#sonic wave magazine

[possible-streetwear]

[bitter69uk]

The first time I ever read about seminal New York art-noise band Sonic Youth was in Creem magazine as a teenager in the early 1980s. The accompanying photo depicted the scowling musicians posed menacingly around a car with a smashed windscreen while the article singled out singer-bassist Kim Gordon as “the scariest Youth”, noting her “Germanic voice totally devoid of femininity.” Colour me instantly fascinated! Flash forward to 2024 and – long past the dissolution of both her marriage to Sonic Youth co-founder Thurston Moore and the band itself in 2011 – the now 70-year-old Gordon remains the epitome of unassailable, ineffable deadpan cool. On her challenging and confrontational new solo album entitled The Collective, that bleached, alienated voice cited by Creem four decades ago is gloriously intact. I’m still absorbing the songs (I properly listened to it for the first time at the gym on Friday night), but on “Bye Bye” she hauntingly hisses and whispers what sounds like a “to-do” list (“Buy a suitcase, pants to the cleaner / Cigarettes for Keller / Call the vet, call the groomer, call the dog sitter / Milk thistle, calcium, high-rise, boot cut, Advil, black jeans / Blue jeans, cardigan purse, passport, pajamas, silk …”) over juddering, anxious trap beats. And on “I’m a Man”, Gordon – who’s always loved a feminist diatribe – scrutinizes toxic masculinity (“Pass me a black napkin, please / Dropped out of college, don't have a degree / And I can't get a date / It's not my fault … So what if I like the big truck? Giddy up, giddy up!”). In conclusion: Kim Gordon is absolutely slaying right now and it’s a beautiful thing. Pictured: portrait of Gordon by Danielle Neu.

[an-idyllic-novelist]

Leonidas with Yoriichi Tsugikuni!fem!reader platonic headcanons

Warning(s): RoR manga spoilers up to ch. 78, historical references, violence, KNY anime spoilers, established relationship, strong language from Leonidas, ooc.

Collab work with @deathmetalunicorn1. Special thanks to @enryegotrip and @themoonisrising for their feedback in the drafting phrase!

Before reading this piece, however, I strongly recommend you read this story, as it acts as a part two. The link will be here.

With that being said guys, sit back, relax, and enjoy the chaos that is about to unfold :)

King Leonidas knew the gods existed and he hated them. Apollo, the arrogant little shit who was worshiped in Delphi all those centuries ago, is the god whom he despised the most. His men knew why but they were wise enough to never speak about the patriot of the arts in front of him. He did not, however, know that demons existed in Valhalla too…until that fateful night. 

He and his men were settling in their campsite, bellies full and ready to resume their training or take the first watch and make sure no one tried to sneak past them…but someone did.  It had been an old man, whimpering and cowering with a large lump on his head and wearing tattered clothes. Just when a soldier barked at him to leave or die where he stood, brandishing a spear in his direction…the old man’s body split in half, then half again until four young men began attacking the campsite. All hell broke loose, and Leonidas had no idea what the fuck was going on or how to kill them.

Guns didn’t work on the winged one because he was too fast in the air, the swords and spears of his men snapped in half when making contact with the bodies of the blue-eyed one before he impaled them with a halberd. The one wearing red robes possessed a staff that could create lightning within a seven foot radius, and the green one used a fan to blow away his men with a single swing. He used his shield when the latter and the winged one attacked, but it could only do so much against a sonic wave attack. 

When shit looked like it was about to go sideways in the worst way possible, she showed up seemingly out of nowhere. She zigzagged across the field, dodging the winged one’s attacks and swiftly decapitating the halberd-wielding bastard, his head flying off and landing in the mud with a ‘thud’. That was when King Leonidas noticed something odd about the opponents…no, it wasn’t odd. These sons of bitches knew who exactly you were and they were afraid. 

The horned demon in red raised his staff in the air, preparing for another lightning strike when she appeared in front of him. She inhaled sharply through her mouth and raised her sword above her head, the blade becoming ignited in crimson flames before striking him down, his body splitting in half. It was after taking this monster down that she addressed him. 

“My lord….there is a fifth demon…heading northeast. That is the demon’s main body. If it is destroyed, then the other four will cease to exist. My comrades…they are on their way. They will be here soon, and provide aid.” She then looked him straight in the eye, calm and level-headed as if this wasn’t the first time she had fought against these things. “Normal weapons cannot penetrate a demon’s body…but seeing that you are carrying firearms, use this.” She pulled out three cartridges of ammunition from her  robes and handed them to him. “Aim for the head. I must go…before the main body gets too far away.” 

She then darted away from the campsite, disappearing into the darkness of the forest. Leonidas is a proud man, but even he knew not to look at a gift in the horse’s mouth. He unclipped the magazine in his pistol and loaded in the new ammo, opening fire but making sure that these bullets would not be wasted. 

Just as the woman said, reinforcements arrived. All wearing robes and carrying swords, moving across the battlefield as if they were dancing and not fighting against these creatures. 

Spartans are bred for battle and will die for battle. Never give up, never surrender. That is in their blood. However, a smart Spartan realizes the difference between an ally and an enemy, and that the flow of time constantly changes in the mortal realm. From politics to fighting techniques, if it can be used to take down an enemy, King Leonidas doesn’t give a flying fuck about anything else. 

When his second magazine was on the last bullet, all of the demons disintegrated into ash. The soldiers shouted in Grecian, raising their bloodied spears in the air and smiling victoriously. Their mysterious comrades either relished in the moment or simply walked away from the battlefield, sheathing their swords with a grimace. A little while later she returned to the campsite, expressionless and covered in blood that was not her own. 

She  bowed deeply to him. “I apologize…my lord. If I had been sooner…there would not have been so much damage…and you would not have lost so many men.” 

Leonidas just shook his head. His men were prepared to die in battle if it meant glory and victory in the name of Sparta, they trained to go up against even the most powerful of opponents. But what he could not stand is not knowing what he and his army are fighting…so what the hell were those monsters? He wanted information, and he wanted it now. 

To his surprise, she was more than compliant to sit and talk with him. One of her associates, a tall brat with a large sword strapped on his back, barked at her, saying that it's against the rules to share confidential information with an ‘outsider’ but the woman replied that he has a right to know. He is the commander of these men; would it not be better to tell him and prevent this situation from happening again? 

Furthermore, she is an unofficial member of the organization, so the rules do not affect her as much as it does to him or the others. When her associate turned away with a scoff, she asked him what he liked to know. 

“Everything.” He snapped. 

She nodded. “Of course.”

As the men cleared the debris and buried their dead, Leonidas fired question after question at the swordswoman, whose name he learned was [First Name] [Last Name]. Demons were nocturnal in nature, and consumed human flesh to gain strength. Their bodies were extremely durable; normal weapons cannot harm them, and they can only be killed by decapitation. Her sword, a nichirin blade, forged from Scarlet Iron Sand and Scarlet Ore, both of which can be found in high mountains that perpetually bathed in sunlight all year around. 

Sunlight was the only thing that could kill a demon for good. The bullets she gave him were created from the same materials, designed for a Hashira that preferred guns to swords.  A Hashira is a very strong Demon Slayer, and she is one herself: the Sun Hashira, which is why her blade ignited upon attacking the demons. The Breathing Style is…difficult to explain and to learn, but it is effective. 

The Demon Slayer Corps had existed for over a thousand years, and it was revived in Valhalla under Lord Hades’ command. Another human soul, Nostradamus, destroyed the Bifrost and demons have been crawling their way into Valhalla ever since. The one he and his men came in contact with is Hantengu, a powerful demon who once served under Muzan Kibutsuji. 

Muzan was the original creator of the demon race, and she had encountered him once many years ago. 

“I wish I could tell you more my lord,” She bowed her head to him. “The only thing I can offer is to give you the name of the person who can create these bullets, though I must ask that you keep his identity a secret. Muzan might have perished all of those years ago, but seeing one of the Upper Moons here in Valhalla and still possess their powers…the possibility that he might have regenerated in Helheim cannot be ruled out. If he still wishes to destroy the Demon Slayers, he will make another attempt to kill the craftsman who creates the weapons that can destroy him and the other Upper Moons under his command.”

Lenoidas nodded. Makes sense, He thought. Keeping a supplier safe is crucial in war. The less an enemy knows who or how their opponent is getting their weapons, the better. Cut off the supplier and supply route, these people wouldn’t have the swords or bullets needed to destroy the demons. Still…

“Is it possible to meet the guy who made these?” He asked, holding up the empty cartridge. “I know that’s asking a lot from a stranger like myself, trust me, but just having the basic info on an opponent won’t help me or my army be prepared if this situation happens again. You said you’re an unofficial member of this organization.”

“...I am. However, to meet the creator of the bullets…I would need to speak to Lord Ubuyashiki first. He is…very protective of us all, like we are his children. The secret location of the swordsmiths had been exposed once before, when the organization had been on the decline in the Taisho era. You may have to speak and present your case to him as to why you wish to know the suppliers.” 

“How soon can that be?”

“When I return to headquarters, I will go straight to him myself…though I am sure no one will want that. He has…not been well as of late.” [First Name] looked to the side, blinking at the large crow perched on her shoulder. “I will send you a message through this little one, should he allow this meeting. Is that acceptable?”

Momentarily surprised that such a large bird suddenly appeared out of nowhere, Leonidas cleared his throat. “Yeah, that’s fine. I look forward to hearing from you…through your bird.” 

The Demon Slayer nodded, bowing to him before she left the campsite as quickly as she had appeared, stunning the war general with her agility. Huh…were women soldiers in the Demon Slayer Corps always so sneaky? He’ll have to ask next time. Right now, he had to direct his mind and think about his next move. For now, it seemed going north would be the best choice; there was a Greecian military base there, so his men could rest until they were called to the next war. He’ll also need to let his wife, Gorgo, know what happened as well. 

Gorgo remained Queen of Sparta when he was away at battle, in life and in death. She had just as much authority and political power as he did, so he knew their home in Valhalla would be well-protected in his absence. If he hadn’t known that these demons existed until now…could he truly say that their home is fortified against every single threat? No. And she deserved to be aware of the situation. 

They were husband and wife for fuck’s sake. 

A week flew by until the army reached the base, and another when the messenger crow flew through the window in his study one sunny afternoon, a scroll tied around its neck. Hoisting himself up from his hammock, Lenoidas marked his spot in the book he’d been reading and set it down on the floor. He walked towards the window and untied the rope around the crow’s neck, unfurling the parchment to scan the contents. 

The meeting will take place in four days. A member of the organization, a kakushi, will personally escort him to the lord of the manor on the morning of the meeting. To ensure everyone’s safety, he must wear a blindfold the entire time until he is given permission to remove it. 

Lenoidas’ brow twitched. You gotta be fuckin’ kidding me. He thought, annoyed, before he sighed deeply. [First Name] had promised him that she will try to persuade the clan head to speak to him in regards to the suppliers. This would be his first and only chance to negotiate peacefully. 

He couldn’t allow the Sun Hashira’s hard work to go to waste…so he’ll play along. 

Time passed quickly as he made the necessary preparations. Before he knew it, a fellow dressed from head to toe in black with a cloth concealing his face waited at the city’s gates. The kakushi  blindfolded the king of Sparta, and then they departed. 

