#thank you james and michael for doing the best you can with these minimal scenes together 😔

[wishchip106]

crying that these are the only times they interact IN THE WHOLE GODDAMN MOVIE 😾😾

they gonna put me on a watchlist at this point

wtf happened to the guys who wouldn’t leave eachothers side until they got divorced? 🤨🤨

[lifejustgotawkward]

365 Day Movie Challenge (2017) - #348: Blade Runner 2049 (2017) - dir. Denis Villeneuve

As the end credits rolled on Blade Runner 2049 last Sunday night at the Regal Union Square multiplex, I turned to my friend and asked her my usual question, “So, what did you think?” She groaned out, “that was really boring,” and the wave of relief I felt at her response was the perfect summation of my feelings.

How did Blade Runner 2049 disappoint me? Let me count the ways.

I watched Ridley Scott’s original Blade Runner (1982) back in September. I was impressed, though not bowled over, by the theatrical cut, but I still wanted to give the final cut a chance. When I got around to watching that “definitive” version, I found that I actually missed Harrison Ford’s gruff, noiresque narration from the earlier edit of the film, but overall my appreciation for Blade Runner had grown and the second viewing allowed me to focus less on the plot and to better appreciate both the acting and the technical aspects of the production.

My expectations for Blade Runner 2049 were fairly high. I was eager to see how Denis Villeneuve built on Scott’s (and, of course, writer Philip K. Dick’s) visions of dystopian Los Angeles by pushing the narrative thirty years further into the future from the first Blade Runner’s setting in 2019. Although I missed the chance to see this new installment in IMAX - hey, those tickets are expensive when you don’t have spare cash to throw around! - I knew I still had to take the time to watch the film on the big screen. No TV could possibly do justice to an epic sci-fi tale of the Blade Runner variety, at least not for an introductory experience.

Bear with me, now, when I say that Blade Runner 2049 was a massive letdown. Yes, Roger Deakins’ stunning cinematography is practically guaranteed to earn him an Oscar nomination. And yes, the art direction, production design and set decoration further supports Denis Villeneuve‘s strengths regarding compelling visuals. I would also be totally fine with Renée April getting an Oscar nomination for costume design since the coat that Officer K (Ryan Gosling) wears throughout the film is incredible. Unfortunately, for the third year in a row (after Sicario and Arrival) my hopes for Villeneuve’s work have been dashed. For three years running he has fallen short of his ambitious ideas, whether attempting to concentrate on an idealistic DEA agent (Emily Blunt in Sicario), a linguist simultaneously mourning the death of her daughter and trying to make contact with aliens (Amy Adams in Arrival) or a Replicant Blade Runner (Ryan Gosling in Blade Runner 2049) who unravels a mystery about a female Replicant who was able to bear a child. All of these protagonists should be worthy of my undivided attention. Instead, Gosling - like one of Nexus’s new edition of Replicants - is just another in a continuing line of failed leads.

Part of the issue is Ryan Gosling’s own fault. In interviews I find him absolutely delightful, a funny and self-deprecating guy with a nicely offbeat sense of humor; in movies he is unremittingly bland. Whether we’re talking about The Notebook or Crazy, Stupid, Love or The Big Short, he never seems to have any discernible personality on film. It makes sense, then, that he would be chosen to play an android in Blade Runner 2049. But what does it say that he didn’t even play Officer K well? Replicants can be portrayed with emotion, if you recall Rutger Hauer, Sean Young, Daryl Hannah, Brion James and Joanna Cassidy in the original Blade Runner. Each actor breathed life into their characters in unique styles. So why couldn’t Villeneuve and screenwriters Hampton Fancher and Michael Green find a way to inject some flavor into their film’s characters?

The posters for Blade Runner 2049 imply that Harrison Ford and Jared Leto play important roles in the film, but in actuality, Leto’s “antagonist,” Niander Wallace, barely has any screen time and Ford’s returning antihero, Rick Deckard, doesn’t show up until the last third of the film. I enjoyed every moment he was onscreen, spitting his dialogue out with the same jaded sarcasm he had in the first film, but I wish the character had had more time to develop in the film. Wallace bears an undistinguished aura of evil, but what was supposed to be so special about him? Given the spotlight often put on his sightless eyes during “creepy” closeups, was his blindness really intended to be read as part of what defined him as bad (in which case, uh, what is that saying about disabilities)?

Next we have to take a look at the women of Blade Runner 2049. There are six notable female characters: Joi (Ana de Armas), a hologram who is a product created by Niander Wallace and who functions solely as K’s live-in girlfriend; Luv (Sylvia Hoeks), a Replicant who acts as Niander Wallace’s right-hand woman; Lieutenant Joshi (Robin Wright), K’s supervisor on the police force; Mariette (Mackenzie Davis), a "pleasure model” Replicant; Dr. Ana Stelline (Carla Juri), who works for the Wallace corporation in a capacity that I shouldn’t spoil for those who have not seen the film; and Freysa (Hiam Abbass), who plays a role that I similarly should not divulge. Of these six, Joi and Ana Stelline are the most sympathetic characters, but regardless of how these women’s actions are meant to be interpreted, the designs of these ladies are problematic.

Joi is an immediately likeable character, but since she is a product (and one who does not initially have a corporeal form), she does not have autonomy. With the push of a button, K can turn her off any time he wants, which I’m sure is an option a lot of dudes wish they had available for their girlfriends. Joi exists only to serve K, telling him how wonderful he is when he gets home from a long work day and providing whatever eye candy he desires (she can shapeshift to alter her clothing, hair and makeup). Should I ignore the fact that Joi has zero character development and applaud Blade Runner 2049 anyway for highlighting the ickiness of a future society where Joi-models are prevalent (thus eliminating the need for actual human women)? Maybe, but the film doesn’t bother to make a statement about this element of social interaction, other than the fact that it exists.

K is finally able to experience physical contact with Joi when she “syncs” with Mariette, a prostitute, to combine their bodies for a sexual encounter with K, resulting in my favorite shot in the film: an unsettling image of Joi and Mariette’s four blurry hands wrapping around the back of K’s head and caressing his hair. While this interlude incorporates an interesting degree of romantic intrigue - to what extent do K, Joi and Mariette understand what love is? - there is something a little too weird in the film’s dependence on the Madonna and Whore tropes, suggesting an either/or dichotomy where the only time a woman can possess both attributes is when she finds another person (technically a Replicant) who can temporarily provide the missing skills.

