#to release ep 11 faster

[steeltwigz]

(short marshplebow fic set just a bit after ep 11)

Bow was wandering through the mansion. It was quiet, and the feeling left behind was eerie. Not that Bow usually minded, but she had just gotten used to the new rhythm of mansion living with Marshmallow and Apple that it felt unusual and a bit discomforting. A shiver worked up her spine, making her tail snap in the air wildly, and she grumbled, darting through the house faster. There was a dull thunking echoing in through the thin mansion walls- Apple outside chopping firewood for the encroaching fall and winter months- and Bow couldn’t go outside far enough to be with her, but maybe if she found Marshmallow she could shake the awful dead loneliness making her head spin. Dough didn’t count, the air was so still all Bow really wanted was the comfort of someone breathing beside her. She phased in and out of walls, passing all of Marshmallow’s typical haunts: TV Room- nope- Bedroom- no- Kitchen- nuh-uh- Library- no!- Attic? It was too cold up there for Marsh, but Bow was starting to get desperate. She was about to tug her ribbons out of her head when she flew through a hallway and breezed straight past Marsh. She caught the sight of white in her peripheral and stopped in the air, skidding clear through the wall before backtracking, floating behind Marsh. 

Bow released a sigh, relief and annoyance. What was Marsh doing here? She had pulled up a chair and was staring out the window. It was a big bluish-green armchair (they had all debated about what color it actually was, but Marsh didn’t budge until everyone eventually got bored and they had to find a compromise) that Marsh had typically reserved for reading. Steam rose from behind it, from a cup of something Marsh was drinking. Bow missed her senses. She shook her head and moved on. Marsh didn’t seem to have a book, and Bow couldn’t hear pages turning or paper fluttering from Marsh fidgeting with the corner, so she clearly wasn’t reading. Then what? Bow cleared her throat, but Marsh didn’t look away. Bow sighed, and curiously drifted closer. Another thunk of Apple chopping sounded, and at her new proximity Bow could hear Marsh inhale softly. Now thoroughly confused, she draped herself languidly across the back of the chair. Her tail waved lazily and she glanced up to look out the window. Marsh had a perfect view of Apple chopping wood. The sun shined against her smooth red skin, and she glistened in the light, sweating softly. Bow watched as she wrestled the axe out of a stump easily, tossing aside a piece of wood and replacing it with a smaller log. Apple took a deep inhale, stepped back a bit, and rose the axe high above her head. Marshmallow and Bow watched as her arms flexed and as the axe cut through the air, slicing the log in half easily. Apple huffed a breath as Marsh exhaled softly and Bow smirked. So that’s what she had been doing. She reached down, swirling her finger on, and slightly through, the top of Marshmallow’s head. Marshmallow jumped, shivering at the sudden cold and turned on Bow. She was blushing, embarrassed at having been caught, and Bow fought back against a laugh when Marshmallow fumbled her mug in surprise. She placed it on the window sill, then turned back to her girlfriend. 

“Bow!” Marsh exclaimed in surprise. 

“Hey, Marsh. Whatcha doing?” She replied, resting her head in her hands, elbows propped against, and again slightly phasing through, the couch cushions. “Nice view?” she added. Marsh blushed again, then turned away from Bow. 

“That’s none of your business!” She crossed her arms. 

“She’s waving,” Bow said. Marsh squeaked in surprise, then ducked behind the window curtain. Bow laughed, falling off the back of the chair and out of Marshmallow’s view. She flew back through, head sticking out the front and tail through the back, and wiped her eyes. “Aw, I got you good! You’re so cute and gullible, did you know that?” 

Marsh blushed again, huffing angrily and waving her hand through Bow’s face. Bow stuck her tongue out and flew backwards out of the chair, popping up to rest her head on the armrest and Marshmallow got comfortable again. 

“Sooo… you’ve just been watching her the whole time?” Bow asked, rolling her eyes innocently. 

Marsh huffed, shoving Bow though her hand went straight through. “Leave me alone!” She said. Bow laughed again, then waved her arms. 

“I’m not makin’ fun, I swear!” She said. Marshmallow side-eyed her suspiciously, then turned back to the window. Bow turned back too and they both watched as Apple sliced a log in half then threw it into a small pile she had been making. She wiped sweat off her forehead, and exhaled roughly. Something in Bow twitched, her tail kicking up behind her. Huh. She had never noticed how… mature Apple looked. When she spoke, Bow mostly still tuned it out as nonsense, but now, watching as she worked, she looked… well, she looked like her age, in a way Bow had never noticed. Determined and focused… Bow’s mouth opened slightly and she licked her lip. That shade of red really was- Marshmallow sighed softly and Bow blinked, broken out of her spiraling thoughts. She swallowed, and nestled in to the armrest’s cushion further, focused now entirely on the way Apple’s biceps twitched as she lifted the axe again, brows tight and focused, puffing her cheeks out with effort as she swung the tool down. It landed with a hard thunk that had Bow flinch slightly. Marsh was so right… she thought distantly. Apple wrenched it back out of the log, turning it over and leaning heavily on the handle. She wiped her brow again and Bow and Marshmallow swooned in unison. 

Bow decided that maybe having Apple around wasn’t as bad as she thought. 

[adachimoe]

PSC Eps 25-26 "Ah-ha, I SEES it!"

Last time: Ep 1 + Explanation, Eps 2 + 4, Ep 5, Eps 6 + 7 (no Q&A), Eps 8 + 9, Eps 10 + 11 (plus PSC Cafe), Eps 12/13/18/19, Eps 20/23/24

Episode 25:

Q: I think that all the awesome music plays a big part in Persona's appeal. I have a lot of favorites, but pieces like "Mass Destruction", "Deep Breath Deep Breath", and many others are masterpieces that defy the long held beliefs about what video game music is. And with so many bangers, there must be discarded songs that were made but never used. Can the Stalker Club skill those pieces with Endure Dark before they get buried in the Mudo of history?! A: If you made it, then you can find a suitable place for it to play, so there are no pieces that got discarded even though they had been completed. If anything, there are some sad incidents where, due to a change of direction, a BGM no longer fits something, but in such cases, rather than discarding it, it gets recycled to play somewhere appropriate. That said, it is thought that behind one completed song is multiple rough drafts that exist in the form of tunes being hummed. However, the existence of these drafts could not be verified because the composer already Mudo'd them himself.

(I added in the Mudo part cause I figured people would recognize that as a skill name faster than Endure Dark)

Q: In Persona 4, Chie's Persona Tomoe is wearing a helmet. Is the helmet-shape actually her head, or is she just wearing a helmet? A: When it comes to a Persona's appearance, there is no clear distinction made between their body and their accessories. But, if one must dare to say which is which, that's a helmet. Since Personas are beings that have transformed from Shadows, they are often designed with a "mask" of sorts similar to the enemy Shadows. And in Tomoe's case, hers is her helmet.

Episode 26:

An Akihiko-focused question session because his voice actor, Hikaru Midorikawa, was the guest.

Q: Sanada's Persona Caesar was such a womanizer that he was called "Rome's Lover" and he held a title like "Debt King" which gives him the opposite image of Sanada. How did he go from Polydeuces to Caesar? A: Because his Arcana is the Emperor. That Caesar was able to fearlessly carry out innovative reforms corresponds with Akihiko's strength. Furthermore, the history with how Caesar lost his standing then made a comeback and became synonymous with the title "Emperor" is similar to Sanada's story and so forth.

(This answer says "became Emperor" (皇帝となった). I added in "synonymous with" so this would sound historically accurate. In the old P3 artbook, they also say that Caesar was "known for being the Emperor of the Roman Empire". In P3 Reload, the Persona profile says his name became a name for Roman Emperors, so they corrected it for Reload.)

Q: There are many flavors of protein such as strawberry, chocolate, etc. What is Sanada's favorite? Or will any do? A: Sanada takes protein because that's logical to him as both a boxer and as someone who wants to get stronger. Taste barely even registers to him as a deciding factor. I'm certain that if an ingredient was the best for one's strength, he would say, "I'll try it" and put it in his mouth even if it's bitter or spicy. Q: Why does Sanada never wear his uniform jacket during the game? He doesn't even wear it in winter. A: Normally, he'd wear it at school and other places, so it's not as though he has a hang-up that causes him to stubbornly refuse to wear it. However, a blazer would restrict his movement when boxing or fighting, so it's more like he's never seen wearing it when interacting with the protagonist. He might seem really extreme at first, living his life like he's ready to fight 24/7, but he has been attacked by a Full Moon Shadow at the dorm where he lives. When you think about that, it doesn't seem so extreme.

Episode 26 was the last episode of Persona Stalker Club. After, they had a special stream where they announced the release date of Persona 5, then the show changed into Persona Stalker Club V for Persona 5 coverage. I might have misread this, but afaik, the Q&A section didn't return until the very last episode of V (episode 10). Anyway, next post = V episode 10 and then done done.

[alchemist-shizun]

MYATB ep 11 commentary

LETS GOOOOOO, live reaction because i was at work for 6 hours right when the episode released!! enjoy me going insane

Xiaobao my son he's all grown up and trying to go about this the smart way, trying to convince Su Yin with logical reasons, he's amazing. Though Su Yin not wanting to listen to him breaks my heart, I MEAN THE WAY HE LOOKED AT HIM I THOUGHT HE WOULD COMPLY :(

i dont know what it is about them telling the horses to go but it's so fucking funny each time I hear it.

WhATS THIS RANDOM MURDER AOOO these strangers are bloodthirsty

the flying was incredibly off but it's fine we love this terrible green screen it makes it better <3

shaoyu appearing there menacingly, thank you

wdym he must get the crimson dahlia before he dies, DO U WANT TO KILL HIM AFTER AR EU NOT EVEN GONNA MAKE THE EFFORT well you know what su yin, well played, slay, I'd also be that lazy

"do you believe everything people say?" THANK YOU SIMING MY ONLY MAN EVER.

oh my god que siming stayed too much with jinbao now he's starting to lose braincells again

OOO SU YIN GAVE HIM THE COLD SHOULDER??

HUAIEN!!!!!

HUAIEN WHAT THE FUCK. NOW YOURE BOTH POISONED.