But it wasn’t just one kakushi that escorted him…there were many of them, each with a different voice and mannerisms, switching him off at a designated post. Some were polite, curt. Others were skittish, can’t really blame them honestly. When he’d been granted permission to remove the blindfold, Leonidas was…surprised to see a young man smiling serenely at him, dressed in white and purple robes. He was flanked by two small children, and a woman sat behind him. 

Safe assumption that these were his heirs and wife, but the Spartan general kept his comments to himself as he observed the lord. His eyes were clouded, unfocused. Blind. Probably caused by the rotten skin that’s spreading on his face. 

The man and his family bowed their heads to him. “Welcome to our humble home, Lord Lenoidas of the Spartan Army.” He said softly. “[First Name] has spoken highly of you since her return. A courageous leader who remained calm in such a dire and unexpected situation…though you wish to meet the ones who have supplied my children with the necessary weapons to protect themselves and others from the demons who prowl at night. May I inquire why you wish to have access to our resources? How can I be sure that you will not spread this information to others?”

This was it. One chance to either get the information he seeked…or to lose it all, and his men would go back into battle unprepared. Leonidas inhaled a deep breath, and spoke. 

He didn’t sugarcoat his intentions, plainly and respectfully to Lord Ubuyashiki. To his surprise, this brat didn’t get pissed off or talked down to him. Instead, the young lord understood where he was coming from. There have been more reports of sporadic ruptures in the Bifrost; try as they might, the Demon Slayer Corps cannot be everywhere and protect everyone. Lenoidas’ armies were the largest within the Grecian district, rivaling only that to Chinese militia, so it would be beneficial to supply the war general with the necessary anti-demon artillery, but only to his armies. 

Right now, he was the only human leader outside of the organization who knew about the demons’ existence. As much as he wanted to help everyone, there were too many cons rather than pros to take another gamble with the supplier’s secret location should anyone else be aware that there were weapons that can kill demons. 

As much as Leonidas wanted to protest…the brat had a point. The less people knew, the better. No good in causing a panic among the public. The gods could go fuck themselves, of course. The war general wasn’t too concerned about them so much as his fellow mortal comrades. 

Then the meeting was settled. He along with the Sun Hashira would be escorted to the swordsmans’ village to meet the bullet crafter, and talk about business as needed. Lenoidas thanked the lord for his time…and politely asked to give his regards to [First Name]. 

That was the last time Leonidas saw Ubuyashiki. Within the following week, he and the Sun Hashira embarked on a journey to the suppliers alongside the secretive kakushi.  He saw how the bullets were created, negotiated the amount needed to a fair price, and things propelled from there. 

He also came to enjoy [First Name]’s company. She wasn’t a talkative person, though she had proven herself to be insightful and open-minded when they spoke on the way back to Sparta. She had agreed to go with him and his men on an expedition  under the condition that she would teach them everything she knew about demon extermination. She warned him she was not good at explaining more complex Breathing Styles, and it might not be suitable for his men. There might also be questions that even she cannot answer fully, though she will do her best. 

Leonidas said he was well aware but at this point, he was willing to take a chance with the Sun Hashira; these men were under his command, so he knew them like the back of his hand. Whatever Breathing Styles or demon exterminating techniques she knew and was willingly to teach would be appreciated. Hell, if there was a way to implement it in his army’s battle formations and even his own fighting style, Leonidas will take it for what it’s worth. 

Leonidas grinned as he watched [First Name] training his men from the rim of his book. She had proven early in their journey that she was not to be underestimated or her lessons to be taken for granted. She’d saved their asses, helped them secure a supplier for a fair fee, and showed them how to combat against lower-level demons if they ever came across them at night. Didn’t even complain about the long hours spent walking or hiding up the mountains. 

The only downside to this arrangement is that when it was time to restock their weapons with anti-demon bullets, spears, or shields, Leonidas had to go get everything himself. 

Pain in the ass, but worth it in the end. 

The war general wondered if he should consult Gorgo about adding women who can fight to the army’s ranks would be more beneficial and boost morale, or would just make things worse, when a scout shouted that a god was approaching the campsite. Lenoidas narrowed his eyes, getting himself out of his hammock again because shit was about to go down. Once he grabbed his spear and shield, he darted towards the enemy with [First Name] following close behind. The men were already in the phalanx formation, acting as a barrier around the campsite to prevent the intruder from taking another step further. 

Lenonidas stared at the god. Tall, muscular, couldn’t be more than seven or seven and a half feet tall. Black tank-top with a weird ass rabbit on the front, orange robes tied around his waist and hands. Sunglasses, long blonde hair, light blue orbs…is that a fucking lollipop in his mouth? 

Who is this punk?

“Buddha?” [First Name] said. 

Lenonidas blinked once, then twice before he swiveled his head over his shoulder to glance at the slightly stunned swordswoman. “You know him?” She gave him a brief nod, then looked straight ahead with a confused frown. The war general followed her gaze and saw the son of a bitch standing right in front of him, his shadow almost towering over his own. The god blinked, munching on the lollipop with his oversized canines. 

“Yo. You’re that war general from Sparta, right? Nice to meet ya. Soo…sorry for the sudden visit, but I’m takin’ the Sun Hashira back with me. Ya dig?”

“And what gives you the right to treat her like an object, shithead?” Leonidas growled. “This is why I can’t fuckin’ stand the likes of you or any others in the pantheons.”

The god stared at him. “Old man…I respect that you wanna protect her, but you should know more than anyone that she’s more than capable of defending herself. You’ve seen her in action, right? That’s how she met ya. And why she decided to go with ya on this trip. However, she’s been away from home for far too long.”

Buddha then walked  past him and gathered up the swordswoman in his arms, with one hand under her legs and the other around her shoulders. “C’mon sunshine, we’re headin’ back to paradise.”

[First Name] blinked. “We are? But the men still need more time to be properly trained - ”

“Six months.”

“Hm?”

“You haven’t been home in six months, and ya had the guts to leave your husband all alone in a cold bed.” He puffed up his cheeks in annoyance. “I might enjoy hangin’ around the bodhi tree when you’re not around, but I wanna cuddle with my wife more than once before she suddenly heads off on a mission without sayin’ good-bye! You could’ve woken me up before ya left so I know were you’re goin’, you silly rabbit!”

“I’m sorry.”

“Ya should be! I almost had to call Kintoki and ask him to track ya down if your crow didn’t drop off a message beforehand! Think things through before you run off into action, darlin’!”

“Okay.”

Lenoidas and the army stared at the pair with slackened jaws at the sight of a god pouting like a child as he scolded the Sun Hashira, who has identified himself as her husband. She was married to a god, and didn’t say anything to them?!? 

[First Name] looked over Buddha’s shoulder, waving her hand at him. “I’ll be going home, Lord Lenonidas. I’m sorry this trip has to be cut short, but feel free to send a message to my residence or Lord Ubuyashiki’s if you have any questions or concerns.” 

The war general felt a headache coming on. “Yeah…sure. Don’t worry about it or the training, we can handle it from here. Just go home to your…husband.” He muttered. “And don’t  be a stranger either, all right? You’re always welcomed in Spartan territory. If any of ‘em give you a hard time, I’ll knock some sense into them.” 

She nodded, offering the barest hint of a smile before she looped her arms around Buddha’s neck. The god looked back at him and inclined his head. In an instant, the pair were gone, returning to wherever it is that they called ‘home’. 

Bonus Content:

Soon as Lenoidas received word that the Sun Hashira had come to pay him and his family a visit as she promised she would, the war general invited her to sit at his table for dinner.

 Gorgo was delighted to finally meet the swordswoman who had earned her husband’s trust and saved the men’s lives. It is rare to meet a skilled warrior who is not a goddess and is humble.

Leonidas received the second shock since meeting [First Name] when she quietly revealed that she is, in fact, a divine being. Well, not exactly. More like a mortal soul who had received the blessing of a god. 

She had met Buddha shortly after ascending to Valhalla. They were good friends for a long time before marrying almost two decades ago, though the enlightened one mentioned he should have done so sooner. 

Something about rivals for her affection? 

When his wife pressed on what [First Name] meant, the swordswoman’s calm face briefly pinched into an uncomfortable expression. Inhaling a deep breath, she answered Gorgo. 

The Grecian representative of the Sun, Apollo, had approached her on the pretense that they were a perfect match because they were affiliated with the same celestial orb: bright, warm, and influential. In his mind, he believed Fate brought them together. [First Name] did not, and politely declined his proposal of a courtship.

Apollo did not give up. He was persistent in the coming days, and Buddha had almost intervened on her behalf. But it had been her own mess. So in the context of Buddha’s “lingo”, she “wiped the floor” with him. 

Leonidas had trouble breathing as he howled in laughter. That fuckin’ shithead had actually gotten his ass beaten by a divine being who used to be a mortal. 

Good. The prick deserved it. 

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[blubushie]

hihihi can we get a part 2 for gun mistakes??? -leafanon

G'day leafanon!

FOR ANIMATORS/AUTHORS/ARTISTS PT. 2

SNIPERS WILL NOT STICK THE BARREL OF THEIR RIFLE OUT OF OPEN WINDOWS. Best case scenario is you’re sat in a mildly-uncomfortable chair while your spotter stands or sits next to you in an even more uncomfortable chair with a rangefinder. Before rangefinders were introduced (1990s and earlier) you were merely going off estimates (“That building is 50 yards, the next is 25, etc etc”). You never put the barrel out a window because it’d give away your position and put you AND YOUR SPOTTER in danger.

MOST MODERN SCOPES HAVE AN ANTI-GLARE COATING AND/OR A SUNSHADE TO PREVENT GIVING AWAY YOUR POSITION. This is especially useful when hunting as many animals (deer, turkeys, pigs) are incredibly vigilant and will bolt if they see the glint off a scope. This also helps with the sunlight hitting your scope and nearly blinding you from taking your shot. There are some cases of this still happening in “modern” times (notoriously the sniper duel between Carlos Hathcock and Cobra, a North Vietnamese sniper during the Vietnam War) but it’s very rare and scopes that are currently used by police, military, and most hunters don’t glint. This is what a sunshade looks like.

BULLETS DO NOT PENETRATE WATER WELL. Water density is much higher than air and the shape of bullets means they don’t travel well in water. Most bullets will fragment or fold upon hitting the surface of the water and their speed is greatly reduced. Supersonic rounds (such as rifle-calibre, up to .50) fragment within a metre (~3ft) of the water’s surface. Slower sub-sonic rounds (such a pistol-calibre) can travel up to 3m (~10ft). Once you’re a metre under the surface, however, it’s unlikely for any round under .50 to even penetrate you on contact as it loses most of its kinetic power. Arrows however are very aerodynamic and may maintain their kinetic energy up to 2m (~6) and perhaps twice that if you're shooting straight down.

RESEARCH. RESEARCH. RESEARCH. Know the weapons you draw/animate/write. It might not matter to you, but it will make or break it to your viewer. Is the weapon single-shot or does it use a magazine? What is the magazine capacity? What is the recoil? How do you reload? What do you do in case of a jam? Does your character know the weapon well? YouTube is your best friend in this regard.

