#the son amp review

[watchilove]

Photo: Arnold & Son DSTB 42 Platinum & DSTB 42 Red Gold

During Geneva Watch Days 2023, Arnold & Son launched two new versions of the magnificent Dial-Side True Beat: the DSTB 42 Platinum with salmon dial and the DSTB 42 Red Gold with blue PVD dial. This 42 mm watches showcase one of the most spectacular complications on the dial side – the dead second (or true beat second). The presented pieces are prototypes (inconsistent finishes or minor…

[thejoyofviolentmovement]

New Video: JOVM Mainstay Robert Finley Shares Slow-Burning Ballad "Nobody Wants To Be Lonely"

New Video: JOVM Mainstay Robert Finley Shares Slow-Burning Ballad "Nobody Wants To Be Lonely" @therobertfinley @easyeyesound @Bigfeatpr @danauerbach

69 year-old Winnsboro, LA-born, Bernice, LA-based singer/songwriter and JOVM mainstay Robert Finley‘s highly-anticipated fourth album, Black Bayou is slated for an October 27, 2023 release through Easy Eye Sound. Black Bayou sees the JOVM mainstay continuing his wildly successful collaboration with Dan Auerbach. Much like its immediate predecessor, the new album’s material is a deeply personal…

[raffaellopalandri]

Book of the Day - Beyond Performance 2.0

Today’s Book of the Day is Beyond Performance 2.0, written by Scott Keller and Bill Schaninger in 2019 and published by John Wiley & Sons Inc. Scott Keller is a consultant, an author, and a Senior Partner in McKinsey’s Southern California office, leading their global CEO and Board Excellence service line. He studied as Mechanical Engineer and has been consulting companies on business strategy,…

[readerviews]

"The Harmless Necessary Cat" by Sepehr Haddad

A compelling historical fiction Narrative that amplifies appreciation for its main protagonist. #books #bookreview #reading #readerviews

The Harmless Necessary Cat Sepehr HaddadAppleyard & Sons Publishing (2024)ISBN: 978-1732594333Reviewed by Lily Andrews for Reader Views (10/2024) In “The Harmless Necessary Cat: A World War II Family Saga in Allied-Occupied Iran” Sepehr Haddad explores a broader view of the war period, setting his tale in the far-flung city of Tehran, Iran. A capable historian, Sepehr bases his story on real…

[overflowingshelf]

Review: Check & Mate by Ali Hazelwood

Check & Mate Ali Hazelwood Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers Publication Date: November 7, 2023 Series or Standalone: Standalone Links: Amazon – Barnes & Noble – Goodreads – StoryGraph Rating: MY REVIEW CW: Sexism; misogyny; death of a parent (off-page); chronic illness; grief; references to car accident; drunk driving, infidelity, Alzheimer’s/dementia, and forced…

[maltrunners]

A Volley of Grouse

Review by: TOModera (Thanks to muaddib99 for the Black Grouse Alpha) This may count as a volley. Or not. Grouse tend to be solitary, so when one finally sees a bunch of grouse, it’s hard to say if it’s a volley or not. That being said, I’m talking about whisky, and not birds. I’d hate to see what would happen if I ate 4 different types of wild game in a row and reviewed them. I’d be called the…

[originaljiraiyan]

My Hero Academia Season 6 Episode 11

My Hero Academia Season 6 Episode 11

[niaojirou]

royed fic recs please

I'm so HAPPY to provide!!! I have my own masterlist for royed fics but it's still under construction, so I will give you three of my favorites! I tend to read long fics so buckle up!

1. Veritas [Mature, Romance/comedy]

↳ Roy Mustang; a presidential candidate of the US. Treading through ice bridges to get to his destination. Every move is calculated precisely down to the bone, but Roy really just had to fuck Senator Hohenheim oldest son.

Personal review: Great, GREAT rom/com, funniest fic I’ve read in this fandom. I've busted out my lungs every single time I'm reading this fic. Absolutely phenomenal.

// Veritas - dawnstruck - Fullmetal Alchemist

2. Tears And Rain [Explicit, threats/attempt of rape/non-con, political drama, happy ending]

↳ Quick summary: Someone have been killing high-ranking officers in Amestrian military, and that also included an assassination attempt on Roy Mustang. The only reason Roy survived was because another target in the list saved him, and that was Edward Elric, but he was no General, and yet he was also in the same immediate danger. Nationwide conspiracy pushed both of them into extremities for survival, while others on their side were forced to aid in the dark.

