#shes been my top artist every year since 2019 slay

[peterbisexualparker]

and once again mitski is my top artist😌💕

[vole-mon-amour]

OTP tag game.

Tagged by @captainjowl. You know for sure than I'm struggling to pick only 10 & fit them in here. But hell, that’s fun, thank you <3

Rules: Choose 10 OTPs BEFORE reading the questions, and then get to answering

1) Harry James Potter & Sirius Orion Black

2) Daniel Le Domas & Grace (Ready or Not 2019)

3) Samuel & Nathan Drake (Uncharted 4)

4) Corvo Attano & The Outsider (+probably Emily Kaldwin; Dishonored series)

5) Steve Grant Rogers & Bucky Buchanan Barnes (Marvel)

6) Tony Edward Stark & Peter Benjamin Parker (Marvel)

7) Handsome Jack & Rhys (Borderlands video game series)

8) Damon Salvatore & Elena Gilbert (TVD Books & a tv show)

9) Batman & Joker (in every universe, really)

10) Adam Jensen x Francis Pritchard (Deus Ex video game series)

1. Do you remember the episode/scene/chapter that you first started shipping 6?

I believe it didn't hit me before Spider-Man: Homecoming. Civil War was about Steve & Bucky for me, but when I saw that growing up Peter with Tony, their dynamic, chemistry. Tom & Robert are really just like that.

2. Have you ever read a fanfic about 2?

Lmao. I've read like 50% of the tag on AO3, I wrote my own & started a few wips on them. They are amazing. Plus, with that shitty canon? We didn't get enough of them & they deserved better, so it's only logical to save yourself with fanfiction.

3. Has a picture of 4 ever been your screen saver/profile picture/tumblr screen saver?

I was living with The Outsider icon on my twitter & tumblr. That one is still my Google profile picture I believe. Don't remember about having an icon with the two of them. Also had The Outsider as my lockscreen on my smartphone for a while.

4. If 7 were to suddenly break up today, what would your reaction be?

Funny how it fits canon, lmao. Rhys literally tried to erase Jack's AI in TFTBL, so I guess another day on Pandora, nothing new. They torture each other, they kiss each other, they kill other people in the process. It'll be fiiine.

5. Why is 1 so important?

I love them since the first time I met them, which was much more than 10 years ago, I don't even remember when. At some point they were the reason I was waking up & forcing myself to eat just to read more fanfiction & feel something. Even if I was drowning in pain (I was extremely depressed), it was still something. I read every fic I could find at that time. The depression that Harry went through, all these feelings, his love for Sirius. I was living through it, I could relate.

I'm currently drowning in these two again, though in a much healthier & happier state. I see their flaws & I know as much as I can. I see them differently as an adult. They saved me, they keep being my number one, I still consider making a tattoo of Padfoot/Sirius or of both Harry & Sirius together. I have many headcanons, ideas, I write fics about them. They are everything, you see? They were my choice when there was nothing, no one. They are HOME.

6. Is 9 a funny ship or a serious ship?

Both. There goes the dynamic of Jack & Rhys: torture, fighting, flirting, a lot of trauma. I'd definitely say that they are wild and comical sometimes, but they are definitely serious. With the Asylum, the mental health issues. There is so much more to it, the complexity of their relationship. The struggle of loving who you probably shouldn't (but hey, when does it work like that?) Thinking about Tettlate's Batman, about Batman: Europa & how Joker was: "You must be crazy, putting me in charge of the plan, letting me decide. Okay, well..."

Nah, they are entertaining, but this is a serious ship.

7. Out of all the ships listed, which ship has the most chemistry?

Are you kidding me? They are all the definition of CHEMISTRY. I'd say 5, but then go 2, 6, 7, 8. Come on. I'm not choosing. Most of they are WILD.

9. How many times have you read/watched the 10’s fandom?

The fandom itself? Idk. I found one of my favourite artists through this fandom. If it's about the characters themselves, I played the first game with the DLC from start to beginning, looking around every corner. Spent more than 60 hours in there. Watched a second game (my laptop can't run the game) and the DLC (obviously), since Francis is in the DLC & not in the main game. I have a tag for them on tumblr, I read fanfiction, I tried to write my own. I still follow Elias & want a third game. Elias liked my tweets about Adam and Jensen being an actual couple a few times. I'd say I interacted with all of this a lot? Still do, actually.

10. Which ship has lasted the longest?

5. Best friends since childhood, fought & died for each other, still found their way back to each other. "It would break your Captain's heart, to see what they did to you." That only the MENTION of Steve can pull Bucky out of this brain washing(ed?) state, distract him in the middle of a fight. When Steve died in the comics because of Sharon & Tony sent Natasha to take Steve's shield from Bucky because even Tony knew how much Steve means to Bucky. And Bucky was like: "Oh, I see what he did. Not happening!" Fought Natasha (that is his ex in the comics) & kept going for Steve's sake.

