#this track - and the album it is from - is a tribute to him

[lacefuneral]

holy shit imagine getting shing02 himself

[doyoulikethissong-poll]

Nirvana - The Man Who Sold the World 1993

"The Man Who Sold the World" is the title track of David Bowie's third studio album, which was released in 1970 in the US and in 1971 in the UK. Although no singles were issued from the album, the song appeared as the B-side on the 1973 reissue US single release of "Space Oddity" and UK single release of "Life on Mars?".

In his journals, Kurt Cobain of the American grunge band Nirvana ranked the album The Man Who Sold the World at number 45 in his top 50 favourite albums. Nirvana subsequently recorded a live rendition of the song during their MTV Unplugged appearance at Sony Music Studios in New York City on 18 November 1993 and it was included on their MTV Unplugged in New York album released on November 1, 1994, nearly seven months following the death of Cobain. The song was also released as a promotional single for the album in 1995.

Nirvana's cover received considerable airplay on alternative rock radio stations and was also placed into heavy rotation on MTV, peaking at number 3 on MTV's most played videos on 18 February 1995; it also peaked for two weeks at number 7 on Canada's MuchMusic Countdown in March 1995. Nirvana regularly covered the song during live sets after their MTV Unplugged performance up until Cobain's death. In 2002, the song was re-released on Nirvana's self-titled "best of" compilation.

Bowie said of Nirvana's cover: "I was simply blown away when I found that Kurt Cobain liked my work, and have always wanted to talk to him about his reasons for covering 'The Man Who Sold the World'" and that "it was a good straight forward rendition and sounded somehow very honest." Bowie called Nirvana's cover "heartfelt", noting that "until this [cover], it hadn't occurred to me that I was part of America's musical landscape. I always felt my weight in Europe, but not [in the US]." In the wake of its release, Bowie bemoaned the fact that when he performed the number himself, he would encounter "kids that come up afterwards and say, 'It's cool you're doing a Nirvana song.' And I think, 'Fuck you, you little tosser!'"

At a pre–Grammy Awards party on 14 February 2016, Nirvana band members Krist Novoselic, Dave Grohl, and Pat Smear teamed up with Beck to perform "The Man Who Sold the World" in tribute to Bowie – who had died the month before — with Beck performing vocals.

"The Man Who Sold the World" received a total of 77,6% yes votes! Dave Grohl has previously been featured in the polls with Foo Fighter's "The Pretender" at #111 and as a drummer on Queens of the Stone Age's "No One Knows" at #87, and David Bowie has been featured with "I'm Afraid of Americans" at #33.

[anniebeemine]

isn't that sweet?*- s.r. x fem!reader

i’m working late, 'cause i’m a singer

warnings: oral sex (fem. receiving), slight voyeurism

The studio was dimly lit, the soft glow of the mixing board casting long shadows against the walls. You stood in the recording booth, headphones snug against your ears, adjusting the mic one last time as you prepared to lay down another track. This album was different—more personal, more intimate than anything you’d ever done before. And that was because of him.

Spencer sat on the other side of the glass, his gaze fixed on you as you shifted from one foot to the other, finding your rhythm before the music began. He was seated next to your producer, who was quietly conversing with the sound engineer, but Spencer’s focus never wavered. His presence was constant, steady and comforting, as you prepared to pour your heart into the microphone.

This album was a reflection of your life over the past year—every song, every lyric, a piece of the story you shared with Spencer. From the first tentative dates where you both stumbled over your words, nervous and unsure, to the quiet nights spent curled up on the couch, watching old movies, your heads resting against each other. Those memories, those moments, were what fueled your creativity.

You’d written about the way his fingers intertwined with yours during a late-night walk, how he always made you feel like the only person in the world when he looked at you. The way his eyes would light up whenever he got lost in a ramble, explaining some obscure fact or statistic with a passion that made your heart swell.

And then there were the nights where the world outside ceased to exist—the ones where you’d stay tangled in bed long after the sun had risen, whispering secrets and sweet nothings, your bodies and souls completely intertwined. The songs that emerged from those moments were the most vulnerable, the ones that spoke of love in its rawest, most passionate form. They were the songs that made you blush when you sang them, knowing that each note and word was a reflection of the intimacy you shared with him.

As the instrumental intro played through your headphones, you closed your eyes, letting the music wash over you. The melody was soft, almost dreamy, and you knew it would resonate with Spencer. It was the same melody you had hummed absentmindedly during one of your many nights in, the sound lulling him to sleep as you played with his hair.

You started to sing, your voice soft and controlled, carrying the emotion of the lyrics. The song was about a specific night—a night where time seemed to slow, and every touch, every whisper, felt like it was magnified. You had written it as a lullaby of sorts, a tribute to the quiet, peaceful moments you’d shared, the ones that felt like a sanctuary from the world.

The song came to an end, and you let the last note linger in the air before you pulled the headphones off, stepping away from the mic. The room was silent for a moment, the weight of what you’d just recorded settling over everyone.

Your producer leaned forward, a look of approval on his face. “That was perfect. I think we’ve got it.”

You gave a small, relieved smile, but you didn’t move from where you stood. The producer and sound engineer began gathering their things, the producer casting a knowing glance between you and Spencer. “We’ll leave you to it, then. Just lock up when you’re done,” he said. “Goodnight.” 

The door clicked shut behind them, leaving you and Spencer alone. The silence stretched on for a moment before Spencer pushed the button on the console to speak through the speakers into the booth.

“Is there something else you want to record?” he asked, his voice gentle but curious.

You hesitated, your fingers tracing the edge of the mic stand as you looked at him through the glass. “There is… but I’m really embarrassed to do it in front of other people,” you admitted, your voice just above a whisper, even though you knew he could hear you clearly.

Spencer’s brow furrowed slightly. “Embarrassed? Why?”

You took a deep breath, trying to steady your nerves. “It’s… it’s a song I wrote. It’s about… well, about us. Specifically, about our… sex life.” You could feel your face heat up as you spoke, averting your eyes to the floor. “My producer suggested adding some… um, moans in the background, but it’s really awkward to do it in front of anyone else.”

Spencer’s eyes widened slightly, but he quickly composed himself, understanding washing over his features. “So… you want me to stay and just press record and stop for you?”

You nodded, feeling a wave of relief at his understanding. “Yeah. I can’t do it with them here, but… I trust you. It’s just, every time I try, it either comes out flat or too breathy. I’m too in my head.”

Spencer’s lips quirked into a small smile, and he nodded. “Okay. I can do that.”

He walked over to the console, settling into the chair that the sound engineer had vacated, his fingers hovering over the controls. You adjusted the mic, closing your eyes for a moment to collect yourself before you spoke again. “Okay, I’m ready.”

Spencer pressed the record button, and you began. The first few attempts were rough, your voice coming out boring and flat, lacking the emotion you wanted to convey. Each time, you stopped, shaking your head, frustration building as you couldn’t quite get it right. Spencer patiently stopped the recording each time, offering you encouraging smiles, but the tension was mounting. After a few more failed tries, you couldn’t help but let out a nervous giggle, breaking the tension in the room. 

“This is so awkward,” you admitted, laughing softly as you looked at Spencer, who chuckled along with you.

“You’re overthinking it,” Spencer said, his voice warm and reassuring. “Just relax. I’ll even turn around.” 

