#simon's requiem

[someonestolecaiico]

A slightly old Hawaii: Part II drawing I did! :))

[simonsquest]

[asksimonbelmont]

Do you have a favorite birthday memory? Have you had birthday celebrations in the past? What is the best gift you've ever received?

The day is like any other - we don’t often celebrate it. However, Gabriel once tried to make it merry in his own—perhaps misguided—way.

Once, he acquired some strong spirits, and we made it a mission to sneak out by the river to drink during one of our evening patrols.

He wouldn’t tell me outright how he had come to possess it. I’m fairly certain he took it from the estate’s cellar. I shudder to think if he took it from my grandfather’s things…

Looking back, it was reckless and irresponsible, when we should have been alert on our patrol, but…

It’s one of my fonder memories, that my friend went out of his way to make an ordinary day one worth celebrating.

[garden-of-carnations]

Hiii there, welcome to my blog!

My intention is for his to be a cozy and safe corner on this app. If you need anyone to vent to I'm free to listen (read actually) even if we haven't interacted before.

I won't accept anyone that's racist, lgbt+ phobic, pro ED or just romanticize weird shit in general.

My main personal information is in my bio, here you'll find the more trivial information 🌷

Fav movies: pride and prejudice (2005), 10 things I hate about you (1999), 27 dresses (2008), scream (1996), requiem for a dream (2000), US (2019), fight club (1999), mean girls (2004), dead poet society (1989)

Fav shows: The Queen's Gambit, Gilmore Girls, H2O: Just Add Water.

Fav music: Muse, Taylor Swift, Chappell Roan, Måneskin, The Last Dinner Party.

Fav books: The Woman Destroyed by Simone de Beauvoir, The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde, Perfume: The Story of a Murderer by Patrick Süskind, Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë, Species of spaces by Georges Perec.

Other information: I love love love rugby, I want to study architecture, I speak Spanish and English (ill probably keep editing and updating this part)

note 1 : I probably won't follow you back if you don't have your age in your bio or introduction post and/or if you're under 16

note 2 : the dividers are from @kodaswrld and @animatedglittergraphics-n-more 💐

[lightineventide]

Finally added Epica's Requiem for the Indifferent to my CD collection! 🖤 Love its design almost as much as the songs. Definitely didn't spend several hours repeating it (and especially Deep Water Horizon, Avalanche & Internal Warfare) over and over again...🤪

Background: a magazine (from 2012) I randomly found a few years prior and saved beacause of the cool featured posters (the one of Simone singing is suuuper gorgeous 🤍).

[genderenvyelimination]

First Round! Gender Envy Elimination

[thebuhonerodazorrow]

Domm Patrol: Weight of the worlds #3

Un momento en GOLIATH

Young Animals

[johnnyhotrocks]

Another batch of vinyl's today. Nina Simone - The Jazz Queen. Celine Dion - Deux (french album) & Colour of my Love. Stevie Nicks - Bella Donna. Red Hot Chili Peppers - Californication. Korn - Requiem

[onenakedfarmer]

Currently Playing

Carlos Simon and Mark Bamuthi Joseph Brea(d)th: 4: bread

Minnesota Orchestra, Minnesota Chorale, Twin Cities Choral

Mark Bamuthi Joseph, spoken word

[tania2199]

Music in Our flag means death s2

I Love My Baby - Nina Simone

Strawberry Letter 23 - Shuggie Otis

Pygmy Love Song - Francіs Bebey

Run From Me - Timber Timbre

This Woman’s Work - Kate Bush

SeaBird - Alessi Brothers

Baby - Donnie & Joe Emerson

Wasting My Time - Harry Mosco

La Vie En Rose - Con O'Neill

I Love My Baby - Nina Simone (2nd time)

Roads To Moscow - Al Stewart

That’s All Right - Laura Rivers

The Times They Are A-Changin’ - Nina Simone

Music in season 1:

[someonestolecaiico]

Stella and Simon, Hawaii Part: II

Posting some traditional art on here for once :)! Doubt I'll ever post traditional on here again but yk

[simonsquest]

Chapter 17 spoilers. (There's no audio.)

