#unfortunately I now have two because they decided to release an OLED version a year after I got mine 🙃

[fyeahnix]

I always get happy seeing people get their steam deck and realizing how cool the system is. I felt like a kid on Christmas when I opened mine for the first time. Such an awesome device, man.

my steam deck is not my main gaming device so there are times where I don't use it for months. and I'm perfectly fine with that. it's the "I wanna sit on my couch/bed and play a backlog title" or "I'm traveling and wanna game" device.

[gb-patch]

Ask Answers: June 6th, 2021

I’m back with more ask responses! You can also check our Frequently Asked Question sheet if there’s something you’re wondering that’s not answered here.

FAQ   Also, if you prefer to just see the main posts without all the asks/reblogs, feel free to follow our side account instead: GB Patch Updates Blog

Thank you for the patience with these questions  ♡

Hey in very beginning of step 3 in the scene where Mr.Holden had a thought dancing on the tip of his tongue but he kept it to himself after MC and Cove were being cute (idk if it makes a difference but this is when they're dating)... Can we know what he was thinking/ wanted to say? It's been bugging me lol 

He would’ve gone into a “look how much you’ve grown”, “your dad is so proud of you”, “I’m so glad things worked out with the MC”, and etc spiel, haha. But he resisted the urge to fawn on his baby boy, at least for that scene.

If we planned to move away for college/future plans in step 3, is it implied that MC and Cove would have a long distance relationship for sure? Could MC have convinced Cove to come with them? How is the dynamic of their relationship going to be addressed in Step 4, if that makes sense? 

Cove is willing to follow the MC where they went after everything is settled for them there, and if they’re sure they want him to come! You’ll get to decide how things shook out during those transitional years just by making choices about it during the opening prologue of Step 4.

Hi! First off, how does it feel to have created one of the best games when it comes to inclusion for lbtq+ peeps? I've never felt as validated with my identity and sexuality when playing a game and I'm seemingly not alone ♥ Second, and this might be a little too specific, but what kinds of drinks does Cove like as well as dislike? Thank you, you're the best ♥

Thank you for very much! It’s really nice to hear the game felt inclusive. Cove likes regular water and fruit juices/smoothies most! He dislikes coffee and cola, and he’s not super into most teas either.

Hi, may i ask what gb patch stands for? Specifically the gb part lol

It stands for my old, silly username I used in places like Neopets as a kid, aha. The company name wasn’t super thought out since it was originally just me making VNs as a hobby. Luckily, “GB Patch” kind of seems like it could mean something reasonable, so I didn’t have to rebrand when it did become a more serious, commercial group.

If we chose to not propose to cove in the step 3 dlc would he propose or would the mc propose in step 4 or the wedding dlc? 

Yeah, you or Cove can propose in Step 4 if you’re not already engaged! The Wedding DLC takes place after the engagement so the proposal scenes aren’t there.

will you guys announce if the early access for the new game is out on patreon ? 

When beta builds of Step 4 or whatever start coming out on the Patreon we will mention it here on social media too.

Heyy I just had a quick question about Baxter if that’s okay :)?

I saw in an ask+answer that it’s possible to casually date Baxter In step 3, but what leads up to that? I have the step 3 dlc and I’ve tried playing them In a different orders and ways but it doesn’t seem to get anywhere ^^;

The Step 3 DLC is Cove-based because he’s the default guy. There’s a separate Baxter romance DLC that’s not out yet. That’s where you can get him to date you. I’m sorry for the confusion!

Will we ever get any LI's or side characters with physical disabilities or deformities? I think your games would be a great place to have them in since they're always so accepting and safe! 

Yeah, we do hope to have representation for that in future projects ^^. Thank you for the confidence in us.

Is it possible to get Cove to take the bed and MC to sleep on the floor? 

Not in Step 3, I’m afraid.

So, I have played the prologue of Our Life countless times and I haven't gotten the [Your Life] achievement, why is that? 

Steam sometimes isn’t connected properly when an achievement unlocks and so it remains locked on your account. If that happens, unfortunately getting the scene again won’t unlock it. The achievement becomes inaccessible because the game thinks you already have it. Playing with the same Steam account on a different device or fully deleting your game data (more than the only the save files) are the only work arounds we’ve found.

Since when you talk with Jeremy in step 3 it's mentioned he goes on dates with someone (which assume is JB because who else would take this boy on dates) that makes him happy, does that sort of make JB and Jeremy the canon relationship in the first game?

The default for XOXO Droplets is that JB casually goes on dates with each of the jerks! Shiloh would’ve been harsher if Jeremy was the only guy getting her attention, haha. But the player can change that default by dating just one person the whole game for their own story and who she ends up with for real has no default.

Hi, hello! Huge OL fan, thank you so much for the wholesome content, it was very much needed during these times. Managed to get several people to join team Cove, so that's very exciting, I always have people to fawn over him with. I have a little question and I'm sorry if it was asked before, but does it ever come up in the game what Cove has told his mom about us? (who knows, with so many options, one can miss it) Or, alternatively, will it come up in the Step 4 DLC? 

Thank you very much for sharing the game with people <3. It’s really great to hear people are liking it. Right now that doesn’t come up in game. Kyra is willing to keep her mouth shut and Cove isn’t gonna have that conversation either. At least not when he’s younger, but yes, perhaps when he’s a fully grown big boy in Step 4 you can ask him about it.

I’ve been thinking about this ever since it has been confirmed that there would be two love interests for OL2, would there be the possibility of forming a polyamorous relationship with both love interests? I’m sorry if you answered this previously, I’m just curious. 

We are considering it, but it’s not a guarantee yet. It’d be really great to have but it’d add so many extra alterations that’d need to made, aha.

Hello! You mentioned how Cove would be uncomfortable with kids at 23, but how old would he be when he’s comfortable with having/adopting kids? (Same goes for the other LI’s.) btw, love your game!! 

He’d want to be at least 25, but even older would be good. Derek would want to have kids when he and his partner could reasonably support them, the age itself wouldn’t matter. If they were doing good at 22 and wanted kids, he’d be up for it. Or they could wait until their 30s or whatever. Baxter is also more of a “when it feels right” guy rather than having a specific age requirement. Cove is just especially wary of being a young parent because of his own parents. I’m happy you like the game!

does step 4 immediately play after you press "end summer" in step 3? or is there another button/transition (like the story text thingy) before the epilogue begins? what happens after the epilogue? roll credits? 😂 

Step 4 will have transition section always and there will be an extra button, if you own the Derek or Baxter DLC. By default the Cove-based version of Step 4 just plays once Step 3 is over. However, having the other guys’ storylines will mean you get to pick which version of Step 4 plays; Cove Step 4 (the basic one), Derek Step 4, or Baxter Step 4.

Happy pride, thank you for all you do for us🥰

I have a quick question though, I recently got a MacBook after my old windows computer broke, and now steam says I cannot download it, but it has no issues with other games, what can I do to download it?? I’m sorry if my English is bad

Happy pride month! Unfortunately, Our Life isn’t available for Mac on Steam right now. To be an approval application Apple requires having special notarization and we as a small group haven’t gotten that. Itch doesn’t care and lets us release the game for Mac there anyway, Steam does care so we’re locked out of putting the Mac build up on their storefront. Feel free to email us and we can try to help the situation out further!

support@gbpatchgames.com

Hello! I was jus wondering if the Baxter and Derek DLCs are still happening? I haven’t heard anything about them on here or patreon in a while so I just wanted to make sure ^^

They’re still coming and we just released a new sprite sketch on the Patreon for the Derek DLC c:. But right now Step 4 is still much more of a priority. Once that’s closer to being done we’ll focus way more on sharing previews for the other guys.

is it possible to tell cove you love him (platonically) at step 3 fondness/selecting him as basically family? i just love the mc and liz sibling interactions and it got me wondering about it (especially if you've selected that option)

You and Cove can be as close as family, but there’s not a specific scene in Step 3 where you say “I love you” in a family context. But there’s always Step 4~

do you intend on ever adding a collectors mode to Our Life? Like a way to collect achievements and CGs for the gallery without it effecting any save files? 

We weren’t considering it before. But if a lot of players would find that helpful, we could start thinking on that!

Sorry if it's a silly question haha, but (in crush/love) is Cove really aware of how cute and cuddly he seems to MC? If so, what does he think or do about it? Or does he just ignore it? 

He isn’t particular aware. Cove never truly stops being surprised that the MC is interested in/attracted to him, haha.

Would you say that the alone ending of xoxo droplets is worth playing again to get? 

Nope, haha. The goal is to make friends/get a boyfriend and so the alone ending is kind of the bad ending for the game. Though there is a consolation prize if you get it by accident.

Is there any possible situation which would ever prompt Pran to bake for his girlfriend? Like I know it's unlikely I mean even if JB broke her leg somehow I'm pretty sure he'd still be like "I considered baking you a cake and doing the frosting the way I think looks interesting but you don't deserve a cake, no one does." right but also ahhh it would be super nice if some day he just surprised her with baked goods one day out of nowhere. JB would be so shocked it would be cute. So is there any possible situation where that could/would be a thing that he would do? 

He might bake out of spite, like if he felt he had to prove her wrong on something. Or if JB used some good reverse psychology on him. Or he might do it in a relatively nice way if he could make his GF so shocked by the kind gesture that his amusement with that overrode his insistence on not being sweet. Pran is very difficult in high school, aha.

Is the "one route (where) it can be seen that Everett will drop his seemingly eternal waging with Jeremy pretty easily and can start getting along without thinking much on it" the Lucas route? I'm curious! 

Yep! Everett will side with Jeremy if it’s between him and Lucas.

Hi I hope you guys are having a great day :) I just had to ask how Cliff would feel about Cove's partner/fiancé Mc calling them dad whether it be accidental or otherwise and secondly I also wanted to ask how he would feel about being asked to be the one to give the mc away at their wedding. 

He would be very touched and excited! I hope you have a good day too :D

Hello! I saw an ask relating to whether Cliff "moves on" after Cove's grown up and stuff (and he stays single), but what about Kyra? Will she be with anyone else or will she stay single? 

She does start dating again, but she takes it slow.

Hi! I absolutely love the art for characters in OL and I wonder is this fine to draw my MC in same drawing style and upload online later? Is this something artists would be okay with? Thank you! 

Yeah, you can certainly do that C:

Hey there!

I wonder if I'm just being stupid here.. Is Step 4 a DLC? And if so, where can I find it? I can't seem to find it on Steam :< Thank you!

Step 4 is a free epilogue! It’s not done yet, but once it is finished you’ll just update your game file and Step 4 will be there after Step 3 ends.

hi! are step 4 and the wedding dlc two different things?

