#the one who would love listening to metal music is SONIC

[tavolgisvist]

I was always interested in finding out what have happens on the photo. What gave them the idea of depict Paul's funeral: why the funeral, why Paul? Well…I have an answer, I suppose

More legendary than most, however, were a band briefly signed to Brian, the Big Three. Other musicians on the scene seemed to regard this band with awe. They were the original power trio, real sonic bruisers who’d built themselves the biggest amplifiers - nicknamed Coffins - that anyone had ever seen.

(Liverpool - Wondrous Place by Paul Du Noyer, 2002)

Epstein made his way to the Cavern club to see the group perform at a lunchtime session on November 9th. He wrote later that he had never seen anything like The Beatles on any stage. <…> "I loved their ad libs and I was fascinated by this, to me, new music with its pounding bass beat and its vast, engulfing sound." <…> The "pounding" bass that Epstein described was due in part to a new addition to The Beatles' equipment line-up. In the early 1960s there was really no such thing as a proper bass amplifier. Most bass players would use the most powerful guitar amplifier that they could get their hands on. But these were not designed for bass guitar, and did not provide the deep, throbbing bass tones that bass guitarists wanted. As The Beatles evolved their sound and Best perfected his "atomic beat" the group were searching for a stronger and more solid bass sound.

The band considered by many to be the loudest and most aggressive in Liverpool was The Big Three. They bad started out as Cass & The Cassanovas, a four-piece until leader and frontman Brian Casser left during the beginning of 1961. The remaining members stayed together to form The Big Three: Johnny Gustafson on bass, guitarist Adrian Barber, and Liverpool's loudest drummer, Johnny Hutchinson, on the skins.

Barber says that when they became a trio there was an instant problem: he and Gustafson weren't loud enough to project over Hutchinson's drumming. Even the relatively punchy Selmer Truvoice amp was not enough. Barber, however, had an interest in electronics from his days in the merchant navy. <…> Barber went out and bought a book about loudspeakers produced by G A Briggs, who owned the British Wharfedale speaker company, and inside he found construction details for various sizes of cabinets. "I decided on one, and Denis Kealing said he could get me a 15-inch speaker," recalls Barber. "I built a set-up for the bass guitar and for the vocal, in a cabinet about five feet tall by about 18 inches square. <…> I used that and mounted it in a metal ammunitions case, so we could carry it around without killing it. Johnny Gustafson used it as his bass amp, and it was very successful. "When we carried it we bad to lower it on its side, because it was long and skinny. The first time we took it down to the Cavern, we struggled down the tiny stairs there. As we carried this black-painted thing across the room it looked just like a coffin - and that's how it got its name: the Coffin. Now, the Cavern was the underground basement of a warehouse, with three vaulted brick-built archways. Over the years water had seeped down and brought calcium deposits with it, which had settled in the ceiling bricks. So when Johnny plucked that first bass note it was like a shower of snow corning down. People went, 'Wow look at that … and listen to that.' So we were really impressed, and I got ambitious at that point." <…> Other bands began to notice the relative sophistication of The Big Three's amplification, especially the bass gear. "Liverpool wasn't a competitive scene, before it got commercial," explains Barber. '"All the bands co-operated with one another and backed each other up. It was a cool scene, and I started to build these things for other people. Paul McCartney asked me to make him a Coffin. It had a single 15-inch speaker in a reflex-ported cabinet, with two chrome handles and wheels on the side."

McCartney started to use a Barber Coffin speaker cabinet during the late part of 1961. <…> McCartney himself recalls, "Adrian made me a great bass amp that he called the Coffin. And, man! Suddenly that was a total other world. That was bass as we know it now. It was like reggae bass: it was just too right there. It was great live." Pete Best too remembers the Coffin. "Neil Aspinall and I used to carry it. Every couple of shows there'd be a flight of stairs which you had to carry this thing up, and it was then we'd wonder why he couldn't have got something smaller. We'd have sweat streaming off us. But the beauty of it was, with all the laughing and joking aside, it did produce a great sound. The first time Paul plugged it in and used it, we just said my god, this is incredible. It added to The Beatles sound."

(Beatles Gear: All the Fab Four's Instruments from Stage to Studio Hardcover by Andy Babiuk, 2010)

So, I guess, Paul is lying on his bass amp that they called the Coffin - and it's the reason of the pantomime on the photo.

[1-800-crscnt]

-music taste hcs for some clones, more under the cut-

Fox: likes slow songs with meaning you really have to dig for + minimal instrumental + soft but clear vocals & the type of rock music you'd find in sonic amvs from the early 2010s. Occasionally likes a very upbeat songs of most genres, usually as a distraction or quick motivator. HATES short songs (≤ 2 minutes long) and complains about it a lot to Thorn and Doom.

Thorn: likes metal, rock, rap, & punk, but listens to a lot of fast-paced electronic music too. Prefers songs that sound grim, screamy, or just sound like if the vocalists were out to get him. Doesn't like super happy pop music that much, but will endure it and occasionally dance if one of his brothers really likes it enough to dance first.

Stone: loves relaxing non-vocal music, but will sometimes listen to songs with it if the vocals are soft/flat and relatable. Other from that, isn't too picky about what he listens to. Prefers a lot of what I call "background / daydream" music, and is the number one hour-looped game ost fan. likes to hum along. can't stand fast-paced songs.

Thire: doesn't listen to music. it weirds everyone out besides Stone, who finds it "predictable". if he had to choose, it would be between breakcore or R&B. He's mostly using his experience and knowledge from parties he's been to and people he's watched/interacted with to choose what songs he "likes" so people stop bothering about him not listening to music.

Hound: loves EVERYTHING literally EVERYTHING. always wants to discover more music, but prefers more lullaby-like songs because they help him focus and sleep. Jazz and hip-hop are also high ranking on his mental list because he likes dancing and singing along to them, but he doesn't get chances to listen to either of those very often.

Cody: generally likes any song about the high and/or lows of romance with very emotional & strong vocals because he likes learning about different views on love, but likes a bit of psychedelic rock. Doesn't actually listen to music that much, and doesn't go out of his way to do so, might actually even pass up a completely harmless chance if offered.

Rex: likes a LOT of rock subgenres but hates dubstep completely. prefers a deep bass somewhere in the music he does listen to, and music criticizing messed up parts of society. loves shoegaze and the grungy rock you'd hear in games from the early 2000s. is very quiet about this, so most people assume he's just too serious to like music, and he doesn't correct this.

Wolffe: listens to metal and goth music, doesn't have a preference for any specific subgenre. honestly doesn't listen to music that much and tends to pass up chances just like Cody does, but mostly because he thinks it's too distracting. doesn't hate any sort of music, but says he hates random ones to mess with other people.

Doom: into most music actually, but goes out of his way to avoid listening to it in front of people, so all this music discovery is accidental on his part. gets strangely embarrassed about people knowing anything about him, and denies even caring about music. has a heavy preference for anything jazz and disco, but doesn't like metal or hip-hop that much. Avoids depressing songs when he can.

Bacara: is like Thire and doesn't listen to music. doesn't care about it, probably won't ever, and has no opinion about music at all. May find lyrics strange, and (rarely) question people for listening to "something that stupid", but genuinely couldn't care less as long as it doesn't distract anybody.