Personal review: No review can do justice on how amazing this fic is, my #1 favorite fma fanfiction. I won’t shut up about this masterpiece. This fic is my good to go fic to download if I’m in any of my 22 hours flight. I have nothing to say anymore/spoil as this fic has to be enjoyed and savored first hand. It’s the rite of passage for Roy/Ed fans. Impeccable work.

//Tears and Rain - BeautifulFiction - Fullmetal Alchemist (Anime 2003)

3. i don't want to fall in love (this world is only gonna break your heart) [Mature, Romance, Drama, Hurt/Comfort]

↳ Roy and Edward got married, they got two kids, but they really have to separate for their own good because this is not working out. They mutually split and agreed to see each other a few times in a week for the sake of the kids. But deep in their heart they know they still care very much for the other. Family drama, romance and a good amount of angst sprinkled on top.

Personal review: Picture yourself snuggled in with a warm mug of hot chocolate, outside is very cold from the falling snow, you turned on the TV and a family christmas movie comes up. That is how reading this fic feels.

//i don't want to fall in love (this world is only gonna break your heart) - cathydeff - Fullmetal Alchemist

(Small edit: Please read this fic while or after you listened to Peabo Bryson's If Ever You're In My Arms Again because it amped up all the feelings and believe it or not I was bawling so hard lmaoooo)

[dustedmagazine]

Dust Volume 10, Number 5

Arab Strap

It’s lovely out. The lilacs are in bloom. The weather is warm enough to make a sweater/sweatshirt/coat redundant, and the bugs are swarming happily all over the garden. And yet, here we are, inside, ear buds in place, music on high, because however nice the weather, what if we missed something? What if, you, our readers missed something? Well, fear not, because we’re back with another set of short, impassioned reviews. Scottish lifers obsessed with their phones, South African jazzmen nearly forgotten, mumbling rappers, untethered improvisers—it’s all here for you. What, you were going out? Too nice to stay inside? Well, okay, it’ll be here when you get back.

Contributors include Ian Mathers, Justin Cober-Lake, Ray Garraty, Bill Meyer, Bryon Hayes, Jonathan Shaw, Andrew Forell, Christian Carey, Alex Johnson and Jennifer Kelly.

Arab Strap — I'm totally fine with it 👍 don't give a fuck anymore 👍 (Rock Action)

Even more surprising than this Scottish duo’s perversely triumphant return a few years ago is that in 2024 Aidan Moffat is writing more about the internet than about cheating and booze. (He’s still writing about those things too though, don’t worry.) Less shocking is that his laceratingly keen eye is no less effective when turned on his own relationship with his phone, or the way women are treated by the “fathers, husbands, sons and brothers” around them as soon as the deniability of a screen is in place, or the psychology of someone who turns to QAnon. And not just technology; with songs addressing those who’ve never recovered from the early-pandemic hit to their ability to go outside and those capitalism leaves to die in solitude, this might be the least relationship-y Arab Strap LP to date. Malcolm Middleton roughs up their sound again to match the bruised, heartfelt brutality of Moffat’s subject matter and the result is one of the most simultaneously empathetic and unsettling records from a band who’ve never been short on either quality.

Ian Mathers

Bad Nerves — Still Nervous (Suburban)

For their second album Still Nervous, punk rockers Bad Nerves take their ready-made formula and just amp everything up. Everything's loud and fast; the band clearly descends from the Ramones, but they've gone more manic. They secretly mix in flourishes of power pop. Underneath all the ruckus, they have a knack for catchy melodies, guitar solos and even vocal harmonies. Then Bad Nerves rough up the pop elements to make sure their disaffection comes through with enough spite to keep everything properly punk. The record does little to vary mood or tempo, but it doesn't need to. The band does one thing, but they excel at it. The Strokes comparisons the band's received mostly work, but the lo-fi production keeps everything sounding as if it's in an actual garage. “Plastic Rebel” offers a youthful rampage, bubble gummy enough to touch on Cheap Trick, but continually plowing forward. The Essex quintet closes the album with “The Kids Will Never Have Their Say,” an evergreen sentiment for the young and irritable. The point doesn't break new ground, but it's beside the point. Bad Nerves tap into something long running and rush the tradition on with plenty of verve and a hint of bile.

