’s Girls Generation cover, Lovemonth teamed up with 7LITE for a Music Bank Christmas episode performance of "Mr.Mr." OURLITEs lost their minds since 7LITE hadn’t had any activities for most of the year, and ælifes were definitely cheering as their favorite group continued this cute tradition, but still flooded videos’ of the performance on YouTube and elsewhere with comment section detailing what the group was going through and encouraging viewers not to support them.

They were invited to the annual Aes!OCNet Awards. Hotaru had the privilege of presenting the award for Best Summer Concept, then the group took to the Rising Star stage and performed a medley of their debut song "UP ALL NIGHT" and their newest title track "불토 (Fire Saturday)".

#aesxocnet #kpop oc #kpop idol oc #kpop oc group #fake kpop idol #fake kpop group #fictional idol community #fictional idol group #lovemonth.💚💚💚#lovemonth.💜💜💜#lovemonth.❤❤❤#lovemonth.💛💛💛#lovemonth.💙💙💙#lovemonth.🤍🤍🤍#lovemonth.lotw #lovemonth.disc

11 notes · View notes

quaddmgd · 8 months ago

Text

I've been playing Tomb Raider I-III Remastered since its release. I managed to beat TR1 + Unfinished business and I'm 1/3 through TR2. It takes me longer than I thought, mostly because of work and exhaustion, but I'm having so much fun. Let's talk about TR1 then!

I've never actually finished a Core Design Tomb Raider before. I really wanted to start from the first one, but no matter the version, MS-DOS, Windows or PS1, the jumping felt delayed to a point of being unplayable for me. Which... was really weird. Normally I enjoy playing older games and not many ever felt 'too old' for me to learn playing them. Remasters felt like my last chance to try and beat them and, well, turns out jumping in original TR1 is dependant on animations - cinematic platformer-style. The new release actually fixed that and it feels very responsive on a keyboard. That's the most important change for me.

TR1 feels so different from the Legend and Survivor trilogies. Compared to newer games, platforming requires an ungodly amount of precision to pull off and feels very rewarding in the process. Instead of being action-oriented it prioritizes being a puzzle-platformer first, while enemy encounters remain sporadic and rather unwelcome due to their jankiness. TR1 ends up being a really atmospheric, quiet and isolating experience, making you feel like you're really the first person to visit these locations in thousands of years - I really appreciate that.

Now, being a 1996 game, TR1 always looked stellar to me and if it weren't for my issues with platforming, I would've probably beaten the original a long time ago. That being said, I really appreciate the art direction this remaster goes for. It's a nice mix between somewhat cartoony models and the original level design allowing for gameplay to remain intact. It's not without issues (some spaces can be too dark, some items are harder to spot and hd textures don't blend that well together compared to the original pixel art - some of that was apparently fixed in a patch, but it'd have to go back and check), but its lighting system makes up for any flaws. To be honest lighting does all the heavy lifting in creating atmosphere and the way environment reflects colored light on Lara reminds me of RT global illumination solutions used in modern games, but retains the feeling of playing a forgotten early 2000s gem with an HD texture pack installed. I love it.

The photo mode is a nice addition too. I managed to snap a few pics and the ability to switch between old and new graphics helped with making side-by-side comparisons.

There are a few meaningful flaws, unfortunately. FMV cutscenes didn't get a proper upscale, but instead just a blurry filtering, making them look worse than the original ones. Some achievements appear to be broken as well, which can be a bummer as some of them are really hard to pull off. Switching to OG graphics caps frame rate to 30fps with a funky framepacing, NG+ is not NG+ but a hard mode, and all-new modern controls have already become infamous for limiting Lara's movement compared to tank controls and making the camera bug out in tight spaces. I encountered more issues, but most of them got fixed in a 1.01 patch, so overall I'm pleased with the state of the game.

Now there are communication and update accessibility issues I'm planning to touch on, but since they don't seem to affect the experience of actually playing the remasters, I'm going to do so in a separate post.

Playing through TR2, I noticed the bigger focus on action, which I heard will be also a thing in TR3, but aside from that it seems to be a great sequel!

I already made a wishlist of what I want to see in future patches (including a working wardrobe and outfits from other TR games hehe), but I have fun playing it and that's the most important thing about this collection. It was obviously made with love and I hope that updates will make it a perfect visual remaster in the future.

#text.qd

1 note · View note

just-jammin · 2 years ago

Text

I posted 7,206 times in 2022

1,936 posts created (27%)

5,270 posts reblogged (73%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@just-jammin

@astro-inthestars

@joyflameball

@anarchy-and-asexuality

@foxyfexyll

I tagged 3,603 of my posts in 2022

Only 50% of my posts had no tags

#idk anymore - 1,984 posts

#that was stupid - 1,984 posts

#inquiries of a fennec - 627 posts

#<= (a tag for me speaking) - 555 posts

#<= (also a tag for me speaking) - 491 posts

#a really nice anon - 340 posts

#not my art :p - 162 posts

#self rb - 160 posts

#pokemon infinity liveblog - 122 posts

#jammin’s ocs - 104 posts

Longest Tag: 139 characters

#but i either 1. don’t want to include them bc we actually haven’t talked much or 2. they’re in a diff friend group than the ppl in the list

My Top Posts in 2022:

after quite a while, here's my half of the art trade with @altairtalisman!

(psst, open image to see cool shit)

they asked me draw Rook Ayeran, specifically vaer Ascendant Form! but i DID add another person into the mix...

anyways, enjoy and both versions (that are higher quality) are under the cut in case y'all are on Dark Mode or something

See the full post

21 notes - Posted August 3, 2022

it's Pride Month wooooo

i wasn't rly planning to draw somethin' for it but eh fuck it

so here is

Which Shirt?

yeahhhhh i'm confused with my gender again

not sure if i'm a demigirl or an nb girl, but hey, at least it's easy enough to change online, right?

anyway, bonus is under the cut

See the full post

29 notes - Posted June 8, 2022

i wanna make one of those 'let's make a creature' things

so i tried searching for one and chose this

or reblog thread, in this case (maybe replies if the order can be coherent enough)

(got it from here; op is MiuNightmare)

i also wanted to add two three more things to the thread:

7. the creature's body type (think like the shape of the creature, like for example, here's the Pokémon body types from Gen 8)

See the full post

33 notes - Posted January 17, 2022

the aub

e Lekismon

yes, this is the thing that i ACTUALLY wanted to draw when i drew the loading screen-looking thingy

just some OMORI x Digimon AU stuff that probably won't be in the actual story that i planned for it

catering to my own interests is much harder than i thought...

also the bg is has the same source as the loading screen one; it's from the game, but i REALLY edited the colors to make it more... er, Digital World-y

36 notes - Posted September 19, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

ok folks and frops and funky lil' aliens

remember the Aura Fusion Generator that i've mentioned a few times back?

it's still not done, but i AM starting to let you apply for the generator's Alpha release!

this is because it might take a BIT longer to make a final, more improved version of it since i am still a coding amateur

although there ARE some features that are unique to the Alpha version of the generator (even a giveaway of some files to help you out!), as well as... maybe a contest that i'll announce here on tumblr after i release it?? idk

so to apply, please reply (not ask, not reblog even tho those are needed for spreading the word) here with your answer to this question: "If you got an AuraStone, what would your Aura Fusion/Pure Aura be based on your own vibes?" it can contain 1-3 Auras, with 2 being the most common, 3 being less common, and 1 being the rarest

oh, and the Elements are Fire, Water, Earth, Air, Nature (plants), Life (flesh and organs), Metal, Electric, Light, Dark, Null (the soul and senses), and Chaos (randomness and everything else)!

37 notes - Posted June 20, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

#tumblr2022 #year in review #my 2022 tumblr year in review #your tumblr year in review #wow that was a BUMMER compared to last yr #and the top post is something that everyone (at least one anon) hates!#whoopee!! /s

0 notes

thestylesindependent · 2 years ago

Text

To begin anew, Harry Styles returned to where he last left things off. The consummate rock star finished the North American leg of his Love On Tour trek at Long Island’s new UBS Arena in November; he was also the first artist to grace the venue’s stage. On the same day he launched his third album Harry’s House, he returned to play the whole new batch of songs in full, and then some.

After an afternoon of pouring rain, the thousands of lucky fans who miraculously got the highly sought-after Ticketmaster pre-sale codes to the event entered the sold-out show covered in soaked boa feathers. The weather (and long commute from New York City proper) didn’t dampen the thrilled energy in the crowd. The general admission floor was like a class reunion, with girls in sequins and velvet running around to say hi to each other. The last time they may have met up was likely the last UBS event.

Once the well-memorized pre-show playlist ran its course (including an audience-wide sing-along to Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody,” an indicator that the house lights will soon go down), Styles and the band lineup he’s been performing with since Coachella emerged on stage. He debuted a new set design in honor of the album release: A giant, neon outline of a house. Along with the rectangular halo of flashing lights above the stage, the house changed colors with the songs or sometimes flashed on its own to the beat.

“Music for a Sushi Restaurant” already serves as an excellent opener to Harry’s House, but it’s even more ferocious as the kick-off to his set. The silly, high-energy, horn-laden track is a slick, single-ready energy boost that’s difficult to not dance aggressively to. Take it from the sweater-and-leather-sporting Styles, who did just that to the deafening screams of his loving and feral fans.

Styles had done a similar “One Night Only” show for 2019’s Fine Line at the Forum in Los Angeles on his sophomore album’s release day. Just like that special show, this East Coast version provided insight into what songs are due to become fan favorites. Even more than his previous two albums, Harry’s House feels distinctly created to be played live, and to be played live with the very specific and incredible band he’s assembled over the last year. Funky little jams like “Late Night Talking,” “Daylight” and “Cinema” were explosive in an arena. “As It Was,” the album’s first single and Styles’ biggest hit yet, is so much fun to jump around to live that the star played it twice: once during the initial album stretch and again as a surprise set closer.

Tonally, Styles’ sound has moved more upbeat over the three albums so there are only three “ballads” on the album, though they’re more in the vein of plucky folk tunes than “Falling”-esque weepers. “Matilda” was the clear winner. The song about being able to find peace after trauma by creating home wherever you need it may have felt relatable to fans for a million different reasons, but it rang especially prescient as an anthem for the type of community they’ve created at shows like these. There was a sense of reverence as he played it. Much of the crowd fell silent, moved and likely crying as many in my corner of the pit were.

Some of the show’s biggest highlights came in the second half of the set (and on the album). “Keep Driving” provided the oddly invigorating opportunity to scream “Cocaine/Side boob/Choke her with a sea view” and is sure to be a contender for tour favorite (if he keeps it in for his upcoming shows). “Love of My Life” may have been bumped up on my personal song rankings after hearing it live: The song is a simple, affectionate slice of pop heaven that made me wish it were twice as long as it actually is.

The album had just been released 22 hours earlier but it had leaked online a few weeks back, meaning that there were more audience members who had every lyric and note memorized already than you would have expected (or would have otherwise admitted it). Styles even joked about it in between songs later in the set: “Who knows the words? But how?”