[pinkcreamypeach]

Sonic x shadow Generations Takeover

My thoughts/Feelings

Huge ahh word dump

1. Shadow and Amy going to Hot Honey and Sabrina concerts just makes perfect sense. I like to headcanon him as someone who enjoys heavy metal, but also has a soft spot for pop music. Maybe he even listens to blonde singers with blue eyes because they remind him of Maria? Shadow might be a gothic hedgehog, but deep down, he’s a softie. It’s adorable when he hangs out with Amy; no wonder people ship them! And him actually agreeing to go shopping with Sonic? That’s too precious. The race to the shoe store is just hilarious. Also, Shadow being weirded out by monkeys not wearing pants is an amusing little detail.

2. Shadow actually enjoys spending time with Big the Cat, which is such a surprise! I can totally picture Shadow smiling on their fishing trips together. Black Doom sending Shadow to Radical Highway to hurt him makes sense for the character, but of course, Shadow is stronger. Shadow and Sonic’s horrible drawing skills are hilarious, too. I like to think Silver is the best artist out of the three, and I love how Shadow respects both Silver and Tails, even though he’d probably dropkick an 8-year-old if they were in the wrong place at the wrong time.

3. Did Maria train with Shadow too? I wonder if she was working on physical therapy or strengthening her immune system. I’m curious. The two of them playing chess together is such a wholesome thought, especially since Gerald taught Shadow how to play. The Ark family really holds a special place in my heart. Shadow being a bookworm makes sense as well—Maria and Shadow probably spent a lot of time reading on the Ark. Since Maria is a Robotnik, and so is Shadow technically, he had to stay sharp and always think strategically.

4. Sonic and Shadow’s first experience with becoming Super is a fun dynamic. Sonic had an easier time due to his hyperactivity, while Shadow found it easy to transform but needed to focus to keep it under control. It really reflects their personalities. Maria would be so happy seeing Shadow and Abraham actually communicate and get along. Even though their phone call was awkward, they don’t hate each other.

5. Shadow doesn’t mind Cubot, but he finds Orbot’s unnaturally spherical shape pretty irritating. Shadow is definitely a black coffee person, while Sonic is more of a latte guy—perfect match! Shadow acting like he doesn’t believe in ghosts, despite constantly dealing with the ghosts of his past, is kind of ironic. Sonic can never quite scare Shadow, no matter how hard he tries with his cheap jumpscares. Shadow’s love for Doom Morph and Sonic’s jealousy over it is just hilarious, especially when Shadow flexes.

6. Shadow finds lovely Mexico City and probably a special fondness for Latinas. He also values proper education and time management, which would make him a pretty strict parent if he ever had kids. Sonic actually gets a compliment from Shadow at one point, even if it’s about his blackhead—it’s adorable!

[mayhem-things]

Euronymous x reader /Rory Culkin

1389 words

Topic: Euronymous and Y/N meet at a concert and soon they spend every second together until they admit their feelings in the woods

(This is only dedicated to the movie lord of chaos and not based on the real Øystein btw.)

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In the darkened corridors of the Norwegian music scene, a tale of passion and creativity unfolded. Øystein Aarseth, better known as Euronymous, a founding member of the influential black metal band Mayhem, crossed paths with a woman who would change his life forever. Her name was Y/N, a mysterious and enigmatic soul who was drawn to the allure of darkness and music.

She had always been captivated by the intensity and raw power of Mayhem's music. She saw in Euronymous a kindred spirit—a tormented artist seeking to push boundaries and create something truly groundbreaking. Little did she know that their paths would intertwine in a way that would ignite flames of both love and chaos.

One fateful evening, Y/N attended a Mayhem concert in Oslo, it was one of their first ones. As the band took the stage and unleashed their sonic assault, she found herself lost in the swirling maelstrom of sound. Amidst the chaos, her eyes met Euronymous's gaze, and in that moment, a connection was forged—a connection that went beyond the music.

After the show, she decided to approach Euronymous, her heart pounding in her chest while they loaded their equipment into their truck. She spoke of her admiration for his work, their shared passion for the macabre, and the desire to create something truly extraordinary. She couldn't help but compliment the unique and dark performance, describing it as if the underworld and taste of death fulfilled her soul in happiness. Euronymous, intrigued by her unwavering dedication, invited her to join him to his place. His eyes locked with hers and he looked down her frame, judging her appearance even further. His orbs couldn't hide the attraction he felt towards her and gladly she accepted his invitation.

They hit it off instantly and that night they shared all their thoughts and dreams of death, Satan and the dark hiding inside the souls of the two. It was like they were the same person, agreeing in all topics and as if they found some sort of soulmate. As the night found to an end Euronymous and Y/N exchanged numbers to stay in contact and so the next days they shared over text, calls and he would even invite her to get a taste of their unreleased soundtracks. With admiration she would eagerly listen to his passionate unique guitar riffs, her eyes following his slender pale hands placed on the instrument.

Days of spending together turned into weeks, and Y/N became an integral part of Mayhem's inner circle. She poured her creativity into the band, infusing her own dark melodies and haunting lyrics. Øystein was grateful to be in presence of her words and thoughts as he enjoyed every second of her attention. Her presence inspired Euronymous, pushing him to explore new territories and redefine the boundaries of black metal.

Under the cover of dawn, in the woods Euronymous and Y/N found themselves alone, their hearts heavy with unspoken desires, as they ran through the forest with no certain goal except for being free. The both of them felt heartaches almost as in sync because of their shared longing to finally admit to their feelings. The air crackled with tension as their eyes met, both realizing that the time had come to reveal the depths of their feelings, finally deepen their bond while overstepping the line of just being bandmates. They both came to an halt as she opened her mouth, thinking about how to phrase her words. Y/N, her voice trembling slightly, whispered,

"Øystein, there's something I need to tell you."

Her eyes, shimmering with a mix of nervousness and affection, bore into his soul. A wave of anticipation washed over them, their breaths mingling in the charged atmosphere. With a surge of courage, Y/N reached out, her hand gently cupping Euronymous's cheek. Her touch ignited a spark that traveled through both of their bodies, a current of electricity pulsing between them.

Leaning closer, their lips barely brushing, they indulged in the sweetness of the moment. Unexpectedly soft and tender, their kiss deepened, their mouths melding together in a symphony of passion and longing. The world around them faded away as they surrendered to the intensity of their emotions, their souls intertwining in an unbreakable bond.

Their kiss spoke volumes, a language of desire and understanding that words could never convey. With every breath they shared, the weight of their unspoken affections dissolved, replaced by a shared understanding that their hearts beat as one, not only for satanic black metal but for each other.

Time seemed to stand still as they explored each other's lips, a dance of fire and ice. They lost focus of their surrounding and so they tripped, falling to the ground in addition they lied between the green leaves of the forest. Their bodies pressed closer with Øystein on top of her, an embrace born from a connection that surpassed mere physical attraction. In that moment, their souls entwined, finding solace and completion in each other's presence, the kiss still going as they didn't care about anything else in the world right now.

As their lips reluctantly parted, they remained locked in a silent embrace, their foreheads resting against each other's. His hair was hanging in her face yet it wasn't bothering her at all. She raised her hand, not breaking the eye-contact while doing so, and brushed his strand of hair behind his ear to get an even better look of his facial features. Their eyes, now filled with a newfound clarity, mirrored the depth of their emotions.

"I love you, Øystein"

She whispered, her voice carrying the weight of a thousand emotions.

Euronymous, his eyes brimming with tenderness, replied, "And I love you, Y/N. You've awakened something within me that I thought was lost forever." His words admitted that he warmed up inside, feeling like he hasn't in a long time. He always claimed to have no friends in addition from pushing any feelings away, however he couldn't ignore the emotion of feeling drawn to her or the way he longed for her lips to meet his.