"Can you save him?" "of course I can" QUE SIMING THE ONLY MAN EVER, ONCE MORE.

It's killing me how Huai'en is incredibly elated that Xiaobao is worried about him and is not in the slightest caring about the fact that he's poisoned

omfg don't tell me the side couple gets together behind the scenes fr I will SCREAM.

Why can't gay people be normal it's always "I love u so much I want to lock you up and never make you leave me ever" or "let me marry your bestie/servant or I will literally destroy you" wtf

"I think you need medical attention" no way que siming just told him he needs to be hospitalized /j su yin please just rest who cares about killing anyone

HAHHAHAHA ZHAOCAI AND XIAOBAO BEING SO SHOOK ABOUT JINBAO'S CONFESSION I love them. dumbasses.

your honor i love him ( #me)

zhaocai is just completely thunderstruck about jinbao's coming out

zhaocai is the token straight in this entire cast, he is revolted and disgusted by gay people and will become homophobic at the first next sight of que siming and I would understand

NOT THE TRANSITION FROM CUTE SCENE TO AGONY.

please stop this madness stop his pain I am going to CRY STOPPPPP

THEY ARE SO BEAUTIFUL THOUGH. I LOVE ANGSTY SCENES LIKE THIS MAN

theyre both gorgeous and make me feel sad

"If he comes back, what will you do with him" I'm going to kiss him AND U CANT DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT BOY

SU YIN JUST SAY YOU HAVE INTERNALIZED HOMOPHOBIA AND GO please

when you ask su yin any relationship advice:

i hope that was not su yin nearly crying because I cannot do this

THE SHADOWS ARE BACK

why do those look nearly like su yins robes, huai'en do u have smth to tell us..

xiaoyu singlehandedly saves the plot

I love xiaoyu because when the guy drops all the lore shes like UNFORTUNATELY I COULDNT CARE LESS

UNFORTUNATELY, HUAI'EN COULDNT CARE LESS EITHER GET THEMMM

me, seeing a strange move: what was that :0 also me seeing a weird fx: ... and what was that-

omfg not shaoyu. shaoyu is gonna get himself fuckin killed

OMFG ENOUGH TWISTS WHAT THE FUCK IS HAPPENING

what an icon li gongxiang

OH SU YIN AND QUE SIMING ARE HERE??

su yin oh my god. oh my god stop playing the jealous bf please I'm begging u he has two hands

WHY THE FUCK WOULD SHE MARRY XIAOBAO ARE U INSANE. -100 AURA POINTS FOR YOU. WHAT EWWW

SROP STOP STOP MY BOY IS CRYING ON THE GROUND IN FRONT OF EVERYONE LET ME GO CUDDLE HIM PLEASE. PLEASE. WHY MUST U BE THIS CRUEEEEELLLL

"the more I want you the faster I lose you" RIP HUAI'EN YOU WOULDVE DONE NUMBERS ON TUMBLR.

well. that was it. wow what an episode. i thought we weren't going to suffer like tormented ants tonight and here I stand corrected.. i really thought su yin would cave to xiaobao's feelings and turn over a new leaf with huai'en but I guess I was wrong :( I WANT THOSE THREE TO BE HAPPY U DONT GET IT. THEIR DYNAMIC WOULD BE SO TASTY, as I'm sure others have realized

the little twist was nice, i was very sure that Li guy was cooked and instead no. Siming was still a chaos queen, zhaocai a mood, jinbao our beloved idiot and xiaobao victim of many torturous aches, I hope the shadows are okay and me? i just want to throw myself in the river if I cannot enter the screen and hug huai'en immediately. Thank you, see u tomorrow for another one pf these.

[defjux]

here's a list of some upcoming albums/EPs that i'm looking forward to from now until december, with release dates included. figured i'd drop this here since i know how easy it is to have albums from artists i like go completely under the radar, maybe it'll be informative for someone out there. nakama and skipp coon both have albums dropping soon as well, which don't have release dates but i still have extremely high hopes for. also feel free to let me know what albums you're looking forward to! peace.

Oliver the 2nd & Heather Grey - Desert Camo (9/20) The Alchemist - The Genuine Articulate (9/20) The Gaslamp Killer & Jason Wool - ANANDA (9/20) Tanukichan - Circles (9/20) Blu & Exile - Love (the) Ominous World (9/20) Nubya Garcia - ODYSSEY (9/20) Rapswell & Moe Sample - Calypso (9/26) Dead Players - Faster Than the Speed of Death (9/26) Tropical Fuck Storm - Tropical Fuck Storm's Inflatable Graveyard (9/27) Show Me the Body - CORPUS II (9/27) Chino XL - Darkness & Other Colors (9/27) Heriot - Devoured by the Mouth of Hell (9/27)

Godspeed You! Black Emperor - "No Title as of 13 February 2024 28,340 Dead" (10/4) Deca & Dealz - Bough (10/4) Blood Incantation - Absolute Elsewhere (10/4) Rob Cave - God Dose (10/10) Chat Pile - Cool World (10/11) ELUCID - REVELATOR (10/11) Oranssi Pazuzu - Muuntautuja (10/11) envy - Eunoia (10/11) The Chameleons - Tomorrow Remember Yesterday (10/11) Paul White - Peace in Chaos (10/11) Immanuel Wilkins - Blues Blood (10/11) Burrrn - Without You (10/16) Hemlock Ernst & Icky Reels - Studying Absence (10/16) Machine Girl - MG Ultra (10/18) The Armed - Everlasting Gaze (10/18) Kurious - Majician (10/18) Sadistik - At Night the Silence Eats Me (10/25) Fievel Is Glauque - Rong Weicknes (10/25) Pixies - The Night the Zombies Came (10/25) Gaerea - Coma (10/25) Laura Marling - Patterns in Repeat (10/25) Better Lovers - Highly Irresponsible (10/25) Shigeto - Cherry Blossom Baby (10/25) trauma ray - Chameleon (10/25) Leaving Time - Angel In The Sand (11/1) BLUEPRINT - Chamber Music 2 (11/5) Damu the Fudgemunk - Peace of Action (11/22) Kim Deal - Nobody Loves You More (11/22) Crippled Black Phoenix - The Wolf Changes Its Fur But Not Its Nature (11/29)

[soapdispensersalesman]

▶ fake094 

We welcome you to this next FNL entry, one that places you into the world of tiny hexapods, arachnids, and arthopods. bug album (not "the bug album", jsyk) is produced and presented by normalguytom; FNL frequenters may know them better as the artist fka waavypanda! Hey, speaking of which, if you recall "i cried when i saw the ruins [complete edition]", her previous release here, fun factoid: this one was originally released at the same time as that album's original version, back when it was bug ep! Now it has made a metamorphosis into a fantastic full album, full of buggy fun! 

Here's what's in store: each of the 11 tracks of this album is dedicated to a particular kind of bug, from flying types to crawlers. The artist puts a fresh spin onto their eclectic, midi-heavy music style, adding a utopian virtual flair. Here, it's as if these tunes are soundtracks to documentary films about each respective tiny titan-- though compared to usual nature-doc fare, these jams are a bit louder, faster-paced, and more eventful. The percussion and arpeggios skitter around like a bug crawling away or flapping its wings at warp speed. 

More specifically, each track features traits in its instrumentation and arrangement that recall those of their protagonists. Lighting the way for the album, "firefly" features radiant pulses and sparkles, much like the insect's namesake. The many-legged yet leisurely-paced millipede is associated with nuanced atonal melodies and careful yet chipper drum-pad sequences later on. "ant" sees the societal carpenters heralded with musical flares that stress their strength, especially in numbers. And as for the other tracks... Well, why spoil the fun in finding out for yourself? normalguytom's bug album truly expresses the often-missed gravitas and importance of the tiny animals' instinctual idiosyncracies and adventures. We hope you enjoy this un-BEE-lievable album! ["i saw that last remark coming a mile away." -milo tonin] 

Downloads contain 4 pieces of bonus art!  

[zaptap]

just found out that the group that's been subbing old pokemon episodes (sea of serenity subs) released a sub of the gen 4 ranger special on nyaa on july 11

they hadn't posted anything on there since last august (almost a year) so it's good to hear they're still around

no eta on johto (safe to say they missed the previous estimate of "around christmas," so giving a timeframe maybe isn't a good idea) but it's in the proofing process (they also mention they improved their workflow so it could go faster)

they also now have translations up through diamond and pearl, so once it's all done we could finally have good subs for all of the pokemon anime!

(reiterating the current situation: there's barely anything subbed for johto, iirc less than half of hoenn is subbed? and sinnoh technically seems to have subs that exist for practically all episodes but i hear they're pretty bad up until PocketMonsters took over towards the end. they kept going until Some-Stuffs took over in gen 7, and they're still subbing it)

previously SOSSubs subbed ALL of gen 1 (which only had like 50 or 60 eps subbed by PM before that) so they've already done so much. it'll probably take a while for them to finish the whole job (apparently it's 4 people who are already pretty busy) but it'll be worth the wait

oh yeah also they're trying to decide whether to release in a big batch, 5-10 ep batches, or individual episodes as they finish, so we may not have to wait until they're "done" before they release more episodes

[reconprate]

Ronnie Simmons and The Redback Spiders

Ronnie Simmons and The Redback Spiders “Little Misunderstood” Bite!  Part One (EP 11-22-2024) This is the second single from the debut EP by the Sydney-based band fronted by Simmons (Rose Tattoo, Richie Ramone, Faster Pussycat).  This song features Richie Ramone (The Ramones) on drums and Johnny Martin (LA Guns) on bass.  The plan is to release Part Two next year, followed by both parts being…

[agentcable]

Chicago Fire Season 5 Ep. 11 "Who Lives and Who Dies"

Dawson struggles to control her emotions during a run with a pregnant teen. Casey makes a quick decision at a fire scene. Severide and Anna bond during her recovery.

If you want to watch the series for yourself, stop reading! This post contains spoilers to the storyline.

Gabby is waking up at 3 a.m. Matt is converting the bedroom back to a guest room. Gabby and Matt are sad Louie is gone.