Styles was even more talkative than usual, emitting just a hint of nervous energy at playing many of these songs live for the first time, on the first day they’re out. He told stories behind their writing, thanking his collaborators who happen to be some of his dearest friends. Before “Little Freak,” he thanked Kid Harpoon, with whom he wrote the song in a Tokyo hotel room a few years ago. Tyler Johnson got a shout out before “Daydreaming,” when Styles recalled getting a voice note from Johnson while on a drive back to LA from Palm Springs that turned out to be an early version of the track. Ben Harper was thanked before “Boyfriends,” a song that was first written at the tail end of the Fine Line sessions that took on many forms until Harper came along and they finished it for his latest. As he prepared to close the album, Styles also thanked Rob Stringer, the Chairman and CEO of Sony, with whom Styles has become close. Stringer had lent his house to Styles and his friends to work on the album.

The encore was your typical victory lap of past hits. He strutted the runway on “Adore You” and forgot the lyrics to “Watermelon Sugar.” During “Sign of the Times,” he grabbed both a Ukraine flag and pride flag to hold up while singing the power ballad. He introduced that as the very first song he ever released, before making the same introduction to One Direction’s “What Makes You Beautiful.” It was two touching nods to his fans, no matter when they came on board.

During the venue exodus, more fans hugged and giggled their way out of Long Island. Some even let off some of that extra adrenaline with whatever tears they had left.

“This is the happiest moment of my life even though I’m crying,” said one wet-faced fan on her way to the shuttle. I’m sure thousands more agree.

Harry Styles: One Night Only in New York Set List

“Music for a Sushi Restaurant”

“Late Night Talking”

“Grapejuice”

“As It Was”

“Daylight”

“Little Freak”

“Matilda”

“Cinema”

“Daydreaming”

“Keep Driving”

“Satellite”

“Boyfriends”

“Love of My Life”

Encore:

“Adore You”

“Watermelon Sugar”

“Sign of the Times”

“What Makes You Beautiful” [One Direction cover]

“Kiwi”

“As It Was” [Reprise]

#harry styles #may 2022 #ono nyc #rolling stone review

44 notes · View notes

blazehedgehog · 3 years ago

Note

So.... How about that Sonic Color port?

I don't get the white-knuckle outrage people have about it.

One, bad ports and remasters like this happen a lot. Sonic Colors Ultimate was not the first, and will not be the last. I've told this story before, but it's the one that sticks out the most in my head:

Back in 2011 or 2012, a company called "Just Add Water" announced they were going to remaster Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath. This was important, because Stranger was an Original Xbox exclusive, came out at the tail end of the console's life span, and was a commercial failure. The game was essentially left to rot on the Xbox.

But Stranger's Wrath was a critical darling, people loved that game, so the idea that finally, FINALLY, it would be getting proper PC and modern console releases was a big deal. An easy slam dunk for Just Add Water.

They released the remaster on PC first, a straight-across port from the Xbox hardware, and it was a technical disaster. Tons of effects were broken and it barely ran, especially if you were unlucky enough to have a Radeon GPU.

At the time, there was a thread on the NeoGAF forum (years before it imploded) and developers from Just Add Water were posting in it, seeing how people liked the port. There were a lot of posts from hopeful fans complaining about it being broken on their machine (I was one of them). The developer's response was to make fun of people for having weak PCs, while revealing that "the game usually averaged 30fps at a resolution of 800x600" on their test machine, which was a somewhat high end system for the time. 30fps for a six year old Xbox game on a ~$700 PC build. At a resolution of 600p no less, when we were approaching the dawn of 4K games on PC.

It was disgraceful. I was mad. They were proud of this. They were arrogant about this. What a great favor they had done for us bringing Stranger's Wrath to PC where only the top 25% of their install base could run the game acceptably at low settings.

Just Add Water, perhaps realizing the growing number of scorned users, vowed that they would improve the PC port "soon." In the mean time, they ported Stranger's Wrath to every other platform under the sun. Playstation 3, Vita, Xbox 360, I think even Wii U. The PC version remained in the same broken state. They made announcements for other Oddworld games. They started porting Munch's Odyssey to other platforms, as well. Finally, something like three or four years later, after they'd already wrung everything out of the Oddworld franchise everywhere else, they went back released an updated version of Stranger's Wrath for the PC that looked and played correctly.

That was their definition of "soon."

Sonic Colors and Stranger's Wrath still aren't the only examples of this. I mean, Gearbox's original PC version of Halo was a complete mess of arbitrarily changed effects, and only now, 13 years later, did The Master Chief Collection finally fix that broken port.

Or what about the original 2007 PC port of Resident Evil 4? That looked like this:

The game originally shipped with a complete lack of any lighting whatsoever! It was also a port of the PS2 version, so the textures were visibly worse than the original Gamecube and Wii versions. AND it still ran like unoptimized garbage, too! It took Capcom another 4-5 years to put out the "Ultimate Edition" port we have today.

All of these ultra-dramatic Sonic fans out there like "SEGA WILL PAY THE PRICE FOR HAVING CROSSED US THIS DAY" are like... yeah, it sucks that the port could be better, and we did not deserve to have it be this bad, but could you tone it down just a little?

I mean, we knew going in to this that the port looked a little funky, based on videos Sega was putting out that featured clearly broken effects. Sure, there was the hope that things would get fixed before release, but that's all it should have been: hope. Cool your jets, wait and see. But you don't have to go full Skeletor.

Based on what I've heard, from people I know and from what other rumors have said that seems to line up, it sounds like Sonic Colors Ultimate was a victim of covid-19. I was first informed that Sega was prepping a Sonic Colors remake/remaster in 2019, and it seems like the originally targeted release date was Christmas 2020. However, apparently, in early fall 2020, a performance evaluation revealed the game was in no state to release thanks to covid guidelines gumming up the development, and apparently Blind Squirrel was brought in to rescue the project.

That's probably why Sonic Colors Ultimate is this weird mishmash of original game code + an implementation of Godot bolted on over the top of it. Blind Squirrel tried to clean up the mess as best they could, but it wasn't good enough. The Switch version caught it the worst.

This isn't an excuse for the quality of the remaster. It sucks and we deserve better, but you could say that about a lot of things during this pandemic. We just don't need the big theatrics and the bickering over what is just another mediocre remaster.

I canceled my pre-order and I'm waiting to see if it gets any significant updates before I consider buying it.

#questions #anonymous #sonic colors #ultimate edition #sega #sonic team #blind squirrel #remaster #godot

50 notes · View notes

imhereandhistorical · 4 years ago

Photo

We doing this, we trucking along

WHEW

Day 4: Music!

I’m gonna go more in depth with the genres later in the month, but here are some firsts in Black music history!

Image descriptions will be under the cut!

[Image description: This is an infographic broken up into four smaller images. The background is a shade of light yellow. TItles in the text are set off by bold red type face, while section blurbs are done in black type face.

First image: The top of the banner for the infographic says “Black History Month: Day 4-Music” in pale yellow text against a red background.

On the left hand side, a black and white image of a Black woman is shown. She is wearing a dress in a vintage style, while holding a guitar. On the right hand side, the title says “1938, Sister Rosetta Tharpe” with a subheading underneath in bold, black type saying “The Godmother of Rock ‘n’ Roll.”

Underneath this subheading, it reads: “In 1938, Sister Rosetta Tharpe invented what became known as rock 'n' roll when she hooked her guitar up to an amplifier. She is the basis for most of the early versions of rock music, from Chuck Berry and Little Richard to Elvis Presley.”

Second image: On the left hand side, the title says “August 11, 1973” with a subheading underneath in bold, black type saying “The birthday of hip-hop.” Underneath this subheading, it reads: “ It's usually difficult to pin down an exact date for the beginnings of a genre, but invitation to a "Back to School Jam" on an index card gives us some hints. The block party itself happened in the Bronx, and is widely accepted as when what we know as hip hop was created.”

On the right hand side, a color image can be seen. This is an invitation to a back to school party. The invitation is written on lined paper, with a red line across the top. The lined paper looks to be like an index card. The letters are done stylsitically, or in bubble letters and shaded in. It reads as:

ADJ Kool Herc Party

*Back to School Jam*

Place: 1520 Sedgewick Ave, “Rec Room”

Date: August 11, 1973

Time: 9: 00 pm to 4: 00 am

Admission: $.25 Ladies <3

$.50 Fellas

Given by: Kool Herc

Special Guests: Coco, Cindy C., Klark K, Jimmy T

Below this section, on the left hand side, a color image of a black woman can be seen. She is posing with her hands above her head, while holding a microphone. She is wearing a black top with blue jeans, and silver hoop earrings, bracelets and a large cross necklace. The top text on the image says “Luminary Icon” in blue font, and her emcee name is on the bottom right in script “Sha-rock.”

On the right hand side, the title says “1977, MC SHA-ROCK” with a subheading underneath in bold, black type saying “The first female rapper.”

Underneath this subheading, it reads: “Sharon Green, aka MC Sha-Rock is held as the first female rapper. Born in North Carolina, but raised in the South Bronx, she has been featured on the early mixtapes of rappers like MC Lyte and DMC, from Run-DMC. She was also a part of the first hip-hop group to ever be featured on television- Funky 4 +1.”

Third image: On the left hand side, the title says “1983, Michael Jackson” with a subheading underneath in bold, black type saying “The first Black person to be played on MTV.” Underneath this subheading, it reads: “MTV first started in 1981, and they spent the first 2 years of their run showing exclusively white musicians/music videos. Michael Jackson was the first Black artist on MTV with his song Billie Jean. This is despite his success in a group act with his brothers in the '60s and his own solo success for nearly a decade before this.”

On the right hand side, a color image can be seen. This image is the album cover for Michael Jackson’s Billie Jean single. Here, Michael can be seen as a young Black man, leaning on his side. He is wearing a bright white suit jacket over a black shirt. The background behind him is plain black, with his name in script by his head. Below his name reads Billie Jean.

Below this section, on the left hand side, a black and white image of a black man can be seen. He is wearing a jean jacket over a hoodie, and he has the hood pulled over his head. No hair can be see.

On the right hand side, the title says “1995, Tupac Shakur” with a subheading underneath in bold, black type saying “Tupac pioneers hip hop poetry.”

Underneath this subheading, it reads: “Tupac was a major turning point in how mainstream media saw hip-hop. For most of white America, hip-hop, like rap, and rock and disco before it, was terrible music that was dedicated to worshiping the devil. With the release of his track "Dear Mama," which was dedicated to his civil rights activist mother, Assata Shakur, Tupac opened many people's eyes to the actual poetry and meaning behind the music.”

Fourth image: On the left hand side of the image, is a short list of websites used to get information for this infographic.

On the right hand side of this image is the copyright.

End image description.]