They are. Step 4 is a free epilogue that’ll be a default part of the game once it’s done, the wedding DLC is an optional paid expansion that takes place after Step 4.

Why did Baxter not receive a step 2 sprite seeing how he shows up later

Sprites are time consuming to draw and take money out of the budget that could’ve gone to other things. His tiny appearance in Step 2 wasn’t worth all the effort to make a sprite, aha.

I just realized, what happens if if you get the patreon exclusive moment but at a later date, when you don't have the membership anymore, it's updated (like a bugs fix update for example)? Would you have to get the membership again? 

You would have to get the membership again to redownload the build. But there’s very little chance there’s going to be an update once it’s been out for over a month. If a build gets released with errors, players catch/report them within the first few days. So by the time the first subscription period ends, any problems that were noticeable would already have been fixed. And we’re certainly not gonna be adding new content to it once it’s been released for a long time. There’s no need to worry about missing out on something worthwhile in the future if you cancel your membership. It’s being made with the idea in mind that many players are gonna be getting it and then going.

Hello! Wanted to ask about gaming choice in step 3? Once upon a playthorugh I got the option to buy Cove a bracelet for his graduation present. I played the same basic character again and that option wasn't there anymore. I'm not sure where I went wrong. My Cove wears a bracelet on each hand and my MC is into fashion and jewelry. Do I need to put an earring on him or? Sorry, love your game so much. 

He also needs to have liked bracelets in Step 2 for that to be considered a good gift option for him. Sorry for the confusion! I’m happy you love the game :)

Is Step 4 being released at the same time as the Wedding DLC or will the first come before the latter? Thank you! 

I’m not sure. Ideally they’ll come out at the same time, but the wedding DLC has a lot of art to get done and we may have to release it after Step 4.

Can mc still get confession from Cove at the end of step 3 even if mc casually dates Baxter in step 3? Such as in crush mode? 

I don’t think so. Maybe that’ll change, but generally there’s differences to the Step 3 ending if you were dating Baxter and those differences likely will conflict with getting the Cove confession.

For the patreon moments/dlcs, will it be available for all tiers? 

It’ll be available for tier 2 (Fans) and up!

[lightshielded]

today i would like to talk a little about the late queen catherine lightshield, the late - king jarvan lightshield iii and the little riot shone for a brief moment in the slight development of their characters and how this light needed to be smothered to continue the story they wished. this is not a post to condemn riot for this decision, for the reason for doing so is understandable and they are not champions so less important, but a post to talk more about what i personally theorise why these decisions came about during maybe character development and what would have happened in lore had riot not made these decisions ( in short, lore would be nice but more boring as the champions would be doing nothing ) and my reasoning behind this. -- also i know it is entirely possible that they did this purely for drama and i know that jarv is my muse and thats basically all he is used for by this point but look this was fun and interesting and i just like the two characters a lot -- so this is just a little brain storming “what if” if you will, so i hope you enjoy if you continue to read along. part one is my rambling explanation, part two is a what if at the end.

MY RAMBLING

in previous lore ( meaning lore with new lore demacia but prior to recent changes with new champions ), the crown royals of demacia were never quite developed, there was ultimately no need. their ambitious and scarce mentions in their son’s lore gave way to reasonable assumptions of their character and we can assume they were very generic demacias. would could also imagine them both as characters which actually opposed their son in ideology based on the state of this demacia ( the laws were closer to the ones instated by most recent lore jarv with the hardest line mage suppression ).

however, with the newer lores for demacia, riot ultimately wanted to provide xin.zhao with a backstory to fit into the new lore and this is the first large change. now while this lore was not released first, we can assume they were worked on in development together due to the closeness of their update times and this proves a crux to my point. prior, jarv ii was the one who had rescued him from noxus but with the new lore this is jarv iii. now we can assume this is for age reasons as well as making more things relevant in lore ( tho jarv ii does get a nod to in the story and i do like this fact ) by having all active characters closely tied to each other. now we know OLDEST lore demacia raided noxus to free some of their slaves, this is not possible with new lore demacia as they don’t raid nor are they close enough that they can just grab their army and take it to the heart of noxus casually. so noxus had to be the aggressor for it to work, hence xin.zhao’s position as a slave soldier in this story.

but, this inspires a first change in the character of jarv iii - to accept a stranger, a noxian soldier, into demacia he had to be significantly compassionate. so by establishing the king as someone kind enough to release noxian slaves, prisoners of war, and entrust himself to one, to call one friend. BUT this essentially sets up a very kind man who is enforcing harsh, prejudice based laws on a population of his people. obviously, this is a paradox and riot also noticed it and changed it. and with the newer bits of lore we find out multiple new things: 

one) this newer lore jarv iii didn’t teach his son to be suspicious of magical beings. this was mentioned before in his old lore that jarv iv was like most demacians on this and this part was removed on revision, even then enforced that this was not true by his uncle remarking on that is was very unlike him to be so during aftermath. so we can assume he was at least not vocal about his opinions or was genuinely trying not to be prejudiced. two) the laws of stone were introduced and presented us with a not much better but step in the right direction set of laws for demacia which is implied to be done by jarv iii. through they were subsequently slowly undone by the council of nobles as seen in a couple mentions in lore of how the laws were tightening in ways the lightshields disliked and how the king had been giving the council more power. three) the king welcomes shyv when it was open that she was a dragon and the nobles questioned his wisdom in it which meant he openly supported the idea of his son having a dragon guard. (old lore had her hiding it and people just thought she looked weird and were super sus of her). four) all the extra lore we got with the royal family publicly helping mage exiles and meeting with them on conference and other things and all.

essentially made him a king trying to be good for mages. in addition to these changes they wanted to make him a likeable person as well. they worked this into jarv iv’s lore by him being genuinely happy for his sons return rather than emotionless, mentioning how his father genuinely cared for him for one and basically having him present. but in the development of his father they also wished to develop his mother. previously it had be a loveless arranged marriage which tied them together but i guess they figured that wasn’t the route they wanted to go now with this new kinder and more emotional jarv iii so they had them romantically inclined with court whispers, gossip and all. so given this opportunity they went to develop her a little bit, giving catherine strong leadership traits and they likely decided they wanted to show these as plainly and briefly as possible, which apparently in demacian lore is how quickly you can shut down a arms race. which she did instantaneously essentially. she basically kisses the king and said stop and the entire nation was like oh shit we need to stop. no arms race civil war for a good spot near the king’s ear. so, yeah, a queen who can shut down civil war and convince nobles to her side every easily that is much beloved by the nation.

in short, they fixed the paradox of a nice king being cruel to a nice king trying to be good. and then added a powerful queen ruler who stands at his side who is greatly loved and just as influential. HOW LOVELY! however, this causes the issue of why could the good of a now markedly feudal kingdom ( they were constitution monarchy in old lore and still kinda are cause the council and they elect the king but we aren’t here to talk about that ) not just make the decisions they wish? i believe this was their point of realisation of their mistake. the realisation that these two would just do what they want, and that the entire lore of demacia for the 26 years prior would be altered. you have an idealistic king and a queen whom the entire nation adores and bends knee to? they SHOULD be able to do everything they want. and likely did some as it is mentioned the king wants his son to finish what they started and achieve his dreams. have to start something to finish it.

alas, by wanting to develop these characters for the sake of champions like jarv and xin, the essentially wrote themselves into a space of, if they continue to exist we can’t have the story we want. so they basically stopped them existing. first they killed of catherine, in all previous lores as far as we know she was alive just wasn’t romantically interested in her husband. but they did royal stuff together, watched her son get almost killed with a poison crossbow once. good ol days. i imagine they were like good business partners. but for the first time in all lores they had her killed, removed her ( they also removed jarv’s capture by noxus too which has existed just as long but thats a discussion for another day ). now this one move is easy since they put fault on the time period, its olden days in terms of technology in demacia, and unfortunately deaths in childbirth were common. so a very easy disposal which not only removed the civil war ending queen but also injures the motivation of the king by making him emotionally worn out ( in an already emotionally taxing job )

essentially, in one fell swoop they pushed back the pro mage changes to be completed by jarv iv based on his lore as had been written. which is then removed from him and he is given the role of the villain with the comic. funny that if they had just left them both ambiguous they could have just easily had the king the villain cause there wouldn’t have been paradoxes. though i’m not sure how xin.zhao would have gotten in... maybe he escapes and they find him fighting noxians. seems alright? oh well at least we get the cute uncle/nephew relationship in this version of lore. this gives me strength. but ye, so it gets interesting from here because you can sit and just think, what would have happened if she didn’t die?

WHAT IF?

for one, the power couple would have been able to do so much more. i like to think they would have been slowly working down the laws for the betterment of their people and since jarv is not emotionally weakened and lady catherine has the entire council at her beck and call, there would be little resistance amongst the nobility. slowly the laws would lower from mageseekers having to register all emergent mages and ensuring they don’t slip up or they’re out to all emergent mages having to attend classes with members of the lightbringers to learn how to have basic control of their magic -- something they are all too happy to do for they have been doing their best without aid until now -- this would then evolve to allowing more experienced mages to take these classes as an assistant and then a teacher, the lightbringers allowing their secret inner circle to take these places and serve in the open for the first time in so long.

 slowly mages are given voices in positions of leadership and exiles from “slip ups” are lowered as mages are not repressed and know how to control their magic. this would change to not fearing slip ups as use of magic is less restricted for people are less likely to fear what they understand, magic usage becomes legal on school grounds then ever growing territories, eventually towns would have mage quarters where all manor of magic is permitted. although greater usage of magic would likely not be permitted in older parts of cities as it is known to discolour walls and there is only so much you can replace in instance of greying and flaking. got to keep it simple around the grander structures. but maybe over time the mortar can be replaced to not contain petricite, or maybe the bold amongst them might design builds intended to be saturated so their ceilings flake free and reveal the magic like opals within.

slowly magic is phased into the way of life, a smithy apprentice might be permitted to light his own flame without a flint or builder help ease the load of stone. and then ( as jarv seems to have been doing with shyv prior to the comics ) mages might be permitted to don the blue if they so wished, integrating magic into what demacia sees as their pride and joy. their heroes. the mageseekers would become more a force for protecting against mages in war rather than at home, a battalion rather than a power hungry force governed by a few. or maybe they would remain a police force, part of the city guard like any other just they possess protection from magic so are called for a mage criminal while the non magic protected are called for a person swinging a sword. right armour against the right weapon. also as likely, they will lose their name, and their tools simply be another weapon to the people that wear the blue. the tainted history of the name remembered but not allowed to continue on.

slowly, it becomes a nation that embraces magic rather than shuns it out of century old fears. together it is a country that could have healed its wounds both given and inflicted on each other. and our beloved champions could have grown up in a much brighter demacia. frankly, i imagine that within the 20 years from finding xin to the “now” of this universe, much of this could have been accomplished given what we know of them. i do hope, once all the pain and suffering if through in our version of the lore that maybe these steps could be walked by the true of our champions.

