#the singer of that band has such an incredible voice it's like he's harmonizing with himself

[silverior968]

You know what's half upsetting half pretty funny? There's this song I absolutely love and I've always wanted to put it in a character playlist, but it is just so bleak that I've never been able to justify putting it in a character playlist. Keep in mind I have a playlist for Anton Shudder, the guy who is so depressed he can turn it into a literal physical weapon. He's like the king of bleakness but the song was just too bleak. Well, I've finally found a character whose playlist I can put that song into -- and it's a fucking TFP character. I checked the song, counted all the lines in it (44) and all the lines out of those that don't fit him (9). As a percentage that means that 80% of the lyrics of one of the bleakest songs I know fit a guy from a show I watched when I was 11. Life is absurd.

[readyforthegarden]

Silver Springs - Part Three

Masterlist

Pairing: Sam Kiszka x Original Female Character

Synopsis: The year was 1976, the season was summer. The days were hot and the nights were hotter. Music was the best it had ever been, especially rock music. Sam Kiszka has been riding the high of being in one of the top bands on the scene, but when his bands tour is accompanied by another up-and-coming band, with a lead singer that gets on his very last nerve, will everything come crashing down or will they end up making music that changes the world?

Warnings: Smoking, drinking, drug use 18+ only, Minors DNI

WC: 1951

🎶 🎶 🎶

Sam was wrong. He was so, so wrong. Harlow only became more grating on his nerves as the days went by. She sang constantly, as she walked down the halls of the venue, from soundcheck, in the bathroom, hearing her through the door as he passed it by. If she wasn’t singing, she was humming. The worst fact of the matter was Josh was enamored by her, constantly bringing her in to listen to something, to harmonize with him, warm up with him. Sam was surrounded by Harlow entirely.

He watched from the side stage in Jackson, Wyoming as Josh and Harlow sat cross-legged in the middle of the stage, hands held up, palms facing each other but just a few small millimeters from touching. They both had their eyes closed, lazy, lit smiles on their faces while they hummed in unison.

“Your aura is so strong, Josh.” Harlow said, her tone of voice in slight awe.  “Your pulsing with energy, I can practically see the colors with my eyes closed.”

“Tell me,” Josh murmured, a smile tugging his lips up at the corner. “What colors am I?”

“Oh you’re a vibrant orange.” Harlow replied, grinning, eyes still closed. “Exuding out all around you, and then closer to your body, yellow.”

“I like that, it sounds groovy.” Josh chuckled. “I don’t know if I can see yours.”

“That’s okay,” Harlow bumped Josh’s knee with her own in the small space between them. “I’ve had mine read before, and I’ve been told it’s usually a shade of purple or more indigo.”

“What do the colors mean?” Josh asked, opening his eyes. Harlow followed suit, yet they kept their hands up in front of them.

“Well, everyone interprets them slightly differently,” she explained. “But orange is usually someone who is very happy, happy to be themselves and be where they are and who they’re with, and loves to love. You make friends quickly. Yellow is a general playful spirit, balanced and incredibly smart.”

“Ooh, yeah I like my aura.” Josh laughed. “What about yours?”

“Indigo and purples can represent a connection to a higher self, being able to ‘see’ others for who they truly are. Which I fully believe because I’ve been able to tell when someone has been lying to me quite a few times, I’ve become very intuitive as I’ve learned about everything.” 

“You don’t get to be where you are as a woman in this industry by being dumb, that’s for sure.” Josh smiled at Harlow, and she returned it.  

“I wish more people could see that.” Josh watched as her smile faltered slightly, her hands slowly falling to her lap, breaking their energy connection. 

“They will,” Josh assured her, reaching his hand out and cupping her chin. “You’re a star of your own right, Harlow, much like your namesake.”

“You caught that, huh?”

“Harlow and the Blue Jean Babies?” Josh smirked. “My mother still talks about Jean Harlow and Bombshell. It’s one of her favorite movies.”

“She was something, wasn’t she?” Harlow blinked.

“And you are too.” Josh replied, shaking her head back and forth slightly with a chuckle. He leaned in, lowering his voice as if he was sharing a secret. “You’re gonna be huge, baby.”

“Don’t I know it.” Harlow whispered back, giggling.

Sam felt something tighten in his chest as he watched his eldest brother lean in towards the object of his annoyance, his hand already on her face to hold her in place. Of course his brother would fall for her shit, all that free-spirit nonsense. He would make his move only a week and a half into the tour.

Sam plugged in his bass to the amplifier, plucking the strings and letting the notes thump all too loudly through the speaker, jolting Josh and Harlow apart. He watched her back as Josh stood up, offering her his hands and tugging her up too before she gave him a small wave and moved to leave the stage as Danny and Jake entered. As she passed Sam, leaving behind a trail of her perfume, notes of lavender, patchouli and jasmine floating over to him and causing him to lock eyes with her. Her eyes glimmered as she smiled at him, and Sam merely frowned harder, the lingering image of his brother leaning in to her flashing again in his mind.

“Break a leg tonight, Sam.” Sam only gave her a terse nod to her as he tuned his bass up for the show.

🎶 🎶 🎶

“Party on our bus tonight, boys!” Josh grinned as he strutted into the green room after the show, rubbing his hands together before going to the rider table and picking up the bottles of booze, tucking them under his arms and heading out, not even bothering to change out of his jumpsuit. Sam sighed, hearing Josh making sure to invite Harlow and the Blue Jean Babies.

“Aww, what, you’re gonna be a party pooper?” Jake teased as he changed, using a towel to wipe the sweat from his body.

“I’m just tired.” Sam mumbled, whipping off his jacket. “I just want to get into my bunk and go to bed.”

“Tough luck, rockstar.” Jake laughed, flicking his little brothers arm. “You chose the lifestyle, you gotta stay up all night and party with us.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Sam pushed Jake away, and continued to change, keeping his grumblings to himself in his head. 

As soon as the busses pulled out of the venue, the party was on, Jake, never tired, was already playing a spare acoustic he had stowed away on the bus, enjoying being in control of the music that everyone sang along to. Heady smoke filled the bus and Sam had to admit, he was feeling a bit better, even with Harlow singing a few feet away from him.

He stood next to Billy in the tight space, both of them being on-lookers as Danny gently spun Harlow around to the music, taking the small joint from her lips and placing it in his. 

“This is wild, man,” Billy muttered, taking a sip of his beer as he watched on. Sam quirked an eyebrow at the guitarists admission.

“This is one of the most tame parties I think we’ve ever had.” Sam chuckled. Billy shook his head.

“Not the party…well yes, the party, but the fact I’m here. We’re here.” he shook his head.  “I never would’ve thought it would happen.”

“Life works out like that,” Sam shrugged. 

“Not life.” Billy shook his head. “Her.” he used the hand holding his beer to gesture towards Harlow.

“I’m sure you could have made it here without her.” Sam scoffed, barely hiding his sour feelings. Billy just shook his head and smiled.

“I’ve known that girl since we were in diapers.” Billy sighed wistfully. “I’ve never met anyone else with the determination and drive to do something like she has. We always dabbled in music together, we really thought we were gonna be the next Peter, Paul and Mary, just missing the Peter.” 

“And then you found one, and then a drummer.” Sam chuckled. 

“Yeah, she went into the city one weekend, and came back and was so fiercely determined to make this band happen. My dad almost killed us, running up the electricity bill and making all that noise. But she started going out and booking us shows. Dive bars, legion halls, anywhere that would take us. And somehow within a few months, something clicked and we started booking clubs, and bigger shows, and then you and your brother came into our lives and suddenly we’re on a giant tour with one of the biggest rock bands the world has ever seen.”

Sam sipped his beer again, selfishly thinking to himself that the trajectory of their careers were double because of him, for putting Harlow in her place when she was still just Brandy Lawson, and second for letting them come on the tour. 

“It’s just really incredible.” Sam nodded, smiling at Billy as the smell of jasmine and lavender hit his senses, now mixed with the smell of tobacco and marijuana. Harlow was standing in front of them, slipping the lukewarm beer from Billy’s hand and taking a large swig of it.

“All the dancing and smoke has me thirsty.” she laughed, she turned to Sam. “What are you wallflowers talking about?”

“You, of course,” Billy smirked. Harlow gave him a wicked smirk back before darting her eyes to Sam.

“Me? Well it was all good, I hope.” Billy reached out, taking Harlow’s hand and twirled her around. 

“Just about how determined you were to make it with the band.” Sam regarded her once she was stationary again. Her eyes lit up, the drive that led them all the way to where they were now sparking through the haze in the air. He had hoped the quip regarding her passion would make it feel more like desperation, and embarrass her slightly, but the only glow on her cheeks was from the blush she had worn on stage and the alcohol she had consumed.

“When I want something, I get it.” Harlow replied.

“Is that so?” Sam challenged, raising his eyebrows. The pair stared at one another, a silent conversation existing between them for a few moments before Harlow turned and walked back over to his brothers, joining in on another song.

“She’s not lying.” Billy sighed.  “I’ve never seen anyone say no to that girl. Hell, she could sell salt to the ocean.” Sam watched as Harlow took a drink that Josh offered her, the two of them clinking the rims of their plastic cups together before taking sips. He felt a small pang in his stomach as he watched Josh place a hand on her back, nearly feeling sick that his brother would choose to start something with this woman who only seemed keen on getting to the top. 

Sam finished off his beer before reentering the party, taking the now roach-sized joint out of the corner of Jake’s mouth and taking a long, deep drag from it. Holding the smoke in his lungs for as long as he could, he slowly let out the stream out of his mouth. His eyes lazily gazed around the small area of the bus, and and he couldn’t help but smile as he watched Danny take over on the guitar for a bit, giving Jake a small reprieve to grab a beer of his own and slowing down the pace.

“Busted flat in Baton Rouge, waitin' for a train,” Danny began singing softly, earning some hollers of excitement at the Joplin tune. It only took a few more lines before everyone else’s voices joined his, even Sam’s.

“When I's feelin' near as faded as my jeans

Bobby thumbed a diesel down, just before it rained

And rode us all the way into New Orleans

I pulled my harpoon out of my dirty red bandana

I's playin' soft while Bobby sang the blues

Windshield wipers slappin' time, I's holdin' Bobby's hand in mine

We sang every song that driver knew”  

There was a new air of levity in the entire bus as everyone sat together, singing and swaying. Sam caught Harlow, her arm slung around Billy’s shoulders as they sang, sharing his empty beer bottle as a microphone.

“Freedom is just another word for nothin' left to lose

Nothin', don't mean nothin' hon' if it ain't free, no-no

And feelin' good was easy, Lord, when he sang the blues

You know feelin' good was good enough for me

Good enough for me and my Bobby McGee”

And maybe feeling good was going to be good enough for Sam Kiszka, at least on this tour.

🎶 🎶 🎶

Taglist: @joshsindigostreak @ascendingtostardust @sammysprincess @sammykiszkamyass @belovedsamuel @sunfl0wer-power @indigo-starcatcher @sammyscherub @earthlysorrows @lvnterninthenight @allieisacrybaby @losfacedevil @xserenax-13 @sarakay-gvf @shutupdevvie @myownparadise96 @watchingovergvff @gretavanfleetposts @sacredthefran @josiee-gvf @joshkiszkatoothgap @madneedshelp @gardensgatedaisy @demonrat444 @writingcold @dannyandthekiszkas @lightmylove-gvf @tearsofbri @paleshadow-ofadragon @happy-harpy-stuff @like-a-woman-in-a-dream @starshine-wagner @objectsinspvce @josh-iamyour-mama @mountain-in-springtime @cal-a-bungaa @capturethechaos @jankandjonch @gvfpal

@allybjt @hippievanfleet @weightofbrokenbells @joshkiszkasbadussy @malany-gvf @ruby0antlers @samofthedawn @sacredjake @aim4thedoublee @diditallforyouu @gvfmarge @highladyofasgard @sammysvanfeet@gold-mines-melting @earthgrlsreasy @mountain-in-springtime @forcebond301 @stardust-and-shadows @llightmyllovee @gretavangroupie @comesofarsomehow @starcatcherkiszka @indigofallingsky @hellowgoodbye

[xamaxenta]

another probably uninspiring music au from me but i cant help it music is such a soulmate sort of thing

marcoace meetcute that maybe ill turn into a hot comic one day and its where Marco’s an overqualified pianist, working the night shift at a schmoozy ritzy high class hotel chain cigar lounge

He sometimes plays alone sometimes with a band sometimes with a singer, but hes never met his match yet, he’s never found that spark inside them, this is a paycheck for all his colleagues and collaborators

And then he’s introduced to Ace, a young man who certainly doesnt look like he belongs to this scene, hes far too young, far too wild, far too loud

he almost laughs when Ace says he’s the new lounge singer, Marco isnt judgemental, but, its a little difficult when Ace looks like one of the many overworked college kids scuttling around the city, when he’s got visible tattoos and bedhead and a smile that screams mischief abundance

But he shakes his hand nonetheless and welcomes him warmly as he always does, hopes for a friendly working relationship until Ace inevitably finds greener pastures

Night falls and Marco warms up with his usual ripple of harmonics and pentatonics, scales both major and minor when Ace finally joins him on the soft elevated stage,

he looks good actually, incredible, genuinely, the suit is well cut and his hair is combed handsomely over to one side, revealing an enviable profile with cheekbones that could almost rival marcos himself

The lounge the bar everything opens and the small talk theyd been enjoying comes to an end, for Marco its showtime and he can only hope Ace can keep up

They have a safe song roster, time hadnt allowed them to practice together but Ace had assured him he was prepared, trusting his professional confidence, Marco leads with the opening bars and just as he loses himself in the melody Ace begins to sing and just like that its that spark that feeling, Marco plays by rigorously trained muscle memory alone, head jerking up to watch the way Ace almost leans, sways into against the mic stand his voice drops drastically, deep, raspy so so different from his normal timbre

He gets it now, what people mean when youll know them when you hear it, because Ace has felt it just the same way he has, the lightning crackling inside his ribcage, the hook sliding gutting him with a hot bubbly feeling

Their set blurs by and by the last song Ace has meandered his way closer to Marco, magnetised to the pianist, taking the mic with him holds it in a way Marco fucking wishes was him instead, eyes lidded, dark hair scorching over his freckled features

The way Ace looks at him, the way the lyrics suddenly feel weighted and full of meaning leaves Marco dry mouthed and lightheaded

Perhaps its the way Ace leaves him, expression coy in a sultry kind of way has Marco striding after him, after theyve thanked their audience, grasping Ace by his wrist behind velvet curtains, feels the sharp edge of cufflinks when Ace tugs away with a soft “we shouldnt—“

Flustered at their proximity and the heat, Marco lets him go this time, but he knows, he knows Ace knows he does

And Marco finds hes alright with waiting just a little longer

[literallymitch]

𝐏𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐃𝐮𝐨 || 𝐃.𝐃

requested: yes

summary: The reader is an Italian singer and records a duet with Måneskin for their song “Torna a Casa”

pairing: Damiano David x Singer!Reader

word count: 690

what kind of content: fluff

warnings: like one swear word

a/n I absoluty loved this request. Thank you for sending it to me @wannabeactress​ I hope you like it! It’s a bit short but I felt like making it longer woud’ve ruined it. Again please keep in mind english isn’t my first language. Feel free to give feedback, I appriciate it!

After supporting each other's music for a while now, you finally recorded a duet with the Italian bad Måneskin today. When they sent you the demo for ” Torna a casa“ and asked if you wanted to join them on the song, you completely freaked out. Not only did you really like them as a band, but the song was also a masterpiece. You felt honored that they wanted you with them on this incredible piece of art. On your way to the studio, your hands started to get sweaty, and you got very nervous, scared that you would fail and not deliver an acceptable performance. You are a great singer, no question, but you still felt super pressured since you didn’t want to ruin the beautiful song. What if your work didn’t meet their expectations? The fact that you had a small crush on Damiano just made the situation worse. As soon as you stepped into the studio you were welcomed by the four. Your anxiety went away a little as you noticed how nice they were.

“Y/n it’s so nice to finally meet you. We’re so excited that you are joining us on this one! There is no one we would have wanted to have work with more. You’re amazing vocals will be such an enrichment to the song!” Ethan said excited, and the others nodded in agreement.

“Thank you guys! I feel very honored that you asked me to be on this song with you. It really is the most beautiful song I’ve ever heard.”

“That’s sweet, thank you. Let’s get started, so the song gets even better. We though that Damiano will sing the first verse and you the second. The third one will be split up and on the refrain you two will sing together. Oh, and at the end you’ll just belt the shit out of the lyrics.” Vic explained to me.

“Sounds great, Let’s get started.”

Cammino per la mia città dd il vento soffia forte Mi son lasciato tutto indietro e il sole all'orizzonte Vedo le case, da lontano, hanno chiuso le porte Ma per fortuna ho la sua mano e le sue guance rosse Lei mi ha raccolto da per terra coperto di spine

Damiano started singing, and you felt butterflies appear in your stomach. He had such a beautiful voice and the way he was singing this song definitely made you feel a certain way.