Their words hung in the air, sealing their connection with an invisible bond. In that moment, they knew that their love was a force to be reckoned with—a flame that would burn brightly, defying the darkness that surrounded them.

But as their love blossomed, so did the dark forces that surrounded them. Jealousy and resentment seeped into the hearts of some of their fellow bandmates. They couldn't bear the thought of Euronymous sharing his creative spotlight with anyone else, especially a girl who could potentially kill their image of being cruel and heartless.

The tensions reached a boiling point one night when Mayhem's rehearsal session took a tragic turn. A violent confrontation erupted between Euronymous and the enraged jealous Varg, resulting in Euronymous's untimely death. Devastated by the loss, Y/N was left shattered, her dreams of creating something extraordinary ripped away from her.

In the aftermath, she retreated from the music scene, consumed by grief and anger. But deep down, she knew that she had to carry on Euronymous's legacy. With the fire of vengeance burning in her heart, she picked up her guitar and began to weave together her own dark symphony.

Y/N formed her own band, channeling her pain and rage into every note. She dedicated her performances to Euronymous, vowing to honor his memory by pushing the boundaries of black metal even further. Her talent and dedication garnered attention, and soon her music resonated with fans worldwide.

In the end, Y/N's journey was one of resilience and determination. She rose from the ashes, carrying Euronymous's spirit within her as she forged a path of her own. Their love, although short-lived, had ignited a spark that would burn eternally in the annals of black metal history.

And so, the legend of Euronymous and Y/N would forever be entwined—a tragic and powerful tale of love, creativity, and the unyielding pursuit of musical darkness.

[milesconure]

Some new Freemakers headcanons:

if Freemakers lived in modern world, Kordi would absolutely love flannel shirts,

Rowan SORT OF knows how to cook or at least knows some recipes. Since Kordi and Zander often didn't want his help in the workshop, Rowan would help out Roger in the kitchen which would make him memorize some recipes. Rowan would be able to cook something edbile from easier recipes although he would probably make lot of mess and mistakes. He would be a decent cook if Kordi, Zander and Roger trusted him enough with the kitchen so he could practice (they don't trust him),

when it comes to music taste, Kordi would listen to music from 80s and 90s. Her favourite band would be Depeche Mode,

Rowan would be the type of person who would listen to music and songs from his favourite video games. I do like to think that he would be a Sonic fan so he would be listening to music from those games, probably some fan songs too (FNaF probably). Although when it comes to 16 year old Rowan, I see him liking rock and Three Days Grace would be his favourite band,

Zander doesnt' have any particular music genre he enjoys. He would be the kind of person who would listen to the radio and just vibe with whatever was on,

Naare would listen to metal, any kind with lots of screaming. But I also see her listening to rock bands like Dead Posey,

Aside from music, Kordi would listen to lots of videos like "calming rain sounds" or just ASMR videos. Those would be the only things keeping her calm and relaxed,

Both Kordi and Rowan are the type of people hiding their injuries from others. Zander scolds both of them,

Just like Kordi and Rowan, Zander also suffers from nightmares quite often, although his nightmares never wake him up,

Joining the Empire was not really Naare's choice. She was stolen when she was a child and trained from the early years. She would be actually a decent person if she was never taken away from wherever she came from.

the older Rowan got, the more he began to sneak out of the house (ship?) during the night to go to the workshop. Sometimes it's because of nightmares, sometimes because of the energy and the need to do something and sometimes because of sudden inspiration to create. Kordi would stop him at first, but then she would let it slide, being aware that Rowan is simply growing up,

Becky would be really quick at letting Zander know that she wants to have a kid with him. It would be a difficult topic for Zander to discuss, because he would have a hard time seeing himself as a responsible dad. Basically he would be quite scared that he's not ready,

when Moxie was born, Zander and Becky often needed babysitter to take care of her. Kordi and Rowan would often gladly help out, but most of the time they were quite busy too. Zander then decided to give that job to Roger and the droid got extremely emotional because of that. Taking care of Moxie often reminded Roger when he took care of Zander,

Kordi never ended up in any relationship. She decided that she enjoys being single,

Rowan used to have a loth-cat plush when he was little. The Freemakers don't really know about it, but the loth-cat is one of the old things they managed to take with them when they were running away from the Wheel. It was simply sitting in one of the boxes they packed inside their ship. There will be day when during some kind of cleaning they'll find it again. They'll never throw it away. It holds too many memories,

Rowan really likes loth-cats (wonder why),

when it came for teaching Rowan flying with the ship for real, sometimes Zander was even more excited than his younger brother. He would be extremely dedicated,

Rowan was taught flying both by Zander and Kordi. Sometimes when Zander couldn't explain something to Rowan, Kordi would try to help out instead. She also insisted for Rowan to have some lessons with her, because she was worried that Zander will only teach Rowan flying like a madman,

Rowan's ship would be entirely his own design. Zander and Kordi would help him build it though.

when it comes to the future, Roger plans to focus mainly on writing and perfecting his cooking skills.

[andmaybegayer]

Last Monday of the Week 2024-11-11

Getting into situations

Listening: New job which means I have need for a quick and easy source of music that I can throw down on any device with internet while I figure out exactly where I draw the line on mixing personal music files with corporate hardware. Hence, soma.fm, a really good family of internet radio stations that I enjoy a lot.

There's several stations here but to call out ones I like in no particular order:

Beat Blender: Slower house music and electronica

Metal Detector: What it says on the tin, mixed metals

Sonic Universe: Weird jazz

Secret Agent: Normal jazz

SF 10-33: The San Francisco emergency radio broadcast channel mixed with ambient music

Vaporwaves: Look we all have to get stupid sometime

Watching: Movie Night was also a sort of belated Diwali Night because a friend of mine has been getting extremely into indian food, so we watched "Sita Sings the Blues", an 82 minute, Creative Commons, mostly one-woman animation project that is a retelling of the Ramayana and also a breakup jukebox jazz musical.

There's about 30 minutes of a decent movie in here and another 15-20 minutes of the breakup part that would be hard to cut since it's the reason it exists. It's an animation from 2008 and you can see that it's exactly what it needs to be to run on one person who knows Flash reasonably well. The "blues" part is because there's numerous musical segments that use pre-existing 1920's jazz numbers to set the tone which reportedly cost the author tens of thousands of dollars to license, and she's now a free culture advocate so this is how you get Cory Doctorows I guess.

Is it good? I mean there's some really good parts. The legend is delivered in the form of three shadow puppets half-remembering the story to put it together which is very endearing in a Bill Wurtz History Of Japan kind of way. The amount of effort on display for 2008 is enormous. The concept is impressive, in that you found all these songs, but you could have probably cut the songs and got this down to a tight 40.

Reading: Work! Documentation! Learning so much about [REDACTED]. Very weird not working in an open source company again.

Also started The Book of All Skies on the metro the other day, and have gotten to the end of the first act. Compelling! Love an Egan, one of very few authors who can put a topology lesson into a book without it sucking ass.

Making: Made Gulab Jamun for movie night. From spreading my diwali cooking over more than three days I'm learning that actually this shit is easy if you don't try to cram it all into three days. I should make this stuff more often.

Playing: Poking and fiddling with things a little. Still not in the headspace to pick up a full game again. Once I have a schedule I can get back into video games but when I don't have a schedule that includes video games.

Tools and Equipment: Keyd is the new-ish hotness for client-side remapping of keyboard keys. It's not quite a custom build, but it's close.

Allows you to get 99% of the way to whatever zany custom mapping you want under Linux with fairly universal coverage and minimal faff in a very compact and manageable package.