[travellingmonk]

PART 1 - An Image That Predicts The Future 3 by Sunao Ari - Translated!!!

Now, to explain this a bit, I don't normally go out of my way for a doujinshi. (pain in the arse for me to translate with conversational Japanese and I am, by far, NOT an expert in the language.) However, this one I just HAD to know the story of and share. Because reasons. Fair warning, this is a Seiji x Touma story... where Seiji dies... and Touma takes it EXTREMELY BADLY... then dies, too. And the art style is consistent... but... eh... It's not comparable to Ken Mizuki or Lapis Homme art style. (to be honest, took me 3 times flipping through this, and the third time actually paying attention to the story being told, not the art style, before I picked up on the very emotional story that was unfolding. -_-U) So... yeah, if that upsets you, keep on scrollin' and pay no mind to this post.

If you're curious, then keep reading.

Now, to give you a VERY short version of these 3 pages, it’s a summary of what happened in the past 2 books (lordy only knows where a copy of them could be since this was released back in the early 1990′s).

Short version summary : Touma’s got a disease that’s landed his butt in the hospital. At first he lies and tells everyone he’s fine, but gets worse, thinks he’s gonna die, then goes all ‘Seiji! I love you!’ to which the blonde Trooper goes ‘I love you, too <3′. By the time Touma is well enough to leave the hospital, he catches sight of his boy on TV, severely injured, trying to whoop some Youja bad guy butt. Only to end up getting himself rushed into the hospital. Which ends up with the truth coming out that Seiji’s got cancer, has a month left to live, and life sucks. They decide to get married asap, with Touma giving Seiji a wedding ring.

Not long after, a new round of attacks from the Youja World (and Arago’s army) is unleashed on the city. Seiji knows he needs to be out there to help fight back and to form the Kikoutei armor, but he’s too weak and can barely move.

He prays / begs to Kaosu for help, saying he’d give his life if it means he can help stop this. Lo and behold, POOF! Seiji is magically made better, the Youja gate the baddies came through gets sealed up, all the bad guys are dealt with, and Seiji says goodbye as he walks into the magical sphere that will seal all of that evil away. Touma doesn’t take this well, AT ALL. He tries to stop Seiji, Shin attempting to hold Touma back, and, just like that, Seiji, the Youja bad guys, and the Youja gate are all gone.

Current book starts off by jumping well over a decade into the future with Shin, all grown up, with his now 8 year old daughter.

It’s a weird way to start this book, but we go from Shin and his daughter in the future, to back in the past after Seiji’s death.

Touma is not taking his friend’s / husband’s death well AT ALL. To the point he’s having violent nightmares, wakes up still being stressed / freaked out, and to where Nasutei has to use sedatives on him to make him calm down to any degree. Even then, he’s still in denial, and the others have to lie to him, saying that Seiji is out but that he’ll be back soon.

An exhausted Nasutei commenting (after he’s fallen back to sleep) commenting about why can’t he just accept Seiji’s death like everyone else has? Having Touma go through this is torture on all of them. Time flows ever onward and the warm weather turns cold. Touma gets past the worst of it, more or less, but is depressed and suicidal. To the point he locks his bedroom door, slits his wrists, and tries to bleed out. The others rescue him, get him to the hospital, to which, afterwords, comes back to Nasutei’s house where EVERYONE keeps an eye on him and makes sure anything sharp is locked away.

This stresses out everyone, and gets Shin, who’s been the most patient and compassionate of the bunch, to snap. Saying that Seiji wouldn’t have wanted his friend to behave this way, and that there’s no guarantee that if Touma WOULD die, that they’d end up meeting in the afterlife.

Things really aren’t made any easier when Kayura comes to visit and has news. Sure Seiji’s sacrifice was a noble one and did seal up that one location so no other evils, gates, or soldiers could return, but it’s messed up stuff to the point where any wickedness happens, a gate will appear and, well, we all know that the Earth isn’t the most peaceful place in the universe.

Touma gets upset, to the point he grabs her by the neck and slams her down onto the dining room table. Despite her best efforts, she’s unable to open the seal at all and reclaim Seiji’s body. At least if they had his body they could have a funeral and say a proper ‘farewell’. Eventually he releases her, then gets super depressed. One day while out on the the terrace with Ryou, a tree branch breaks and wallops Touma upside the head, giving him a nasty bleeding cut.

As his friends tend to the injury and stop the bleeding, Shin gives the blue haired Trooper a letter. After everything, Shin had claimed the bag of Seiji’s clothing and belongings from when he was in the hospital and, among the things is a letter addressed to Touma.

In the letter is a lock of Seiji’s hair and the letter basically reads ‘By the time you read this, I’ll be dead. Don’t be sad. Are you lonely? Are you alone? Go out and live your life. You still have one to live. Make me proud.’

That seems to be what it takes to snap Touma out of his mood and turns his whole world around. The next morning finds the Trooper of Tenku coming downstairs to breakfast wearing clean clothes, with the lock of hair tied to a necklace, and stating that he’ll be leaving the house soon. He’s decided to aim to become a doctor and to find a cure to the cancer that took Seiji’s life. (Line of logic here would probably be more like ‘if he hadn’t had that cancer, he wouldn’t have gotten so severely injured, and wouldn’t have had to sacrifice his life to safe the city. Hence, is all cancer’s fault that this happened’.)

Chapter 3 picks up in the future (or would this be considered the present?) with Doctor Hashiba getting called into surgery to save someone’s life.

The surgery went well. He gets praised. Then his mother decides to swing by for a visit. Half because she just won a Pulitzer Prize and wants to celebrate, and two, because she’s now got some time off from work to do so.

The only thing is, she’s got bad timing. This is Touma and Seiji’s wedding anniversary, and the anniversary / observance of when he died.

They have a bit of an arguement. She saying ‘I don’t want you to be alone’ and he saying ‘I’m not alone. I can’t love anyone else. Seiji was the only one in the world for me’. The conversation dies out when Shin arrives for a chat and Touma’s mother leaves. (And, yes, that IS Shin with the really long hair. I honestly think that Sunao Ari was channeling Shin’s early design from when the characters were still in developtment. Not even kidding, here.)

Anywho, onwards with the story~

Touma and Shin get to chatting. Shin’s here because, thanks to Touma, his daughter is cured of the same kind of cancer Seiji had. Today is the day she’s being released from the hospital and can go home. Touma asks if they’d seen Seiji’s inspirational statue out in front of the hospital. Shin has but his daughter hasn’t. She goes out to look? He sends her out to look? Not really clear on that, BUT, either way, she’s outside meandering about while the two men talk. The conversation is basically ‘everything changes, but it sure seems like Seiji / the memory of Seiji has never changed’. Touma makes an offhanded comment about his own disease and says that he knows / he has a feeling that he’s going to die soon.

Suddenly there’s noise from outside and, come to find out, Shin’s daughter (4 years old at this time) is out in the middle of the road. The two men race outside, with Touma being faster, and shoves her out of the way of danger.

Unfortunately, this lands Touma smack dab in the middle of traffic instead. And, well...

The headlights of a truck? ambulance? are all too familiar to the light that Seiji walked into all thos years ago. Just like that BAM!!!!

Shin rushes to his friend’s side and, understandably so, freaking out. (Pretty sure the pictures speak for themselves here. Also, TOUMA! NUUUU!!! I may be a loyal Ryou fangirl at heart but, TOUMA! NUUUUU!!!)

As Touma is dying in Shin’s arms, Seiji in angel form appears. Touma manages to whisper out the name of his beloved significant other before completely giving into death.

Is super sad. (DANG IT, SUNAO ARI! WHY MUST YOU HURT ME SO!? GWAAAHHH SUCH A SAD STORY!!!!!)

The story picks up later at Touma’s funeral. 

Despite the super sad atmosphere and Shin blaming himself for his friend’s death (’it’s my fault. I killed him.’ Shin, sweetie, no you didn’t. Your daughter wandered into traffic and Touma died saving her life. You didn’t do a thing! ~*sad hugs*~ ) Touma’s dead body had a gentle smile on its face. At least he died happy.

Around his neck is the same lock of Seiji’s hair from the letter so many years ago.

(Shut up, dun look at me! I’m not crying! You’re crying! Bwaaa~ :,( )

The story ends with Shin noticing the fact that it’s beginning to snow. In October. Too early.

He wonders if the snow is a sign that Touma and Seiji are now happy together, or sad.

Sunao Ari, I know it’s been decades since you made this story, probably the first time someone NOT Japanese has been able to read it, but I hope that where ever life finds you, that you’re doing well, are enjoying good health, and are no longer torturing Seiji and Touma. (not sure mah lil ol’ fangirl heart could take another book like this one from you! ^_^U) Well, that’s it. Hope you enjoyed the story and the fact that it was translated for your .... it’s not right to say ‘enjoyment’ here, is it? for your reading pleasure? ... still doesn’t sound right. ~*offers you soft tissues and a warm blanket after that story*~ excuse me whilst i go hunt down some cute pictures of fluffy kittens to console mahself with.

[vmheadquarters]

Fifteen years ago, our favorite female sleuth made her first appearance on UPN (later turned CW) in Veronica Mars. Three television seasons, a Kickstarter-backed film, and two books later, Veronica Mars is being revived thanks to the beloved streaming platform Hulu.

From the get go, Veronica Mars has sparked the conversation on many ‘controversial’ topics – well ahead of its time – that were handled so well and subtly, you never felt like you were being lectured to. Within the first season, writer-creator Rob Thomas tackled topics like rape, slut-shaming, transphobia, racial stereotypes, and the most prevalent theme at hand is the war and divide between “the have and the have-nots”.

Kristen Bell’s portrayal of Veronica Mars and V’s sassy, yet endearing, personality has taken the marshmallow community by storm. The character is one that is efficacious and sharp, but is not without flaws. Veronica allows each of us to resonate with her as a person, with her struggles, with her traumas; she is and remains a grounded, human character.

The Murder Mystery

Set five years after the Veronica Mars Kickstarter film, three young spring breakers and a motel manager are dead after a bomb explodes in the office of the Neptune Sea Sprite Motel. This is the first of more to come, all of which are hurting the Spring Break destination and beachfront businesses. Hired by the Maloof’s, a wealthy and politically rich family of one of the injured victims, Mars Investigations is on the case to figure out who this serial bomber could be.