[thisphantomlife]

Songs Hozier has covered

Bowie - Changes, Young Americans (see also Trinity Orchestra section)

Prince - I Wanna Be Your Lover, Raspberry Beret, Jungle Love

James Carr - The Dark End Of The Street

The Beatles - Blackbird

John Lennon (Donny Hathaway version) - Jealous Guy (at the goldenplec block party with Zaska)

Ariana Grande - Problem

Warren G - Regulate (mashup with Problem)

James Blake - Retrograde

Tom Waits - Strange Weather

Florence and the Machine - Cosmic Love

Stevie Wonder - Living for the City, As, Sir Duke

Sting - 7 Days

The BeeGees - To Love Somebody

Lauryn Hill - Doo Wop (that thing)

Amerie - One Thing

Skip James (Alvin Youngblood Hart version) - Illinois Blues

Muddy Waters - Catfish Blues

Van Morrison - Caravan, Sweet Thing, Domino, Brown Eyed Girl, Saint Dominic’s Preview

Bill Withers - Ain’t No Sunshine, Use Me

Arctic Monkeys - Do I Wanna Know

Demi Lovato - Sorry Not Sorry

Led Zeppelin - Whole Lotta Love

Fun - We Are Young

Paul Simon - Bridge Over Troubled Water

Sam Smith - Lay Me Down

Destiny’s Child - Say My Name

Britney Spears - Toxic (snippet)

The Band - The Weight

Otis Rush version of Willie Dixon and the Big Three Trio - My Love Will Never Die

The Talking Heads - Burning Down the House (Instagram live messing around with friends)

The Staple Singers - Let’s Do it Again

The Weather Forecast 🤪

Ed Lewis - I Be So Glad When the Sun Goes Down (Instagram snippet)

Mavis Staples - Eyes on the Prize

Jackie Wilson - (Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher

The Meters - Just Kissed My Baby

Traffic (song originally by Traffic, Andrew covered the Joe Cocker version) - Feeling Alright

Bruce Cockburn - Lovers In A Dangerous Time

Christmas Songs - God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, Winter Wonderland, Santa Claus is Coming to Town (with others at the Xmas Eve Ball 2015)

Traditional Irish songs - My Lagan Love, The Humours of Whiskey, I Am Stretched On Your Grave, The Rolling Wave (on the low whistle), The Parting Glass, The Lonely Jig (on the low whistle)

(Live) Collabs - that are not Andrew’s own songs

Alvin Youngblood Hart - Illinois Blues

Maren Morris - The Bones, My Church, Girl, The Tree

Annie Lennox - I Put a Spell on You (Screamin Jay Hawkins cover)

Tom Odell - Another Love

Noah Kahan - Northern Attitude

Allison Russell - Requiem, Stop Dragging My Heart Around (Stevie Nicks & Tom Petty cover)

Brandi Carlile - The Joke, Walk On (U2 cover), The Weight (The Band cover)

Jamala - Walk On (U2 cover)

Mavis Staples - The Weight (The Band cover), Keep Your Eyes on the Prize (with Our Native Daughters, Jason Isbell and Phil Cook)

Boygenius - Salt in the Wound

Alana Henderson - Ae Fond Kiss (poem by Robert Burns)

U2 - When Love Comes to Town

Tori Kelly - Blackbird (the Beatles cover)

Mumford and Sons - Timshel, Awake My Soul, With a Little Help From My Friends (Beatles cover, with other artists)

Lake Street Dive - Everyday People (Sly and the Family Stone cover)

Rachael Price - Rental Love

Victoria Canal - Swan Song

Elwood (his dog) - Don’t Go Breaking My Heart (Elton John and Kiki Dee cover, Insta snippet)

All the artists at Love Rocks NYC 2022 - Like A Rolling Stone (Bob Dylan cover), Feeling Alright (Traffic cover)

Brian Kennedy (and others) - I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free (Nina Simone cover)

His Dad - The Weight (The Band cover at MSG)

Zaska, Wyvern Lingo, Loah - Sir Duke (Stevie Wonder cover)

Eabha McMahon - Bright Blue Rose (Jimmy McCarthy cover)

Brittany Howard - Feeling Alright (Joe Cocker version cover)