Prima di te ero solo un pazzo, ora lascia che ti racconti Avevo una giacca sgualcita e portavo tagli sui polsi Oggi mi sento benedetto e non trovo niente da aggiungere Questa città si affaccerà quando ci vedrà giungere

You started singing your verse now. Being in your own world, you didn’t notice that Damiano was looking at you, with such an adoration that you usually would have melted away on the spot.

When the last refrain finally came along, you and Damiano started facing each other.

Quindi Marlena torna a casa, che il freddo qua si fa sentire Quindi Marlena torna a casa, che non voglio più aspettare Quindi Marlena torna a casa, che il freddo qua si fa sentire Quindi Marlena torna a casa, che non voglio più sparire

You two belted out the words, your voices sounding perfectly together. The way the both of you harmonized gave everyone in the studio goosebumps.

Quindi Marlena torna a casa che il freddo qua si fa sentire Quindi Marlena torna a casa che ho paura di sparire

After you sang the last two lines, you and Damiano looked in each other in the eyes. At that moment it felt like the world around you faded away, and it was just the two of you. Your bodies started to tingle, like you just got electrified. It was like their souls bonded as they sang together, and now they realized it

Damianos bandmates knew that their friend just fell for the incredibly talented singer in front of him. Even they could feel the magic between the two of them. In fact, everyone in the studio could feel it.

This wouldn’t be the last time you two sang together.

[suuho]

Honestly bullying is so prevalent in NCT I am not at all surprised anymore. But I guess it goes against some peoples ideas of these boys being 'friends' like Dream stans threw a huge fit about the fact that SM was gonna let members graduate out of Dream but... they're just coworkers they didn't chose to be stuck together anymore than most of us with jobs. Sure I like some of my coworkers and ofc I'll play along nice with everyone when customers are around but I honest to god wouldn't voluntarily be in a room with some of these people if I wasn't getting a paycheck and I think many idols feel similar. But try to get that into the head of delulu stans who wouldn't let Mark gracefully age out of the kids bop unit of nct so he is stuck now working doubleshifts alongside Haechan and then the same stans that campaigned for Dream as a fixed unit will defend Haechan's bully??? For what is he in this unit it's a sham and a degrace and people don't deserve him. But no they don't wanna hear that Jeno is a bully because Dream are besties and evil SM tried to rip them apart actually when they wanted to phase older members out of the group that was so cruel and evil because they are friends not coworkers friends friendship is magic

the funniest thing to me is that without mark and haechan, especially mark and haechan, nct dream has nothing distinctive going on anymore. mark is the best rapper sm has had in ages, maybe ever, and haechan is an incredibly skilled vocalist with range. he can harmonize, he can belt, and he can riff. he’s no baekhyun or chen but he is a very good singer regardless. mark is a monster performer and nct is literally his life’s work but god forbid these two have to do evil, evil nct 127 comebacks. god forbid! and i firmly do believe mark and haechan weren’t allowed to graduate because they know that without them, dream is lacking. they’re just the next txt or enhypen or whatever (including the bullying. wow.)

anyways, i do very much agree with you. and i do honestly think that wayv are to some extend friends, because they had to be stuck in a dorm together for ages and went through shit and i think that does something to you, and 127 are probably the closest out of the nct units. sorry it’s not your teenage dream of the teenagers they shoved together being mean to their band members that are friends forever.

dream should have been a revolving unit and let members graduate, so the rookies could have debuted either there or in a nct u unit. but whatever.

also, jeno does not have the talent to make such remarks towards haechan. out of all people. not that talent has anything to do with it, but there’s a reason why haechan has an ost and was in a killing voice video, toured around the world, while jeno… went to fashion week. unfortunately, their job as idols is mostly to be musicians, though, so good luck to jeno and his future endeavors once dream is off the market and the next boy group will take over. the thought of mark and haechan being stuck with them while the rest of 127 enlists is horrifying to me, someone free them fr.

anyways. this is rambly cause it’s late, but i v much agree with you, anon. most of these people are coworkers, and that’s it. also, i wonder why no one ever thinks about if this is what jeno allows himself to say on camera, what does he say off camera? food for thought.

[hopelesshawks]

hi i was wondering if you could do either Suna or Kuroo with “Everlong” by the foo fighters, literally my favorite song and i love your blog <3

Ohhh I hadn’t heard this song before, thanks for the new find! Also thank you for saying you love my blog 🥺❤️ I’m sorry this took so long but it’s finally here!! I hope you enjoy!

I’ve actually never written for Haikyuu before 😅 I’m a fan of the show but haven’t caught up so this will be a bit out of my comfort zone but I love it! I definitely know Kuroo better and also simp for him p hard dont @ me so I’ll write for him. Thanks for the request love.

Kuroo pushes past the others in the crowded bar as quickly as he can. It’s more crowded than he expected, way more, but he doesn’t let that deter him as he maneuvers through the tightly packed space. He feels out of place still in his work clothes even as he loosens his tie and undoes some of the buttons of his crisp white button down. He finally spots you by the bar, looking radiant as ever and practically bursting with excitement as your eyes stay trained to the stage.

“Sorry I’m late, did I miss anything?” he asks as he presses a kiss to your forehead, a distraction as he slips something from his jacket pocket to the pocket of his slacks. “Nope! They should be going on soon! Thanks again for coming to this with me,” you grin and even though he’s already sweating, Kuroo knows every moment will be worth it just to see you smile like that. “Of course, you said they’re one of the best local bands in town right?” he asks and you nod eagerly, eyes once again drifting to the stage. “I know it’s way more packed than I said it’d probably be, but I’m so glad they’re finally getting the recognition they deserve,” you gush, helping Kuroo out of his suit jacket and draping it over the bar. He rolls his sleeves up to his elbows and then wraps his arms around your waist pulling you in close against his chest so he can have you near while you watch the stage anxiously. “If their success makes you happy then I’m all for it.” “Here they come!”

The band consists of four guys who are in their early 20’s at the latest and something about the energy they bring to the stage already has Kuroo feeling the slightest bit nostalgic; their easy camaraderie reminding him he should call up Bo and see how the other man is doing. They introduce themselves and you join the others in cheering them on, your enthusiasm only further endearing you to your boyfriend as he squeezes you a little tighter. “Should I be jealous? You gonna leave me for the hot young front man?” he teases, pinching your side. “Hmm, tempting but I do believe my groupie days are behind me,” you chuckle. “Nah, you still got it. If I were the one on stage I’d pick you out of the crowd in a heartbeat.” “Flattery won’t get you anywhere with me mister.” “It’s not flattery if it’s true.”

You roll your eyes fondly but rapidly shush him when the band starts playing and you’re promptly sucked into the music, hanging onto every note. Tetsurou doesn’t recognize the song, he didn’t expect to, he really is only here for you; but he loves the way you look so enraptured by the sound even over the din of the other bar patrons, loves the way your voice vibrates through his chest as you sing along. His heart beats in sync with yours as he lets you sway both your bodies to the music.

And then the moment he’s been waiting for arrives.

He hasn’t recognized a single song all night but he knows your favorite song, spent the last week memorizing it so as the first chords of the ballad ring out he’s ready. He knows you weren’t expecting him to know it because you pause in your own singing for just a moment before resuming with a wide grin. Tetsurou isn’t much of a singer and would never dream of proclaiming otherwise but as the two of you stand there it’s like everyone else in the bar fades away and all that’s left is the two of you in perfect harmony, your voices intertwining as they dance through the air; a moment stretching out into forever as he slips one hand to wrap around the little black box in his pocket that symbolizes that very same thing. He pulls it out slowly, trying to delay you noticing until the very last minute. His voice starts to waver slightly as nerves kick in but somehow it still seems to harmonize with yours. As the final notes of the song float through the bar he finally brings the box more clearly into your field of vision, flicking it open and whispering your name in your ear to direct your gaze to it.

It takes a moment but finally you look to see what exactly your boyfriend wants so desperately for you to look at. Your breath catches in your chest. The next song starts but for the first time all night you don’t sing along and your gaze doesn’t stray from the small ring in front of you. You reach out with shaky hands as if afraid to touch, stopping just shy before you abruptly spin in his arms, your eyes leaving the stage fully for the first time since the band arrived. “Tetsu are you?” you ask breathlessly and his soft smile is answer enough.

“Well kitten?”

“Yes. Absolutely yes.”

“Good.”

You practically throw yourself more fully into his arms, kissing him senseless as happy tears wet both your cheeks. You think the front man may congratulate you both and you distantly notice the bar erupting into cheers, but all of that fades into the background.

It’s nothing compared to the look of your incredible fiancée beaming as he slips a ring on your finger.

General Taglist: @ahtsuwu @larkspyrr @oikawaandkuroostan @oliviasslut @black-rose-29

[mattbflatt-loves-starset]

STARSET and The Right Way to Start an Album

Have you ever listened to a newly released album by your favorite artist, and right after hearing the first song, you can’t help but think “Hot damn, this is gonna be amazing”? That’s because the first song in an album is incredibly significant to drawing an audience in and establishing the tone of what’s to come. If you do it the right way, people will keep listening, vehemently searching for more. Cinematic rock band STARSET has this alluring motion down to a science, while also deviating from the norm ever so slightly. Each of their albums starts with a small, prologue-type song, followed by a track that purely and unequivocally kicks ass. If you don’t feel even the slightest shift in emotion after hearing the start of a STARSET album, then to quote one of my favorite childhood youtubers: “Brush yourself off man, because you are dead.” -videogamedunky Super Mario Odyssey (dunkview), 2017.

In chronological order of release, the very beginning of STARSET’s saga begins with their album Transmissions, and both the prologue track “First Light” and their first full track “Down With The Fallen” released with the album back in 2014. The prologue has a very intense electronic track, with harsh percussion, spoken lines distorted by a radio filter, and a small string orchestra infused with a drum kit forcing the intensity to grow over time. As the texture of the music thickens, our narrator enters and begins talking to the listener, as if they’re revealing a plan. My personal favorite line from this sequence is “Once you had the power to affect monumental change, would you let fear consume? Or would you overcome?” 

STARSET – First Light Lyrics 

First Light 

The prologue ends with a segue straight into “Down With The Fallen”, in which the listener hears only the pulse of a heartbeat monitor and the first melodic idea of the first full track. Within only a minute and 24 seconds, the dark and pervading sinister tone is set, the album begins, and you realize the most striking thing about this group’s music… they’re telling a story.

Starset - Down With the Fallen (audio) 

Following the timeline, the next album to release is Vessels, which came out in early 2017. The first two tracks of this album are the prologue “The Order” and the song “Satellite”, which follow the same formula as Transmissions, but with a much different execution. There are no words in the prologue at all, and no words are needed. In fact, there is only one musical idea that is developed throughout the entire thing. It begins with what sounds like a solo cello, playing a descending minor third. This is repeated over and over again, and the texture thickens in a haunting manner. Muffled radios play in the background, more strings come in which introduce harmonizing parts, the electronic ambience grows, and the volume continues to crescendo into this horror film-esque high string tremolo, which then suddenly drops the listener into “Satellite”. 

The Order 

The first full track of this album has a much different tone than the prologue, moving into a much more up-beat love-themed rock song. It sounds incredible, and the creative decision here is very smart. The music of this album hides the subliminal themes within lyrics and background lore, a nice contrast to how on-the-nose Transmissions is.

Starset - Satellite (Official Audio) 

And finally, their most recent album, DIVISIONS, went back to the blunt storytelling of Transmissions, executed in a way that shows how much they’ve grown as a group. The prologue “A Brief History of the Future” hits hard with machinery, an officer of sorts yelling inaudible things, and then eventually, a narrator. This narrator is much different than the narrators that have said things on previous albums, as his voice is very clear, and his message is jarring. He tells of what society has crumbled into, and how he seeks “to know the truth” of what the real world is and how technology has controlled mankind (trying not to spoil anything here haha). There’s less of a build up during this prologue, and more of a progression, with a story that hooks the listener instantly. It’s clear that the focus of this prologue is the narrative STARSET has been developing over the years, and given how this album pans out, this is both appropriate and a very smart creative decision.

STARSET – A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE FUTURE 

STARSET - A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE FUTURE (Official Audio) 

The first full track DIVISIONS is “MANIFEST”, which is one of the dopest names ever for a rock song. What’s unique about this album is that there is no segue between the prologue and the first track, which is unlike the first two albums. The prologue in this album is much more conclusive, and gives a statement that allows the first track to stand on its own. “MANIFEST”, being one of the most popular tracks on DIVISIONS, goes VERY HARD, with some of the coolest guitar and high string parts I’ve ever heard in a rock song. Lead singer Dustin Bates’s voice shines well on this song, especially during the section right before the final chorus of the song, called the bridge. This section is the crowning jewel of this song, as Dustin’s high full voice singing combined with the INSANE kit part of STARSET drummer Adam Gilbert makes for such an angry, but passion-fueled part of the song. I have isolated this section and listened to it repeatedly many more times than I can count, it is THAT GOOD.

STARSET - MANIFEST (Official Music Video) 

STARSET is one of the best rock bands that are writing and touring today, and the way they start their albums is unlike any other band I’ve ever listened to. The future of this band is bright, and as an avid fan, I cannot WAIT to see what the future holds.

-Mattbflatt

UPDATE: STARSET’s newest album HORIZONS has just been teased! The album was revealed last night and their newest singles “THE BREACH” and “INFECTED” are now available! Take a listen!

STARSET - THE BREACH (Official Music Video) 

STARSET - INFECTED 

STARSET’s Youtube Channel: starsetonline 

Sources/Links (In Order Used):

https://genius.com/Starset-first-light-lyrics 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VW3Zn4c9pVY 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tW_FkaXeSwc 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlE1srK-Pp0 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mCbdQNGBw9E 

https://genius.com/Starset-a-brief-history-of-the-future-lyrics 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXng1JE9dmk 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-sjOGAQQzA 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWkbUMQ4-88 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pggN6f4h4So 

[jazzicology]

The lost art of the jazz verse

Jazz is well known for having its own language. Jazz musicians use terms that aren’t used in other forms of music, or use them in ways which mean different things. An example of this is ‘verse’.

Pop and rock music often has a verse/chorus/verse/chorus structure, where the ‘chorus’ is a repeated section with identical lyrics each time, while the verses are the interleaving bits of the song that tell a story, with different lyrics each time.

In contrast to that, in jazz a ‘verse’ specifically means a section of music right at the start. The verse serves as an introduction. It is not repeated later on in the song, but rather provides a kind of stand-alone run-in to it. These verses often have wonderful, poetic lyrics and beautiful melodies which are quite different in character to the song which follows it. They are often (but not always) sung colla voce (meaning, led by the vocalist, with the instrumentalists following the voice) before entering the rhythm of the song.

These introductory verses are more common in older jazz pieces, and are used to provide background to the story being told in the song. Musically, the verse also allows the writer more creative freedom than the main refrain, which generally has to be straightforward and ‘catchy’.

Some jazz verses are very well known, and form such an important part of the song that not performing them is out of the question. For example, the incredibly complex and sad ‘Lush Life’, written by Billy Strayhorn in the 1930s when he was just 16 (surely a musical genius) has an incredible verse. In terms of word count, it outweighs the song which follows it:

“I used to visit all the very gay places

Those come-what-may places

Where one relaxes on the axes of the wheel of life

To get the feel of life

From jazz and cocktails.

The girls I knew has sad and sullen grey faces

With distingue traces

It used to be where you could see where they’d been washed away

By too many through the day

Twelve o’clock tales

Then you came along with your siren song

To tempt me to madness

I thought for a while that your poignant smile

Was tinged with a sadness

Of a great love for me

Ah yes, I was wrong

Again, I was wrong”.

Hoagy Carmichael’s ‘Stardust’ is another example of a song with a verse that’s as memorable as its chorus — in fact, Frank Sinatra made a recording of the verse alone - you can listen to it here. 

Verses can be musically significant for other reasons. For example, a cornerstone of advanced jazz harmonic practice is ‘Giant steps’, based on the so-called Coltrane changes (tonal centres moving between B, G and Eb). Many musicians are aware that this motif occurs in the bridge of Richard Rogers’s ‘Have you met Miss Jones’. Not so well known is that a Jerome Kern song from 1917, ‘Til the clouds roll by’ (lyrics by PG Wodehouse and Guy Bolton) contains a verse which (in its second half) uses the same modulations.

The ‘lost’ verses

There are many well known jazz songs with verses that are overlooked and rarely performed. These wonderful verses deserve to be revived!

For example, ‘Round Midnight’ (by be-bop jazz god, Thelonious Monk) – officially the most-recorded song in jazz  - has a terrific verse and coda. The verse was actually added later, by Dizzy Gillespie, but was considered so successful that Monk added it to his own performances. Singers rarely perform the verse To be fair, that’s because it is quite challenging for a vocalist: the chords that accompany it provide very few clues to keep the singer from going completely off-piste! A rare example of a vocal performance of the verse is this live recording of the wonderful Carmen McRae. It is utterly brilliant and an electrifying start to the song.

Other well known songs with lovely ‘lost’ verses include: ‘A Foggy Day’ and ‘Someone to Watch Over Me’ (both by George and Ira Gershwin); ‘You’ve Changed’ (Carl Fischer; lyrics by Bill Carey); ‘A Nightingale sang in Berkeley Square’ (Manning Sherwin; lyrics by Eric Maschwitz), ‘In the wee small hours of the morning’ (David Mann; lyrics by Bob Hilliard) and ‘Guess Who I Saw Today’ (Murray Grand; lyrics by Elisse Boyd).