[surveillance-0011]

Galeem and Dharkon head canons: Redux

Remake of an old post. Dharkon and HCs for their dynamics with each other and the smashers below the cut for length

Galeem

any, tends to default to he/they but is totally partial to whatever

maverique , pan + aroaspec. only very rarely experiences attraction.

Wishes to change the world into one that suits his likeness out of a sense of entitlement and superiority. He thinks the world as it is now is dull and overcomplicated and wishes for one revolving around himself, drenched in light

A very selfish and prideful individual, out of touch for sure.

Presents itself as elegant, sophisticated sort of deity. Cares a lot about presentation and any attack on his ego will be met with an eternal grudge.

They get very humiliated when they are proven wrong and when their facade of coolness breaks. Because it does. A bit more often than Galeem would like too.

They try to act unaffected but they get very emotional. Galeem is always at the extremes when they're upset or even happy.

Genuinely scared of the dark to an extent. He's very glad he glows.

Doesn't really need to eat or drink but can do so and sometimes feels the drive to. Likes cute lil pastries and fruit. Not huge on chocolate though and won't each much of anything else.

Doesn't like most of the smashers but has grown to respect most over time. Likes Kirby the most now that the burning rage has faded and kirby sneaks him bites of cake when he can is nice enough

Also has some bias over the more light-aligned smashers esp Palutena and Pit

Giving the Hands the cold shoulder still. Mocks them behind their backs. Sort of teases MH about being able to control the guy but MH is like "shush you lost you can give it up it's not my first rodeo". though MH is totally still bothered.

Likes classical and very cinematic sort of music.

Loves sunny days, dislikes stormy weathers. That being said, he enjoys snow.

Dharkon

any, defaults to she/he/it in no particular order but as w/ galeem it doesn't matter all that much

genderfluid sapphic/trixic. Greyro? sad little girlboy-boygirlthing

Can change its voice to sound more fem, masc or even in between. Sometimes it does so because of a change in mentality as well (vulnerable,strong,angry, friendly) Its voice is often deep, raspy and rumbling.

This also means he can mimic voices with a lil bit of time and effort. Totally uses this to taunt people.

Wants to plunge the world into darkness out of hatred and apathy for virtually all life. Wishes to be alone with only like individuals in a world of gloomy anarchy.

Certainly very selfish but he's got like. Reverse superiority-inferiority complex. Self loathing but also so hateful of everything else that he decided his way was still the better option. like does that make sense. doomer blackpilled nihilist reddit core.

Not unlike ridley he's smart but sees no need to communicate this. Clever but from a rougher school of thought and can't be assed to talk to people he doesn't respect.

Same as Galeem, doesn't need to eat food in the traditional sense but will do so out of boredom or cravings. Likes rich chocolate and hearty meaty foods. Great spice tolerance also. Eats much more than Galeem 2 fill the void.

Sensitive to light, especially in its weakened spirit form. This keeps him inside, when he is allowed to go out he stays in the shade or waits until twilight and night. Fond of rainstorms and cloudier weather.

Has also warmed up to Kirby somewhat. Still holding a grudge but she's starting to see the humor in being beat by a lil pink puffball, too tired to be angry about it anymore. Not to mention how Kirby is extending an olive branch

More fond of the villains. Has probably talked to Ridley, Seph and Ganon if they approach him.

Also thinks Sonic is kind of cool. Dharkon is Guy Who Only Listens To Sonic Soundtrack ig. That's the sorta person she is.

Likes rock and metal.

Drilled into the Hands for not being able to protect the smashers. Master Hand might've cried a lil about it. ok he totally did. But Dharkon has warmed up a little to Crazy Hand but hasn't been able to reconcile

Slowly starting to be less misanthropic but could still benefit from therapy and some prozac.

Together

Kept under pretty high security with lots of limitations, but allowed some freedom to keep them from being totally miserable.

Allowed to roam around every now and then.

Though it may seem rather odd to not really punish them strongly, the beatdown they've faced and permanent servitude as spirits alongside Typical Smash antics are punishment enough in the Hands' eyes (erm, lack thereof?). And, considering they did what they did out of greed and dissatisfaction, keeping them relatively happy now that their egos are in check seems like the right thing to do.

Clowned on 24/7. The fighters that feel comfortable enough to approach them tend to be teasing or will outright use them for pranks and whatnot.

Kirby is sternly kind to them, willing to turn the other cheek as long as they don't turn back to their old ways. Would totally wipe the floor with them if need be.

For others, the water is not under the bridge. Many want nothing to do with them. Some like Villager, the Ice Climbers and Duck Hunt Duo are terrified of them. Others are hostile. Oddly enough, the pikmin of all folks fall under this latter group and are extremely aggressive towards Galeem and Dharkon. In turn, these forces of light and dark have learned to fear them. Olimar is almost apologetic about it but above all else he just doesn't want his pikmin getting wiped off the face of the earth. Alph gets a little bit of a kick out of it.

Mario isn't having any bullshit. He's very cautious about the whole ordeal and will even admonish the more mischievous individuals that go out of their way to try and rile the two up. Palutena, Rosalina, Peach, Link and Samus are also very, very cautious and keep a close eye out.

Some of the villains are curious about their power, namely Ganon and Sephy. They'd like to harness their powers probably. Ridley is also curious, moreso about Dharkon but it's more like he's sizing them up for revenge.

Wario is still figuring out a way to make a quick buck off of 'em. He almost got Galeem into a mlm scheme that one time. Bowser is more cautious and cares less about trying to win them over and more about trying to avoid them bc he's mad abt his kids being hurt.

Mewtwo is also cautiously curious.

They're enemies but. Sometimes they seem a little. hm. maybe you should just kiss abt it. or something. frolic in the fields. hit each other with squeaky hammers. don't actually stab each other. thanks.

if they could stop arguing they'd be a cool evil couple. They'd be great partners in crime because they do bounce off of each other well on the occasion that they're on the same wavelength. Even when they clash, there is beauty in the way they work off of each other.

The two were kind of friends once upon a time. Whatever happened to them? No one knows, and they won't speak.

They kinda sorta apologized about WOL to each other but it's like. The spongebob scene where they're like "id hate you even if i didn't hate you" that's them 24/7 still. And they're always getting into petty disagreements.

They haven't formally apologized about it to the smashers though.

Dharkon enjoys challenging Galeem and is usually the instigator of their conflicts, but Galeem also angers Dharkon a lot through his smug behavior. Neither apologizes or forgives easily. Galeem can be bribed or buttered up, but Dharkon needs time for sure. And a valid apology.

It's very can't live with 'em, can't shoot 'em, tried both. They really cannot imagine life without each other.

[somehwere-between]

Hiii hello I would love to hear your 2000s outsider’s au thoughts on the shepard’s taste in music as well as Byron, mark and Cathy if that’s not too much, please I’ve been rotating your hc in my head after seeing it. Johnny liking heavy metal is such a fascinating niche that I’m 100% on board with.

YAYAYAYYAYAYAYAYYAYY HIIIII HIMENO!!! Welcome to the hell hole. Johnny being a metal head (music-wise, not culture-wise) is something I love and I must preach it to whoever will listen.

Okay so. You have walked into my Evil Autism Trap. I will have to keep this a bit shorter because I’m working on a paper + moving (not yay), but I will come back to this later with more stuff!

Shepards

Tim: he’ll listen to whatever’s on the rock radio station, but he’s got a soft spot for nu metal + metalcore. Seether, Ill Niño, Rage Against the Machine, and Linkin Park are most emblematic of his tastes. Dally makes fun of him for having more “contemporary” tastes, probably calls him ‘emo’ despite Tim very much not being emo.