Well, you see the point, I can go on and on.

11. How many times, if ever, has 6 broken up?

They're not actually canon so none? They had a few fights: In Civil war (the comics), in Homecoming (the movie).  That only means that they’ve got history & love each other.

12. If the world was suddenly thrust into a zombie apocalypse, which ship would make it out alive, 2 or 8?

As fierce Grace is, they wouldn't stand a chance against Damon & Elena. Those two had to deal with worst thing than brainless stupid zombies. On the other hand, if there were no alive humans to drink their blood... It's either an animal diet that Damon hates so much or I don't know? Still, they're faster & more powerful. Their bodies have advantage of healing the wounds as well.

13. Did 7 ever have to hide their relationship for any reason?

From some people, yeah. Don't tell Athena, don't tell Vaughn, don't tell Fiona. Though Rhys wasn't very subtle about it & Jack just doesn't give a fuck. You will probably end up dead if you disagree or bore him, or if you're useless.

"I can take you to the top, but you gotta know where the top is" & Rhys doesn't tell anybody until Jack makes him the President for like whole 20 minutes lol.

Fiona & Sasha: "This can't be happening." Sure it can, darling.

14. Is 4 still together?

I have a headcanon about The Outsider finding Emily & Corvo after Billie frees him from the Void. He doesn't have anybody & they are his only friends aside from a potential friendship with Billie. And if we don't consider TOTO dlc, they definitely are! The Outsider visits them both when they sleep & takes them to the void sometimes. How could he not?

15. Is 10 canon?

Not really but also sort of? Let's say that they really care about each other in canon, despite Adam pushing Francis away because of his trauma & fear that Megan caused him. :/

16. If all 10 ships were put into a couple’s Hunger Games, which couple would win?

Can you imagine wizards fighting extremely powerful vampires? Superheroes with venom in their bodies that make them super strong with people that made a deal with the Devil himself (hi Le Bail)? 5000 y.o. God and his lover that share his powers and an augmented human protecting his tired IT guy? Combine mental health issues to that, Jack and Rhys with Batman and Joker. Corvo & The Outsider would probably slay them all as Corvo and Emily did in both games with entire islands, though it will still be a slaughter anyway.

17. Has anybody ever tried to sabotage 5’s ship?

All the fucking time, lmaooo. I’m not even talking about it.

18. Which ship would you defend to the death and beyond?

I feel like I already did with Steve & Bucky after many Marvel movies (we're not even mentioning Endg*me, I fucking died & was dead for full 4-5 months).

19. Do you spend hours a day going through 3’s tumblr page?

I used to do that a few years back, but not anymore. There is not much content since the trilogy is finished.

20. If an evil witch descended from the sky and told you that you had to pick one of the ten ships to break up forever or else she’d break them all forever, which ship would you sink?

1 already went through it & fandom lives, so I'd say maybe 7? Rhys will find a way to bring Jack back & they are both so wild. It’s what happened in canon anyway. Jack kidnapped Lilith & forced her to do Angel's job, so I'd like to see that witch try at first. Jack is an immortal bastard. <3

Now that I think about it, Corvo would also deal with her in seconds as she waits to curse them.

As a conclusion: no one breaks up forever, we're killing the witch.

I tag: @ianmillkovichgallagher​ & @aledbr​

Whoever else wants to join the game, please do.

[eyebright-iris]

Review: Met Gala 2019

Good morning to girls and gays only.  Straight men can perish.

Well, the Met Gala has rolled around once again and all I can say is: I’m so glad I’m a lesbian. The theme for this year was ‘Camp: Notes on Fashion’ and my GOD did some men decide that this was the perfect opportunity to come in a bland black tux or worse.

Some of the biggest disappointments of the night for me have to be Rami Malek and Taron Egerton, who, having both just played some of the most iconic men in recent history who lived, breathed and ate the essence of camp, saw fit to turn up in black tuxes.  Taron’s was kinda sparkly though and I still respect the dude for his general lack of typical masculinity elsewhere (more men commenting “phwoar” on their mates’ Instagram, please).  Shout out to Frank Ocean who showed up looking like any bouncer you might find outside one of my local clubs on a Saturday night.  He collaborated with James Charles to prove that while some gays showed their best, others certainly did not.  The theme was CAMP, James Charles, and you still couldn’t deliver.

I appreciated the change in pace from Darren Criss and Harry Styles, but to be honest, Harry’s had camper looks in concert and Darren Criss…well, I loved his look, but it also took me a solid ten minutes to work out that it was him and not just Brendon Urie in his regular concert gear.  Glittery jackets and statement eyeliner do not a camp icon make, I’m afraid, though you certainly did better than so many others.