One of New Zealand’s most well-loved songs, ‘Blue Smoke’, is another example. It was written by Maori soldier Ruru Karaitiana while on a troop ship in the second world war. It was later recorded by Dean Martin, among others. Yet, despite being New Zealand’s first really successful ‘popular song’, the verse doesn’t seem to be included on any of the well-known recordings of it (although one source refers to these lyrics as being spoken over the bridge, rather than sung as a verse). That’s a shame, because it provides a moving introduction to the song.

“Smoke drifts above me - whispering I miss you

Taking my thoughts back to you - across the sea

I know that when - I sail home again

I'll find you waiting for me”

Finding the ‘lost’ verses!

The verses aren’t really lost – they’re all out there, somewhere. They just take a little effort to find. Here are our tips on discovering verses.

First, always do your research when you learn a new song. Find out who composed it and who wrote the lyrics. There may even be alternative lyrics, which is always interesting to know about. (As an aside – knowing and naming the composer is an important act of respect. If you are at a jazz jam and announce that you’re ‘going to sing The Very Thought of You by Billie Holiday’, not only are you disrespecting the composer (Ray Noble) you can guarantee that behind your back, the entire band will be cringing and rolling their eyes.

Second, if you find out there is a verse, search for the original sheet music. Simplified ‘lead sheets’ which can be found online often lack the verses and other nice stuff. Similarly, online lyrics websites rarely provide lyrics for the verses (and incidentally, are often inaccurate, having been written down by listening to singers singing them – so for example, we have seen Strayhorn’s ‘distingue traces’ in Lush Life mistakenly written down as ‘distant gay traces’ in more than one website). Needless to say, you need the chords, the melody and the lyrics.

Third, search for recordings of the song to find one or two that include the verse, and then develop your own ideas for how you would like to tackle it. If the verse is to be sung colla voce, then you need to discuss that with the band. And, as a vocalist, you’ll need to practise the transition from the colla voce section, confidently counting in the band to the right tempo for the rest of the song.

This may all sound like a lot of work – but the efforts are really worth it. Often the verse ends up being the stand-out part of the song. You’ll be doing full justice to lovely songs, and showing that you know your jazz!

Resources:

• Lots of historical and musicological stuff can be found on https://www.jazzstandards.com/compositions/ 

• The standard work on the subject is by Alec Wilder (1972) American Popular Song: The Great Innovators, 1900-1950. Oxford University Press (reprinted many times)

Nance Wilson and Sid Thomas

Nance Wilson is one half of the new jazz duo, Jazzicology, with Mark Rendall Wilson, and has a long-standing collaboration with UK jazz pianist and composer Sid Thomas.  Facebook: @Jazzicology   https://soundcloud.com/nance-wilson-trio

Howard (Sid) Thomas is a British author, scientist and jazz musician. Website: http://sidthomas.net

[smolbeandrabbles]

Le Bien Qui Fait Mal - Dave x Reader (Lost River)

GIF Credit: X

@mandy23b​ @wltz-bby​ @happyskywhale​ #mendotagsquad

Dave + 27 -  “No. Regrets.”  Requested by @sufferthesea​

Author’s Note: Special mention to @crawlingmist​ for building on my plot. It’s with great pleasure that I get to bring you this, with a song from my favourite musical! 😏😁

I barely needed to edit this one either. Sometimes, sometimes I get it just right... The translated lyrics to the song are below, but really you need the song. No matter that it’s in French. It’s very Dave. The whole Aesthetic.

Le Bien Qui Fait Mal - Mozart L’Opera Rock Disclaimer: MoR lyrics not mine / Lost River and all associated things not mine / gif not mine / some direct quoting from ‘Lost River’ used 😅

Premise: You’re the first singer that Dave has employed at his club, you also have a ‘je ne sais quoi’ that floods his thoughts. His curiosity can only be sated one way...

Words: 2530

Warnings: Sexual Connotations/Pre-Amble / Swearing

--- Where is this strange feeling coming from? It fascinates me as much as it unsettles me I shiver, pieced by beauty It’s like a knife in my soul The wound goes through my heart And I take joy in the pain Intoxicated by this poison Until I lose my mind! It’s so good it hurts When you love, your hatred is perfectly normal Take Pleasure It’s so good to suffer Succumb to the spell Shed your tears It’s so good it hurts (hurts me) When you love, your sorrow is perfectly banal (it’s so good it hurts) True delights Come from torture Lower your weapons Shed your tears I feel violent urges It seems like I’m slipping into the depths If I ignore the source of this curse I love letting it under my skin Bewitched by mad ideas Suddenly my urges arise Desire becomes my prison Until I lose my mind!

---

The world was spinning. Like he was drunk, or maybe high. Or maybe he was something else...

Whatever he was, Dave was out of his head. He was going crazy; he was confused. Because he didn’t know why. You? The sound of your voice? What you were wearing? All of it? All of that in this setting? He wanted so badly to look away but Dave couldn’t tear his eyes from you. The pleasure was insane, but it almost hurt just as bad. Wasn’t that the point, after all. Wasn’t that why this club existed?

Dave didn’t have a singer at his club. He didn’t see himself as counting, he didn’t sing every night. It was a rarity; his treat and gift to everyone. Until you. And Dave wasn’t here every night to listen to you sing - but right now he felt that was going to change. He had heard you sing before - your voice sweet and pretty, gently melodic. One that - in his opinion - would sound good mixed with his (no matter what way that would be). But a short one song audition for him and a voice he liked wasn’t this.

This was a culmination of all of that. Yet your voice tonight? Oooh... this was deeper, richer, sultry. With the music and lyrics too? Dave thought about loosening buttons. He relaxed the way he was sitting and tried to take a calming deep breath. It helped nothing. He wondered if you’d been nervous before - a job you desperately needed? - now you were in your element; but it couldn’t have been him that had made you nervous. Because, as if feeling like this wasn’t enough, your eyes hadn’t moved from staring at him.

Usually Dave would love to have a gorgeous woman stare at him like this. He was a typical ‘love them and leave them.’ People didn’t steal his heart - the only relationship Dave was ever really after was physical. And yes, yes, you were affecting him like that. He’d make sure you knew you didn’t get to give him such a stare without being pinned up against something, somewhere. Still, his heart. His pulse was running wild - Dave didn’t blush, but if he thought he was capable… He didn’t know what was happening, but he felt sick. Dave shifted again, finally able to prize his eyes away from you. He squeezed them tightly shut, feeling lightheaded once more. Rob leant over, “You okay?” “Yeah...” Dave counted himself lucky that his voice managed to be that steady, then he nodded “Yeah.” Then waved towards the stage, “After she’s done. Send her to me.” He cleared his throat, eyes drawn back to you. “I think we need a little talk...”

 ** The club was emptying by the time you got a chance to go to him. That was mostly because Rob, with his own duties, was delayed in getting the message to you, and you had a few things you had to attend to yourself before you heeded Dave’s call. By that time it was getting late anyway, so you preferred to wait until the club was quiet to go to him. Dave found the waiting time more agony than he could possibly imagine. He was supposed to be enjoying everyone else’s performances, but he simply couldn’t. His mind stirred and always sent him back to you – the way it felt like those eyes of yours were reaching into his very soul and uncovering the darkest secrets he held, it was more than just seeing through him – you were undoing him, piece by piece. And sitting here waiting for you, Dave was forced to relive it. He closed his eyes trying to block you out, somehow, but you were already in his head. You weren’t about to let go. With realisation, Dave knew that he wouldn’t let you go either. Not until he had what you had him aching for. When you walked smoothly back out onto the stage, Dave was still sitting at his top table. One leg crossed over the other he was tipping his chair back – taking long, slow drags from his cigarette. His blue eyes flicked to you as soon as he noticed your presence. Even without the lights and the ambiance, you were still striking standing up there. He couldn’t ignore that; it clearly wasn’t the club, it was just you – and you were setting him on fire. Dave kept his eyes on you as he placed his cigarette to his lips once more and you swallowed hard, you weren’t sure that you could trust him. You weren’t sure about a lot of things, this job and the people that worked here. But you were sure that you wanted him, and nearly just as sure that he felt the same. Even from way up here, it wasn’t hard to see your effect on him considering you’d been watching him for your entire set. “Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t realise- Would you like me to come and sit with you?” You were gentle and polite, and moved towards the steps down onto the floor. Dave stilled you as he set his chair back on all four legs and rose, taking one last drag before he stubbed out his cigarette. “Stay.” He walked across the room, not breaking your eye contact. Dangerous. Yet, you were attracted to that danger. Dave joined you on stage, wasting no time; “Pick a song.” “Sorry?” “A song. Pick one.” It was more of a demand than anything, yet it still left you confused. “May I ask why?” He wasn’t sure if he was impressed with you or annoyed. Why would you not just do as he asked? And yet he admired that you weren’t shying away from him with a timid stammer. “Sing with me.” Your face flushed, but your nerve held; “You sing?” Then before he could respond, which meant Dave was reduced to nodding, “Why ask me to perform if you can sing?” “Why wear out my talents every evening?” Dave turned his eyes to the empty room and flashed a smirk, “No. I’ll only sing on occasion, my dear – not everyone out there deserves to hear me.” You dared to look away from him to find some kind of music player – the lack of one would mean he wanted to sing with you acapella. You regarded him again, wondering what his singing voice was like. What it might feel like to hear it for the first time – if he’d be able to harmonize with you. What if it was you that couldn’t harmonize with him? He stared at you again, curiously, awaiting your answer. “What if you don’t know it?” “You’d be surprised. What’s your choice?” “There’s no music.” “You best not be trying to get out of this…” He walked forward to the microphones, beckoning you with him – and you followed. Unnervingly eager to hear this for yourself. “With a voice as intoxicating as yours, you hardly need musical accompaniment.” Dave’s eyes flashed and your lips parted – but you realised he was daring you to retaliate to such a seemingly forbidden piece of information. “Now come on.” He placed his hand to the shell of his ear, “I still haven’t heard a name…” You gave him one and for a moment you wondered if you had found something he didn’t know, as Dave stood in silence staring at the ceiling. You nearly jumped as the eerie silence was suddenly filled with a hummed melody at his recollection. The smirk returned as his gaze fell back to your face. “Am I right?” “…Yes…” You breathed, stepping to the mic. He took a step away and nodded, indicating that the floor was yours. Convinced that none of this could have been for a good reason, you took a deep breath and closed your eyes; imagining the opening notes in your head, imagining there was really a band behind you and crowd in front. All here for you, but also him. You opened your eyes again and with your confidence, incredibly, sky-high you began singing. Dave lost it almost immediately. You were still dressed as you had been when you’d performed; to be honest with the level of attraction he was still feeling towards you – whether that be purely lust, or something more, he didn’t know – it would have been enough. But when there was no music to focus on, when it was just your voice, it was almost worse. Beautiful and haunting, as you hit every note; Dave didn’t even think you’d have needed a microphone what with the way it echoed around the deserted building. You had no pressure here, no one was focusing on you, you didn’t have to be the source of entertainment – just to sing whatever you wanted. Then he joined you,  and were you not in the zone, you would have tripped on your notes – you certainly nearly lost key as he brought his up to yours. His voice was smooth and rich, a little different to that semi-raspy tone he usually talked with. And as you continued to sing together, playfully pushing him into high and low sections, between softer sequences and real power notes you couldn’t help but be shocked at the range he had. A voice that was persuasive, seductive, but, like him, not quite true and trustworthy. A voice that didn’t ask you to do something, but gently implied you should do it – until it was all you could think about. Until you wanted to do it for him. Not ‘will you?’; ‘You will.’. You weren’t sure what that thing was either, but it certainly had a hold of you – and you had a distinct feeling you were now looking at each other in exactly the same way. You were both asking for trouble. As the song and your voices faded out, and the room lapsed back into silence, your ears were ringing. The tension you felt in your body surrounded you, it was in the very air you were breathing – and Dave crossed the stage with purpose before grabbing you. You expected it, the way he pulled you into him, and your fingers dug into his arms as his kiss engulfed you. It felt better than the sound of his voice insisted that it would, and you were sure you were going insane at the feel of him this close to you. His pull back was quick and violent – and although his blue eyes were dark and telling you exactly what he wanted, his glare was also hard. But you were smirking; because you had Dave right where you wanted him. “Who are you?” “Too much for you to handle.” You stepped back into him, letting him know that you were hardly afraid of him – nor to admit what you wanted. His intake of breath was sharp and he shook his head, eyes searching yours for a sign that you were teasing. You best not be – you best mean it. “Y/N. Let me tell you something, right now. I like to fuck and when I meet a bad bitch, it drives me crazy. But you drive me crazier than any other fucking woman I’ve ever known. And I want you NOW.” He wasn’t sure what he would see in you as he gripped you a little tighter, but your smile was not it. It didn’t look like it belonged on your face, sinfully wicked, to accompany your small laugh. You very nearly took Dave’s breath away. Your eyes ran his body as you replied, drawing up slowly, the lip bite was teasing – but the kind he wanted to tolerate; “I’ve been here enough times to have seen you sitting on your little table. And you drive me crazy.” You pulled him closer to your body, wrapping your arms around his neck and locked your intense stare with his; “Coincidentally - you’re the only man in this club I’m here for, and the only one I’d let put his hands all over me.” Dave bit his lip, this hum not of notes but of satisfaction. You meant business. You craved him as much as he did you. With your arms around his neck the decision was already made, he hoisted you off the floor and walked you from the stage to the first table he saw. Though the patrons had vacated the premises, drinks glasses and bottles still adorned nearly all the tables. But with your body pressed up against his, and the feel of your heart beat – erratic in anticipation – Dave couldn’t care less about that.   Holding you strong in one arm he cleared the table with one sweep of his other, before laying you back on it. The crash of breaking glass deterred neither one of you. But he paused for just a second as his hands found either side of your waist. “Promise me something.” You tilted your head to the side, wondering what exactly Dave – of all people – would want you to promise now. Why he’d want you to promise anything. You weren’t exactly sure you cared if this was a one-time thing. “What is it you want me to promise?” “That you won’t regret this.” You raised an eyebrow, wondering if that was something he should be saying. Did women often regret sleeping with him? Instead you simply smiled, pulling him down to kiss you. “No. Regrets.” His eyes fluttered closed for a moment as he accepted your kiss, and then he straightened. Hooking your legs around himself Dave held you there, gaze locking with yours again. It was clear he wanted you to know exactly what you were doing to him with the way he pushed himself against you. You didn’t see the point in holding back your groan – Dave already knew you craved him. His fingertips grazing along your skin, taking your dress with them, was something else altogether – and as he rolled his hips over yours, your eyes fluttered closed. “Oh… Dave…” Your voice was soft, whispered just for him. His fingers brushed down your thighs as your dress climbed higher up your body. Dave paused again, with a delicious little smirk before he bent to kiss you once more – liking the feel of your fingers running through his hair to mess it up. He figured he’d quite like you to be pulling it, but Dave would save that for later. “You are so fucking beautiful.” He placed his hands on your hips, and had the audacity to wink at you. He got the feeling you’d be feisty. He liked that. Dave hooked his fingers under your lingerie, and pushing them to one side. His blue eyes flashed once more, darkening as they flicked back to your face. All he wished to know then was if your sex was as torturous as your presence. What that gorgeous voice of yours would sound like now. So good it hurts… You bit your lip, moving your hips eagerly in anticipation. You got the feeling by the look on his face, that regret wasn’t even going to remotely factor into this.

---

8/16 - We are half way there!

Thank you for reading! 😁🙏

[sarcastically-defensive17]

Sorry - L. Hemmings

Original story by sarcastically-defensive17

Vulnerability wasn't something she handled well. She struggled with expressing to him how she felt, and that is what led to their downfall.

The small room in front of her was full, as it was most Saturdays. She had amassed quite a following over the year she had been performing in the club.

The song she planned to perform was an articulation of the untold emotion. Every emotion she has felt since he had enough and she ran away. All Luke asked was for her to give as much to him as he was giving to her.

I miss laying in the park, I miss the walks out after dark.

She tuned her guitar carefully, holding the acoustic contraption close to her chest.

Her hand raised, the queue for the band to follow her lead. She plucked the chords in the same rhythm she had many times before. She knew that keeping things bottled up was never good for her, but she couldn't help it.

She was scared of looking weak. She would prove to him, through the song, that she could give as much as he did. She wanted to express how much he meant to her.

Luke didn't want to be at the show. He wanted to be at his house, nursing his damaged heart and wallowing on many memories of the woman who he gave his all to.

Calum had physically dragged him from his lounge, forcing him to go out with himself and Ashton. They had spoken to Y/N before the date, and they knew of the plan she had.

She was terrified. Her fingers slipped on the string once, waiting until the other guitarist joined in before starting the verse.

You are my first and you'll be the last, I miss the rhythm of your heart.

The lyrics caught his ears, and he had to restrain himself from looking up at the woman for fear that he would get too caught up in the narrative.

The words reaching his ears brought goosebumps to the top layer of skin on his arms, and he pulled his jacket sleeves down to hide the evidence.