Justin Cober-Lake

Conway the Machine — Slant Face Killah (Drumwork \ EMPIRE)

If it wasn’t for Conway’s name on the copy to the album you’d think this was a long solo producer tapes with 40 guests on it, each mumbling about something nobody’s interested in except for the mumbler himself. It is not an exaggeration: it really lasts more than an hour, has close to 20 guests (depends on how you count) and even though Slant Face Killah is produced by a dozen of people the beats all sound the same. If it already sounds awful even for the diehard Conway fans, grip for the worst part of it. It ain’t even worth the trouble to skip all the tiring guest verses for the Conway verses because they are not good anyway. A total failure.

Ray Garraty

Alex Cunningham — Rivaled (Storm Cellar)

Remember October 2020? The time of still-subdued traffic, no shows and a looming election? Rivaled is an artifact of that moment. Nowadays, Alex Cunningham is an intensely active improviser, based in St. Louis but active all around the middle of the USA. Back then he was stuck at home and moved to make some noise. “Faith” and “Void” offer two paths to obliteration. The former is pretty plugged in, with electronic effects and appropriated radio noise turning Cunningham’s violin into a full-on electrical storm. The latter is unreliant upon electricity, but maybe even more dogged and savage. Originally released as an edition of 20 cassette, Rivaled is now a CD with a bonus remix that mashes both tracks together, both vertically and temporally, like a piggybacked highlights reel. Of noise relaxes you, you’ll want this close at hand when the next election rolls around.

Bill Meyer

Dun-Dun Band — Pita Parka Pt. 1: Xam Egdub (Ansible Editions)

Dun-Dun Band is an all-star cast of characters comprising some of Toronto’s most creative musicians and led by musical polymath Craig Dunsmuir. Dunsmuir is a shape shifter, trading guises and styles for decades: a guitar loop conjuror known as Guitarkestra, a purveyor of mutant disco vibes alongside Sandro Perri in Glissandro 70, a welder of minimalism, dub, and avant-garde weirdness as Kanada 70. His Dun-Dun Band collects members of Eucalyptus and Badge Époque Ensemble along with stalwarts Colin Fisher, Karen Ng, Josh Cole and Ted Crosby. Pita Parka is the group’s debut on vinyl and features three extended cosmic jazz jams that fuse multi-horn interplay to African-inspired polyrhythm. The music slyly winks at 1970s fusion but is more akin to that of modern ensembles such as Natural Information Society. The extended nature of the pieces allows the reedists to stretch their lungs and roam around, and for the rest of the ensemble to engage in creative interplay. Pita Parka is a stellar offering from some of Toronto’s finest players and one of the city’s most inquisitive and inventive minds.

Bryon Hayes

Roby Glod / Christian Ramond / Klaus Kugel—No ToXic (Nemu)

The three participants in this session are all veterans of middle European jazz that’s free in spirit, if not always in form. Bassist Christian Ramond and Klaus Kugel are from Germany, and soprano/alto saxophonist Roby Glod is from Luxembourg; their collective cv includes work with Kenny Wheeler, Ken Vandermark and Michael Formanek. Online evidence suggests that they’ve played together as a trio since 2015, which explains their easy rapport and nuanced interaction, but this is their first CD. Freedom for these folks means having the latitude to linger over a tune or to settle into nuanced timbral exchanges, but if you carded them, they’d all have jazz driver’s licenses. This music swings, often at speed, which is a very important aspect of their shared aesthetic; the excitement often comes from hearing Glod invent intricate, evolving lines that are lifted off by fast walking bass lines and kept in the air with light but insistent cymbal play. While the album is named No ToXic, the sheer pleasure of hearing these guys lock in could truthfully be labeled counter-toxic.

Bill Meyer

Göden — Veil of the Fallen (Svart)

Longtime listeners of death doom will recognize the name Stephen Flam, guitarist and co-founder of storied band Winter whose Into Darkness (1990) concretized the subgenre in the US; the record was great, and still is. For his recent work with Göden, Flam has dubbed himself “Spacewinds,” and his bandmates follow suit, with stage names that are equal parts risible and ridiculously gravid: vocalist Vas Kallas performs as “Nyxta (Goddess of Night)” (those parens seem to be her idea…) and keyboardist Tony Pinnisi appears as “The Prophet of Göden.” Okay. This reviewer’s inexhaustible appetite for Winter’s slim output disposes him to think kindly of Flam, and there’s nothing especially terrible about Veil of the Fallen — but that’s only because there’s nothing all that special about the record. The sound of the title track is appealingly austere, and the NyQuil-chugging riffs of “Death Magus” are sort of fun. But any listeners hoping for flashes of the inimitable, awesome awfulness of Winter would be well advised to recall the meaning of inimitable. Not even Flam, it seems, can provide a convincing replica of those energies and textures.