Meanwhile, Veronica finally gets a Pony, Logan (Jason Dohring) – a navy intelligence officer – returns home into the arms of Veronica, Papa Mars (Enrico Colantoni) is physically recovering from the car accident that occured in the film and reeling through the emotions of a potentially serious medical issue, Wallace (Percy Daggs III) seems to be happily solidified in his married life and career as a teacher at Neptune High, and Weevil (Francis Capra) must face the formidable consequences that occurred between the film and present-day. Max Greenfield reprises his role as Leo D’Amato, except this time as an FBI agent working with Veronica on the case. Even if you’re a LoVer, Leo’s presence back on the screen is one that deliberately toys with our emotions, but leaves us with a happy sensation coursing through our veins.

The plot has a heavy focus on the main mystery in a serialized fashion, so that any newbie can come fresh into this season without even the basic concept and still be able to follow along. The characters are introduced in a manner that subtly recaps their backstory without being overly explanatory, which allows the new faces to scoop in, but gives enough of the nostalgic factors to cater to those long-term marshmallows. Book readers might notice some similarities between this story line and the content of the books, and while some of it seems to be derived from them, this is not an exclusive adaptation.

There is a noticeable lack of mini-mysteries in each episode set within the confines of the larger, long-con mystery that the previous seasons managed to execute so well. A bit of a letdown since those episodic stories also helped provide teachable moments, and without them we’re almost without the moral compass that creator Rob Thomas has perfected in years past. But when you see how twisted this bombing story turns out to be, in hindsight it’s understandable.

The Nostalgia Doesn’t Outweigh the Modernization

Longtime fans are already on the edge of their seats waiting for this revival and eager to figure out what is so “controversial” about it that warrants Bell’s contemplation of falling off of social media during its release (per an interview with E! News). While they will eat up every moment of the new series, Bell is not wrong in that this is arguably the most controversial season of Veronica Mars simply for the arcs in the storyline. With fellow critics having early-screening access and all eight episodes dropping on day one, caution is advised on social media and within articles, as this season is one you do not want to be spoiled on.

Albeit some pandering to LoVe-rs (the acronym for fans who ship Logan and Veronica), which I am all on board for, Veronica Mars isn’t willing to sacrifice its authenticity and realness simply to keep solidified fans happy. Veronica and Logan have been together for a solid five years now and with a particular state of affairs that arise, Veronica must fight a battle within herself and decide what’s more important: the love of her life or protecting herself from her fears? This is not a plot device created in order to cultivate some rundown teenage emotions, but rather to reflect on the characters we have come to know and love.

Veronica desires chaos because that is all she has known; she has found comfort in it and the only way she has learned to cope with life is by fighting that chaos. ‘Classic Logan’ is in reservation as he’s been working with a therapist, but that doesn’t mean we don’t see those sparks inside of him. For what it’s worth, this is the most likeable and stable Logan has ever been. The chemistry between Bell and Dohring on-screen is on fire more than ever before, and they’re much more compelling now that they’re adults with real issues to discuss.

Hulu doesn’t try to recapture the exact essence of the original three seasons and film, which may be somewhat jarring to old fans. This is new, this is different, and this is an emotional roller coaster you need to prepare yourself for in a completely different way. Thomas and Ruggiero-Wright have managed to take the crux of Veronica Mars & Co., encapsulating who she is and what built her to this phase in life, and expand upon it.

We’re no longer looking at a teenage girl whose life is constantly at battles with every rich kid who wants to dual it out, but we still have good ‘ole Veronica Mars. She’s the same in the way that she still has a hard time letting her guard down – both physically and emotionally – and will smack you in the face with her brutal honesty like a baseball coming out of left field. But Veronica is grown up and we needed this version of her. Sure, they could recycle the same character and we’d still love it, but Veronica aging and growing with her original viewers is a great way to give a nod to those fans and simultaneously grow the show.

New Players Pull Up Their Sleeves and the Old Ones Need More Face Time

When Veronica Mars originally aired, there was an overwhelming number of guest stars on the show that later became top notch actors/actresses. Season four’s casting announcements have generated huge buzz, from big names like J.K. Simmons to Patton Oswalt, and Kirby Howell-Baptiste to Clifton Collins Jr as guest stars.

Simmons plays Clyde Pickett, an ex-con who works for Richard Casablancas a.k.a. “Big Dick (David Starzyk) after meeting during their incarceration in Chino. The two are an entertaining pair who receive a huge chunk of screentime but in relevancy to the over-arching story. You know they’re good when they can fit naturally into the Mars world and hold a light to the insanely talented OG casting. A handful of other guest appearances from the original to tease the fandom will leave you with your hands in the air cheering and send your heart racing (good and bad).

Other criminal syndicates include the fantastic addition of Alonzo (Clifton Collins Jr.), who manages to bring laughter and fun to a character that is a literal drug cartel hitman for El Despiadado.

Alonzo and his new partner are in Neptune looking for the at-fault bomber that killed his boss’s nephew. Unfortunately, the El Despiadado storyline is pretty minute and would be a fun side-story to pursue in the next season. If you’ve seen Collins’ other work, you know just how talented he is, and his persona here is no exception. The vicious and brutal pair might give you a chuckle but you know they mean business.

Two other characters that definitely received their fair amount of attention is Patton Oswalt’s Penn Epner and Kirby Howell-Baptiste’s Nicole. Oswalt is a Cho’s Pizza delivery driver (yes, THAT Cho’s), a true crime obsessee and “murder-head” participant. He’s the kind of pain in the arse we love to have around.

But Nicole. What a character. She’s a strong-willed (and seemingly strong-fisted) business owner of the local spring breaker bar, making waves calling out Big Dick and punching douchebag guys in her establishment. Big Dick is advocating for a movement (N.U.T.S) which seeks to remove the spring-breakers and their trash behavior from Neptune, but he also wants to buy up the real estate on the boardwalk, including that of Matty Ross (Izabela Vidovic).

Matty is the deceased motel manager’s daughter and now property owner of Sea Sprite Motel (somehow, even though she’s still in high school). As V’s new protege, Matty seems to have the same lived experiences as Veronica, leading her to the same determined and resiliant personality that Veronica most definitely can resonate with. She’s an entertaining watch when she gets her screen time, but with as much is packed in to this 8 episode mini-series, there just doesn’t seem to be enough time for the characters growing on us and those we remember with a fondness – like Weevil and Wallace.

Wallace is living his best life – married with a son (who happens to be played by Percy’s ACTUAL daughter) – and working at Neptune High. The absolute disappointment here is that we just don’t get enough of him. We spend so much time focusing on the case at hand and the LoVe relationship, it’s like Wallace was cast to the side a bit. While we can all certainly relate to getting older and losing touch with our close friends, it seems odd that Wallace wouldn’t want to extend his help with this case or that Veronica wouldn’t want to rely on him for some advice. This is the biggest letdown in the revival.

And then there’s Weevil (Francis Capra). Why is he one of the most underrated and incredible castings on the show? Probably because he has a deep heart of gold, he’s beyond loyal to Veronica, and Capra knows how to steal the show with a powerful performance. But again, this is another character we needed more of. One of the most beloved in the show and a character that’s still integral to this storyline, Weevil feels underserved and underutilized.

A Girl Needs Closure

There’s no doubt that this is top-tier content from within the Veronica Mars world, a needed step up from season 3 and the film. But if you’re a marshmallow Weevil’s been loving long time, you’ll need to accept what the writers are doing here and understand why.

It’s not sunshine and rainbows. Rob Thomas always desired Veronica Mars be a dark noir and season four absolutely delivers on this principle. It’s a worthwhile investment that most definitely has a clear conclusion, but with enough content and characters that if Hulu were to appease us, a fifth season is a must.

The shocking ending will leave you speechless and have you wondering how Veronica could possibly recover, taking us back to the roots of what makes Ms. Mars the person she is. As V herself said in season one, “Tragedy blows through your life like a tornado, uprooting everything, creating chaos. You wait for the dust to settle, and then you choose. You can live in the wreckage and pretend it’s still the mansion you remember. Or you can crawl from the rubble and slowly rebuild. Because after disaster strikes, the important thing is that you move on. But if you’re like me, you just keep chasing the storm. The problem with chasing the storm is that it wears you down, breaks your spirit. Even the experts agree, a girl needs closure.”

With edgier and more adult content, Veronica Mars is cussin’ back with Mr. Sparky (her taser) in her hand and dusting the wreckage off her shoulders. The private eye achieves her closure, and we are left with enough hope that Mars Investigations will soon be back in business.

[boss-the-goofball]

Poor Unfortunate Souls

So I decided to write a thing for a Dadvid/Gwenvid “Little Mermaid AU” because I got the song “Poor Unfortunate Souls” stuck in my head after reading it from good ol’ @directium ‘s playlist for her “Daniel’s Descension AU” (the list of songs Gwen gives Daniel to listen to)

Please please please please PLEASE do NOT tag this as Max///vid. Thank you.

In any case, hope you enjoy this little self-indulgent piece. (Also whoever actually made this AU please come forward so I can tag you properly and give proper credit!)

“Listen, David. Are you sure about this?” Gwen asked, her dark eyes holding concern as she looked around. It felt like something was watching the both of them, waiting patiently with a hungry gaze. The sound of something slithering caused her to shiver, though she mostly blamed it on the cold temperature of the cave they were swimming in.

“I mean, what if he’s just really sick? Neptune knows what kind of ailments humans could catch. If it’s anything like what Harrison caught last month then he could be down for weeks,” She continued, setting a gentle hand on David’s shoulder.

David shook his head. “I’m sorry, but he hasn’t been at the docks recently and I’m really worried. What if the people who abandoned him decided to come back and take him to a new place just to abandon him again? Or what if he got kidnapped by even worse people? Or even-” he rambled, bringing his webbed hands through his hair as he started tugging at it.

Seeing her mate in distress, Gwen pursed her lips with pure concern. Normally David is really happy and a literal ball of sunshine, but now. Now he is a ball of stress, all over a human child whom they met only months ago.

She set both of her hands on David’s shoulders, letting out a soft clicking noise as she circled her thumb over the tattoo on his shoulder blade; black and simple that formed the symbol of the royal family, a symbol their human friend called a pine tree, whatever that is.

“Listen, David. We have enough magic accumulated to turn him into one of us, I am sure the royal family will grant you temporary legs so you can go see how things are going. There is no need to do anything risky,” she tried to reason.