His heart ached. He missed Y/N, but she walked out when he asked for her to open up more. He had known her for so many years, he knew her struggles with being open but he thought it would be different with him. They had been friends for so long, yet he felt as if he knew nothing about her. It only intensified once they gave it a chance.

I miss your head laid on my chest, you always said that I was the best.

She threw her head back softly, shaking the hair from in her eyes as she would do whenever the guitar was in her hands. Not much was able to draw her fingers from the strings of her favourite instrument. It was the only way she was comfortable expressing herself.

Luke hadn't seen her perform one of her own songs before. She made sure to only showcase her covers around him. Her songs were the most private thing about her, so it was a miracle that she was opening that part of herself up to him, let alone the 60 other people crowded in the room.

No one ever spoke to me, like you did and I miss you, babe. And it's hard to take. And I can't be saved.

Y/N intended to get it all out there for him. She wanted him to know that it killed her to walk away, but her fears got the better of her. This song is the most personal presentation of her internal conflict, and possibly the hardest thing she has ever done.

But she is willing to do it, for him. She knew she couldn't be saved, and there was little to no chance of mending what she broke but she owed him the explanation at least.

I'm sorry, that I didn't give it all to you. I'm sorry, don't look away cause I gotta say I'm sorry. Just hold me cause the words will fade. I'm sorry, that I didn't give it all to you.

He was captivated by her performance. The acoustic set was soft and gentle on his ears, despite the intensity of the lyrics. He looked up without realizing, focusing his gaze on the eyes that were locked on him.

She was watching for his reaction. Her voice remained string despite the lump forming in her throat, and she was thankful she didn't ruin the performance when he caught her gaze.

Thankfully, he didn't look away and she could see the emotion crossing his face. He was always an open book to her.

I miss the way you say my name, I miss the sofa at your place.

The lyrics encouraged many memories to flood to the front of her brain, and to Luke's as well.

Many days and night spent laying on his lounge, watching movies, TV shows, playing video games, or just simply relaxing with music playing in the background.

They both miss the other more than they know. Y/N just hopes that her song can get through to Luke. Maybe, if there is any possibility, it could send him in the direction of giving her a second chance.

We always said that we'd never change. I miss the lines across your face, I miss your head laid on my chest, you always said that I was the best.

She was scared her words would fall on deaf ears. She could see his every movement from her spot on the stage. The way he sat up slightly when the chorus began, the way he watched her fingers pluck at the strings, and how he held such emotion in his icy blue orbs.

A small smile danced along his lips when the chorus hit a second time, and her heart lurched at the sight. She adopted a smile of her own to mirror his.

No one ever spoke to me, like you did. Maybe you still care.

The crowd went quiet as they hit the bridge. She closed her eyes, the bridge was her favourite part, and she felt the most emotional as the lyrics left her lips.

I had to let you go, I had to learn to live alone. I knew I couldn't stay, but it's the hardest thing I'll ever say.

The words falling from her lips were the hardest words she had ever forced out. She felt incredibly vulnerable in front of the crowd of people, but she felt the most vulnerable underneath his gaze.

Maybe being a little vulnerable wasn't a bad thing.

I'm so sorry. I didn't give it all to you, I'm sorry.

The guitar cut out for the beginning of the last chorus, only the percussion and her voice echoing against the walls of the room.

The background singers supported her, allowing their voices to harmonize with hers through the final repetition.

Don't look away, cause I gotta say I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, just hold me cause the words will fade. I'm sorry

Her voice started to crack towards the end, as she watched Luke rub his hands together. A nervous tick of his. The song had a few lines left, then she had no choice but to talk to him. She would have to him, rather than rely on her song to express all of what she wanted to say.

She was terrified, but she knew the love she held for him in her heart was worth the vulnerability.

He was worth it. He always would be.

Oh, I'm sorry, that I didn't give to all to you.

[r3b3lgrrrrrrrl]

A LunaTic and her Gunn (Part 100 Xs2) "Day 26: Seattle and Old Side Chicks

@creatureofthen1ght-v3 @crystalbaby12 @5sosfam1dlover @backoftheroomandnotbelonging @rosefilledhearts-blog

They're playing The Show Box tonight.

"SEATTLE!!!!" Colson shouts as Sex Drive fades out. "How you doin' tonight?" He asks to their roars. "We got a special show lined up just for you... You ready to FUCKING DO THIS!?!" He screams.

The nightclub rattles in excitement around him. Leading off with Habits, they flow into Breaking News 2. Slim and Colson rocking across the stage together as lights and smoke flash and flow around them. El Diablo follows with LOCO, GTS and Wild Boy. Colson jumping into the crowd twice already.

Luna joins him OnStage for an overly sexual performance of Bad Things. Unable to keep their hands off each other. Throwing their matching tattooed arms up into the air as they dance and bop around, singing to one another. Colson drives the crowd wild when he grabs Luna as she heads OffStage. Spinning her around to dip and kiss her passionately before allowing her to go as he shouts her name to the crowd.

"Oooh... This Motherfucker..." Luna thinks. Pussy dripping for Colson as she walks SideStage.

Meeting up with Sam, Dom and The Ash's, Sam hands her joint as Ashleigh passes her their usual bottle of Jameson. The five friends laugh and sing together as The Boys run through Trap Paris, Candy, The Break Up and See My Tears. Dom dipping off at some point to prepare.

Strumming the opening chords to I Think I'm Okay, Colson shouts "I WANT THE ROOF BLOWN OFF THIS MOTHERFUCKER TONIGHT!!!!"

🎼Watch me//Take a good thing//And fuck it all up//In one night//Catch me//I'm the one//On the run//Away from//The headlights//No sleep//Up all week// Wasting time//With people//I don't like

I THINK//SOMETHING'S//FUCKING//WRONG WITH ME🎶

The audience sings with him so loudly they almost drown him out like alcohol. The energy is INSANE. 

🎶I HURT MYSELF//SOMETIMES//IS THAT TO SCARY//FOR YOU🎶

Chanting the lyrics with Colson as if they are their own personal mantra. The line still kills Luna's insides for Colson. Hearing it shouted along with a few thousand people is intense. Her eyes well up as her heart hurts for every disenfranchised individual in her presence who personally relates to it. Self harm is a serious and scary thing.

The building EXPLODES when Dom comes running onto the stage. Surprised and ecstatic over his appearance. He slams through the chorus with Colson before stepping up solo.

🎶Roll me up//And smoke me love//We could fly//Into the night🎶

You can barely hear Dom over the sea of voices singing with him. It's incredible to watch. The sound of unity so powerful it could give anyone goosebumps.

Both Boys are off. Surfing on top of the thousands of people willing to hold them up. Not needing to sing because the room is doing it for them.

Making their way back to the stage, they round out the song together. Singing GoodNight at different times at different ranges.

Luna has to have Ashleigh check her make up as she wipes the tears from her cheeks. She needs to get her shit together to go back on by the time The Boys finish. The reaction to Colson and Dom's song being so raw, Luna couldn't help but find herself to be emotional. For as hardcore as Colson is, Luna knows he is truly the sweetest, most lonely boy ever. Sometimes it makes her so sad for him, wanting nothing more than to protect him from himself. How do you do that though?

"SEEEATOOOLLL!!!!!" Dom shouts "WE LOFE YOOOU!!!"

"FUCK YEAH, WE DO!!" Colson shouts with him as they stand side by side.

The Girls are moving around behind them. Setting up OnStage. They've decided to twist the fuck outta Seattle. Rook is still sat behind his kit as Baze hands Sam a bass guitar. Luna picking up the electric she had rehearsed with earlier as Tech places microphones and stands down for both her and Ashley.

"So, much that we cooked up this little rendition just for YOU!! KICK IT!!" Colson calls as him and Dom step aside.

Everyone within ear shot loses their fucking minds the minute Luna hits those first famous chords to Smells Like Teen Spirit. Rook and Sam knocking in hard behind her. Luna's warm voice snakes around the opening lyrics. She stays on beat but her voice is smoother and more trained than Cobain's while still holding his same haunting drawl.

🎼Loooad up on guns//Briiing your friends//It's fun to lose//And toooo pretend//She's over bored//And seeelf assured//Oooh no//I know//A dirty word🎶

Flipping the script, The Girls are covering Nirvana. Ashley stepping in as her and Luna croon together. Harmonizing like an intriguing mix of handcuffs and silk.

🎶Hello//Hello//Hello//Hoooow low//Hello//Hello//Hello//Hoooow low//Hello//Hello//Hello//Hoooow low//Hello//Hello//Hello🎶

Rook, Sam and Luna ripping into their instruments as Ashley let's her voice fly loose. Raw. Not caring to be perfect as she belts the lyrics fiercely.

🎶With the liiiights out//It's less dangerousss//Here we arrre nooow//Entertain uuuus//I feel stuuuupid//And contagiouuusss//Here we aaaare now//Entertain usss//A mulattooo//An albinooo//A mosquitooo//My libidooo//YEAH🎶

Luna slams into her guitar as her vocals slip in again. Matching up with Ashley as they use a flat tone.

🎶HEY//YAY🎶

Colson, Dom and Baze are setting themselves up SideStage. They're gonna follow them with a Bikini Kill song before The Girls fully finish.

The stage is shaking from the mosh pit happening just yards away from The Girl's feet. Luna and Ashley grin at each other. Regardless of personal feelings, it's a great fucking song. Luna hitting those significant chords on her guitar again as her voice wraps itself throughout the lyrics.

🎶I'm worse//Aaat what//I dooo best//And fooor this gift//I feeeeel blessed//Our littlllle group//Has alllways beeeeen//And alwaaaays wiiiill//Until the ennnnd🎶

Luna and Ashley hum through the Hellos and How Lows before Ashley comes in to wail through the chorus again. Her voice the perfect balance of clarity and rasp. Instruments floating around her impeccably.

🎶With the liiiights out//It's less dangerousss//Here we are nooow//Entertain uuuus//I feel stuuuupid//And contagiouuusss//Here we aaaare now//Entertain usss//A mulattooo//An albinooo//A mosquitooo//My libidooo//YEAH🎶

Rook, Sam and Luna pound through the slight jam session flawlessly. You can hear Luna's guitar whine out Hello continuously before Rook rumbles them down. Luna taking her place back at the microphone.

🎶And I fooorget//Just whyyyy I taste//Oh yeeeah//I guess//It maaakes me smile//I found it haaaard//It's hard to find//Oh well//Whaaateeverr//Neeverrrmiiiind🎶

Ashley and Luna harmonizing as they repeat Hellos and How Lows again before Ashley slays the chorus once more. Sending the audience into another physical frenzy along with Rook's drums. You can't hear neither Ashley nor Luna over the crowd as they scream over and over about A Denial with them.

Instead of fading out, Rook picks up his pace to a faster punk beat. It's kinda funny as Baze switches out with Sam. Dom with Ashley and Colson with Luna.

Colson snatching a quick kiss off of Luna before his deep voice alters the punk girl anthem. It's sound is harder and less poppy than the one The Girl's covered.

🎼That girl//Thinks she's the queeeeen//Of the neighborhood//She's gooot//The hottest trike//In toowwwn//That girl//She holds her head//Up sooo high//I think I wanna//Be her//Booyfriend//Yeah🎶

During rehearsal, Luna had shown Dom and Colson where to change up certain lyrics to fit the swap.... And also because she's a fucking cunt.

Dom hits the mic, nailing the chorus. Being in Seattle, most of the crowd is singing along with him.

🎶Rebel girrrrl//Rebel girrrrl//Rebel girrrrl//You are the queeeeen//Of my worrrld//Rebel girrrl//Rebel girrrl//I know I wanna//Take you home//I wanna take off//Your clothes//UNH🎶

---------------------------------------------------

Bikini Kill is one of Seattle's few surviving bands. Tobi Vale being the first girl Kurt Cobain was ever mesmerized by, crushing on her hard. As one of The Original Riot Grls, she had no time for the quiet blue eyed boy. The band's lead singer Kathleen Hanna making fun of him one night, writing Kurt Loves Teen Spirit on his bedroom wall in Olympia. It was a direct reference to Tobi's deodorant. His most famous hit being inspired by a girl who couldn't be bothered by him. How ironic. Courtney Love HATES Tobi Vale. Courtney Love HATES Smells Like Teen Spirit. Luna HATES Courtney Love. Being more of a Pixies fan, Luna never cared much for Nirvana. Even before his daughter became one of her bestfriends. Luna's lack of interest in her family being a great source of comfort to Frances. Her hatred for Courtney being born and growing naturally. Watching first hand how The Mother's selfish and self destructive behavior had affected Frannie through the long years of their friendship. Pissing Luna off more and more with every missteps. Playing the 90s theme song with Colson covering Rebel Girl beside it, IN Seattle, is the ultimate FUCK YOU to Courtney Love from Luna. It's also probably the ONLY time she's ever secretly hoped her performance will pop up on YouTube.

---------------------------------------------------

Making the song his along with Dom as Rook, Baze and AJ slaughter the quick paced, bass driven, punk tune with them. Colson's deep voice penetrates the next set of lyrics as he slams into his guitar.

🎶When she taaalks//I hear the revolution//In her hiiiips//There's revolution//When she waaaalks//The revolution's coming//In her kiiiiss//I taste the revolutiooonnnn🎶

Colson screams before Dom hits the chorus again. Each with their own Rebel Girl in mind throughout the song.

🎶Rebel girrrrl//Rebel girrrrl//Rebel girrrrl//You are the queeeeen//Of my worrrld//Rebel girrrl//Rebel girrrl//I know I wanna//Take you home//I wanna take off//Your clothes//UNH🎶

The Boys flow into the gnarly jam session. Rook's drums throbbing as AJ shreds relentlessly. If there's one thing Luna's learned tonight, it is that, THIS motherfucker can RIP.

Colson comes in again, leathery voice shouting out the strong, female positive lyrics. Luna did this on purpose. Switching up the two bands, she wanted the gender flip. Just like Nightmare. It's an important symbolism of feminism and equality. Being smart and lucky enough to fall in love with a man who has a daughter and shares her views.

Never a quiet man. Colson is known for not holding back from stepping up or speaking out for what he believes in. Standing solidly beside Luna, pushing for A Change, they WHOLE heartily believe it can happen. Or will die continuing to fight for Casie and her generation's sake.

🎶That girl//Thinks she's//The queeeen//Of the neighborhoooood//I got newwsss//For you//SHE IISSS//They say//She's a dyke//But I know//She iiissss//MY GIRLFRIEND//YEAH🎶

Colson and Dom come in together. As Colson slashes his guitar, he looks over at his friend. On instinct Dom turns to catch his eye. Grinning, they shout the chorus together. Both of their Rebel Girls standing behind them ready to take over.

🎶Rebel girrrrl//Rebel girrrrl//Rebel girrrrl//You are the queeeeen//Of my worrrld//Rebel girrrl//Rebel girrrl//I know I wanna//Take you home//I wanna take off//Your clothes//UNH🎶

Shifting slightly to the side, each boy steps from the mic. Releasing it to their partner. Colson's guitar tearing it's way up and down Luna's spine from behind. Without missing a beat Luna and Ashley take the last hook together. Female Empowerment being their overall Life Goal.

🎶Love you//Like a sister//Always//Soul sister//Rebel girl//Come and be//My best friend//Will you Rebel girl//I really like you//I really wanna be//Your bestfriend//Be my reeeeebel grrrrrrrllll🎶

As Rook and Baze fade them out, the room is uncontrollable. Seattle LOVES it's hometown hero's. Courtney Love does not fit into that category.

"That was killer..." Colson says lowly in Luna's ear as he kisses the back of her neck.

With her body flush, it's her duty to take the mic right now. Nuzzling her head back into him, she drops a low I Love You before hitting it.

"SEATTLE!!!!!" She shouts as she tries to calm her insides. "HOW ARE YOU?" She asks to their cheers. "We've got one more cover.... How many of you know of Andrew Wood and Mother Love Bone?" She asks.

Only half the nightclub answers her. She expected this.

"A little lesson in music history..." She smiles.

The crowd hoots out for knowledge. Loving the interaction as Luna strolls around the stage. Talking with her hands as she tells the story.

"Andrew Wood and Mother Love Bone were the pioneers of the Seattle scene." This is heard by a louder cheer and a grin on her face. "We lost him unfortunately... In '89. The remaining band took up Eddie Vedder and became Pearl Jam."

A mixed reaction fills the atmosphere. Some knowing the story. Some caught off guard.

"Hold on... Hold on... Hold on...it goes deeper." Luna shushes them.

She squats down on the middle of the stage. Continuing her story as Tech sets up behind her.

"Andrew Wood was Chris Cornell's bestfriend and roommate at the time of his death." This draws a sadness from the crowd. "I know, friends.... I know..." She sadly comforts them. "That's why were gonna play this next diddy. It is in honor of Andrew. Originally sang by Chris and Eddie....  I KNOW you'll know it when you hear it.... So when you do... You FUCKING SING!!!" Luna shouts to their erupting agreements.

Standing up, Luna grabs the electric she's been using. She begins to slowly pick the soft opening chords with Rook, Sam and Baze behind her.

By their reaction this time, Colson is pretty sure they've lost the roof. Watching his sea of family, he loves the way his woman speaks with them.