CLIPS AND MAGAZINES ARE NOT THE SAME THING. These are clips vs magazines. Clips are open and hold the cartridge by the bottom. Magazines fully enclose the cartridges. Clips only hold rounds together to make them easier to feed into a magazine.

BLOODY TRIGGER DISCIPLINE. If your character is waving a firearm around with their finger on the trigger I am personally coming to kick your arse. You keep your finger off the trigger until you’re ready to shoot. YOU DO NOT POINT YOUR MUZZLE TOWARD ANYTHING YOU ARE NOT WILLING TO SHOOT.

PROPANE TANKS WILL NOT EXPLODE IF YOU SHOOT THEM. Also, handguns are rarely powerful enough to pierce propane tanks. CARS WILL NOT BLOW UP IF YOU SHOOT THE PETROL TANK.

IF YOU FIRE A FIREARM IN AN ENCLOSED SPACE IT IS GOING TO TEMPORARILY DEAFEN YOU. GUNS ARE BLOODY LOUD. That’s why we wear ear protection. This applies less in intense combat situations as (in my experience) tinnitus doesn't happen if you start shooting after your adrenaline starts pumping.

MAG-DUMPING. Not only is it very dangerous because of the recoil, it’s a stupid waste of ammo as the recoil buggers up your aim so you’re rarely hitting your target. Unless your character is in a panic and/or holding down the trigger out of rage, they’re not going to mag-dump because you’ll empty your entire magazine in only a few seconds (stupid in a combat situation) and rarely hit your target. Fully automatic weapons are fired in short bursts of 2-5 rounds at a time.

IT’S INCREDIBLY DIFFICULT TO HIT A MOVING TARGET. IT’S EVEN HARDER TO DO IT WHEN YOU’RE THE ONE MOVING. Rounds fired while moving are typically just suppression fire—basically shots fired to make your enemy take cover so that they have no time to shoot at you. You are not aiming at a specific target. It’s spray-and-pray.

HIPFIRING IS SPRAY-AND-PRAY. It’s EXTREMELY difficult to hit a target while hipfiring and hitting any intentional target while doing so requires EXTENSIVE practice. For this reason most hipfiring is spray-and-pray—spray, and pray you hit something.

SHOTGUNS ARE EFFECTIVE AT MUCH FURTHER THAN ONLY A YARD OR TWO. Most stay clustering within 50yds. That’s this distance. If you're firing a slug it can be accurate to up to TWICE THIS DISTANCE.

SHOTGUNS WILL NOT THROW THE VICTIM ACROSS A ROOM. They don’t have that much kinetic power, and even if they did, they’d throw the shooter across the room first because they’re taking the brunt of the kinetic energy in the form of recoil.

BULLETS WILL PEIRCE CARS. Car doors will not protect you from bullets, not even the door of a police cruiser. THE ONLY PART OF A CAR THAT WILL PROTECT YOU FROM BULLETS IS THE ENGINE BLOCK. The rest is just concealment cover and will not protect you.

MOST CRIMINALS IN THE USA WILL NOT HAVE FULLY AUTOMATIC WEAPONS. This is less applicable to scenes that occur before the 1980s when there were more full-auto weapons on the streets, but even then were INCREDIBLY expensive and even your most notorious gangster would be unlikely to have them. Unless your character is a top-of-the-line 1920s-1940s Chicago/NY mobster, they probably won’t have that Tommy gun unless they’re filthy rich or the weapon was given to them by someone else who's filthy rich.

YES, YOU CAN MAKE RUNAWAY GUNS (FULL-AUTO) OUT OF SEMI-AUTO FIREARMS. NO, I WILL NOT TELL YOU HOW TO MAKE THEM. The issue with runaway guns is that once you pull the trigger THEY WILL NOT STOP FIRING EVEN IF YOU TAKE YOUR FINGER OFF THE TRIGGER. THEY WILL KEEP FIRING UNTIL THE MAGAZINE IS EMPTY OR UNTIL THEY JAM. For this reason no one in their right mind is making a runaway gun.

STOP HOLDING YOUR HANDGUN SIDEWAYS. YOU DON'T LOOK COOL, YOU LOOK LIKE AN IDIOT AND THAT'S HOW YOU GET JAMS. Having a character do this is a great way to show they're all bluff and an idiot, though.

YOU CANNOT PUT A SUPPRESSOR ON A REVOLVER. Well, technically you can, but it won't work. There's a gap between the cylinder and the bore and in this space is something called the forcing cone. There's a gap between the forcing cone and the bore which allows gas (and sound) to escape from the cylinder, which renders the suppressor absolutely useless since the sound and gas just escapes anyway.

FOR VISUAL CREATORS SPECIFICALLY: REMEMBER EYE RELIEF. YOU NEED TO BE A CERTAIN DISTANCE FROM THE SCOPE TO GET A FULL PICTURE. IF YOUR CHARACTER HAS THEIR EYE TO THE SCOPE THEY ARE GOING TO GIVE THEMSELF A BLACK EYE WITH THE RECOIL. My personal eye relief when shooting my .30-06 is 10cm (~4in). Higher calibre means more kick, which means more eye relief.

As before, if I think of any more I'll add them later!

As always, if you have any questions feel free to send me an ask!

[catonator]

News for Gamers

So the most notable recent gaming news is that there’s going to be a whole lot less gaming news going forward. Which to most of you is probably a massive win. See, IGN announced that they’ve bought roundabout half of the remaining industry that isn’t IGN, and with online news also dying a slow death due to the approaching new wave of journalism called “absolutely nothing”, I can’t imagine IGN and its newly acquired subsidiaries are long for this world.

Not too long ago, I was studying some magazines for my Alan Wake development history categorization project (please don’t ask), and reading the articles in these magazines led me to a startling realisation: Holy shit! This piece of gaming news media doesn’t make me want to kill myself out of second hand embarrassment!

Many of the magazines of yesteryear typically went with the approach of “spend weeks and sometimes months researching the article, and write as concise a section as you can with the contents”. Every magazine contains at least 2 big several-page spreads of some fledgeling investigative journalist talking to a bunch of basement-dwelling nerd developers and explaining their existence to the virginal minds of the general public.

Contrast this to modern journalism which goes something like:

Pick subject

Write title

???

Publish

Using this handy guide, let’s construct an article for, oh I dunno, let’s say Kotaku.

First we pick a subject. Let’s see… a game that’s coming out in the not too distant future…Let’s go within Super Monkey Ball: Banana Rumble. Now we invent a reason to talk about it. Generally this’d be a twitter post by someone with 2 followers or something. I’ll search for the series and pick the newest tweet.

Perfect. Finally we need an entirely unrelated game series that has way more clout to attach to the title… What else features platforming and a ball form… Oh, wait. I have the perfect candidate! Thus we have our title:

Sonic-like Super Monkey Ball: Banana Rumble rumoured to have a gay protagonist

What? The contents of the article? Who cares! With the invention of this newfangled concept called “social media”, 90% of the users are content with just whining about the imagined contents of the article based on the title alone. The remaining 10% who did actually click on the article for real can be turned away by just covering the site in popups about newsletters, cookies, login prompts and AI chatbots until  they get tired of clicking the X buttons. This way, we can avoid writing anything in the content field, and leave it entirely filled with lorem ipsum.

Somewhere along the way from the 2000s to now, we essentially dropped 99% of the “media” out of newsmedia. News now is basically a really shit title and nothing more. Back in the day, when newscycles were slower, most articles could feature long interviews with the developers, showing more than just shiny screenshots, but also developer intentions, hopes, backgrounds and more.

Newsmedia is the tongues that connects the audience and the developers in the great french kiss of marketing video games. Marketing departments generally hold up the flashiest part of the game up for people to gawk at, but that also tells the audience very little about the game in the end, other than some sparse gameplay details. It was the job of the journalist to bring that information across to the slightly more perceptive core audiences. Now with the backing of media gone, a very crucial part of the game development process is entirely missing.

It’s easier to appreciate things when they’re gone I suppose. But at the same time, since gaming journalism is slowly dying from strangling itself while also blaming everything around it for that, there is a sizable gap in the market for newer, more visceral newshounds. So who knows, maybe someone of the few people reading my blogs could make the next big internet gaming ‘zine? Because I’m pretty sure anyone here capable of stringing more than two sentences together is a more adept writer than anyone at Kotaku right now.

[psychedeliclush]

( INFORMATION AND EXAMPLES OF EACH GENRE UNDER CUT )

NOISE ROCK !

Artists: Sonic Youth, Melt-Banana, Big Black, The Jesus Lizard, Boris

Most popular Era: Late 80s

Basic definition: Noise rock is a genre of music known for its abrasive and dissonant sound, characterized by extreme distorted guitars, feedback, and unconventional song structures (commonly associated with no wave). Rooted in punk and experimental music, noise rock pushes the boundaries of traditional rock music by incorporating elements of noise and avant-garde soundscapes. Bands in this genre often prioritize raw energy and intensity over polished production, creating a chaotic and rebellious experience for listeners.

Song examples:

POST PUNK !

Artists: Joy Division, Television, The Cure, Magazine, Talking Heads

Most popular Era: Late 70s - early 80s

Basic definition: Post-punk is a genre of music that emerged in the late 1970s, following the initial punk rock explosion. It combines the raw energy of punk with elements of art rock, electronic music, and funk. Post-punk bands often veer towards darker and more complex themes, both musically and lyrically, than their punk predecessors. The music is known for its dissonant chords and rhythmic intricacies. Some key bands associated with the post-punk genre include Joy Division, Gang of Four, The Cure, and Siouxsie and the Banshees. It's commonly associated with the rise of other sub-genres, such as gothic rock, no wave and synthwave.

Song examples:

[fereise]

Overhaul/Update version for one of my proudest works, a main cover art(?) for my little project call Robotnik AU.