Kim Kardashian was certainly…there.  I’m impressed with the way she managed to make herself look like she’s just stepped out of the ocean butt-naked and dripping wet, but girl.  You’re rich as fuck.  There’s more than bodycon dresses out there.  Also please smack your husband, he’s a dick and he’s wearing a black tracksuit.  Kendall and Kylie were a little more flamboyant but honestly, they were single-colour knockoffs of things I would say you could find at a Rio street festival, except that would be an insult to Brazil and all the ways Rio festivals embody everything the Jenner looks were not.  And to be real with you?  For all the colour that was there, they were boring.  What is it with these women and being afraid to be #Iconique? It’s sad that all they seem to know how to do is emphasise their boobs and hips in dresses with very little fabric to try and be daring.  If they weren’t so rich and influential no one would pay them any mind because you can see the same look on anyone else.

While I don’t like Cardi B, I can appreciate her attempt to get into the spirit of the Met Gala, which she pulled off so well last year.  I only wish her skirt hadn’t ended up looking like rows of theatre seating.  Katy Perry was there as both a chandelier and a hamburger, which, while a step up from the Jenner-Kardashian contributions, leads me to wonder if she knows what ‘camp’ means, or if her foray into queer culture stopped once she was done appropriating sapphic sexuality for male consumption in 2008.  Special mention must go to Benedict Cumberbatch who saw fit to show up dressed like some bizarre visiting cousin of Colonel Sanders who maybe definitely owned a plantation.  It wasn’t a black tux but somehow I just wish it had been.

To get to the real stars of the night, I think it’s only fair to start off by saying this Met Gala was once again, Black Excellence.  I cannot BREATHE for the number of incredible, powerful black icons taking to the pink carpet in works of art.  Let’s begin, shall we?

Billy Porter showed up (and showed everyone else up) with six hot half naked slave dudes decked out in gold carrying him in on a black-and-gold chaise-lounge like a modern-day Cleopatra and, once he had both feet firmly on the floor, threw up the massive golden wings of Isis and owned the entire space around him.  The crown.  The wings. The copious gold sparkly shit. The gold bedazzled stuff on his face. Every other man should be ashamed of his failure to measure up to the king. Also every man in a tux found DEAD by the side of the road thanks to our Lord and Saviour Billy Porter.

If Billy Porter is the king, then surely, there are too many queens to choose from.  From Laverne Cox’s strikingly shaped black dress with her brilliant blue-white hair and statement makeup, to Lupita Nyong’o showing up in the full neon spectrum of the rainbow, black women showed up to take the crown every single time last night.  Janelle Monáe’s stunning artsy dress blew me away, from the Picasso-like features to the multitude of hats that I have no idea how she balanced, she’s a masterpiece.  Lizzo stepped out looking like the Empress of Flamingos and I am absolutely here for every second of it.  The colours are loud, bold, and the outfit is as large-as-life as Lizzo herself.  Her hair was so stunning, I swear I thought it was a crown at first.

Black hair certainly had a starring role on the red carpet as well, from Tessa Thompson’s insanely long braid (she was carrying a WHIP to complete her outfit RIP all wlw) to Lupita’s impressive afro with its many golden combs.  I adored Danai Gurira’s hair and especially loved her Oscar Wilde-inspired outfit: here is a woman who understands her brief and works from it to great effect, and I loved Keiynan Lonsdale’s gorgeous hair and butterfly gown – seeing him embracing his queerness with both arms since Love, Simon led him to come out has made my heart big.

I can’t move on from the black dominance and excellence of the night without mention of two of my favourite looks: Zendaya and Lena Waithe.  If Billy Porter is the king and there are too many queens to count, then Zendaya stands out yet again as the living, breathing princess of the lot of them. I can hear the white tears over black girl magic Cinderella from here.  She arrived in a whole Cinderella dress that expanded and glows from within, a pumpkin-carriage purse and her own fairy godmother to transform her with a little bibbity-bobbity-boo?  She even lost her damn glass slipper on the stairs. A true artist.  As they say in the LGBT+ community: um, wig.

Speaking of which: Lena Waithe.  The lesbian icon herself, who showed up to last year’s Catholic-themed Met Gala in a pride flag cape, and who went hell for leather this year as well, putting every man in a tux to shame by not only out-classing them in how fantastic she looked in her lilac suit, but also paying homage to the origins of camp, with the back of her jacket boldly stating “Black Drag Queens Invented Camp” and the pinstripes on the suit actually being cleverly displayed lyrics to iconic drag queen songs.  She really Did That yet again and I’m knocked dead.

This review is already long as hell and it’s about to get longer because there are more looks that I want to mention.

First of all: Lady. Fucking. Gaga.  My girl did four outfits on the pink carpet in the space of 15 minutes and holy shit did she kill it.  Starting out in a voluminous hot pink ballgown, followed by a more sedate but still impressive black one with a matching umbrella, then down to a slim hot-pink number, huge sunglasses, and statement telephone, and finally ending up in an iconic mesh and underwear set, all while sporting the most gorgeous gold false eyelashes that made the whole thing pop.  The creativity and flair of everything Gaga does has made her iconic throughout the years and this event was no exception.