28 notes · View notes

dustedmagazine · 3 years ago

Text

Matthew E. White & Lonnie Holley — Broken Mirror: A Selfie Reflection (Spacebomb Records)

Broken Mirror: A Selfie Reflection by Matthew E. White & Lonnie Holley

If you’re already hep to Big Inner and Fresh Blood, Matthew E. White’s first two records, you will be knocked off your feet by Broken Mirror: A Selfie Reflection. The Virginia-based songwriter, producer and Spacebomb Records head honcho is known for his affinity with 1970s soul and country-rock. For almost a decade, he and his house band have been laying down smooth and inoffensive horn and string-laden rock tunes that are as wide ranging in theme as they are in their arrangement. On those first two records, White wrapped each composition with his warm, soothing coo, waxing existentially about the divine and the corporeal. These pleasant song cycles are attractive both to those who have fond memories of the 1970s and those who are just catching on to the soft sounds their parents were digging back then.

With this new release, White completely diverges from his comfort zone. Rather than putting together another collection of sanded-down rock hits, he loosened his own reins and headed into the studio to riff on electric-era Miles Davis. Conjuring deep, funky improvisations, White and his band have tapped into a version of the 1970s that they previously left unexplored. With room to play, the crew stretch outside of traditional structures and seem to stop time: only one track here is shorter than seven minutes long. Showing off their improvisational prowess, the seven musicians seem to be acting as one multi-limbed entity. The rhythms are articulate, and they snake around the bass, which is thick and luscious, with a dubbed-out sensibility. The keys and synths swirl with a sense of the uncanny. Songs bounce from idea to idea seamlessly so that you don’t even notice the changes as they occur. The music is 100% certified organic.

These songs might never have seen the light of day had White not met Lonnie Holley, as at first, he didn’t know what to do with all those experimental jazz-funk suites he had in the can. He and Holley had previously collaborated in a live setting, so they were already familiar with each other. White ran a bunch of the tracks by the septuagenarian artist to see if he’d be up for working with any of them. Holley chose his favorites and pulled off a series of one-take vocal performances that completed the overall vision. Voice and music were combined with a startling synergy. White and his band provided the canvas for Holley’s weathered stream-of-consciousness preaching to provide colorful adornment. It shouldn’t have worked, but it did.

Where White eschews repetition and structure in favor of experimentation, Holley employs repetition in his delivery as a form of punctuation. His poetry speaks to the destructive nature of technology, the harsh reality of urban living and the narcissism encouraged by the modern world. Cellphones and Instagram are the broken mirrors that bring us a fleeting imaginary happiness through selfies and likes. Holley hammers this point home across five powerful sung-spoken poems, mourning our planet as being a different place in a different time. Society has fractured into a bunch of 1s and 0s. Holley and White collect the digital detritus of modernity, reflect it back on itself, and assemble it into something beautiful. No filters were used to warp the imagery of Broken Mirror: A Selfie Reflection. Holley and White are all about naked reality.

Bryon Hayes

#matthew e. white #lonnie holley #broken mirror a selfie reflection #spacebomb #bryon hayes #album review #dusted magazine #jazz #miles davis #spoken word

2 notes · View notes

strouja · 4 years ago

Text

Turned 55 - A day in the life

I did this 5 years ago when I hit 50 and figured I’d do this again. To capture a moment in time and what I did on typical day, but it just happened to be my birthday Sept. 1, 2020

Late night working

I got inspired and decided to improve our security profile on our product on a very minor issue, but it would be nice do. So after midnight, which made it my birthday I researched on how to only allow Transport Layer Security (TLS) version 1.2 (and not allow earlier versions) to parts of our system used for internal communications. This is a minor issue as we lock this down for all customer access and this is just for our own “system to system” communication. So I looked up how to do this for something called Kibana and WebSphere liberty. I checked in config file changes into something called github for our product and sent a “pull request” to have an expert review it.

So it is now 1:30 am and I’m ready to call it a night.

Can we sleep now

The wife comes up to bed and we agree to NOT let our dog Winston sleep in our bed as he can make it hard for us humans to sleep. I would have him stay with us but Linh is not in favor.

So he whines outside our door for a good 15 minutes or so. Now we are ready to sleep.

All of sudden we hear him barking constantly. He behaves as a guard dog and we are perplexed as there is never anything going on late at night. This is relentless. After about 10 or 15 minutes of this I go out to see what the hell is going on. He is in the next room, on my 16 year old son's bed looking out the window barking at something in the darkness.

So I put his LED collar on and let him run around the house and chase until his heart’s content. He stays outside for 1/2 hour or so. I entice him back in and close the curtains in William's bedrooms so he won't go crazy barking anymore. So I think. FYI my son William is passed out in the basement on a new giant bean bag.Now it is probably 2:30 and I'm finally ready to sleep. But no, we hear Winston barking non-stop again.

FYI this never happens, normally it is peaceful here at night and the dog does not bark at things past 9 pm or so. It turns out whatever animals he saw before are still out there and he can see them from the windows on the 1st floor. My wife is fast asleep. I can't sleep because of this and possibly from my short but pretty hard 10 minute bike workout earlier today and the more than normal amount coffee I had today. I normally just have one cup but drank some leftover coffee in the afternoon.I probably fall asleep at 3 am or so.I have a 9 am meeting I have to get up for.

Working for the Man - IBM

Since I work from home I am able to get up right before my 9 am meeting. Then I run a meeting at 9:40 with my boss and my boss’ boss to go over how to allocate our finite internal cloud resources that one team wants to consume all of it. This is all done by Webex video & audio conferencing (like Zoom).

We have a bunch more meetings. Then I get a break sometime before noon.

Catching last 20 km of Tour de France Stage 4

When I get a break I put on the TV and through my Roku 3 put on NBC Sports Gold (without ads and European commentary) to see if today’s Tour de France stage is still on. I find out the race is still live and it is mountain top finish and there are 20 km left. So this is the perfect time to watch. I catch up on work while hearing the race and glimpsing at it.

Although I’m an avid cyclist, race myself, and lead a fast ride every week (normally 2 times a week but reduced to one because of covid-19 and with a smaller group), I’m not a big fan of pro bike racing because I know all the top names and riders are still doping. So I know only a fully doped rider has a chance of winning today’s stage, especially because it is mountain top finish.

Fixing my bike

After my ride on Sunday with my former teammates: Ray Plewacki, Vic Siegfried, and Dave Fuentes, I asked my buddy Ray P. if he can fix some shifting problem of my bike this week. He texted me earlier in the day and he agreed to come over during his lunch break. He arrives at 12:30 as I have another meeting going on. I tell my boss I will have to duck out of the meeting. He is fine with that.

Ray does his magic and does micro adjusting on my Shimano DuraAce Di2 electronic shifting. I could not shift into one of the mid gears in the back. Ray figured it out for me. So I’m all set for Tuesday Night World Championships.

Bike Ride

I eat my Overnight Oats in the very late morning and later on eat my vegan lentil based meal I made yesterday in the instant pot. I finish up work, then clean my bike (clean the drive train) and put bike in car.

I drive to bike ride and get FaceTime video call from my Don Cayelli on the ride over to wish me happy birthday. We agree to have our families go to North Carolina in a few months for a mini-vacation. We talk about a bunch of things and he asks how old the guys I ride with. I explain that the average age is about mid 30s, one guy I am older than his parents. The best and strongest rider by far is 40 years old, a former pro - Jason Schneider. He would not dope and had to leave the pro ranks as a result, doping was rampant (I claim it still is) but was much more out in the open. That is the only reason why his pro bike days were cut short.

There were some notable strong riders not here, 2 of the regulars - Alex Batres and Jason Boslaugh. Them not being here makes it much more manageable for me as the top guys feed off of others and try to outdo each other, in this process this puts the hurt on me. Many other super strong riders have not been here for anytime this year since we resumed these small rides because of Covid-19. Two notable people in this category are: George Croghan & Ferry Gijzel.

The ride tonight is very hard, 3 loops with hills about 12 miles each loop. We average 22.5 mph with stopping for lights every loop. So a pretty hard ride. I stay with the lead group but make a mistake on 2nd lap and don’t follow a very strong move (that I was told about) and end up doing a few miles solo to catch many 3 people and pull us most of the way to the main group on “Bennett Road” and catch them at the light.

Here is the strava from tonight’s ride

https://www.strava.com/activities/3998711104

This is missing pics of the strongest rider - Jason Schneider

Getting heckled on the ride

On the ride I get comments from the 2nd strongest rider on the ride about joining AARP. This kid is 27 and I am older than his parents. Spencer Lofgran is this person of interest.

Close the gap on the ride

On the last lap I was gaped a bit on a flat portion - Lawyers road as I was behind 3 folks that were not continuing the ride and the 4 guys in the front started hammering. The strongest guy comes back and gives me a massive push that pushes me past all the riders. This was by far the strongest push I ever received on the bike

Catching up with Mates

In the parking lot after the ride my buddy Vic Siegrfried is there waiting to wish me happy birthday. Here is a pic from Sunday ride with me, Ray Plewacki (middle) and Vic

Catching up with former work mates - IT Legend

I drive home and call a good friend of mine from work Anthony Zawacki to catch up with him. He was our best worker by far but in our last round of layoffs was dismissed. He is an IT rockstar doing great at his new job. He asks me a work question and that reminds me to contact a team using our product to help them avert a Kubernetes problem of an expiring certificate and to fix it before it expires.

Working for the man again

I get home and hop back on my new work issued MacBook Pro 16″ laptop to figure out the commands I want the customer to run. The commands are not in our official doc and I eventually find the commands that work. I test them on my own test system at an IBM lab and give them to support to get to them to the customer. I no longer have contacts with the on-site team as the main person I worked with left IBM.

I then write a long slack message to our documentation person to explain why we need these commands in our documentation. I then give sample output of the commands and what we are looking for.

The next day I spend a few hours doing more testing and spend an hour with our doc person to make all the changes to our official doc that I then get out to our customers on this release of our product.

Birthday Cake

My wife bought a 2 cakes, chocolate mousse with raspberries and apricot tart.

I eat 100% plant based foods (past 8 months or so) but broke that tonight to eat the chocolate mousse

We FaceTime my daughter Sophia at the University of Virginia (UVA), I light candles, and we sing happy birthday with Linh, Sophia (on iPhone), William and our infamous dog - Winston. Here are some poor photos I took in haste.

Trippy Lights & Wall Art

As I’m heading to bed my son shows me the LED lights we bought him for his bedroom and some very funky psychedelic wall art whose appearance change dramatically as the LED lights change colors.

#Stroud 55 Birthday

2 notes · View notes

jazzviewswithcjshearn · 4 years ago

Text

Connie Han: Iron Starlet (Mack Avenue, 2020)

Connie Han: piano & Fender Rhodes; Ivan Taylor: bass; Bill Wysaske: drums; Walter Smith III: tenor saxophone, Jeremy Pelt: trumpet.