In Luna's opinion, Chris Cornell had the greatest voice of his generation. In her mind, there's more pressure to nail this upcoming song more than the prior. It's personal and the social relevance meaning more to her than the Top 40 Hit.

Luna starts them off, making everyone around them ooze with sentiment. Her strong, layered voice a smart match to represent Cornell.

🎼Well//I don't mind//Steealing bread//From the moooouths//Of decadeeeence//Hmmmmm//But I can't feeeeed//On the powerless//When my cup's//Already overfiiiiilled//Yeeeah//Mhhhm🎶

Luna's vocal range is both bold and delicate enough to hold it's own against the already emotional song. Allowing a tinge of pain to slip through her as she sings. The crowd joining her.

🎶But//It's on the taaable//The fiiire's cooookin'//And they're farmin' babies//The slaves are all woooorkinnn'//Blood is on the taaable//The moooouths//Are all chooookinnn'//But I'm goin' hungryyyyy//Yeeeeah🎶

Rook, Baze, Sam and Luna flip through the chords of the slightly dark melody. Colson's deep voice perfect as he steps up to the mic and takes on Eddie's verse. His family helping him as they sing along still.

🎶I don't mind//Stealing bread//From the mouths//Of decaaaaadence//But I can't feed//On the powerless//When my cup's alreadyyy//Overfiiiilllledd//Oh ohhhh//But//It's on the table//The fire is cookinnnnn'//And they're farmin' babies//The slaves are all wooorrrkin'//Annnnd//It's on the table//Their mouths//Are all choookinnnn'//But I'm going hungry🎶

Dom backs Colson. Wailing. AJ matches Sam with a second rhythm guitar as Rook bangs into his kit. Baze nailing the bass as Luna's fingers fly over the lead.

🎶I'm goin' hungrrryyy🎶

Ashley pops in with the next verse as Luna backs her. The crowd flowing with Luna and Ashley at different times.

🎶I'm goin' hungrryy🎶

🎶Oooohhh//I'm huuuungrrryyy AYYY🎶

Colson and Dom coming back in together at different times. All four voices stacking themselves on top of each other's along with The Band. As the crowd continues to sing along with them, it's anything short of amazing.

🎶I'm goin' hungrryy🎶

🎶I'm goin' hungrraaayyy🎶

🎶I'm goin' hugrrriiyyy🎶

🎶I'm goin' huuuungrAyAyAyyyy🎶

Dom and Ashley shift their voices together to continue singing about Goin' Hungry. Their vocals following together beautifully as the instruments rage behind them along with the voices of the audience.

Luna stepping in to take over Cornell's major part. Voice lacing around the lyrics of Not Minding Stealing Bread as she belts them. Ashley and Dom still behind her repeating separately how they're Goin' Hungry.

Colson's deep voice slides in to add another chapter of theft to the story as he sings beside Luna. Picking up the rhythm, Dom and Ashley drop out. Leaving Colson and Luna to play off each other's voices as they sing about Goin' Hungry.

🎶Oooohh//I'M GOIN HUNGRAAAAY AY YEEE🎶

Luna bellows alone one last time as Rook and her guitar lead them out. The Show Box BURSTS with hoots, claps and cheers as they end.

Grinning, Colson grabs Luna. As her guitar hits his chest hard, he doesn't care. With all the electricity flowing through him, he can't feel it. Only her lips. Breaking away from her, he turns to address the crowd.

"YO!!! GIVE IT UP AGAIN FOR MY GIRL, THAT BROOKLYN BITCH AND MY HOMIES YOUNGBLUD AND HALSEY!!!" Colson shouts to the volcanic club.

As Ashley and Dom head OffStage, Luna grabs her mic again. Always pushing.

"WE NEED CHAAAANGE!!!" She screams to the unshakable crowds agreement.

"She's so fucking cool...." Colson can't help the smile on his face as he watches Luna.

Grabbing one more kiss, Luna bounces OffStage. Meeting up with Ashley, Dom, Sam and Ashleigh, the three are still zipping with energy. Sam promptly passing Luna a joint as Ashleigh shouts that They Were Fucking INCREDIBLE. Luna can't help but beam as she holds the joint between her lips and grabs for a five people hug. Friendship really is a BEAUTIFUL thing.

The show's not even halfway through. Hollywood Whore kicking in next before Rap Devil and Until I Die. Switching spots with Rook as they cover Shout At The Devil.

It's honestly Luna's favorite cover of The Band's. Not even because of the song. As much as she loves Colson, she adores Rook and loves to see him shine the way he does when he takes the mic. His performance is so on point, you just KNOW he was raised with music in his blood. Even if you're unaware of where he hails from.

Still running, Colson grabs his guitar for his cover of Ocean Eyes. Catching Luna's as he sings. Both of their hearts swelling for the other over the reason he covered it.

Next comes a slew of more songs. Slim making his way back UpStage. Their friends watching SideStage as they get fucked up and sing along to Golden God, ALPHA OMEGA, Lately, Bad Motherfucker, Wake&Bake, Rehab and 27.

The lights drop to The Family's calls for an ENCORE. Loving them the way they do, The Boys oblige. Heading back out to encore Sail.

"THANK YOU, SEATTLE!!!!" Colson shouts before finally heading OffStage for the night.

-------------------------------------------------

Carrying Luna over his shoulder down the venue hallway, Colson sees the artwork of one of The Boys. Laughing, he turns Luna to see also.

"I bet it was Rook...." She guesses with a chuckle.

"Nah... Too short." He continues to laugh. "Grab my phone and post it to my Insta, please." Colson asks Luna.

Slipping her hand along his perky ass into his back pocket, she pulls out his phone. Snapping the picture at his request.

"Here.... You know I don't Instagram..." Luna deadpans as she hands the device to him from around the side of his lean body.

Laughing again, he shakes his head at her refusal to even interact with the app at all. Continuing to carry her to his dressing room as he posts it.

××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××

"Always follow the signs.

😈👅💦🐈🍆💥"

#seattle #hoteldiablo"

×××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××

"Holy SHIIIIT, Loons...." Colson groans out.

Laying his head back in delight as her tight pussy slowly slides up and down him. Teasing and pleasing his cock as she takes her time riding him. Colson takes her face into his large hands. Kissing her softly.

"Unnhh, I missed you...." He says as another grunt escapes him.

"Mmmm. Me tooo." She purrs.

Moving his mouth from her lips to her neck, Luna leans back, hands on his thighs as he seeks out her plump breasts. Sucking and nibbling on her piercings, Colson makes Luna shift against him faster. Rocking him deeper inside of her. She grabs the top of his hair. Pulling on it to keep her pace steady, he grabs and shakes her ass as it bounces.

"Mmmm... Gimme that dick." Luna moans.

Her demands excites Colson even more. Grabbing one hip firmly and snatching for her hair, he takes control. Sucking on her neck as he slams her up and down his cock. Moving her body like a willing doll. Making her walls clench and body quiver.

"My dirty girl likes that's... Hmm?" He says into her neck.

Luna can only utter sounds of pleasure as he fills her body. Feeling herself close, she starts to thrust into his rhythm. Colson pushes back, grabbing both of Luna's tits as they begin bucking against each other. Bitting the side of his neck, she makes him cum with her.

"Oooh, FUCK...." He shouts as they explode together.

Feeling his body go limp, Luna nuzzles into his naked chest. Kissing her forehead, they sit. The sound of the blood pumping through his heart synching up with her own.

Lifting her head, she asks him To Roll A Joint to his nod. Climbing off of him, Luna chops up her third set of rails today. Colson's fourth.

"What the fuck? I told you off your ass..." He teases as Luna looks at him perplexed. "You didn't get my voicemail?" He asks with a hint of disappointment as he lights the joint.

Luna shakes her head No as they bend down to do their lines together. Lifting up, she adjusts herself. Checking her nose and make-up.

Calling her voicemail as they pass the bone back and forth, Colson is definitely on there. Talking about porn and doing drugs off of her ass.

"And you say I'M WILD!!" Luna laughs as they head towards the door, looking over her shoulder coyly taunts. "There's always later."

Her words making Colson's member stand at full salute for her. Again.

---------------------------------------------------

Word Limit (2 of 3)

To be continued.....

❇Writer's Note: Feel free to share with whomever 😘

[cuppalevi]

Blue Guitar | Chapter 2: Dinner’s On You

Series Summary: Leone Abbacchio's trying his best to get his shit together for Narancia. But when Narancia ends up inviting him to a concert he's playing for, Leone ends up under the sheets of the popstar, Bruno Buccellati. It turns out dating a popstar has complications. Especially when a certain someone named Diavolo has tricks up his sleeves.

Chapter 2 Summary: Leone Abbacchio arrives at Bruno’s concert, only to be completed fascinated by the singer. He promptly meets the band, and gets flirted by Bruno. 

Fandom: Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure

Pairing: Leone Abbacchio x Bruno Buccellati

AO3 Link | Previously | Masterlist

“How are we doing so far tonight? Are we good?” Bruno took the microphone off from the stand it was placed and grasped it within his hand. He walks around the stage, waving a hand towards the crowd before him, a bright smile on his lips. The singer was clad in glittered, iridescent, light blue pants. A sheer white suit with ruffles upfront adorned his torso, showing off the black lace of his undergarment. All the while a shiny, heeled, black Christian Louboutin completed the outfit he wore.

Bruno’s under the spotlights, illuminating his whole figure and showcasing the singer to the audience in front of him. He’s charismatic, in words and in movement. When his band had started playing the first tunes to his opening song had started playing and he was waiting for his moment to come out to the stage, he clutched the handle of his microphone- a sleek white with black teardrops design which he had custom made- soft breaths leaving his lips as the rush of adrenaline had slowly come over him. And when it was his cue, all anxiety just drifted away and sheer euphoria flooded his veins as he started singing in sync with the tune.

The crowd before him cheers, waving their hands wildly. Bruno’s chest feels warm at the overwhelming attention he’s getting. Life on stage was the best part of being a musician. The adrenaline he gets from being upstage, hearing the screams of people, singing his songs as he moved to the beat. It was exhilarating.

Although, the handsome man upfront surely caught his attention.

Narancia seemed more anxious about the concert than Leone had expected. A few hours ago, Narancia was frantic. Running from the kitchen, his bedroom, the living room- pretty much the whole apartment basically- to make sure he did not forget anything. Moody Blues grumpily hissed at Narancia when the cat awoke from her nap due to the teenager’s feet shaking the floors of their apartment as if an earthquake was happening. Leone had to reassure Narancia a thousand times, all the while Moody Blues tried to resume her nap.

Leone did not have high expectations for the concert. He just wanted to watch Narancia rock his guitar. Before Buccellati climbed up the stage, the band first settled in. When Narancia had entered the stage with two other guys, his eyes immediately started to scan the crowd- eagerly wanting to see Leone. The teenager had frantically waved with a massive grin on his face when he had spotted Leone’s silver hair among the crowd.

The adult chuckled at Narancia and waved back at him, a warm feeling filling his chest.

But what he didn’t expect was to see the charming man, Bruno- whom he had met in the grocery shop after his squabble with Giorno, upstage singing in front of him. From the moment Bruno had revealed himself onstage with dancing lights above him, least to say he was stunned to see the view before him. Who knew that Bruno from the grocery store was the Buccellati Narancia was working for? Certainly not Leone.

Leone hadn’t been to many concerts. He’d rather put up his headphones and get lost in the music of Monteverdi. But today, this- wholly, beautiful man that’s got Leone into some sort of trance that’s gotten him lost in nothing but Bruno’s voice- it’s exhilarating. He’s irrevocably captivated. The tone of the singer’s voice sends deep chills down his spine and he’s pulled in to listen for more.

“Before we near the end of today’s show, I wanna give a massive thank you to my incredible, incredible band!” Bruno splayed out a hand and presented the band behind him, multiple spotlights falling on the boys who were bringing life to the instruments they were playing.

A grin is plastered on Bruno’s face as he presented Narancia to the crowd first, “A recent recruit of mine and my wonderful guitarist, Narancia Ghirga!”

The spotlights fell onto Narancia. The teenager waved to the crowd, full of enthusiasm. In return, the audience before him cheered. Leone’s lips twitched into a smile as he looked at Narancia fondly, warmth seeping through his chest. Damn, he’d never felt any prouder than he was before.

Narancia is wearing a black t-shirt which was tucked in grey wide-legged pants and black loafers that had a big, gold ring in front as design. But what really was eye-catching was the glittered light blue bandana he wore on his head. The bandana matched Bruno’s trendy trousers.

Leone looked over to the drummer as Bruno introduced him, “My great and amazing drummer, Guido Mista!”

Guido Mista was sitting behind the array of drums but he stood to his feet and stepped out from his set of drums and bowed with his hand outstretched when Bruno called his name. Mista is dressed in a solid black, cropped turtleneck sweater. A beanie of the same color sat on his head, an arrow pointed downwards on his forehead. However, the turtle-necked collar, the hem of the sleeves, and the color of the arrow of his beanie also happened to be glittered and light blue that also twinned Bruno’s trousers.

“Of course, last but not least. My skilled and marvelous keyboardist, Pannacotta Fugo!”

Pannacotta Fugo had dirty blonde hair that fell behind his back ever so gracefully. His face only showed a twitch of a smile and a gentle wave to the crowd. Leone had to keep a snicker when he saw that Fugo’s black suit was riddled with holes and strawberry earrings dangle freely. He thought that the boy looked ridiculous. And surprisingly, the necktie he adorned matched Bruno’s pants as well.

“Wow, fashionably coordinated, huh.” Leone murmured under his breath.

Bruno walked back in front of the microphone stand and attached the microphone back to its stand before speaking once more. “This is: Adore You.”

The lights dim a little bit, Mista starts thrumming his drums at a pace. Fugo’s fingers start pressing down on the keys and Narancia’s strumming his guitar with the chords of the song. Bruno’s foot starts tapping to the beat, bobbing his head to the sound, eyes shut as he starts singing, “Walk in your rainbow paradise,”

Narancia, Fugo, and Mista sing a back-up of, “Paradise,” and it amazes Leone how their voices mesh together in a perfect melody that accompanied Bruno’s voice so well.

“Blueberry lipstick state of mind,” Bruno’s eyebrows furrow as he sings into the mic.

Then the lyric is followed by the trio harmonizing, “State of mind.”

“I get so lost inside your eyes,” Bruno’s eyes subtly scan the array of people in the area in front of him. It wasn’t that hard to spot the pair of eyes he wanted to see as the owner of those eyes belonged to a man with hair white as snow. “Would you believe it?”

Bruno Buccellati, a kind, and compassionate soul. He was adored by many due to his songs. His overall aura just draws you to him. Bruno lived in the coastal suburbs of Naples with his mother and father. His father worked as a humble fisherman. When his mother had sung him a lullaby instead of the usual bedtime stories, he was instantly enthralled by the way his mother sang. It was then he developed an interest in singing.

“You don’t have to say you love me. You don’t have to say nothing, you don’t have to say you’re mine.”  

Even when his parents divorced, his passion for singing never wavered. His father was determined to give Bruno a good education so he started taking tourists on his boats to earn more. Bruno would entertain the tourists by giving them a song number he practiced the day before. Consequently, it earned him a good amount of lire which he put into his savings.

“ Honey, ” Bruno sang, taking the mic off its stand and walking around the stage.

Collectively, the three band members sang, “ Ah, ah, ah, ah, ”

“ I’d walk through fire for you, just let me adore you, ”

Leone used to think that nobody could match the likes of Monteverdi. Just like how no movie could surpass Sling Blade, in his opinion. But watching Bruno sing his heart out in front of him. And the charming smile the singer puts on his face while he gazes to the crowd. Leone thought, maybe Monteverdi won’t be the only artist he’ll be listening to after this.

“ Like it’s the only thing I’ll ever do, ” Bruno finishes the first chorus. He proceeds to walk around the stage, waving to people.

Bruno was found by Polpo who worked for the management, Passione. After being able to save up for his education, Bruno started working a part-time job in a local pub where he would stand in front of tipsy people and sing songs. Coincidentally, Polpo had been looking for a client. He offered Bruno a chance at becoming an artist. It took Bruno a couple of days to consider the man’s offer. He didn’t want to leave his father all alone when he was off chasing his dreams. But his father encouraged him to take it.

“You’d make a proud man,” His father had told him.

So here he was now. Pouring his heart out with every ounce of his being to the songs he had written.

Bruno stops in a particular spot at the stage, which just happened to be right in front of Leone. “ Your wonder under summer skies, ”

“ Summer skies, ” The three band members sing.

“ Fair skin and lemon over ice, ” A twitch overcomes Leone’s lips as he meets Bruno’s eyes.

He feels entranced when Bruno shoots him a subtle wink. Like he can’t seem to take his eyes off of him.

“ Would you believe it? ” Bruno tilts his head in question as if he was asking Leone.

Leone bites back a chuckle, pressing his lips together. He looks around him to see if anyone saw their interaction, but everyone else was lost in Bruno’s singing. Bruno starts his pre-chorus again, but he stays in that particular area of the stage. His body moves to the rhythm of the song, his head is swaying with the melody. The ends of his hair are dancing along with him, whipping against his head back and forth. And his right foot, simultaneously in sync.