Jonathan Shaw

Mick Harvey — Five Ways to Say Goodbye (Mute)

Former Birthday Party and Bad Seeds member Mick Harvey looks back at his life on his autumnal new album “Five Ways to Say Goodbye.” Although he contributes only four original songs, his skill as an arranger and interpreter reaches its zenith. Harvey imbues his own and others’ songs with intense emotion that never tips into melodrama or histrionics. Augmenting his acoustic guitar with evocative string arrangements which provide counterpoint and color to his lyrics “When We Were Young and Beautiful” may be the finest song he has written; poetic in structure, elegiac in feeling, Harvey faces his past with dispassionate empathy for lost friends and acceptance of where he is now. His version of David McComb’s “Setting You Free” locates a Faustian menace in the song, using the strings to carry the dynamic thrust and emphasize the turbulent ambivalence of the original. “Like A Hurricane” becomes an intimate, piano ballad. By changing the tense from present to past and stripping the song of its rock roots, Harvey creates an emotional impact missing from Neil Young’s original. On “Demolition” Harvey replaces Ed Kuepper’s funereal drums with an off-kilter drum machine that clatters like an old projector to evokes the disconnections inherent in the lyrics. Harvey’s treatment of songs from The Saints, Lee Hazelwood, Lo Carmen and Marlene Dietrich are beautifully rendered. A wonderful summation of Harvey’s often underrated talent and an album that deserves a wider audience.

Andrew Forell

I Like To Sleep — Bedmonster’s Groove (All Good Clean Records)

This combo from Trondheim, Norway started out bridging the sound worlds of Gary Burton and Sleep. That’s a canny move if you’re looking for relatively untrodden ground, and as it turns out, a successful one. On Bedmonster’s Groove, which is album number four, the trio has dialed back the heaviness; you won’t hear a power chord until the beginning of side two. Instead, they have taken a turn towards experimentation. The microscopic applications of filters and effects give confer a variable glitter to Amund Storløkken Åse’s vibraphone, squeezable padding to Nicolas Leirtrø’s six-string bass, and some texturable variety to Øyvind Leite’s drums, which are all shown to good effect by some lean grooves and uncluttered melodies. Åse has also added some instrumentation; synths flicker and swirl in the empty spaces, and a mellotron heads a deliberate charge towards prog territory.

Bill Meyer

Kriegshög—Love & Revenge (La Vida Es un Mus)

Throughout the long existence of Kriegshög, it’s been customary to identify the band as a d-beat act. Love & Revenge is Kriegshög’s first release since 2019 and only its second LP in their (at least) 16 years of playing in and around Tokyo. Prolific, they ain’t, but the music is always worth waiting for. On this new record, the band rolls back the pace a bit and amps up the crusty, metal textures. Less squall and rampant chaos, more muscle and riffs that roll up in well-worn biker leathers — but all those qualifiers are relative. There’s still a raw edge to the production (if that’s the term we want…); the bass is laced with so much fat crackle that you’ll want to fry it and eat it. Sort of fun that one of the most volatile tunes on Love & Revenge is titled “Serenity.” Make of that what you will, but don’t spend too much time thinking about it. You’ll miss the next couple songs.

Jonathan Shaw

Niels Lyhne Løkkegaard and Quatuor Bozzini — Colliding Bubbles: Surface Tension and Release (Important)

Niels Lyhne Løkkegaard is a composer based in Copenhagen. On his latest EP he joins forces with the premiere Canadian string quartet for new music, Quatuor Bozzini, to create a piece that deals with the perception of bubbles replicating the human experience. In addition to the harmonics played by the strings, the players are required to play harmonicas at the same time. At first blush, this might sound like a gimmick, but the conception of the piece as instability and friction emerging from continuous sound, like bubbles colliding in space and, concurrently, the often tense unpredictability of the human experience, makes these choices instead seem organic and well-considered. As the piece unfolds, the register of the pitch material makes a slow decline from the stratosphere to the ground floor with a simultaneous long decrescendo. The quartet are masterful musicians, unfazed by the challenge of playing long bowings and long-breathed harmonica chords simultaneously. The resulting sound world is shimmering, liquescent, and, surprising in its occasional metaphoric bubbles popping.