Ezra Miller FUCKED IT UP. Pinstripe suit with the sweeping train, glittering cage corset on top and a myriad of imitation eyes all over his face, carrying an eerie mask of himself on a stick?  Phenomenal.  The confidence in his walk as he moved and the way he displayed his look was so striking and seeing him own it so much made my night.

I loved Jordan Roth’s take on Billy Porter’s wings, allowing him to show up as a literal whole theatre. I loved Ryan Murphy’s sparkling pink champagne tux and high-collared cape.  Florence Welch absolutely slayed in her glittering wing-collared cloak.

However, one of the standout looks for the night was Hamish Bowles.  The embodiment of camp, with that magnificent fur-trimmed patterned cape. The look is absolutely dominating even when he’s standing still, and when he moves, the whole thing comes alive. Watching some of the dynamic shots taken of him having fun with his outfit, I felt like I was watching a bullfighter in a lion’s mane – and all of that is good.  I can’t quite put my finger on why I felt he looked like a fabulous Mrs Doubtfire (maybe it’s the shoes) but the outfit was one of the best and definitely set a bar that so many men fell short of.

Final Words:

Can someone please tell cishet men to step their game up?  Or men in general (I see you Frank Ocean and James Charles letting the damn side down)?  They can stay boring if they want, however.  The rest of us will be having far more fun without them, and the plain black tuxes certainly are no talking point of the evening.

[makistar2018]

Taylor Swift’s ‘Reputation’ Film Shows Why She’s One of the All-Time Greats The Netflix concert film immortalizes her best tour yet

By ROB SHEFFIELD December 31, 2018

Taylor Swift’s triumphant Reputation tour gets immortalized the way it deserves in her new Netflixconcert film, which premieres on the streaming service on New Year’s Eve. (Just in time for “New Year’s Day”: that’s our Taylor, always thinking conceptually.) It shows off the biggest and best tour yet from one of pop’s all-time great live performers — Swift goes for stadium-rocking spectacle, without toning down any of her songs’ one-on-one emotional intimacy. Nobody else is in this girl’s zone. The Reputation doc was shot on the final night of the U.S. run, at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, with 60,000 fans singing along with every word, right down to every last “isn’t it?” in “Delicate.”

Swift is an artist who knows she doesn’t need special effects — she can get up there with just her acoustic guitar and slay, any night she chooses. All she needs is her songs, and she’s sitting on a songbook full of classics. But if she’s going to do a mega-pop show, she’s going to go all the way, because that’s what she does. So Reputation is a tribute to her epic ambition, with a dazzling battalion of dancers, pyro explosions, video screens and giant inflatable snakes, including a 63-foot cobra named Karyn. As her secret soul sister Courtney Love would say, Taylor wants to be the girl with the most snake.

It’s a New Year’s Eve victory toast to top off her historic 2018. Reputation was the year’s best-selling album, according to Billboard, even topping Drake’s Scorpion. She also had the biggest-selling U.S. tour in history, according to Pollstar. Has any female solo artist done an all-stadium tour before? With two female opening acts, Charli XCX and Camila Cabello? Swift took her tour to seven countries on four continents, selling nearly three million tickets. (The only artist who outgrossed her globally? Her old protegee Ed Sheeran, with whom she co-wrote “Everything Has Changed” while they were both bouncing on a trampoline.)

I saw the tour’s first night — in Arizona, back in May — and it blew the wheels off my getaway car. But as the film proves, this tour got more legendary as it rolled on. She makes “Delicate” so theatrically splendid (she glides above the crowd in a golden basket) and yet so personal and vulnerable. “Delicate” was my favorite song of 2017, before it was a hit, but I love it twice as much after hearing it constantly on the radio all year — I recently passed my millionth “isn’t it?” and I plan to keep over-isn’t-it-ing my way through 2019.

Swift turns “Shake It Off” into a serpentine throwdown with Camila and Charli. “Getaway Car,” the Rep gem that really should have been a hit, begins with a dramatic poetry recital: “And in the death of her reputation, she felt truly alive.” She sits at the piano for a medley combining two of her best deep cuts, “Long Live” (from 2010’s Speak Now) and “New Year’s Day,” showing how far she’s traveled as a songwriter. “New Year’s Day” is the surprise ending to Reputation — a quiet piano ballad after so many synth jams. She sings about cleaning up the morning after the party, sweeping glitter off the floor with somebody who makes her look forward to the year ahead. Only Taylor could focus on the least glamorous, most boring holiday in the calendar and find some romance in it. (Maybe next year she’ll do Arbor Day?)