“ It’s the only thing I’ll ever do,” Narancia, Fugo, and Mista sing the lyric repeatedly as the song’s bridge. They sing it a number of times as they play their instruments. Bruno’s feet bring him to different parts of the stage as he awaits the finishing lines. But before the bridge finishes, he quickly pulls the microphone stand and drags it toward that spot.

Just as the last chorus began, he swiftly places his microphone back on the stand and opens his mouth. “I'd walk through fire for you, just let me adore you.”

He knows Leone’s eyes are on him, but he doesn’t return the gaze this time. Instead, he shuts his eyes, grasping the thin body of the microphone stand. His other hand stays on the mic. “Oh, honey. I’d walk through fire for you. Just let me adore you.” He continues singing the chorus until it eventually comes to the finishing lyrics.

But for the last lyric of the song, he opens his eyes and it makes contact with Leone’s, “Just let me adore you.” Bruno places a hand on his heart as he sings, then he points. The crowd goes wild at the action- thinking it was meant for them and their proceeding screams are deafening. But Leone knows it was meant for him.

--

Leone’s pulled by Narancia’s hand through the hallway that led to the lounge where the rest of the band and Bruno retired too when the concert was finished. He was nervous to see Bruno again, especially after the striking stares a pair of blue eyes had given him when the singer was pouring his heart out on the song. Leone felt as though Bruno was indirectly talking to him through the song. Even with a crowd full of people that came to watch and adore Bruno Buccellati, it was like Bruno was playing the song for him.

When Narancia opened the door, Leone first laid eyes on a certain blonde that brought irritation to his veins. He immediately rolled his eyes when the familiarity struck him and the events at the grocery shop came flashing back in his mind.  

Giorno snickered when he saw Leone come through the door being pulled by Narancia while he leaned against Mista who was munching on a slice of strawberry cake.

“Guys! Guys! Meet Leone Abbacchio!” Narancia announced, two of his hands splayed to present the tall goth, “My foster dad!”

The tall goth received a wave from Mista and a nod of acknowledgment from Fugo. Giorno greeted Leone with a small smile, “ Buona serata. ”

“Buona serata my ass,” Leone murmured, but he slowly realized what Narancia had called him earlier on. His eyebrows raised in surprise as he turned to look at Narancia, “Foster dad? What have you been telling these people Narancia-” But he wasn’t able to finish what he was saying because before he could process what Narancia called him, his arm was tugged once more.

But this time, it was pulled in the direction of none other than Bruno Buccellati himself.

Oh shit, Leone thought, stammering in unsensible words as he tried to stop Narancia but alas, it was already too late since they neared Bruno who was stood by the food table.

“Buccellati! Buccellati!” Enthusiastically, Narancia beamed at the adult in front of him.

Bruno turned his head when he heard Narancia’s voice, first glancing at the teenager himself before settling to the tall male next to him. Gently, he smirked at Leone. “And to whom do I have the pleasure of meeting, Narancia?”

Narancia giggled with a cute grin, pulling Leone close to him like glue. “Buccellati, meet Leone Abbacchio! He’s the one who’s been taking care of me. Abba, meet Buccellati!”

Leone inhaled sharply, swimming in the pools of blue he’s staring at. Without the sunglasses (And standing directly in front of him), Bruno looked so handsome at this proximity. Leone’s able to see his pretty face and the full of his sweetly curved lips. He feels his cheeks flush red when he sees Bruno’s eyes check over his body almost sensually. Fuck, Leone feels weak at the knees under his intense stare.

“Is that so? It’s a pleasure to meet you, Leone, ” Bruno smiles endearingly, eyes looking back at Leone’s while he holds out his hand. The way his name falls out of Bruno’s lips is smooth. The tone of his voice is soft yet it’s deep and penetrating.

“Pleasure to meet you too, Buccellati,” Leone replied, taking Bruno’s hand in his for a shake.

Bruno’s hand feels soft against his compared to his calloused ones. The warmth of Bruno’s hand engulfs his own, and he is almost reluctant to let go. “Bruno’s just fine, bello,” Bruno’s thumb softly rubs at Leone’s knuckles- Leone’s hand still grasped in his- as he gave another one of his award-winning smiles. Narancia’s oblivious to the overwhelming tension between the two adults.

“Oi Narancia! If you don’t hurry I’ll finish the cake myself!” Mista’s exclaim echoes in the room.

Gasping offendedly, Narancia shrills, “You wouldn’t dare!” He turned his head to look at the cake which earlier was whole but was now reduced to two slices.

“Oh, I would!” Mista threateningly taunts Narancia.

“You guys get acquainted! I’m gonna get the cake before Mista eats all of it,” The teen says to the two adults who finally let go of each other’s hands when they heard Mista shout. Before the two could say another word, Narancia is shuffling over the food table to grab a plate and a fork before quickly heading to grab a slice of the cake.

“Did you enjoy the show?” Bruno asks Leone, turning to face the food table. He resumes filling up his plate with a slice of prosciutto.

Leone nods his head, picking at his lacquered nails. “It was good, yeah. You were uh- great up there.”

For a moment, Bruno’s head spins to look at Leone and gives him a smirk, “I’m glad you liked it, bello. You should take a seat.” He nudges the legs of the stool beside him with the toe of his foot.

Politely, Leone takes a seat at the stool. He brushes back a strand of hair behind his ear when it falls to the front of his face as he sits down.

"So you’re Narancia’s guardian?”

Leone hums, “Not legally. The kid ran away from home and all. I just gave him a place to stay.”

“Not foster dad then?” An amused smile overcomes Bruno’s lips.

Chuckling Leone answered, “Nope. Not foster dad.”

Bruno leans against the food table with his back away from the array of food and moves beside Leone. He holds a plate of prosciutto in front of him. “Tell me about yourself, Leone.” Bruno takes a forkful of the food in his mouth as he awaits Leone’s reply.

Leone scratches the back of his neck, “There’s not much to tell and besides, I just met you.” He raised a brow pointedly to which Bruno replies with a chuckle.

“Buon punto, Leone. Surely you remember our encounter in the grocery store? You know, orange thief?”

Leone inwardly groans, rolling his eyes as he remembers an annoying blonde brat. “Hardly makes me a thief. You gave them to me at the end, though. Remember?”

When he came home from the grocery shop, he refused to tell Narancia what had gone down to save himself from the teen’s endless bickering. Ugh, the things I do for you, Leone thought as he handed Narancia the pack of oranges hours before. He was rewarded by repetitious thank yous from the teenager.

Bruno nodded, “Sì, you were quite adamant about getting them for your kid and all.” He flicks his eyes to Narancia.

“Okay, okay. Let’s just- forget about the oranges.” The long-haired man sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose.

Another hearty chuckle escapes through Bruno’s mouth. “Don’t fret, Leone. I was only teasing. Anyway, have you formally met the others?”

“Not really. All I know is the brat who claimed that I stole the oranges.” Leone huffs, crossing his arms stubbornly.

“That brat is my publicist,” Bruno answers, finishing his plate of prosciutto. “Giorno’s pretty strict and he can be dogmatic at times. But it’s what makes him a good publicist. I apologize on his behalf.”

Leone shakes his head, “It’s fine. It’s over now anyway.”

Humming, Bruno asked, “Say, Leone, are you busy tonight?”

Shaking his head, Leone answered, “Have lots of free time, why do you ask?”

“Hmm… I have a reservation for Ristorante Don Alfonso 1890 to try out their food. Giorno insists I go and have dinner with a friend for the experience because apparently he and Mista had a date there. He said the food was great.” Bruno poured two glasses with iced tea, offering one to Leone.

Graciously, Leone accepts the glass. “You’re… you want me to go with you?”

“I was going to bring mio padre but he told me he was exhausted from working and he rather I’d bring a friend instead,” Bruno explained.

Leone purses his lips in thought. Staring at the iced tea before him. Bruno Buccellati was inviting him to dinner. “Are- are you asking me out?”

Bruno looks at Leone and hums. He shrugs his shoulders, “Maybe. Maybe not.”

It baffles him that someone like Bruno Buccellati would want to invite him to dinner. Bruno could have anyone he wants but instead, he’s asking Leone out for dinner. Leone wasn’t really a romantic person. He’s reserved and closed off, built up walls. Unlike Bruno’s charming and outgoing personality- which people admire- He’s the complete opposite of Bruno.

Bruno’s had his fair share of lovers. Ranging from men and women. But they were all flings. The only long-term relationship he had didn’t last because the press was being invasive with their relationship. Consequently, that led to a break-up. He coped with the aftermath through songwriting and thus, his new album was born.

“As long as there’s good wine, I’m in.” Said Leone. He agrees because he does want to go. He wants to get to know Bruno. Not Bruno Buccellati the pop star, but just simply Bruno. Even without admitting it to himself, he already likes where this is going.

Bruno smiles, “Di molto bene! Wear something nice, bello. I’d very much like to adore you.”

Leone blushes, he opens his mouth to reply however a sudden thud, crack of an object and a shout interrupts them.

“You shit for brains!”

A distorted, out of tune note erupts from the keyboard due to the clenched fist that belonged to Fugo pounded on the instrument. Bruno and Leone’s eyes widen and survey the scene.

Narancia and Mista lay on the floor groaning, the coffee table that used to be in front of the couch was now in broken pieces scattered around and under the two bodies. Giorno’s face is full of shock as he tries to process what the fuck just happened.

Bruno’s sudden snap makes the room go silent, “WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU GUYS DOING?!”

< To Be Continued I \ I |

[songs-dan-likes-blog]

The Barrel (2019)

I knI’m not good about lyrics. For reasons I can’t fathom, I can barely pay any attention to the lyrics of songs when I listen to them, and if I end up learning the lyrics to things it’s almost always by accident. This isn’t a choice; I’m simply not able. It could be because I was a musician in my youth, but almost certainly it started way before that, and maybe it had something to do with how, for a long time there, I couldn’t read or write. The other kids were on chapter books while I was learning what a period was and how to sound out the word “teeth.”

On the flip side, I can sing a lot more guitar solos note by note than other people can. Lyrics—and more specifically vocals—to me are another element of composition, and primary to meaning, for the most part, are the melody and tone that the vocal instrument provides a song. This hasn’t prevented music from being a Top 5 Important in My Life Thing for me, and I love singing along to songs, it’s just that sometimes I have to mumble a lot more of the words than the other people in the car do.

However, I know I’m not getting the full experience. (I was a terrible song writer back when I was in bands full of other terrible song writers. The eighth grade music teacher was so concerned about my lyric writing during a song project that he called me parents. I think the song was about “smashing you in the face with a crowbar, crowbar, crowbar,” but it’s hard to remember exactly. Likely, they still do and have agreed to never bring it up around me.) I’m not naive. I know I’m losing out especially in the world of indie music, which is what I listen to most these days. Indie, like folk, which I have also loved for most of my life, puts an emphasis on the lyrics, partly as a response to the banal repetition of what’s called “popular music” and partly as a way to show off when shredding would be inappropriate, and like poetry there’s a whole history of one-upsmanship that’s mostly over my head.

This is long preamble to Aldous Harding’s “The Barrel,” a song I love because of the vocals but not the lyrics, which I’ve now read and are still meaningless to me. I wanted to talk about what I like in relation to the meaning of the words but I can’t. I assume the lyrics are good—she seems like the type—and from a pure aesthetic standpoint I enjoy the juxtaposition of “peaches” and “celebrate” in the pre-chorus, for example, and especially the evocative image of “Show the ferret to the egg.” The word “barrel” has an incredible roundness to it and it sounds like it coats Hannah Sian Topp’s mouth in port wine as she sings it. But there’s a lot of other stuff to like about this song, from the opening guitar lick that sounds like something from your childhood that you just can’t place to the annunciation of the piano to the egg shaker—a party instrument if ever there was one.

Best of all is the chorus. I said in the last post, and I have a feeling that it will be a feature of most of these posts, that surprise is one of the things that most attracts me to a song. This song has two big surprises, and both of them are in a chorus and both of them are singers.

The song does not warn us that anyone but Sian Topp will be singing. Listeners, without knowing it, walk into every new song with a bag of expectations. Indie music in particular likes to surprise you by denying these expectations, usually by changing up the basic song structure (verse, chorus, verse, chorus, bridge, chorus is one example) that’s been burned into our unconscious. This song does surprise differently. It gives us the shifts we expect, the little guitar intro is met by drums and bass and the verse starts, then there’s a pre-chorus that’s a little punchier as the sax (?!) kicks in, and this is all normal. Things are going well, in other words. She’s holding our hand and we are so comfortable, we are so safe and warm.

She carries us like this, in our little papoose, into the chorus. We know a few things can happen here, the biggest two are: things will stay largely the same or they will notch up with added instrumentation/backup vocals/both. She sings the first line of the chorus alone, indicating the former, and we’re good. The tension is released. But then! Then, on the 2nd line of the chorus, a deep, sonorous male voice jumps in out of nowhere, as loud as the main lyrics and singing the same notes rather than harmonizing. The rug has been pulled out from under us. It’s wonderful, and I love it. The next line she sings alone, leaving us scrambling. What did I just hear? Where did that come from? And before we know it, the deep voice is back, singing the rest of the chorus with her, releasing us from this new and unexpected tension, which makes a person feel relieved and good. Queue the soothing piano.

I’m going to try to wrap this post up. The song goes through the paces again. Another verse, another pre-chorus. So far, our expectations are being met, and it’s not the same kind of enjoyment but it’s an equal one, getting exactly what you expected. Then the next chorus arrives, with new and unpredictable surprises. Nothing wild, for that would be too much. Like the last surprises, this one is entirely about the voices singing with her. The male voice has been replaced—immediately, at the very start of the chorus—with a childlike, synthesized female voice, as well as more traditional backing vocals. The male voice, suddenly unexpected again, is back where it was before, starting on the 2nd and 4th lines of the chorus. Queue the guitar solo. The song is just so fun. Especially for a song that seems so simple on the surface. It’s a really clever trick.

But what is it saying? What else is it doing, other than surprise?

For most of pop music history, songs have been told from a single and coherent point of view. That point of view can be serious, ironic, single or a group (we’re not gonna take it), a ghost, etc., etc. Whatever it is, it’s the same all the way through. Even duets make their point of view known; they’re the same as any song but with two POVs talking to each other instead of one.

Does anyone really think that’s how life works? I don’t think my own POV is consistent by the hour. We code switch, we wrestle with and second guess ourselves constantly, we inhabit our past and present personalities at the same time all the time. My work brain is different from my husband brain, and thank god for that. For me, this song creates that feeling in the chorus, and so it seems to be arriving at a truth and an honesty through the logic of its composition, which is neat as hell. The big male voice and the little robot kid  are aspects of the singer’s personality, meaning that whatever heartbreak this song is about actually isn’t as simple as the lyrics make them out to be. We can, all of us, take the same sentence or same thought and view it in many different ways simultaneously. Life is so complicated. Life is like this. One voice says, “It’s already dead / I know you have the dove” in a way that signifies acceptance, another in a way that shows sorrow, a third in a way that shows triumph, and a forth in a way that wishes it all wasn’t true. And all four things are feelings that can be held together, and when they’re held together together they don’t clash but are actually in harmony, they are more beautiful as a group than they would be on their own.

[fredthelegend]

Another Queen

Pairing: Brian May x reader

Summary: After being kicked out of your own band, your dreams are shattered. But what if the guitarist of your rival band has other thoughts?

WC: 2.3+

Warnings: swearing, a tiny bit of angst

A/N: Well I got kicked out of my own band recently (which is awkward because we still have to do battle of the bands next month) so this is from the heart! This is my first Queen x reader! I write on my main blog @smallmarvel (check it out if you like Marvel or SPN x readers) but this is my longest piece ever! PLEASE REQUEST! <3

“What the hell do you mean I’m kicked out?” you screamed with your guitar case in hand, amp in the other. 

“I’m sorry (Y/N), we just think you’re a little too uptight,” you bassist looked at you apologetically. Your drummer just shrugged. “You always bitch about us practicing. It’s not fun anymore.”

“I fucking started this band!” you shouted, tears welling up in your eyes. “We’re supposed to be best mates! You just think I’m uptight because I actually want us to practice and be successful instead of fucking around!” You couldn’t believe what you were hearing. After years in this band, they were kicking you out because you actually wanted to make it somewhere in life with music. “What about the gig tonight, huh? The one I got us? Don’t even think about showing up, I’m doing it myself.” You spun on your heel and walked out the door, making sure to slam it when you closed it. You walked back into your car, throwing your amp and guitar case in the back blindly and stumbled to the front seat. Once the door was closed, you let everything loose. After years with them, after all of the tears and the everything you’d gone through, they were kicking you out. This was your dream, your goal. You screamed and cried and hit on the steering wheel until you were reduced to a sniffling, self-hating mess. You rubbed your eyes and started the engine, peeling out and making your way back to your dingy apartment. 

Once inside, you threw yourself on the bed, crying once more. It wasn’t fair. How could they do this to you? Sure, they weren’t the best of friends, often giving you anxiety, and sure as hell weren’t a very good band, but they were all you had. How were you supposed to reach your dreams now? You cried until you fell asleep, waking once it was dark outside. You looked over to your alarm clock, realizing it was just before the gig you were supposed to have with your band. Screwing your eyes shut and deciding what to do, you swung your legs over the side of the bed and got dressed in your favorite embellished bell bottom jeans and brown leather jacket over your white tank top. Popping up the collar and throwing on a pair of brown aviators, you decided if you were going to look like a fool once you announced to the pub that your band wouldn’t be playing that night, you’d at least look cool. 