You nodded, appreciating his understanding, and tried again. But this time, the frustration only grew. The sounds were either too forced or completely flat, and each attempt left you feeling more and more tense. Finally, you let out a groan of frustration, stepping out of the booth to grab a bottle of water, trying to unwind.

Spencer watched you as you sipped the water, his eyes thoughtful. “I think I know a way to help you get authentic moans,” he said after a moment, his voice low and careful.

You blinked at him, trying to piece together what he was suggesting. At first, you were hesitant, not quite believing what he was implying. But the way he looked at you, his eyes full of that familiar warmth and affection, made it clear. He was serious.

“Spence…” you started, your voice trailing off as you considered it.

He gave you a small, reassuring smile. “There are no cameras in here,” he reminded you, his voice soft. “And I’ll be very, very quiet.”

You felt your heart race as his words hung in the air, a mix of nervous excitement bubbling up inside you. Before you could respond, Spencer leaned in, his lips gently brushing against yours in a soft, lingering kiss. The heat of his touch, the familiar taste of his lips, sent a shiver down your spine.

His kisses grew deeper, more insistent as he pressed closer, his hands finding their way to your waist. You could feel his breath against your skin as he began trailing kisses down your neck, his lips soft and deliberate. Each kiss left a trail of warmth in its wake, a persuasive argument in itself.

“Spence,” you whispered, your voice trembling slightly as he reached a particularly sensitive spot just below your ear. The sensation made your knees weak, and you found yourself leaning into him, craving more of his touch.

His hands moved up to cradle your face, tilting your head slightly to give him better access to your neck. “Just relax,” he murmured between kisses, his voice a low, soothing rumble that vibrated against your skin. “Let me help you.”

His lips continued their journey, pressing slow, deliberate kisses along your collarbone and up the side of your neck, sending waves of heat through your body. With each kiss, he was chipping away at your hesitation, replacing it with something far more potent: desire.

You closed your eyes, letting yourself get lost in the sensation of his mouth on your skin, the warmth of his body pressed against yours. It was impossible to think about anything else, the world outside the booth fading away until it was just the two of you, wrapped up in this moment.

Finally, he pulled back slightly, his eyes searching yours for any sign of doubt. “How are you feeling?” he asked softly, his voice a tender caress.

You opened your eyes, meeting his gaze. The nervousness was still there, but it was tempered by the undeniable pull you felt toward him. “I think… I think I’m ready,” you whispered, your voice steady despite the butterflies in your stomach.

Spencer smiled, his hands gently squeezing your waist in encouragement. “Good,” he said, his voice filled with warmth and reassurance. “I have an idea.”

You watched, curious, as he moved around the room, grabbing a few of the equipment boxes stacked nearby. He brought them into the recording booth, carefully setting them up beneath the microphone. You followed him inside, your heart racing as you tried to piece together what he was doing. It wasn’t until he started arranging the boxes like a makeshift seat that you began to realize his plan. Your eyes widened slightly as the realization dawned on you—he was setting up a throne for you, right beneath the microphone.

Your mouth went dry as you processed the implications, your body buzzing with a mix of anticipation and nervousness. Spencer was always full of surprises, but this...this was something else entirely.

He caught your expression and gave you a small, reassuring smile. “Trust me,” he said, his voice low and soothing. With a practiced ease, he shrugged off his cardigan, folding it neatly before draping it over the makeshift seat. He looked at you, his gaze warm and steady, before gently guiding you to sit down.

You hesitated for a moment, the intimacy of the situation sending a flush of heat through you, ending right at your core. You clench around nothing. But the way Spencer looked at you, the quiet confidence in his eyes, made it impossible to resist. Slowly, you lowered yourself onto the makeshift throne, the softness of his cardigan cushioning you.

Spencer knelt in front of you, his hands resting on your knees as he looked up at you. The sight of him there, gazing at you with such intensity, made your breath hitch. He gently parted your legs, his hands warm against your skin as he settled himself between your thighs.

“I want you to focus on the sensations,” he murmured, his voice like velvet. “Forget everything else. Just think about us.”

You nodded, your heart pounding in your chest as he leaned in, his lips brushing softly against your inner thigh. The warmth of his breath sent shivers down your spine, your entire body attuned to his every movement. You felt his fingers loop around the sides of your underwear, pulling them down. 

“Aren’t you glad you wore a skirt?” He teased. 

You nod, closing your eyes to hopefully forget the fact that you’re in your workplace and anyone could walk in at any moment. Spencer kissed your inner thigh, spreading your legs wider. You can feel the cool air run over you and your soaked core. His tongue traced a line along your folds. You gasped, writhing beneath him. Spencer wastes no time in using his hands, circling a finger around your entrance as his lips find your clit. He wraps his lips around the sensitive bud, sucking lightly. 

You moan lowly, your fingers finding his hair to give him a harsh tug. He looks up at you, relishing in the way your eyes are screwed shut, little pants leaving your lips. He lets his fingers slide into your pussy, pumping slowly as he kitten licks at your clit. 

“Fuck.” 

He smiled against your cunt and you just know that he’s come up with some cocky comment that he’s dying to say. You finally open your eyes and almost cum at the dazed look in his eyes. The hand that was on your thigh came up to cup your breast, sliding his way under your shirt. Spencer’s eyebrows perk when he realizes you’re not wearing a bra. 

You wink at him, a smug smile forming on your lips. He pushes his fingers deeper. The action makes your thighs flinch, closing in on him for a moment before you relax again. Spencer hums against you, his lips sucking generously at your clit before his tongue massaged it in teasing little circles.

Spencer continued his relentless, expert pace, every flick of his tongue and gentle suck driving you closer to the brink. The sound that escaped your lips was a soft moan, barely more than a whisper, but it filled the recording booth with a delicate echo that made Spencer smile against you.

As his tongue circled and teased, the moan grew into a breathier, more desperate sound. “Spence,” you panted, the word tumbling out in a ragged exhale. Your hands clutched at his hair, urging him on, your breath catching in your throat as he continued.

The next moan was louder, more drawn out, vibrating with the tension building inside you. It was a sound of pure need, of surrender, and Spencer relished every note of it. The intensity of what he was doing made you lose all sense of composure; your breaths came quicker, more shallow, and each exhale carried a gasp, a whimper, a plea.

“Please,” you gasped, your voice trembling as he pushed you further, his name falling from your lips again and again. Every moan, every pant was a symphony of rising desperation, a crescendo of need that you couldn’t hold back.

Your back arched involuntarily, pressing yourself closer to him, and the moans turned into broken cries, the kind that left your throat raw. “Spence, I—” You couldn’t even finish the sentence, the words lost in a strangled moan that was half sob, half ecstasy.

The sounds coming from you were almost primal now, a mixture of keening whimpers and breathless pants, each one more desperate than the last. You were close—so close—and it showed in every pant, every strained moan that escaped your trembling lips.

And Spencer kept going, his own breath coming in short, heated bursts as he listened to every sound you made, each one spurring him on, relishing the way he was drawing these noises from you. It was like music to his ears, a melody he never wanted to end, as your moans grew louder, more frantic, until you finally tumbled over the edge, your voice breaking in a long, shuddering cry of release.

Spencer sat back, a smug grin playing at the corners of his lips as he wiped his chin with the sleeve of his shirt. He started to rise, heading toward the control panel. “I’m going to hit record. I’ll be back in a second.”

You blinked, still catching your breath, and reached out to stop him. “Wait… you didn’t already record that?”