Swift made every show different by picking a surprise for the B-stage wild-card slot — an oldie from her songbook, played on acoustic guitar. Part of the fun was waiting to see what she’d bust out every night. Seattle got “Holy Ground,” Dublin got “Mean,” Atlanta got “The Lucky One.” Chicago got “Our Song.” Nashville got “Tim McGraw,” joined by McGraw and Faith Hill. New Jersey got “Enchanted,” timed perfectly so the rain storm hit the crowd right at the “please don’t be in love with someone else,” proof she’s in cahoots with the weather. It’s a tribute to her vast catalog — but also to her fans, who stand ready to sing all 129 of her songs at a moment’s notice. For this show, she ends the U.S. tour with the B-stage surprise she picked the first night: “All Too Well,” the mightiest song she’s ever written. She hadn’t sung it live since 2014 — but she delivers this majestic scarf-core ballad with a voice full of adult regret.

Reputation was a risky move — after the Number One hit “Look What You Made Me Do,” the world was primed for her to sing about celebrity score-settling, but instead, it turned out to be an album full of deeply personal love songs. It didn’t fit the “narrative” of what people thought she was about. People predicted that she was killing her career, alienating fans, etc., but people have been saying that ever since she had the gall to change the plot of Romeo and Juliet. It turned out to be a lot more than just another great Swift album — it was a statement about how far she’s willing to go as an artist, starting over from scratch every time. Even when she started as a kid, she had her own scholarly sense of pop history and a brash notion of her place in it. But with this tour and the whole 2018 she’s had, she shows why she’s making history. She’s never willing to rest on her reputation — but in the death of her reputation, she feels truly alive. Long live.

Rolling Stone

[joncrawford]

Best of COVID-2019: (Late) 2019 End of Year Wrap-up

Even though we’re well into 2020, most of us would probably swallow a pill that makes us forget the year so far. With a new job, I got too busy to do an end-of-year wrap-up of my picks for the best albums, movies and shows of 2019, so assuming you’ve swallowed your Hindsight Pill™ (get it?, cause hindsight is 20..ok, fair if you stop reading now) here’s my take on the best music, movies and shows of 2019. Maybe you’ll find something to make the rest of quarantine a little better.

ALBUMS

Remind Me Tomorrow by Sharon Van Etten on Spotify

It’s hard to find a better album this year. It’s heartfelt, gentle in places / wild in others, it pushes her sound forward from her more folky records of the past and gives us the opportunity to gaze into this sensitive she-hulk of an artist’s soul.

Favorite Track: Jupiter 4 - Jupiter 4, a song by Sharon Van Etten on Spotify

Lux Prima by Karen O on Spotify

This concept album by Karen O (“Yeah Yeah Yeahs”) and Danger Mouse (“Broken Bells”, “Gnarls Barkley”) can best be described as a record composed by badass feminine superhero from the future who has a nostalgic fascination with soundtracks from 70s European love story films. It’s phenomenal. The chord progressions are unusual and interesting. The vibe is consistent throughout. It’s a great record to listen to intentionally or a perfect soundtrack to a day outside with friends.

Favorite Track: Nox Lumina - Nox Lumina, a song by Karen O, Danger Mouse on Spotify

Lana Del Rey - “Norman F*ing Rockwell“ (censored for my mom)

I get it. You stopped following Lana after “Summertime Sadness”. She’s not your jam. She’s vapid. There’s something about her appearance that you don’t like (Didn’t she get her lips done?). She doesn’t make serious music. Here’s the thing though: You’re f*cking wrong (censored for mom). LDR is one of the most prolific songwriters and performers we’ve got. This artist has evolved with each album and the songwriting keeps improving. This is her best album to date. The lyrics take on deeper themes than her prior records and any ego on previous submissions seems to have been replaced by a general comfort in herself and the discomfort of her experiences and relationships (fictional or not). This is also her release with the lightest touch. She’s not pushing the LDR persona anymore, she’s being herself — take it or leave it. It’s her, your little Venice B!tch (censored for mom). Hi, mom!

Favorite song: Venice Bitch, a song by Lana Del Rey on Spotify

Phoenix by Pedro The Lion on Spotify

This is my favorite artist’s first studio album in 15 years. (!!!) It’s not technically fair to say that because he released several color records in the interim. As a largely one-man show, the DNA was very much the same. But this is a true return to form for the the man known as David Bazan that I’ve been following carefully for 20 years and have seen live too many times to count.

This is a concept album (most of them are) about his experience growing up in Phoenix, AZ. But it’s more about growing up than about Arizona. I got goosebumps and watery eyes the first time I listened carefully to the lyrics of “Yellow Bike” which tells about the experience of getting your first bicycle as a little boy around 1990. For me, this was the apex of my childhood. Absolute freedom and the ability to easily join any pack of desperado bike kids.

The album hits hard with the catchy hooks, introspective lyrics, challenging topics and excellent production & instrumental performances only using standard rock staples like guitar, bass and drums (with a couple quick appearances of an organy synth).

Lyrics, melody & a great beat. This is a fantastic rock album.

Favorite song: Yellow Bike, a song by Pedro The Lion on Spotify

WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO? by Billie Eilish on Spotify

Much has been written about this wunderkind. You know her. It’s a great album. She has a promising career ahead of her.