You threw the door to the bar open, suddenly feeling self conscious when everyone close gave you a sideways look. You shrugged it off, feeling yourself in your favorite outfit and made your way to the bar to take a shot before you went up on stage. You threw your head back and let the burning liquid slide down your throat before shaking your head and walking toward the stage. Everyone paused their conversations as you cleared your throat into the microphone. You recognized the band that was supposed to play after you and felt the sear of jealousy. Your band always considered themselves the rival to theirs, but once they’d obtained a new lead singer the other week, you knew there was no longer a rivalry. They all seemed to have so much fun together, they were so talented and nothing was forced. They had a certain electricity about them and you knew they’d go far. 

“Hello everyone,” you began, making heads turn. What was this lady doing alone on the stage? “I just wanted to apologize and say we won’t be playing for you tonight.” Your words were met with a few boos and a few dissatisfied stares. You put your hands up. “I know, I know. I’m sorry. It’s just that I’ve been kicked out today, and they decided not to show tonight. Have a lovely evening.” You couldn’t control the sadness that dipped in your heart when you walked back off the stage you’d played on so many times. It was really over. 

“What the hell was that?” Roger asked the group. Freddie shrugged.

“I feel bad for her,” John said. “I thought she was pretty good.” Brian looked into the distance, obviously pondering something. 

“What’s on your mind, dear?” Freddie shouldered Brian, bringing him out of this thoughts. 

“Well I do feel bad for her,” he said. “What if we allowed her to play with us tonight?” Roger immediately scoffed.

“Seriously? She probably doesn’t even know any of our songs!” he testified, slamming his drumsticks on the table. Freddie took his chin in one of his hands, watching you walk out the door, obviously crest fallen and embarrassed. 

“I’m sure she does, Roger, she’s been to practically every one of our gigs,” Brian answered. He’d always admired you for your determination and drive, it was clear in everything you did that this was your dream and your goal in life, to make music.

“I think you’d better catch her before she gets too far,” Freddie told Brian. Brian stood from the table, ignoring Roger’s complaints, and crossed the bar to push the door open. He spotted you walking down a ways on the sidewalk, head hanging low, obviously crying. 

“Hey!” He shouted, jogging to you. You turned, immediately recognizing Brian as the guitarist of Queen, your rival, and your stomach churned again with jealousy. You thanked your sunglasses for covering your swollen eyes and wiped your cheeks. “It’s (Y/N), right?” He asked you. His eyes were bright and he was very tall. You’d never admit it, especially when their band was supposed to be your competition, but you had a massive crush on him. His hair was perfect, his smile was perfect, and the way he could play the guitar blew your mind. 

“Yeah,” you responded in a quiet voice. You cursed yourself for sounding so weak. You realized that you were sort of weak, having eaten nothing all day and crying so much that you were probably dehydrated. 

“Well, the band was wondering if maybe you’d like to play with us tonight,” he trailed off at the end, clearly not very confident with his question now that you just stared at him blankly. In truth, you were just completely shocked. “Because, you know, now that your band, or your ex band or whatever isn’t performing, we have an extra hour and we thought-” 

“I’d love to,” you cut off his nervous rambling with your quiet voice. Your eyes welled up with tears. Brian smiled and then laughed, obviously relieved by your answer. 

“Fantastic, we should probably go back inside,” he held his arm out and you linked it in his, feeling a warmth in the pit of your stomach, practically defrosting the layers of sadness that had been setting in all day. “I know you’re usually lead singer and rhythm guitar, so would you mind being lead singer with Freddie tonight? I see you don’t have your guitar with you.”

“That sounds great,” you smiled up at him and he flashed his perfect one back, easing the nerves that had started to creep up. He pushed open the door for you, releasing your arm once you’d both stepped into the bar. Freddie was talking to the owner, making sure and extra long set time would be fine since your ex band wouldn’t be there tonight. Roger and John were probably in the dressing room getting ready. Brian led you to the bar where Freddie was. The owner walked away and Freddie turned to you. 

“Hello darling!” He gave you a hug, much to your surprise. You welcomed it, smiling and letting out a laugh that made Brian’s heart ring. Unbeknownst to you or the band, he’d had a crush on you as well. Watching you play the guitar and sing was one of the highlights of his week. The way you would strut around the stage with such confidence was incredibly sexy to him. “I take it you and I will be singing together tonight,” Freddie asked you. You nodded. “Excellent.” Freddie took your hand and the three of you made your way to the dressing room to meet Roger and John and get ready for the show. 

“Hello, (Y/N),” John gave a small wave and smiled, pulling out a piece of paper from his pocket. “This is our set list for tonight, and guys, Roger and I added some songs because we have an extra hour now.” Everyone nodded. You could feel Brian pressing into your back to peer at the list and the blood rushed to your face. 

“Something wrong, (Y/N)?” Roger asked. You could tell that he wasn’t too keen on you being there tonight. “Don’t know the songs?” You opened your mouth but nothing came out. Feeling your stomach drop, you closed it and were about to say that you did in fact know the songs when Brian told Roger to shut up. Your face went red again, thankful for Brian for sticking up for you. 

“I do know the songs, actually,” you answered.  “Thanks, though.” Freddie gave out an ‘ooh’, ever the one for drama. Roger smiled.

“I’ve always loved a bit of sass,” he winked. You cringed. Brian pursed his lips, a bit pissed that Roger thought he could immediately womanize you. 

“Let’s go,” Brian told the band. He subconsciously put a hand on the small of your back to guide you out of the room, a bit out of possessiveness and a bit to show Roger that he could fuck right off. Roger, John, and Freddie raised their eyebrows at each other, immediately aware of Brian’s little crush. 

Ten minutes later, you were standing on the stage you thought you’d never be on again, with the band you’d considered your rivals for months. The band started right off the bat with a fast paced song. Freddie started singing, and gave you a pointed look. You harmonized during the chorus, and then sang the second verse, walking a circle around Freddie as if you were singing the song to him. The crowd went wild, making you smirk. You sure did love a show. Brian noticed this, a bit jealous of your actions but kept his head clear and focused on his guitar. That is, until the next song came on and you walked a circle around Brian. Your hand on his shoulder startled him, making the crowd laugh and you giggle while singing the song. Brian smiled and you went back to back while he performed his solo. 

Before you knew it, the gig was over and the band was taking a bow. Everyone was sweaty and exhausted, but you’d never been happier in your life. This was the best high you’d ever had. The band made their way back to the dressing room. Roger and John flopped onto the couch. Freddie was clearly excited, practically jumping up and down. 

“That was the best show we’ve ever had!” He said. Everyone agreed. Even Roger gave a head nod and a half smile.

“I do hope you’ll consider playing with us again, (Y/N),” Brian said. You turned to him with a huge smile. Without even thinking, you hugged him. He was surprised for a second, but hugged back. 

“Group hug!” Freddie shouted, hugging you from behind much to the dismay of Brian. You laughed.

“Thank you guys for letting me perform with you,” you said once Freddie had pulled away and you’d released Brian. 

“We really do want you to come back,” John said with a smile. He’d clearly had a great show as well. Freddie narrowed his eyes, clearly thinking something. 

“(Y/N), darling, will you leave us for once moment?” he asked. You raised your eyebrows but nodded. Pulling the door open, you thought about the performance. It truly was the happiest you’d ever been. It was everything you’d been chasing for years. It was everything you’d wanted with that stupid band that you’d been stuck with. You were pulled out of your thoughts by Brian leaving the dressing room, joining you in the hallway. 

“They want you in the band, (Y/N),” he said. Your eyes widened. They did? Your mind started racing with all of the possibilities. For the first time in your life, you felt that your dreams would actually come true.

“Do you?” you asked. Brian raised his eyebrows and put his hands on your shoulders. 

“Of course! I didn’t mean to say it like that!” he said quickly. You laughed.

“I’m just kidding, Brian,” his heart stuttered when you said his name. Freddie popped his head out of the dressing room and both of your heads snapped to him. 

“Well?” he said. You looked at Brian again, then back to Freddie. You nodded and everyone started cheering. Brian gave you a sideways hug and you closed your eyes. You couldn’t remember the last time you’d been this happy. 

After everything was packed up and out of the bar, you leaned against your car and looked up at the sky. Today had been insane. 

“Would you like to go get some food?” Brian asked from next to you. 

“I’d love to,” you responded with a smile.

 You’d never been more excited for the future. 

[noiseartists]

Loomer: Bliss from Brazil

Loomer, from Brazil, are another great Shoegaze band (or Nu-gaze band if you are timely conscious) that have emerged on the worldwide scene in the last decade.

The band is currently composed of 4 members:

Stefano (Male vocals/guitar),

Michelle (Female vocals/bass),

Richard (guitar)

Guilherme (Drums).

They are currently on the Midsummer Madness label. Looker have released two EP’s and two albums as of the time of writing this, May 2019.

Loomer certainly wear their influences on their shoes (See what I did there!) but Stefano (Lead male vocals/guitarist) insist that they do not force the music that they make and that they are different people and each member brings their own influences and ideas to the studio.  

They really live up to the title of indie as they are independent in their creating and recording of their own songs. Since their 2nd EP ‘Coward Soul’ the band have mixed all of their work and mastered all of it, bar the debut album ‘You Would Not Anyway’ which was also recorded in various places ranging from the comfort of home to an unorthodox location such as a beach!

Loomer prefer to start playing tinny, trebly sounding arpeggios that are more concentrated on authentic guitar tone blended with a bit of bliss that is reminiscent of Swervedriver, in particularly, the outro of their 1993 hit from Sophomore album Mezcal Head; Duel. In fact, their inclination of rock style lead guitar playing and the tone that they select would fit well into any Swervedriver song.  However, Loomer are far from being a rip off band. Their ability to stay clear from obvious guitar effects like Reverse Reverb (which has been subject to over kill in the Shoegaze genre for the last 30 years) and floaty guitar tone sucking ambience is refreshing.

MUSIC WORK

Their first EP’s were ‘Mind Drops’ (2009), followed by ‘Coward Soul’ (2010) and the two albums are ‘You Would Not Anyway’ (2013) and ‘Deserter’ (2017). The first EP’s are both raw in sound quality, like they were made in 1988 and immediately, I can hear comparisons to The Jesus and Mary Chain  (Check out the tracks ‘Search On Your Own’ and ‘Damned’ with Jim Reid style deep vocals and more ear-piercing feedback than your English teacher gave you at school), damn, these guys are loud!

The other EP ‘Coward Soul’ (2010) reminds me initially of Sonic Youth because of the raw octave, harmonic, rapidly strummed spring reverbed guitar playing, and the sudden outbursts of punky shouting during the refrains. This is also the first EP that features female vocals blended with Stefano’s vocals in the form of Michelle, like Thurston Moore and Kim Gordon. The debut album ‘You Wouldn’t Anyway’ aesthetically catches my eye with very 60’s psychedelic cover art that is lit up in a striking purple colour and the music is better produced than their EP’s.

The track ‘Enough (From the debut Mind Drops EP) starts with an interesting tinny slightly delayed single note riff before launching into a raucous, unstoppable and solid wall of sound that features a joyous, bouncy vocal melody encapsulated. Ethereal, fragile but endearing female vocals enter the fray in the first refrain section gliding along with the deeper, reassuring male vocal creating a balance or maybe an imbalance to the music that the band themselves admit to liking the sense of mystery in their songwriting and sound. Classic My Bloody Valentine right there, hence the name of this band. The ending mellows out but instead of the abrasive guitars transforming into ethereal, angelically ambient tools of sorcery,

On their Album ‘Deserter’, a track that grabbed me is the penultimate song, ‘Another Round’ which begins with one very fuzzed up guitar and a few abrupt un-musical jack input noises to create suspense. The guitar tones on this track are pure gorgeous and they also vary. Each section of this song has something different going on with the guitars, whether in terms of tone or chord changes or playing technicalities, it’s all evolving all of the time, sometimes subtle, sometimes blatant.  The fuzz that growls and a purrs like a V8 engine in an American muscle or British lightweight sports car appears in the pre-chorus section acting as a soothing haze coinciding with the floaty vocal lines. This track is by far one of the catchiest and interesting tunes from the album without being too simple or boring.  

The album finale, appropriately named ‘Opinions’  features a mind bending dentist drill guitar effect that emerges at the Thirty One, Fifty mark of the album and emerges again near the end ad sees out the remainder of the song. Again, this is a track full of surprises that gives the listener one final treat before the album ends and all of a sudden, the world seems like such a quiet and dull place.

Therefore, this album, this artist do their job as a huge aspect of the essence of Shoegaze music is to transport the listener and when the music stops, the holy experience is over and the world is bland again, and that’s when you really appreciate the benefit of this incredible genre that we call Shoegaze. Loomer certainly capture this essence.

Link to ‘Enough’ from debut EP, Mind Drops (2009) below:

Stunning track from debut EP, Mind Drops (2009)

INTERVIEW

THE BAND

Where are you from in the Brazil? Where are you living now?

I, jaquelina and guilherme were born in Rio Grande Do Sul, south of Brazil. Fernanda was born in Santa Catarina, also in southern Brazil. Richard was born in Germany. And Michelle was born in the United States. At the moment, Fernanda who played bass with us is living in Florida United States, and Michelle is living in Porto Alegre, she is our current bass player now.

What did you study?

I studied Electronic Engineering. Richard and Guilherme studied design. Fernanda studied psychology. Jaquelina is a self-taught artist. Michelle is studying civil engineering.

What is your day job at present if any?

I like my job, but I dont really want to talk about it. Sorry...

Do you dream to live from your music or is it a passion you do not want to spend your full time on?

I don’t really know. I’m following what life offers me. I really love music and cannot stop doing that.

Do you have families?

I live with my wife Jaquelina. We don’t have any children yet. Michelle lives with Andressa, her girlfriend. Fernanda lives with Kim, her wife. Richard lives with Maria, his wife. Guilherme is divorced and is the only one of us who has a son, Gabriel.

Could you tell me how the band meet and decided to do music together?

I was playing another band called Transmission. In the year 2005 Richard came to live in Porto Alegre, and formed another band called Lautmusik, as he liked my band we decided to do a tour together in 2007. But things ended up not working, Transmission stopped playing in 2007 because the singer has moved to another country. Because of that, we probably ended up making a band.

Guilherme, was already my acquaintance, we played in another band called Materia Plastica, and he came to join us as our drummer. Liege was the last one to join the band, but that gave the finishing touch in the formation, took the bass and made the backing vocals in some songs and sang others. Later in 2013 the Liege left and entered the Fernanda that already played with me in the band Parkplatz. This is the formation that resists to this day.

Can you tell me the inspiration behind your band? You can detect the influences of shoegaze and indie rock. There is also a very interesting duality with some violence in the music that is always balanced by some tranquility with the feminine voice or other means. It is a great example of ying and yang or masculine / feminine influences. Is it on purpose?

We did not try to force the music we made. I mean, at least we think so. We are different people, and each one brings their influences to the music. Sometimes the core of the song is composed at home grossly and finalized in the studio over many essays, other times it is completely developed in the studio. We like male / female duality, we think it brings a balance, or maybe an imbalance. I'm not sure, I just know we like it that way.

Was there a vision of sorts or did you know what you wanted to do when you started up? I.e. when you started the band was it always a project to create a shoegaze band? Or was it different from now?

At first, Richard, our guitarist, had the idea of making a band in the style of My Bloody Valentine. We watched TV shows, we listened to music, watched horror movies. So he had this preconception. But when we got people together and started playing, we had more influences than just MBV, and we wanted to use all of them. It was a lot more fun, and we kept it that way. After all, we do not like to sound too alike to anyone, we prefer to sound like ourselves.

Do you have any other musical side projects apart from this band?

Actually, at the moment we are not playing in any side project, but we already had many.

Could you tell me more on the band composition? Do you have plans to add new members, or is there possible departure scheduled from existing band members?

The band is me (Stefano) on male voice and guitar, Michelle on female voice and bass, Richard guitar and Guilherme drums. Fernanda moved to USA in 2015/2016. Jaquelina played with us from 2016 to 2017. Now we are playing with Michelle Franzen.

We've already had 4 bass players playing with us since initial training. Liege in 2008, Fernanda in 2013, Jackelina in 2017 and Michelle in 2018. We have no plans to add or remove band members. We are just doing music and shows, things that we love, but sometimes the circumstances of life change people's destiny.

Can you tell us more how you came to have the band’s name?

Well, in the beginning we were playing for 6 months and have a scheduled show, but we hadn`t a name yet. So we made a list of 50 names to choose one. Loomer was a suggestion made by Richard, and it was the winner. Of course Loomer is because of MBV song, but what we use to say is that we wasn't looking for anything related to MBV on purpose, it was just a coincidence that this was the best name to think of when we had to choose one.

The Creative process

Who writes the song and the music and how do you get to the final song? Is it a community process, do you have leaders in composing or arranging music?