Joan Baez - We Shall Overcome, The Weight (The Band cover)

Christmas Eve Busk 2015

Bono, Glen Hansard - When Love Comes to Town, Every Breaking Wave

Glen Hansard, Imelda May - The Dark End of the Street (James Carr cover)

Christmas Eve Busk 2017

Glen Hansard, Coronas, Imelda May, Liam O Maonlaoi - So This is Christmas (John Lennon cover), The Aul Triangle

Music Groups

Nova Collective - (original songs) Tuile, Closer, Quick Bossa

Zaska - (original songs) In Your Own Sweet Time, Different Light, She Gunk Gunk Dunk A Funk, Oh Yeah

Anuna - with Andrew on lead vocals: The Raid, La Chanson de Mardi Gras. With Andrew in the choir: Jingle Bells, An Uaithne

The Wiggles - Cherry Tree Carol with Anuna

Trinity Orchestra - songs covered with Andrew on lead vocals

~ Queen - Somebody To Love, Don’t Stop Me Now

~ Arcade Fire - My Body is a Cage

~ Pink Floyd - Time, Breathe, Comfortably Numb, Shine on You Crazy Diamond, Money

~ Michael Jackson - Earth Song, Black or White, Smooth Criminal

~ David Bowie - Heroes

*This list may not be complete. It only contains songs that can be found online.

Please let me know if any songs are missing so I can add them 🫶

I’ve not included the songs he sang snippets of on that Song Association interview

[facewithoutheart]

Thanks for the tags @monbons & @rimeswithpurple ❤️

I’ve finally finished the first draft of my COBB which feels super good. For once, I’m not doing a multi-chapter fic but I’m pleased with how it turned out. It needs a bit of finessing at the end so I’m going to let it sit for awhile. Come back when it’s closer to posting time for last minute tweaks.

Have some cute goat content:

Simon shrugged one shoulder. “Who can say? But he’s been loved. That’s what counts.” He placed the goat gently on the ground and the little thing scrambled away, bleating like a banshee at the kids who had yet to take flight. “Of course he’s also been a right bastard. Maybe that counts more.”

Cute/deranged, same thing.

Song vibes if you need them:

Tags & original fiction thoughts below the break.

I also spent some time making piccrews of my OCs. I only like to write original fiction about love triangles with two men and a woman so here, meet Hawk, Gabriel & Zoe:

Shout out to my brown eye peeps although I forgot Hawk actually has hazel eyes. WHOOPS. We’re just gonna pretend he has flecks of green sprinkles in there that only Gabriel can see. And yes Zoe is that hot on purpose. She’s a messy bitch and I love her.

One thing I’ve been thinking about lately is the theory that words written are not words wasted. As in, don’t regret the things you wrote that aren’t published or make it into the final piece. And I’ve had to adopt that for fanfic to original writing because sometimes it’s hard looking at my, frankly ridiculous, back catalog and wonder if it wasn’t all worthless. Because in the end I spent all that time and energy writing someone else’s stories.

But this is a fruitless and, frankly, untrue line of thinking. I’ve spent years honing my ability to write plot and setting and dialogue and action and messy situations. Sure, I’ve been using someone else’s characters and outline to do so, but the skills transfer even if they do also require new ones. I would never have had the courage to take on messy characters for a romance novel if I hadn’t written Boulders or This Charming Man. These two fics directly inspired my original idea.

So I’m kind of sitting around feeling really … grateful? I guess? That I’ve taken this time, I’ve written these words, and I’ve stretched these muscles. Writing an original novel is something I’ve wanted to do since I was a kid and it feels really good to be working on one again, especially after my rather demoralizing attempt at NaNoWriMo in 2022.

Which is all just to say I’m having a good time, and all your efforts are not wasted, and does this make any sense? Maybe not entirely. And maybe you’ve skimmed it but maybe this is also something that will resonate with one of you all.