When 23 year old pianist Connie Han released Crime Zone, her Mack Avenue debut in 2018 it caused quite a sensation. For starters, she used the influences of Kenny Kirkland and Mulgrew Miller along with those of McCoy Tyner, Hank Jones and others to put her spin on the post bop music that young musicians made following the arrival of Wynton Marsalis. Now, with her sophomore Mack Avenue release Iron Starlet Han shows growth from Crime Zone and also plenty of potential with expansions into other directions. Here she mixes even more refined examples in the burnout style heard previously; head bobbing swing, expressive ballads. She uses her working trio, bassist Ivan Taylor and drummer/producer/composer Bill Wysaske, augmented by Walter Smith III (returning from the previous album) and Jeremy Pelt on trumpet on select tracks in full quintet and quartet formations.

What in part and parcel makes this music successful and enjoyable is that it is road tested. Han and Wysaske did not just bring in the charts for some of this very difficult music for a first time studio run down-- they played much of the material on the road, including a stop at New York's Jazz Standard last summer. The other common denominator is the Wynton, Branford, Terence Blanchard, Kenny Garrett, Kenny Kirkland and Jeff “Tain” Watts stream of playing the new compositions take their cue from and expand on. It's all music that Pelt, and Smith III had also grown up on so it's a natural fit. For musicians in their 30's and 40's, it's nearly impossible to not be influenced by albums the above named players made that boldly through their own lens blended the kind of energy found on the best jazz-rock and jazz-funk records, the defining Blue Note albums of the 60's, and some of the pivotal albums from John Coltrane, McCoy Tyner and Pharoah Sanders.

Han's interest in insistent rhythm and locking into a stone groove with Taylor and Wysaske announces the title track with powerful conviction. The knotty theme has the striking use of piano and bass unison like that of “Southern Rebellion” on Crime Zone with abrupt thematic passages for Pelt's trumpet and winding unisons for Pelt and the pianist. For Pelt's bravura solo, staccato eighth note jabs and legato tones incite Han's comping figures, prompting eruptions from Wysaske's drums. Han's solo is brash, rhythmic acuity a defining feature; Taylor locked in his walk, Wysaske's short high hat chokes on the upbeat and swiss triplet figures in groups of five stoking the flames even more. If the first four minutes of the album are a thrilling joy ride on the Audobon, then Wysaske's attractive “Nova”, the first tune to feature Han on Fender Rhodes electric piano shows how adept the pianist is at switching moods. This is where the growth from Crime Zone really begins to shine through. Pelt and Smith III play Wysaske's pretty melody as if they are skaters on ice, Han's Rhodes solo is filled with a warm glow, keen sense of space, and blues undercurrent. Her playing on the coda under Wysaske's straight eighth ride brings about a feeling of melancholy letting the glowing “Nova” go.

“Mr. Dominator” a Hank Jones and Mulgrew Miller inspired lesson in hard swing, is distilled here to it's essence from the lengthy versions the trio played nightly. The pianist is sly, sultry and funky, freely using techniques of horn players in her improvisation ,while Wysaske sticks purely in service to the groove. Ivan Taylor gets his say with a Wilbur Ware and Jimmy Garrison depth of tone, and a brief economical drum solo bring things back the funky, memorable melody. “For the O.G.”, dedicated to the late McCoy Tyner conjures up some of the feeling of the pianist's defining 1970's Milestone albums. The pianist launches into the piece with determination, and her solo assimilates the innovations of Tyner wisely. Her use of the lick as a motivic device is dryly humorous, and her cadenza at the end demonstrates how much she loves and understands the Tyner style, but she uses the ground he broke to speak those lines in her own voice. Sandwiched between the head and the pianist's solo, Wysaske's drum solo has judicious use of toms as a thematic component.

Eugene McDaniels “Hello To the Wind” originally taped by vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson for his classic Now (Blue Note, 1970) and later reprised with the LA Philharmonic on the obscure Blue Note Meets The LA Philharmonic (Blue Note, 1977). McDaniels' lyrics and the entire Now album, in light of our divided social climate, and the general surge for change are as relevant in the present as they were then. Han's choice of chorused Rhodes and a Philip Glass like ostinato in the left hand, for the introduction with textures later thickened by acoustic piano add emotional weight to the piece. The deeply emotional current is further in her solo and Walter Smith III's tenor. Wysaske's tender ballad “Captain's Song” an ode to a French bulldog, has a gently floating feeling and Han digs deeply into color in her solo, much as she does on the drummer's gorgeous “The Forsaken”; making all the note choices count. Both “Boy Toy” and the closing homage to Wynton Marsalis' Black Codes From the Underground (Columbia, 1985) “Dark Chambers” mine the treacherous burnout territory once more, with the closing track in particular a marvel of focused intensity, and the rhythmic urgency found on the Marsalis recording. Han takes zero prisoners in her solo, using motivic development to smart effect. Smith III, and Pelt go full steam ahead as well for a wonderful conclusion to an engaging collection.

Sound:

Recorded at Sear Sound in New York City over two days in August, 2019 recorded and mastered by Chris Allen, and mixed by Patrick L. Smith at Dennis Songs Studio in Los Angeles Iron Starlet is a significant upgrade in sound from Crime Zone. Well done acoustic jazz recordings have a particular matter of fact quality to them that Iron Starlet definitely has in that the instrument tonalities are natural and realistic, the relatively dry sound stage bear this out. Han's piano shines on Focal Chorus 716 floor standing speakers, where it's midrange is one of it's strongest assets, and the stereo image of the piano is accurate to what is heard in real life. The Fender Rhodes tones are particularly fat and luxurious, the Chorus 716's again excelling at mid range. The upper end of Han's Rhodes work makes subtle use of Focal's patented inverted tweeter technology. The high end of her Rhodes silky and smooth, with the way the instrument is recorded there is an pleasing bell like ping in the upper notes, reminiscent of Bob James' signature Rhodes timbre on his classic work. Walter Smith III's warm tenor tone is captured attractively and Jeremy Pelt's rounded tone comes through without issue. Ivan Taylor's bass tones in the phantom center channel are rendered accurately on the Chorus 716's where some speakers may have difficulty with tones that deep. Finally Bill Wysaske's drums have the snare in the center image with ride cymbal on the right of center, high hat on far left, with splash and crash in the far left and right and tom drums far left and right. The snare has resonance but is contrasted with a weird hybrid Tony Williams 70's type sound with a more deadened one for the toms. As Wysaske is a lover of Steely Dan, this kind of tom sound is no surprise, but at first the subtle resonant-dead sound can take a minute to get used to. The deadened tom sound did appear on acoustic jazz albums in the 70's like Frank Butler's The Stepper (Xanadu, 1978) so it wasn't uncommon then, but album's like Butler's often had strange mixes, as did a lot of acoustic jazz of the period.

Final thoughts:

With Iron Starlet, Connie Han has truly arrived. This is very much a project of continued growth in an artist's journey. The assured ness that informs a very specific area of the jazz universe is heard through each one of her compositions, those of Wysaske's, and the lone standard “Detour Ahead” . Han is a driven and unshakably confident soloist always ready to burn, but she also exhibits a level of restraint and sensitivity that further drives home her passion. She has a trio that makes challenging music quite accessible, and with the added gusto of Walter Smith, III and Jeremy Pelt, the ensemble delivers on a high level the very visceral music that helped shape and establish many musicians who came in it's wake. Iron Starlet also points to Han's further potential, perhaps a double live album to cap off the music presented thus far on her Mack Avenue releases, an album with Kenny Garrett, Christian McBride and Jeff “Tain” Watts, or even an album expanding on the cyberpunk themes the pianist loves with her ethos at the core, enhanced by more Rhodes, keyboards and funky rhythms in addition to searing swing. The sky is the limit for Connie Han.

Music: 9/10

Sound: 9/10

Equipment used:

Yamaha RS202 stereo receiver

Focal Chorus 716 floor standing speakers

CD playback: 80GB Sony Playstation 3

Note: Jazz Views with CJ Shearn will now have a more detailed sound category offering audiophile insight into recordings as part of review thanks to upgraded equipment.

Key terms:

Sound stage: The audio depiction of the placement of instruments, as if one were to go see a play and see the position of the actors/actresses on stage, when a listener closes their eyes, they can see and hear the placement of the players and instruments. The term stereo image can also be applied.

Stereo imaging refers to the aspect of sound recording and reproduction of stereophonic sound concerning the perceived spatial locations of the sound source(s), both laterally and in depth. (source for stereo image definition: wikipedia)

youtube

#Connie Han #jazz #young lions #wynton marsalis #branford marsalis #kenny kirkland #mulgrew miller #fender rhodes #bob james

2 notes · View notes

shawnjaden-blog · 4 years ago

Text

MacLeod dresses like Pat Riley and coaches like Perry Como

Got to be real with ourselves. When we get in the meeting room, we got to actually pay attention to things and not blow smoke up our tails that everything going to be all right. Things aren going right. He is rumored to be seeking the presidency in 2016, but will not confirm nor deny. Of his future, he said, "I am not going to declare tonight. That I am or I'm not running for president," Christie said.

Seahawks have flown into traditionally football free zones book clubs, nail salons, even therapy sessions. cheap nfl jerseys The morning after the Seahawks exuberantly won the NFC championship, I assumed that since no one had ever mentioned football in our writing class, sports certainly wouldn't be part of my teaching plan. I was wrong..

Cheap Jerseys from china 1 seed and Duke was a No. 4 but Duke always the favorite, unless it isplaying South Carolina in South Carolina, which is evidently that too much for the team that collects McDonald All Americans like your grandma does state quarters.) But Brooks gained the most notoriety after the game, when Mike Krzyzewski, always classy in victory, chastised Brooks for taking a late 3 pointer with the game in hand. Coach K denied it at first butlater apologized for it. Cheap Jerseys from china

cheap jerseys Produces exceptionally dark purple flowers that appear almost black. Giant can grow up to 5 feet tall and has tan flowers. Grow this deer resistant ornamental grass deer in a sunny location. They were available in bright, funky colors such as pink, https://www.wholesalejerseyslan.com/ orange, green and yellow. Most of the high top Reeboks were made out of leather but some canvas and mesh versions of the shoe were also released on the market. Reeboks were a hit among the new female athletic market. cheap jerseys

nfl jerseys Step 5: For a straight, two tone dip, carefully dunk the T shirt into the bowl and drape it over the side: leave for as long as it says on the packet. For an ombr effect, dip it in for two minutes, then pull about one third of the dyed fabric out of the liquid. Leave for another ten minutes. nfl jerseys

cheap jerseys When the pair were recording in France before they moved to a beach estate in Australia Kanye tweeted excitedly about the simple prospect of making an album with Jay Z. nfl jerseys We imagine he pictures himself as the Jon Heder to Jay's Will Ferrell; we also imagine that, in Kanye's mind, that's the highest compliment he can give two people."Heartless," 808s Heartbreak: "How could you be so Dr. Evil?". cheap jerseys

cheap jerseys Purchase Order Processing tables problems. If you are using POP module, then you must check you Purchase Orders and Receipts work and historical tables on the subject of so called orphan lines. These tables should be verified: POP10110, POP10310, POP30110 and POP30310 they store purchase orders and receipts lines. cheap jerseys

cheap nfl jerseys We'll help you learn how to negotiate a car lease at the dealership. Before you sign the lease, make sure that you read and understand everything on the page. http://www.okcheapjerseys.com/ On this page, we'll teach you key car leasing terms and their definitions so that you can make an informed decision about your lease.. cheap nfl jerseys

wholesale jerseys from china His hair is swept back and as stiff as his demeanour as his uncle Claudius marries his mother, Gertrude. Standing under the crystal chandeliers he is seemingly oblivious to the celebrations around him.In an early scene where he encounters his father's ghost, some of his expressions the bulging eyed fear, the bared teeth and furrowed brow are reminiscent of the Doctor.He races about the stage with ease all lanky limbs and boyish energy switching seamlessly between sanity, feigned madness and humour.In many of the scenes Tennant is barefoot, which adds to the intimacy of the play. The costumes too are pared down and modern.It is, perhaps, the first time Hamlet has worn a Parka jacket and beanie hat. wholesale jerseys from china

Ms. Nancy E. Graves is President, Chief Executive Officer, Director of the Company. No, the coach of the Dallas Mavericks is sooooooo mellow, he should probably coach some team like, wholesale jerseys from china well, the Lakers maybe. MacLeod dresses like Pat Riley and coaches like Perry Como. Most of the time, MacLeod looks so laid back, he could be reclining on the bench contemplating Laker jerseys of mellow yellow.