Curly: classic 80s punk, both coasts. He doesn’t give a shit about the politics (ironically), he just likes fast-paced stuff and whatever allows him to punch people in the face. He’s okay with metal, digs some 90s rap (so long as it’s fast-paced), and abhors Angela’s music. He tolerates Pony’s tastes since there is at least some overlap.

Angela: 90s/early 2000s “trashy” pop, a la Britney Spears and Gwen Stefani, and sometimes jazz-influenced artists like Blu Cantrell and Alicia Keys. No Doubt and P!NK are more rock-flavored than her usual tastes, but she digs it. She HATES Avril Lavigne though, thinks she’s for middle-class girls who want to be edgy.

Etc.

Bryon: he’s not truly a greaser, so he doesn’t really hate contemporary music as much as most greasers do. The Killers, All-American Rejects, and I Monster (their 2005 album) all show his personality pretty well I think. He likes a lot of male-oriented pop rock.

Mark: dislikes labels of any kind but in general, he digs post-punk and some new wave (mainly Oingo Boingo). Sonic Youth, R.E.M., Matchbox Twenty, whatever the fuck he wants. He even likes the Beatles on rare occasion and fucking top 100 songs. Wildly eclectic, down to try anything at least once.

Cathy: almost the inverse of Angela’s, Cathy loves the Goo Goo Dolls, Hole, K’s Choice, some of Kelly Clarkson’s discography, and occasional Paramore songs. She also got into Joan Baez and Sinéad O’Connor when living with her aunt. She likes Bryon’s taste and her own preferences compliment his, since his is largely male-oriented versus her more female-based bands.

I have a fixation on this AU at the moment so whatever questions you got I will try to answer. I also need to make playlists for Curly and Bryon (Tim has one, it’s just private). Yay.

[pasta-in-the-pudding]

lmao how about ben with an s/o or a friend reader (up to u decide s/o or friend) who plays an instrument? like wld he ask them to play his video game soundtracks 😂

Thank you for the ben request even if you didnt really want it 🙏 😌

Thank you so much for requesting!!~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ben isn't huge on traditional music

When he listens to music, it's mostly hyperpop and metal

And occasionally Megan Thee Stallion but don't tell him I told you that

If you play some sort of string instrument, he would love to watch you play

Since he has tiny little baby hands, it truly is mind boggling to him to watch you spread your fingers so far apart while you strum softly

He knows a few riffs himself

If you ask nicely enough he may play you some

If you play something brass, he'd like to inquire about how you hold your breath for so long

Sometimes he tries to hold his breath with you just to see if he could do it

If you play percussion

Oh boy if you play percussion

(Intense cymbal banging at 3 am)

Please, forgive him

AND OH MY GOD DO NOT GET HIM STARTED ON WOODWINDS

"Can you play the ocariNa"

He makes you play everysingle song from the ocarina of time

You don't have a choice <333

Same thing if you can play the harp

"Play the great fairy fountain, y/n 🙏"

If you can play the electric guitar, he makes you play various sonic soundtracks

Again, you don't have a choice

All around, he adores your talent and tries to listen to you play whenever he can

He's going to mess around with your instrument at least once so if it's expensive please put it somewhere up high

He will snap something in half, i promise you

If your instrument is able to be designed or customized in any way, he is absolutely going to get all in on that

He will add stickers on your case, he will paint your sticks, he will doodle on your note sheets

The whole nine

Sometimes he does get bored with it though

Like if you are trying to learn a new song or something instead of focusing on him

He will sigh and flop next to you dramatically, rambling about how "you never pay me any attention" and "i thought you loved me"

Just ignore him

Everyone else does </3

If you are in a band or play on stage, he gets really excited about it

Please take him with you to your gigs

He'll be good, pinky promise

He cheers for you from backstage

He's your number one fan, of course

[leota-nexus]

name: ¿? (pronounced "you think about all this way more than I do!") (pronounced "to pronounce it correctly, I'd have to cut out your tongue!") (pronounced "make a noise & see if I respond!") (no pronunciation) (super helpful pronunciation guide audio recording below!* <3)

alias: V

gender: probably not

lifepath: streetkid techie who later got into hacking

favorite ripper: Vik Vektor

favorite fixer: Muamar "El Capitán" Reyes

favorite weapons (no particular order): Bloody Maria, Hypercritical, Comrade's Hammer, Byakko, & Cottonmouth

favorite clothing style: crystaljock bombers & daemon-hunter ballcap

favorite colors: 💣💎😈🔮🧠 (& anything metallic neon synthwave/darkwave)

bonus fun facts:

fan of AssaultBots & MythSploders (2077 versions of BattleBots & MythBusters yes we just made them up but it's absolutely true anyway)

favorite MythSploders quotes include "When in doubt: C4" -Savage Adam & "Jaime wants big boom" -Jaime the CyberWalrus (yes these bonus fun facts were just an elaborate reason to include these quotes yet somehow still important characterization anyway)

*super helpful pronunciation guide audio recording:

(bonus pronunciation description explanation below the cut)

While asking questions about ¿?, I kept thinking of a joke that seemingly would only work in text:

"I'm ¿?"

"Wha- WTF was that?! How do you pronounce that again?!"

"¿?"

"You know what? Nevermind."

Because it's cyberpunk, I kept picturing it as "*opens mouth, tech glitch sound comes out*" until I finally realized I could create that sound!

So, if I may, let me take you on a journey of how my brain works:

First, I looked for a recording of V saying, "I'm V." Simple right? I came up empty. So I went through the character creator, waited for the music to calm the fuck down, & recorded both voices multiple times just in case. Then I took a sample of just "male voice" V & put it through a granular synthesizer where I was able to do this:

That's left (¿) & right (?) audio (dots omitted to minimize sonic overload) each tracing separate paths through the audio "I'm V" at the same time. I was like

"lulz let's hear this chaos!"

"..."

"oh no I love it"

So I hit record, only to realize they're slightly different length lines at slightly different speeds creating this shifting effect over multiple loops. I decided to record a full cycle loop & see if there's a "best" one. Except first, I was curious what it would sound like if I isolated each loop & layered them all on top of each other, like so:

"Oh No I LOVE It"

I panned each loop differently to really emphasize the movement of the sound so if you're listening through headphones, it really does end up sounding like something resembling "¿?"

But I don't want to make final decisions about my partner's character, ya know? Luckily it only took a single listen:

"Yeah, that's how it's officially pronounced. Good luck trying to pronounce that!"

So there you have it! "Good luck!"

(Personally, I just say "your streetkid V" outloud, WAY easier lol)

damn I am fucking OVER typing the words "pronounced" & "pronunciation" @_@

[birdnoise]

Excuse me while I musicpost for a bit. I will preface this rant with a couple notes of interest.

1) I fucking LOVE metal. More than that, I love extreme music. Inaccessible music. Stuff that's hard to listen to, not because it's bad, but because it's abrasive on a sonic level.

2) This is just me yelling into the void, and most of this rant (review?? Idk) is pulled from a discussion I had with a friend. As such these are more or less just unfiltered thoughts that I texted him at 1am. They have been edited for grammar and readability.

3) I'm an opinionated asshole, and I care deeply about art. Specifically music. Very sorry in advance.

All that said, here is my first public music rant, about the recently released album titled "Absolute Elsewhere" by Blood Incantation. I have not been a fan of Blood Incantation, I did not like HHOTHR and I did not like Starspawn. I haven't bothered to listen to their other projects. Now, they just released a new album this year, and it's supposed to be really cool, they're shaking it up a bit. It comes highly reccomended from all my friends who know I don't like Blood Incant, and for good reason.