He turned to you, that same smug smile deepening. “Of course not,” he replied, a teasing glint in his eyes. “A good vocalist always warms up first.”

You let out a breathless laugh, shaking your head in disbelief. “You’re something else, Spencer Reid.”

He leaned in, his voice low and dripping with confidence. “Besides,” he added, his tone playfully serious, “I think this next take is going to be a hit.”

And he was right.

When you showed Spencer the plaque for the double platinum record, his eyes lit up with pride. “So,” he said, a playful smirk tugging at his lips, “are you going to give me writing credit for this?”

You laughed, rolling your eyes. “I think we can keep that our little secret.”

[hypnoneghoul]

'Tis time...my 'tism decided to challenge me and stand me up against the ultimate musical 'tism. Tobias Forge's

Influences in the music of the band Ghost (tributes, nods & inspirations)

Some of them are a very straightforward copy-paste action, some of them are smaller nods towards other artists and some of them are only influences, or even something I personally hear, but not everybody might. They are in order from most obvious to might-be-my-delusion. I didn't include covers because. Kinda obvious.

It is possible that some of these are simply samples, I didn’t look into that, but if I’m being completely honest, I don't think Tobias is a sample guy. Also, there’s couple examples from Impera alone, mostly because he spoke about his inspirations for it a fair amount, which makes it easier to trace, so to say.

This one goes first, because it's literally the same thing! Just reversed. I feel like that's common knowledge in the fandom, but I couldn't skip it. If you didn't know and Deus Culpa always hurts your ears (same), this is why!

(These two are in one file because Tumblr has an audio limit and I had to merge something) Tobias frequently speaks of his love for Metallica's music, as well as its members, so it's honestly no surprise hfhfh. He fangirls hard, and it even got him to open for them as we all know, so that's super cool!

I haven't seen/heard him talking about Opeth that much, but he is and/or used to be close with multiple members so again--no surprise at all.

This one is super interesting, because it's not only similar soud wise.

“[...] we recorded this album [IMPERA] in Atlantis Studio in Stockholm, [...] where ABBA recorded most of their hits. [...] it’s the exact same outboard gear, mixing console, microphones, marimba and piano we had around us. You’d play the piano and it would sound exactly the same as it did on Money, Money, Money.” --Tobias Forge for Guitar World

Not much to say about this one other than hell yeah, Michael Jackson.

This one also has a play on Europe's, which I find super cool! Swedish rock unites. From what I remember Tobias has also mentioned something about Whitesnake being an important influence.

(This one is empty for the first 10 seconds to go around the copyright scan) This is a cute little nod towards Pink Floyd that has Tobias put into live shows, and it's been a thing since 2015.

Another one that Tobias has spoken about for Guitar World.

“The double bass allowed for that Vinnie Paul [of Pantera] thing where there are triplet-feel things on the kick drum. Nothing against Pantera, but what influenced me there was actually a track called Blood Ritual by Samael, which had that feel I wanted to tap into.”

It was said about Watcher In The Sky, but I think same idea guided Twenties as well.

Griftwood was also talked about for Guitar World

“What made the song for me was the fact that there’s this crazy breakdown in what’s otherwise a Sunset Strip kind of thing, which I see as more Van Halen than Ratt.”

No song was mentioned by Tobias, but I had Talkin' 'Bout Love in mind even before I read this article, so I'd say it fits!

Pretty self explanatory, I think.

(This one is empty for the first 10 seconds to go around the copyright scan) Kansas is an absolute gem and to me it does sound like it was the inspiration here. Knowing how much respect Tobias has for rock classics, I'd say it's very possible he had Carry On Wayward Son in mind.

And that's it! Sorry if y'all hoped for more jfgjdfg but anyways, hope you enjoyed my yapping and, as always, any questions are very welcome :3

Taglist: @delusionalbitchinthehouse @0-miles-away @callmeghoulshit @skele-bunny @ratsummer @kentuckyfriedsatan @everybodyshusband @lilhoechlinsbae @jimothybarnes @starling-ghoul @rain-ghoul-appreciator @devilsandstarlight @karmicbias @jazz-bazz @arkeusruin

[louisupdates]

Louis Tomlinson - does it ring with this name? As a singer of the British boy group One Direction, he was successful in the years 2010-2015. Together, the band decided to take a break. It has remained so to this day. In 2016, however, Louis began to take his own path. On his solo paths, the singer-songwriter has developed a style that takes up influences from British rock, alternative and indie pop. His music is often melodic, with catchy guitar riffs and a rather down-to-earth sound reminiscent of British bands of the 2000s. Already his first single Just Hold On sold 1.8 million copies. In 2020 and 2022, he released his two albums Walls and Faith In The Future. This was followed by two incredible world tours with over 170 concerts in 47 countries on 5 continents.

For this, an idea matured - a live album should be created, but a very special one. Thus, individual songs were recorded during the tour. On the 25th In April, the result was surprisingly published digitally. 14 songs have been released. Each of them was recorded in a different city. So the listener at home can also mentally go on a small trip around the world while enjoying the individual songs. Now the physical versions of the live album also followed, which make the concert feeling in the living room perfect. These include four more, exclusive tracks. In addition to the double CD, a double picture vinyl edition is available and it has it all!

The vinyl edition contains a special tour book. Fans were able to submit personal impressions about their concert experiences. And these are now included in this extra booklet. Louis decorated the recordings with individual hearts, smileys or crosses and handwritten the first names of the respective fans. This recorded, mutual appreciation is truly a magical highlight. The 28-page, regular booklet is no less lovingly designed. In addition to the lyrics, you will encounter the London set list, high-quality backstage photos and touching recordings made during the concerts.

Louis is happy about this release: "I have been lucky enough to tour the world twice in the last 3 years. The feeling I get when sharing these live moments will accompany me forever. The opportunity to record these songs anywhere in the world and release them as an album is something very special and a real tribute to the fans, who make every single show a unique and incredible experience. Thank you! Enjoy!"

Right at the opener The Greatest, you seem to be in the middle of the action with your eyes closed. In addition to the live sound, the fans can also be heard clearly. Louis invites them to tune in with him: "Sing it with me!" And they do! The spirited mood comes across clearly. In the meantime, the fans also get the space to sing alone. You get used to the choruses and the delighted shouts from the audience very quickly. In Bigger Than Me, the British singer gives space for personal growth and self-reflection. In the song, Louis describes how he deals with the changes in his life and realizes that life is bigger than himself. He talks about taking responsibility for his actions and decisions, especially with regard to his career and the people who support him. The song contains a powerful perspective on growing up and taking responsibility.

Holding On To Heartache puts the fans in great excitement. screams welcome the gentle song. This is about how difficult it is to let go of the pain after a breakup. It's about holding on to grief because it's connected with the memories of lost love, and it's not easy to finally finish with the past. The single We Made It is powerful. In the booklet, the single was translated into Filipino - after all, the recording comes from the concert in the Philippines. Although Louis sings the title in English, this hidden greeting is really adorable. By the way, this approach can be found several times in the booklet. For example, All This Time/She Is Beauty We Are World Class, the titles played in Munich, were also translated into German, for example.

High In California, for example, can only be found on the physical editions of the album. This lightness that the song contains is clearly noticeable. This is about escaping everyday life and getting lost in a state of freedom and lightheartedness. The lifestyle and atmosphere of California make you forget your worries and problems for a moment - just as is the case with Louis' concerts. Here you feel protected and can escape all negative thoughts.