Kelly Severide returns to work after donating bone marrow to Anna. Matt arrives at Firehouse 51 and is angry when he finds a rat in the kitchen. Matt orders a clean-up.

Gabby and Sylvie are called to a park where there is a class trip. Gabby finds Darla on the floor, pregnant and in labor. The girl is shocked. They can't take her because the baby is coming. The baby is breech. Gabby helps Brett turn the baby, but the baby's head gets stuck. Gabby guts the cord as Brett helps the baby breathe. It's a healthy girl.

Herrmann, Mouch, and Otis are cleaning the kitchen when Matt demands they work faster, pulling out the fridges and stove too. Matt opens the locker and tells them to clean it. He orders them to do as they are asked. Herrmann chases after Matt, asking fi he needs to talk. Matt hands him money and says to buy every rat trap in the store. Matt walks away, telling him to get it done. He doesn't want to share what he's feeling.

Darla's father arrives at Chicago Med and is angry she just had a baby. Gabby calms the father down and he says his daughter shouldn't raise a baby. Brett tells Gabby to stay out of it, but the father says if Darla wants to keep the baby, she can live with her aunt. He says she has humiliated him enough. Gabby comforts her.

Severide visits Anna at the hospital and learns she should be released by the end of the week. He wants to know what happens next as they joke about her slow walk.

Back at Firehouse 51, Herrmann gets his thumb stuck in a trap. Gabby returns from the tough call. Matt yells at Herrmann about the rat traps. Gabby leaves to get supplies. Things are tense between them.

Severide finds Stella by the trucks working on opening doors. She says that as long as she looks busy, Matt won't force her to clean urinals. He says Anna thanked her for being there for him through the bone marrow procedure. They are called to a fire.

The firefighters enter the building, thinking there are people inside. Matt is pulling a man out of the rubble and he punches him. Chief Boden orders everyone to leave. Matt tries to leave, but the man pulls a gun on him. Matt sees a mother and daughter trapped in the fire and tells the man he'll come back. He leaves as the ceiling is engulfed in flames. After saving the mother and daughter, Severide and Matt go back to save the man, but the building explodes. Stella gives Matt and Severide water outside the building. Matt is upset they couldn't save the man. Severide and Stella tell him they saved a girl and did eveything they could. Boden tells Matt to tell him if a man pulls a gun on him. Matt tells them to get a body bag, and they go back to the building.

They find the man is gone. Matt throws things around, insisting he's in the right place. Boden orders Matt to take Truck 81 back to the firehouse. Severide says the squad will stay to look for him. Boden and Herrmann exchange looks. Severide meets Matt and says they didn't find the man or his body, but they'll use search dogs to look for him. Matt says he wasn't hallucinating and gives the go-ahead for the search. Herrmann asks Matt if he wants to talk about losing Louie over breakfast. Matt says no.

Stella visits Anna at Chicago Med. Anna asks if Stella is with Severide. She says she isn't. Anna thanks her for helping Severide. Stella leaves.

Matt and Gabi are talking about the man who disappeared in the fire. Matt says he feels like he's losing his mind. Matt leaves the dinner table, and Gabi says she's going out. Matt returns to Louie's room and finds Gabi's engagement ring in a box.

Gabi visits Darla at the hospital. Her aunt says Darla's father, Charles, raised her by himself and did more for her than anyone. She tells Gabi to stop judging and see things from his point of view. Gabi apologizes but can't see Darla.

Boden says there was a small hatch to the alleyway, and that's how the victim escaped. The man's identity was unknown. Matt can't let it go. Boden says there's no rational thought involved. The man is alive, and Matt should live with that. He tells Herrmann to tell truck 81 they're going for a ride.

Matt goes to the building manager to ask about the man living in the basement. He says no one was living there. Matt says he saw someone and wants to find out who it was because he feels guilty for saving the girl instead of him. The man doesn't answer, and Matt leaves.

Gabi visits Charles Thompson, Darla's father, while Brett is in the ambulance. He lets her in and she apologizes. He feels ashamed and doesn't know what he did wrong with Darla. He says he doesn't know what to do. Gabi says she loved her child and encourages him to do the same for his daughter and granddaughter. He cries.

Severide comes to see Anna. He doesn't want her to go back to Springfield. He says there's something between them and they should figure it out. She says she isn't just a sick hospital girl. She's an adventurous girl. He wants her to stay. She tells him when she'll be released, and he promises to be there. They kiss and leave on a call.

They find a locked building. Severide tries to open the door, and Cruz breaks in through a window. He sees the victim bleeding on the ground. Severide uses the bar to open the door. They find a pulse and transport the victim. Severide smiles and tells Stella her ways saved the day. He asks Stella if he thanked her for being there for him. She says he was.

Cruz teases Herrmann, Otis, and Mouch for still being on spit-shine duty. Herrmann leaves to find Matt. Matt dismisses him, and Herrmann says he'll listen. Matt and Gabi wait for Herrmann to speak.

He says they try to control bad things, but it's okay to live with pain for a while. Losing Louie was hard, and they can admit that. Matt asks Herrmann to put the supplies away and order barbecue. Gabi grabs Matt's hand as they look on.

Gabi and Matt arrive at the Thompson house, where Darla greets them. They bring a box of things for her baby. Matt says whoever had them before loved them, and her baby will too. Darla says they named her Gabby. Gabi asks to hold her. Darla's father invites them in.

Severide picks up Anna from the hospital and learns she was discharged early. She left a picture of her rock climbing with a note saying, "Someday…"

[ahamad16]

What year did vinyl records stop

Vinyl records have undoubtedly made a remarkable resurgence in recent years, charming music enthusiasts with their warm tones and nostalgic appeal. However, as technology continues to advance, many wonder when vinyl records ceased production and what the future holds for this iconic format. In this blog article, we'll take a journey through the 14 types of vinyl records and explore the significant turning point that marked the end of an era.

1. 33⅓ RPM LP (Long Play) Records:

LP records, playing at 33⅓ revolutions per minute, were the backbone of vinyl collections. They offered extended playtime and became the standard format for full-length albums.

2. 45 RPM Records:

Operating at a faster speed of 45 RPM, these records were commonly used for single releases, featuring one song on each side.

3. 78 RPM Records:

A relic of the past, 78 RPM records were prevalent in the early 20th century and played a crucial role in preserving music history.

4. 12-inch Singles:

With better sound quality and longer playtime, 12-inch singles were ideal for dance tracks, remixes, and special editions.

5. 10-inch Records:

Falling between 7-inch singles and 12-inch LPs in size, 10-inch records were used for early EP releases and special projects.

6. Picture Discs:

Picture discs featured visually stunning designs embedded into the vinyl, making them visually captivating collectibles.

7. Colored Vinyl Records:

Breaking away from traditional black vinyl, colored vinyl records were released in various hues, appealing to collectors and enthusiasts.

8. EP (Extended Play) Records:

EP records allowed artists to showcase more tracks than singles but fewer than full-length albums.

9. Box Sets:

Box sets combined multiple vinyl records, often including complete discographies, unreleased tracks, and bonus content.

10. 180-gram Vinyl Records:

Known for their superior sound quality, 180-gram vinyl records offered enhanced audio fidelity.

11. Split Vinyl Records:

Split vinyl records featured two different artists or bands on each side, offering a diverse listening experience.

12. Promotional Vinyl Records:

Promotional vinyl records were distributed to industry insiders and DJs before official releases.

13. Gatefold Records:

Gatefold records had fold-out covers, providing more space for artwork, lyrics, and additional content.

14. Test Pressings:

Test pressings were preliminary copies of vinyl records produced for quality control before mass production.

Now, the question arises: when did vinyl records stop being produced? The decline of vinyl records began in the late 1980s and early 1990s, as digital formats like CDs gained popularity. During this time, many major record labels shifted their focus to CDs, and vinyl production reduced significantly. However, vinyl never completely disappeared, as some independent labels and niche genres continued to release vinyl records for dedicated enthusiasts.

Conclusion

In conclusion, while vinyl records experienced a decline in the past, their enduring charm and authenticity have led to a resurgence in recent years. As the world of music evolves, it's evident that vinyl records have found their place, captivating new generations and preserving the nostalgia of the past for years to come. So, whether you're a seasoned vinyl collector or just beginning your vinyl journey, there's no better time to embrace the unique magic of vinyl records.

Read more: Revive Your Music Experience with Vinyl Records

[chrisryanspeaks]

DANCE: Sextile - “New York”