Cheap Jerseys china "As a brand that has always supported women and stood for female empowerment, COVERGIRL believes domestic violence is completely unacceptable. We developed our NFL program to celebrate the more than 80 million female football fans. In light of recent events, we have encouraged the NFL to take swift action on their path forward to address the issue of domestic violence.". Cheap Jerseys china

cheap jerseys Many more club rugby players were also killed. These included, to give just one example from 1916, the Shannon junior rugby player Timothy Carroll who was killed in France. https://www.cheapjerseys18.com/ Numerous other rugby players also died in 1916, including many who fought in the Battle of the Somme. cheap jerseys

cheap jerseys If you sprang out of your chair watching Villanova's Kris Jenkins hit a buzzer beater to beat UNC in the NCAA men's basketball title game last week, read this article and think about who's benefiting from the business of college sports. And who's not. In many ways, his life mirrors American culture in the past 50 years, and he consistently returned to very retail level stories of people that have been bruised and misshapen by their lives cheap jerseys.

1 note · View note

liugeaux · 5 years ago

Text

Greatest Songs Ever - Part 11 (Self Actualization)

self-actualization [self-ak-choo-uh-luh-zey-shuh]

the achievement of one's full potential through creativity, independence, spontaneity, and a grasp of the real world.

It's been 3 years since I’ve done a “Greatest Songs Ever” list. At that time I was trying to dip into retro music and find songs I connected with that were released before I was even born. That whole process was stressful, migraine-inducing and worst of all, it felt forced. For the next set of songs, I’ve chosen the theme of “Self Actualization”.

I am not able to properly formulate an opinion about music I wasn’t there for, I know this now. Instead, I’ll continue to pull songs I am intimately familiar with to create a quality product on this blog. That’s not me shitting on older generations of music, it's just me finally achieving my full potential when it comes to building a playlist. Let’s get started.

2006 “Tears Don’t Fall” - Bullet For My Valentine

If I were to list the genres of music I love, Metal would be number like 4 or 5. However, every once in a while a song peers it’s head out of the wreckage and catches my ear. From the first guitar chords “Tears Don’t Fall” grabbed me. I’m gonna call it a ballad because it feels like a song that should make me sad. Most screamy emo songs don’t carry the emotional weight they are designed to, but BFMV hits a nerve with “Tears Don’t Fall” that most bands aren’t even able to dream of. Hell, BFMV has yet to release a song that even scratches the surface of “Tears Don’t Falls’” guttural impact.

2006 “The Sharpest Lives” - My Chemical Romance

I know, I know, this nearly forgotten MCR track wasn’t even a stand out when the seminal The Black Parade album was released, but somehow it has stood the test of time in my library. No MCR song more perfectly encapsulates both the aggression and awkwardness of the band’s entire catalog. “If it looks like I’m laughing, I’m really just asking to leave” is just one of the dozen perfect MCR lyrics on this track. I love “Welcome to The Black Parade”, “This Is How I Disappear”, “Mama”, “Teenagers” and the rest of the 100% classic Black Parade, but “The Sharpest Lives” hits harder both sonically and emotionally than most of the songs released in its decade.

2006 “Stop This Train” - John Mayer

Ok, let’s slow it down a bit. This isn't this first time I’ve talked about John Mayer in this blog and not even the first time he’s made this list, but its a crime that “Stop This Train” has never been mentioned with the proper respect on it’s name. Written as a touching anthem about the existential nature of growing old, “Train” is the perfect John Mayer song. It combines his knack for simple and honest guitar parts with lightly metaphoric lyrics that cut directly into the segments of our psyche that make us human. The older I get the more this song makes me cry...and that can’t be unestimated.

2004 “All Downhill From Here” - New Found Glory

NFG has always been a stealthy favorite band of mine. “All Downhill From Here” is NFG at the height of their power. Once upon a time, I was ashamed to “like” any pop-punk outside of Green Day because of the perceived social implications. Jordan Pundik’s voice is just punky enough to turn most people off at first listen, but through the storm and the years, I’ve realized that NFG is kinda my spirit animal when it comes to pop-punk music. As for the song, it's endlessly singable and has a strong bridge, the two most important parts of any song I wish to immortalize on this dumb list.

2003 “How About You” - Staind

This is an admittedly weird one. As the forgotten 3rd single from Staind’s 4th album “How About You” is a song not many people know, however, when I dig into the archives it always floats to the top. Even with its vaguely religious lyrics and somewhat self-righteous delivery, “How About You” is sung with an earnestness not found in nu-metal. Sometimes when I listen to this song I wonder if Aaron Lewis realizes how unique it is to his chosen genre.

2002 “Harder to Breathe” - Maroon 5

This one is a softball. Everyone knows "Harder to Breathe”, everyone loves "Harder to Breathe”. Its become a go-to karaoke knock-out. So much so that people ask me to sing it all the time. Equal parts pure song-writing talent, and light cultural appropriation, “Harder to Breathe” is funky for white-people-music and that’s really all it needs to succeed. All of Maroon 5′s tracks following that first album have a self-aware calculated feel to them, but “Harder To Breathe” is the best that first album has to offer and is a talented first stab at making a name out of something.

2011 “Little Black Submarines” - The Black Keys

Most of The Black Keys tracks have an air of pretentiousness to them that’s hard to get past. I like tracks like “Lonely Boy” and “Howlin’ For You” but neither of them sound genuine. They sound like 2 dorky white dudes playing the part of ironic rock stars, which ultimately leads to them making songs for frat guys who are too cool to listen to typical frat guy music. “Little Balck Submarines” is a HUGE exception to your typical Black Keys song, and its the only time I’ve felt real emotion from the duo.

2007 “Watch Over You” - Alter Bridge

I’ve always liked this song, but it wasn’t until I saw Alter Bridge at the fair a few years ago that I LOVED this song. Alter Bridge gets a lot of shit for being the offspring of Creed, but it's really unwarranted. They are one of the only bands still around carrying the torch for normal-ass rock music. Some may turn their nose up at it, but Alter Bridge has some bangers. “Watch Over You” is your stereotypical, pull out your lighters, ballad, that’s written vaguely enough for it to cover several different relationship dynamics. Its real strength comes from Myles Kennedy’s vocals. He might be the best singer in rock music today.

1997 “My Own Summer (Shove It)” - Deftones

In 1997 I was transitioning from being a hard-core Garth Brooks fan, into rock music in a big way. Bands like Nirvana, STP, Pearl Jam, Bush, and Live had a back catalog that I was swimming in the deep end of. The Deftones, and more specifically “My Own Summer” represented a “cooler” and more edgy version of this new found love of Rock music. Chino Mareno’s vocals during the chorus singing “Shove It!” might have been the most aggressive vocals I had ever heard to that point. I still get the occasional goosebump when jamming this track. I can’t say I was ever cool enough to truly understand why the Deftones were great, but “My Own Summer” is a cornerstone of the musical taste of my formative years.

2015 “Here to Mars” - Coheed and Cambria

13 years and 7 albums in, I was sure I had heard the best Coheed and Cambria had to offer. “Gravemakers & Gunslingers” was even included in this dumb series of blogs. I wasn’t a huge fan of The Aftermath and I assumed C&C were on their way out creatively. Then they released The Color Before the Sun and I was impressed. That album was their first outside of the silly sci-fi narrative they’ve been weaving for 15 years now. Track 4, “Here To Mars” is a surprisingly straight forward love song that has grown into one of my favorite songs of this decade. Seriously, it’s probably a top 5 from the teens for me. It’s as big as older Coheed songs, but still carries a touching sentiment that I just don’t get from the rest of their library. Of all the songs on this list, I recommend this one the most.

Ok, that wasn’t so hard...maybe I’ll bang another one of these out soon. Who knows?

8 notes · View notes

rgr-pop · 6 years ago

Text

I need an ENTIRE afternoon wall of noise. 4/3 music library on shuffle until I hit a killdozer song.