It's a collaboration with the electronic masterminds behind Tangerine Dream, who are a really cool proggy psyche kinda band from the 70's. Which is kind of a wild collaboration? Like what do you mean modern mid ass (opinion) tech death band collaborating with one of the progenitors of german new age/kosmiche?

That sounds like a cool idea, and it is. I'll bite.

But listening to the actual album just makes me feel like a huge fucking asshole, because the death metal part of this death metal album is just fucking boring. Like. How can it be boring?? You get the collab opportunity of your LIVES and you just write boring ass riffs?? AND THE WORST PART IS THAT THE SYNTH PASSAGES ARE GENUINELY INCREDIBLE.

When they pull it together and the synths layer over the clean guitars and they drop some sick ass death metal drumming underneath it? Marvelous. Beautiful. Ingenious. I feel like I'm levitating.

And then the riffs start. Bam. One way ticket to fucking snoozetown. It's just very boring. Nothing particularly notable, they're performed well and the production is great, but there's just nothing there on a musical level that is genuinely interesting. They're just the same old regurgitated death metal riffs that we've all been playing for the past 30 years. There's a reason I don't listen to Blood Incant, and it's because I expect more from the musicians I love. I try to live up to that expectation in my own works, and I don't listen to musicians who don't meet that (arbitrary) bar. So when a band tries really hard to create something cool - as Blood Incantation has on this album - but fails to meet the mark for a very critical part of their album, it is upsetting to me.

Again, the death metal on this death metal album is boring. Couldn't they come up with better riffs? I refuse to believe this is all they've got, they're good musicians. More than that, they're good artists, and if this album had held up to its own standard, it would actually be incredible. Maybe album of the year for me.

The album would genuinely be a masterpiece if they got rid of like a solid 75% of the death metal from their death metal album. Which makes me sad. I love death metal, but they dropped the ball here. How did they let this happen? The record SHINES during clean sections. It's like it wants to be two separate projects. One transcendental electronic ambient piece, the other being possibly the most boring technical death metal I've heard in years.

But in spite of all this, I genuinely reccomend sitting down and giving it a listen, because oh man do the clean passages just fucking SING man. Notable exceptions to the mid riffs are at the end of the second song and around 4 minutes in the last song, those are cool. I enjoy those, but none of the riffs are cooler than anything on any Cannibal Corpse (closest comparison I could come up with at 1am) album. Who do in fact have cool riffs, it's just that after 30 years, their bit is growing stale.

So yeah I highly recommend listening to Absolute Elsewhere by Blood Incantation exactly ONE (1) time. Very sorry if I trashed on your album of the year but I just really didn't enjoy the death metal bits of this death metal album, and I felt like sharing my thoughts. For what it's worth, I really wanted to love this album. I've already said that the clean sections are amazing but it's worth saying again, because they really are very good.

[gojixyz69]

Why I love Bowser vs Eggman

I talked about this matchup a bit in my old posts heck I recently talked about who would so go and check it out, anyways the point is this is my most wanted Death Battle matchup and also my favorite matchup in general and today I'm going to talk about it. Remember this is just my opinion so if you disagree that's fine, now let's talk about it.

Connections:

Both Bowser and Eggman have a lot of connections and those are... both have a asistant/second in command who use there abilities to replicate there foes (Bowser Jr framed Mario as Shadow Mario and Metal Sonic framed Sonic in SH respectivally), both want to use power of extremely powerful gems (Chaos Emeralds and The Dream Stone respectivally), both have an army that they rule with an iron first, etc.

There are more connections like how they teamed up with there archenemy to fight a more powerful enemy (Dark Star and Solaris respecitcally) and how there companies are rivals, so yeah there are connections and more.

Debate:

To get out of the, Bowser would win and if you want to know why I talked about in a post whitch was litereally at the time I'm makings this, yesterday. To put it simply Bowser is stonger, more durable and has to many powers for Eggman to handle like transmutation, sealing, etc.

Animation potential:

If I had to explain it with a few words it would basically be this

https://www.deviantart.com/mrnoma/art/Bowser-vs-Eggman-set-up-and-death-1001223189

Basically Bowser vs Eggman should start like Ultron vs Sigma where it's an army battle but there the main foccus and the death should be more lile Black Adam vs Apocalypse with the loser seeing there Kingdom/Empire chrumble before being executed, whitch in this case would be Eggman whitch if that's the case then Bowser would either stomp Eggman's face like Apocalypse did to Black Adam or you can have him throw Eggman to the Death Egg and destroy with his fire breath. But if you think Eggman would win then Eggman would grab Bowser and burn him alive after showing that he conquered his kingdom. As for how the fight would go you can have Eggman using his giant machines fighting Bowser in his giant form, heck you can have Dreamy Bowser fight Nightmare Eggman, there's so much you can do here.

Banter potential:

It's pretty good, you can show there egotistic side while also showing how much of a force they can be, you can have there goofy moments as well.

Music potential:

Now this is where we get to the juicy stuff, Brandon Yates already made a commission track for the matchup called Hard Boiled Fury whitch you should listen to it's pretty good and if you know both Brandon and Therewolf made commission tracks for matchups that eventually became episodes of DB, for example and the recent one theres Deciphering Discord and Discordant Decipher by Brandon, both are amazing track with Discordant Decipher being better than the og, so imagine Hard Boiled Fury but better and potentially with lyrics, that would be amazing to listen to.

Solving problems and update:

Death Battle had Bowser and Eggman, with Bowser fighting Ganon and Eggman fighting Wily and while Eggman vs Wily was good the problem is that it's old it happened in Season 1 since then there's new material to use for Eggman. As for Bowser his episode was unfortunatelly bad, it has mans problems whitch I sugesst watching a review of it but to put it simply they did Bowser dirty in his own episode and it's old not as old as Eggman's but still old. So this matchup would fix it while adding new stuff for both.

History:

Now this is where I talk about the main reason why I love this matchup, both Bowser and Eggman were part of my childhood with Bowser being my favorite villain and Eggman being entertaining and also my favorite scientist, so you can see why I love this matchup it's a fight between two of my favorite villains who were also in a way my childhood.

So yeah that's my thoughts on it, overall I love this matchup it has a lot of potential to be a great if not a perfect episode and I would happy if it finally happened in Death Battle.

[numetaljackdog]

what i'm listening to 4/10/2024

spot.//yt

Limp Bizkit - Clunk: clunk. clunk clunk. clunk. clunk

Limp Bizkit - N 2 Gether Now feat. Method Man: it's backkkk and arguably never left. this didn't begin as a favorite of mine from lb but there's just so many good lines and it's so fun. discretion is advised for the blood of virgin eyes; we're limping on the track with the method

Nirvana - The Man Who Sold the World: perhaps one of the greatest little riffs ever conceived and also btw i am a nirvana fanboy 😁

Emma Blackery - Blossom: mostly just putting this in bc i don't think i've ever had the chance to talk about how much i adore this song. easily emma's best track, i so wish she would make more that sound like this. it fits her voice so nicely and it's just so breezy and catchy and cute..... summer's a-comin'

Suede - Animal Nitrate: this goes so insane i can't believe it took me this long to find it. and i may be prone to homosexuality... but anyway this just *sounds* sooo good, the crunchy production and the riff and the melody and oh! chef's kiss!