Luv is probably the best-developed female character, although since she is Niander Wallace’s servant, it is impossible to say where her allegiance to him ends and her own taste for violent retribution begins. Luv seems to genuinely savor hurting people, but I suppose that attitude was programmed into her by Wallace, which somewhat minimizes the cool factor in her badass fight scenes. It’s kind of odd, though, that she manages to outshine the film’s other resident tough gal, Lt. Joshi (I didn’t think anyone could outdo Robin Wright in this department, especially after Wonder Woman). Villeneuve and his writers couldn’t settle on how best to represent Joshi, so the character fluctuates between a generically butch stereotype and a leering boss who drinks too much and flirts with K. Again, not that women have to be only one thing, but I like consistency in characters rather than mixed messages. I wonder how much of Blade Runner 2049′s muddled and archaic depictions of women are thanks to Hampton Fancher, who also co-wrote the original Blade Runner’s screenplay, which was full of troublesome approaches to womanhood, sexuality and sexual consent.

In the end, the difference between Blade Runner and Blade Runner 2049 is like the distinction between a human being and a Replicant. 2049 tries to live up to the originality of that which inspired it, but it lacks the soul of its predecessor. It really says something that the most heartfelt moments in Blade Runner 2049 are two references to Ridley Scott’s film: a pivotal scene in Wallace’s lair that conjures up the memory of Rachael (Sean Young) from the film, and a moment in the penultimate scene that reuses a key piece of music from Vangelis’s original Blade Runner score. I recognize that many viewers see Blade Runner 2049 as a masterpiece, and I have tried many times in the past week to understand why, but I’m hard-pressed to comprehend why I should have spent close to three hours sitting through such an unsatisfying project, other than being able to say I bravely weathered this particular storm.

P.S. (because I couldn’t figure out where else to write this): I don’t know how many viewers will know where I’m coming from, but for the cult classic freaks out there, let me propose this theory: Blade Runner 2049 is trying to be like Paul Morrissey’s notoriously wild horror-satire Flesh for Frankenstein (1973). Check it out: a really bizarre and wealthy man (Udo Kier/Jared Leto) and his devoted assistant (Arno Juerging/Sylvia Hoeks) endeavor to construct a set of superhumans (FfF) or humanoid robots (B42049), entities that will give birth to a new generation of superbeings that will take the place of their inferior progenitors and obediently do their master’s (Kier/Leto) bidding. In fact, there are two specific scenes that reminded me of Flesh for Frankenstein while watching Blade Runner 2049: when Niander Wallace kills the naked, infertile Replicant woman (ugh, what a terrible scene), it mirrors a moment in Flesh when Arno Juerging, the loyal assistant, tries to commence sex with Baron Frankenstein’s female zombie-monster by punching her in the stomach and fatally damaging her internal organs, resulting in a grotesque display of violence similar to what we see in Blade Runner 2049.

Secondly, when Luv battles K at the sea wall and she kisses him, she is mimicking an action that Niander Wallace carried out when he killed the Replicant woman; this is also reminiscent of Flesh for Frankenstein since the Arno Juerging character often does horrible, perverse things - like conflating his lust for the female zombie with a disturbingly compulsion for violence - because he is following his master’s patterns. Take all that analysis for what it’s worth, Blade Runner fans!

P.P.S. I am also convinced that Blade Runner 2049′s Las Vegas wasteland scene was either an homage to or a ripoff of Nastassja Kinski’s desert dream sequence from another of 1982′s finest cult offerings, Cat People. Even in the slightly faded YouTube upload of the clip, the orangeness cannot be overlooked.

[dweemeister]

2017 Movie Odyssey Award for Best Original Song (preliminary)

More than two hundred movies since 2017 began and just after passing six hundred total write-ups on this blog, it’s that time of year again! As all who have been tagged here probably know, I host an Oscar-like ceremony celebrating all the movies of that year’s Movie Odyssey at the year’s end. I contacted most of you beforehand to ask if you could help narrow down the shortlist for the final round of Movie Odyssey Award nominees in this category.

We have 23 songs (up from 17 last year... yikes!) in this preliminary round, separated into two groups -- songs that appear in the same movie have been placed into separate groups; all other songs were randomized. Unlike last year which was a La La Land/Moana/Purple Rain/Saturday Night Fever/The Slipper and the Rose party, this shortlist features more non-musical movies. No movie was shortlisted more than twice this round. With English, Hindi, Japanese, and Spanish involved, it is also the most multilingual field ever over a mixture of musical genres.

INSTRUCTIONS In the group that you have been sorted into, please rank (#1-10) at least five and at most ten of your assigned group’s songs. Please consider (to the best of your ability): your personal preferences (most important), how musically interesting a song is, the lyrics, context within the film (if you’ve seen it), choreography (if applicable), and the song’s cultural impact/life outside the film (if applicable, and also the least important factor). The top five songs in each group advance to the final round -- I may pick one song outside a group’s top five to advance, too. An unspecified number of songs have already advanced to the final. Tabulation details are underneath the cut.

There are some followers I’d like to extend a last invitation to for the prelim (because you’re all longtime followers but are either inactive/never participated before): @babeltwo, @classwarhooligan, @daveyboygoliath, @jayb3, @loveless422, @mopina, @phendranaedge, @saucy-witch, @shadesofhappy, @astorytellertothestars  I would love to have all of you participate in both the prelim and/or final rounds (if you folks don’t reply, apologies as I will tag you again for the final)! Please contact me if you are interested in participating in the prelim! This goes for any follower I have not tagged as well -- please contact me if you are interested in participating for this round and/or the final!

The deadline for preliminary submission is Saturday, December 9 at 11 PM Pacific Time. That’s Sunday, December 10 @ 2 AM Eastern and 7 AM GMT. The final round begins once tabulation is complete, probably the day after.

