#stephen becker

[dustedmagazine]

Stephen Becker — Middle Child Syndrome (Record Euphoria)

Photo by Chris Weiss

Singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer Stephen Becker creates artful, knowing pop music in which all the elements in the mix, well, pop. Bright and airy, these ten songs benefit from Becker’s approach to production, which always feels punchy but spacious, each instrument given a chance to shine. However, the artistry also comes from how expectations are turned on their head, and what seems simple and digestible on the surface turns out to have a sting in the tail. Take the chorus of “The Answer,” for example. Becker harmonizes sweetly with guest vocalist Taylor Vick, but the line doesn’t sound like a happy outcome: “I gave you the answer that you wanted” — at what cost?

Middle Child Syndrome holds a similar appeal to 2022’s A Calm That Shifts — which I praised for “how subtly it insinuates its way into your consciousness” — but this one feels more elusive, fidgety, and uncertain. “Pause and Reason” opens the album with a sharp intake of breath, the sound of a record button being pressed, and a count-in. But rather than launching straight in, there’s a twinkling cloud of hesitant synthesizer tones. When the song does kick off with its forcefully strummed acoustic and fuzz guitars, there’s already uncertainty behind the bravado.

The tellingly titled “Waste Away” is a brisk, cut-time country strut with an existential crisis woven into the words. Likewise, though “Spray Paint” has an undeniably jaunty bounce to the music, on the chorus Becker sings, “I’m not sure if anyone is listening / Does it even count if no one’s there to be a witness?” At the end of side A, “Range” gives Becker a more sparse and pensive musical environment to reflect upon his anxieties, with some lovely vocal harmonies from Alena Spranger: “I’m not lost, I’m just outside my range / I’m not lost, I’m just a little spaced.” It’s a welcome change of pace, punctuated by some surprising production details, such as string swells and whirring effects.

On side B, “I Held An Echo” see-saws delicately between lonely minor-key verses and heartening major-key choruses backed by Katie Von Schleicher. “Picturing Cosmos” feels like a country cousin of “Waste Away,” but more down-tempo and lo-fi, with aching cries of pedal steel to counterbalance the rhythm section’s reluctant trudge. “Signal” strips things right back to guitar and voice, the vocal melody tightly following the guitar as the edges of the mix are troubled by percussive details, piano stabs, and atmospheric rumbling. The song builds, trying to break out of its entropy, only to fall back into its original form, followed by a curious vaporwave outro. “Ought” echoes the fuzzy, driving sway of “Pause and Reason,” with more self-doubt and personal dissection in the chorus: “I’m thinking I’m not who I ought to be.”

The closing track, “Fury,” offers a neat summation of the album’s themes and charms. Lonely descending electric guitar lines and Becker’s voice are buoyed along by melancholy woodwinds, but only for so long. “It’s OK you didn’t graduate,” Becker coos, “You just had other plans.” A final relieved outbreath, and it’s over. For 37 minutes Becker has a captive listener. Sounds like he could use one.

Tim Clarke

[ymbdraws]

love! valour! compassion!

[haveyouseenthisseries-poll]

[flowerbarrel-art]

(Long post)

[mastersoftheair]

from tom joyner's instagram (ft. callum turner, stephen campbell moore, and captain robert c. "stormy" becker– the man he's portraying)

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Jacina Hollins-Borges at MMFA:

MAGA media figures are preparing their audiences to believe that the upcoming presidential debate on CNN will be unfairly biased against Donald Trump.  While Trump has already begun saying that the June 27 debate will be rigged against him, right-wing media attacks escalated this week after an interview with Trump campaign spokesperson Karoline Leavitt was cut off on CNN’s This Morning when she refused to stop attacking network anchor Jake Tapper. Right-wing media seized on the incident as supposed evidence that the CNN debate will be unfair, and some called for Trump to cancel the debate if the network does not officially apologize.

Right-wing media had a meltdown over CNN’s Kasie Hunt cutting off Trump spokesliar Karoline Leavitt on Monday’s edition of CNN This Morning.

[spilladabalia]

Thin White Rope - Not Your Fault

[late2000shistoricalreenactment]

Primeval Um Actually!

I made a game of primeval themed Um Actually to play on discord, here are the questions if you missed it but still want to play it. Answers are under the cut (hopefully in the right order).

[greygullhaven]

New Year New FanFic!

Happy New Year! The new year means a brand new epic story starting up! The amazing @darthlorexa42 and I have finished our first (of likely several) epic Primeval stories. Prologue is up now and new chapters will be coming at about 4 chapters a week! Chek it out and let us know what you think!!!!! https://archiveofourown.org/works/52696273/chapters/133291948

[witchofthemidlands]

Happy Primeval Day!!! (I edited this ages ago but it is my ONE serious Primeval so it’s getting shared today)

[adonisandguysnew]

Stephen Becker

[greyhoundone]

Do you have the time to unwind

RATTLESNAKE 🐍

[ymbdraws]

i am sick to death of straight people. tell the truth, aren't you? there’s just too goddamn many of them!

love! valour! compassion! by terrence mcnally. dir. joe mantello, movie cast, 1997

[musicmags]

[fuckyeahvanhalen86-95]

When Eddie Van Halen visited Jason Becker in 1996, he gifted him a Peavey Wolfgang electric guitar from his personal batch – number 69 of the first 100 produced. That instrument is going to auction this month in an effort to raise funds for Becker’s ongoing care.

Recently, Becker’s assistant Stephen Correa stopped by LA vintage mecca Norman’s Rare Guitars to showcase the instrument – and to give in-house demo man par excellence, Michael Lemmo, the chance to put it through its paces.

The guitar was signed by Van Halen and bears the message: “Jason. We will play guitar together in the future. Love – from heart to your soul. Eddie Van Halen, ’96.” It also features Becker’s thumbprint on the rear of the neck.

In a new clip, posted on the Norman’s Rare Guitars YouTube channel, you can see Correa, Norm Harris and Michael Lemmo take a look over the instrument and share the story behind it.

Aside from the touching story behind the guitar, it’s well worth watching the clip for Lemmo’s magnificent Van Halen impersonation, including an utterly wild whammy bar motorbike rev (very much in keeping with EVH’s motoring obsession) and a medley of Van Halen riffs and licks, including Unchained.

“The last person to play it like that was Ed,” comments Correa after Lemmo winds down.

The auction for Becker’s Wolfgang is already live with the sale (via auction house Guernsey’s) available to view over at LiveAuctioneers and has already passed the $100,000 mark from just two bids (sitting on $110,000 at the time of writing).

The auctioneers estimate a final price of between $300,000-$400,000, so let’s hope it continues to gather some significant bids.

It’s hard to think of another instrument that so poignantly represents the relationship between two greats of the electric guitar, with the possible exception of the Jeff Beck/Jimmy Page Tele.

However, this auction is raising money for a very good cause – supporting its owners significant ongoing care costs – and, as Becker himself says, the guitar needs to be played.

“It should be with someone who would love to have it and can give it the attention it deserves,” Becker told Guitar World earlier this year. “I can’t play it, and the best part of it for me now is the memory of his kindness.”

Head to LiveAuctioneers to bid on Jason Becker’s Peavey Wolfgang guitar.

[manyfandomocs]

🐮🐮🐮🐮

Not football but if it were Tourney, I think I’m feeling Stephen White

Candace Monahan for sure, little Derek mention with the hate you

Eliana Becker mhm

I don’t think I have anyone with this but…I kinda want a lot. Maybe Teen Wolf, maybe Descendants, who knows

send me a 🐮 and i will refresh my pinterest and give u my first four pics as a random moodboard