Characters list:

Upper row/section (above Movie Eggman's hands), from left to right: - Sonic.exe (the utmost terrifying OC/FC from the creepy pasta thingy) - Queen Boom Boo, Merc version (OC/FC made by Dan-Habiki/@Dan_Daymaker) - King Boom Boo - Lah - Su & Uh - Shadow the Hedgehog (Team Dark) - Rouge the Bat (Team Dark) - E-123 Omega (Team Dark) - Dr. Eggman Nega - Doctor Albert W. Wily (Megaman, Archie comics) - Honey the Cat - Breezie the Hedgehog - Bocoe & Decoe + Bokkun - Dark Oak/Lucas - Dark Queen/Merlina - Erazor Dijinn - Coconuts - Scratch & Grounders - General Helmut Von Stryker - Anton Veruca (Shogakukan magazines) - Junior Robotnik - Captain Whiskers & Johnny - Opal the Jellyfish (Pirates of the Setting Dawn) - Dive the Lemming (Pirates of the Setting Dawn) - Blade the Shark (Pirates of the Setting Dawn) - Captain Shellbreaker (Pirates of the Setting Dawn) - Mr. Bristles the Yeti Crab (Pirates of the Setting Dawn) - Mephiles the Dark - Silver Sonic - Dark Enerjak (Knuckle) - Nazo (appeared in Sonic X's last teaser) - Eggette/Omelette Robotnik (famed OC/FC originally designed by Alpha Gamboa (blackbookalpha)) - Infinite the Jackal - Solaris - Black Doom - Eclipse the Darkling - Black Death - Dark Gaia (Perfect form) - Metal Sonic - Iron Queen aka Regina Ferrum - Time Eater - Mammoth Mogul - Iron King aka Jun Kun - Imperator Ix - Wendy Naugus - Bearenger the Grizzly (Witchcarters) - Carrotia the Rabbit (Witchcarters) - Falke Wulf (Witchcarters) - Walter Naugus - Fleetway's Super Sonic - Shade the Echidna - Boomer Walrus aka Anti Rotor - Patch D'Coolette aka Anti Antoine - Princess Alicia Acorn aka Anti Sally

Middle section (below Eggman's hands), from left to right: - Speedy (both Pre and Post-Super Genesis Wave versions) - Sage - T.W. Barker - Dave the Intern - Sleet & Dingo - A.D.A.M. - E.V.E. - Lyric the Last Ancient - Zor - Zash (OC/FC made by @saccharinerose) - Zeena - Zazz - Zomom - Zavok - Master Zik - Agent Stone (Sonic movies 2020/2022) - Orbot & Cubot - Wes Weasely - Snively Robotnik - Dr. Robotnik (Sonic movies 2020/2022) - Thunderbolt the Chinchilla - Predator Hawk (Destructix) - Anti-Miles - Scourge the Hedgehog - Storm the Albatross - Wave the Swallow - Jet the Hawk - Rosy the Rascal - Sleuth "Doggy" Dawg (Destructix) - Sergeant Simian (Destructix) - Fiona Fox (Destructix) - Duck "Bill" Platypus - Bark the Polar Bear - Bean the Dynamite - Drago Wolf (Destructix) - Nicolette 'Nic' the Weasel - Razorclaw - The Foreman (Grandmaster) - Hugo Brass - Diesel - Flying Frog (Destructix) - Geoffrey St. John - Hershey the Cat - Nack the Weasel/Fang the Sniper (Team Hooligan) - Fleetway's Chaos (Darkon fish form)

Lower section, from left to right: - Dr. Finitevus - Grimer Wormtongue - Dr. Fukurokov - Dimitri the Echidna - Maw the Thylacine - Mecha Sally - Mecha Sonic - Mecha knuckle - Jackal Squad, named by Nibroc-Rock as Uno, Deux, Trois, Quatre, Cinq & Sei (Shadowy figures) - Kayseri Valaedshkova (OC/FC made by dirtthefox/@Its_Dima_V) - Strike (OC/FC made by @speedofsoundsketches) - Surge the Tenrec - Kit the Fennec - Sofia the Gorgon (OC/FC made by Sofia-MMD/@GorgonSofia) - Clutch the Opossum - Kaibette the Genet (OC/FC made by @kaibette) - Rough & Tumble the Skunk - Battle Lord Kukku XV - ***Mecha Robotnik - Akhlut the Orca (both Pre and Post-Super Genesis Wave versions) - Tundra the Walrus - Mordred Hood (drawn with @adokle's style) - The Foreman/Tassel boy (Post-Super Genesis Wave) - Mimic (the Mimic Octopus) - Byte the Goat (OC/FC made by @bunniibones) - Lightning Lynx - Iblis - Phage - Conquering Storm (Post-Super Genesis Wave) - Bride of the Conquering Storm (Pre-Super Genesis Wave) - Dr. Starline - Biolizard - Sigma (Megaman, Archie comics) - Axel the Water Buffalo - Abyss the Squid - Cyani the Cobra (OC/FC made by @bunniibones) - Cipher the Owl (OC/FC made by @bunniibones) - Bleak (OC/FC made by HT-Doodles/@HtDoodles) - Clove the Pronghorn (my top fav among all the characters here) - Cassia the Pronghorn - Lien-da - Chaos - Tikal the Echidna - Pachacamac - Gae-Na - Kragok - Thrash the Devil - Warden Zobotnik & Znively (Zone Cop) - Belinda & Charlie - Nephthys the Vulture - ??? (Behind Nephthys) - Trevor Burrow the Mole (Desert Raiders) - Sonar the Fennec (Desert Raiders) - Spike the Porcupine (Desert Raiders) - Razor the Shark - Queen Angelica - Rusty Rose - Robo Tails (Brain-washed, based on Sonic Lost World's designs) - Beauregard Rabbot - Jack Rabbit - Matilda the Armadillo - Zefir (my main OC/FC) - Gamer Deer (aka 'Aleko' the Northamer Guard or the 'Gamerdeerdude' by @adokle) - Zonic (Zone Cop) - Chesah the Tarsier aka No.29 (my OC/FC) - Sandy the Caterkiller (OC/FC made by @the-hydroxian-artblog)

For the Alt version: FeReinsm on Instagram: “Overhaul/update versions for one of my proudest works, a main cover art(?) for my lil’ project - Robotnik AU. For the 2nd and 4th pics…”

[julie-sufan]

Update

Sonic #190 came in, unfortunately it's peak heat wave as of this moment. I still plan on scanning when the heat goes down and I don't have to worry about a power surge. The Julie-Su & Knuckles subplot is about 6-7 pages of the entire issue.

In the meantime enjoy this ad for Sonic Super Special #14 that I found in Jughead with Archie digest magazine from Nov 2000.

[ninemelodies]

portraits in the attic

Donna is in the console room, tucked under the center console and reading a magazine, when a headline about summer swimwear reminds her of a question she meant to ask the Doctor. The alien in question is tinkering away somewhere underneath the grating. Every now and then, she hears the whir of the sonic, followed by some sort of muttered exclamation. The TARDIS won’t translate, so Donna figures it’s either Gallifreyan or he’s cursing up a storm. It might be both. 

She puts down her magazine and shifts closer to the hole in the grating he had disappeared down. “Doctor?” 

The sonic whirs again, briefly, and then she hears him yell back, “Yes, Donna?” 

He sounds muffled and distant, like he’s further away than should be physically possible. But then again, Donna considers, she’s in a spaceship that’s bigger on the inside. And anyway, what’s a little spatial nonsense between friends? It’s certainly not the weirdest thing she’s seen while traveling with the Doctor. When she doesn’t respond immediately, he starts back up with the sonic, so Donna raises her voice to be heard. “Why is there a swimming pool in the library?” 

Abruptly, the sonic cuts off, and Donna hears the tail end of a huffled laugh. His shoes squeak on the metal as he walks and then he appears at the bottom of the hole, looking up. He climbs halfway up a ladder she hadn’t noticed, until he can comfortably rest his arms on the grated floor. “Where else would the pool be?” 

“In its own room?” Donna asks. “The humidity isn’t good for paper, you know.”

The Doctor waves his hand nonchalantly. “The TARDIS makes sure nothing happens to the books. Besides, all of the books are cataloged and archived in a database, so even if something did happen to the books or the library, they wouldn’t be lost. But if you’re really worried, the humidity is contained and regulated by a thermo-” 

Donna cuts him off. “Yeah, yeah, Spaceman. The TARDIS keeps them safe, that’s all you had to say. You don’t have to go all techno on me. You know I can hardly understand you when you start babbling.” The Doctor’s face flickers with something like disapproval, but before he can speak whatever thought just skittered across his mind, Donna asks, “Was it always in the library?” 

“No,” the Doctor admits. “It used to have its own room, but I had to jettison it.” 

“You can just get rid of rooms?” 

“In a pinch, I can eject or destroy pieces of the tardis for a power boost,” the Doctor confirms. “Destroying them allows for more of the TARDIS’s power to be directed elsewhere. Ejecting rooms…” the Doctor tilts his head as he considers how best to explain exactly how launching rooms from the TARDIS is an advantage. “Weeeell,” he drawls, “Since we’re talking about a swimming pool anyway. You know how swimmers will push off from the wall to get a boost?” When Donna nods, he continues. “It works very similar to that. It's Newton's third law at work, for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. Simply put, the room goes one way, and the TARDIS goes the other." He puts the sides of his hands together with his index fingers extended and then mimes them pushing off each other into opposite directions. “Very handy if you need a boost without attracting attention from scanners. I try not to do it very often because, somehow, I always end up needing the room I got rid of immediately after.” 

“Okay…” Donna shifts and draws her legs underneath her so that she is sitting cross-legged. The shift in her position has her leaning forward a bit, closer to the Doctor. “That part makes sense, but wouldn’t it have been better to launch the pool with the rest of the room? Otherwise the TARDIS would’ve had to launch the room and move the pool at the same time, right?” 

The Doctor gives her one of his half smiles. It tells her that she’s right, but the way his eyes are focused on something just past her shoulder also tells her that he’s miles away, thinking about something else. 

“Oi,” Donna calls. When she doesn’t get a response, she leans forward and gently flicks his forehead. “Hello? Earth to Martian.” 

That gets his attention. The Doctor’s eyes snap to her face, and Donna is not surprised at the depth of sadness in them. Most of the time, The Doctor looks more like an excited child than he has any right to, but sometimes, like now, when he starts thinking about the past, Donna can see each and everyone of his 900 plus years layered in his eyes. The sadness drags him down and down, until even Donna feels like she could drown in it. He grabs her wrist while she is distracted and pulls her hand away from his face.  

“On Messaline, I told you that I had been a father before.” He lets go of her wrist and she tucks both hands in between her legs. “I was more than that, I was a grandfather, at one point. My granddaughter, her name was Susan. She was my first companion.” The Doctor swallows thickly and looks away from Donna's face. “I taught her how to swim in that pool. She loved that pool. Out of every room in the TARDIS, that was the one she chose for herself.” The Doctor stops, takes a deep shuddering breath and runs a hand through his hair. “Didn’t feel right to just get rid of it.”

Donna watches him carefully, watches as his face smooths out and tears collect in his bottom lashes, so close to spilling over. He looks away and wipes his eyes and Donna pretends not to notice. “Do you do that for all your companions?” When he looks at her, brows furrowed, she expands. “Do you always remember stuff about them like that? Their favorite rooms and stuff?” 

And though the Doctor no longer has tears on his face, the sadness in his eyes and in the lines of his face lingers. “Oh, yes.” He whispers. His smile is so soft and tender. It's heartbreaking to see. “Every single one of them. I know you humans have this idea that you’re not important, that you’re such a small part of the universe and of my life that you’re nothing more than a blip or a speck, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. I carry each of them with me, all the time, in here.” The Doctor taps his temple with his index finger, before moving his hand down to rest over one of his hearts. “And in here. Every one of them has been more important than they realized.”

“Did you love them?” It might be an odd question, but Donna knows that the Doctor loved Rose, and even Martha, in his own way. 

The Doctor tucks his hand into the crook of his elbow and rests his arm on the grating. He leans his head into the palm of his other hand and stares at Donna. “Yes,” he confirms. “All of them. I didn't love all of them the same, of course, but I did, yes.” 

When she had asked about the pool, Donna wasn’t expecting it to lead to this. She wasn’t sure why the Doctor was being so willing to answer her questions right now, or why he was revealing so much about his past. Normally, the Doctor kept his most painful memories close to his chest, locked tight and sealed until they absolutely couldn’t be contained anymore. He revealed more in moments of duress and strife than at any other time, yet, here he was, answering Donna truthfully and honestly. 