Okay now. Tagging @martsonmars, @sillyunicorn, @bookish-bogwitch, @thewholelemon, @raenestee, @cutestkilla, @skeedelvee, @artsyunderstudy, @palimpsessed, @aristocratic-otter, @you-remind-me-of-the-babe, @stitchyqueer, @run-for-chamo-miles, @larkral, @whogaveyoupermission, @moodandmist, @mooncello, @creepyspice, @ivelovedhimthroughworse & @shrekgogurt

[black-arcana]

EPICA's Next Album Will Be Band's 'Most Epic' Release So Far

In a recent interview with Spain's Mariskal Rock, EPICA singer Simone Simons spoke about the progress of the recording sessions for the follow-up to 2021's "Omega" album. She said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I think that there should be a single by the end of the summer-ish. That's that's our plan. And the album should be released [in] 2025.

"I just wrote with Mark [Jansen, guitar] and Rob [Van Der Loo, bass] also yesterday that I'm so happy with the songs, I'm so proud how everything turned out and it's gonna be another amazing EPICA album.

"We added a couple of new elements, but also went back to the roots, the old EPICA," she continued. "And yeah, I just can't wait for people to hear this.

"I loved 'Omega' and we toured so much with 'Omega' and had wonderful experiences, but then when you reach the end of a touring cycle, you start to get itchy and feel, 'Okay, now it's time to do the new album. Can we do it as good or maybe even better than the last album?' That's always the thing we strive for, ways to renew ourselves a little bit. And we feel a very strong spiritual connection also that it's our ninth album. So there's gonna be themes around the symbolic meaning of nine, the number nine."

Elaborating on the musical direction of EPICA's next album, Simone said: "The songs are heavy. There's a beautiful ballad, a very cinematic song, very uptempo, very doomy, melancholic and amazing, amazing power riffs. It's the most epic EPICA, I think, so far. Yeah, I think so. I mean, I'm feeling it. I'm very happy with it. I'm proud of it. And they are going to start recording the orchestra now next week. They're flying to Prague; that's where we record the orchestra. And I will be recording my final vocals as well."

In November 2022, EPICA released "The Alchemy Project" through Atomic Fire Records. The EP was co-written and performed with diverse guests ranging from extremists like FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE, Niilo Sevänen (INSOMNIUM) and Björn "Speed" Strid (SOILWORK) along with melodic masters like Tommy Karevik (KAMELOT),keyboard legend Phil Lanzon (URIAH HEEP) and Roel Van Helden (POWERWOLF) to a once-in-a-lifetime song with Simons, Charlotte Wessels and Myrkur.

Just one day after the release of its anniversary reissues "We Still Take You With Us" and "Live At Paradiso", EPICA celebrated 20 years of existence live in September 2022 at 013 in Tilburg, Netherlands, the same place where they played their first show (supporting ANATHEMA) back in 2002.

EPICA was formed by Jansen after leaving AFTER FOREVER in 2002, and the band quickly gained attention outside their home country, taking big steps towards becoming the leading symphonic metal superpower they have long proven to be. After their ambitious debut "The Phantom Agony" (2002) and the surprisingly eclectic sophomore work "Consign To Oblivion" (2005),the road took them to new heights via their first concept masterpiece "The Divine Conspiracy" (2007) and their global breakthrough "Design Your Universe" (2009). 2012's opus "Requiem For The Indifferent", 2014's bedazzling "The Quantum Enigma" and "The Holographic Principle" (2016),cemented their reputation as not only one of the hardest-working metal bands in the business but also as one of the best. With "Omega", the final part of the metaphysical trilogy they began with "The Quantum Enigma", they reclaimed the throne without so much as the blink of an eye, amassing three million-plus streams during the first week of the album's release.

Photo credit: Tim Tronckoe

[fantastic-nonsense]

Made a post about my 3 things I want to see with every Wonder Woman adaptation, despite needing to do some catching up myself. Related, do you have a link to a Wonder Woman reading list?

https://at.tumblr.com/paigeoforacle/1-keep-fights-to-a-minimum/k7nbubhe1qws

Nice list!