Common People is about the appreciation of ordinary people and their experiences. The song deals with life in everyday life and how important it is to connect with the "ordinary" people and understand their perspectives. Challenges and struggles that many people experience should be taken seriously instead of romanticizing them. It is his tribute to the authenticity and reality of life. It therefore becomes gently rocking with All This Time/She Is Beauty We Are World Class. Here you rock with real fun from the sofa. The groovy guitars do the rest:

In Walls, delicate strings underline the song about emotional barriers and the struggle to show themselves vulnerable. Louis addresses the need to dismantle one's own walls in order to enable real connections with other people. It is an honest and personal song about vulnerability, love and the desire for closeness, despite the difficulties that can be associated with it. Louis calls on his fans: "Here we go! Scream" and together the fans sing with their idol: "But these high walls, they came up short. Now I stand taller than them all. These high walls never broke my soul. And I, I watched them all come fallin' down. I watched them all come fallin' down for you."

Out Of My System is then reached harder into the guitar strings. The drums are also picking up speed. With the fast track, the good mood is at a peak. This is about the internal conflicts and the difficulties of freeing yourself from the emotional burdens, while at the same time trying to find yourself and your identity. Overall, it is an energetic track about the process of leaving the past behind and starting over. In Paris, Louis is impressed by his crowd: "This looks fucking amazing!" With a warm voice, he performs Saturdays - a song that clearly reminds you of Oasis.

Silver Tongues is accompanied by a lively piano playing and you can really imagine how the euphoric fans on site shine with shere joy and rock them together again. "Krakow, you have been absolutety incredible tonight. Thank you, thank you, thank you! Sing this next one with me, here we go... as loud as you can!” And the crowd settles in: "You and me until the end. Wakin' up to start again. You and me until the end. Wakin' up to start again. There's nowhere else that I would rather be."

The record ends with Kill My Mind from Santiano. Louis sings of a roller coaster of emotions in a passionate, but also chaotic relationship. It's about the challenge of letting yourself be overwhelmed by the feelings and the inner struggle that arises when you are trapped in a relationship that is both exciting and stressful.

Louis Tomlinson and his crew have succeeded in a truly remarkable work. What is actually the advantage of a live album? You are not terribly sweaty, the way home is not imminent and you do not fall into the aftershow blues like a real gig afterwards, but can simply start all over again. 🙂

Louis Tomlinson's album Live was released on 23.08.2024 as a CD and vinyl via the label BMG.

Tracklist LOUIS TOMLINSON - Live (Vinyl Edition)

A

01. The Greatest - Live from London, 17.11.2023

02. Face The Music - Live from Nashville, 07/18/2023

03. Bigger Than Me - Live from Vancouver, 26.06.2023

04. Holding On To Heartache - Live from Barcelona, 06.10.2023

05. We Made It - Live from Manila, 16.07.2022

B

06. Chicago - Live from Chicago, 15.06.2023

07. High In California , Live from Amsterdam, 15.10.2023

08. Fearless, Live from Rio, 27.05.2022

09. Common People, Live from Sheffield, 10.11.2023

C

10. All This Time/She Is Beauty We Are World Class, Live from Munich, 22.10.2023

11. Walls, Live from Buenos Aires, 21.05.2022

12. Only The Brave, Live from Milan, 03.09.2022

13. Written All Over Your Face, Live from Budapest, 15.09.2023

D

14. Out Of My System, Live from Brisbane, 30.01.2024

15. Saturdays, Live from Paris, 14.10.2023

16. Silver Tongues, Live from Krakow, 10.09.2023

17. Kill My Mind, Live from Santiago, 15.05.2022

Tracklist LOUIS TOMLINSON - Live (2CD Edition)

Disk 1

01. The Greatest, Live from London, 17.11.2023

02. Face The Music - Live from Nashville, 07/18/2023

03. Bigger Than Me - Live from Vancouver, 26.06.2023

04. Holding On To Heartache - Live from Barcelona, 06.10.2023

05. We Made It - Live from Manila, 16.07.2022

06. Chicago - Live from Chicago, 15.06.2023

07. High In California , Live from Amsterdam, 15.10.2023

08. Fearless, Live from Rio, 27.05.2022

09. Common People, Live from Sheffield, 10.11.2023

Disk 2

01. All This Time/She Is Beauty We Are World Class, Live from Munich, 22.10.2023

02. Walls, Live from Buenos Aires, 21.05.2022

03. Written All Over Your Face, Live from Budapest, 15.09.2023

04. Out Of My System, Live from Brisbane, 30.01.2024

05. Saturdays, Live from Paris, 14.10.2023

06. Where Do Broken Hearts Go, Live from Tallinn, 05.09.2023

07. Silver Tongues, Live from Krakow, 10.09.2023

[elceeu2morrow]

'Louis Tomlinson has proven he's not just an ex-boyband star, he's a rocker'

Some know him as 'that guy from One Direction', others, including myself know him as arguably one of South Yorkshire's finest exports but Louis Tomlinson is only getting better, writes Daniel Bird

Image: Mirrorpix/Daniel Bird

Daniel Bird Assistant Showbiz Editor 17:31, 12 Nov 2023

Louis Tomlinson may only have two solo albums but he's proving to be one of the artists people should keep an eye on.

Having burst onto the music scene in 2010 as one-fifth of One Direction – a band created by Nicole Scherzinger on The X Factor after all five members were rejected, he's proven he's not just an ex-boyband singer. While singers from bands tend to keep a low profile and venture into other industries after a split, Louis is on a one-way ticket to becoming a mega-star in his own right.

Known for never losing his Doncaster accent and humour, the 31-year-old is currently embarking on his Faith In The Future World Tour, performing to thousands of die-hard fans every night – which he deserves credit for.

Although he may have come from one of the biggest bands of all time, the cheeky chap isn't afraid of getting up close and personal with fans – much to the dismay of his security who leap into action when he jumps off stage and runs to the barricade to see fans. In recent weeks, Louis has seen his expensive vests ripped off him, with fans even going as far as tickling him.

This, however, hasn't stopped him from putting on an incredible show. Despite only releasing two studio albums as a soloist (his second topping the Official UK Charts), he's pushing himself to the limits and playing arenas across the world. Most recently, he performed to around 21,000 fans at Manchester's AO Arena on November 11.

Walking onto the stage may be daunting for some, but Tomlinson showed no signs of fear as he opened with The Greatest – ironically, perhaps the greatest opening track. Throughout the night, he performed hits including Kill My Mind but also paying tribute to his One Direction days, belting out Drag Me Down and Where Do Broken Hearts Go. But since his pop days, Tomlinson has edged towards a more EDM and synth sound before finding his comfort in rockier tracks. He'd previously stated he'd taken inspiration from the likes of Sam Fender, Amy Winehouse, Arctic Monkeys and Manchester legends, Oasis.

Image: Mirrorpix/Daniel Bird

Nowadays, fans can expect the odd pop hit but also enjoy punk rock as well as indie pop and soft rock.

However, despite being in the business for almost 14 years, Louis remained grounded and acknowledged that Manchester was the start of his career. Between songs, he recalled his first audition for The X Factor in front of Simon Cowell, Scherzinger and Louis Walsh, being in the city. He told fans: "This is where I did my very first audition, so to be back here on my own it definitely feels full circle and I couldn't have done that without you.

[taylorhawkins]

14 Essential-Listening Taylor Hawkins Tunes

… that aren’t “Cold Day in the Sun”!