David slowly relaxed, turning to stare at Gwen with his soft green eyes that reminded Gwen of seaweed. “It will take too long to get approval from the royal family. It could take months, maybe even a year and I can’t afford to let him suffer any longer. He is my son and I will not let this go on for any longer,” he said, voice filled with determination.

Gwen opened her mouth, about to try and convince David to consider a different option, but laughter filled the cave. She closed her mouth and looked around, not seeing anything.

“Oh good heavens, where have my manners gone?” A deep voice filled the cave. “Why, I forgot to light the area. Please excuse the mess you are about to see, why I was not expecting any company,” the voice continued, just as the cave lit up.

David and Gwen both brought hands to cover their eyes at the bright light, but when they were able to adjust they were shocked to find various waterproof scrolls just floating all over the place, shelves with all sorts of bottles and waterproof books, and even a cauldron that looked to be bubbling and almost overflowing into the very room they were in.

What surprised them most of all, was how the cave appeared to have actually been bleached of any and all potential color.

“Please, make yourselves at home while I clean up. Oh, would you care for some refreshments?” The voice asked, owner soon showing himself.

Gwen couldn’t help but shiver. This man looked like a washed out version of her mate, pale blonde hair in the exact same style, same nose, even same face shape as David. It was unnerving, and had he have the exact same tail then she probably would have fainted.

However, this man did not have a tail. Instead, he had eight white tendrils that were all reaching out to grab some of the stray papers along with his other arms.

“Er, no thank you,” Gwen said, looking at David and giving him a look that asked ‘Are you sure this is a good idea? I am getting some really bad vibes off of this guy.’

David shook his head. “No, we actually came here for a favor. See, I’m worried about this human boy my mate and I met a while ago,” he began, his hands now resting beside his green tail. He gave a sigh, looking down at the floor of the cave. “We were wondering if...if you would be willing to temporarily turn one of us human so we can check on this boy.”

“Oh you poor unfortunate souls,” the man practically sang, making his way closer towards the two merfolk. He tilted his head to the side, neck cracking eerily, as a tendril shoved Gwen aside so he could focus on David. “Apologies, sometimes these things have a mind of their own. You two may call me Daniel, and I understand your plight. I shall help you, but it always comes at a price,” Daniel chuckled softly to himself as he went to humming.

“David, this is not a good idea,” Gwen warned, her dark purple tail lashing out at a tendril that moved a little too close for her own comfort.

“Gwen, he is one of the last sea witches who can cast this spell in a timely manner,” David whispered. “What is your price?” he asked, staring Daniel down.

Daniel gave another chuckle, opening some books and scrolls before finding the right spell. “Well, the spell will last three days and you would have to give up your voice for the legs. If you do not return to the water in three days, then I am afraid your transformation will become permanent,” he explained, grabbing a blank parchment and writing up a contract. “Now we also have to deal with some legal proceedings, so your king can’t say what we’re doing is against his laws…” he started to ramble.

“But this whole thing is against our king’s laws! Listen David, this whole thing is too sketchy and very dangerous. Frankly, I don’t fucking trust this guy,” Gwen remarked, narrowing her eyes at Daniel with pure suspicion.

“Please watch your language,” Both David and Daniel said simultaneously. They looked at each other, David giving a very bright grin while Daniel held a wide grin that was more unnerving to Gwen.

“Well, you could stick with me. I like to make my price known and clear, or you could go to the other sea witch. A real devil of the sea, then again he has his eye on the king who imprisoned him. Why, I hear he wants him as a mate and would probably use your plight to bring himself closer to said king,” Daniel chuckled darkly to himself.

“He takes advantage of poor unfortunate souls such as yourselves. He might even want to claim your souls for his collection, putting them in pain. In need,” he continued to hum, leering at the two merfolk as his tendrils wrapped themselves around their waists and brought them closer to him. “Why, compared to him I’m a saint. Helping those in need, and for a fair price.”

David shook his head, eyes completely wide as he looked at Gwen. He then looked at Daniel once more. “Please tell me the details of the contract,” he finally said after a few moments.

“Excellent choice! Now,” Daniel began, unfurling the contract as he held a pen out to David. “In exchange for your voice, I will give you legs for three days. Before the sun sets on the final day, you must return to the sea lest you remain human forever. Now I also require a fee of my own. I need a suitable offering for my gods, which I will collect after your deadline. Do we have a deal?”

David took one last look at Gwen, noticing the worried look she gave. As he took the pen, he gave a nod. “Deal,” he said, singing the contract and watching as it rolled up and went into Daniel’s hand.

“Wonderful!” Daniel cheered, clapping a couple tendrils together as he went towards the bubbling cauldron and began putting in various ingredients. “Now, I need you to start singing for me,” he said with a purr.

As soon as they were released, Gwen swam over and embraced David. “You don’t have to do this. We can find another way,” she tried to reason one last time.

“Trust me Gwen, it will be fine,” David whispered, giving her a gentle kiss on the cheek as he turned towards the cauldron. He then opened his mouth and began to sing, closing his eyes and going louder with encouragement from Daniel.

Soon David could no longer feel anything come from his throat, and yet he could still hear his voice. When he opened his eyes, he could see a small glowing ball float towards Daniel as the sea witch went and put said ball into a jar.

When he went to ask something, David went wide eyed as not a single sound came out.

“Alright, now we just have to,” Daniel began to murmur, dipping a hand into the potion before cupping some of the liquid and pouring it into the jar. After putting a cork on it, he shook the jar and then tossed it at David. “There you go. Just head to the surface and drink this, you will have your legs then. Good luck!” He cheerfully said, giving both merfolk a wave as they swam out of his lair.

Gwen shot one last glare of suspicion at Daniel as she swam out with David. She then gave a sigh and set a hand on her mate’s shoulder. “Are you sure you want to go through with this? It isn’t too late. We can take this to our king and he can help us,” she offered.

David shook his head, looking up to the surface. He opened his mouth to try and tell Gwen, but he seemingly forgot that he gave up his voice. He looked to his mate and gave a smile before mouthing to her.

For Max.

[rainydawgradioblog]

RDR Essentials - Folk & Country (5/05)

RDR Essentials is a weekly newsletter of alternating genres that outlines key releases of the past month, upcoming events around Seattle and happenings in the specified music genre.

Made in collaboration between Rainy Dawg DJs and the Music Director.

Releases:

Church of Roswell - Here Comes Church of Roswell

Candi Carpenter and Josh Doyle are the duo that make up Church of Roswell. Here Comes Church of Roswell is their first EP, and it is brilliant musically and lyrically. Carpenter has performed at the Grand Ole Opry. She covers Dolly Parton songs, and she is very good at it. Doyle’s claim to fame is as a member of a British pop-punk band called The Dum Dums— in the early 2000s, they made a bit of a splash in England. The two couldn’t be more different and yet, somehow, they work by embracing the eclectic. Overall, Here Comes Church of Roswell is incredibly cohesive and it’s best listened to in order, where the songs flow with clear intentionality. 

The EP opens with “Werewolf,” which, as lyrically devastating as it is, doesn’t sound downtrodden. Carpenter and Doyle’s comforting wash of harmonies shine on “Rocketeer” especially, where the two repeat the phrase, “Nothing is going to bring me down today.” The melody on “Rocketeer” is about as infectiously lighthearted and catchy as it gets. The themes of existentialism and outer space are some of Carpenter’s favorites to explore (see her solo track “The Astronaut” for ample proof of this).

Any fan of the kind of folk-rock popularized by the Lumineers will love the track “Love is a Killer.” This track has a clear, upbeat urgency, which “The Witcher” serves as a continuation of. “The Witcher” particularly highlights the enormous talent Carpenter and Doyle’s backing band, many of whom are also members of Jason Isbell’s acclaimed The 400 Unit. 

As a listener, with the expansive “Canary” as the last track, you’re left wanting more. And congratulations, you’re now a congregant of the Church of Roswell. 

— Michele Rubinstein 

Ashley Monroe - Rosegold 

Ashley Monroe is arguably more known as a member of the all-female supergroup the Pistol Annies than she is for her solo work, which is a real shame. Normally, Monroe is a masterclass in vulnerability and the confessional. She has never been afraid to branch out. While her latest (and highly anticipated) album isn’t a departure from her adventurous norm, it is a departure from her standout poignancy.

In Rosegold’s 10 synth-heavy tracks, Monroe lends much of her writing to cliché. With lines like “wind blowing waves in your hair” and “you're movin' mountains in me,” the song “Groove” best exemplifies this unfortunate decision. 

Tracks like “Flying” and “See” emphasize that Monroe’s intention was to craft an airy, ethereal body of work and, while that is admirable, it has also resulted in an album almost devoid of substance. 

“Til it Breaks” and “The New Me” are the standout tracks on this album. The only problem is that they’re the last few tracks. By the time I got to them, the disappointment had already set in. I still think Monroe is incredibly talented, but she’s got better albums under her belt than this one. 

— Michele Rubinstein 

Taylor Swift - Fearless (Taylor’s Version)

Okay… In a writeup of recent country releases there was NO way I wasn’t going to include Taylor Swift’s remastering of her 2008 Fearless album. Swift’s intention with her planned re-recordings is to regain control of her master recordings. The public stab at music manager Scooter Braun, who currently owns the original masters, is just a plus.  

Fearless (Taylor’s Version) intrinsically invokes nostalgia that knows no bounds in its audience, much of whom were very young when Fearless was first released. The iconic opening line of “Love Story” — “We were both young when I first saw you…” — suddenly has a double meaning. 

Predictably, the re-recordings sound much more polished than their original counterparts. It became clear from the get-go that this was not going to be Taylor Swift re-enacting her teenage self; instead, she would perfectly juxtapose the songs of her adolescence with her current vocal maturity. This is most evident on the track “Fifteen” where, at 31 years old, Swift reflects back on her freshman year of high school. Swift goes about the re-recording of “The Best Day” in a similar manner, and it’s deceptively simple sounding considering the complex topics that Swift is exploring. Somehow, Swift successfully evokes her adolescence more skillfully now than she did fresh out of it. 

The album also includes six previously unreleased “from the vault” songs. Two of the six (“You All Over Me” and “That’s When”) include collaborations with Maren Morris and Keith Urban respectively. However, I’d argue that “Mr. Perfectly Fine” is the best of the six— As an upbeat, scream along in your car type break-up song, it’s reminiscent of Kelly Clarkson’s Breakaway era. 

— Michele Rubinstein 

Croy and the Boys - Of Course They Do 

Croy and the Boys embody the ideals of traditional outlaw country music with a modern twist (Singer and guitarist Corey “Croy'' Baum identifies generally as an anarchist and anti-capitalist. I will leave it to you to decide if that is a traditional outlaw ideal or not.) Their latest release Of Course They Do is a six-track EP entirely made up of punk covers. 