GROUP A

“Baby, You Knock Me Out”, music by André Previn, lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green, It’s Always Fair Weather (1955)

Performed by Cyd Charisse (dubbed by Carol Richards) and chorus

“Blue Gardenia”, music and lyrics by Bob Russell and Lester Lee, arranged by Nelson Riddle, The Blue Gardenia (1953)

Performed by Nat King Cole

"Dr. Goldfoot and the Bikini Machine", music and lyrics by Guy Hemric and Jerry Styner, Dr. Goldfoot and the Bikini Machine (1965)

Performed by The Supremes

“The First Time It Happens”, music and lyrics by Joe Raposo, The Great Muppet Caper (1981)

Performed by Kermit the Frog (Jim Henson), Miss Piggy (Frank Oz), and chorus

Nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song

“For Your Eyes Only”, music by Bill Conti, lyrics by Mick Leeson, For Your Eyes Only (1981)

(slightly nsfw opening credits version) / (sfw audio)

Performed by Sheena Easton

A James Bond song; nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song

“Hi-Lili, Hi-Lo”, music by Bronislau Kaper, lyrics by Helen Deutsch, Lili (1953)

(English version) / (German version)... the song and movie are both popular in Germany

Performed by Leslie Caron and Mel Ferrer

“Jane Kahan Mera Jigar Gaya Ji”, music by O.P. Nayyar, lyrics by Majrooh Sultanpuri, Mr. & Mrs. ’55 (1955, India)

Performed by Johnny Walker (dubbed by Mohammad Rafi) and Yasmin (dubbed by Geeta Dutt)

Lyrics in Hindi

Song ends at 50:11

“Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door”, music and lyrics by Bob Dylan, Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid (1973)

(use in context... the full song is not played)

Performed by Bob Dylan

“Once in a While, Talk of the Old Days”, music and lyrics by Tokiko Katô, arranged by Yôko Kanno, Porco Rosso (1992, Japan)

Performed by Tokiko Katô

Lyrics in Japanese

“Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea”, music by Joe Hisaishi, lyrics by Katsuya Kondô and Hayao Miyazaki, Ponyo (2008, Japan)

Performed by Nozomi Ôhashi and Fujioka Fujimaki

Lyrics in Japanese

“Think Pink!”, music by Roger Edens, lyrics by Leonard Gershe, Funny Face (1957)

Performed by Kay Thompson, Virginia Thompson, and chorus

“Zenzenzense”, music and lyrics by Yôjirô Noda, Your Name (2016, Japan)

Performed by RADWIMPS (their music video has nothing to do with the movie, but it’s interesting)

Lyrics in Japanese

Group A participants include: @dansmonarbre, @emilylime5, @fredsbarandgrill, @ideallaedi, @introspectivemeltdown, @leesamuel, @musicmoviesportsguy, @nazur, @simplyangiec, @somequeerdistortion. Four others are also joining you in this group, including myself and my little sister.

GROUP B

“Ben”, music by Walter Scharf, lyrics by Don Black, Ben (1972)

Performed by Michael Jackson

Nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song

“Bonjour, Paris!”, music and lyrics by Roger Edens and Leonard Gershe, Funny Face (1957)

Performed by Fred Astaire, Audrey Hepburn, and Kay Thompson

“Hey, a Movie!”, music and lyrics by Joe Raposo, The Great Muppet Caper (1981)

Performed by Kermit the Frog (Jim Henson), Fozzie Bear (Frank Oz), Gonzo (Dave Goelz), Sweetums (Richard Hunt), Charles Grodin, and chorus

“I Got Lucky”, music and lyrics by Dolores Fuller, Fred Wise, and Ben Weisman, Kid Galahad (1962)

Performed by Elvis Presley

“I’m Old Fashioned”, music by Jerome Kern, lyrics by Johnny Mercer, You Were Never Lovelier (1942)

Performed by Rita Hayworth (dubbed by Nan Wynn) and Fred Astaire

“My Neighbor Totoro”, music by Joe Hisaishi, lyrics by Hayao Miyazaki, My Neighbor Totoro (1988, Japan)

Performed by Azumi Inoue

Lyrics in Japanese

“Remember Me (Recuérdame)”, music and lyrics by Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez, Coco (2017)

English: (first use) / (lullaby) / (end credits)

Spanish: (first use) / (lullaby) / (end credits)

Various performers - I personally prefer the Spanish performances

“Sparkle”, music and lyrics by Yôjirô Noda, Your Name (2016, Japan)

Performed by RADWIMPS

Lyrics in Japanese

“Thanks a Lot, but No Thanks”, music by André Previn, lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green, It’s Always Fair Weather (1955)

Performed by Dolores Gray

Song begins at 1:33 in the video. For minimal context, watch it all.

“Udhar Tum Haseen Ho”, music by O.P. Nayyar, lyrics by Majrooh Sultanpuri, Mr. & Mrs. ’55 (1955, India)

Performed by Guru Dutt (dubbed by Mohammad Rafi) and Madhubala (dubbed by Geeta Dutt)

Lyrics in Hindi

Song ends at 1:47:51; the scene ends a few seconds later

“Would You”, music by Nacio Herb Brown, lyrics by Arthur Freed, San Francisco (1936)

Performed by Jeanette MacDonald

This song is most famous for its use in Singin’ in the Rain (1952)

Group B participants include: @addaellis, @cokwong, @dog-of-ulthar, @halfwaythruthedark, @maximiliani, @plus-low-overthrow, @stephdgray, @umgeschrieben, @underblackwings, and @yellanimal. Three others are joining you in this group, including myself and my little sister.

I am happy to answer any questions about a song’s use in context, or any other questions for that matter.

Happy listening! And thank you for your participation and support whenever you started following me. You will all be tagged again for the final round, regardless of whether you participated in this final round or not. If voting turnout is bad in one group as opposed to the other, I may call upon members from the more active group to participate in both groups. You can submit your votes any way you wish - articulate as much or as little as you want about your picks, too! -- by replying to this post, reblogging and replying, sending a PM or inbox message. Those who know my personal email can also send me their votes there.

Thanks again, everyone!

For reference: 2014 edition, 2015 edition, 2016 edition

TABULATION Two tabulation methods will be used this year - one will have actual bearing on the results; the other is experimental and may be used in 2018.

The former is a points-based, ranked choice method which has been used since the first time I asked friends, followers, and family to help out. Here is last year’s example. A respondent’s first choice receives 10 points, the second choice receives 9, the third choice receives 8, etc. The winner is the song that ends up with the most total points. This will be used for the preliminary and final rounds this year.

Tiebreakers for above: 1) total points earned; 2) total #1 votes; 3) placement on my ballot; 4) placement on @monkeysmadeofcheese’s ballot; 5) tie declared

The following method may be used in 2018 and will be conducted this year for experimental purposes only. It uses the instant-runoff voting (IRV) method (the Academy Awards uses this method to choose a Best Picture winner, visually represented here). It’s a bit confusing (and it’s probably best if you see the visual example), but here’s how it works:

All #1 picks from all voters are tabulated. A song needs more than half of all aggregate votes to win (fifty percent of all votes plus one).