1. Pitiful (Taylor Hawkins & the Coattail Riders)

One of his most emotionally raw tracks. I love the strange chords he used on the acoustic guitar to convey the somber depiction of guilt and shame associated with drug addiction described in the lyrics. This is a really painful song to listen to, but it’s beautiful.

2. The Path We’re On (Nighttime Boogie Association)

Matt Cameron and Taylor share vocal duties on this tune (Taylor sings the verses, Matt sings the choruses). Their voices together are pure heaven! Also features Melvins’ Buzz Osbourne snd Steven McDonald on guitar & bass. This group unfortunately only put out 2 songs during the pandemic, but they’re a magical 2.

3. I Could Be Somebody Else (NHC)

Psychedelic in every aspect of that word, this one is best experienced cranked with headphones. Trippy as hell. Dave Navarro was right when he said Taylor is a mind-blowing lyricist and singer. Another emotionally raw tune, when he said one of NHC’s songs makes him feel naked, I think he was referring to this one.

4. Running In Place (Taylor Hawkins & the Coattail Riders)

This song takes you on a journey. It eases you in, then crescendos into classic prog-influenced chaos before it turns to a stream of pretty guitar work and layered vocals as it drops you back off. Taylor said this one was something he wrote talking to himself, trying to bring himself back down to earth and not go crazy. “The Teacher” by Foo Fighters almost certainly took inspiration from this song - the breakdown is nearly identical, and the “…say goodbye” outro is very similar.

5. Too Much for My Own Good (Phil X & the Drills)

This song by Phil X features Taylor on the drums. This is such a fun rock & roll tune that will definitely be stuck in your head for days but you won’t be mad about it. Every person I’ve ever played this to has loved it!! PS- you’ve definitely heard Phil X before, his discography as a studio musician is wild.

6. You Drive Me Insane (Taylor Hawkins & the Coattails Riders)

I love the trippy riff and the vocals in this song, it’s a California rock & roll vibe and it’s one of my top favorites of his. One of his sexier tunes he said was written about Mrs. Alison Hawkins.

7. Southern Belles

No group credited as he played every instrument and sang this one! (I think the bass is either Chris Chaney or Nate Mendel, but I couldn’t find out for sure). This is a heavy-hitting, super catchy one about his southern family roots. Really under-appreciated track from the same EP that gave us “Range Rover Bitch”.

8. Never Enough (Taylor Hawkins and the Coattail Riders)

Taylor’s vocal range doesn’t get talked about enough… The cathartic way he belts his heart out at the end of this song gets me every single time. His voice was so beautiful. Another of that emotionally raw side of his music.

9. It’s Ok Now (Taylor Hawkins and the Coattail Riders)

Another earworm, this one’s rhythm is bound to make you move. His voice is pure rock and roll. I think you can really hear how much his songwriting impacted the Foo Fighters’ music on this album, even though many people think Dave told everyone what to play…when you really listen, that doesn’t seem to be the case. This song feels like summer sunshine to me.

10. Guess I’ll Go Away (Edgar Winter)

Taylor on vocals for “Brother Johnny”, a tribute to Johnny Winter album, this was one of the last things he did musically. He SLAYED that shit. He sounds so good. Rock and fucking roll.

11. Louise (Taylor Hawkins and the Coattail Riders)

I have no idea how he played that drumbeat and sang this song at the same time. Mind boggling. This song is so unique and so catchy, I don’t get why it wasn’t a hit. The rhythm section is my favorite part of the whole thing, Taylor and Chris Chaney locked in together SO well. It’s no wonder they played together from the Alanis days all the way up to him putting the ‘C’ in NHC.

12. Fearless (NHC)

This is a Pink Floyd cover…But it’s an amazing one! It’s groovy and trippy and they’re so locked in together, they were made to play music with each other. NHC unfortunately has a very small discography, otherwise I probably wouldn’t have selected a cover…but maybe I would’ve anyway, this one is just so good!

13. You’re No Good at Life No More (Taylor Hawkins and the Coattail Riders)

Taylor and Dave Grohl split the vocals on this one and it’s such a wild ride. You can really hear his Queen influence throughout this album… so much so that he manifested Roger Taylor’s appearance on the last track! D&T’s voices together are magic as you hear on “Rope” by Foo Fighters and their cover of “Come Together”, I always wish they sang together more often.

14. Perfect Day

Only a minute long, this beautiful song is just Taylor and his guitar. A sweet reminder he wrote for Mrs. Hawkins that his love is always with her no matter where he goes. I’m sure she treasures this one. There’s so much love in it.

[bitter69uk]

“Listening to Nico is always an unforgettable experience: turbulent, enigmatic, haunting, nihilistic and timeless. Now it seems that time is finally catching up with Nico in that more and more people are coming to appreciate her profoundly disturbing and visionary recordings. With The End she is at her best, forcing you to totally rethink what a rock album should sound like.”

/ From Andrew Batt’s liner notes to the 2012 CD reissue of The End /

Released on this day fifty years ago (11 November 1974): The End, the fourth studio album by heroin-ravaged German chanteuse, Moon Goddess and the countercultural Marlene Dietrich, Nico (Christa Paffgen, 1938 – 1988). The final (and bleakest) part of Nico’s essential trilogy of records encompassing The Marble Index (1968) and Desertshore (1970), its “terrorist songs” of violence and resistance were inspired by the activities of Germany's Baader-Meinhof Group. Hence the brutal imagery of warriors, gladiators, prisoners, hunters and knives in “It Has Not Taken Long” (“It has not taken long / To feast our naked eye upon / The open blade / The hungry beast / Have found her calling, calling / Help me, please”), “Secret Side” (“Without a guide, without a hand / Unwed virgins in the land  / Tied up on the sand …”) and Innocent and Vain (“I am a savage violator”). The End also represents a tribute to Nico’s “soul brother” and former lover Jim Morrison (it was her first album since his death): the title track is her interpretation of the Doors song and “You Forget to Answer” (one of the best things Nico ever did) is her eerie eulogy to him. Melody Maker maligned The End at the time as “recommended only to those who get satisfaction out of knowing that somebody else is more incoherent and screwed up than they are.” Pictured: Nico in London by Simon Bedford, 1974 from an abandoned photo-shoot for The End’s front cover.

[miklh]

An example of how reinvent who you are: Bruno Mars from "Locked Out of Heaven" to "Leave the Door Open"

Welcome back ! so I talked about Sia last time and I think it's time for me to introduce you my favorite artist named Bruno Mars (I know I'm mainstream but let me convince you !) Peter Gene Hernandez was born in Honolulu, Hawaii grew up in a musical family, his nickname "Bruno" comes from the wrestler Bruno Sammartino (he apparently looked like him as a toddler) and "Mars" because it reflected his ambitions and was told by several women that "he was out of this world". He moved to L.A, was in a band named School Boys and struggled in having a place in music industry so he started writing because of getting frustrated. He was a track writer for popular songs including Right Round by Flo Rida and was the co-writer with K'naan to produce "Waving Flag" the Coca-Cola's theme song of the 2010's FiFA world cup ! He started to get credit by introducing himself as the 2010's hit song "Nothin' on You" with the rapper B.o.B and became a pop performer. Not to mention the fact that he collaborated with many artists such as Lil Wayne, Cardi B, Lady Gaga or producers such as Mark Ronson with "Uptown Funk"(who is the G.O.A.T. of the 2010's producers by the way, I'm really not lying ! If you don't know him he probably produced 80% of your 2010's playlist). He took inspiration from Michael Jackson, James Brown (of whom he did a tribute), Prince, Amy Winehouse, Stevie Wonder ...   "It's not a secret. We wear the inspiration on our sleeves. What is the point if us, as musicians, can't learn from the guys that've come before us? What did they do?" In 2021, he teamed up with Anderson .Paak to create Silk Sonic: a R&B, Jazzy album with this iconic song "Leave the Door Open" which won the award of best record R&B song. In a nutshell, Bruno Mars did mainly pop music mixed up with different inspirations and artists and even produced an R&B album to prove his point as reinventing him as an artist. It's not like what you see in movies, where you walk into a record company and you're given all these great songs to sing. You have to write the song the world is going to want to hear and play it over and over again. I learned that the hard way here in L.A." Bruno Mars, After starting songwriting in L.A.