Staind - Mudshovel: revisiting an old favorite! i so wish to perform this song live someday.... i could make it even better. and i wouldn't be a republican about it either

Ice-T - Big Gun: PENIS ALLEGORY!!!!! and VIOLENT WOMEN!!!!!! i need to watch this fucking movie so fucking badly

Limp Bizkit - Back Porch: genuinely one of lb's best songs but completely slept on bc of its placement down at the bottom of gold cobra of all things god help us. also a returning winner from a prior WILT

Sonic Youth - Death Valley '69 feat. Lydia Lunch: sonic youth good. this song in particular hits me every time as if i'd never heard it. gay

Korn - Twist: i've taken to my funny bit of unpromptedly doing the rrh na oom rah dah nn rah mm dah oom rah dah thing in the middle of conversation

Eminem - Just Don't Give A Fuck: i will confess to having a little eminem moment these past days 🫣 but this one is genuinely so good i love his early scrappy shitty music. he just don't give a fuuuuuuck

Sublime - Santeria: this has always been my favorite sublime song bc it's so pretty-sounding and summery and it's about tracking a guy down and shoving a gun in his mouth

Big Pun - Beware: the beat is crazy but admittedly the main appeal of songs where guys say a bunch of words really fast will always be the part where the guy says a bunch of words really fast

The Decemberists - Down By The Water: mostly kind of over the whole radio alternative indie folk pop rock whatever shit but this is so prettyyy and melancholy and i love the harmonizing bc i love harmonizing

Powerman 5000 - Nobody's Real: my friends and i have been watching this music video over and over, it's so fun..... pm5k at their peak was such a cool band with all the visuals and cartoon antics. plus this shit is catchy as hell

DANGERDOOM - Sofa King: i previously thought i wasn't much of a DOOM fan, though i certainly respect the craft, but these days i think it might just be that his most popular material, the stuff people always recommend, just doesn't hit for me as much as his other stuff does (and hopefully will continue to, the more i listen). g

Twin Method - Flawless: these guys were too late to the nu metal game to really get their due (not to mention they were british; that was never a big spot for the genre) but i would posit that they were damn good for a 00s-era entry in the nu canon. this is their "big" song and it holds up pretty good!

Fudge Tunnel - Grey: checked this one out bc lol funny name but they're kinda legit. speaking of british alt metal. i almost wonder if they were on the other side of things, a little ahead of their time...

Blue - All Rise: heard this in an uber and it's been stuck in my brain ever since. i do love boy band r&b, AND i love a courtroom drama, so really i han't go wrong here. lots of brits in this installment i'm noticing

[flownwrong]

october music thingie

i'm doing dreamwidth blind so i decided to talk about music. let's do it. here's my october rotation.

i know nobody's clicking that link so you can read it here too:

Faves:

Halber Mensch by Einstürzende Neubauten: a beloved album that went out of my rotation for most of this year but made a perfect return once the late autumn stuff got going outside. Great for long commutes and short walks. The first time I really appreciated Yü-Gung on its own merit, too. When the bass hits on the last refrain of "fütter mein ego" it's physically enjoyable.

Gris Klein by Birds in Row: it came out roughly a year ago and immediately landed a spot on my all time faves list, but especially my late autumn fave list. Not only is it a solid hardcore/screamo record on its own, but this time they really outdid themselves. It's such a perfectly paced listening experience—by the time the closer hits you are vulnerable to it, and when it's done, you get that perfect hit of "wow, I don't even know what to put on after this". The instrumental game is on point, too—I have so many loops and riffs from it wedged between my braincells, so, sonically, it's a win. And of course the songwriting here is impressive af. "Noah" in particular is a straight up masterpiece. I've listened to it outside of this record so many times. Ten out of ten, would recommend.

[untitled] by mewithoutYou: I just kind of forgot about it, but thanks to shuffle, I went back to it. I'm a fan of their earlier releases so I didn't particularly remember this one. And it's really beautiful! I'd say it's more smooth and melodic than their usual fare, but the usual songwriting quirks are all there, signature melodic decisions and lyrics and all that. Loved it anew!

Terror's Horns by Natural Snow Buildings: For some reason, I only now, after a couple years with this record, noticed there's a track called "King in Yellow" on it, haha. I've re-read it very recently and entered another small loop of my horror reading spree—and I must say this record would actually be a good soundtrack. It's only subtly creepy, but it does feel rich and heavy and mysterious and has bursts of pure ecstatic beauty near the end there and one of the most devastating closers I know.

Slow Riot for New Zero Kanada by GY!BE: a classic; and, by extension, Górecki's third symphony, since the iconic "Moya" is a nod to that. I love many different recordings, but my all time fave is the one with Beth Gibbons of Portishead doing the vocals. Her unique voice and manner fill the already gorgeous parts with something fragile and sublime that is simply unparalleled. It's one of the best pieces of music I've ever heard.

Discoveries:

Jeff Buckley: I have no idea why I have been putting off checking him out for so long (I have an oddly patchy impression of popular music, in that I know a lot of obscure stuff but most of well-known names missed me completely), but man, the beauty here is really on another level. I was tickled to remember that a semi-obscure progressive metal band I like did a cover of "Dream Brother" a decade ago and that's how I first heard of him. Which is hilarious, because before I remembered, I commented on "Grace" to my friend saying it sounds like that very band if they weren't progressive metal. Also, no one who can pull off Dido's Lament will escape my admiration. Grace is going on that fave list for sure.

The great Destroyer by Low: I've been a fan for some years, but I tend to be slow in catching up with big discographies, so I missed some records, this one included. It's everything Low is beloved for, their quintessential reserved harmonies and precise lyricism all on display. Plus, the opener has been covered by Robert Plant, which is pretty cool.

Wind's Poem/Ocean Roar by Mount Eerie: I adore the quiet and devastating spoken word pieces Phil Elverum is known for (among other things), but these two black metal inspired albums, with those same quiet vocals and tentative lyrics contrasted by gloriously noisy instrumentals, are new for me and I'm in awe.

New stuff:

Silence by Rorcal: I'm only sometimes in the mood for Rorcal, but when I am, this record is a good example of why. Fun blackened hardcore, and the record is pretty tight and runs for less than 40 minutes.

Everything is Alive by Slowdive: I love this one! More than I loved their first post-reunion record. I think it was released back in September but it was a perfect melancholy autumn sound for my October.

Sit Down for Dinner by Blonde Redhead: a new Blonde Redhead record! Can you believe it? I think it got quieter than 23 and I love it less, but it's still a good record.

Oscillating Forest by Tangled Thoughts of Leaving: another September release by my ultimate underrated faves that get tagged as post-rock but actually do something more free jazz-ey and noisy and chaotic but also yes, with crescendos and keys and all that fun. Another absolute banger. Check it out.

At Zeenath Parallel Heavens by Black to Comm: my scariest ambient fave. It's not his absolutely full of dread Seven Horses for Seven Kings, but it's still delightfully uneasy and beautiful.

in spoar by piiptsjilling: there's this obscure Dutch sound designer/electroacoustic/ambient/neoclassical guy Machinefabriek with a massive back catalogue, and piiptsjilling is one of his even more obscure side-projects. It's more melodic and has actual words and not just vocal textures! I love it.

Not yet released, but Neubauten finished a new record and I'm HELLA excited. Nothing they've ever done is boring. Let spring come soon.

[transmissionsfromthebattlefield]

A Roundtable Discussion on Heavy Metal (and Melanie)

A few days ago, my boyfriend sent me a link to Lil Pump’s recent smash hit “Pump Rock x Heavy Metal” saying, and I quote, “DO NOT LISTEN TO THIS.” But it’s hard to not forcefully contaminate myself to music that is atrocious to make the good music all the more worthwhile. That’s how dedicated I am to my love of music.