If there is no winner after the first count (as is most likely... if there are thirty respondents, sixteen #1 votes are needed to win in the first count), the song with the fewest #1 votes is thrown out. We look at the The last-placed song’s ballots are then given to the remaining nominees according to the voters' #2 choice.

The process repeats, eliminating nominees and giving votes to the highest-ranked, non-eliminated song on each ballot. It is possible after several rounds of counting that respondents who did not entirely fill in their ballots will have wasted their votes at the end of the process (if a person voted the second-to-last place song as their #1, filled in no more slots, and the count has exceeded two rounds, they have no say in which song ultimately is the winner).

A song wins when it reaches more than fifty percent of their #1 and re-distributed votes.

Tiebreakers for experimental method: 1) first song to receive fifty percent of all votes +1; 2) total points earned; 3) total #1 votes; 4) placement on my ballot; 5) placement on @monkeysmadeofcheese​’s ballot ; 6) tie declared

[3dnygma]

Cory Michael Smith in the musical “Assassins”

First of all, I would like to thank Nat (@obfonteri !!) for their amazing help on this post. They have seen another production of Assassins before - and know how musical theatre productions at the New York City Center generally work.

This article, written by Andy Lefkowitz for Broadway.com gives us the following information about the production:

Steven Pasquale will play John Wilkes Booth, Julie White will portray Sara Jane Moore and Alex Brightman will play Giuseppe Zangara in the New York City Center Encores! Off-Center presentation of Stephen Sondheim and John Weidman’s carnival ride through the history of political violence Assassins. The previously announced production will run July 12-15 at City Center. Also set to appear in Assassins will be Steven Boyer (John Hinckley Jr.), John Ellison Conlee (Charles Guiteau), Clifton Duncan (The Balladeer), Shuler Hensley (Leon Czolgosz), Ethan Lipton (The Proprietor), Erin Markey (Lynette “Squeaky” Fromme), Cory Michael Smith (Lee Harvey Oswald) and Danny Wolohan (Samuel Byck). Assassins will be directed by Anne Kauffman, with music direction by Chris Fenwick and choreography by Lorin Latarro.

I will be adding more information about the show itself (plot, characters, songs, etc) and what we know from this production under the cut!

About Assassins

This is taken from the official Wikipedia page:

Assassins is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by John Weidman, based on an idea by Charles Gilbert, Jr. It uses the premise of a murderous carnival game to produce a revue-style portrayal of men and women who attempted (successfully or not) to assassinate Presidents of the United States. The music varies to reflect the popular music of the eras depicted.

The musical first opened Off-Broadway in 1990, and the 2004 Broadway production won five Tony Awards.

Stephen Sonheim is a very important musical composer, some of his most famous works include Sweeney Todd and Into The Woods.

You can watch a video recording of the 2004 production (It features Neil Patrick Harris as the Balladeer!) here, please don’t share this link too openly though.

The official cast recording (also from the 2004 production) can be found here.

About Cory’s Character

Most characters in this play used to be actual people who attempted/succeeded to assassinate the president of the Unites States. Cory will be playing Lee Harvey Oswald, who assassinated John F. Kennedy on November 22, 1963.

This is what the plot of Assassins says about Lee in the show, once again taken from the official Wikipedia page:

The scene changes to the sixth floor of the Texas School Book Depository. Lee Harvey Oswald sits with a radio and a pistol, preparing to kill himself, but he is interrupted by Booth. Surprising Oswald with intimate knowledge about his life, Booth slowly and carefully attempts to convince him not to become his own victim and to instead assassinate John F. Kennedy. Summoning the other assassins from the shadows, Booth tells Oswald that by joining them he will finally make a difference, but Oswald refuses. Booth tells him that in the future, when Hinckley’s room is searched, Oswald's biographies will be found. Summoning the voices of Arthur Bremer, Sirhan Sirhan and James Earl Ray, Booth tells Oswald that the key to the future is in his hands. Oswald tries to leave, but Zangara addresses him passionately in Italian, his words translated by the other assassins, imploring him to act so their own acts can come alive again. They tell him that he has the power to cause worldwide grief and inspire global passion about himself, a man the world has never cared or heard about. Calling themselves his family, the assassins sing, imploring Oswald to act. He crouches at the window and shoots ("November 22, 1963").

After the assassinations, a group of citizens recount what they were doing when they heard that the President had been killed and lament that even though only a single man died, the nation has changed forever ("Something Just Broke").

The assassins regroup once more at the shooting range, now with Oswald among their ranks, and they proudly restate their motto, "Everybody's got the right to be happy," before loading their guns and opening fire on the audience ("Everybody's Got the Right (Reprise)").

Lee’s costume usually included a plain, white shirt - so you can easily distinguish him from the other characters. His character is the last assassin that the play includes and therefore an important figure and plot point.

I haven’t watched all of Assassins yet but I’ve listened to most of the parts including Lee (especially November 22, 1963 is very important for his character). However, it’s important to remember that Lee Harvey was an actual person...that killed the president. The assassins themselves glorify their actions in this play - but the Balladeer (along with several other characters) and the overall show itself warn about how terrible their actions were. 

About The Production

Some info that @obfonteri gave me about how Encores productions at the New York City usually work:

“NYCC Enchores is probably the most renowed regional theatre located in midtown Manhatten. It’s not Broadway, it’s not Off-Broadway, but it’s the best professional theatre after that. In NYC nothing is “bigger” than Broadway as far as popularity for tourists and general public knowledge. But as far as quality of production and professionalism, it’s equal to broadway.

Big name Broadway actors do their shows there. It’s just...they do a season of shows with short runs. So instead of a Broadway or Off-Broadway show that has an extended or open-ended run, these shows play for a few weeks and then another show opens.”

And here is some more information about Encores at the NYCC from the Stubhub ticket site:

“The Encores! event is a stripped-down version of a hit musical that is meant to showcase the music over the costumes, staging and acting. The sets are minimal and the orchestra is enhanced. Each cast gets eight days of rehearsal and one dress rehearsal for the production, which lasts for five performances.

The New York City Center hosts the Encore! event. The beautiful center was built in 1923 and had its first concert of the New York Philharmonic in 1943. Since then, it has hosted many events, mostly dance and opera productions."

As you can see, this production won’t actually take that much time for Cory, he’ll be done by July 15th. I estimate that he’ll have time for Gotham while they are filming 4x04/4x05 - Ed staying frozen until then seems alright to me.