Sextile got us moving here at AudioFuzz today with their extra fuzzy single “New York.” The housey, dance track is just what you need to get motivated on this stormy afternoon in New York. The video gives us all the feels and more. What do you think? Read More: Since 2015, Sextile has cemented their place at the intersection of coldwave and post-punk. After slowly rolling out three energetic singles – “Contortion”, “Modern Weekend”, and “Crassy Mel”. Today, the Los Angeles trio has announced the new LP PUSH, out September 15th, and their signing to Sacred Bones. Today, they've shared the song “New York,” which opens with frosty synth tones that give way to a house-y drum machine groove and distorted, elastic bassline. “We’re tough out here but the love goes crazy,” singer Mel Scaduto repeats, paying homage to the warm steeliness of her birthplace. It’s accompanied by a boisterous video, directed by Jim Larson, and which features Mel having a lively time while bouncing between Big Apple landmarks. Sextile’s work has always lingered near the moody outer limits of the dancefloor. But “New York” douses the act’s knack for propulsion in a hyper, neon glow—as energized as the city from which it takes its name. On the track, Sextile offers: "Written as a dedication to my former home and birthplace. Cause New Yorkers are really tough, but their love goes crazy" - Mel Since emerging in 2015, Sextile have been a party-provoking force on the LA underground, capable of kicking up a riot with the raw-edged squall of a synth or the sharp-elbowed jerk of a guitar. Originally formed by Brady Keehn and Melissa Scaduto after the pair relocated from New York to LA, Sextile released their debut album A Thousand Hands in 2015, with its Grand Canyon-sized echoes, haunted screams, and post-punk invocations, before pushing synths further down the front with 2017 effort Albeit Living. Sextile’s taste for electronics matured on the throbbing EBM-meets-industrial pick-me-up of 2018’s 3 EP, cut from an analogue stash that included their trusted Korg MS-10 and LinnDrum, but the band put things on ice shortly after its release. Sextile guitarist, synth player, and original member Eddie Wuebben, who joined Sextile in 2015, tragically passed away in October 2019. Cameron Michel later re-joined on guitar and synths. Separately, they each turned their focus to other projects, with Scaduto on S. Product, Keehn on Panther Modern, and Michel as a visual artist. In 2022, the group reconnected and dropped their first new material in three years via the split single “Modern Weekend / Contortion” and “Crassy Mel”. Now they return refreshed, renewed, and ready to rage with a serotonin-boosting new album, a new group dynamic, faster BPMs, and an even wilder new direction. Recorded in Yucca Valley, Push bounces and bops at the fringes of hardcore dance music, with the hallmarks of drum & bass, gabber and trance illuminating the record like glowsticks at a ‘90s Fantazia rave. Both Scaduto and Keehn have been busying themselves with more dancing and DJ gigs, and this fun flurry of activity has in turn fuelled the band’s sonic refit. “We talked about how one of the criteria for these songs is ‘Would I be able to actually dance to it?’ I don’t think we’ve ever set that criteria before. We wanted to have a record that is just full of dance songs.” “Contortion” introduces the album with shadowy vocals from Keehn and a ‘00s-ready twist of dirty electro bass, setting the tone for the dance-punk rave-up that unfolds across 11 attention-grabbing tracks. Push was inspired by the kind of pleasure-seeking music fans whose social calendar comprises both the punk show and the rave. Josh Wink, Screamadelica, Iggy Pop, Goldie, and early XL Recordings, have all been name-checked as influences on Push, and the dance-floor remains a constant presence. Repping their place of origin, "New York" brings these musical touchstones off the page, guiding the album like an acid-soaked lodestar with its grinning nod to "Higher State of Consciousness" and a whirlygig of music-box synths. More abstractly, perhaps, is how the influence of everyday sound seeps into the music. The electrical hum of traffic lights and that electrical box you pass by on the sidewalk become tones that either drive a rhythm or emotion while searing beeps recall the forklift at Michel’s warehouse. “Modern Weekend”—which also gives a shout-out to Iggy Pop (“the original bad boy”)—samples Michel’s particularly busy street, where the whoosh of cars tearing down the highway sounds like the ocean. “You can hear the buses, the sound of LA; we wanted to give you this taste of LA in a soundscape,” says Keehn. Aside from the clattering metalscapes, there’s plenty of historic teen angst and biting social commentary written into the album’s vivid tapestry of misadventures. Balancing storytelling with face-melting synths that turn the tune into an acid trance character study, “No Fun” is penned from the perspective of a teenager trying to flee their town. “I’m talking about stealing your mum’s car in it, which I did at that age,” says Scaduto. A punk spirit underscores the album. The clue’s in the name with “Crassy Mel,” which partly serves as a high-energy dedication to ‘70s anarcho-punk legends Crass and partly draws inspiration from a “difficult” person known to the band. “What is your problem now?” asks Scaduto. Originally envisioned on guitar before morphing into a genre-mashing electronic knockout, the track’s headbanging heft, vocal yelping, and Prodigy-shaped breakbeats accentuate the album’s overwhelming sense of fun. Plus, the dreamy ambient wash at the end of the song is the ultimate palate-cleanser. “Lost Myself Again” is a whirlwind of drum & bass while “Crash,” which features the vocals of the band’s friend Izzy Glaudini and revolves around the MS-20, similarly locates itself in the ‘90s, bearing a line that could quite possibly sum up the whole album: “Dance away yourself”. Keehn says his lyrics are “mostly about feeling like I’m losing it or just trying to deal with life and the anxieties that come with it.” “Crash” fully invites you to shake it all off. Meanwhile, the pounding kicks of “LA DJ” form the backbone for a citrus-sharp satire on, well, LA DJs. Scaduto poured her experiences of rampant misogyny into the album’s bass-fortified closing track “Imposter,” aimed at an unnamed offender and sung through gritted teeth. For the first time on a Sextile record, Scaduto’s voice assumes a co-starring role with Keehn’s. There are still nods and “hellos” to the caustic post-punk of Sextile’s earlier work. “Plastic,” for example, shares DNA with A Thousand Hands and Albeit Living, but the track is crammed full of breaks; new territory for the band. Sextile haven’t quite relinquished their punk credentials, they’ve just given them a smiley-faced revamp. “The cool thing with electronic music is that most of the time people don’t know what they’re hearing but if it’s an inherently good song, they’ll dance anyway. That’s a really fun and ambitious thing to figure out – how to move the room no matter what,” concludes Scaduto. Read the full article

[audiofuzz]

DANCE: Sextile - “New York”

Sextile got us moving here at AudioFuzz today with their extra fuzzy single “New York.” The housey, dance track is just what you need to get motivated on this stormy afternoon in New York. The video gives us all the feels and more. What do you think? Read More: Since 2015, Sextile has cemented their place at the intersection of coldwave and post-punk. After slowly rolling out three energetic singles – “Contortion”, “Modern Weekend”, and “Crassy Mel”. Today, the Los Angeles trio has announced the new LP PUSH, out September 15th, and their signing to Sacred Bones. Today, they've shared the song “New York,” which opens with frosty synth tones that give way to a house-y drum machine groove and distorted, elastic bassline. “We’re tough out here but the love goes crazy,” singer Mel Scaduto repeats, paying homage to the warm steeliness of her birthplace. It’s accompanied by a boisterous video, directed by Jim Larson, and which features Mel having a lively time while bouncing between Big Apple landmarks. Sextile’s work has always lingered near the moody outer limits of the dancefloor. But “New York” douses the act’s knack for propulsion in a hyper, neon glow—as energized as the city from which it takes its name. On the track, Sextile offers: "Written as a dedication to my former home and birthplace. Cause New Yorkers are really tough, but their love goes crazy" - Mel Since emerging in 2015, Sextile have been a party-provoking force on the LA underground, capable of kicking up a riot with the raw-edged squall of a synth or the sharp-elbowed jerk of a guitar. Originally formed by Brady Keehn and Melissa Scaduto after the pair relocated from New York to LA, Sextile released their debut album A Thousand Hands in 2015, with its Grand Canyon-sized echoes, haunted screams, and post-punk invocations, before pushing synths further down the front with 2017 effort Albeit Living. Sextile’s taste for electronics matured on the throbbing EBM-meets-industrial pick-me-up of 2018’s 3 EP, cut from an analogue stash that included their trusted Korg MS-10 and LinnDrum, but the band put things on ice shortly after its release. Sextile guitarist, synth player, and original member Eddie Wuebben, who joined Sextile in 2015, tragically passed away in October 2019. Cameron Michel later re-joined on guitar and synths. Separately, they each turned their focus to other projects, with Scaduto on S. Product, Keehn on Panther Modern, and Michel as a visual artist. In 2022, the group reconnected and dropped their first new material in three years via the split single “Modern Weekend / Contortion” and “Crassy Mel”. Now they return refreshed, renewed, and ready to rage with a serotonin-boosting new album, a new group dynamic, faster BPMs, and an even wilder new direction. Recorded in Yucca Valley, Push bounces and bops at the fringes of hardcore dance music, with the hallmarks of drum & bass, gabber and trance illuminating the record like glowsticks at a ‘90s Fantazia rave. Both Scaduto and Keehn have been busying themselves with more dancing and DJ gigs, and this fun flurry of activity has in turn fuelled the band’s sonic refit. “We talked about how one of the criteria for these songs is ‘Would I be able to actually dance to it?’ I don’t think we’ve ever set that criteria before. We wanted to have a record that is just full of dance songs.” “Contortion” introduces the album with shadowy vocals from Keehn and a ‘00s-ready twist of dirty electro bass, setting the tone for the dance-punk rave-up that unfolds across 11 attention-grabbing tracks. Push was inspired by the kind of pleasure-seeking music fans whose social calendar comprises both the punk show and the rave. Josh Wink, Screamadelica, Iggy Pop, Goldie, and early XL Recordings, have all been name-checked as influences on Push, and the dance-floor remains a constant presence. Repping their place of origin, "New York" brings these musical touchstones off the page, guiding the album like an acid-soaked lodestar with its grinning nod to "Higher State of Consciousness" and a whirlygig of music-box synths. More abstractly, perhaps, is how the influence of everyday sound seeps into the music. The electrical hum of traffic lights and that electrical box you pass by on the sidewalk become tones that either drive a rhythm or emotion while searing beeps recall the forklift at Michel’s warehouse. “Modern Weekend”—which also gives a shout-out to Iggy Pop (“the original bad boy”)—samples Michel’s particularly busy street, where the whoosh of cars tearing down the highway sounds like the ocean. “You can hear the buses, the sound of LA; we wanted to give you this taste of LA in a soundscape,” says Keehn. Aside from the clattering metalscapes, there’s plenty of historic teen angst and biting social commentary written into the album’s vivid tapestry of misadventures. Balancing storytelling with face-melting synths that turn the tune into an acid trance character study, “No Fun” is penned from the perspective of a teenager trying to flee their town. “I’m talking about stealing your mum’s car in it, which I did at that age,” says Scaduto. A punk spirit underscores the album. The clue’s in the name with “Crassy Mel,” which partly serves as a high-energy dedication to ‘70s anarcho-punk legends Crass and partly draws inspiration from a “difficult” person known to the band. “What is your problem now?” asks Scaduto. Originally envisioned on guitar before morphing into a genre-mashing electronic knockout, the track’s headbanging heft, vocal yelping, and Prodigy-shaped breakbeats accentuate the album’s overwhelming sense of fun. Plus, the dreamy ambient wash at the end of the song is the ultimate palate-cleanser. “Lost Myself Again” is a whirlwind of drum & bass while “Crash,” which features the vocals of the band’s friend Izzy Glaudini and revolves around the MS-20, similarly locates itself in the ‘90s, bearing a line that could quite possibly sum up the whole album: “Dance away yourself”. Keehn says his lyrics are “mostly about feeling like I’m losing it or just trying to deal with life and the anxieties that come with it.” “Crash” fully invites you to shake it all off. Meanwhile, the pounding kicks of “LA DJ” form the backbone for a citrus-sharp satire on, well, LA DJs. Scaduto poured her experiences of rampant misogyny into the album’s bass-fortified closing track “Imposter,” aimed at an unnamed offender and sung through gritted teeth. For the first time on a Sextile record, Scaduto’s voice assumes a co-starring role with Keehn’s. There are still nods and “hellos” to the caustic post-punk of Sextile’s earlier work. “Plastic,” for example, shares DNA with A Thousand Hands and Albeit Living, but the track is crammed full of breaks; new territory for the band. Sextile haven’t quite relinquished their punk credentials, they’ve just given them a smiley-faced revamp. “The cool thing with electronic music is that most of the time people don’t know what they’re hearing but if it’s an inherently good song, they’ll dance anyway. That’s a really fun and ambitious thing to figure out – how to move the room no matter what,” concludes Scaduto. Read the full article

[getousmaid]

[absolutebl]

This Week in BL

April 2021 Part 3

Being a highly subjective assessment of one tiny corner of the interwebs. 