the thermals - “god and country” reset - "double cross" nirvana - "polly" (1986-88 home recording) nirvana - "radio friendly unit shifter" (2013 mix) peterbuilt - "sateliteyes" the dickies - "got it at the store" apocalypse hoboken - "box of pills" fiona apple - "slow like honey" tex & the horseheads - "big boss man" everclear - "the drama king" anti-flag - "america got it right" neil young - "tonight's the night, pt. ii" everclear - "brown-eyed girl" noooooooooo oh my god no please millencolin - “israelites" listen you know that i'm p tolerant when it comes to this subject but why specifically did you boys do this. specifically you useless id - "note" never accuse me of pop punk nationalism again! that's three of global pop punk the selecter - "selling out your future" built to spill - "some things last a long time" holidays - "proof" let's wrestle - "bad mammaries" radhos - "one breath" ween - "boing" bracket - "g-vibe" local h - "'cha!' said the kitty" sublime - "40oz to freedom" failure - "saturday saviour" blink-182 - "don't leave me" (tmtts live take) why did they make this live album, they were so bad live shrimp boat - "melon song" interpol - "not even jail" the ataris - "angry nerd rock" 50 million - "superhero" skankin pickle - "violent love" the breeders - "put on a side" all - "honey peeps" the commandos (suicide commandos) - "weekend warrior" suicide machines - "friends are hard to find" the eclectics - "laura" good ska block! love this band pansy division - "jack u off" rocket from the tombs - "ain't it fun" dynamite boy - "devoted" young pioneers - "downtown tragedy" the breeders - "so sad about us" fenix tx - "jean claude trans am" fuck i love this song nofx - "bob" hickey - "happily ever after" bob dylan - "tangled up in blue" (bootlegs vol. 2) gas huffer - "king of hubcaps" tullycraft - "crush this town" atom and his package - "goalie" faith no more - "the real thing" carly rae jepsen - "tell me" bis - "listen up" one direction - "still the one" mtx - "she's no rocket scientist" eugene chadbourne - "roger miller medley" grouvie ghoulies - "carly simon" white town - "thursday at the blue note" gas huffer - "moon mission" rx bandits - "sleepy tyme" everclear - "rocket for the girl" failure - "kindred" blood on the saddle - "johnny's at the fair" the distillers - "red carpet and rebellion" cruiserweight - "dearest drew" stp - "plush" everclear - "wonderful" (live, from the closure ep) (don't hate it) new found glory - "sonny" everclear - "otis redding" (impure white evil demo) (BEST song) stp - "adhesive" incubus - "have you ever" cub - "tell me now" everclear - "short blonde hair" i simply do not hate it letters to cleo - "happy ever after" amazing transparent man - “the ocean is a fuck of a long way to swim” nerf herder - “(stand by your) manatee” kitty kitty - “ab tokeless” osker - “the mistakes you made” perfume genius - “hood” radhos - “shut up & deal” (welcome to the jungle take) osker - “the body” gas huffer - “the sin of sloth” the fall - “bombast” excuse 17 - “code red” mad season - “lifeless dead” unwritten law - “differences” hanson - “two tears” the eyeliners - “anywhere but here” moby grape - “lazy me” brian wilson - “wonderful” 88 fingers louie - “something i don’t know” sicko - “wisdom tooth weekend” the replacements - “love you till friday” suicide machines - “green world” midtown - “another boy” hickey - “cool kids attacked by flying monkeys” the roman invasion suite - “carnations” the beat - “tears of a clown” local h - “24 hour break up session” okay i’m awake i want to end this now toots & the maytals - “funky kingston” local h - “strict-9″ his name is alive - “her eyes were huge things” nirvana - “frances farmer will have her revenge on seattle” slapstick - “almost punk enough” urge overkill - “bionic revolution” janet jackson - “you want this” piebald - “long nights” small brown bike - “now i’m a shadow” the story so far - “left unsaid” crj - “more than a memory” tracy + the plastics - “my friends end parties” liz phair - “6′1″“ fastbacks - “555, pt. 1″ this mix is feminist now swindle - “one track” shockabilly - “burma shave” temple of the dog - “say hello to heaven” amazing transparent man - “shove” cool soul asylum cover from dekalb illinois :)) the vindictives “eating me alive” midwests only!! the judys - “radiation squirm” gulfs only!! frogpond - “sleep” flipp - “rock-n-roll star” throwing muses - “red shoes” everclear - “santa monica” throwing muses on summerland??? mekons - “atone & forsaken” holidays - “take me home country roads” this is a good tone to lead up to killdozer... true believers - “all mixed up again” prince - “adore” beulah - “queen of the populists” eveclear - “rocky mountain high” (99x live acoustic--I don’t have a date for this actually) of montreal - “dustin hoffman thinks about eating the soap” heatmiser - “stray” rickie lee jones - “woody and dutch on the slow train to peking” tar - “viaduct removal” common rider - “carry on” the frogs - “u bastards” mudhoney - “this gift” hammerbox - “outside” fuck my mom would have loved this song if it had gotten the airplay it deserved in 1993... hammerbox on summerland!!!! letters to cleo - “little rosa” kay hanley on summerland!! nine pound hammer “wrongside of the road” hanson - “with you in your dreams” (3cg demo) hamson on summerland!!! fastbacks - “555, pt. 1″ again... fastbacks on summerland!!! face to face - “sensible” soul asylum - “happy” soul asylum on summerland!!!! television - “see no evil” pinq - “careful not to mention the obvious” the dickies - “nights in white satin” tar - “mel’s” truly - “chlorine” babes in toyland - “deep song” hole - “berry” hellbender - “half driven” hammerhead - “new york? ...alone?” everclear - “malevolent” guzzard - “last” archers of loaf - ��tatyana” hum - “stars” hum on summerland die kreuzen - “don’t say please” this is not fair joanna newsom - “sadie” down by law - “peace, love and understanding” nirvana - “aneurysm” (1990 demo) hovercraft - “endoradiosonde” modest mouse - “cowboy dan” rage against the machine - “born of a broken man” skatalites - “scandal ska” pylon - “driving school” the vindictives - “babysitter” jimmy eat world - “ten” the get up kids - “lowercase west thomas” oh we’re doing this now? hot rod circuit - “knees” fine triple fast action - “the rescue” FINE full disclosure i do skip emo diaries tracks at my discretion the amps - “bragging party” everclear - “am radio” this is not fair mxpx - “middlename” MXPX ON SUMMERLAND chokebore - “your let down” bob dylan - “you’re a big girl now” helmet - “primitive” pond - “filterless” blink-182 - “all the small things” local h - “ralph” tar - “over and out” pearl jam - “black” the gits - “sniveling little rat faced git” local h - “eddie vedder” >:) tar - “flow plow” i always misremember this as a subpop single so i’m like “i’m not amphetamine reptile biased?” but it was an a/r release, lol. brad wood produced it. lake michigan as hell unicorns - “jellybones” this song makes me sad ever since i didn’t get to adopt the jellybones cat oblivion - “clark” desmond dekker - “jeserene” veruca salt - “one last time” veruca salt on summerland!!!! dead moon - “dead moon night” extremely dead moon on summerland fishbone - “i like to hide behind my glasses” dead moon - “on my own” paw - “sleeping bag” tar - “goethe” doc dart - “casket with flowers” smashing pumpkins - “zero” i don’t want billy corgan on summerland and i am sorry for that kicking giant - “&” kicking giant on summerland lmao shockabilly - “pile up all architecture” ween - “sorry charlie” sublime - “april 29, 1992 (miami)” heatmiser - “blackout” the clash - “pressure drop” hellbender - “pissant’s retrospective” the queers - “i won’t be” the vindictives - “circles” the beat farmers - “selfish heart” screaming trees - “end of the universe” 7 year bitch - “second hand” bourgeois filth - “above” nirvana - “scoff” the breeders - “cannonball” saturday looks good to me - “save my life” cara beth satalino - “good ones” communique - “dagger version” soul asylum - “sometime to return” sublime - “jailhouse” tullycraft - “twee” nuns - “wild” beyonce - “countdown” the replacements - “sixteen blue” living colour - “what’s your favorite color” britney - “why should i be sad” mdc - “church and state” alice in chains - “junkhead” rage against the machine - “mic check” everclear - “nervous and weird” soundgarden - “fresh tendrils” helmet - “army of me” the gits - “it all dies anyway” pansy division - “smells like queer spirit” mtx - “i’d do anything for you” 5 year sentence - “just a punk” pennywise - “nothing” mudhoney - “thirteenth floor opening” yesterday’s kids - “eighteen” mxpx - “punk rawk show” small brown bike - “zerosum” incubus - “trouble in 421″ hanson - “speechless” incubus - “circles” dead moon - “my time has come” (!!!!) first of all is this killdozer blink-182 - “here’s your letter” everclear - “electra made me blind” (nervous & weird take) saves the day - “through being cool” groovie ghoulies - “don’t go out into the rain (you’re gonna melt)” babes in toyland - “never” husker du - “target” guzzard - “biro” fairweather - “next day flight” mcr - “house of wolves” broadcast - “until then” liz phair - “never said” the dicks - “rich daddy” quasi - “the iron worm” mustard plug - “not again” janitor joe - “boyfriend” snapcase - “new academy” neil young - “someday” blindsided - “spaceman” placebo - “without you i’m nothing” the creeps - “lakeside cabin” solomon grundy - “time is not your own” the clash - “the card cheat” silversun pickups - “common reactor” lagwagon - “leave the light on” denali - “where i landed” system of a down - “highway song” sprinkler - “personality doll” the vindictives - “structure and function” unplugged” the queers - “ursula finally has tits” we’re entering no repeats territory buffalo springfield - “expecting to fly” hit squad - “pictures of matchstick men” cows - “almost a god” hop along - “young and happy” pixies - “i’ve been tired” the fall - “spoilt victorian child” camper van chadbourne - “knock on the door” queens of the stone age - “tension head” choking victim - “war story” cool that we have gotten to drop by the greatest song ever recorded :) guttermount - “happy loving couples” audio karate - “nintendo 89″ tad - “pork chop” the kelley deal 6000 - “where did the home team go” colorfinger - “hateful” :} man or astroman - “evil plans of planet spectra” pere ubu - “arabian nights” accepting repeats for new found glory - “my friends over you” cool moving on american steel - “optimist” tom petty & the heartbreakers - “even the losers” meat puppets - “another moon” black cat music - “wine in a box” wallside - “ready” crucifucks - “pig in a blanket” the bananas - “my charmed life”

KILLDOZER - “EARL SCHEIB,” UNCOMPROMISING WAR ON ART UNDER THE DICTATORSHIP OF THE PROLETARIAT, 1994. KILLDOZER ON SUMMERLAND

#music

5 notes · View notes

taste-in-music · 6 years ago

Text

My Favorite Songs of 2018 by Genre

There was a LOT of music this year that I still wanted to talk about but didn’t get put on the other posts I made, so I decided to put yet ANOTHER list together. (Read my top albums and EPs of the year lists if you want some context.) Buckle up, because it’s going to be a long one, folks. Here are the rules for eligibility:

The songs on this list most likely a) weren’t on an album that I loved in its entirety/didn’t feel that strongly about, b) were on an album that I didn’t have time to listen to, or c) were released as singles.

No songs from the albums or EPs I’ve previously mentioned are eligible.

I’ll try my best not to include singles that are for albums coming out next year (for example, I’m not putting Light On by Maggie Rogers or Party For One by Carly Rae Jepsen on the list.) Those songs will be eligible if I do a list next year. If I accidentally do put an album single on the list, it’s because I didn’t know ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Now, presented in no particular order, let’s get to some tunes.

POP

Used to You by Dagny: If you’ve been with me for a while, you know that I’m obsessed with Norwegian pop star Dagny, who I learned about through a recommendation from a friend. This song is one of her best: uptempo but melancholy, with honest, vulnerable lyrics about a strained relationship.

Crush by Tessa Violet: On the complete opposite end of the spectrum, we’ve got a bubbly sugar-pop song about having a crush on someone. It’s quite simple as to why I love this song: it’s just so joyfully adorable.

Sweet but Psycho by Ava Max: Okay, why is this not a hit the U.S.? It’s already gotten to number one in Norway, Finland, and Sweden, and is making a splash in the U.K. While I’m iffy on the lyrics, this song has one of the catchiest hooks of the year. It’s a giant guilty pleasure of mine.

Sucker Punch by Sigrid: This was named the eighth best song of the year by Time magazine and it’s easy to see why. It has all the elements that make up a Sigrid song (catchy melody, her signature raspy vocals,) but has just enough quirky touches and eccentric details to it that set it apart from the rest of her discography.

Do Right by Glades: Glades are so underrated, and I’ve mentioned them in a bunch of posts before. This song is them at their best, with one of the stickiest choruses of the year and a sweet synth riff.