One of the covers (The Dicks’ song “Hate the Police”) is renamed “Croy Hates the Police,” but otherwise remains unchanged. The decision to cover punk songs is one I find particularly interesting, because punk songs tend to be both politically charged and poignant lyrically, but a lot of that is incoherent in the traditional punk sound. By stripping back punk songs, Croy and the Boys clearly emphasize that punk is more than a sound.

My favorite track off of the EP is “Do They Owe Us A Living,” which was originally written by the band Crass over 40 years ago. While Croy and the Boys have updated some of the lyrics, the song’s underlying message is as relevant as ever. Baum describes how the song felt particularly “timely” to revisit in the midst of the pandemic, “watching as Washington debated whether to send us relief checks.” 

And, by the way, the song’s answer to the question “Do they owe us a living?” is a resolute, repeated, “course they do.” 

— Michele Rubinstein 

Upcoming Releases:

Miranda Lambert, Jack Ingram, and Jon Randall - The Marfa Tapes (5/7)

I don’t think I could overstate how excited I am about this collaboration if I tried. The two singles released in anticipation of the album (“Geraldene” and “Anchor”) have, impossibly, only increased my excitement. Lambert, Ingram , and Randall have collaborated before: in 2016, they met on a front porch in Marfa, Texas, and wrote “Tin Man,” one of Lambert’s most devastating ballads. Last September, when the three met in Marfa again, The Marfa Tapes were written around a campfire. It’s clear that, if not for the pandemic, this collaboration would never have been released. 

As popular as she is, I’d argue that Miranda Lambert’s talent and versatility as an artist is criminally underrated. Lambert regularly sells out arenas. As single take, live recordings ridden with perfect imperfections, The Marfa Tapes are an obvious departure from her polished, dramatic norm— though they do include a stripped back version of “Tin Man.” 

Other standout singles released so far include the twangy “Geraldene” and an emotional ballad called “Anchor.”

Broken Hearts & Dirty Windows: Songs of John Prine, Vol. 2 (10/8)

I know I may be getting a bit ahead of the game by referring to an October release as an upcoming release. But, the two singles (covers of Prine’s songs “Paradise” and “I Remember Everything” by Sturgill Simpson and Brandi Carlile respectively) released from this one already make it clear that it’s worth building up your anticipation now. 

This is the second volume of a compilation honoring the late singer-songwriter John Prine, who died of complications from COVID-19 last year. Prine’s independent record label Oh Boy Records has yet to release the album’s tracklist. 

[mariska]

oh also!!! if you do happen to be a new follower/visitor in my lil corner of the internet: hello!! my name is maya but i prefer using the name mariska online and as an artist name/stage name for my work so if we are not already acquainted and/or buddies i would prefer if you call me mariska! (or mar, mari, etc, nicknames are completely fine by me as long as they are not mean spirited lol. 'mariska' was a nickname for me for the past decade before i decided to actually use it as an artist name, so i'm the most used to 'mar' as the shortened version ✌️)

on here and instagram i am probably most known for making edited photosets of movies/shows/media in general playing on my pink disney princess tv which i have a tag for here (though not everything i tag shows up in it??? if u use the 'search' box on my blog and just put in the disney princess tv its more reliable to see them all i think lol), on the ol' tiktok i am probably most known for cosplaying as amanda from saw and tiffany from chucky and also in like 2019 i did a fun silly lil karaoke duet in a closet cosplay of kiba from naruto with a neji and hinata that got way more views than i thought it would and many people have told me that i am apparently in a couple of 'tiktok cosplayer' compilation videos on youtube because of that. absolutely horrifying information for me to just have in the back of my mind LMFAO

i mostly use youtube just to watch a few channels i like but i do have an account where i sometimes post silly clips of me and my friends playing video games and one fan made lemon demon music video that somehow breached like 20k views in a year that was bonkers. also i am a collector and two of my fav things to collect are physical copies of movies/shows/etc. and physical copies of music (mostly vinyl records) so if u use letterboxd or discogs i am lurking around on there too

also i am an independent musician, primarily a singer/songwriter/composer but i play (mostly electric) guitar and im always trying to get better at producing and mastering my own recordings when i'm able to; because of how difficult life has been for me lately being disabled and high risk for You Know What i unfortunately only have one song officially self-released online so far and i made it before i was very generously gifted a much more professional music recording setup by a family member so. thats the situation on that fjksdjsgsjdgj but i have written literally hundreds of songs in the past two yrs so as soon as im physically and mentally able to record again i will be releasing new stuff asap 😭😭😭 u can find my musician profiles here: youtube | instagram | bandcamp | and heres a general list of places to stream my music from like spotify and apple music etc. i cannot work a more traditional job due to my disabilities so if you are interested in supporting me or my music, bandcamp is set to pay what you want and i get the best cut of any hypothetical sales from there, but i very much appreciate the support of my music at all on any platform!! if thats not really ur jam i also have a depop page i've been running myself for the past year and a half or so, right now its like 90% stuff i dont use/wear anymore and found while cleaning/organizing my house but in the future whenever its properly safe for me to partake in the world outside of my house again i'm hoping to be able to make it a regularly updated shop with cool yard/estate sale type findings so any support on there is very helpful and appreciated too! i only just began having an income of my own at all last year when i was finally accepted to get monthly disability payments but i only get them once a month, so the depop sales even very small ones help a lot for me to get any money in between those once a month allowances

uhhhh lemme see what else.........i've had this blog since 2010 when i was 13 so its just kind of a dusty cobweb infested mess in here but the tags for my artwork are here and my 'pics of me' tag is here so go wild i suppose......uhhhhhhhhHhh also i have two moms! no i am not adopted and no neither of my moms were in relationships with men when i was born and after 25 years of answering everyones questions about my existence i am simply too tired to be a spectacle for people anymore so please do not ask about it, however there's this great movie called Seed Of Chucky so if you just cant get rid of that invasive curiosity i invite u to watch that instead of asking me how i was born, great documentary for nonbinary non-anonymous donor kids everywhere

ok i have to go take a shower and get dressed now bye

just for the record i know im goofing a lot reblogging posts about shooing away twitter users who are coming here as their primary social media instead but in genuine honesty i truly do not care and im not like, legitimately bothered by that fjsdggsshsbshgh just wanted to put that out there in case i happen to have or get any new followers here from that move, i am autistic so its important to me to make sure ppl know when im goofing around and being sarcastic vs when i am actually Very Much Against something lol

[hillbillyhippiemusicreview]

POST #11 - Festival of the Red 2019

Y’all, in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, about 50 miles east of the Horse Capital of the Word, is what I often refer to as “my favorite place on earth.” The Red River Gorge National Geological Area. The Red River Gorge is known for many things worldwide. Native American Artifacts, Petroglyphs, and Moonshiners made this place a hotbed among researches in years passed. The Red, as it is referred to by many who call it home or frequent the area, is also a Mecca for outdoor activities. Activities such as Rock Climbing, Hiking, Backpacking, Camping, Kayaking and now Music Festivals make the Red an outdoorsman’s (and outdoorswoman’s) destination.

Yeah, y’all heard me. Soon enough the Red will be known for what I believe is one of the best music festivals in Kentucky. And y’all, with the musical talent in Kentucky, that’s saying something. This year Chase and Miranda Fallen put on the 2nd Annual Festival of the Red! The festival was a stacked 3 day event with good country music and some rock that snuck their way to be headliners. And before I catch any grief, if y’all don’t think Justin Wells and the band are a rock band, just ask him.

While Festival of the Red was primarily Kentucky artists (and rightfully so, I mean Kentucky is known for horses, bourbon, basketball and music, if you disagree you’re wrong), the Fallen’s were able to sneak some talent in from all over the country. Our good friends from the Midwest, Chris Stewart and Chad Vaughn were there, along with a our favorite Alabama boy Ritch Henderson. It’s always good to see these fellas along with General Jim and his better half Victoria from The Honky-Tonk Hotel. If y’all aren’t familiar with them, check em out and give em a follow. They do some amazing things to help the small time artists that are trying to make it in this crazy business.

The lineup in no particular order was as follows: Ed Hughes, Spooky Fox, The Handshake Deals, Waylon Nelson, Jinx Machine, Aaron Boyd, Jeremey Short, TA Clay and the Soulminers, Donovan Howard, Ritch Henderson (with special guest MarDe Brooks), Jen Richardson, Luna & The Mountain Jets, Chris & Jen Shouse, Chad Vaughn, Chris Stewart (aka King of Algeria), Charles Wesley Godwin, Eric Bolander & These Assholes, Laid Back Country Picker, Josh Nolan, Sean Whiting and the Handsome Bastards, Chelsea Nolan, Justin Wells, Don Rogers, The Local Honeys, Ethan Wayne, Tyler Smith, Seth Ferguson, and finally John Clay. Y’all, if you don’t think that is an absolutely incredible lineup then your moonshine is gonna make you go blind, your beer is hot, and your bourbon ain’t from Kentucky.

While we got there to setup camp on Thursday (in what felt like the Sahara), the music didn’t start until Friday. At 2pm on Friday Mr. Ed Hughes broke the stage in and kicked things off. This was a simple set with Ed playing and singing while sitting on a stool. Honestly, because it was the first set on a Friday, the crowd was a little scarce , but it was pretty cool just to see him give it his all anyways. Y’all, Ed is one hell of a guitar picker and is pure country when he sings.

After Ed, a new act that I hadn’t seen before graced the tie dye stage with his presence. Spooky Fox came out and just filled the holler with energy. He had one of the best stage presence acts I have ever seen. Jumpin up and down, head bangin, jumpin off the the stage and shreddin guitar. He was one of my wife’s favorite acts of the night. Not to mention he is a great and personable guy. Y’all check out ol Spooky Fox on which ever fancy device you listen to your music these days. He is an electrifying entertainer and will not disappoint in a live performance!

After Spooky Fox, The Handshake Deals took the stage. Y’all, honestly I’m not sure there is an instrument that these fellas (and lady) can’t play. Acoustic and electric guitar, drums, stand up bass, mandolin, accordion, vocals. Y’all they switched every song and absolutely killed it. If you have a stand up bass and play real countryish music I’m an instant fan. I think they have an album coming out soon and I can’t wait to review it!