Besides, I was meaning to explore this on my own anyways after hearing Lil Pump’s glorious, glorious weird scream-grunt noise on an Instagram story. Let’s review whether or not Mr. Gucci Gang is able to elevate two of rock’s most iconic subgenres to the modern age.

“Bob” help us.

The intro is, fittingly, the most stereotypical take on punk rock possible, and is probably most similar to what disconnected old farts think all punk rock sounds like. Mediocre Generica was the title of a (much more sonically interesting, if guilty pleasurable) Leftöver Crack album, and it fits here. Upon further reserach, last.fm tagged this song as rock, metal, nu metal, rap metal, drone metal avant-garde, beatdown hardcore, AND crossover thrash, so maybe my aural analysis is subpar. Maybe all this time I was actually the musical equivalent of one of those people who gets repulsed by eating anything better than McDonald’s and I had no idea. If so, I feel ashamed.

In this striking vein, I’ll give the rest of the song some credit: the production is actually interesting! Sonically, it’s more interesting and attention-grabbing than a lot of the more recent music I’ve heard, with an intense throbbing bass line that I particularly like. Too bad it’s got Lil Pump singing over it. I love having to hear scrawny men with awful hair sing about emo bitches and having a dagger dick, which is extremely disturbing. He calls himself a narcissist in this song, which makes sense with how self-indulgent and oblivious to common sense the lyrics are. As a complete outsider to the whole “emo rap” or whatever scene, I’m kind of fascinated by the repeated motif of wrist-slitting throughout the song - if this song is declaring itself “heavy metal,” does this mean that all those sensational news reports from the eighties about how those poor teens were beckoned to kill themselves because a Judas Priest song told them to, were actually true? It’s hard to overlook lyrical content when someone has such an awful voice.

This song seems to have been created for people who enjoy the concept of punk rock and heavy metal, but don’t have much knowledge in anything beyond the sloganeering and looking like you have street cred. I doubt Lil Pump has much knowledge past that regard either, or has any interest in going beyond it in his music.

I had been meaning to write this post for a short while, but I kept getting busy. But yesterday morning, the Instagram algorithm similarly offered me another current music faux pas that my masochistic brain just had to subject myself to, and I just had to get something about it out there. This time, it was a paragraph Melanie Martinez had written explaining one of the songs on her new album, because her fans are apparently too dumb to be able to come to their own conclusions about the meaning of her songs. She says:

This is obviously the best thing to be reading while you’re preparing breakfast. Funnily enough, Lil Pump also alludes to period sex in his previously mentioned song.

I read the lyrics, which I refuse to link because they’re stupid, and I listened to as much of the song I could stand, which wasn’t very much. It sucked. You know when you only read the lyrics to a song and you come up with your own musical accompaniment in your head? I knew it wasn’t going to be as good as my brain’s assumptions, but I was stunned. You would think that an artist who is supposedly going through some radical image change would make music that similarly pushes boundaries, not just something created solely to be covered on a ukulele. It was one of the most mild mannered, unoffensive sounding songs I’d ever heard.

As for the lyrical content, it is sad to me how Melanie could not even come up with a basic metaphor to convey her idea. Like Little Pumperton, who uses the usual guns-and-cars flexing to communicate masculine hood prowess, Mel resorts to the most basic, blatant concepts to get across her point of being...a woman who exists and does things, I guess. As a cisgender young female, I technically should be on this song’s side, but it only comes off as condescending. I don’t need something that is completely natural and familiar to me explained to me in such, er, explicit terms. (“Womb shedding.” Gag.)

If I’m somewhere near the target audience for Melanie’s music in terms of my age and sex, then I’d say we deserve better. Young women can think for themselves and don’t need to be spoon-fed a fourteen year old’s concept of lyrical depth in order to feel “empowered.” Neither do young men need watered down portrayals of material wealth, hoe-wrangling, and glorified self harm. In today’s world, everyone fears being misunderstood. But the answer to that should not be undermining people’s intelligence and spoon-feeding them lowest common denominator nonsense. People should be allowed to bring their own interpretations to the songs they listen to and not have everything spelled out to them. Nuance and complexity are good things, and they should be present in what we see, read, and listen to. We should be encouraged to think critically about what we consume.

If we don’t, then...well, I guess we let songs like these take the world by storm.

[thesinglesjukebox]

FALLING IN REVERSE FT. JELLY ROLL - "ALL MY LIFE"

"The album cover features frontman Ronnie Radke's mugshot after being arrested for domestic assault in 2012." well okay then!

[3.00]

Ian Mathers: Oh, I hate everything about this. [0]

Jacob Sujin Kuppermann: “It’s just not right what they do to you at that publication” - my husband, upon hearing this song [0]

Harlan Talib Ockey: I could easily spend a thousand words picking apart this song, but to limit it to its most egregious sins: Radke’s fake Southern accent is offensively poor. The mix is glassy and hyper-compressed. The lyrics are beyond hope. “I may have drew blood / But that was true love”? Is this Falling In Reverse’s idea of clever country wordplay? Meanwhile, Jelly Roll sounds deeply uncomfortable, like he’s straining to be heard. The “wee-hoo” is musically unnecessary and, more subjectively, feels like getting hit in the face with a large glob of spit. If I didn’t know better, I would think this was a mean-spirited parody of both genres.  [0]

Iain Mew: Bro-country and nu-metal make for an excellent match, with sensibilities and sonics at just the right closeness to blend and contrast as needed. Identifying the semi-novelty singalong of "Heaven is a Halfpipe" as modeling the tone to bridge the two is even smarter. Hopefully someone will pick up those ideas and apply them to something with a chorus that isn't simultaneously underwhelming and grating. [5]

Jonathan Bradley: I’m sorry guys, we’re not currently accepting applications for a new “Gives You Hell.” [2]

Will Adams: I have a relatively high tolerance for nu-metal that's been polished within an inch of its life, but the choices made here suggest Ronnie Radke is as much of a troll musically as he is in real life. I could take the "to-gether, GETHURR, GETHUURRRR," but the "wii-OOOH" was a bridge too far. [4]

Nortey Dowuona: Jeris Johnson, pop singer/songwriter; Cory Quistad, rock singer/songwriter/guitarist who rips a crazy solo; Tyler Smith aka MYTH, singer/songwriter/producer; Charles Kallaghan Massabo, producer; Jelly Roll in general. These folks are involved in the production of this song, and I hope that explains the score. [6]

Taylor Alatorre: Final-scene-of-Malcolm-in-the-Middle-where-it's-revealed-that-Malcolm-has-to-pay-his-way-through-Harvard-by-working-part-time-as-a-janitor-in-order-to-fulfill-his-mom's-dream-of-becoming-a-genuinely-populist-President-of-the-United-States-core. One of the guys in Citizen King went on to do mastering work for Madvillainy and Donuts; people can change, though Radke likely hasn't. He does the necessary job here of making me mostly forget that I'm listening to Ronnie Radke, with a clutch assist from a more harmless kind of rogue. Come for the Jelly Roll, stay for the jiggy juggas. [6]

Mark Sinker: Larry, Moe and Curly are feuding. They’re jabbing each other in the eye -- except then they’ve also banded together to jab YOU in the eye, while capering about. Maybe it’s funny when they do this to each other, but this song does it to you, and never stops.  [2]

Katherine St. Asaph: Rare Anthony Fantano W; I just wish the song was worse. [5]

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