Favorite song: when the party’s over, a song by Billie Eilish on Spotify

SOUND & FURY by Sturgill Simpson on Spotify

This album slays. It’s a badass rock album. If you don’t know Sturgill Simpson, he’s technically a country act… BUT! He’s entirely rejected the conventions of modern country with its shallow lyrical content, right-wing dog whistling and computer-assisted faux harmonies. He sings about psychedelics, his problems with religion and also covers 80s synth-pop in country ballad fashion. Well, forget all that for this record. It’s a banger. This record sounds like Waylon Jennings was cloned 100 years in the future and brought back just to record a ZZ Top album. Major leap for this artist. One of the best of the year.

Favorite song: Make Art Not Friends, a song by Sturgill Simpson on Spotify

ANIMA by Thom Yorke on Spotify

We’ve had a complicated relationship with Thom Yorke’s solo work. As the lead singer of Radiohead, we’ve had to give deference to literally anything with his name on it. But his prior solo works have waded into the avant-garde and we’re entirely listenable in a casual way throughout. This has changed. This record is a masterwork. In fact, it demanded a beautiful short film directed by Paul Thomas Anderson (“The Master”, “There Will Be Blood”) released on Netflix earlier in the year featuring no dialogue and Thom and his wife is choreographed love affair starting during a mundane commute. My favorite track is the most peaceful and introspective on the album.

Favorite song: Dawn Chorus, a song by Thom Yorke on Spotify

Fear Inoculum by TOOL on Spotify

It’s TOOL’s first album in 13 years. WHAT. It’s fantastic. Worth the wait? Hell no because that’s too long to wait for almost anything. There are people with Snapchat accounts that weren’t alive when “10,000 Days” came out (2006). 728,000,000 people (presumably, all TOOL fans) died since their last album. I can’t, in good conscience, condone the deprivation of 3/4 of a billion people like that. But it’s SO good. This is metal for people that don’t like metal (I don’t really like metal).

Favorite song: Pneuma, a song by TOOL on Spotify

Screamer by Third Eye Blind on Spotify

I may be literally this bands only fan still paying attention, but I don’t care. They’re still writing fantastic tracks. This was one of my heavy-hitter bands in high school. I learned every song from their first two albums on the guitar. Then I stopped paying attention for like 13 years. In 2016, I ran across a new single by the band and went in with a lot of trepidation. Most bands from your high school years should probably leave it there. There's nothing worse than a band desperately trying to stay relevant with weak ass releases well beyond their shelf life (cough Goo Goo Dolls –– They've put out 4 albums in the last 10 years. 🤦‍♂️) But then I heard Third Eye Blind's pro-Black Lives Matter track “Cop vs. Phone Girl, a song by Third Eye Blind on Spotify” released in 2016. Go back and listen to that one. It's not only catchy as hell, but it's got a gut punch of a message about how shitty is it to be a well-meaning black student in a white-dominated power structure that's supposed to be a safe place like school.

Well 2019’s “Screamer” doesn’t disappoint either. It’s all the same energy and hooks of the band’s early sound with an updated feel and sensibility that still feels like a relevant rock album. All the same things you came to Third Eye for in the past is right here waiting for you on “Screamer”. I know I’m gonna get some flack for this one, but…shut up.

Favorite song: Ways, a song by Third Eye Blind on Spotify Bonus points if you catch the “Outside Lands” ref.

i,i by Bon Iver on Spotify

Short review for people who know how to pronounce the name correctly: It’s a Bon Iver record. Listen to it.

Longer review: It’s pronounced “Bone ee-VAIR” based on the French bon hiver, meaning “good winter”. If this is news to you, here’s a nugget from an interview where the main figure in the band explains it:

When I was living up north I wrote a letter. I’d come across a story about this Alaskan town that the people, the first snow of every year, they come out of their houses and gather in town square. They hug and kiss each other and they say “Bon Iver.” I was like, “whatever that is, that’s cool!” … Then I found out how it’s spelled and it was sort of disappointing. I didn’t like how it looked. It didn’t have any emotion. Looking at it didn’t make any sense. I wanted to look at it and feel something. It was sort of a compromise. I sorta wanted it to be like “Bon Iverre,” sort of like how I saw it, but that didn’t look good either, so I just decided to chop off the “h.” Bon Iver | Pitchfork

OK, now that you’re caught up. I guess you haven’t been paying attention, but Justin Vernon or Bon Iver (DBA) is one of the luminaries of the music industry. This grammy-winning dude-band has collaborated with Kanye, Jay-Z, James Blake, Travis $cott, Poliça, Ani DiFranco, Vince Staples, Eminem, Bruce Hornsby and more. But if you need me to explain any of this to you, do yourself a favor and go back and listen to his other 3 studio albums. Every one of them is treasure.

Favorite Song: Hey, Ma, a song by Bon Iver on Spotify This song makes the top 5 of all the tracks he’s released.