When The Handshake Deals finished their set, another Eastern Kentuckian Waylon Nelson took the stage. First off, I only got to talk to ol Waylon for a few minutes, but I’m pretty sure that is his real name. Waylon Nelson. Hot damn, it just sounds cool. I mean Willie, Waylon and Jesse Colter were all pretty tight together, so having your name as Waylon Nelson, you were born to play country music. So Waylon, if you are out there, start marketing yourself more, work at it a little more and play some country music. I’m pretty sure that’s what you were born to do. But, back to the review...Waylon’s type of music is really chill. As soon as he started singing, I looked over at my wife and said “now this is some whisky drinkin music.” It’s tranquil and relaxing with great lyrics. When y’all get a chance, check out his music page and give “Colorado High” a listen! I also wouldn’t do this bit justice if i didn’t mention who he had on stage with him. The lovely Kris Preston played with Waylon and y’all she is talented. She can sing and play multiple instruments, including the mandolin and the banjo. Yes, the freaking banjo. If you can do that on stage, you are talented and can put on a good show. I always say that you never see super young people play the banjo, because it takes a lifetime to master. Kris however, is young and killed it. She’s definitely a great musician!

After Waylon, a lineup change gave the Alabama boy Ritch Henderson a chance to play 2 sets. Y’all, I saw Ritch at Tumbleweed, I’ve got his EP and I’ve gotten to know the guy well. He served our country in the Marines and he is a heck of a guy. When it comes to his singing and songwriting, he is next to none. If y’all dig a down home fella that has a passion for music and is giving it literally everything he has, then listen to Ritch Henderson. “The Story So Far,” “We All Fall Sometimes,” and “Lonesome, All I’ll Ever Be” are masterpieces that can stand up to the likes of Jason Isbell, Arlo McKinley and so on.

Unfortunately, due to some unforeseen circumstances, my night ended there. I’m disappointed that I didn’t get to see the other sets, especially Aaron Boyd and Jeremy Short, but hey in the words of the late great John R. Cash, “I guess things just happen that way.”

Saturday came early with a 9am set from Livingston Kentucky’s Donovan Howard. Y’all, as unfortunate as it is, someone has to start the day off and Donovan pulled that straw. There were “maybe” 20 people out there watching, which is a shame, because Donovan is stone cold country. The guy was reppin’ a “Death Before Pop Country” shirt and playing a vintage guitar. It was acoustic set with just him singing and it was a great way to start the morning. The fella has a traditional sound and will throw a little new age flare in there every once in awhile. Donovan writes about things he knows and he does it well.

When the big hand struck 10am, Ritch Henderson got another chance to grace us with his presence. Unfortunately Ritch’s voice wasn’t allowing him to sing a lot. I blamed it on the eastern Kentucky allergies. Ritch however, told us that the real reason is because he played back to back shows and sang for an ungodly amount of time in 3 different venues over just a few days. So, Ritch sang one song before giving the Stage to MarDe Brooks. MarDe is another Bama boy who I had recently met and y’all he’s talented. MarDe is one of those fellas that helps to “make country music sad again” and he likes to write songs about whisky. Sad country music and whisky, the fella has my vote. MarDe Brooks 2020. Y’all, MarDe also covered “Hurricane” (no not the Luke Combs one...) and freaking knocked it over the hills. I’ve been debating recently if I liked The Band of Heathens’ version or Shane Smith and the Saints’ version better. I was having trouble deciding and then this guy threw his hat into the ring and I’m at a stalemate. MarDe, if you are reading this, RECORD HURRICANE AND RELEASE IT!

When Ritch and MarDe finished up their set, Ed Hughes took the stage again, but this time he was accompanied by Jen Richardson. I’ve already talked to y’all about Ed, but y’all Jen can sing! She’s extremely talented and her voice is like that of yesteryear women singers. She can stand with Trisha and the best of em! A cool little moment was when Jen and Ed had some “special guests” on the stage to sing Ed’s son’s favorite tune. Y’all can catch a glimpse of that below:

After Ed and Jen were finished filling the holler with good country music, another great Kentucky band took the stage. Luna & the Mountain Jets laid out a great set full of mountain music. I tell y’all, Dave and Teresa Prince put together one heck of a band and can jam out like no other. Y’all just ask ol Timmy Tyler Childers and Kid Rock if you don’t believe me. And if y’all don’t know what I’m talking about somewhere on the internet is a video of Tyler, Teresa, Dave and some other great musicians singing with a smiling Kid Rock runnin around filming it. Without me getting too long winded, I’ll just tell y’all to check them out when you get the chance, you can thank me later!

After Luna & The Mountain Jets, the heat got to me and I had to take a little break in the AC. So, I’ll talk about the sets I caught and then I’ve got a special surprise for y’all. With that being said, the next 2 sets I did see were Chad Vaughn and Chris Stewart. For those of y’all that aren’t familiar with these two, they are from the Midwest. If I remember correctly, both from KC, just from different states...Yeah KC works that way. It’s weird. Actually I think there are 2 Kansas City’s, but whatever, we are hear to talk about music, not geography. Anyways, despite attending 2 years of Tumbleweed right in their backyard, this was the first time I was able to catch a live set of either. Chad went on first and y’all I was impressed. Chad isn’t a hard core honky-tonk type musician. In the words of the lady standing by me, Chad is a technical singer. He hits all of those notes perfectly and knocks it out of the park every time. He is also a great song writer! You combine a mellow and technical voice with a great song writing ability and you’ve got one heck of an artist right there. But y’all Chad doesn’t stop there. He is also one heck of a picker. I’ve only been playing guitar for a few months and I’ve been bad at practicing. But seeing Chad Vaughn, Ed Hughes, Josh Nolan, Dave Prince, Donovan Howard and Jermey Short out there, y’all i was inspired again! Y’all look this fella up on the YouTube and follow his music page.

Chris took the stage right after Chad and y’all, Chris is another fella making country music sad again. Now, I know I say that a lot, but its true. I’d be willin to bet that this guy can play more sad songs than David Allan Coe. While Chris doesn’t move around and put on a show, he doesn’t need to. His voice and song writing fills the presence of the stage. He draws you in to listen to his songs and to feel the emotion! It’s also worth mentioning that he has what may be the best beard in the business. And apparently there are rumors of him becoming a leader in Algeria or something? Y’all check him out before he head overseas, or wherever the heck Algeria is!

The next set that I caught was Laid Back Country Picker. If y’all ain’t sure who ol Laid Back is, then crawl out from under your rock and give him a google. Laid Back is actually Dave Prince as the frontman, with Teresa Prince, as Honey. Y’all this set was awesome! Laid Back just about couldn’t keep Honey contained as she was so excited to perform at Festival of the Red. Laid Back may also be one of the best guitar players I have ever seen and can put on quite the show. His crowd engagement, stage presence, antics, song writing and vocals are Kentucky gold. If you’re from Eastern Kentucky like myself, Magoffin County Cadillac is sure to make you chuckle and remind you of times when you would drop from 70 to 55 in about 0.3 seconds. Y’all just do me a favor and check our ol Laid Back Country Picker. You might even be able to catch him on the party line now and then.

After Laid Back, the next set that I watched was Josh Nolan. But, as I hinted at previously, I’ve got a surprise for ya on this one. I collaborated with a “contributing writer”, yeah that sounds fancy. Anyways, her coverage of Josh was top notch, so I’ll just post her notes on him in just a minute.

I capped my “official” night off with Chelsea Nolan followed by Justin Wells. Chelsea took the stage about dark and led us down a rockin’ path to end the night. Chelsea played some off of her album and some new ones. With live versions of “Rock Bottom,” “Bootlegger,” and “Yard Sale Yolanda,” Chelsea kept us entertained! When she writes songs, she tells stories from experiences. Just like any great song writer, especially from Kentucky, that is what makes her special. When you have Chelsea’s powerful and energetic voice on stage with Josh Nolan, John Clay, AND Jeremey Short, you know you’re in for a treat. Her set was nothing short of flawless. From her down home humble attitude, her story telling, vocals, instruments, y’all it was a good time. If I had to guess, it was also special for Chelsea to play in front of a hometown crowd and get a response like that. Her and the band gave it their all, and you could tell!

My “official” night ended with the headliner; another Kentucky product in Justin Wells. While up until now, Festival of the Red was stone cold country, somehow when Justin and the fellas took the stage, a rock band was suddenly headlining a country music festival in the middle of the Eastern Kentucky Mountains! After coming off of a hiatus to rest up his vocal chords from a scary situation, Justin ended the night with a bang! Along with some hits off of his previous album, Justin played a couple of new ones in “Ruby” and “Temporary Blues” This fella is another song writer that writes about experiences and what he knows. Justin’s lyrics tell a story and put you in the right in the middle of a scene. Justin’s passion shows through in his lyrics and in his performance. If y’all don’t believe me, just take a look at thie picture below. If that ain’t a passionate performance then I don’t know what is. Especially for a guy that recently had his vocal chords on the verge of hemorrhaging! I can’t stress enough how much y’all need to catch Justin. I mean heck, I’ve seen him 3 times this year. I also cannot wait for his new record “The United State” to come out. All I know is what Justin told the crowd. It will come out when it comes out.

Y’all unfortunately I had “responsibilities” back in the city and didn’t catch any other sets. It was nothing against any artist, because everyone there was extremely talented! However, I do have a write up from our new contributing writer, Amy Fletcher! Amy knows her way around the music scene and I am honored to have her write with me. And, shameless plug, her daughter Hannah Fletcher is also an artist so y’all be sure to look her up! Anyways, I’ll quit ramblin’ and let y’all hear what Amy had to say about a few of the sets that I didn’t catch:

Charles Wesley Godwin. This guy put on an amazing set. His music is a wonderful representation of Appalachia. His voice resonates a beautiful vibrato with lyrics so simple and well put together. His song "Coal Country" strikes a sympathetic nerve with his description of the struggle of the fading world of the coal miner.

There aren't enough adjectives to describe Josh Nolan. His newly released Album, "Kind Heart To Follow" is one that cannot be missed. Not only is Josh a lyrical genius, he is an arrangement genius. He was joined onstage by a band who worked together like a well-oiled machine. His song, "East Kentucky Skyline" allows an opportunity for listeners to put themselves in a relatable situation of the colors peeking over the trees during the sunset. One can tell that Josh disappears in his mind during his performance, giving so much emotion it's as if one can reach out and feel it. This album is a must on the playlist.

Sean Whiting.....there are no words. Joined on stage by Laid Back Country Picker, Sean put on a performance that cannot he forgotten. His talent of raw southern rock-and-roll put him in a special class. His lead guitarist (I can't remember his name) made his guitar speak. For 20 years old that person was something special. Sean celebrated his birthday Saturday but the audience were the ones who walked away with the prize. His performance was one to stick with you.