After Broadway or Off-Broadway shows, fans can usually go to the Stage Door and ask the actors for autographs or just...talk to them. This won’t as easy at NYCC, as it has multiple exists. Therefore, not every actor is guaranteed to leave the building through the Stage Door exit and talk to the fans. 

Nevertheless, people who are planning to see the show for Cory can still try to meet him after the show...let’s just not be creepy stalkers, he really doesn’t need that. In general, it’s important to respect him and the rest of the cast (or, for that matter, anyone else who’s involved in this production).

Nat (@obfonteri) is probably going to see the show and might make a few audio recordings. Video recordings are generally hard to make during theatre performances, as it’s usually prohibited. Maybe we’ll be lucky and get some sort of video recording - it’s not guaranteed, though.

If you’re curious about Cory’s singing voice, you can check out this Spotify playlist that I made. His most important songs in that playlist are Career Day, Show Me The Magic and Ordinary Day. They are taking from a 2011 production of “The Shaggs - Philosophy of the World”, in which he played the character Kyle Nelson. This is a sneak peak of the production, Cory can also be seen in it (tiny, pre-Gotham Cory, must be protected).

To conclude, I highly recommend those who are interested to check out the video recording (or the cast recording) from Assassins, it’s a really good show. And, if you live close to NYC, I deeply hope that you get the chance to buy tickets for the show! If you still have questions, you can contact either me or Nat, they were so wonderful to offer their support on this. Thank you all for reading this. Please like, reblog or share it otherwise, if you can!

[frostywindmademoan]

A Worthy Adversary

Pt. 7 in a multi chapter OC fic featuring Michael Gray

“She definitely got her licks in.” Arthur commented as he looked at all the hair and tooth. “Look at this, found a ring in the hallway. You’ll never guess what the insignia is.” Tommy held up a golden band. “Who’s is it?” John asked. “Somebody from the Cohen Clan.” Tommy tossed the ring to Michael who caught it and examined the Cohen family chest engraved on it. “Cohen? Like James Cohen, the bloke we offed?” Arthur pieced together.  “Fucking hell. The first bloke she helped us kill.” John realized.

“How the hell did they figure out who she is?” Michael practically growled. “Don’t get mad at us, we only know as much as you do. Now we have to get up off our asses and track the Cohen fucks down.” Tommy stormed out of the house, followed by the rest of the family. In an abandoned warehouse next to a factory Clara came too. She had a chain cuffed to her wrists and the chain was hung on a large industrial hook meant for lifting heavy equipment. Her arms were above her head and just the very tips of her toes could brush the ground. Her shoulders were going to be sore for weeks at best, but most likely they’d be dislocated. Her head pounded and blood dripped down her cheek from the gash on her head that was a result of it being smashed against the mirror. The noise from the factory next door would mask any sounds she made. “Ah, Rosie, you’re back with us.” Clara recognized the man who started to walk towards her. His head was also bleeding from where Clara had ripped a large portion of his hair out. “Who’s Rosie?” She played dumb. “Shut up you little whore!” He slapped her across the face. “I’m Clara! My name is Clara! I’m Clara Brehmen!” She fiend complete innocence and played the part of scared and innocent victim. “Bullshit!” A blow landed on Clara’s cheek. “Please! I’m telling the truth! I don’t know what’s happening!” She summoned crocodile tears. Exterior pain didn’t faze her. Bones can always heal. Clara didn’t care how many blows it’d take, she just had to convince them that she was innocent enough to keep alive. “What’s happening is that we’ve finally caught up to you! You offed our boss, my big brother! He went missing after going home with you.” The man spit at her. “I don’t know who your boss is! I’ve never hurt anyone! Please, I’m just Clara, I’m a nurse!” She pleaded. “You’re lying! Do you know how I know? We’ve been watching you! You’re Michael Gray’s bitch! One of my men recognized him from a scuffle gone south right before James disappeared. My little brother had his throat slit by that monster of yours! He got his little Rosie to help him kill my other brother!” The man punched her in the gut, causing her to wheeze and gasp for breath. “Please, I’m not Rosie! I’ve never killed anyone!” Clara gasped.”Stop lying to me! Now you’re gonna fucking tell me where James’ body is and where I can get my hands on Thomas Shelby!” He screamed at her. “Shelby? The Peaky Blinders boss? This has to do with them?” She acted confused. “So you know them then?” He raised an eyebrow at her. “Everyone in Birmingham does. They scare everyone. Nobody goes near them. I’ve never even talked to Tommy myself, I’ve always been told not to.” Clara half lied. It was true that people had told her to not get involved with the Shelbys, but she had obviously ignored the warnings. “Bullshit! You’re in bed with Michael Gray!” Another punch landed on her cheek. Clara didn’t appreciate the probable fracture in her zygomatic bone. “You’re going to give up Thomas Shelby right now, or I’m going to make you tell me!” He bellowed. “I don’t know anything to tell! I don’t know where he is!” She persisted. “Nicky, the blade.” The man held out his hand as a henchmen placed a glistening blade in it. “Give me Thomas Shelby.” He placed the knife under her chin. “I don’t know!” Clara continued to force tears. The man flicked the blade and cut a straight line across the bottom of her chin, causing blood the drip down her neck. She thought of Michael and hated how much he was going to loose it when he realized what was happening. “Are you going to cooperate now?” The man asked. “I told you! I don’t know anything!” Clara insisted. The man looked Clara up and down and had no shame in letting his eyes linger. “I see why Gray is so fond of fucking you. What’s his favorite bit? The tits? The ass? I personally enjoy a nice chest myself. Your tits are some of the best I’ve seen. I’m sure Gray would hate it if anything happened to them.” He gave a sadistic grin. Clara remained silent. He didn’t deserve a response. “Have it your way then.” His grin grew even more sickening. He raised the knife to her chest and sliced two 5 inch curves at the top of her breasts, tracing her cleavage. She thought to herself that this was going to leave an interesting scar. “Now talk!” He yelled at her. “I’ve already told you! I don’t know anymore about the Shelbys than anyone in Birmingham! All I know is they have a shop. I’ve never been in myself but a lot of the factory lads go. I think it’s just a few blocks over. They have a pub too. Everyone at the factory drinks there. I hear they hang around there a lot. That’s all I know!” She divulged very vague information. Clara hoped this would be enough for them to bite on and that they would go out to sweep the streets for the shop and pub. She quite liked her breast and would prefer the damage done to them to be minimal. “If you’re lying, you’re dead.” He warned before rounding up his henchmen to go split up and search the streets. “Alright Peaky boys, the ball’s in your court now.” She sighed, hoping that having the group split up would give the Peaky Blinders an advantage once an attack began.