Christian Carey

The Ophelias — Ribbon EP (self-released)

Ribbon is stormy, scathing and often quite beautiful. “Soft and Tame,” the EP’s emotional center, is all three. It begins wistfully: easy acoustic guitar strums and Andrea Gutmann Fuentes’ layered violin, nostalgic and close to sweet. Vocalist Spencer Peppet also starts slow, talking us through the aimless sensory motions of missing someone – “the sun on my cheek/as I walk around/I pick up a pear/I put it down/the radio plays a song we loved.” It doesn’t take long, however, for the skies to darken and the scene to become bleaker. By the line “the hollow sound/my jugular makes as it rolls around,” Mic Adams’s foreboding drums and a percussive creep of electric guitar have stalked in. And by the time Peppet has shown us “an overturned bus on the highway,” heard a“tornado warning” and told her subject to “stay the fuck away” for the second time, the band has built to a blown-out, climactic frenzy, the violin finding operatic heights over mammoth cymbal crashes.

In her review of The Ophelias’ last album, Crocus, Jennifer Kelly described Peppet as sounding “like she’s tilting her chin up and squaring her shoulders.” Likewise on Ribbon, where the band seems resigned to but also quite prepared for a fight. If “Soft and Tame” is aimed to knock “love in southern Ohio” down for good, then “Rind,” the final song, may tell us why they’re in the ring at all. At a brief break in the dynamic, flowering arrangement — it could be a particularly bucolic Magnetic Fields instrumental, especially in Gutmann Fuentes’ spry riffs — Peppet bursts out, “There you go!/On tour with my hometown friends/fucking score/they must have all forgotten!/Look back at what I tolerated.” There’s more to the story, but Peppet pulls back from the fray, settling things ominously: “to name it/makes your life/a little complicated.” Whatever “it” is, The Ophelias seem to have landed their punch. I don’t think I’ve heard more cutting, triumphant “Oohs” than those that end the song and Ribbon’s multifaceted fury with it.

Alex Johnson

Paperniks — Oxygen Tank Flipper 7-inch (Market Square)

Jason Henn is a master of catchy psychedelic punk. Honey Radar, his highest profile outfit, has unfurled a constant stream of hook-laden gems for well over a decade. Paperniks is his newest guise, a solo home recording project that amplifies the Guided by Voices meets Syd Barrett vibe of Honey Radar and doses it with nuggets of guitar noise. This tiny slab of wax is the sophomore Paperniks outing, following a single-sided lathe cut that strayed toward the clamorous edge of the octopus’s garden. On display are a pair of tunes that bear a striking resemblance to Honey Radar. “Oxygen Tank Flipper” is a groovy dose of psych replete with a catchy riff and a roller coaster bassline. Handclaps up the catchiness factor, as does Henn’s honey sweet sigh. “Essex Poem Dial” is a punky, garage-inspired tune. Henn’s reverb-soaked vocal hides inside the propulsive guitar chime. A noise interlude leads to a mellow vignette that slowly fades away. Paperniks showcases Henn’s boisterous side, and the music is certainly engaging, so hopefully there are more songs on the way soon.

Bryon Hayes

Ribbon Stage — Hit with the Most (Perennial/K)

Ribbon Stages hits the giddy sweet spot between punk and pop, their raucous guitar-drums-bass racket pounding on sweet, wistful little songs. The mixture varies with some cuts veering into the snaggle-toothed dream pop of, say, the Jeanines, while others rage harder and more dissonantly. “Stone Heart Blue,” the single, pulls the drums way up in the mix and lets distorted guitars and murmured vocals do battle attention behind them. The result is an uncanny balance of urgency, angst and solace, which is exactly what you want from pop-leaning punk. “Hearst” pushes slashing tangling guitar racket up to the foreground, letting a billowing squall spill over crisp drums and shout-sung vocals, while “Sulfate” lets a sighing romantic croon loose over boiling lavas of rock mayhem. Nice.

Jennifer Kelly

Rio Da Yung OG — Rio Circa 2020 (Boyz Ent)

This is exactly what the title says: a compilation of Rio songs stashed on the label’s HDD, no more, no less. No filler but no hits either. The tape has a “Circa 2020” feel to it, reminding us of when Rio did what he wanted with no shades of doom hanging over the songs. It’s unlike the music he wrote after the trial when he knew he had to do some time. There’s a little bit of everything in here: three songs with RMC Mike, two tracks featuring Louie Ray, a song on a Sav beat, a song on an Enrgy beat and a song on a Primo beat. Yet it’s hardly enough to last us until Rio is free.