Maybe he had listened when she told him that he talked too much but said too little. 

The openness in his eyes was beginning to make her uncomfortable, and she wasn’t sure she would like the answers she would get if she continued down this line of questioning. She decided to give him, and herself, a way out. “So what does that make me then? The big, useless, ginger house cat?” 

The Doctor shakes his head and sighs. “I keep telling you you’re special, one day you’re going to believe me.” 

“In your dreams, Spaceman.” 

Before the Doctor can reply, the TARDIS gives a sickening lurch. Donna's hand shoots out to grasp the edge of the console to keep herself from falling forward. The Doctor is not so lucky. He jerks back, slamming his spine into the far edge of the hole he was standing in. He lets out a pained groan and leans forward to rest his forehead against the floor. 

Once the TARDIS settles, Donna hesitantly releases her death grip on the console. “Doctor? You ok?” 

He gives a brief thumbs up before he lifts his head from the floor. “I think that’s my cue to go finish those repairs. She's a little upset that I've left one of the stabilizers unplugged this long.” 

And now that he’s mentioned it, Donna can feel a vague sense of irritation sitting just on the edge of her mind. When she turns her attention to it, the feeling fades into something soft and warm. “She's only upset with you,” She snorts. “She adores me.” 

The Doctor rolls his eyes. “She's my ship, you can’t gang up on me like this!” He protests. 

“Maybe if you didn’t hit her with a mallet!” Donna shoots back. 

“Maybe if she’d behave I -” The TARDIS zaps him in retaliation. The Doctor jerks his hand away from the grating with a yelp and shakes out the remaining tingles. “Alright! I’m going!” He backs down the ladder with a sour look on his face. Just before he disappears from view completely, he looks back up at Donna. “You know that -” He cuts off abruptly, shakes his head and keeps climbing down. He opens his mouth, like he is going to say something, before he shakes his head and keeps climbing down. 

Donna watches him walk into the depths of the TARDIS again and figures that’s the end of the conversation, for now, until the Doctor has finished whatever tinkering he was doing. She retrieves her magazine that she abandoned, tucks herself back under the console and lets the humming of the TARDIS and the Doctor’s unintelligible muttering wash over her. 

It was a funny old world on the TARDIS, she mused. The Doctor hadn’t been lying, but there wasn’t another place she’d rather be.

[phant0m-l0rd]

I wanted to share this cool find I made a few weeks ago while going through some of my uncle's old music magazines from the early 80s : an article from June 1984 written by Hervé Picart about a little up and coming band called Metallica... Finding this article felt like opening a time capsule.

(Magazine: BEST N°191, June 1984, French.)

I translated the article to English for the non-French speakers- translation after the cut:

Everything is currently changing on the good old West Coast. Just as we thought Frisco and Los Angeles forever attached to FM rock, poppy hits and beach boy philosophy, a surprising push of hard fever has come to contaminate them. Van Halen is no longer alone. Mötley Crüe, Heaven, and many others are shaking up the prophet kingdom in California, to such an extent that it might soon be necessary to rebaptise the Golden Gate "Metal Gate". Among all these new groups which are currently candidates to convert Jerry Garcia to heavy music and force everyone to trade their flower patterned bermuda for a black leather jacket, Metallica is without a doubt the most significant, and the most jostling act. These Californians have only released one album as of right now, but an album of such power, and accompanied by such emotion that a regular dose of Metallica has become a priority for all metalheads worthy of that name. There is no doubt both from a musical standpoint and from a purely emotional one that America now beholds its own Iron Maiden. Nothing less.

Like always in the case of rising waves, it was a compilation of various heavy groups, created in 1982 by the little local label Metal Blade Records and baptised "Metal Massacre", which revealed to the public of aficionados and curious minds alike the existence of Metallica. Their unique title, the henceforth mythical "Hit the lights", crushed all competition like Maiden's "Sanctuary" had done on the legendary "Metal For Muthas". "Hit the lights", it was a sort of sonic whirlwind which makes one want to take from all bands known for their label of "speed" that very label and reserve it for Metallica. The gang was then at the tail-end of their first chapter and was finishing off their work with their first formation, as five, with two guitarists.

Of this initial quintet, today there only remains the singer/rhythm guitarist James Hetfield and the drummer Lars Ulrich. The others, exhausted, passed the baton to the bassist Cliff Burton (speaking of which, treacherous minds have said ever since his solo "Anesthesia" that he had a dinosaur for a teacher), and the electrifying lead guitarist Kirk Hammett. As evidenced, Hetfield and Hammett are the two poles of Metallica, one with his warm and powerful voice which lends itself well to choruses of miraculously melodic quality amongst such chaos, and the other with his totally insane solos. Visibly, Kirk Hammett has learned to play his Flying V thinking it was a machine gun because he seems to create blasts more than anything. His virtuosity, the speed of his going along the fretboard inevitably make you dizzy.

After having blown minds from the get-go thanks to "Hit the lights", Metallica found a peculiar glory as immediate as it was underground, as those wired into heavy music consider it the pinnacle of power to be able to share, like sharp conspirators, precious copies of cassettes of demo tapes the band had made in order to make the rounds among record labels. While some official labels, rather frightened, quickly closed the door on them, the incredible interest from the underground scene acted like propaganda for the group, from Frisco to LA. Metallica then decided to play this game in their favour and opted for the small label Megaforce in order to release their first album, the crushing "Kill 'em all", very quickly released in England by the knowing people of Music for Nations, then later here by Bernett.

This more than mighty album does a good job in presenting two different aspects of Metallica. On one hand, relatively short songs, but hyper-accelerated, like "Hit the lights", the famous "Motorbreath", or the terrific "Whiplash". On the other, much longer tracks, composed of various sequences which battle each other, superposing riffs, rhythmic sections syncopated to an extreme, and more labyrinthine tracks that undeniably make one think of Iron Maiden. And all of that magnetised by the two bewitching Flying Vs, that of Hetfield which sounds like a metallic cavalcade (that of the "Four horsemen" of the apocalypse), and that of Hammett which comes again and again like a Mirage plane attacking. Midway between Motörhead and Maiden, then.

Ever since this incandescent record which has made them appear in Europe like the saviours of American rock, Metallica is progressively emerging from its lair. This spring, they were in Europe recording a new album. "Ride the Lightning", which will come out in June when they'll come to shake the first swarms of French fans, will give you all the occasion to fully integrate their healthy maxim, "Bang that head that doesn't bang"!!!

- Hervé Picart

Discography:

- In French pressing: "Kill 'em all" (Bernett- Musidisc)

- Imported:

"Seek and destroy " (max 45 live tours)

"Metal up your ass" (other version of "Kill 'em all")

[tayley]

Paste Magazine prematurely posted a review for 'This Is Why', they deleted it, but someone from reddit retrieved. here it is:

# This Is Why Is a Highlight Reel for Paramore's Many Eras. by Grant Sharples [@grantsharpies](https://twitter.com/grantsharpies)

Paramore is one of the few bands of their era that has withstood the test of time. Many of their fellow Warped Tour-adjacent compatriots dealt out heavy doses of misogyny, a defect that frontwoman Hayley Williams herself has acknowledged and expunged from the band’s music. Even within their own camp, they endured a homophobic guitarist and antagonistic bassist, the latter of whom departed the band twice and was inexplicably removed from the band’s 2013 album artwork last year.

*This Is Why*, the group’s sixth album, is the first in their catalog to feature the same lineup as its predecessor. Paramore has been through a veritable shitstorm, and they’ve emerged with a stronger resolve, steeling against whatever life throws at them with a hardened exterior.

“After 15 to 20 years of fighting like a bunch of brats in front of the world, you eventually learn some coping skills and communication methods,” Williams told *The Guardian* last fall. Now, the pop-punk powerhouse comprises three people: Williams, guitarist Taylor York, and drummer Zac Farro. Despite Paramore’s shifting lineups and disparate stylings across their discography, their influence on music writ large is palpable: from the hooky panache of Meet Me @ the Altar to the earnest songwriting of Olivia Rodrigo; from the iconoclastic pop of Billie Eilish to the plaintive belt-a-longs of Julien Baker. The Tennesseeans’ blueprint reigns supreme, so much so that Williams and ex-guitarist Josh Farro got a writing credit on Rodrigo’s “good 4 u.”

There’s no doubt that Paramore’s appeal reaches far and wide; they’re playing basketball arenas now, after all. It’s that cultural ubiquity that’s yielded them stages this big, yet it’s also due to their multifarious approach to art. *This Is Why* captures that interdisciplinary spirit with cohesion and flair.

***The title track*** kicks things off on a stunning note, playing like a blend of Williams’s 2020 solo album *Petals for Armor* and the groovy rhythms of 2017’s *After Laughter*, minus that album’s neon sheen.

***“The News”*** harnesses the punchy verve that makes for some of the best *brand new eyes* cuts, albeit Carlos de la Garza’s production feels abnormally thin, diluting what could’ve been acerbic and menacing.

But that misstep is compensated for immediately after: ***“Running out of Time,”*** like the title track, strikes a balance between atmospheric textures and syncopated buoyancy that is, simply put, really fucking fun. *This Is Why*, as its first three tracks show, accomplishes a feat that connects the band’s diverging sonic pathways without succumbing to whiplash. It encapsulates Paramore’s voyages into piercing pop-punk, glossy New Wave, heartfelt ballads and anthemic paeans.

Some of the record’s best moments encompass an amalgamation of these eras. ***“C’est Comme Ca”*** could’ve been an *After Laughter* single had that record contained more of a pronounced grittiness and Strokes-esque guitar tones. Hearing Williams try her hand at spoken-word verses is a total delight, too. But the song’s most affecting moment comes toward its sung bridge, with Williams’ soprano gradually unfolding into a shout: “I hate to admit getting better is boring/But the high cost of chaos, who can afford it?”

On the penultimate track, ***“Crave,”*** York’s guitar work summons the twinkling emo of their *Twilight* songs like “Decode” and “I Caught Myself” while Williams’s voice soars above the chorus, howling the song’s title and longing for simplicity.

She keeps up the momentum on the closer, ***“Thick Skull,”*** evincing her wide vocal range, shifting from a subdued lower register in the verses until she unfurls into her signature emo burst in the final chorus à la fan favorite “All I Wanted.” This concluding one-two punch marks the strongest run on the album.

However, *This Is Why* sags ever so slightly in the middle, namely due to the mawkish whims of its centerpiece, ***“Big Man, Little Dignity.”*** Though thematically potent and containing one of the record’s best lines (“You keep your head high / Smooth operator in a shit-stained suit”), its lukewarm instrumentation, evoking alt-radio fodder like Young the Giant and Walk the Moon, hinders its potential. There’s also the fact that Paramore makes little use of one of its greatest assets as a band: pure intensity. Occasionally, the trio reins themselves in for arrangements that signal hushed tastefulness, whereas catchy catharsis is what this band is known for.

Still, it’s not like they haven’t shown they can write compelling softer material, as songs like “Misguided Ghosts” and “26” demonstrate. Yet this album’s muted breaks leave little impact compared to the immediacy that’s been a major draw for revisiting Paramore’s work. Albums like *After Laughter* and *brand new eyes* were also punctuated with infectious adrenaline rushes, which Paramore does like no one else; *This Is Why* has fewer instances of drastic sonic contrast, lending it coherence and mild inertia all the same.