“We don’t even know where to begin!” Michael exclaimed. “We know they’re based out of Liverpool.” John tried to help. “They can’t take her that far. They must have some place closer.” Michael reasoned. “I agree. Where do we know of a place you can move a girl to unnoticed?” Tommy tried to get their juices flowing. “Plenty of abandoned buildings around Small Heath. Lots of big warehouses around the factory. They could've taken her to the edge of town, away from people.” Finn offered suggestions. “Warehouses will be easily checked first, then houses. Lets split in to 2 groups and start looking. If need be we’ll all get back together to go search out of town. That’ll be a lot of area to cover.” Tommy began to formulate a plan. “I’ll take warehouses.” Michael stated. “Take John and Finn with you. Arthur and I’ll cover the houses.” The group all scattered and started to head to their respective locations. They didn’t get very far before shots started to ring out in the street. The henchmen, Nicky, had found them. The wild west seemed to come to Small Heath. A full on shoot out ensued. The other Cohen crew members converged on the scene to back Nicky up. Michael was overcome with rage. As others took cover and shot around the corners of alleys as a way to somewhat shielding themselves, Michael walked right down the middle of the street with his gun held out before him. “Get the fuck down Michael!” Tommy shouted. Michael ignored him and just kept walking. It seemed that by the grace of God Michael had some protective barrier around him. It was as if his drive to get to Clara made him invincible. Bullet’s whizzed past, close enough that he could hear them cut through the air, but none hit their mark. Michael, however, hit all of his marks. In his intensely focused and fearless state, he easily shot the Cohens. In his murderous stupor he gave the Peaky Blinders a clear advantage. They had clearly won the wild west shoot out. The only Cohen left standing was the middle brother. “Well, well, well. Richard Cohen.” Tommy walked up to the brother with his gun pointed right at his temple. “Where the fuck is Clara?!” Michael grabbed Richard by the collar and pushed him up against the nearest wall. “So the little bitch’s name really is Clara.” He chuckled. Michael slammed his head against the wall, causing fresh blood to spill onto his cheek. “WHERE IS SHE?!” Michael screamed. “A warehouse, by the factory.” Richard was dizzy and light headed and didn’t have the where with all to lie. “Take us.” Tommy pressed the gun to Richard’s head, prompting him to  lead the way. Richard stumbled his way back to the warehouse where Michael frantically slid the door open. “Shit.” Michael gasped when he saw Clara hanging there. “Clara!” He rushed over to her and was consumed with panic as he tried to see if she was alive. He lifted her head and to his overwhelming relief she smiled at him. “Hello Michael.” Her voice was weak, but she was clearly still the same tough as nails little girl. “Oh my God Clara.” He gave a thankful sigh of relief. “Wanna give me a hand?” She looked up at her hanging arms. “Shit, yeah.” Michael gently lifted her up enough to slip the chain off of the hook. Clara groaned as her stiff muscles fell back to her side. The other Shelbys made it to her side and began to fret over her. “Are you alright love?” John gently inspected the gash on her head. “Jesus Christ your chin!” Finn exclaimed. “This is too much blood. We have to get you out of here.” Tommy put a helping arm around her shoulder. “What about my mate over there?” Clara nodded towards Richard, who was sitting on the ground with his head in his hands. “He’s mine.” Michael growled as he set off towards him. “Do you want to know the last words your brother heard before I slit his throat? Just before his skin ripped under my hand I said, ‘You never get to touch my girl again.’” Michael didn’t bother with aiming for the vertebrae. He wanted to feel the blood on him, to feel the skin slice beneath his knife. Michael relished seeing the light leave Richard’s eyes.  “C’mon mate she needs a proper hospital. We can’t patch her up. We’ll pay whoever we need to as much as we need to in order to keep this quiet.” Tommy promised him. “You can’t show up at the hospital in all that blood though mate. We can’t keep that quiet.” Finn put a hand on Michael’s shoulder when he began to lead the way out the door. “I’m not fucking leaving her!” Michael shouted. “He’s right Michael. You’ll be in deep shit showing up there like that.” Clara agreed. Something in her voice convinced him. “Alright, get her there quick.”

Chapter List Here

[dillydallydance]

Let’s say I synced my year on the lunar calendar, which will give a kind of excuse for this year’s delay in publishing lists (an exercise that still tickles my rational/irrational relationship to music).

This year saw the beginning (and then a complete neglect) of dddance+microclimat office playlists. The year in music then revolved much more than usual on single songs, one-hit discoveries, music blogs, spotify+deezer recommendations, etc. A few numbers explanation: In a way the list could have been quite long, but here are the 100 most played/curious songs. Ranking mattered only for the first 75, so it starts in alphabetical order. This is a much different exercise than ranking albums: I focus on replays, songs I shared, songs that were contagious to others.

Here is the playlist in full:

via SPOTIFY

ALSO ON DEEZER HERE

Adult Jazz – Eggshell

Bess Atwell - Cobbled Streets

Cass McCombs - Opposite House

Drake - One Dance

Explosions in the Sky - Desintegration Anxiety

Flume - Smoke & Retribution (feat. Vince Staples & Kučka)

Francis and the Lights - Friends (feat. Bon Iver)

Griefjoy - Scream Structure

Her - Five Minutes

Honus Honus – Santa Monica

Justice - Safe and Sound

La Femme - Le Sphynx

Lady Gaga – Joanne

Mark Pritchard - Beautiful People (feat. Thom Yorke)

Masasolo - Really Thought She Loved Me

Midnight Faces - Heavenly Bodies

Miya Folick - I Got Drunk

Nicolas Jaar - Killing Time

Niki & the Dove - So Much it Hurts

Plants and Animals - No Worries Gonna Find Us

Two Door Cinema Club - Bad Decisions

We Are Wolves - Wicked Games

Wilco - If I Ever Was a Child

Wild Beasts - Get My Bang

Wild Nothing - Reich Pop

75. Adele - Send My Love (To Your New Lover)

Always start the list with a pretty good joke. I know this album is 2015, but this single is 2016, and I danced on that in the office, sang it in a Karaoke in Tokyo and here I am a single-only Adele fan !