[dejwrld]

dearest choso lover,

i need lore about how rockstar!choso manifested into life in your mind, because i cannot stop thinking about him and his almost nude album cover, that and i have an hc that he sneakily adds his grunting/moans into some of his songs in which everyone is literally oblivious to because its so well blended in 🥰 (shit im having a brainrot)

sincerely, me who added 'so' in my url in tribute to choso

choso gaggers not beating the obsessed with choso allegations when he connected to our tumblr usernames some how!!

but wait, bestie—you’re so right. mind you the nude photo as his album cover art was for his debut album and it nearly caused him getting dropped from his label due to how strict we know japan takes celebs image—but choso actually blew up in the western countries and worldwide, so his label decided to keep him. which led to him being on the most successful artists from the label. the woman he sent the nudes from and actually leaked them/sold them to a gossip website was nearly sued by choso’s label, but choso didn’t sue her cause hello he knows his dick big and it actually helped him in the long run.

heavy on him using his grunts/moans on his own tracks. rumor has it on a scrapped song he recorded after he and popstar!reader got together, he have one adlibs of reader moans. yes, sis knows about it but choso scrapped the song cause no one deserves to hear reader moans but him 🥰

[amalgamate-exe]

The second McCafferty song that represents Dallas Winston is Bottom, The 7th track off of the 2014 Beach Boy Album while the actual storyline of the song is about an unrequited love and is an an unofficial tribute song to another band of the same genre called "The Front Bottoms" there were two segments in the song that stuck out to me.The first lines that stuck out to me are the lines “I love the way your skin feels on my collar bones I know I stole that line” Along with being a general troublemaker Dallas is also known for going to the drive-in theater with the intent of flirting with girls there, we learn this early on in chapter one where he says "Speaking' of movies…I'm walkin' over to the Nightly Double tomorrow night. Anybody want to come and hunt some action?" (Hinton 13) after being declined by Sodapop Curtis and Two-Bit Mathews because they had other plans and Dallas makes his way around the gang until landing on Ponyboy and Johnny to go with him, though it is implied that Dallas will go to the Drive-in regardless if the guys are going with him. This line relates to Dallas because he is going to the Drive-in to flirt with what we can assume is malicious intent, we can also tell that he is super unoriginal with how he is trying to pick up cherry in the movie by saying “Are you a real Redhead… Are you real?” Not only can we interpret this line of the song as Dallas being at the drive-in attempting to make a cheeky remark but also blaming a failed pick-up line on the fact that he stole it from someone else most presumably to save face. (2/3)

[statementlou]

Have the people whining about Louis’s festival set ever listened to one of Liam Gallagher’s festival sets? He includes an even higher proportion of Oasis songs than Louis does 1D, and no one whines about him forsaking his solo music or being an Oasis tribute act.

a better question, have these people ever paid attention to ANY other artist, ever, because their ideas of how things work and what Louis should do are WEIRD AS HELL... but yeah absolutely true, not that it's actually that hard to get a higher proportion than 3 out of 13 which is actually not the huge number they make it out to be, but anyway besides that Liam Gallagher (and most artists who play songs from their old bands ie almost every solo artist ever who have been in bands) just basically straight covers them as is, unlike Louis who is playing completely reworked versions of the old songs that make them both even more his own than they are anyway and also a seamless part of his current set/ sound ➡factcheck! I googled up a couple random LG setlists from his last solo album tour and the results were 1) of 22 songs 12 were Oasis songs (including the first three) and 2) 18 songs total, of which 10 Oasis songs and one cover. Actually the most interesting thing about that was discovering that his fans do a version of the post show outro song tracking we do with Louis only it's what he plays right before he comes out each night... hm! Anyway most solo artists play less than Liam G but I would guess a similar number to Louis, and that's for regular shows not even fests for which it makes sense to up that

[shadowbrightshine]

I made a new version of Cool as I think I Am.

So I've been thinking through a tribute/ my own au thing for a while for Tim, and one of the things takes the fact that he was babysat by Grace for so long as a time he suffered a lot of religious trauma because her views on Christianity and God are very warped. I had a plan for him to be a Prophet of Wiggly, and in it he's lost one of his legs. I spent about an hour listening to the song and matching up the new version with the old one.

start the song at 1:30 in the track, matches up with "then again I'm deranged" on the album and goes from there, but I'm really really proud of it. @marvelmaniac715 this is part of that Tim prophet fic I had in mind. Gosh I hope people like this I'm really proud of it. Especially how I made the new lyrics fit over "I'm not a loser".

Then again, It’s all strange

(so totally strange)

Wiggly’s got me confused

(so so confused)

She's the righteous and straight

(The righteous and straight)

But can that really be true?

(oh is it true?)

Is she as smart as she thinks she is

(Smart as she thinks is)

Right as she thinks she is

Oh-woah-oh-woah-oh oh 

But what if Grace was wrong?

(what if she was wrong)

It's only in her head!

(only in her head)

What if God was not that person but

different from what she said?

Stronger than I think I am

Am I better than she says I am?

Oh-woah-oh-woah-oh oh

If I could ask God 

I would beg him to tell me how to recover!

Am I hellbound if I embrace

This new self if I re-

-Ject Her power!!

God can this be who I am?

Cuz I think that it’s who I am.

Oh-woah-oh-woah-oh oh

(After the song ends)

…Can I still believe and have hope? 

Oh God I hope so. Because Grace is wrong. What she says doesn’t match my Bible. Please let her be wrong… Oh Lord above, please still accept me into heaven, I need to see Mom again one day. Forgive me for all the things that you think are wrong, not what Grace thinks is wrong. 

[happyzyx]

[240531] LAY ZHANG, Gifted icon on worldwide Music

Has been almost 20 years of career where Lay Zhang, the renowned original member and dance leader in EXO, has established himself in the global music and entertainment industry as a prodigious artist for whom the limits are only a transitory stage in which he carries his talent to the next level.

Since his arrival in Hollywood he has not stopped creating music in the company of big names in the industry, Jason Derulo, Steve Aoki, Will. Am. , recently a collaboration with Lauv. In addition to his multifaceted talent, he has displayed his skills as an actor in different projects such as the film “No More Bets” with a leading role and “A Legend” alongside Jackie Chan, who is his inspiration on this physical path. He has expressed daily commitment and discipline to continue progressing in this area of entertainment and has done without regrets at every opportunity.

Lay not only stands out for his countless skills and this successful development of his career as a soloist, but also his vision of the world has earned him a space of affection and support from fans around the world, to the point that apart from his native language Chinese, he has also ensured that his work have Korean and English versions as a tribute to his fans.