Ray Garraty

Spirits Rejoice—S-T (Fredriksberg)

Spirits Rejoice! by Spirits Rejoice

A remastered reissue of a 1978 recording, Spirits Rejoice captures boundary-crossing South African jazz scene, which touches on fusion, rock, funk, soul, disco Latin and African sounds. The ensemble includes some of that time and place’s pre-eminent jazz musicians, Sipho Gumede of the fluid, loping bass lines, breezy, insouciant reeds-man Robbie Jansen, South African pioneering percussionist Gilbert Matthews, keyboardist Mervyn Africa and a very young Paul Peterson on electric guitar. The music is ebullient and clearly tilted towards pop accessibility, and the gleaming sheen of 1970s often dilutes its heat and fury. This is especially true on “Happy and in Love” which could double as a lost Earth Wind and Fire cut. Elsewhere, though, as in “Woza Uzo Kudanisa Nathi,” fervid polyrhythms, tight squalls of sax and an exhilarating call and response light up the groove, fusing African chants with a swaggering samba rhythm. And “Papa’s Funk,” is just what it sounds like—a slithery, stuttery, visceral bass-led swagger that bubbles and smolders and twitches in a universal funk.

Jennifer Kelly

Various Artists — GmBH: An Anthology of Music for Fashion Shows 2016 – 2023, Volume 1 (Studio LABOUR)

GmbH: An Anthology of Music for Fashion Shows 2016-2023 Vol. 1 by Various Artists

LABOUR is a multimedia project of Iranian musician Farahnaz Hatam and American percussionist/composer Colin Hacklander. Based in Berlin, the duo has collaborated widely and eclectically to produce soundtracks for sustainable, underground fashion house GmBH. This compilation collates 12 examples and showcases a variety of work from an international roster of artists including Iraqi-British oud player Khyam Allami, Turkish born DJ Nene H, Kuwaiti musician Fatimi Al Qadiri, American performance artist MJ Harper and Indonesian noise duo Gabber Modus Operandi. The thread that runs through all this is cross pollinations between genre, geography, and chronology. Allami’s oud plays against LABOUR’s electronic washes and synthetic percussion with each element emphasizing and interrogating differences in modality and structure. On “White Noise” LABOUR contrast a 16th century harpsichord piece with static and effects dissolving into a robotic club beat which ends up evoking a cyborg Hooked on Classics. Their collaboration with Harper on the spoken word “ablution” is a reflection on love, religion, and abnegation with elements of gospel, eastern and creeping doom ambience. The Anthology has much of interest but is essential for Belgian composer Billy Bultheel’s “YLEM” featuring German countertenor Steve Katona who soars incandescent from a backdrop of industrial grind. The contrast between earthly weight of the music and radiant purity of the voice is breathtaking.

Andrew Forell

Vertonen — taif’ shel (Oxidation)

taif' shel by Vertonen

Give the Oxidation label credit for radical truthfulness. One of the bummers of our time is the frequency with which folks on BandCamp and elsewhere will call a short-run, blue or green-faced disc a CD when they are selling you a CD-R. Oxidation, on the other hand, is named after the process that will eventually render its products unplayable. On to the sounds. Vertonen is Blake Edwards, who has been working around the edges of sound for over 30 years. On taif’ shel, he displays absolute mastery over the combination of collected, electronically generated and carefully edited sounds. His skill rests on three qualities; knowing where to place sounds, knowing how long to let them carry on and having some pretty good ideas about which ones to use in the first place. He can make a drone of infinite (but never unnecessary) complexity, or punctuate flipping film-ends with a precisely situated, never repeated sequence of chops and splices, to name just two examples found on this impermanent but thoroughly rewarding disc.

Bill Meyer

Villagers — That Golden Time (Domino)

That Golden Time is Villagers’ sixth album. The Conor O’Brien led project presents its most eclectic outing to date. A number of the songs are afforded pop treatment, consisting of memorable tunes and gentle, polished arrangements. The double-tracked vocals on “First Responder” is a case in point, about a relationship fragmenting while the singing coalesces, an interesting tension. “No Drama,” initially pared down to piano and O’Brien’s laconic vocals, eventually adds a coterie of Irish traditional instruments. “Keepsake” veers closer to mid-tempo electronica, with overlaid synth repetitions and treated vocals. The title track employs sustained violin lines, played by Peter Broderick, and an intricate form with supple harmonic shifts. “Brother Hen,” on the other hand, recalls the folk influences present from Villagers’ beginning. The diversity is diverting, even though That Golden Time feels like a collection of singles instead of an album statement.