We have a lot of ways to compose songs. Some of the songs I write at home and bring to the band. Some songs are born entirely in the studio. Some songs starts with a guitar riff, some with the drums or bass giving the idea to the band to complete the rest.

Do you listen to the advice of your band mates? What would you do if they said a song was shit but you liked it?

Well, this has not happened yet. But what usually happens is that sometimes the members do not have ideas to play certain music, and it is put on the shelf to be finished later. Sometimes when a song takes too long to complete, it may happen that we lose the spirit it initially had.

There’s a degree of unconventional songwriting with you guys. Was it kind of intimidating going to record knowing people might not be engaging with the songs in terms of hooks and such and trying to deliver an engaging sound on record?

We just try to make songs that we think are good. We do not know how many people will like it but if we like it it was already worth the effort. Everyone in the band is free to contribute to the composition, and this already provides a greater degree of creativity.

Personally I like songs that confuse the head but that are simple after you understand it. But I will not impose anything if it is not working. I can not say for sure. I think what we do has to be worth it to us, somehow.

You have a great way about your guitars, with tones and melodies answering each other, almost like discussing. Could you tell us more on how you work together on this?

Well, we've played so loud that many times we can not hear what others are doing. It is often a pleasant surprise when we will listen to the recording. Maybe our guitar dialogue is just two guitars talking to the walls. Another important detail is that we try not to interfere with what each one creates. Anyway we think it works.

Talking about the lyrics: who write them? Is there a common thread in them, a theme?

Usually I write the lyrics. But usually I write only what I sing, and when Liege sang, she wrote the part of it. Fernanda has not yet felt comfortable writing her songs, although we encourage her to do so. But she helped me in the lyrics on the last album. I do not think of a main theme when I write, at least on purpose. I think this ends up appearing naturally according to what I am experiencing at the moment.

Do you labor over your lyrics? Is that something that comes easy?

I do not consider myself good at writing. I think I'm better maybe in the melodies. I admit that several songs I leave to decide on the lyrics only during the recording, although I already have an idea of what I would like to talk about. Anyway we like the voice as being just another instrument of music, not being something in the foreground.

Do you have a message that you want to get across in your music? If so, what are some of the messages you want to spread?

I do not have a message. When I start to write I do not know what I'm talking about. And if I have enough time to this initial process the whole letter appears and I am quite happy with the result. But if by chance I leave the lyrics to finish later, then I will need to understand the subject to be able to conclude. These are the hardest to finish.

Did your listening habits changed over the years and does it affect what you write?

Yes, my habits change a little over time. And I think it's natural that what I write also changes. But I do not try to do anything on purpose. What I want to say is that I do not try to listen to something new in order to incorporate this into my music because it's a new trend. What I do is dig old and new bands for something I really enjoy. And when I write, it's always the old thing I've always done.

How is your recognition going in Indonesia and Abroad? Is it growing? Are you happy with it?

Did you mean in Brazil? Yes, in Brazil we have some recognition that has been growing slowly. We are happy with this, because it is a musical style that has no space in the mainstream media. Time helps reward that.

The path to music

Is it easy to find producers and studios in Brazil for indie-rock?

It is not very easy to find, so we produce ourselves. We like to do this because we can keep the result close to what we would like it to be. But we lost in the aspect of an external opinion that could enrich the music.

Your recorded sound is very good, which is not easy. Did you engineer the sound yourself, or did you have a sound engineer with you? If yes could you tell us more about him/her?

The first EP "Mind Drops" was recorded by Lucas Pocamacha, guitarist of Superguidis, a very cool indie-rock band here in Brazil that is not playing anymore. He did this in exchange for a sound card we bought for him. The second EP "Coward Soul" was recorded in the DUB studio that we usually do our rehearsals and we did the mixing and the mastering.

The first LP "You Would not Anyway" we recorded ourselves at home, on the beach, in the studio, in different places. We mixed and the mastering was done by Paulo Casaes (Fujimo).

The last album "Deserter" we recorded in the studio Dissenso and in the studio DUB. I mixed it myself and mastered it. We've been looking for a sound engineer but we still can not find it. We thought it would be very good for us. In the meantime, we're doing things ourselves.

Was it a community work to try to have the best sounding music possible or mainly driven by the sound engineer or by the band?

It is a work mainly directed by the band. We spent a lot of time mixing the result. Recording usually does not take long. But it is not so because we want it this way. It's because the recording (mainly the drums) is usually in the studio and paid per hour. I still believe it's best to spend more time recording and less time mixing. The result would be even better.

Can you tell us how the recording process was?

We are still learning. But what we usually do is record the drums first. Our drummer likes to record with us playing together, without a metronome or guide track. In this sense I think it can be said that each band has an ideal way to do the recording.

Anyway the drums is the one that takes more time to be recorded in our case. And it's worth it because if it gets well done it makes it easier for the rest of the process. It needs to do in the studio. After that we recorded the bass, and it can be recorded at home if we want to save money. It's something quick to record, so it would also be okay to record in the studio.

After the bass comes the guitars. What takes in the recording of the guitars is not so much the execution, but the choice of the tones, the pedals, the regulation of the effects. Many hours of tuning and testing for 4 minutes of noise. But it's worth.

Since it takes a lot of time to adjust the tone of the guitar, it is best to record several songs at a time when you find the right tone. It is possible to record the guitar at home, but it gets better in the studio since we play loud. At last we record the voices, and these we can do at home as well. It's good to have a condenser microphone for this.

The rest we solve in the mix, where we do all the magic. But that is not a rule. We like badly recorded things too. Whistles, voices and guitars out of tune. What does not work can fit in very well. You need to hear what's coming out. I think it's the ear that's in charge after all

How did the recording work differ over time?

We recorded all of our albums. With this we learn over time new things, new tricks. I think you should not give too much importance to mistakes, or avoid doing something because you do not know enough.

More important than that is to let work flow, to enjoy the flow of inspiration because it matters more than the quality of work. But the recording is also part of the work, the two things complete themselves, the recording and the composition.

Is the recording material yours when you are out of a studio or do you borrow/rent it?

We have our own recording material. That is to say, we acquire over time equipment that we understand that would add to the sound of the band. But we also try to stay free to enjoy what we find at the recording location. It may be the noise of the wind, the trees, the water, in a studio we take advantage of some old equipment, a tape recorder, a tube or tape microphone, things that may sound a bit strange, or that inspire us.

Any interesting anecdotes on some recording session you would like to share?

I'm not very good at trying to be funny. But in our first EP Mind Drops we did the recording on a farm improvised. We took the sound table, the microphones, the amplifiers, the drums and everything else. We made the loudest noise, played really loudly and recorded separately, on separate tracks. Could not understand the result at the time.

Back in town, when we went to mix the result, we could hear horse whinnies, the noise of chickens and other strange things on certain channels. When I put everything together I could not see it. It was like this. I think this is funny in a way...

Did getting the live experience across on record create any pressure for yourselves in the recording process?

I think it creates a pressure yes. But we are not very organized to create the songs, or sometimes we take a lot of time to finish them. So some pressure helps us. They push us forward.

Instruments: you seem to be mainly a Fender band. Could you tell me what inspire you to use fenders rather than other brands?

We really like the Fender sound. I think what motivated us to use so many Fender outfits are our influences like Sonic Youth, Dinosaur Jr, My Bloody Valentine among others. We thank them, because we like the result.

A question for a future paper I have in mind: if you use often a Fender Jaguar, could you tell me more about what makes it good to play (sound, neck, …). I find there are lot of noise artists that are using this guitar and I am interested to know why.

In my case, what I like most about this guitar is the sound of it. I think the combination of her sound with distortion and fuzz pedals gives a very engaging effect. Besides I consider a very beautiful guitar. I personally like old, vintage things, working fine.

Do you have one favorite instrument or do you change often?

We do not usually switch instruments. We have a fixed formation, with bass, two guitars and drums. In the recording sometimes we risk playing other things, like acoustic guitar, synthesizer, tambourine. But anyone can say or suggest ideas.

The funny thing to note is that we are a band in which we are all guitar players. Guilherme our drummer is actually a guitarist, and our bass player Fernanda is also a guitarist. I always use the same guitar, the Fender Jaguar. Although you have already modified some things in it like the keys, the pickups and the bridge, it's always the same.

But what I change with some frequency are the pedals. As I have more pedals than fit on the pedalboard, I do some kind of rotation to test everyone. In the end of course there are some favorite pedals.

Tell us what you are looking when trying to achieve your sounds? Do you experiment a lot or have a clear idea of what you want?

We experiment a lot, and we've tried to take advantage of everyone's idea. Maybe this will end up making the song a bit unconventional. But I like strange and uncomfortable songs. I can not say what we are looking for, because each one actually puts it in its own way. We eventually discovered what we ended up creating. I do not know if it's the best way to compose, probably not, but that's how we do it.

Who is the more knowledgeable with pedals? You use them a lot, to great effect.

Thank you. We ended up getting a lot of pedals. We do some research and we end up getting some. In the end we want to use everyone, which is not possible of course. But I think they help increase the possibilities of the songs. Me and Richard are the most interested in pedals, we've been researching what some bands we like have used on albums we like and we're going after them. It's a form of judgment because there is a very wide variety of pedals.

How many concert a year would you do on average and what would be the size of the venue?

We do not do many shows. We do 5 to 10 shows per year. But that depends a little on the season, since we've been focused on finishing the album in recent times. The size of the venues depends a bit on the event, we have already played in venues for 10,000 people, and we have already played in venues for 50 people. The smaller ones are more suitable for us, because our public is not so big, besides, small places are cooler.

Would you mind sharing some good anecdotes from your concerts/touring?

In respect to the reader, it may not be a good idea. =)

What are some places around the world that you hope to take your band? Do you have any plans at present to tour in other countries than the Brazil.

We think of going to countries here near Brazil, like Uruguay and Argentina. We also have plans to go to the United States, after all our bass player Fernanda lives there. We also thought about going to the UK, we even staged a show last year but we couldn’t go. Japan too. It's good to have plans, don’t you think?

Is there any reason in particular that you want to go to these places? Is there something about dream pop/shoegaze in those places that makes you want to go there?

We really like to write songs. Besides composing, recording them, it's very cool. In addition to recording, being able to play them around, and checking people's connection to our songs, this is very motivating. Sometimes we go places far away from where we came here in our huge country and have some people who know our names, follow our trajectory.

They thank us for doing that. I think there is a natural process of an artist wanting to expose their creation. These countries we mentioned before, we are very curious. We have a strong connection with them as well, as these are places that really enjoy shoegaze music, or that have created the style. You know, we're just living.

The Scene

Brazil have a thriving indie scene that is not very well known internationally. Could you tell us more about it?

Brazil is a huge and beautiful country. It's hard to know everything. There are many bands that come and go, and some are really good, but that for some reason are not very well known. In fact the indie scene is something that is self help based on the friendship, and in the musical taste of course, since there is no support of the larger media. We have some blogs and independent radio programs on the internet that have helped. It's really a fun aside.

Is it easy for a Brazilian indie bands to be known internationally? Do you have any example?

I think it's not easy, not because the bands do not deserve it, but because the outside public would probably think 'look, a Brazilian band singing indie rock. it must be bad.'. I do not know. Maybe not. It's all a matter of taste. I do not think much about being known or succeeding outside (or inside) Brazil. I think only of making songs that I consider important, maybe cool, or worthwhile for us to record or play at shows.

With respect to bands, there was an indie band that was relatively well known abroad 'Cansei de Ser Sexy'. With respect to Brazilian shoegaze, I know of two bands that lived in London for a while, Wry that is in Brazil now again, and The Tambourines who still lives there. Our seal, the Midsummer Madness, is now in London as well.

Has the scene changed since you began, and if so how?

The scene changed a lot, many times. In the 80's and 90's, many people went to the shows without even knowing who was playing, local bands had space on some local radios, record companies invested in new bands. In the 2000s there was a lot of variation, difficulty in publicizing the concerts, closing bars and independent rock show venues.

But you can go play in other cities, or on the other side of this immense country. With the internet and social networks, you can promote the shows in distant places. Even though there are few, there are always one or two pubs to play.

Nowadays still appear spaces for bands, because the bands help themselves based on the friendship. It's a way of life.

Is there any Brazilian band(s) you want to recommend in the indie/shoegaze/post-rock genres?

There's a lot of cool bands here. I can cite a few such as Herod, Twinpine (s), Wry, Labyrinth, Sileste, Justine Never Knew The Rules, Firefriend, Lava Divers, Juna, Carne de Monstro, Churrus, Space Rave, The Sorry Shop, Lupe Lupe, Low Dream, Fellini, Second Come, Pin Ups, Patife Band, This Lonely Crowd, Bruxas, Duelectrum, The Soundscapes, Blear, The Cigarettes, ruido\ mm, Proud Beggars, Walverdes

Economics

Do you have a label? Could you tell us a bit more if so.

We have two labels currently, Midsummer Madness and Sinewave. Both help us in spreading the record. Midsummer Madness also helps us in the pressing of physical disks. They both also help us to schedule shows here in Brazil.

How did the funding worked for the LP? Did you invest a lot yourself? Was your label supportive in that respect?

Yes, the label helps with a portion of the money to make the LP, and it returns in LPs to be sold. The other part is paid by us and we have the equivalent in LPs to be sold as well.

Where does the majority of the money go when you’re paying your own way?

Most of the money goes in the beers.

Do you make a decent revenue from your music or is it still very much a hobby?

We do not have enough revenue for considering it a professional work. In the best of situations we can pay the expenses. But that does not mean that we will change or give up, because we do what we love.

How do you sell your recordings (shops, online, …)?

Our label, Midsummer Madness, sells a part of the discs online. We sell online also through bandcamp and at shows.

The Future

What is the next album due?

We're thinking of making a single or an EP now. But we do not have a definitive date yet. It would be good to be this year, but...

Any other project (ie movies soundtrack, …) or plans

Richard plans to make a horror B movie. He really likes 80s-b-horror-movies. Maybe I'll do the soundtrack. Something with synthesizer or noisy bending guitars. It can be funny.

Do you plan to continue music for a long time or are you tired of it?

We do not intend to stop playing music ever. While it is possible to step on the pedals, they will be busy. I do not think it's possible to get tired of something that you love. Circumstances change, sometimes they get difficult, but that's what makes things worth it. I could get tired of not loving anything.

MORE ON LOOMER

Some good music videos

  Where to find them on internet

Bandcamp

Myspace

Facebook

Is there any people that you want to thank here?

I thank Sam and David (the Editor), you’re great!

[musicallyrich]

Crate Digger’s Corner: Gram Parsons- GP (Warner Bros., 1973)

Crate Digger’s Corner…by DJ Musically Rich

(if you’d like to listen to a track from the album as you read, go to the end of the post to start the song)

Whether it was the International Submarine Band, The Byrds, The Flying Burrito Brothers, or under his own name (sometimes credited with The Fallen Angels as well), Gram Parsons brought a certain country music sensibility to whatever group he was a part of at the time. He hung out with Keith Richards. His group (The Flying Burrito Brothers) opened regularly for The Grateful Dead. Today, I am going to cover his solo, studio album “GP” from 1973. A great Country Rock album, GP is littered with wonderful songs, both original and covers. Gram is also surrounded by outstanding musicians including drummers, Ronnie Tutt (Elvis Presley, Jerry Garcia, Neil Diamond) and John Guerin (Frank Zappa, George Harrison, Joni Mitchell). The guitarists include the legend James Burton (who hasn’t he played with), Al Perkins (Stephen Stills, Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris) and Buddy Emmons (Ray Price, Roger Miller, Ray Charles). Also featured is co-lead singer Emmylou Harris, who provides a wonderful harmonic partner to Grams almost innocent voice. It’s a country album at its heart. It is an album filled with songs about late nights and figuring out exactly where your girl is (hint: not with you).

The album contains at least four songs for which he is well-known. ‘We’ll Sweep Out The Ashes In The Morning’, his version of ‘Streets Of Baltimore’, ‘She’ and ‘The New Soft Shoe’ are songs that you would find on most of his compilations (for me ‘She ‘ should be looked at as a modern standard with its Beatles-esque feel). Any other song on the album, with the possible exception of the brief ‘Kiss The Children’, which is a little flat, would fit on radio next to either Outlaw Country music or Country Rock songs on a playlist. Included in those is the side two opener, ‘That’s All It Took’ which has a really tasty guitar break in it. Also, ‘Cry One More Time’ with its late ‘50s/early ‘60s rock/R&B vibe which is anchored by the repeated blues riff provided by baritone saxophonist Hal Battiste. The album ends on an up-tempo rocker ‘Big Mouth Blues’. This is the only track that really heats up the band a little bit, and they take it as a great curtain call to a great album.

If you are looking to find a nice, fairly relaxing country rock listen this is a good place to look, and it isn’t even the best work he has done musically, but certainly is still of incredible high quality.

Stars: 4.5/5

Available on: LP/CD /SACD (hybrid)/Cass/8-Trk

RIYL: Grateful Dead- American Beauty, Willie Nelson- Red Headed Stranger, Hayes Carll- Lovers And Leavers, Lyle Lovett- Pontiac

To see photos of other albums in my collection follow my IG: djmusicallyrich

To listen to a track from the album…