As for my Wonder Woman recs list....technically, yes. I made a Wonder Woman starter recs list way back in 2017 right after the movie came out. However, it's outdated, I've changed my opinion on some of the things I said there as I've read more Wonder Woman comics, and it also fails to include several good comics. So here's my current Wonder Woman recs list:

Starter comics: These are great comics to read if you're new to Wonder Woman comics or only have a passing familiarity with her:

Wonder Woman: Year One, by Greg Rucka

Wonder Woman (1987) #1-62, by George Perez

Wonder Woman: The Hiketeia, by Greg Rucka

JLA: League of One, by Christopher Moeller

The Legend of Wonder Woman, by Ray Dillion and Renee De Liz

Wonder Woman: Historia, by Kelly Sue DeConnick

Wonder Woman (1987) #170, by Phil Jimenez (the Diana-Lois 'Day in the Life' issue)

"Generations" from Sensation Comics Featuring Wonder Woman, by Michael Jelenic (Issue #12 digitally, Issue #7 print)

Wonder Woman: Our Worlds At War, by Phil Jimenez (warning: this oneshot ties into the "Our Worlds at War" event, so the frame story will probably be confusing, but the majority of the story is a solid retelling of the collective Amazonian history up to that point)

Second-level comics: read these once you have a baseline familarity with Diana and her supporting cast:

Wonder Woman by Phil Jimenez, including Paradise Lost/Paradise Found (which I don't think are in the current Jimenez omnibus)

Wonder Woman by Greg Rucka (his first run on the title), with a particular call-out for the Medusa arc

Wonder Woman: The Circle and Ends of the Earth, by Gail Simone

Wonder Woman Rebirth (2016), by Greg Rucka (Rucka's second run; everything except Year One fits here)

Wonder Woman: The Twelve Labors (WW 1942 #212-222), by Len Wein and assorted other writers

Wonder Woman/Justice League Dark: The Witching Hour, by James Tynion IV

Wonder Woman: Lords and Liars by Mariko Tamaki

All of the comics on both lists are great; I have no hesitation recommending any of them. However, I will give a blanket warning for sexual assault in the Amazons' backstory, particularly during the seminal Perez run (which is very dated in how it handles the topic, unfortunately), and put a general note that while I can't think of anything outright offensive, various social issues are not always handled with grace (especially in the older runs).

Comics featuring the Wonderfam supporting cast:

Tales of the Titans (2023) #3, by Steve Orlando* (for Donna)

New Teen Titans: Who is Donna Troy?, by Marv Wolfman*

Titans (1999), by Devin Grayson (for Donna)*

The Return of Donna Troy, by Phil Jimenez (collected in The Death and Return of Donna Troy)*

Titans (2023), by Tom Taylor (for Donna)

Wonder Woman: Lifelines (WW 1987 #105-108) and WW #109-113, by John Byrne (Cassie Sandsmark's introduction)

Young Justice (1998), by Peter David (for Cassie)*

Nubia and the Amazons, by Stephanie Williams and Vita Ayala*

Nubia: Queen of the Amazons, by Stephanie Williams and Vita Ayala*

Wonder Woman: The Contest (WW 1987 #0 and #90-100), by William Messner-Loebs (for Artemis of Bana-Mighdall)

Artemis: Requiem, by William Messner-Loebs (Note: this is not actually recommended reading. It's utterly cursed and I wouldn't put it on here if it wasn't absolutely necessary to understand how Artemis isn't dead after "The Contest." Read everything else on this list before you read this mini)

Wonder Woman: Gods of Gotham (WW 1987 #164-167), by Phil Jimenez*

Red Hood and the Outlaws Rebirth (2016) #1-24, by Scott Lobdell (for post-Flashpoint!Artemis, who's basically a different character)

Future State: Wonder Woman, by Joelle Jones (Yara Flor)

Wonder Girl (2021), by Joelle Jones (for Yara) (Note: this run is "just okay" and I'm reccing it with several reservations. However, it's also Yara's most prominent comic to date)

I've starred the ones on this list that I actually recommend as "good comics to read" and not just "decent starter comics for the character." Warning for depictions of sexual assault, bad art if you're looking at a pre-2000s comic, and being forced to engage with Scott Lobdell and William Messner-Loebs' writing.

I also recommend DC Bombshells by Marguerite Bennett; it's an Elseworlds comic set in WWII that co-stars Diana and it's delightful. There's certainly others that are decent, but I think this is a solid starter list if you want to understand Wonder Woman and how she should be written.