Ongoing Series - Thai

Second Chance Ep 3 - this is proper YA, they are dealing with actual high school issues, picking uni, first crushes, online dating, etc... We even got a senior prom trope which almost never happens in Thai stuff (just the freshman uni competition variant). Standard plot pacing means PaperFah’s kiss was too early, might indicate we’re moving to uni in the second half of the series? Tropes included: let me feed you, hand hold, black & white striped shirt, floppy drunk & first kiss. 

Y-Destiny Ep 3 - the first MaxNat ep. Such fun to see them playing different characters. This one is enemies to lovers, tutor/student, but it’s using the “poor little rich kid loose cannon” archetype. Nat is doing his best, but it’s leaving me cold. Lots of tropes tho: boyfriend’s closet, floppy drunk, pillow clutch, the loom & water bottle. 

Lovely Writer Ep 8 - solid installment, good use of many tropes. I really like the leads and I’m glad there isn’t much side dish action, SibGene gave us: punish, touch your face, boyfriend claiming, kissing, sleep cuddling, symmetry, rooftop, cheek kiss, hand hold, and pillow clutch. 

Call It What You Want Ep 3-4 - couldn’t find the subs, don’t really care, will watch if it crosses my radar, otherwise I’m just not into it.  

Brothers Ep 11 - the “everyone wants Chol” show continues (but WHY?), he and Tri are cute together, and now I kinda just want Prab to end up with the twins. I’m confused by the teachers, but Boston showed up (from UWMA), and my boys KhunKaow got together (YES!), so I’m ultimately delighted with the episode. 

Fish Upon The Sky Ep 2 - the makeover happened, and we go from cute with glasses and braces to cute without them. (I’m reminded of those 90′s Pygmalion teen movies where the girl has glasses + ponytail and then *GASP* does not and *GASP* she’s HOT. This was the BL version.) Meanwhile, writers better be careful with Pi, he’s getting too tsundere to like. Did you see they gave AJ a 2gether music intro & pick up line? Well, it’s actually his brother JJ who plays Ohm in 2g. I cackled. GMMTV - you so cheeky. 

Ongoing Series - Not Thai 

HIStory 4: Close To You (Taiwan) Ep 5 - half way point. My poor confused babies. It was a really sweet episode... if what happened before hadn’t happened in the way that it had. Also, these boys have a GREAT friendship but are probably the worst advice givers ever. 

Most Peaceful Place (Vietnam) Ep 3 fin - so cute! Our boys confessed and got together. There was an adorable mutual kiss (I love me a mutual, like Ingredients). Afterwards, they actually seemed to communicate with each other about both sex and their relationship. OMG. How original for BL! This was the last episode, so the series is short, but I still enjoyed it very much. RECOMMENDED. 

My Lascivious Boss (Vietnam) Ep 1-2 - oh boy this one is rough, we started out with homophobia child abuse and moved on to family drama + drunken dub-con one night stand. But production values and subs are better than normal for Vietnam (You Are My Boy levels) + our queer babies are out & proud + it’s higher heat + I’m weak. So I’m watching. 

Word of Honor (China) Ep 25-27 - honestly not much happened, lots of back story. Things are looking dire for the ghosts unless they can turn the Scorpion (I LOVE HIM, he’s my precious deadly baby). Don’t know how they managed to make loosing a battle with an immortal sword god ex-friend cute... but they did. Did some calculations and at 36 eps, mathematically speaking, ep 30 will be the equivalent of a standard BL ep 11. Should I be scared for next week? 

Nobleman Ryu’s Wedding (Korea) Ep 1-2 - it’s so effing adorbs, soft bois do old fashioned tropes like arranged marriage + evil stepsisters meets the more modern fake relationship + secret identity in a surprisingly comfortable mix. It launched with baby is a floppy drunk, forced proximity, performative I saw you feed him, and some fun gay panic. It’s a lot lighter and faster paced than I was expecting, but this is Korea so I don’t know why I’m surprised. 

Stand Alones 

K-pop band OnlyOneOf dropped a new MV that is basically BL bait, using many of the tropes we know and love. I promise I’m not trying to lure anyone into K-pop I just thought it was interesting how consciously they’re yaoi dipping. 

Spin-off We Best Love Fighting Mr. 2nd, Shou Zhen | the Only Love Letter Once Written (SERIOUSLY WITH THE TITLES TAIWAN?) anyway there’s a something or other 25 minutes featuring Pei Shou Yi and his boy that aired Friday. It’s about 10 minutes of reboot footage with 15 min of new content, mostly set in the past. It entirely rests on Chih Tian Shih’s acting, fortunately for us he’s great. However, it doesn’t substantially change or add to these characters’ arcs from the finale of WBL season 2. I don’t know if there will be more or if this was just an extra footage fan service. 

COLOR RUSH GOT ITS MOVIE!!! Okay this is almost the tipping point for me to get Viki Standard. It’s listed at 1:56 minutes long but the original series had only c.120 running time - that is a lot of new content. Although i was disappointed by To My Star’s movie I loved Wish You’s, so I am hoping Color Rush got Wish You level treatment. That said, I feel Color Rush the series is damn near perfect already, hard to improve on perfection. 

Breaking News

Close Friend the series got an updated trailer featuring MaxNat (no subs) so if you like them in Y-Destiny or in Why R U get ready for them to play different characters again, this time for a sports romance segment. Like Y-Destiny, Close Friend looks to be another series of vignettes (Original trailer) coming April 22. 

2gether the movie (Thai trailer) was intended release April 22 but is now postponed due to a surge in C19 cases in Thailand.

Tell the World I Love You, a Thai BL movie that was supposed to release last week, is similarly delayed.  

My Ride has been postponed indefinitely with no airing date. 

The Miracle of Teddy Bear got a teaser vid, no eng subs. 

Gossip

Thai BL actors Nanon (Bad Buddy), Yoon (YYY), and Mark Siwat (LBC, Bite Me) have tested positive for C19. Press releases stated they’re fine, tho filming has paused fore their various projects, obvs. (No word on whether Nanon’s current project was Bad Buddy or not, although it seems likely given his recent Arm Share episode.) 

Next Week Looks Like This:

Some shows may be listed later than actual air date for International accessibility reasons.

Upcoming 2021 BL master post here.

Links to watch are provided when possible, ask in a comment if I missed something.

[kpophours]

a very necessary guide to The Boyz

➥ basic information 

debuted on December 6, 2017 with Boy

currently consisting of 11 members (they used to be 12 members, but Hwall sadly departed from the group in October 2019 due to his ongoing ankle injury)

signed under Cre.ker Entertainment

their official fanclub name is “THEB” (aka deobi)

no official colors yet (we’re waiting, Cre.ker)

they have an official YouTube, Instagram, Twitter and vlive

they had their first win with Bloom Bloom in 2019

discography: four EPs (The First, The Start, The Only, Dreamlike), two Singles (The Sphere, Bloom Bloom), a special Single (White), one full album (Reveal), one Japanese release (Tattoo)

recently won mnet’s Road to Kingdom and should have participated in Kingdom this year, but sadly, the show has been postponed indefinitely

currently preparing for a comeback (September 2020)

... now onto the members!

➥ hyung line: Sangyeon, Jacob, Younghoon, Hyunjae 

▸ Lee Sangyeon - leader, main vocalist

born on November 4, 1996 (a Scorpio and the oldest member of tbz)

(not your typical) leader - he’s not really “the dad”, but truly more of an older brother to the others

often teases and pranks the other members and is one of the funniest members according to their “Who’s Who” video (see: video recs)

writes own songs - super talented and dedicated, a really hard worker

has a beautiful deep, soul filled voice (we’d LOVE to hear more of it @cre.ker) - check out his performance on King of Masked Singer

according to Eric, he’s the member with the best body - really likes to work out and is stacked™

he really, really loves mangos

says he’s not cute but is obviously very wrong about that

has a super cute smile and adorable laugh

looked too beautiful with pink hair (deobi will never recover)

super bad at literally any game - always, ALWAYS loses when it comes to rock-paper-scissors (would be hilarious if it weren’t so sad)

some fun facts: his mbti is ESFP-T (he doesn’t believe in those kind of tests though), he’s good at impersonating others (especially Eric), he has an older sister (who has two sons, Sangyeon is a super cute uncle to them which he recently showed in his BOYLOG - WARNING: extreme cuteness!)