He is currently preparing his album completely in English with the help of his US-based company, “Range Media”, with whom he has worked since 2023 in the globalization of his career. This project as a soloist is supported towards perfection with solid foundations in the training he received during his training as a K-pop artist and all the effort that he himself makes to bring the richness of Asian culture to the world through his art.

From a busy schedule of promotional stages for his new song “Psychic” Lay connected exclusively with Rolling Stone Korea to share these experiences.

1. [RSK] Lay! Welcome to Rolling Stone Korea! Is a pleasure to welcome you to this experience as a soloist after witnessing your great achievements in EXO, can you share with us what the challenge has been to focus your career from former part of a group to your successful solo career?

Yeah, sure, compared to team activities and solo activities, you know? The truth is that new responsibilities are assumed and this time you are the one who leads everything. With the members of a group you always feel safe because you simply have to do your part and do it well, it's the only thing you worry about so you can concentrate on the dance, just focus your energy on one thing, but if you do everything On your own, you have to take care of each of the other details that the work staff in a group already has worked out, many things like visual art, clothing, dancing, singing, everything.

So this made me very nervous, you know, a little stressed about it. I really learned how to be more organized, in addition to developing my creativity even more in all aspects.

2. [RSK] We are really excited about this new album completely in English you are preparing, let's talk about the creation and development process of this project:

Yes, I have worked very hard on it, we have made a team with good synergy, so this year I work with “Range Media”, which is one of the largest companies in the US, at the same time I also work with Warner Music Asia , which has a great agreement, so this team and its global impact tools will help me succeed. All of them have produced really good albums and now we can release this kind of album worldwide, there are many good tracks on it and maybe we will have many more surprises on the way.

Well, right now we released two songs. One of them is “Run Back to You” with lauv and the one we are currently promoting, whose name is “Psychic”, a song that has just been performed on stages in South Korea, well, that is the place where my dream began.

So I really appreciate it. And I appreciate once having opportunities to go on stage to deliver new musical ages to my fans."

3. [RSK] Psychic is a very dynamic and super enjoyable song, we saw that the video also has great audiovisual work and that particularly part of the charm is in the location, which I understand is Dubai, it was very beautiful, please share with us about this experience:

Yes, it was actually a very interesting experience, since we had a good director, who provided great inspiration. We discussed hard about the concept that each of us wanted to propose and we mutually learned how to find a meeting point that would make everything work synchronously. We came up with ideas for the concept, how to focus the view of the locations, the choreography and even how to distribute the people who participated in this.

We created something that, in addition to being professional, allowed me to enjoy the process and have fun. I even included that idea: in the video I chase a girl but in the end all I get is that the girls will turn into a camel.

4. [RSK] Another thing I really appreciate is that you try to join other cultures with so much respect. You know, you made this song even in Chinese, Korean and English. So let's talk about this initiative, you know, it's a different way of approaching and conquering new cultures.

Yes, for me as an artist, the idea of combining culture with culture is fundamental. And also, I am Chinese, this is my root.

“I learned many skills and abilities from the Koreans, and it is gratifying to be aware that we all now learn from each other, you know, the language, the customs, we try to take the best of each other, the US culture is one that I have also included in this learning. Right now it is a global market and the world demands balance, respect and tolerance from all of us.

We cannot focus on a single perspective or a single culture. I want the culture to be continuous, which then radiates a message where there is a transversalization that invites new generations to feel like our culture and vice versa.”

With this initiative I want to make people happy. I want young people to learn to value, love and respect every cultural legacy in the world.

5. [RSK] This process has been extremely successful also because you have a global support network through your fans. How have they received this evolution of Lay?

I think my fans are really amazing and they always support me, which makes them valuable to me because it's hard, you know, people just love you, they don't need any reason, they don't need compensation. I only want to love you because that desire to support you is born in their heart.

So receiving so much love and support, I just want to be perfect for them and try not to give up, try to do something good to never let the fans down,

That's what I can do from my job to make them feel how valuable they are to me, sometimes I can't explain what I feel, but really thanks to my fans, for being there no matter what.

6. [RSK] About what we see in your future and the work we are appreciating right now , what can we mention that your audience can wait for?

Well, this year I worked with David Stewart, who has worked with artists such as Shakira, he is really good, very talented and very creative. Well, he wrote a really good song for me that I hope everyone can enjoy, you know, it happened!

He also worked with A.G. Cook, who stood out as Beyoncé's engineer. Having him be my recording engineer made me feel very happy and honored, a high level of work.

Yes, I think this album is very close to pop music culture. So I hope everyone can listen and enjoy it.

7. [RSK] Since positioning yourself as one of the most prominent representatives in the world in the Kpop industry, you have become the reference for new generations in this genre, what do you think is the legacy you are leaving to the new generation of K-pop and global artists?

I think I'm always curious about why I'm here, why I live in the world. So when you receive a lot of support and love, you want to share that support and love with other people.

That's why I built my company CROMOSOME ENTERTAINMENT, which can help people who have a big dream in this career, with this industry. Because, you know, I met and know many young people who have a great dream aligned in this direction.

I want to be a good singer, a good dancer. And I want to be a good actor. So how can these guys do it? So if I have any power, I want to focus on supporting them.

“Because I received a lot of support and love from here, from Korea, so I think I have to use this power to share it with other people to help them succeed. That is incredible. It is important to know what you have, what you know and what you are leaving in the world.”

8. [RSK] The culture of your native country, China, is a culture that is recognized in the world by tradition and the legacy of civilizations. Art is something directly associated with your talents, you are intelligent and you open the doors of all these wonders with kindness to the world's people . What do you think is the message that, as one of China's representatives faces, you are sharing through your talent and work?

I guess I don't know if I'm up to the task of representing my country, but I'm Chinese and I do my best. That's the truth, I am or I try to be real. If you have the opportunity to get to know the culture, the good things about our people, you will not regret it.

We have a long history in this world, a life path that I want to share with people, our good stories, good and diverse food, beautiful places to visit, good music, all the good things that remain in your memories.

“I want to make an invitation to the whole world, I hope you can come to our country to visit, see, eat, and travel. If given that opportunity, maybe we will make people understand China better and understand our essence.”

I really want to share my art with the world, I want to meet my fans, so this year I will bring my tour and my new album to make us closer through this, so give me some time guys, this year I will make it happen.

[7grandmel]

Todays rip: 19/02/2024

Plantasia 2

Season 5 Featured on: SiIvaGunner's Highest Quality Rips: Volume D

Ripped by MaxTrax

Requested by The Eight O’Clock Comet and an anonymous reader!

Remember those times where I've mused on just how interesting it is to fall into rabbitholes from running this blog? Y'know, with waterwraith pokos - a rip I once thought nothing of that refuses to leave my head since I learned more about its joke origin and spread. There's a good number more rabbitholes just like it, yet few have truly caught my attention quite the way Plantasia 2 did. And, beyond it too being a rip of Pikmin 2, the strangest part of it all is - it hardly feels as if the rip itself even *wanted* to be uncovered.