Christian Carey

[watchilove]

Presenting Arnold & Son Perpetual Moon 38 Night Tide

In the world of horology, few brands have managed to capture the celestial beauty with such a mechanical prowess as Arnold & Son. Their latest creation, the Perpetual Moon 38 Night Tide, stands as a testament to their dedication to blending artistry with precision. This review delves into the intricate details and sophisticated elegance of this limited-edition masterpiece. Continue reading…

[thejoyofviolentmovement]

New Video: JOVM Mainstay Robert Finley Shares Anthemic and Bluesy Stomp "Waste of Time"

New Video: JOVM Mainstay Robert Finley Shares Anthemic and Bluesy Stomp "Waste of Time" @therobertfinley @easyeyesound @Bigfeatpr @danauerbach

69 year-old Winnsboro, LA-born, Bernice, LA-based singer/songwriter and JOVM mainstay Robert Finley‘s highly-anticipated fourth album, Black Bayou was released last Friday through his longtime label home Easy Eye Sound. The album sees the JOVM mainstay continuing his wildly successful collaboration with Easy Eye Sound founder and The Black Keys frontman Dan Auerbach. Much like its immediate…

[saintmeghanmarkle]

Meghan the "Royal" Yoko Ono & Sean Ono Lennon Throwing Shade by u/bayoucreature

Meghan the "Royal" Yoko Ono & Sean Ono Lennon Throwing Shade Article on Megsy & Hairy cosplaying as Yoko and John. Also, their son, Sean's review of Spare on twitter.https://ift.tt/EKBIPLu post link: https://ift.tt/lnDZbom author: bayoucreature submitted: May 30, 2024 at 02:25AM via SaintMeghanMarkle on Reddit disclaimer: all views + opinions expressed by the author of this post, as well as any comments and reblogs, are solely the author's own; they do not necessarily reflect the views of the administrator of this Tumblr blog. For entertainment only.

[be-the-glenn-to-my-maggie]

Very random but Jake has definitely brought the phrase“do as I say not as I do” with him and I feel like it was received with mixed reviews from the clan

THAT'S A GOOD ONE.

My set director in high school used to say this before doing the worst things you'd ever seen in your entire life, and that's what I picture. Here is an example:

So yeah, no war Jake is taking his sons over to the river and saying "do as I say, not as I do" and belly flopping from so fucking high up. He's taking the clan to the new Hometree and it's perfect except for this one little branch in the way. Jake pauses and stops and turns to the clan and saying "do as I say, not as I do" and then Neytiri says "please no" and then he just fucking JUMPS at it to break it off with his weight.

Here are things my set director (Ben) did that Jake Sully also does (its like my dad but different):

-when the Omaticaya are breaking the RDA technology down from dangerous places in the forest to clear everything out and return the land to it's original state, everyone gets to see Jake at his most feral. He twists his ankle trying to walk half an AMP suit over to Norm like stilts to cheer up some young warriors.

-Instead of letting that stop him, he then has them help him get a Sampson down from a tree. His grand plan is to get in it as a weight and just shake it until it falls, because it's "not that high". He makes Tarsem get in one side as a counter balance and they both shake the thing and then when it does fall Tarsem falls on his ankle and makes it worse. It was entirely Jake's fault. but obviously Tarsem is highly embarrassed.

-The entire clan leave this experience thinking their new Olo'eyktan is literally out of his mind, but also the young warriors did laugh a lot of times.

-One time, Jake, Spider, Neteyam, and Lo'ak are carving in the forest and Jake nicks his thumb. He sends Lo'ak to get him something from Mo'at and as soon as Lo'ak is out of sight he JUMPS UP and writes 'help' in his own blood on a tree and makes Neteyam and Spider hide with him so Lo'ak will think they were taken by a ghost.

[ecargmura]

My New Boss Is Goofy Episode 12 Review + Final Thoughts - A Christmas Party To Remember

Why are all the good animes ending this week! First, The Yuzuki Family’s Four Sons and now this! Why must this week make me suffer? I don’t want this show to end! All good things must come to an end? Who came up with that saying? Come here and fight me for making that phrase.

Unfortunately, this is the last episode of this show. This was a super adorable show. The finale is a Christmas-themed episode where the main cast have a Christmas party, exchange gifts, and Momose finally moves out. I always liked Christmas-themed episodes because they’re always heartwarming in a way. In some Asian countries, Christmas is more of a lovers’ holiday, there were a lot of romantic elements sprinkled in between Shirosaki and Momose. I did notice that Shirosaki and Momose got presents for Hakutou but not for each other.