But the album revives itself with ***“You First,”*** an instant highlight that merges indie-rock and pop-punk in equal measure. “Turns out I’m living in a horror film where / I’m both the killer and the final girl,” Williams sings over Farro’s pummeling percussion and York’s discordant, post-punk guitar.

Throughout each of its 10 tracks, Williams navigates fatalism and a world where war, disease and climate change run amok. Whether she’s hiding from the public eye on “This Is Why,” lamenting the pervasiveness of a 24-hour news cycle on ***“The News,”*** or roasting chauvinists on ***“Big Man, Little Dignity,”*** Williams once again proves herself a formidable writer, and York and Farro are there to lend their craftsmanship to yet another captivating record.

After the seemingly endless volatility this band has weathered, it’s a miracle that they exist, still making incredible music. Here, they sound self-assured and steady, like a group that understands what they have and makes the most of it. On *This Is Why*, Paramore have found land after a years-long trip at sea, grounding their ship and claiming all the accolades they’ve accrued in their time away. They deserve them all.

**6.5/10**

*Grant Sharples is a writer based in Kansas City. He has contributed to* MTV News\*,\* Pitchfork\*,\* Stereogum\*,\* The Ringer\*,\* SPIN *and others. Follow him on Twitter* [*@grantsharpies*](https://twitter.com/grantsharpies)*.*

[pacdevil]

The Sonic Numbers REVamped

note: these numbers are separate from the full list because there would just be a HUGE sonic section in with all the other numbers. and since i am prone to adding more sonic numbers, i'm just gonna keep them in a separate post. XP

and yes, any new numbers will be put in here (sooner or later XD)!!!

enjoy >:3

----------

the misc numbers:

-> 193 (THE sonic number. (almost)every sonic post has this number)

-> 193.game (any gif sets, clips, information, voice clips, etc for the video games.)

-> 193.lore (story and character discussion, both canon and fanon.)

-> 193.characters (any official art or fanart that has more than five sonic numbers associated with them.

for example: a post with fanart of sonic, tails, knuckles, shadow and rouge will just have 193.characters, while another post with fanart of vector, charmy, espio, ray and mighty will have just the two numbers i have for them, 193.7 and 193.23 respectfully.

i pair up characters with a single number sometimes. :3 )

---

-> 193.videos (sonic related videos.)

-> 193.meme (sonic related memes that aren't videos.)

-> 193.mags (sonic magazines/game booklets hell YEEAAAAAHHH)

-> 193.fic (fics i like :3)

-> 193.other (misc sonic posts.)

-> 193.oc (ppls COOL sonic oc's!!!)

---

-> 193.hcmusic (music taste/tech headcannons for characters and sonic playlists either i or other ppl made.)

-> 193.playlists (just the sonic playlists separate from the headcannons.)

-> 193.shadowsalbums (music albums that give me strong Shadow the Hedgehog vibes. used to be daily, but now i do it whenever i want. :D)

---

-> 193.ova (sonic ova)

-> 193.sa (sonic adventure. just the first one, no shadow the hedgehog to be seen here i promise)

-> 193.cd (sonic CD)

-> 193.X (Sonic X-treme)

-> 193.R (Sonic R)

-> 193.FIGHT (Sonic the Fighters)

---

note: i don't post much about these au's cuz im still kindof working them out, and my brain needs them to be figured out before i post about them so yeah. XPPPP i like to be consistent

-> 193.Robin Hood SAU (my robin hood/SATBK/king arthur hybrid sonic au

-> 193.DJ AU (my rollerblade/DJ sonic au centered around Amy and Metal Sonic

-> 193.dadow coraline AU (dad shadow and son silver in the story of Coraline, just the movie i haven't read the book, yet)

---

note: my fave posts for character relationships/interactions. some of these posts are meant to be romantic, which i am aware of, but i read them as anything but romantic <2

also if ur looking for Team Dark stuff, just go to any one of their numbers and you'll find them >:)

-> S&M Fave (Shadow and Metal Sonic.)

-> S&A Fave (Shadow and Amy Rose.)

-> A&M Fave (Amy Rose and Metal Sonic.)

-> S.A.M.S. Fave (Amy, Metal Sonic and Shadow :) )

-> A&K Fave (Amy Rose and Knuckles.)

-> R.O.S. Fave (Team Dark babeyyyyyy)

----------

the main numbers:

-> 193.1 (sonic the hedgehog)

-> 193.2 (knuckles the echidna)

-> 193.3 (miles tails prower)

-> 193.4 (amy rose)

-> 193.5 (eggman/dr.robotnik/eggman nega)

193.assist (orbot and cubot, sage the ai, agent stone)

-> 193.6 (metal sonic/tails doll/metal knuckles)

---

-> 193.7 (team chaotix: vector, charmy, espio)

-> 193.8 (rouge the bat)

-> 193.9 (shadow the hedgehog)

193.shth (maria robotnik, gereald robotnik, black doom, the president, the commander)

-> 193.0 (e-123 omega)

---

-> 193.10 (babylon rouges: jet, wave, storm)

-> 193.11 (infinite the jackal)

-> 193.12 (silver the hedgehog)

-> 193.13 (blaze the cat, marine the raccoon)

---

-> 193.14 (chao, lumina flowlight/void, chip the light gaia, wisps, koco)

-> 193.15 (fleetway super sonic)

-> 193.16 (scourge the hedgehog, fiona the fox)

-> 193.17 (tikal the echidna, chaos)

---

-> 193.18 (eggman robots/badniks)

note: mk1, mk2, and mk3 also have the robots from the scrapped Sonic X-treme game, cuz i think they're cool

193.shard (shard the metal sonic from Archie)

193.chaos (chaos sonic from Prime)

193.mk1 (mecha sonic mark 1, from Sonic the Hedgehog 2 16bit)

193.mk2 (mecha sonic mark 2, from Sonic 3 & Knuckles and the Scrapnik Miniseries)

193.mk3 (mecha sonic mark 3, from Sonic Adventure)

193.gs (e-102 gamma, e-117 sigma)

193.rocket (rocket metal sonic, from Sonic the Fighters)

193.ss (silver mecha sonic, from Sonic the Hedgehog 2 8bit)

193.pr (poetry robot, from the sonic movies (2020))

193.johnny (johnny, from Sonic Rush Adventure)

193.sgc (Scratch, Grounder and Coconuts)

---

-> 193.19 (cream the rabbit, cheese the chao, vanilla the rabbit, ermel, gemerl)

-> 193.20 (whisper the wolf)

-> 193.21 (tangle the lemur)

-> 193.22 (big the cat, froggy)

---

-> 193.23 (mighty the armadillo, ray the flying squirrel)

-> 193.24 (surge the tenrec, kitsunami the fennec)

-> 193.25 (tekno the canary)

-> 193.26 (jewel the beetle)

-> 193.27 (mephiles the dark, princess elise)

---

-> 193.28 (belle the tinkerer)

-> 193.29 (lanolin the sheep)

-> 193.30 (Max the rabbit (AKA Feels or Mika), the sonic prototype)

-> 193.31 (dr. starline)

---

-> 193.32 (team hooligan: fang the sniper, bean the dynamite, bark the polar bear)

-> 193.33 (sticks the badger)

-> 193.34 (sally acorn)

-> 193.35 (honey the cat)

---

-> 193.36 (eclipse the darkling, black death)

-> 193.37 (sonia and manic the hedgehog)

-> 193.38 (Sonic X misc characters)

-> 193.39 (ebony the cat, pyjamas the sheepdog)

---

-> 193.40 (Sonic the Comic misc characters)

-> 193.41 (sonic movie (2020) misc characters)

-> 193.42 (gadget the wolf)

-> 193.43 (bunnie rabbot)

---

-> 193.44 (archie sonic misc characters)

-> 193.45 (ian jr)

-> 193.46 (Sonic OVA misc characters, mostly sara)

-> 193.47 (zonic the zone cop)

---

-> 193.48 (barry the quokka)

-> 193.49 (mimic the octopus)

-> 193.50 (Sonic Boom misc characters)

-> 193.51 (rough and tumble the skunk)

---

-> 193.52 (clutch the opossum idw)

-> 193.53 (SATBK/SATSR misc characters)

-> 193.54 (Tiara B. Sonic X-treme )

-> 193.55 (Trip Sonic Superstars)

---

-> 193.56 (Mina Mongoose)

----------

[the-cute-master]

🍌 A bit about me

· · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · ★ · Hi! You can call me by my full username, a shortened version (I usually go by "Master" in SPANISH speaking online communities, but I know it may sound a bit weirder to do so in english lol), Lou, Fran, or Franz. I don't have a preference tbh ★ · Any pronouns are fine | ESL, native language is spanish | Mid 20s | Pls no minors | Not into nsfw as I used to, but warning for possible slight nsfw just in case | May post/reblog some slighty gory art from time to time · ★ {🍌} · Some general interests of mine (in no particular order - not into all of these to the same degree):

★ · HxH, Umineko, Ciconia, Fate/Zero, Fate/GO (sadly don't have enough time to play fgo currently), MLP, Homestuck, Ranfren, BL/GL, Danganronpa, Furry, Vocaloid, Oney (didnt know where to include this one), Parappa, Kaiji, Hellsing, DMMd, BL/GL, Houseki no Kuni, Sonic, Lobotomy Corp, Library of Ruina, Osu!, Age of Empires ★ · Prog rock, psychedelic rock, folk rock/metal, Frank Zappa, Genesis, ELP, Jun Togawa/YAPOOS/Guernica, Diamanda Galás, Nina Hagen, Marina, Björk, SOAD, Equilibrium, MSI, Hole, Lemon Demon, Oingo Boingo, metal in general, new wave in general, very into singers who do weird experimental shit with their voices, 70s/80s/90s music in general ★ · Drawing/art, synthesizers, singing, mechanics/electronics/robotics, analog technology, biology, insects, classic/vintage/old cars, architecture, DnD, board games, collecting things in general (toys, cds, magazines, etc), a bit into Warhammer i guess, model building I will try to keep this more or less updated · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · ★ ★ ★

[olipeaksforever]

Diane Evans: A Twin Peaks playlist.

Featuring: The Cramps, The B-52's, X-Ray Spex, Siouxsie and The Banshees, Killing Joke, The Gun Club, Sonic Youth, The Sugarcubes, Heart, The Smiths, The Slits, Buzzcocks, The Raincoats, Television, Bauhaus, Altered Images, Wire, Magazine, Sisters of Mercy, The Damned, Ministry, Billy Idol, Shop Assistants, The Cure, Pixies, The Runaways, Bam Bam, The Psychedelic Furs, Public Image Ltd., Soft Cell, Dinosaur Jr, The Shangri-Las, Julee Cruise, Marine Girls, Gang of Four and Blondie.

Genres featured: Psychobilly, new-wave, punk, pop, goth rock, post punk, alternative rock, dream pop, classic rock, grunge, synth pop and jangle pop.

[ystk-archive]

Do you have any favorite looks for Koshiko and Nakata? Like photos where you particularly liked their fashion or styling?