MUSIC - Honorable Mentions

Amyl and The Sniffers by Amyl and The Sniffers on Spotify

Two Hands by Big Thief on Spotify

I vs I by Alex Ebert on Spotify

Face Stabber by Thee Oh Sees on Spotify

Infest The Rats’ Nest by King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard on Spotify

MOVIES

Hail Satan? (Hulu)

JustWatch

Hilarious look at a group trying to make Free Speech really free.

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Duh. Also I got low-key obsessed with cults after I watched this.

MONOS

Incredible Spanish language drama about child soldiers in South America. Great acting by unknowns.

Green Book -Duh

Duh. Won an Best Picture.

Parasite

Duh. Won Best Picture.

Joker

Duh. Won life.

Greener Grass

JustWatch

The weirdest movie I saw all year. Bizarre and hilarious. Written by the two actresses who star.

Apollo 11

INCREDIBLE documentary about the first moon landing mission featuring a ton of footage I’d never seen and assembled into such a magnificent narrative. You feel like it’s happening in real-time today. The last time mankind was united around one hope.

SHOWS

The OA - Season 2 (Netflix)

This was one of the most beautiful creations I’ve seen. Epic followup to the first season which seemed like an impossible act to follow. Netflix canned the show, but there’s still hope it will get a resurrection through another venue.

Watchmen (HBO)

This is a sequel to the critically acclaimed graphic novel from the late 80s. You should read the novel first. As stated two sentences ago, this is a sequel set 34 years after the events of the novel.

The Boys (Amazon)

This is the first realistic superhero story. Why have we always assumed that those with superior or supernatural powers would be intrinsically good and seek to served mankind? Regular humans don’t even act like that toward each other. In this world the soops are like paid athletes and are secretly total pricks. Well made and begging for a second season.

Chernobyl (HBO)

Haven’t seen this? What is wrong with you? It’s in the top 5 highest rated shows of all time on IMDB. One thing I’ll note is that it did a good job separating the characterization of the soviet people from the soviet government. The everyday soviet people in the story came out looking like heroes while the government lived up to its reputation. It made me a lot more curious about soviet history which has led me to other movies, books and Wikipedia rabbit holes. Watch this for the historical value, at a minimum. It’s not as gory as you might be afraid it is.

Love Death + Robots (Netflix)

I love sci-fi and I love weird animation so this just brought it home for me. The episodes are often short and sort of feel like Twilight Zone episodes, each with their own mini narrative or moral lesson. Each episode is made by a different creator or team, so the variety is part of the curb appeal. Great binge material.

[hillbillyhippiemusicreview]

POST #25 - N’s “Late” Year in Review, 2019

Y’all for the last three weeks, I’ve written my 2019 Year in Review article in my head over and over again. I’ve thought about my Artist of the Year, Album of the Year, Top 10 Albums, Honorable Mention albums, and albums that I wish I had the time to review. Every time I write it in my head, I sit down to put in writing and all I can think about is “wow, I only started this thing in May.” It’s been 6 months or so and we have over 1,000 followers, we have reached thousands of people and we have written over 20 articles. We have shared even more artists and songs. Y’all think about it. This isn’t about the Hillbilly Hippie Music Review. It’s about how many people have learned about new artists, how many people have listened to songs, went to shows, purchased merch, or went to their local dive bar to see local music. Y’all, here at the Hillbilly Hippie Music Review, we are part of a huge movement to support local, independent and small artists. So, THANK YOU to all the artists that we have shared or mentioned. THANK YOU for making music that we enjoy and staying true to yourselves. And THANK YOU to everyone out there that do the same thing we do. Thank you for supporting music.

With that being said, here is my 2019 Year in Review:

I’ll start with a recap of our articles and posts. If you missed one of these reviews or one of these artists, y’all hit em’ up!

Album Reviews:

* Colton Kise | Colton Kise

* Tyler Childers | Country Squire

* Ian Noe | Between the Country

* Brian Paddock & The American Gentlemen | Love is Weird

* Matt Woods | Natural Disasters

* Ryan Chrys & The Rough Cuts | Western Abyss

* Mickey Lamantia | How Far Would I Fall

* Nick Dittmeier | Companion

* Grayson Jenkins | Cowboy Dream

* Brock Thompson | Sippin’ On a Memory

Show Reviews:

* Donnie Issacs | Kentucky Mountain Moonshine

* Cody Jinks WSG Josh Morningstar | EKU Center for the Arts

* Chris Knight WSG Grayson Jenkins | Zanzabar

Festival Reviews:

* Tumbleweed (Multiple Articles) | LaCygne, Kansas

* Festival of the Red | Red River Gorge, Kentucky

* Master Musicians Festival (Mini Article) | Somerset, Kentucky

* Pickin’ in the Pines (Day 2) | Manchester, Kentucky

Facebook Live Concerts:

* Rye Davis

Social Media Reach/Insights:

* United States

* Kentucky

* Tennessee

* West Virginia

* Ohio

* Kansas

* Alabama

* Indiana

* Minnesota

* Idaho

* Colorado

* Texas

* Rhode Island

* Florida

* Michigan

* Montana

* More…

* United Kingdom

* Canada

* New Zealand

* Spain

* Italy

* Netherlands

Now, as I’m writing this, I’ve got a pretty good buzz on some Bulliet Rye and we are 16 days into 2020. The “New Year feeling” has officially worn off, so I reckon it’s time to give some accolades, honorable mentions, and my personal favorites. So let’s get to it:

Starting with my favorite album that we featured with a review. For me, this is a tie. It honestly depends on how I’m feeling from one day to the next and how that whisky is hittin’ me. So of the Hillbilly Hippie Music Review’s featured albums, my favorite is a tie between “Natural Disasters” (Matt Woods) and “Companion” (Nick Dittmeier). Starting with Matt’s album...This album is raw, real, relatable and entertaining. At one point “The Dream” was my favorite track on this album, but as the holidays came and went, “Cold Civil War” is one of the best songs of 2019. Nick’s 4 song EP is a fantastic collection of ballads. These tracks all have great backstories and make Nick one of my favorite artists in my little circle of music stretching from Tennessee to Indiana on I65 and from Lexington to Louisville on I64.

My favorite show that we reviewed was Chris Knight WSG Grayson Jenkins at Zanzabar in Louisville, KY. It was an awesome little intimate show and the music was solid. The crowd was great and actually listened to the music! However, my favorite show of the year was one I didn’t get the chance to cover. Shane Smith & The Saints WSG Justin Wells at the Basement East in Nashville is the best live performance I have ever seen! Justin always slays the crowd and makes new fans with with passionate and Hercules-isk voice. And Shane Smith and the fellas absolutely blew the roof off of the building y’all. They burnt the place down! Energy, Passionate, Talent, Entertainment, Crowd Engagement, they had it all!

The top Festival that I attended was hands down, Festival of the Red! Chase and Miranda put together one hell of a bill and had a great little set up. Vendors, Food Trucks, Talent, I mean y’all, it was awesome. However, the best part was the late night song swap around the campfire with some of the best up and coming names in the business. Festival of the Red will always have a special place in my heart as they gave me my first media passes and were just awesome! Y’all get your tickets for 2020 and I promise you this festival is gonna get better and better every single year!

By now y’all are probably tired of my ramblin’ so I’ll end this reflection with a 2019 Male Artist (or male led band) of the Year, Female Artist of the Year, Album of the Year, and Top 5 Albums (with Honorable Mentions).

* Male Artist of the Year

* Shane Smith & The Saints

* These guys lost their bus, their instruments and their personal belongings in a fire while on tour. They didn’t miss a beat! They never cancelled a show and they played every show with borrowed instruments! Also a big shout out to the music community for rallying around them with donations, fundraisers, etc. I love this music scene.

* Spoiler Alert, they also released a 3 Chapter album this year in “Hail Mary.” Anddddd it is on my Top 5 albums of 2019.

* Female Artist of the Year

* Kelsey Waldon

* Kelsey’s latest EP “White Noise/White Lines” is one badass EP. Kelsey also signed with John Prine’s label “Oh Boy Records” this year, showing just how good she is.

* Album of the Year

* “Almost Daylight” by Chris Knight

* Knight’s first album since 2012 is a badass album with features from John Prine. Chris picked up right where he left off and we are all thankful for that!

* Top 5 Albums (These may or may not be in order...)

* “Almost Daylight” - Chris Knight

* “Hail Mary” - Shane Smith & The Saints

* “Cheap Silver and Solid Country Gold” - Mike & The Moonpies

* “Natural Disasters” - Matt Woods

* “Country Squire” - Tyler Childers

* Honorable Mentions (in no particular order):

* “We Fall, We Break” - Walter DeBarr

* “Between the Country” - Ian Noe

* “Kind Heart to Follow” - Josh Nolan

* “Sound and Fury” - Sturgill Simpson

* “Seneca” - Charles Wesley Godwin

* “Tryin’ to Be a Blessing” - Dallas Moore

Alright y’all. I need a refill on my whisky and I’m sure you’re tired of my ramblin’ So here’s to 2020 and what it holds for good music and for the Hillbilly Hippie Music Review.

If I get the itch, I may even do a list of albums from 2019 that we haven’t mentioned, but you should really check out!

-Cheers, N.

PS - I want to give a shout to my wife, Lauren, contributing writers Josh, Gerri and Amy, and Rye and Brandy Davis! Without y’all I wouldn’t have started up this page and found a new passion in music! Also, Rye has a new album coming out soon with shows all over the country and Brandy has been playing more songwriting sessions down in Nashville. Y’all be sure to check them out!

*This is an independent review. The Hillbilly Hippie Music Review was not compensated for this review.

*The opinions expressed are solely that of the author(s).