▸ Jacob Bae - lead vocalist

born on May 30, 1997 (a Gemini, but he very rarely shows it)

his Korean name is Bae Joon Young

kinda the mom of the group, but his official title is the angel™ (he literally never gets angry, he doesn’t even curse! how does he do that even his older brother says they never fought while growing up)

is from Toronto and therefore ½ of Canadian and ⅓ of English line - so he’s obviously fluent in English!

really improved his dancing skills over the years and it shows (unofficial member of dance line, fight me cre.ker)

beautiful soft vocals, amazing high notes (see their Mirotic cover)

plays the guitar and composes/writes his own songs

an MC for Simply K-Pop together with Kevin

½ of the superior “MoonBae” ship (aka married to Kevin - they’re super cute together, truly just two halves of the same idiot)

used to play volleyball and basketball and is really good at both, has apparently been working out a lot recently (rip his stans)

some fun facts: his mbti is INFP-T, his family adopted a new dog and named him after him/gave him the nickname “Cobi” ("your family replaced you... with a canine” - Kevin Moon, 2020), has an older brother, is left-handed, used to be the biggest fan of cereal (literally stocked boxes of it inside his room)

▸ Kim Younghoon - vocalist, visual

born on August 8, 1997 (but the most untypical Leo ever - only shows he’s a Leo like, once a year)

tallest member and ⅓ of the so called “Bermuda line” (aka the visuals™)

an under appreciated vocalist - his performance on King of Masked Singer more than showed how amazing his voice actually is (LET HIM SING CRE.KER)

has a “cool/cold look” at first, but is actually the softest, shyest, most precious squish on this planet (and has super soft puppy eyes)

kinda bad at life - needs to be protected because he’s just so clumsy, pouts when he’s about to cry (me, immediately: *cries with him*)

sometimes just randomly zones out and dissociates for a bit

fell down the stairs and injured his collarbone (I TOLD YOU HE NEEDS TO BE PROTECTED) before their Europe Tour and the Reveal promotions and therefore didn’t participate in the choreography

loves loves loves LOVES dogs so much and (his family) has a poodle (we stan Bori in this household)

the softest™ when trying to speak English (I‘m not crying, I‘m just really allergic to his extreme cuteness)

was a model for the Seoul Fashion Week in 2017 (together with Juyeon)

some fun facts: his mbti is INFP-J (there are four (4) introverts in tbz and they all share the exact same mbti), has an older brother, appeared in I.O.I’s Whatta Man music video, was recently cast as the second lead for the drama Love Revolution (his first ever acting role! the world should look out for actor!Hoon), is a BTS fanboy (his bias is Taehyung/V)

▸ Lee Jaehyun (aka “Hyunjae”) - lead vocalist, lead dancer, visual

born on September 17, 1997 (a Virgo)

also one of the tall members and another third of the “Bermuda Line”

an amazing dancer and a great vocalist (had like, 98% of the lines in No Air, so he’s pretty much an undercover main vocal)

an allrounder

seems quiet and chill at first. DO NOT BE FOOLED!!!

he is: l o u d . a bit annoying but also very cute without trying (actually really dislikes doing aegyo). hear someone loud in the background (especially laughing)? yep. that’s him! you found him, congrats.

also very caring and soft, takes great care of the younger members (when he’s not behaving like one of the younger members himself, that is)

also nags them a lot though (at least according to Eric)

the biggest Iron Man fanboy (like, legit wrote a fan letter to Iron Man when he visited the Marvel studios in NYC he’s just so cute)

l o v e s, no, ADORES kids and dogs

also really loves fried chicken

the biggest IU fanboy! very recently covered her song When Love Passes By for their A to BOYZ cover series

MWOHASEYO (don’t ask, just watch)

some fun facts: his mbti is ENFJ-A, he has an older sister, he’s really close with Pentagon’s Kino (they had some very cute interactions during Road to Kingdom), he can spin literally any object (a very weird, random talent tbh), has very skinny legs (so... literally a skinny legend)

➥ middle aka ’98 line: Juyeon, Kevin, New, Q 

▸ Lee Juyeon - main dancer, vocalist

born on January 15, 1998 (a Capricorn)

the last third of the tall and “Bermuda line”

an amazing dancer - he trained very hard to be where he is now (went viral as “the bucket hat guy” from their Bad Guy dance practice with the 1MILLION dance studio)

has a very soft, beautiful voice needs more lines

has very sharp features and beautiful eyes - his personality is very different from his cold looks though, he’s actually very soft, caring and thoughtful

he’s very gullible and innocent (also needs to be protected), therefore often the victim of jokes - most people think he’s a bit dumb thanks to that, but he’s really not: he likes to read, watches a lot of documentaries, and is just more on the quiet side in general, he likes to think before he speaks (unlike Hyunjae for example, no shade)

also very clumsy (never leave him and Younghoon alone together, please)

booked and busy! had like, a trillion photo shoots just this year, and was also a model for the Seoul Fashion Week 2017 

very bad at taking selfies but he tries and we love him nevertheless

can speak Japanese and English, is also a really good cook

an MC for The Show (aka the “JuShow”)

some fun facts: his mbti is ENTP-T, is very flexible (especially for his height), he likes to work out, has a younger brother, was on the show Law of the Jungle (he really likes nature), biggest U-Know (TVXQ) fanboy (legit cried when he met him), likes to play basketball, has gigantic hands (20.5cm a bit excessive but okay)

▸ Kevin Moon - main vocalist

born on February 23, 1998 (a soft Pisces boy™)

his Korean name is Moon Hyung Seo

the other half of Canadian line aka MoonBae (therefore, married to Jacob)

is from Vancouver and fluent in English (⅓ of English line)

yes, he’s the living meme you probably know from all the “funny kpop videos” compilations, quotes vines on a daily basis

SO much more than just the meme-ber though, he’s extremely talented - BIG BRAIN ENERGY, his creativity legit knows NO LIMITS

has amazing drawing skills (that he often shares with deobi on Twitter) - actually designed the group’s logo tbz use for their official Twitter account

can play the piano and guitar (he’s truly just so talented and amazing - STAN KEVIN MOON Y’ALL)

HAS ONE OF THE BEST VOICES EVER AND WE’D ALL REALLY LOVE TO HEAR MORE OF IT ONE DAY, CRE.KER

can cook really well

also writes his own lyrics/songs 

an MC for Simply K-Pop together with Jacob

undercover visual (have you seen his cheekbones?! almost made me cry with his beauty when he had long wavy hair)

“I have no lips” - Kevin Moon, 2020

some fun facts: his mbti is INFP-T, has an older sister, his parents named him after watching “Home Alone” (iconic behavior right there), has a kinda embarrassing past (some of the pictures and videos… uh well, let’s just say he was born a meme legend), he participated in the show K-Pop Star before becoming a trainee 

▸ Choi Chanhee (aka “New”) - main vocalist

born on April 26, 1998 (a Taurus)

literally the prettiest human alive

legit looks like an angel (how is he not an official visual?!), but is a savage (and extremely funny, lowkey judges his members 24/7)

a bit of a drama queen but he’s so cute it’s okay

amazing vocal skills, does most of the ad-libs

looks too cute in a beret, that should be illegal

gets bullied by the other members, which is kinda fair but also a bit (too) much sometimes (#letChanheelive2020)

is a math genius, can calculate extremely big numbers inside his head and FASTER THAN AN ACTUAL CALCULATOR (this is SORCERY)

½ of the other iconic duo beside MoonBae aka “NyuKyu” (together with Changmin aka “Q”) - you heard of dumb and dumber, now get ready for New and Q!

takes the best selfies, holds the official title of Selfie King (according to the others, he takes the most selfies - according to himself, he doesn’t even take that many but just takes them in a very obvious way, so the others always notice him doing so) 

almost breaks his neck taking selfies

used to have a lot of half-time jobs before becoming a trainee

one of the members in charge of cooking (idk why, he managed to melt a spoon once)

doesn’t know how to swim (because - and I quote - ”he’s a CEO’s son”)

puts MILK FIRST, AND THEN CEREAL it’s over, he’s cancelled

some fun facts: his mbti is INFP-T, he really hates tomatoes, he has a tattoo (a cross on his left pinky), has an older brother, lowkey looks like a Volturi, dropped Younghoon’s new sunglasses TWICE which Hoon will never let him forget, he once accidentally ate a plastic fork (don’t ask)

▸ Ji Changmin (aka “Q”) - main dancer, vocalist

born on November 5, 1998 (yep, another Scorpio)

one of the best dancers in the industry (everyone can fight me on this) - went viral for his improvised dance to the Mario music

STAGE DEMON, has one of the best stage presences EVER, goes from 0 to 100 in literally no time

so cute it HURTS and takes the best boyfriend aesthetic pics (all moodboard makers thank him for this)

has dimples he likes to poke when saying “music cue (q)” (me: *cries*)

has a veeeeeeeeeeeeery long neck

can impersonate a giraffe and a pigeon

½ of NyuKyu aka dumb and dumber (WE LOVE BFFS) - they have some very iconic (cooking) vlives together

he’s very - and I say this with all my love - weird 

or, to say it more diplomatically, “unusual”: LOVES horror movies and has had Annabelle as his iPad background for the longest time now (according to himself, they apparently recently broke up though rip our favorite otp), says his favorite beverage at Starbucks are the napkins (???????), literally BEGGED Kevin to let him buy a stuffed pigeon plushie when they visited New York, says the creepy nun from The Conjuring is cute (again: ?????? *whispers* is he okay)

dolphin screams™ (you’ve been warned, turn down your volume)

got lost in New York City together with Kevin (never let them take the metro ever again, at least not... unsupervised)

has a poodle named Ghana and adores him (see this BOYLOG where he just hangs with his puppy, 10/10 recommend watching that)

some fun facts: his mbti is ESFP-T (same as Sangyeon, doesn’t believe in those kind of tests either), has two older sisters, is ambidextrous (but mostly uses his left hand), is really good at playing the piano (won a price in elementary school), his English name is James aka the most generic English name ever (no shade, no hate)

➥ maknae line: Haknyeon, Sunwoo, Eric 

▸ Ju Haknyeon - lead dancer, vocalist, rapper

born on March 12, 1999 (another Pisces!)

he is half Chinese, half Korean and lived in Hong Kong for a while

speaks some Mandarin, a bit of Cantonese and also some English

also one of the allrounders of the group (I SAID WHAT I SAID)

an AMAZING dancer! is really good at freestyling

taught himself how to b-boy

such a rich, amazing, stable voice (*bass boosted* more lines for Hak)

one of the funniest and most random members

very loud, randomly bursts into songs all the time even sings when sneezing

just generally really, really sweet and nice

before debut, he participated in the second season of mnet’s Produce 101 (was eliminated in Ep. 11 and ranked #19) - The Boyz were actually often referred to as “Juhaknyeon’s group” before/shortly after their debut

he’s a very good eater and eats A LOT (FINALLY A RELATABLE IDOL)

his family lives on Jeju Island and owns a pig farm - because of that (and because he eats a lot), one of his nicknames is “pig/piggie”

has a blindingly bright smile and is such an underrated visual

yes, you can probably drown in his beautiful, deep chocolate eyes

he and Hwall accidentally became thieves in NYC (they forgot to pay for their food, but went back later to do so so no jail time!)