So many examples that writing a response to this simple question nearly drove me insane for several days lmao. One of capsule's biggest "selling" points for me was that they mostly wore their own clothes for photoshoots, MVs, performances etc and Nakata largely handled styling and whatnot. (Also probably one of the reasons that Metro Pulse landed disastrously with me, I don't want to see polygonal character models fighting to the death, I want you two to serve looks 😭)

Where Toshiko's concerned, I usually loved her outfits at the annual festivals they'd do like Rock in Japan and Countdown:

2010 RIJ FES fit is legendary

I honestly feel like this houndstooth configuration that appeared at CDJ 2012 altered my brain chemistry in some way. I can see it being a bit too "circus" or costume-y for some, the bi-color tights are definitely going a little overboard, but I still think about it all these years later (take a closer look at the heels she wore too).

2014 Summer Sonic, I like to call this the angel look; there's a pattern here with me liking these dresses/skirts with strange construction lol

Big fan of the OTONOKO 2018 sparkly tulle dress (may be a top + skirt combo, either way). It was extremely whimsical, looked beautiful on a stage environment, and I love the idea of Toshiko as a pinch of the night sky placed down on earth. (I like it so much you can have another photo of it here)

At their last Countdown appearance in 2019 she wore this draped dress; the blunt lob haircut really elevated the maturity of the whole look (I think some low denier tights would've made this even crazier).

Thigh-high boots go brrr (starting to wonder if I just really liked this wig a lot)

Special mention to this sequin dress, she is nothing short of a genius for wearing those nylons with it and Nakata was wrong for saying she looked like a fish lmao

I do actually like her simpler stage outfits like this gold babydoll dress. Her headwear is unparalleled, I can't imagine how many hats/hair accessories she owns...

Lastly her WAVE RUNNER tour encore look was just cute and nicely coordinated for being so simple; I also adore the way their shoes matched here but I lose my mind whenever they match their outfits at all…

In general I love how consistent she is in her style, it's very elegant and feminine overall but she likes to do these unusual silhouettes and whimsical accessories that have a lot of drama to them. This is my favorite example of her fashion outside of performances; my list highlighted major appearances where you'd expect her to go full theatrical but even her regular day-to-day outfits are nice, often simple but never boring.

Moving along...

Generally speaking Nakata has a great eye for individual pieces rather than excelling at putting together well-coordinated outfits (on himself at least, I loved the times he styled Toshiko). He's also the living embodiment of the shorts-wearing NPC trainer in Pokemon lmao. Like he's definitely shown the potential to Dress over the years and I'd actually love to see him do styling work on other people again (also would love to see art direction from him again, design, etc etc anyway :^)), he has a very particular aesthetic sense that I always enjoyed, but overall he seems to prize comfort and especially after 2016 you can see his style get increasingly...utilitarian? Unembellished? Honestly there was a video I saw by some YouTuber who attempted to discuss Nakata's style and all they had to go off was his Instagram and their conclusion was "he likes to wear his own logo a lot;" it's an understatement to say that made me die a little inside, lol (not the tuber's fault of course).

I tried to pinpoint specific ~whole outfits but it's kind of difficult, as a result the majority of these are from magazine shoots:

2007 Sugarless GiRL for MARQUEE - I've been obsessed with this since forever but I'm not even sure how to explain it... It's a wintry, boyish sort of look, the overalls were very flattering, the shoes are cute, and that scarf was actually really interesting because it had these weird hand pockets (you can see them in this photo). I'd kill to see more takes from any of their magazine shoots but especially this one.

2005 LDK event covered in CUTiE magazine - I think everyone loves this one lmao, whoever did Nakata's hair is a god. It's a great inbetween style from LDK to FRUITS CLiPPER; it's very interesting the way he sort of found his fashion "voice" the same time he found his musical one for capsule.

Speaking of which, 2006 FRUITS CLiPPER artist profile shoot (well, this is from MARQUEE, but he wore the same thing for their artist pics) - the black-white-gray layered look might be my favorite example of his ~eye for coordinating clothes or whatever you wanna call it lol. Love that C necklace too, he only really wore it during '06 though and was never much for necklaces in general (I think it's funny one of the few remaining pics on his Insta is this one). Blazers are notoriously tricky to wear without seeming like you're stuffy and/or going to the office, he somehow always pulled them off really well...

2007 capsule rmx for MARQUEE - another that seems unanimously loved. I liked that headscarf he's wearing so much that I bought the same one (not a single clue how to style/pull it off though)

2007 FLASH BACK for MARQUEE - love the long zip-up jacket with the fur-trim hood, love those iconic yellow Belly Button boots (yes, that's really the brand name)

Getting away from MARQUEE, I just posted these but his outfit for S&R was actually kinda good? I do wanna beat him over the head for wearing shorts to meet Sakamoto Ryuichi but it's a cute look and I think he was smart to wear the brown frames instead of his black ones as they would've been too harsh. The detailing on the shirt and shorts goes perfectly, while I don't like high-top shoes on him in a broad sense these had cute contrasting laces and I like their suede look. More accessorizing with jewelry would've been great here but at that point (2012) he put away pretty much everything apart from the watches...

self vol. 1 (spring 2009) - this one doesn't go like super crazy or anything but I think it's cute and nicely put-together, here's another picture of it in better/natural lighting. Really like that T-shirt from FRAPBOIS

2013 CAPS LOCK - you could say this is pretty boring compared to the other examples here but I reeeally liked the weird keycap rings(?) and the not-insignificant heels on his oxfords lol. The fact that these are capris and not full-length pants also keeps it from being too stuffy and basic. (And once again wearing the same color for the top + bottom makes this sort of "seamless" look that in turn helps create an illusion of proportionality.)

2015 Downtown appearance - and now I'm going to throw all fashion rules about proportions/looking ~taller out the window because I loved this lmaooo, peak comfy outfit and makes me want to buy an oversized white hoodie so bad (I haven't said it yet but I think white might be his best color). Also I'm pretty sure his hair was professionally done here, it looked great.

Also 2015, the Keith Haring print sweatshirt over a button-up

Since I'm nuts I'm gonna keep blathering but now about specific pieces he's worn that I really liked (not a complete list by any means, just what comes to mind right now):

This baseball cap with the half of a stag rising out of it, he's f*cking crazy I swear to god (naturally he wore this because they shot these pics at Hanjiro which was a clothing store with a particular sense of décor)

Bomber jacket at ageHa last year, I love stuff like this with that sort of mirror-like sheen (it's kind of iridescent but not quite) and the cut/style of it was good

I think way too often about this reversible jacket he wore on a karaoke date with Kyary. Up to that point I'd just seen him wearing logos and boring all-black semi-athleisure stuff for years so this was a pretty crazy statement piece

Speaking of random pieces that live rent-free in my head, I really want to know the brand of this sweatshirt from the 2019 album announcement, it's sooo weird and just, like, interesting

The blazer for WAVE RUNNER was shockingly cute, no comment on the rest of the fit or the wonky Photoshopping though (god their artist photos are so hit-or-miss)

The Jeremy Scott F/W 2007 hoodie of course

Studded bowtie

Uniqlo crossword puzzle shirt

Not the best possible pic of this but I like this shirt with the studded suspenders detail, he wore this to RIJ FES one year

Do headphones count? Headphones count, this is my favorite pair he ever had

This jacket is one of my favorites of his, I wanted the same one so badly for so many years lmao

Honestly there's so much that I'm exhausted writing this list, I'm gonna stop with these pants and leave it at that

His style at its best is just kind of quirky, very very playful, obviously keeps to a grayscale palette but he has some surprisingly colorful pieces. His taste in jewelry was pretty awesome too, he had some interesting rings I was a big fan of but I'm too lazy to go find pics (there was a Hello Kitty one, a giant star, a cow's head...).

In conclusion I think they share a lot of similarities in their style and I would kill for either of them to have ever released a ~style book (sadly the timing for that has long passed and the demand was probably nonexistent in the first place). Some people also may be wondering why I completely ignored their looks from pre-2006/the future pop neo whatever era and the simple answer is...IDK, it's not that I hated their styling back then (well, it was pretty rough sometimes), it was just more costume-y and as a result sort of inauthentic in a sense. They were also frequently styled by other people during that time; their own personal style and/or Nakata's styling had a much greater impact on my teenaged brain as far as influencing my tastes. But Toshiko wore the '60s silhouette and boyish sort of hairstyles extremely well and the contemode hair/makeup girlie Miyagawa Tomoko always did a fantastic job.

Whoever actually read this far is clearly very interested in this topic so if you want to feel free to message me your own favorite capsule outfits and whatnot. I know Toshiko particularly had some crazy colorful/weird dresses she's worn in the past that I didn't mention here lol

[ohc-and-the-music-tapes-archive]

Article about Elephant 6 collective (with a big part regarding the Music Tapes) in Flagpole, 31 March 1999, by John Britt and Melissa Link.

transcript:

ELEPHANT 6: THE MUSE GROWS UP THAT LOOSE GROUP OF TREEHOUSE POP FANTASTICS IS MATURING. ITS CIRCLE IS WIDENING. AND ITS NEW MUSIC IS PRIMED TO INVADE THE ORCHESTRA PIT, THE PROPS CLOSET, AND THE FAR REACHES GF OUTER SPACE. It started as a bedroom daydream, but the dream leaked out into the waking world. Now it’s spreading. The musical collective Elephant 6 — that sprawling, somewhat amorphous umbrella group of young pop bands, the one whose imprimatur ensures a taste of sweet aural psychedelia, the one in all the national magazines, the one that has made Athens, Georgia, its de facto headquarters — was once just a name for the four-track fantasies of four kids messing around in Ruston, Louisianna.

Back in the early 1980s, Rustonians Will Hart, Bill Doss, Robert Schneider and Jeff Mangum invented Elephant 6 as a fictitious label for the tapes they made for each other. The product wasn't necessarily intended to merge with the real wor|d — few imaginative children actually grow up to be cowboys or astronauts — but eventually the four friends amassed enough good material to warrant public consumption. They started getting serious. Schneider moved to Denver and formed the core of The Apples In Stereo. In Athens, Mangum established Neutral Milk Hotel, while Doss and Hart eventually formed The Olivia Tremor Control.

Over the last four or five years these three bands, the heart of Elephant 6, have recorded albums that have drawn worldwide critical acclaim. At the same time, Elephant 6 has expanded to include a difficult-to-count array of friends and compatriots who share in one way or another the original Ruston vision — to put out, as early E6 propaganda put it, “innovative, quality pop music” that hews to a prescribed set of values. “We believe in four-tracks, and beautiful sounds and ideas,” the old motto went. “And most of all we believe in SONGS.”

This spring sees the release of CDs from four Athens-based Elephant 6 groups: the sophomore effort from The Olivia Tremor Control, as well as new albums from Elf Power, Of Montreal, and, in a few weeks, the performance project Music Tapes. This new wave of music shows major strides forward in E6’s thematic, conceptual and sonic evolution, yet much of it remains true to the original vision.