Batshit by Sofi Tukker: I first heard this song in an iPhone commercial, oddly enough. I’m not going to say that this song is good, because I’m fairly sure that it isn’t good. The chorus is literally the word “batshit” said over and over and over again. But somehow, it’s perfect? It’s simple while at the same time having so many cool elements that it’s never boring. The funky bass riff, lowered vocals, electronic drop are all so infectious. Sofi Tukker are my guilty pleasure band, so check them out if you’re into strange dance club music.

Chasers by Bahari: This pulsating, electronic groove from California based trio (now duo :/) Bahari is like a dangerous lullaby. The twinkling production and harmonies keep the tone tense but enjoyable. I hope they release more music soon.

Cause You Did by Willa: Willa exploded onto my radar with her powerful, ass kicking anthem Swan, which she released back in 2016. I was so excited to see that she had released new music. This song is a bit different from her previous work, swerving more into the pop lane, but is still charming as hell. (Fun fact, she was in an episode of Supernatural. 10.13 Halt and Catch Fire. The more you know, am I right?)

San Francisco by Fickle Friends: This is my favorite song off of the Broken Sleep EP (I think it’s an EP? It’s only three songs... Check it out regardless.) Fickle Friends’s sound is so summery and tropical, it never fails to put me in a good mood, and this song is a perfect example of that.

F**k U by Kailee Morgue: A whole tell off anthem. Like her other material, this song balances darker material with a sweet and innocent sounding vocal delivery. Just make sure you listen to the uncensored version. Listening to the clean version is like listening to the radio edit of IDGAF by Dua Lipa or “Forget” You by CeeLo Green. It has no bite to it without the title word being said.

Emotion by Astrid S: When I first heard Such a Boy, I knew that Astrid S had the potential to be a pop starlet in the vein of Zara Larsson. This song is a lot of fun, with a whistling hook and Astrid S’s usual sassy delivery.

Cherry by Rina Sawayama: This is a whole BOP, from the whispery intro to the rushing production to the melodic, get-stuck-in-your-head chorus. This song is much like its title suggests: bright and sweet with just enough of a twang to keep it interesting, just like a cherry.

Baby Don’t Talk by LÉON: Of the two singles she released this year, I can’t help but like this one a little bit more (but don’t get me wrong, Falling is a whole bop and a half.) This song is just so likable, from the snappy percussion to the “ooOOooOOhs,” to the unforgettable melody. LÉON is so underrated, I can’t encourage you enough to listen through her three EPs and other singles. They’re all gold.

Daughter by L Devine: I can’t tell you how shook I was when I first heard this song. It’s L Devine at her finest, with a catchy melody, relatable lyrics, and just the right amount of electronic elements. This song is the wlw bop that no one’s talking about that everyone should be talking about.

Carousel by Skylar Spence: I found this gem thanks to Spotify’s Indie Pop playlist. The pulse to this song always makes me want to tap my toes. It’s like if the color yellow was a song. The lyrics are super cute, and the glitchy, robotic chorus just works somehow.

R.E.M. by Ariana Grande: While I found Sweetener as an album a bit uneven in quality, it’s still by Ariana fucking Grande. She could sing What’s The Fox Say and it would sound beautiful. This track is my personal favorite, with the cute little “bum bum bums” and the all around dreamy atmosphere. There’s also a funny amount of self awareness in this song, with the whole “’Excuse me, um, I love you,’” and “does this end?” It adds a layer of charm and personality that elevate this song. Ariana Grande is definitely the pop idol we need in the hot 100 right now, dear Lorde.

Sue Me by Sabrina Carpenter: What a fricking BANGER! This song rocked me to my core. Sabrina Carpenter is one of the best singers to come out of the Disney machine, and she’s always had potential for greatness (remember Thumbs? That song slaps.) There’s something visceral and inexplicably powerful about this song, I feel it right in my gut. It’s my favorite off of Singular Act 1, @eleanorschidis thank you for convincing me to listen through the album.

Love The Lie by Call Me Loop: I don’t feel like I can communicate why I’m so obsessed with this song, but I’ll try. It’s catchy as fuck, the twinkling guitar riff, the beat and melody... it’s all just so perfect. You know what? I can’t do it justice. Just listen to it.

Drink About by Seeb ft. Dagny: This might be my favorite pop song of the year, and I both do and don’t know why. On one hand, the lyrics are repetitive, it’s simplistic, and it’s just another club dance song. But on the other hand, there’s something about it that elevates it beyond that. First off, there’s Dagny, who I’ve said before I LOVE, and her performance brings so much emotion and pain and personality to the song. Then there’s Seeb’s production, managing to make an unforgettable drop and chorus out of only a handful of lines. There was a period of time where I would just listen to this song on repeat, and it never got old or tired despite its repetition. It’s like a rush of euphoria whenever I hear it, and I can’t recommend it enough.

R&B/HIP HOP

Honey Dew by LION BABE: Like Say Lou Lou, I first learned about LION BABE by reading about them in Teen Vogue. I put off checking them out for a while, and when I finally did, I wasn’t disappointed. This songs is one of the chillest I’ve heard this year. Jillian Hervey’s smooth voice and the twinkling pianos and shuffling percussion of Lucas Goodman’s production just meld so perfectly together.

After the Storm by Kali Uchis ft. Tyler, The Creator and Bootsy Collins: There’s something about Kali Uchis’s voice that is so unique and so sultry, I can’t help but get sucked into her music. This song mixes together her lovely crooning, a rap verse from Tyler, The Creator, bubbly production, and uplifting lyrics, and I can’t help but feel happy whenever I hear it. This song feels like emerging from a cold lake, it’s that refreshing. (Also, count In My Dreams as an honorable mention, that song is great too.)

The Kids Are Alright by Chloe x Halle: The song is awe-inspiring, from the powerful harmonies of the opening to the rhythmic switch-ups present all throughout the song. I love the “we are we are we are” mantra that repeats all throughout the song. It almost sounds like a poem put to music.

Blue Lights by Jorja Smith: Mixing a spoken word style hip hop and reggae elements into her usual graceful sound, Jorja Smith manages to craft a pretty sounding R&B song with a meaningful message behind it. Her debut album Lost & Found isn’t what I usually listen to, but I enjoyed it quite a bit. Also, can Jorja Smith drop her skincare routine? How does she get it so dewy and smooth? She’s so hecking pretty, I can’t even.

Honey by Raveena: YouTube played this song as a commercial before a video I was watching, and I fell in love with it. Raveena’s voice is so delicate, fragile even, and just lovely paired with the simple but glistening production.

Summer Pack by Childish Gambino: Okay, I’m putting both songs on here. My only explanation for this EP is that Donald Glover took the entire season of Summer and managed to distill it into two R&B songs. Summertime Magic has a watery, tropical mood that’s always refreshing to hear (am I the only one that is reminded of Wii Sports Resort?) and Feels Like Summer makes me feel like I’m sitting on my front steps in the middle of August with a melting orange popsicle.

ALTERNATIVE/INDIE/ROCK

Baby by Bishop Briggs: While more pop leaning than her usual content, the blatant sexuality, personal lyrics, and Bishop Briggs’s usual powerful vocals sell this song. Also, the music video is AMAZING. I’ve put it on my animated music videos that give me life series, but I can’t reiterate enough how great the animation is. Holy hell.

Gold Rush by Death Cab for Cutie: This song is downright ethereal. It sounds like it’s lulling you to sleep, but in the best kind of way. It isn’t boring, it’s soothing. Hearing this song on the radio is what got me into this band, and while I haven’t heard their entire discography, I know that this song will remain one of my favorites.

Hand It Over by MGMT: Just like Gold Rush, this song is so soothing it’s practically therapeutic. Every time I hear it, I just melt right into my chair. I’d say I’m a casual fan of MGMT, (I haven’t heard their less mainstream albums,) but I really like Oracular Spectacular and Little Dark Age. This is one of my favorite cuts off the latter album.

Idaho by Gorillaz: While The Now Now didn’t leave a big impression on me, this song makes me glad that I decided to listen to it. The production has this swell to it at the chorus, which is just so calming. I really like how the song is dappled with nature sounds, too. It makes me feel like I’m in a cabin next to a lake in the middle of the woods and it’s raining outside but I’m cuddled up in a cozy blanket with a cup of peppermint tea.

Baby You’re A Haunted House by Gerard Way: I’ve never listened to My Chemical Romance, so I didn’t know what to expect from this song, but holy crap. It’s a total banger. The guitars on this track are so fuzzy and aggressive in all the right ways. This was what I had on repeat all throughout Halloween.

Blood and Bones by TRACE: The only word I can use to describe the song is entrancing. TRACE’s smooth vocals and the laid back production always make me feel so relaxed, and the funkier electronic touches and glittery piano riffs add just enough to keep it all interesting.

Nobody by Mitski: I told y’all I be mentioning Mitski on one of these lists! While the entirety of Be The Cowboy was lovely, Nobody stands out as one of the catchiest, strangest, and most depressing songs of the year. How can a song about crushing, isolating loneliness that literally has a lyric about the hypothetical aliens living on Venus bop to the gods? I have no clue, but Mistki pulled it off.

Fruity by Rubblebucket: Speaking of weird lyrics, this one takes the cake: “I said I’d make it to the party / But I’ve got a lot going on / The lioness gave a feast for forty off her body / Then slept on the ground till a flower grew out.” I have no clue what the hell that's supposed to mean, but it works. The little “lalala”s and the whispered vocals make for an interesting listen. Thanks, Spotify’s Discover Weekly!

Pristine by Snail Mail: The brain child of nineteen year old Lindsey Jordan, Snail Mail is one of the most intriguing indie rock acts I’ve heard this year. Her debut album, Lush, is full of awesome songs, but Pristine has got to be my favorite. The lyrics about the monotony of party culture, accompanied by an upbeat guitar riff and communicated through her raw vocals, all come together to form a song that you can both headbang and relax to.

She’s Kerosene by The Interrupters: I don’t listen to ska punk, but this song is a just a ton of fun. There’s a sweet saxophone solo, and holy crap does Aimee Allen have a ton of personality on the vocals. Even my dad liked this song.

Body Talks by The Struts ft. Kesha: AND I MEAN THE KESHA VERSION. The original is fine, but when you’ve got a version of a song with Kesha on it, do you really need to hear the other one? This song has such an explosive and rocking chorus and Luke Spiller of The Struts and Kesha have great chemistry. I hope Kesha ventures more into the rock genre in the future, because she, well, rocks at it.

Midnight by Black Honey: A grimy banger complete with bold vocals, a chorus that will get. stuck. in your. head, assertive guitars, and a kick ass synthesizer solo? Yes, please. I loved Midnight from the first time I heard it. I might have mentioned before that I heard of this song through YouTube recommendations, and I’m so happy to have come across this song and this band.