some fun facts: his mbti is ENTJ-T, he’s really close with Seventeen’s Seungkwan, he has two sisters (one younger, one older), NOT a morning person AT all (relatable), really good at organizing stuff (as seen during the Battle Trip to Jakarta episodes with Hyunjae), really good and fast at peeling tangerines

▸ Kim Sunwoo - main rapper, vocalist

born on April 12, 2000 (an Aries and his fire sign nature shows)

a flawless rapper, just... truly superb. also an amazing dancer !

actually auditioned to be a vocalist (so he has amazing vocals, too), but became a rapper instead

tbz’ unofficial stuntman (as seen during Road to Kingdom), even though he’s actually really scared of heights

can play the guitar

on the other end of the “lip spectrum” - because unlike Kevin, Sunwoo has a lot of them (lemme just *smooch*)

literally one of the wittiest, most savage people on this planet (GOOGLE SEARCH: HOW TO BE SO FUNNY)

used to drink a lot of juice to keep himself healthy

is really good at soccer and used to play when he was younger

beautiful deep brown eyes that hold every star and galaxy in them 

Mr. Coconut Hair™ (really makes it work though - still, every deobi screams when we get to see his forehead (which is like, once a year if we’re lucky))

a real stage demon but in reality an actual baby™ + scaredy cat needs to be protected at all costs

had a mental breakdown when he had to eat a bug after losing rock-paper-scissors 

always yells “GO AWAY ANNA” whenever someone knocks on his door (especially if it’s New)

some fun facts: his mbti is ENTP-A, has a younger sister (who’s taller than him, he’s really salty about that), he’s really close to some of the other ‘00 liners in the industry, he understands English quite well but doesn’t really speak it, also contributes to a lot of tbz’ songs

▸ Eric Son - maknae, lead dancer, lead rapper, vocalist

born on December 22, 2000 (another Capricorn)

his Korean name is Son Young Jae 

he was born in South Korea, but grew up in Los Angeles and is therefore fluent in English (⅓ of English line)

a great dancer (knows soooo many choreographies, it’s insane)

an amazing rapper (deserves more lines!)

hyper 24/7 watching him makes me tired, where does he get all that energy from

talks fast and a lot. never shuts up. you can’t make him. he tries to tell you one (1) story, but ends up telling 10 different ones along the way.

really good a baseball and loves to watch games

super close to Juyeon and used to go to Ju’s place during holidays as his own family lives in the US (my JuRic heart)

really neat and tidy, loves to clean maybe almost a bit neurotic about it

just generally really, really cute ???

a huge GOT7 fanboy (RELATABLE)

a thot on stage, should not be left unsupervised

close friends with Stray Kids’ Felix (his best idol friend according to himself)

also close to GOT7’s Mark (they’re also really cute together)

performed CPR on a watermelon once (it sadly still died, Eric gets an A for effort though)

some fun facts: his mbti is ENFJ-A, he has an older sister (who lives in New York), does NOT look like the maknae which often confuses people, really good and fast at solving Rubix cubes

➥ former member: Hwall 

Heo Hyunjoon (aka “Hwall”) - lead dancer, lead rapper, vocalist

born March 9, 2000 (yet another Pisces!)

from Busan

such a good dancer, truly incredible

very soft rap tone 

looks a bit like a cat

is very acrobatic

has a “cool” persona, but is actually just a certified babie boy™

used to live in the Philippines for four years and can speak English

the official fashionista of tbz, some of his outfits are truly just iconic

his signature aegyo is to shoot an arrow at deobis’ hearts (Hwall actually means “bow” in Korean)

can get very clingy with some members

had to sit out during D.D.D promotions and decided to leave The Boyz in 2019 (he’s still in the music video though!)

in August 2020, it was announced that he left Cre.ker Entertainment and established his own label called Dia Note

the same month, he debuted as Hyunjun Hur with the song Baragi 

you can follow his official Instagram and YouTube

some fun facts: his mbti is ENFP, he’s still in contact with the other members (said he especially misses Juyeon and Hyunjae *sobs*), his role model is BTS’ Jimin and he actually went to the same dance academy (also knows pretty much all their choreographies/songs by heart)

➥ some videos to watch 

all their music videos of course

all their live stages/performances too

BuzzFeed’s Who’s Who

Metro UK’s Quick Questions

their Billboard interview

their Weekly Idol episode

their Idol Room episode

their Road to Kingdom performances: Sword of Victory, Danger, Reveal, Heroine, Quasi una Fantasia, Checkmate 

their dance covers: Girls Generation’s The Boys + GOT7′s Hard Carry’, TVXQ’s Mirotic, TWICE’s What is Love, EXO’s Love me Right, EXO’s Call me Baby, Super Junior’s Sorry Sorry

Q, Haknyeon and Jacob for the Idol dance cover challenge 

their Billie Eilish Bad Guy stage for KCON 2019 + the dance practice

their dance cover medley

drop the dance at KCON 2019

their performance on Immortal Songs

Q’s Mario dance

their Halloween dance practice for Bloom Bloom

their “Identity Film: Generation Z” videos which show a very different side of each member

my personal emotional support kpop video

The Boyz - The Play “Mafia game” (aka a mess™)

their A to BOYZ cover series (five members have been released so far): Jacob, Hyunjae, Sunwoo, Juyeon, Q

and if you have the time: their whole The Castle concert 

➥ their shows 

The Boyz - Summer Vacation

The Boyz in New York City

Come On! The Boyz

Come On! The Boyz School

The Boyz - Flower Snack (pre-debut)

The Boyz - The 100 (shortly after debut)

The Boyz - Otoseyo (Japanese show)

The Boyz  - The Mission

The Boyz - The Play

there are literally endless videos on YouTube - especially “The Boyz memes” / “funny The Boyz compilations” and so on, but I won’t include those here as you can easily find them on your own !

... and that’s it (for now), if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to send an ask - and please give their new comeback lots of love, they are so talented, funny, dedicated and hardworking, and truly just deserve the whole world 💞

[masterlist] | [requests] 

[1962dude420-blog]

Today we remember the passing of Andrew Wood who died March 19, 1990 in Seattle, Washington

Andrew Patrick Wood (January 8, 1966 – March 19, 1990) was an American musician. He was the lead singer and lyricist for the alternative rock bands Malfunkshun and Mother Love Bone. Wood formed Malfunkshun in 1980 with his older brother Kevin Wood on guitar and Regan Hagar on drums. The band used alter ego personas onstage, with Wood using the name Landrew the Love Child. Though the band only had two songs released, "With Yo' Heart (Not Yo' Hands)" and "Stars-n-You", on the Deep Six compilation album, they are often cited as being among the "founding fathers" of the Seattle grunge movement. During his time in Malfunkshun, Wood started relying heavily on drugs, entering rehab in 1985.

By 1988, Malfunkshun had disbanded and Wood began jamming with Green River members Stone Gossard and Jeff Ament. They soon began writing original material and formed Mother Love Bone the same year, adding guitarist Bruce Fairweather (also a former member of Green River) and drummer Greg Gilmore to the lineup. The following year, the band signed a deal with PolyGram, issuing a six-song EP, Shine, before going on tour, supporting The Dogs D'Amour. Towards the end of the year, the band recorded their debut album, Apple, which was scheduled for release in 1990.

Due to his struggle with drug addiction, Wood checked himself into rehab in 1989, hoping to get clean for the release of Mother Love Bone's debut album. He died in Seattle on March 19, 1990 at the age of 24, after being found in a comatose state by his girlfriend following a heroin overdose.

Wood was born in Columbus, Mississippi, to David C. Wood and Toni Wood, and raised on Bainbridge Island, Washington. He was the youngest of three children; he had two older brothers, Kevin and Brian. Wood and his brothers were exposed to various types of music by their parents, who also supported their children when they were learning how to play instruments. Wood became a fan of acts such as Elton John, Queen, Aerosmith, and Kiss.

In 1980, at the age of 14, Wood formed Malfunkshun with his brother Kevin, recording their first demo tape in April 1980. Drummer Regan Hagar joined soon after with the band, playing shows in Seattle, Washington. Each member adopted onstage alter egos, with Andrew becoming Landrew the Love Child, Kevin becoming Kevinstein, and Hagar becoming Thundarr. Unlike most grunge groups in Seattle, Malfunkshun were influenced by glam rock with Wood described as "a hippie, glammed-out rock & roll god, equal parts Marc Bolan and Jim Morrison," with his look and vocal style influenced by frontmen such as Freddie Mercury, Paul Stanley, and Marc Bolan. Wood developed a drug habit at a young age, having smoked marijuana and cigarettes at the age of around 11 or 12. By 1985, he had started to rely heavily on drugs to help with his "rock star" persona, and entered rehab the same year.

Malfunkshun recorded a number of demos in 1986, two of which, "With Yo' Heart (Not Yo' Hands)" and "Stars-n-You," were included on the "legendary"  Deep Six compilation album released by C/Z Records the same year. The band continued to play shows in Seattle, opening for Soundgarden, The U-Men, and Skin Yard. However, in 1988, Malfunkshun disbanded.

Although the band never released an album and were also turned down by Sub Pop for "not being grunge enough," Malfunkshun, along with Green River, are often cited as "founding fathers" of the Seattle's grunge movement.

Wood and Hagar began playing with Stone Gossard and Jeff Ament of Green River, which disbanded in 1988, performing, on occasion, as the cover band Lords of the Wasteland. Former Green River guitarist Bruce Fairweather was added to the lineup, while former 10 Minute Warning and Skin Yard drummer Greg Gilmore replaced Hagar, forming Mother Love Bone the same year.