The Christmas party between the main quartet was super nice. That was a lot of food Shirosaki prepped. The way they randomized the gift exchange was so cute too! Just seeing these guys be chill and have fun was super nice to see! Even though, it’s usually like this, I feel like the cuteness amped up due to the festivities.

The real “conflict” of this episode is Momose finally deciding the right place and thus, going to move out. The one who is most conflicted with this is none other than Shirosaki. While he enjoys the time he spent with Momose, he finds it hard to let him go; like Momose, he knows that once he moves out, his life won’t be the same. They would only see each other at work and no longer spend as much time together as before. The place he was going to move into was near Kumatte Land, and very far from Shirosaki’s place. I felt so emotional when Hakutou started crying as he jumped onto Momose; he loves him a lot. Shirosaki grabbing onto Momose’s leg was so bittersweet too.

In a sudden plot twist, Momose manages to move into the building next to Shirosaki’s apartment, where they can see each other perfectly fine. I honestly both expected and did not expect that turn of event at all. I knew there was going to be some twist given the nature of this show, but I didn’t expect it to be so up front with it. Like what Hakutou said, give me back my tears!

It’s hard to let this show go. This was one of my favorites for this season. It’s highly unlikely that a season 2 will be made as most of the stuff has been up to date. All I can do is imagine the sort of life Shirosaki, Momose and Hakutou will have now that they are neighbors. What are your thoughts for this finale?

Final Thoughts

This was one of my anticipated shows for this season just due to the premise and art alone. It really lighted up my weekend a lot. While it was a overshadowed by the bigger titles, I still believe that this show held on its own.

I was surprised when I heard that Yuichiro Umehara and Kotaro Nishiyama were reuniting as leads for a new anime; I loved them in School Babysitters and Boeibu! And then seeing other big names like Tomokazu Sugita, Jun Fukuyama and Hiro Shimono was a big factor for me to watch; Shouta Aoi is even there too! You can’t say no to a cast like that. I think they all did well in this anime. I just hope that Nishiyama gets more roles in the future; his voice is so soothing to listen to as it’s a mix of energetic and soft. Hopefully, this role will help catapult him into getting more work. He deserves it. If I had to pick a stand out of these five, I’d give it to Shimono for making adorable cat noises.

I was surprised when I learned A-1 was animating since they’re mainly known for action anime and not joseimuke/iyashikei anime like this. Despite that, it was surprisingly well-animated. I especially loved the color choices. I hope that A-1 gets the chance to animate more shows like this in the future; they have a knack for it.

Would I recommend this show? To anyone who wants to watch a feel-good slice of life comedy, I would totally recommend it. 

[maltrunners]

Johnnie Walker, Black and Blue

Review by: ZoidbergOnTheRocks Alright, let’s get the Johnnie Walker reviews out of the way. Tasted on 11/9/2020, neat in a Glencairn. Johnnie Walker Black Label The Director’s Cut – Blade Runner 2049 JW Black bottled special for the Blade Runner 2049 movie in 2017. Bottled at a promising 49% ABV, whereas the normal Black is 40%. The box is cool. Let’s be honest, I only bought this because of…

[audio-luddite]

TAS WTF?

I really wonder if this is really from "The Absolute Sound". I thought they had better standards. I saw this review on the TAS site and it interested me as a possible thing for my Son-in-law. He has basically nothing and this Technics piece is quite a trick. His wife and kids are very tech savvy.

I was massively disappointed in the presentation. TAS is better than this. First this guy is in a boring room with blank walls. Second there is little evidence he has actual possession of the piece. Lots of cut to images and such. And he seems to have not read the manual or specifications thoroughly. It is a digital amp, but isnt Class D? Err its big brothers are class D. What is the RMS power? He makes several mistakes which should have been caught before it went out.

TAS is all about sound, and he is using some kind of microphone he had laying around? Poor sound quality is ironic given the purpose of the magazine. I guess he is an apprentice golden ear.

After shaking my head in frustration I went to Technics website for information. It is almost sad you have to depend on marketing blah blah. Thing is this looks to be pretty ideal except for the low power of the main amplifier. 40 Watts at 8 Ohms at 1% distortion.

My son-in-law likes the sound of my system. And with his new house it is going to happen. Two paths possible. 1) Something like this package which is really good within its limits and has a few cool tricks. It has a phono input and can play records. 2) Getting one of the ARC preamps for sale around here and an Adcom GFA 555 also listed. Any networking stuff will have to be added on. Strangely both cost about the same.

It is his decision of course.

He wants to build speakers like mine. They are very good and do not dominate a room at all. I could lend him a set of Advents until we get something built as it takes some time.