I'm half certain that I myself missed out on the rip's core premise from tabbing out after listening for a bit, because it presents itself as so innocuously. A track as immediately distinct and identifiable in sound as Results of the Day, melody swapped to some classic SiIva jokes: Among Us Drip, Grand Dad, Nutshack - Oh what silly whimsy, what hijinx! An everyday, standard, good-quality rip to send to your Pikmin-interested friends as an icebreaker, without much else to it - and that's the way it stays for almost two whole minutes of its runtime. Click, laugh at the bait-and-switch joke, move on - the typical rip listening experience for many viewers (or at least myself) truly doesn't do Plantasia 2 justice.

Because, as you yourself may have noticed - at the minute-fifty timestamp, the rip hard-pivots in direction, to the point of even getting original visuals, all in loving tribute to the 1976 album Mother Earth's Plantasia by Mort Garson. If you're unfamiliar, I don't blame you, but just a quick glance at both him and his album's Wikipedia pages will tell you just how much of a legacy they both have. With the intent of making music specifically for plants to listen to, to the point of only distributing the album alongside purchases of houseplants from the titular Mother Earth store, Mother Earth's Plantasia was one of the first albums to have ever been composed entirely on a Moog synthesizer - purely for the listening pleasure of plant-life. In other words: It's pretty important to the history of synthesized music in general! Beyond that historical angle, it of course helps that the title track Plantasia, the one that Plantasia 2 is an arrangement of in particular, is absolutely soul-cleansingly beautiful, with an opening prelude that immediately brought to mind everything from Final Fantasy to Minecraft, yet building to a triumphant crescendo that reminded me of We're Finally Landing of SummoningSalt-video fame. The influences taken from Mother Earth's Plantasia can be felt everywhere, yet the root of it all feels all too forgotten about.

To say that Pikmin is the perfect franchise to use for this kind of tribute would be an understatement - the synth-driven Results of the Day theme has persisted with the series since its very beginning, conveying the beauty of space within a game otherwise so focused on exploring beautiful gardens. It's as if its conveying a sort of juxtaposition between the two sides to Pikmin's world, ytet the feeling that both it and the original Mother Earth's Plantasia convey is also one of connection between the two. The plants looking to the stars, to other unknown life beyond planet earth, longingly dreaming about the universe...the Pikmin are just little plant guys, and yet a theme like Results of the Day sparks so many emotions. I can't help but feel yet more emotional thinking about the humble, pure-hearted upbringings of both Pikmin and Mother Earth's Plantasia - both Shigeru Miyamoto and Mort Garson sought to create something out of a love for nature itself moreso than fame and fortune, and in doing so helped move their respective mediums forward in thoroughly underappreciated ways.

MaxTrax's list of contributions to the SiIvaGunner channel is comparatively small, with him seemingly ebbing in and out of activity practically every other year. Yet that gives me the impression that he genuinely puts his whole heart into each contribution he makes, to share these small, niche little nuggets of his interests to the broader SiIvaGunner audience; much the same impression I got from the ripper Uncle Fill in Violet Snow Memories. For MaxTrax, Plantasia doesn't appear to just be some neat song to tinker around with for another rip - Plantasia 2 exudes that feel of being a genuine passion project, akin to rips like Jesus of the Underground. Yet, much like Mother Earth's Plantasia or Pikmin itself, it also seems perfectly content in not being a big, explosive, all-eyeballs-on-me event of a release: the ones who are going to notice the true intentions of Plantasia 2 are the Pikmin fans who were going to listen to it the whole way through anyway.

It's all still just so bizarre to me - the rip does a *double* bait-and-switch in a way I haven't really seen much of since it was first done way back in Be Cool, Be Wild, and Be My Girl, yet...doesn't do it at the expense of, or as a joke played on, the audience. It is purely a surprise treat to those SiIvaGunner fans who truly pay attention, who approach the channel with care and dignity, engaging with other fans in dialogue - again, I'm almost certain that I missed the point of it when it was first uploaded and only found out about its true intentions through more than one person requesting it for the blog! The sense of community that SiIvaGunner is able to create through finding your own special little rips, sharing them with others, being invited to uncover these fascinating little pieces of knowledge purely from a rippers' interests...it really is special, and Plantasia 2 truly does embody it in such a fascinating, befitting way. Because really: what could possibly be more representative of love, compassion, empathy and care for others, than to tend to one's garden with such a human form of expression as music?

[thebowerypresents]

Phosphorescent Say(s) Goodbye to Summer

Phosphorescent – Webster Hall – September 20, 2024

Numerous cities have great live-music scenes, some of which, with self-branded monikers like “Music City,” “Live Music Capital of the World” or “Chicago,” claim to be No. 1. But nowhere in this country — and I’d wager the world — is a better place for live music than New York City. There’s always something terrific going on that you can’t get to because of something else terrific that you can. So, it’s understandable if you weren’t in the East Village on the last Friday of summer, but on that night, the very best live music in the very best city for it was Phosphorescent at Webster Hall.

Touring behind the eighth Phosphorescent studio offering, this year’s Revelator — the first in six years and just the second since 2013’s universally acclaimed Muchacho, one of that decade’s defining albums — former Brooklynite Matthew Houck opened the show with a solo acoustic Phosphorescent set, beneath 12 muted blue lights and with smoke billowing behind him, like a campfire conjuring paying tribute to the last vestiges of summer.

With a guitar and a simple “Let’s just get into it,” he played nine songs from across his catalog, beginning with C’est La Vie’s “C’est La Vie No. 2” and closing with Aw Come Aw Wry’s rarely played “Endless, Pt. 1” and “Endless, Pt. 2” — happily chatting along the way. After mentioning that the upcoming Paul Schrader movie he’d scored comes out next year, the acclaimed screenwriter and director, a noted fan of the band, shouted down from the balcony that it arrives “on December 6th.” And before playing Pride’s “My Dove, My Lamb,” Houck offered, “Just a few more and then Phosphorescent are coming out, and they’re really good.”

The full-band set launched with the new LP’s title track, its opening lines — “I got tired of sadness / I got tired of all the madness / I got tired of being a badass all the time” — earning an enthusiastic crowd response. It was Phosphorescent backed by Phosphorescent: Dominic Billett (drums), Jack Lawrence (bass), Jo Schornikow (keys), Ricky Ray Jackson (guitar/pedal steel) and Scott Stapleton (keys), with a fiddler and saxophonist liberally subbing in and out. (“We got some extra folks tonight because it’s New York City.”)

C’est La Vie earworm “New Birth in New England” was a highlight, the band several times feverishly working the song toward a crescendo just to back off and return to the chorus, taking a turn toward what seemed like would be a metal finish only to — again — retreat to the chorus and then fully jamming away the tune’s conclusion. Stapleton, who’d unleashed his headbanging-worthy mane from beneath a white cowboy hat, let his hair fly in tandem with the music's increasing intensity, like some sort of a follicular metronome (#fakejambands).

They closed the set with a cover of “Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain,” made famous by Willie Nelson, and a pair of Muchacho standouts, the driving “The Quotidian Beasts” and the ethereal “Song for Zula,” Houck, his voice a raw nerve, stalking the stage and pointing out enthusiastic concertgoers.

The increasingly boisterous audience cheered for more and Phosphorescent returned for the cosmic-country “Ride On/Right On” (Muchacho), “Los Angeles” (Here’s to Taking It Easy) — shouted out from the crowd and emphatically punctuated with “I came to Los Angeles to goddamn die” — and then finishing with “Down to Go” (Muchacho), the line “The kids of summer, don’t we glow” particularly resonating with autumn swiftly approaching. —R. Zizmor | @hand_dog

Photos courtesy of Toby Tenenbaum | @tobytenenbaum