74. Rihanna - Work (feat. Drake)

73. Leonard Cohen - You Want it Darker

72. Larry Gus - At Your Desk

71. Moby & The Void Pacific Choir - Are You Lost In The World Like Me

70. Childish Gambino - Redbone

69. Car Seat Headrest - Fill in the Blank

68. Suuns – Translate

67. Radiation City – Separate

66. Preoccupations – Anxiety

65. Massive Attack - Voodoo in My Blood (feat. Young Fathers)

64. Bat For Lashes - Sunday Love

63. Animal Collective - Golden Gal

62. Islands - The Joke

61. James Blake - I Hope My Life

60. Kendrick Lamar - untitled 06 | 06.30.2014

59. The Avalanches – If I Was a Folkstar

58. Yeasayer - Gerson's Whistle

57. Peter Bjorn and John - Breakin' Point

56. Palace Winter - Positron

55. Prism Tats - Death or Fame

54. Deakin - JUST AM

53. Funeral Suits - Tree Of Life 

52. Los Porcos - Do You Wanna Live?

51. Dinner - Turn Me On

50. Bibio – Petals

49. Local Natives - Past Lives

48. Izzy Bizu - Someone That Loves You

47. LUH – I&I

46. The Kills - Doing It To Death

45. Blood Orange - “Best to You” (ft. Empress Of)

44. Cullen Omori - Synthetic Romance

43. Metronomy - Back Together

42. Methyl Ethel - Idée Fixe

41. PJ Harvey - The Wheel

40. Father John Misty - Real Love Baby

39. Mind Enterprises – Girlfriend

38 Devendra Banhart - Middle Names

37. Money - You Look Like a Sad Painting on Both Sides of the Sky

36. James Supercave - Virtually a Girl

35. Christine and the Queens - It

34. Beyonce - Formation

33. Austra - Future Politics

32. The Palms - Push Off

31. Michael Kiwuanuka - Love & Hate

30. Porches - Be Apart

29. The Weeknd - Starboy (feat. Daft Punk)

28. Globelamp - Controversial/Confrontational

27.The 1975 - Somebody Else

26. The XX - On Hold

25. Yoko Ono - Soul Got Out of the Box (feat. Portugal. The Man)

24. Anohni - Drone Bomb Me

23. Kanye West – FML

22. Júníus Meyvant - Color Decay

21. Operators - Cold Light

20. David Bowie - Blackstar

19. Julien Doré - Le Lac

18. Rae Sremmurd - Black Beatles (feat. Gucci Mane)

17. Jarryd James - Do You Remember (feat. Raury)

16. Andrew Bird - Left Hand Shake (feat. Fiona Apple)

15. Hamilton Leithauser + Rostam - In a Black Out

14. Georgia - Move Systems

13. Empress Of - Woman Is a Word

12. Beck – Wow

11. The Last Shadow Puppets – Aviation

10. Glass Animals - Life Itself

Glass Animals discuss How to be a Human Being with sass and swag, tackling the ridicule of some scenes of “life itself”, with a sense of derision felt equally in lyrics, synths and guitars. You can bounce your ass off as he admits “I can't get a job so I live with my mum / I take her money but not quite enough / I make my own fun in grandmama's basement / Said I look mad, she said I look wasted”.

09. Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros - Hot Coals

This band involves quite a bunch of people, but rarely do they connect as much as they do on "Hot Coals", a jazzy, expansive number that breezes through a tickled intro, sexy and lively arrangements, percussive transitions, a piano-horns climax and a quiet landing that revolves around one of Alex Ebert’s rare displays of seriousness and humility (he’s usually quite annoying). The line "Stay the fuck in my heart" is aggressive, while the massive build-up is softly supporting it. The song is in full possession of the band’s collective skills.

08. Damien Jurado - Exit 353

Visions Of Us On the Land marks the end of a prolific album trilogy. Jurado’s voice is unique: tearful and brittle on acoustic songs. It’s also interrogative and existential, when he tackles the grandeur of of a spiritual journey, as on “Exit 353”. “You were with me all along / I let go and you held strong” is a transcendent contrast to the final part of the song where he acknowledges, in a loop, “I was alone there / I was alone then”. His state of grace, on the land, in the country, or within himself, becomes ours in a true grasp of communal beauty.

07. Loney Dear – Hulls   +    SOHN – Rennen

I don’t know how to characterize Loney Dear’s music, especially as I discovered him with “Airport Surroundings”, a song quite at odd with the rest of his catalogue. But this guy can haunt with all sorts of minimalism (hear the early “Harm” and “Distant”). ‘Hulls’ does that in a ferocious way, disturbing with piercing pulses and sharp words about estrangement. It climaxes subtly, sharing in part the tortured violence of not being loved back.

“Rennen” from Sohn picks up the same mood as with his previous album, Tremors. It’s isolated (this time literally, as Christopher Taylor secluded himself in Northern California to record his new album). It’s icy, nocturnal and pretty damn soothing. As the rest of the album again shows him to be clumsy in motives and styles, his voice is self-assured of its beauty, and emerges as one of the most pristine foreground to the kind electronic anxieties he puts forward.

06. Radiohead Burn the Witch – Daydreaming - Decks Dark - Present Tense

I always use the stupid first-grade imagery of music that makes you float, but if a band truly has the power to challenge gravity’s configuration, Radiohead reshuffle again the palpable arrangements of upright rock/electronic music, with guitar, bass, synth and drum sounds all muddled to uplift Yorke’s newfound transparency. It’s not to say that the band settled on a desirable balance between clarity and ambiguity, but a few, scarce moments of contrast bring the most rewarding seconds on the album: as “Identikit” is set afloat by Ed’s back vocals (and that choir!), Jonny conflicts the tones up and down with one of his crudest electric solo (see also the final of “Decks Dark”, with raw bass and guitar lines framing an highlight on the album). It’s Jonny too that, bringing magnificent string orchestrations, makes the record sound pastoral and idyllic even in its gloomiest moments. The contrasts are truly atmospheric, and serve as a support to a clear theme of “lightness”, persistent in the lyrics (am I really writing about Radiohead and lightness?). “Present Tense” offers such mutation in the singer’s cynicism, in a way that one can actually believe him when he sings “Don’t get heavy / Keep it light and / Keep it moving”, backed with some of the loveliest and charming music ever penned by the band (choir vs. echoed vocals vs. old-fashioned continental fingerpicking). Such words ultimately make me the most liberated too, as if I’ve watched old cousin struggle for more than 20 years, reaching a point where he embraces enlightenment: “With my spirit light / Totally alive / Totally released”.