Lavender Bones by Stand Atlantic: As I mentioned in my artist recommendation post, this song is the update to Misery Business by Paramore that I never knew I needed. It’s noisy, it’s angry, it’s so goddamn catchy. I’m not always into the whole punk sound, but this song surpasses its genre. It’s just so good.

Shame by Elle King: Since hearing Ex’s and Oh’s back in 2015, I’ve been obsessed with Elle King’s debut, Love Stuff. It’s one of those albums that I can put on and listen to all the way through. Her follow up, Shake The Spirit, was also pretty good, showcasing her gritty, powerful voice intertwined with rock, blues, and country elements. This song is the standout, explosive, boot stomping, and a whole lot of fun.

Uh Huh by Jade Bird: This song is the epitome of a headbanger. It was a tossup between this song and her other singles, Love Has All Been Done Before and Lottery, for this list, but this one just had to be on it. This is one of my most listened to rock songs of the year. The energetic guitar gives the song an electric pulse, and Jade Bird’s vocals... holy shit does she have pipes. Her voice reminds me of Alanis Morissette. This song sprints at full speed, as over as quickly as it started, and a hell of a rush too.

Fireworks by First Aid Kit: I’m not a big fan of country/folk music, but this Swedish sister duo have surpassed my usual genre bias time and time again. This song is my favorite off of their album Ruins, (they dropped the EP Tender Offerings this year, too. It’s a lovely little slice of folk that I’d definitely recommend y’all check out.) This is a grand, soaring ballad, showcasing the sisters’ harmonization and a showstopping string instrument. Just gorgeous.

Reasons Not To Die (Demo) by Ryn Weaver: Ryn Weaver was one of the first artists I listened to when I was first defining my taste in music. Her album The Fool is what got me into the indie pop and alternative genres. While hopeful that she’d drop more music, I was also pretty sure that it wasn’t going to happen for a long, long while because she doesn’t currently have a label. Then this song came along. Everything about it is beautiful: Ryn’s vibrato-rich voice, the melody, the lyrics, guys. This song’s lyrics are so personal and authentic. As the song continues, it builds up to this crescendo, and Ryn’s voice gets more powerful and yet more vulnerable at the same time, the music swells... and then it drops back down again. This song makes me teary whenever I hear it, and that doesn’t happen that often. Please, Ryn. Drop more music. Lorde knows we need voices like yours in the current music scene.

Listen to the complete mix of all these songs HERE. What were your favorite songs of 2018? Any artists, albums, singles, etc. I should know about? Leave your thoughts and recommendations down below.

#favorites #songs #music #i'm not tagging every artist good lorde #taste in music #taste in music 2018 faves

23 notes · View notes

paracosmcentral · 6 years ago

Text

DGRM

is a 12-member girl group under AWOL Entertainment. The group has a Chinese zodiac concept where each member represents an animal on the zodiac wheel. Its members are:

Moya (Akamatsu Momoe) - Rat

Leader, Subvocalist

Jung-ah (Kim Jung-ah) - Ox

Main Rapper, Lead Dancer

Duanphen (Duanphen Anuwat) - Tiger

Lead Vocalist, Lead Dancer

JD Fang (Xie Fang) - Rabbit

Lead Rapper, Subvocalist

Xiulan (Wang Xiulan) - Dragon

Main Vocalist, Visual

DaO (Đào Hương) - Snake

Vocalist

Aika (Ito Aika) - Horse

Visual, Vocalist

Doyeon (Jung Doyeon) - Goat

Lead Dancer, Lead Vocalist

Yifei (Tang Yifei) - Monkey

Lead Vocalist

RJ (Luo Juan) - Rooster

Lead Rapper

Hoa (Nguyễn Tuyệt) - Dog

Main Dancer, Subvocalist, Face

Yuyan (Chen Yuyan) - Pig

Lead Vocalist, Maknae

DGRM debuted (or will debut, I guess) on January 25, 2020, and AWOL introduced the group saying that they would start off their musical career with a “vignette” concept. Each music video would contain a story, but each story would be unconnected to the others. However, many fans were skeptical, believing that an overarching story would reveal itself.

The first couple of vignette stories followed as such:

(Each song is listed as its title track name, not as the name of the release per se.)

1. New Now (single): It’s the lunar new year. DaO is counting down the days to… something, something big, but her friends convince her to let go for be time being and just enjoy the festivities. There are plenty of fireworks, they get caught out in the rain, it’s all real sweet. The video is shot at night, mostly filmed to look like a normal person’s video recording, but with a few cinematic shots. The song is uplifting electro-pop-rock, like if LOONA yyxy’s Frozen were a Taeyeon song.

2. Midnight Girl (single): The girls are together at a slumber party, and after Hoa falls asleep, the rest stay up to play “horror games” like Light as a Feather, Catscratch, Bunshinsaba, etc. Things take a dark turn when Yuyan gets involved, and as Hoa discovers, all the others have been put into a nightmarish trance state by Yuyan. The video is shot in high-contrast black and white, with occasional scribble animation and one shot in color. The song is something like a tropical house/electro swing version of Sunmi’s Noir.

3. Found (EP): The girls are castaways on some remote island. At first, they’re looking for rescue, but they later find that there’s way more to the island than they thought (with references to the TV show Lost), and by the time rescue comes, they’ve found ways to thrive there. The video is bright and saturated, with lots of drone shots. The song is tropical house with emotional chords and a pounding beat, like Key’s I Wanna Be but at a faster tempo.

4. What? (single): All the girls are happily in love, but Moya suspects that her boyfriend is seeing other people. Going full detective mode, she finds out that indeed, he’s dating several of the other members on the side, and Moya helps them find this out. The video tells the story in a comical way, with brightly-colored sets and exaggerated acting. The song has a fun and cute jazz-ish feel, similar to Key’s The Duty of Love or SNSD’s Lion Heart.

Midnight Girl soon becomes DGRM’s most popular song. Fans are attempting to connect the dots between the stories, but there aren’t many dots to connect.

The series continues:

5. At Your Door (single): Jung-ah attempts to meet her boyfriend and apologize for some conflict between the two of them. She ends up lost and even more distraught, as the neighborhood he lives in has turned into an surreal suburban dreamscape (of her own making? When her tears dry, she starts to see clearly.) The video is light but dull in color, with lots of fog and quick flashing shots of things like roses and flames. The song is a slow ballad, not unlike LOONA’s Sonatine.

6. For Love (EP): Aika is a rich woman, and JD Fang is her bodyguard. The two are secretly lovers, and have to keep their relationship on the down-low, but eventually decide to forego that and to be out and proud about their being in love. The video is shot alternatively in a mansion set, with some pretty cool pets, and a purple box set with odd lighting for the choreography. The song is bright and sassy, similar to Brown Eyed Girls’ Brave New World and SNSD’s Paradise, but with more of a punch to it.

Critical reception of For Love gets DGRM more popular in the US. During a fanmeet after the release of the EP, RJ comes out as lesbian.

Meanwhile, #letdgrmhaveanalbum starts trending on Twitter.

The series continues:

7. 5,4,3,2 (EP): The girls are on two competing lacrosse teams, an underdog team and a team that remains undefeated. Doyeon is on the underdog side, and rallies the rest of her team to train even harder, to where they defeat the other team for the first time. The video is shot on constructed sets rather than real-life settings for the aesthetic, with bold lighting and plenty of dance footage. The song is pop with a lot of spoken word and chopped-up samples, like Leikeli47’s Post That or Little Mix’s Strip.

8. Remade (single): Aika has been kept inside a stained-glass church/prison, with a microchip inside her. Other people often visit the “church” and think it’s a beautiful place, but never really notice Aika and her suffering—until Yifei does and attempts to help her escape. When she finally does, the world still appears like stained glass to Aika. The video is shot almost entirely within the stained-glass set, and utilizes bright colors and glowy lighting to contrast the dark story, as well as the Deep Dream Generator to achieve the final stained glass shot. The song is a consistent 80’s-ish pop song, like new by Yves.

9. Sky High (EP): RJ and her friends go rollerblading together in the city. One day, while taking a detour through an alleyway, they find something unexpected—a small, blue alien with wheel-like feet. They “adopt” the alien as a part of their crew, teaching them rollerblading tricks, and they go on to become even more stellar than before. The video is bright and a bit flashy, and implements different frame and exposure rates either to slow down portions or speed them up in a choppy way. The song is energetic hip-hop with a focus on the drums, much like LOONA’s favOriTe but with more rap.

Due to the consistent release of singles and EPs, #letdgrmhaveanalbum and #letdgrmtakeabreak become competing tags on Twitter. AWOL announces that DGRM will release an album after the vignette series is over.

The series continues:

10. You Want, I Need (single): Duanphen is in an unhealthy relationship with someone else. The two have on animal masks (a tiger and lion respectively), and the music video shows them fighting in different scenarios, before Duanphen takes hers off, being her authentic self, and beats the shit out of the lion guy. The other members are background characters with masks of their Chinese zodiac animal. The video is on a dark set and all done in one shot, with choreo interspersed throughout the story as if it were a musical. The song is a bold jazz-pop piece, like Lee Hi’s 1, 2, 3, 4, or Ailee’s Mind Your Own Business.

11. Strange (EP): Hoa goes to the aquarium and, while inside the tunnel exhibit, sees a few human-like figures inside the tank. They are sirens, and she warms up to them quickly; it seems that only she can see them. When she arrives another day to release them from the aquarium, they start to cause havoc, and Hoa wonders if she was just being used. The video is shot in a cool-colored tone and with slow narrative shots, interspersed with the individual members singing. The song has a chill house/hip-hop vibe, like Olivia Hye’s Rosy or Tinashe’s 2 On.

On a V-Live, fans overhear Doyeon ask RJ “Does Track 19 have a title yet?” The fanbase starts hyping up this potential album, and theorists note that 12 vignettes would make the most sense.

The series continues:

12. Beautiful Danger (single): The story takes place sometime in the past, where Xiulan is mostly-happily married to one man and secretly in love with another. She internally decides to stay with her husband, but her other lover murders the husband so that he and Xiulan can be together. The video is dark in color and cinematic in style. The song is a ballad in ¾ time with an older feel, like Haseul’s Let Me In or Reol’s fall glow (without the trap drums).

After some time, DGRM releases their 24-track album, Lookout.

13. Look Out (LP): One member from the previous vignettes have woken up in a bright and colorful world that is definitely not their own. They encounter each other, and shenanigans ensue. The video implements techniques from the previous videos as well: shots at weird sweeping angles, drone shots, scribble animation, flashing montages, etc. The song has a fun and funky vibe, like if Feel It Still were a Red Velvet track.

New Now - DaO

Midnight Girl - Yuyan

Found - Yifei

What? - Moya

At Your Door - Jung-ah

For Love - JD Fang

5,4,3,2 - Doyeon

Remade - Aika

Sky High - RJ

You Want, I Need - Duanphen

Strange - Hoa

Beautiful Danger - Xiulan

The theorists are like “I KNEW IT”

Track 19 (aka. Geddit) gets the love it deserves.

And DGRM takes a nice long break.

#k.pop.paracosm #submission

1 note · View note