With real record deals, these bands have been able to flesh out the limited lo-fi palette of the first E6 recordings: four-track operating methods are now augmented with digital 16-tracks and studio mixing, and while some of the inspiration still comes from home, much recording now takes place in professional studios. This new freedom has allowed these bands to explore a wider range of composition and arrangement while still remaining true to their aesthetic roots. And while the music style broadens, the E6 gestalt continues to expand beyond music itself: though there's always been a multimedia component to the collective, a group like Julian Koster’s Music Tapes is pushing beyond notebook artwork and into the far teaches of experimental theater.

THE SKY IS A HARPSICHORD CARVAS

As these boundaries expand, the shambling experimental ensemble The Olivia Tremor Control remains at the center of the chaotic Elephant 6 enterprise. The band’s debut album, Dusk at Cubist Castle, toyed with both classically structured pop songs and experimental ambient noise, with fairly distinct lines drawn between order and chaos. The Olivias decided to mesh both halves of their creative instincts into one seamless whole on their latest release, Black Foliage: Animation Music, a 70-minute pop freakout that recalls everything from The Beach Boys to Karlheinz Stockhausen.

Black Foliage is unmistakably in step with everything OTC worked towards years ago. The tweaked out, psychedelic pattern shifts — from melodically grounded pop classics to cacophonous clusters of sounds — harken back to Doss, Hart, and bassist John Fernandes’ early days DJ-ing at the Louisiana Tech college radio station. There, according to Fernandes, the friends would cue up sound-effects albums and play them simultaneously with the records in the station's rotation, then step out to listen to the results on someone else's radio.

“Our idea on the new album was to weave patterns and ask the question ‘What is a pop song?” explains Doss. “We wanted to go beyond things like verse/chorus/verse and do things like bridge/bridge/bridge/bridge/verse/verse/verse, then into some sound excursion or the chorus or a barbershop quartet.”

Looking at some of The Olivia Tremor Control's more blatant influences — most notably the Beatles and the Beach Boys — it’s obvious that the band sees no fault in perfect pop. And in the memorable melodies of Foliage’s “Hideaway” and “A New Day,” it is readily apparent that the band can deliver such goods. 

The goal then, it seems, is to create new atmospheres and environments for that music to inhabit. Black Foliage sometimes sounds like a pop record playing through a street-comer boom box while the sounds of the street invade and intermingle. With its nonstop flow of sonic and thematic concepts, Foliage tends to lend itself towards individual visual interpretation, individual fantasy. “Every time I listen to that album, it’s like a series of dreams,” describes Raleigh Hatfield, a peripheral member of a number of Elephant 6 related bands. “But with each listen, it evokes a completely different series of images.”

Hart agrees, citing the album’s subtitle as an important clue to the music within. “All the sounds in there to us are animation. I see pictures for everything in it, and so will our audience, hopefully.”

NEAT LITTLE DOMESTIC LIFE

Whereas The Olivia Tremor Control attempt to create an ambiguous aural fantasy world on Black Foliage, comrades Of Montreal have fashioned a far more specific world on their new album, The Gay Parade. The material on the telease steps away from songwriter Kevin Bames’ earlier, more personal work, and dives headfirst into a purely imaginary environment. The Gay Parade is a pageant of whimsical characters: “The Autobiographical Grandpa,” “The Miniature Philosopher,” and “A Man’s Life Flashing Before His Eyes While He and His Wife Drive Off a Cliff Into the Ocean.”

And while the album‘s concept — especially its Yellow Submarine-cum-grade school cover depicting every single character in the record — seems to express a calculated naiveté, Of Montreal's members insist that there are layers of conceptual complexities beneath the surface.

“It’s much smarter than a children’s book,” contends drummer Derek Almstead. “It's like The Canterbury Tales; it's whimsical, smart, deep and funny. It’s not cutesy-poo.”

“In no way do I want to compare us to Brian Wilson,” adds keyboardist and bassist Dottie Alexander, “but someone could say the same thing about Smile. On the surface it may seem that Brian Wilson is singing about nothing, but if you look deeper into the songs. you find many complex layers, musically.”

Songwriter Barnes’ Tin Pan Alley influences often give The Gay Parade a pre-rock vibe: it feels like it could've been written by someone raised in the age of radio melodramas, rather than a mop-topped guy living some 40-plus years after the birth of rock and roll. At the same time, Barnes’ character sketches — though often steeped in fantasy — owe much to mid-“60s British rock songwriters like the Kinks’ Ray Davies, who was known for penning bourgeois studies like “David Watts.”

“There definitely is a pervasive Kinks influence in everything we do,” agrees Alexander. “It's a slice of life look at this world we have created.”

That world is rendered in fantastic pastels and neons thanks to the CD's highly inventive arrangements — a major sonic step forward for both £6 and indie pop in general. The album is filled with waved-out guitar lines, crystalline piano notes, five-part harmonies, and a variety of novel instrumentation. Nineteen people are credited in the liner notes with everything from penny whistle to “woo-wooing while jumping on the furnace.”

Of Montreal plan to take their characters out of fantasyland and on the road — literally. Kevin Barnes’ brother, David, the group's chief visual artist, is working on a stage representation of the cover art he designed and created.

“There's not much room in our van for even a large suitcase, so the visual aspect will have to be limited,” Almstead says. “But we'll have a backdrop similar to the album cover, and perhaps some cardboard cutouts of the characters on stage with us.”

A DREAM REIFIED

Elf Power's A Dream in Sound is, without a doubt, the most mature offering from the latest batch of Elephant 6 albums. Combining the sonic experimentation of The Olivia Tremor Control with the fantastical storytelling of The Gay Parade, A Dream in Sound is a brief, yet powerful, collection of songs. In a way, it’s that perfect 40-minute pop album that Black Foliage dumps an extra 30 minutes of insanity upon. At once timeless and immediate, it’s Elf Power's most fully realized work, and a major improvement upon the band’s previous outing, When the Red King Comes.

“Our last album was recorded over a six month period,” explains chief songwriter Andrew Rieger. “A Dream in Sound was recorded in two weeks, and I think that had a big effect on the final product.”

The album continues down the path Elf Power has been taking since their first EP, Vainly Clutching at Phantom Limbs. While not as blatantly conceptual as the fantasy novel-like Red King, A Dream in Sound still focuses lyrically on otherworldly characters and confused wishes to live as other life forms. Rieger seems to have permanently turned his back on material such as Vainly Clutching's “Circular Malevolence.” That song was an angry acoustic account of an ego-tripping, status climbing acquaintance: “You can write it all down and just send it in your precious letter/Tell me of all the people you know and which ones you think you like better/You self-righteous motherfucker/You think I give a shit what you had for supper?” Such work has given way to more imaginative and surreal numbers with titles like “Simon (The Bird with the Candy Bar Head).”

“I always kind of regretted the mean-spiritedness of that song,” Rieger says of “Circular Malevolence.” “I wouldn't want to write those kind of hateful songs anymore.”

But don’t those kinds of personal experiences fuel powerful songwriting? “Well, yeah, sure,” Rieger says. “But I think you can do that in more productive ways. You don’t have to be mean about it.”

STATIC, THE TV, IS A KIND OF FRIEND

Flash to the 40 Watt Club: multi-instrumentalist Julian Koster is on stage with his band Music Tapes, sporting headgear he calls “The Mechanized Organ-Playing Helmet.” The helmet has a hand protruding from it, and the hand plays a faux keyboard. Koster stands amid a working seven-foot metronome, a wooden box sprouting a pair of mechanical clapping hands and an animated television set named “Static”.

Static, the television, will sing half of the songs tonight. Koster — augmented by the likes of Elf Power's Laura Carter and Neutral Milk/Gerbils member Scott Spillane — will buoyantly strum a banjo while the blissed-out, pixilated Static disseminates propaganda about the alien race of TV sets who control our world.

The audience at this Music Tapes performance is a cozy mix of friends, fellow musicians, and curious onlookers. Most stand in contemplative awe, while a few people cuddle the stage, clapping and convulsing ecclesiastical joy. This unique stage show is the ultimate in Elephant 6 fantasia: the line between reality and artifice is sufficiently blurred to give the appearance that even if the human performers left the stage, the mechanical ones would continue the show.

Koster’s former outfit, Chocolate USA — which featured Doss, Olivias drummer Eric Harris and others — bowed out of its acclaimed, albeit brief, limelight with a Bar/None CD Smoke Machine — more or less a rock opera about a cow. Music Tapes take Koster’s peculiar vision — not only of music and performance, but of the human condition as well — to rather head-scratching new levels.

“To me it’s like I look at human history: the Tin Man is as real to me as Abraham Lincoln,” Koster says, possibly describing the impetus behind Music Tapes. “The truth is that what I know of the Tin Man, even though he came out of someone's imagination — and Abraham Lincoln really lived — doesn’t make a difference, because I have vivid pictures of both and in the end what I know now of Abraham Lincoln probably came out of somebody's imagination as well.”

Music Tapes’ debut CD is due out soon, and though you'd think that this is a band best experienced live. Koster’s E6 compatriots say the cordings stand on their own. “Julian's stuck in a Dr. Seuss movie,” says the Olivia's Hart. “That's going to be my favorite record when it comes out. I wish I could write more Dr. Seussy stuff like that.”

“Julian is incredible,” John Fernandes adds. “He's a great home recorder. He takes account of the nuances of low fidelity and uses the disadvantages to his advantage. He's been using an old wire recorder and ribbon microphone just like what was used in old radio plays, and he gets a really genuine 78 rpm type sound.”

Koster says Music Tapes were born 10 years ago, when the musician was in his mid-teens. It began as a way to spend time with his friends, as he wasn't able to be with them as often as he would have liked.

“I kind of had to stay in the house a lot,” Koster says. “I started making tapes almost to make little worlds. Whatever I could imagine, I tried to make a sort of little place that I could visit whenever I was making it and then I'd be able to give the tapes to my friends when I saw them at school and they could visit that place. So the time that they spent there was kind of like common time spent together.”

As Koster grew up, Music Tapes became a sort of revenge project against the world, in the way that creativity became the means subtly to upend the powers that be. Julian fully lives up to Rieger's idea that anger can best be focused into positive, creative energy.

“In youth, it’s about being powerless or dependent on those around you,” Koster says. “You feel unable to take control of your world, and all of a sudden you kind of go over this divide and you realize that you are powerful, that you do have power. You begin to take control of your own existence — you can leave a bad thing and you can begin to create things.”

So Koster invented his own world, a deviant musical amalgam of Pee Wee's Playhouse and 2001: A Space Odyssey. The fantasy is farther out than anything previously in the minds of the Elephant 6 collective. It’s one thing to be in a pretend band; it’s another to be in a band with pretend bandmates, especially at the age of 26. When Koster says of his talking TV, “Static the Television is a band member, and a kind of a friend in a lot of ways,” - it is seemingly without a trace of irony.

That overriding Elephant 6 impulse — to create indie rock that’s irony-free — is offering one way out of the rut the genre has found itself in over the last few years. Like it or not, it’s difficult to deny that it’s an escape hatch that works. “A lot of people who think that this music is childish or cute are coming from this whole school of distorted, ‘80s indie rock,” Of Montreal's Derek Almstead says. “And we're not coming from that point at all. We're coming from somewhere else.”

John Britt Staff writer Melissa Link also contributed to story