05. M83 – Solitude

The retro-looking music of M83 always toyed with a form of adolescent, dream-like purity. It’s lovely when it’s innocent and doesn’t make sense. The whole world discovered that it could also be exhilarating with 2011’s “Midnight City”, or saturated with immature happiness on Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming. M83 gives the music for those who want to feel small and silly in a big world. But this year’s Junk also proved that the cool-irony gets clumsy when that vintage obsession is overblown. Yet, “Solitude” is all that: it’s excessive and immoderate. It’s superb, grandiose, melodramatic, and lavish. And to the credit of Gonzales, it’s also immensely skilled and savvy.      

04. The Tallest Man on Earth – Rivers

A sweeter voice, less Dylan, evermore Matsson. Fingerpicking magic. The song is delicate and poignant. The bareness of its first half is slowly lifted by soft horns and subtle piano notes. This guy is steadily good.  

03. Whitney - No Woman

At the moment when I feel that indie music has not many ways left to re-characterize itself (indie is a ‘character’, right?), two former Smith Westerns guys come out with the perfect indie-folk song, making that indie thing as relevant as ever. And they do so without reinventing a single ingredient: a vacillating falsetto, inexpensive Em-A-G chords known for bringing down cynicism in an instant, a mythic-american narrative of isolation and drifting the land looking for a sense of purpose. It’s solitude without pathos (thanks to those horns). It’s sad and beautiful. It’s humble and hopeful. It knocks you down in less than 4 minutes, simple, competent and candid. I shared this song the most this year, usually with the same immediate response: “yeah, I’m hooked too”.

02. Frank Ocean - Pink + White

The fact that I’m not so passionate about R&B or soul music kept me unreasonably distant from Frank Ocean. It trickles down also (shamefully) as an involuntary estrangement with some of the most relevant black voices elevating the contemporary cultural discourse. I mean, I can go to sleep to Billie Holiday’s “Strange Fruit” and wake up to Kendrick’s “Alright”, but I missed out on the latest of D’Angelo, Miguel, and yes, Solange and Beyonce. “Channel Orange” is revered on every sides of the universe, but it surprisingly never gave me the thrills. I read of how much of a talented singer-songwriter he is, and can’t deny any of the praises thrown at his relevance and his voice. But a few blogposts from him also hinted at a profound humanity, which kept me curious to whatever he (seldom) chooses to sing about. And here I am in 2016, finally joining the collective applauses, abusing of his ineffable empathy, worshiping the true beauty of his sensibility. Compared to the previous album, the R&B tag isn’t that obvious, probably due to the album’s deliberate minimalism. He dissolves any need for labels, cuts instead his flesh open, and makes his bowels sing along some of the most creative melodies of the year. It’s raw yet meticulous, comforting yet secretive, avant-garde yet immediately rewarding. Blond ended up as one of the albums I replayed the most this year. The combination “White Ferrari” and “Seigfried” are so well crafted in introspection and intimacy, it’s like you can hear him bleed (also, thanks Jonny Greenwood). I’m guilty of choosing also the duo of “Ivy” and “Pink+White” in particular, especially as the latest is the most immediately likable song here. But damn, how willingly am I grooving along the pristine voice, breezing with the chill and sensuous summer melody. It’s 2016’s song for walk-grooving on bass and piano tempos, set adrift on dreamlike lyrics and imageries. This is smooth smooth smooth. I’m glad I’m now fully onboard with this Ocean guy.

01. Bon Iver - 33 "GOD"

What the fuck is this guy singing about? “Holocene” was arguably one of the prettiest songs of the last decade, but there is this line about “laying waste on Halloween” that makes it surprisingly mundane. The whole ‘mood’ of such songs aligns with the Divine, yet any attempt to dissect it (maybe no one should) shows rather a collection of references to everyday places and times. It is an undeniable signature of Justin Vernon that whichever mediums he works with (may it be the resonance of elementary guitar chords, the cold echoes of autotune, or stretched electronic pulses), human-scale alienations will dominate, and will be collected into a transcendent ‘mood’. And for me Vernon is exactly that: not much of a skilled musician, but a skilled collector, a curator. Fragments of sounds and words are built in such a universal and relatable image-space; vaporous lines draw contours of quotidian episodes; passages are momentarily crafted between memories and estrangements. He gives order to what are merely fleeting impressions of the world. In “33, ‘GOD’”, when Vernon juggles aptly from sacred allusions (“I could go forward in the light”) to everyday realisms (“Well I better fold my clothes”), his questions, struggles and uncertainties briefly take shape as an engaging and responsive ghost figure. The most enduring appeal of Vernon is to do so without veering into overconsciousness, without sounding like a self-professed guru of ‘crystal healing’ bullshit (or in the case of this song, “bird shit”). Like most, I breastfeed shamelessly on the allusive accessibility of the opening piano line, or the immediacy of words like “I’d be happy as hell if you stayed for tea”. But later these tangible trajectories quickly dissolve in foreground/background disorienting dialogues. Vernon’s vision traces a mythical path in such conflicting suggestions, a path that varies with each listening, and probably will vary with the next albums to come. His voice, as always, will remain the only trustable, guiding structure.

In only 10 years, Vernon positioned himself as that father figure, for me and the music industry. Has it been only 3 albums? He gave voice to many with his own festival in Eau Claire, and assured his presence through numerous collaborations of all scales (from Kanye to this year’s Francis and the Light). Bon Iver were once revered as an easy folk band, but it appears ‘logical’ and ‘in line’ with this ascension that “22, A Million” is their most experimental and obscure record. It’s quite claustrophobic in fact compared even to the cabin made “C Em Am Em” sing-along progressions. This voluntary opacity isn’t a surprise also for bands struggling with 2nd or 3rd albums, panicked with stardom (or grammys). The result is too often a naive form of conceptual obscurantism, a way to shout something like: “People give me credits, but I’m not obvious. I’m genuine. I’m fucked up. I’m a dark creator.” To be honest, it is slightly the case here: the album’s cryptic visuals and song titles are mysterious (or fucked-up) for about 2 minutes, but perdure as uninteresting, unnecessary packaging gimmicks. Still, the album, and “33, ‘GOD’” in particular, ranks on the good side of the catchy-experimental trend, as Vernon got us accustomed to use his pervasive vulnerability as the code-cracking tool to float over the opacity of his text. It is an intimate, subtle, relationship, and here again his trademark voice will succeed to draw you as close as always.

LISTEN TO THE COMPLETE PLAYLIST HERE

via SPOTIFY

ALSO ON DEEZER HERE

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