The band soon signed a deal with PolyGram, and, through their own subsidiary label Stardog, issued a six-song EP, Shine, in 1989. John Book, of Allmusic, stated that the EP "contributed to the buzz about the Seattle music scene." The band spent the rest of the year touring, including shows supporting The Dogs D'Amour, and recording their debut album. With high expectations of the album, Wood checked himself into rehab due to his struggle with heroin addiction, hoping to get clean for the release of album, staying there for the remainder of the year.

In 1990, the band continued to play shows in Seattle, waiting for the release of their album, Apple. Wood died only weeks before the release of the record. Some rock critics consider them to be one of the greatest bands of the Grunge era

On March 16, 1990, Wood was found in a comatose state by his girlfriend, having overdosed on heroin. Wood was taken to Harborview Hospital and placed on life support. On March 19, physicians suggested that Wood be removed from life support and he was pronounced dead at 3:15 pm that day. The official cause of death recorded on Wood's death certificate is hypoxic encephalopathy. Wood's remains were cremated. His burial site is located at Miller-Woodlawn Memorial Park in Bremerton, Washington.

Apple was released posthumously later in the year, receiving positive reviews. David Browne of The New York Times wrote that "Apple may be one of the first great hard-rock records of the 90s" and that "Andrew Wood could have been the first of the big-league Seattle rock stars."

Shortly following Wood's death, former roommate and friend Chris Cornell of Soundgarden wrote two songs, "Reach Down" and "Say Hello 2 Heaven", as a tribute. Cornell approached Gossard and Ament about releasing the songs as singles before collaborating on an album. Adding drummer Matt Cameron, future Pearl Jam lead guitarist Mike McCready, and future Pearl Jam lead singer Eddie Vedder, they formed Temple of the Dog in 1990 to pay tribute to Wood, releasing one self-titled album in 1991.

In 1992, PolyGram reissued both Shine and Apple as the compilation album Mother Love Bone, while the song "Chloe Dancer/Crown of Thorns" was included on the soundtrack to the film Singles. The same year, Los Angeles band Faster Pussycat wrote the song "Mr. Lovedog", from the album Whipped!, in tribute to Wood. Bradley Torreano of Allmusic stated that the song "offered a sad elegy to another charismatic figure in the metal world."

Seattle rock band War Babies, which briefly featured Mother Love Bone's Jeff Ament on bass, dedicated the song "Blue Tomorrow" off their eponymous 1992 debut album to Wood. In 1993, Seattle post-grunge band Candlebox released their self-titled debut featuring the single "Far Behind", which was written in Wood's memory.

Wood's former bandmate Stone Gossard compiled Malfunkshun recordings from 1986 to 1987 and released the studio album Return to Olympus through his Loosegroove Records label in 1995. In 2005, director Scot Barbour completed production on the documentary Malfunkshun: The Andrew Wood Story. The film documents Wood's music career as well as his family background. The film premiered at the Seattle International Film Festival. In October of the same year, the film was screened at the FAIF Film Festival in Hollywood, California. The film was released in 2011 on DVD as part of a 2CD+DVD set entitled "Malfunkshun: The Andrew Wood Story" including the Return to Olympus album, a bonus CD including many interviews and demos, and the movie on the DVD disc.

In 2011, the album Melodies & Dreams was released. It featured unreleased songs and demos that Wood recorded throughout his life, including a song that he recorded with Chris Cornell, "Island of Summer", which is the only existing recording with the two of them singing together. Wood is featured in the 2011 documentary Pearl Jam Twenty, about the story of Pearl Jam. Friends including Chris Cornell, Jeff Ament and Stone Gossard talk about him in the film and home-made footage featuring Wood is shown.

[lovejustforaday]

Album Review - The ArchAndroid by Janelle Monáe

THE ARCHANDROID - JANELLE MONÁE

Main Genres: Art Pop, Progressive Pop, Contemporary R&B

A decent sampling of: Psychedelic Pop, Jazz Pop, Neo-Soul, Rock N Roll, Synth Pop, Swing, Baroque Pop, Conscious Rap, Alternative R&B

It’s hard to think of an artist who arrived onto the scene with a more fully-formed vision than Janelle Monáe.

Creative minds of her caliber are few and far between. I bet a lot of artists wish that they could say that their debut LP was as bold, ambitious, and left as lasting an impression as The ArchAndroid.

The ArchAndroid is the most cinematic experience an album has ever given me by itself. Artists like Gorillaz and Beyoncé have dropped “album movies” where every song (or just about every song) gets a music video, and I admire those kinds of projects for all the effort that goes into them. But The ArchAndroid never needed a music video for every song - each song is already so vivid, so full of colour and life, that I can already picture clearly what the music and the story looks like inside my head. Of course, it helps that Janelle Monae did everything in her power to make the story behind this concept album as real and tangible as possible, between little details like the written lore in the liner notes to the real life persona she adopted at the time of its release. But what exactly is The ArchAndroid all about? Well, it’s a little complicated. Monáe refers to her debut EP Metropolis and her first two LPs as “suites”, with Metropolis representing suite 1, The Archandroid suites 2 and 3, and The Electric Lady suites 4 and 5. These suites tell the story of Cindi Mayweather, a prophetic, afrofuturistic android protagonist who was cloned from Janelle Monáe’s DNA, who falls in love with a human named Sir Anthony Greendown, and lives in a dystopian future where time travelling villains known as ‘The Great Divide’ are oppressing androids.

Essentially, the story of Cindi Mayweather serves as allegory for issues surrounding blackness, queerness, oppression, and interacial love in our own times. Furthermore, Cindi Mayweather’s character represents love itself as an opposing force to hatred. The ArchAndroid in particular very strongly represent’s Janelle Monae’s socio-political manifesto of love, protest, and peaceful rebellion in the face of societal injustices like racism. The whole thing is basically just really nerdy pop music meets sci-fi social justice, and I absolutely fell in love with the concept from the very first time I heard The ArchAndroid. Anyways, let’s talk about the music. Monáe’s pop fusion sound takes inspiration from all sorts of directions here - from good old rock and roll, classic psychedelia, and 60s girl groups, to modern hip hop and neo-soul. What really stands out however is a particular fondness for the classy sound of 1920s jazz, swing, and big band music, and the accompanying visual aesthetics for the album draw heavily from this influence. The production on this album is BIG. Part of what makes this album so cinematic is the crisp, clean mastering and the large orchestral arrangements that feature prominently throughout. Everything sounds meticulously placed and she clearly worked with a really great team on this project. I’d also say that this is the kind of album you definitely have to hear on vinyl to get the fullest experience possible. Monáe’s talents as a vocalist are also a key element. She’s got a fire in her soul and a very real stage presence, and her range is impeccable. She can rap on tracks like “Dance or Die” and “Tightrope”, she can serenade the listener so sweetly on tracks like “Say You’ll Go” and “Sir Greendown”, or she can belt out a song with sorrow in her chest on tracks like “Oh, Maker” and “Cold War”. At almost 70 minutes, it’s a very long album by pop standards so it’d be pretty difficult to pinpoint what all of my favourite tracks are on The ArchAndroid and why, but here’s a few highlights anyway. “Dance Or Die”, “Faster”, and “Locked Inside” start off the album with a three part musical chase scene where Cindi is fleeing her oppressors. I see a heavy rainy night, dark alleyways, flashing city lights, and futuristic floating cop cars when “Dance Or Die” kicks in with its incredibly infectious beat that gets my heart pumping every time I hear it. “Sir Greendown” is a wonderful little love song with mysterious undertones, and a warm throwback to the era of brill building. This song establishes one of the main conflicts of the ArchAndroid portion of Cindi’s story in particular; that is, choosing between her destiny to stay and fight for her people as the Archandroid, or escaping to the safe haven land of mushrooms and roses to live a life of peace with her lover. “Tightrope” is just a total banger from start to finish. This jazzy, swingy r&b rap track features Big Boi of Outkast, one of her clearest musical inspirations and it’s really cool to see both of them absolutely kill it alongside eachother. The breakdown with the record scratching is one of the very best musical moments on this LP and it really gives me the vibe of an android glitching on the dance floor from partying too hard. “Wondaland” is absolutely utopian, a lofty, mythical synth pop song that sounds like it came right out of a pixar movie with all kinds of weird little android voices in the background. “Say You’ll Go” is my personal favourite. This classy tune is mostly an exhibit for Monáe’s artistic tastes and her soothing vocals, but it’s done so incredibly well that I can’t help but wonder if this is what elevator music in the tallest skyscraper of an advanced society might sound like. The ending with its interpolation of “Clair de Lune” and a soulful choir in the background is a really nice touch. “BaBopByeYa” is a fantastic eight minute closing piece of soul jazz that represents the peak of the album’s cinematic qualities, with a progressive song structure that tells an entire story on its own. The fact that this wasn’t the biggest album of its decade is honestly sort of a crime. I can only think of one other album from the 2010s that I love just a little bit more than The ArchAndroid, but if we’re to assume that some element of music critique is objective (which is a whole other can of worms), then I have to point out just how put together this whole LP is, how much love and hard work clearly went into it, and how incredibly impressive this sounds even to this day. Speaking as ““““objectively”””” as I think I can, this is the most impressive thing I’ve heard that’s come out in the past 11 years. This could have come out yesterday and it still would have sounded so incredibly beyond what I thought was possible at the time. What’s more, the political issues tackled by The ArchAndroid are sadly just as relevant today as they were the day that it dropped. Speaking as a dumb privileged white guy who obviously isn’t an expert on the subject, I really did want to put out a review for Black History Month that would honour a great black artist, and Janelle Monáe is the first one that comes to mind. Monáe is obviously a very proud black woman, and her art definitely needs to be celebrated.

That being said, The ArchAndroid is really the kind of album that just about anybody should be able to enjoy regardless of their background. Either you love sci-fi, hate injustices, or just like listening to really fucking good music.

10/10

highlights: “Say You’ll Go”, “Wondaland”, “Tightrope”, “Dance Or Die”, “BaBopByeYa”, “Sir Greendown”, “Oh, Maker”, “Locked Inside”, “57821″, “Cold War”, “Mushrooms & Roses”, “Suite III Overture”, “Suite II Overture”, “Faster”, “Make the Bus”