The only show I caught Sunday was John Clay. John and his guitar is all that was needed. His audience consisted of about 6 people as his set was the last of the day. The rain had set in and drove many home earlier in the day. John has an uncanny ability to tell a story through his music and put the audience in the specific location. He finished out Festival of the Red and those who rode out the weather were given the treat of witnessing his performance.

Earlier, I kept saying my “official set” and other mysterious things. That was because I stuck around until a little after 2am on Saturday Night/Sunday Morning for a Song Swap around the campfire. Ritch Henderson, Chad Vaughn, Chris Stewart, Jermey Short, Sean Whiting, Josh Nolan, MarDe Brooks, and Hannah Fletcher stood around a campfire with 25 or so people and just played guitar, sang and just had a good ol time. There were a ton of originals mixed in along with Outfit, Can’t Ya See, In Color, Mama Tried, Queen of My Double Wide Trailer, Seven Spanish Angels, Ring of Fire, and a slew of other great tunes. Ya’ll it was a crazy surreal time as it was my first campfire song swap surrounded by that kind of talent. There was even a freaking tetradactyl screeching occasionally! Yeah, you read that right. Weird things happen in the mountains at night. If you don’t believe me ask Amy and Hannah. They will back me up on that!

Alright y’all, that’s my write up on Festival of the Red. Make sure to check out the photo album on the facebook page! Share and give us a like so others can discover the greatness that is Festival of the Red and these artists that deserve WAY more recognition than they get!

A special thanks to Chase and Miranda Fallen for putting on a great festival and letting me cover it. To Amy for teaming up with me and writing part of this! And to my wife, Lauren, for taking notes, editing this post, and enduring the heat with me! Until next time...

-Cheers, N.

*This is an independent review. The Hillbilly Hippie Music Review was not compensated for this review.

*The opinions expressed are solely that of the author(s).

*The artwork shown is not ours, nor do we claim it in any way. Rights belong to Festival of te Red.

[musearch-blog]

Olivia O’Brien: All about her music

Hi everyone!

Do you remember the “I hate u, love you” song by Gnash that became really popular in 2017? Did you know that the featured artist, and original author, in this track was a 16-year-old girl who had previously covered one of Gnash’s songs on SoundCloud? Her name is Olivia O’Brien and today we are going to explore her career as a singer and songwriter while analyzing how has her perception of life and love changed through the years.

The Single “Trust Issues” is her first solo single. This song talks about how she is not able to maintain a relationship because of her own doubts about people, she can’t help distrusting  everyone. She uses the classic phrase “It’s not you it’s just me”, explaining that she can’t let anyone love her due to her fear of betrayal. Olivia states that she has Trust Issues which cannot be solved.

https://open.spotify.com/album/6xiOhG85RasYka2y4CNMAU?si=abGtTm3XRgWCsTPWzX2sRw

Let’s not forget, that she uploaded the demo version of “hate u love u” on Soundcloud during 2016. The previously mentioned single, later officially recorded with much better sound quality and some little fixes here and there, talks about how Olivia is very close to a guy who’s she’s in love with. The issue here (because there’s always a problem) is that he doesn’t love her back, cause he’s in love with another girl. In this song, the american songwriter expresses sadness and impotence for not being able to “be her”, the one he loves, while blaming him for not noticing her. As well, she’s aware that thinking about him is not healthy, but she just can’t stop. Olivia loves him and hates him at the same time... Yeah, those feelings are relatable to almost everyone.  

https://open.spotify.com/album/0rajxwGsaQ1sqoegXK6gvw?si=7z6RsGG6QpiMTvFb6IPA7w

Now, moving on to her next single “Root Beer FLoat (prod. by Gnash)”, is kinda weird�� I mean, if your listen to this song and interpret it literally, your first impression of Olivia would be that she’s flying up in cannabis clouds. Nevertheless, then you'll realize that she’s actually describing how it’s like to  get faded and live a crazy life full of “fun”. We’ll see later how her perception of debauchery later changes.

https://open.spotify.com/album/4P0lFGK6UFLojxEzh6DqBM?si=xEJar-V6RTW2gfITcp-YyQ

Her next song is “Find what you’re looking for”, which is such an empowering single. It talks about how Olivia grew tired of loving to a boy who doesn’t really cares about her but asks her to stay because he doesn't want to be lonely.  In other words, she regrets staying for so long when she knew that everything was a lie and finally says goodbye giving her best wishes to her ex. Also she portrays one of the most common situations now a day: girls and boys being rebellious and trying to look cool when they are actually trying to fill that void inside of them. Basically, she realizes that she’s more precious than a boy who’s using her as a toy.

Sorry, I couldn’t find the cover in better definition :c

https://open.spotify.com/album/09bMRl0m2qgtMT6QzOP4pd?si=MStFQ2aTTL2IIr3fDWZ7mw

In 2017, Olivia finally released her first EP called “It’s not that deep”! And let me tell you that this album is perfect for those times when you stop believing in love. *insert sad melody*

https://open.spotify.com/album/5XFhtk8Svc1NWYYgrkZjpI?si=vdWve4YTRlSKJlyYEDNxJw

The opening song, “Tequilawine”,  is inspired by a party where she got drunk by pouring tequila into a half empty wine bottle and chugged it. Really poetic, Olivia. Nonetheless, the song itself expresses the reason behind this reckless behavior: She wants a guy who played with her before but she doesn’t want to expose herself that easily, as a result, she's “Mixing this drinks until he’s out of focus” so that she won’t even notice him.

The second song is “F*ck Feelings” where, as the title says, she condemns feelings because of her confusion at trying to figure out if her crush feels something for her when she has already fallen for him. Although, because she knows that she’s isn’t able to handle him turning her down, she tries to keep a distance which becomes impossible due to her love towards that boy. I know, this sounds like a tongue twister: another reason to hate how complicated feelings are.

Moving on to “Empty”, this song is really, really deep, so I would recommend you to move on to the next paragraph if you are a sensible person. This song is more about personal feelings and struggles, conversely to the previous songs. According to Olivia, it was really difficult to write this song because it let the world know that she’s vulnerable and can get easily sad. Basically, the song portrays how feeling empty is like: you feel like you don’t have anymore reasons to live and you just wanna throw yourself away; you can’t control your auto destructive behavior and just let yourself drown in alcohol and drugs; you can’t see the point in living but you’re just too afraid to die; and even if you are trying to do your best to fix yourself, you keep making everything worse, so eventually you just give up and wait for the inevitable. It’s really hard to portray this kind of emotions in a single song and it’s even harder to share it with the world: one of the reasons why I admire Olivia O’Brien, she has been even deeper that rock bottom and managed to return to the surface.

Now, let’s shake off all the sad vibes and move on to another empowering song! Its name is “R.I.P” and it means so much to me because it helped me to overcome a difficult moment in my live. It let me know that it’s okay to miss the good ol’ times even if they are not coming back, but eventually, you have to bury that memory and move on, be strong enough to “not answer that sh*t” because it doesn't matter anymore. So, R.I.P in a nutshell: One of Olvia’s closest friend or perhaps boyfriend has drastically changed, he became just like the people they hated; as a result, she’s leaving his memory six feet under, knowing that it won’t come back and it’s better to get over it.

The last single of “It’s not that deep” is ..... “No love”! We can chill a bit because this song is not that personal: get some snacks and drinks an enjoy a break from deep feelings. Olivia  realized that people in the music industry are just fake. They give fake love in order to get credit, fame and contacts, and once they achieve their goal, they just stab you in the back. Yeah, just like high school but the students are famous and extremely rich. So, as an evidence of how this situation annoys Olivia, she wrote this song as a way to low-key expose them and show what really happens in L.A. 

Spoiler Alert: This is just the beginning of a rivalry between Oliva and the music industry.

Finally, her next Album “Was It Even Real?” will be released on April 26th, 2019; although she has already shared 4 singles that will be included in this album. 

Note: Today, 31/03/19, Olivia realeased the 5th single “Just Friends”, nevertheless, it wont be included in this analysis :c

We’ll start with “UDK”, this song is about people who start hating, judging and talking about people who they don’t know (UDK is the abbreviation for You don’t know). She explains that nowadays everyone believes whatever they hear without any proof. Unfortunately, what she says is amazingly accurate, and I’m a 99.9% sure that you been through the same problem at least once in your life.  

https://open.spotify.com/album/1htk6Vanc9Gl494tL0V3iB?si=Fw2DCgULRr-Nx_-KvLGvgQ

The next song, “I don’t exist”, is also one of my favorites. It was born as a result of one of Olivia’s therapeutic writing sessions where she lets all of her feelings out of her head. This track describes how there are times when you feel so empty and depressed that it gives you a sense of not being anywhere. During these times you don’t find your life interesting and just wanna go back to when everything was brighter. And, even if you try everything to feel excited and happy again, it never lasts: it’s difficult to know if you are real when you can’t feel anything. Nonetheless, it's important to recall that you are your own salvation: the change begins with yourself and only you have the power to decide how are you gonna get out of the situation. Fortunately, this amazing songwriter has also given some advices to her fans through social media in cased they feel identified with the struggles she mentions in her music.

Fun Fact: This song is also inspired by her experiences at the music industry. What’s your opinion about L.A now? 

https://open.spotify.com/album/0VEtZgtg2Uk4CvT37cFgBx?si=SFJLmCWfRJ6MBEE1scfseQ

The third track is “Care Less More”. It perfectly describes a relationship where two people frequent each other in order to fill up the gap left by their ex-lovers. Nevertheless, they are unsure, so they keep telling themselves that they don’t feel anything for each other while playing “this game of who can care less more”. Moreover, if you pay attention to the last part of the song, you can realize that Olivia is subliminally suggesting that the boy is actually caring about her. Although, this is just my point of view.

https://open.spotify.com/album/0trfa5BfNcC0Wp5wBy7eHu?si=HykMEpx7Rm66wfcD83HMcg

Finally! Her last track, and probably the most inspiring, “Love Myself” was released this year. After NUMEROUS sad songs, Olivia has found the solution to most of her problems: Just love yourself. During the first Verses, she states that she’s different from everyone else and isn’t even sure of who she is. Conversely, she affirms that it doesn’t matter if you don’t have a solid plan yet, you just have to let all the judgements go and start loving yourself. Olivia realizes that it’s senseless to care about what will people say because they are gonna talk anyways. So... why don’t just be yourself? In addition, she affirms that in order to truly love someone, you have to love yourself, otherwise, you will lose yourself.

https://open.spotify.com/album/4gg4tspg0MgBXY4SF2DhTb?si=MODP70auRNKgQevS7_Jlvw

To sum up, Olivia O’Brien is an extraordinary songwriter with so much to share to the world despite her age. Her music is basically focused on personal struggles and it’s main purpose is to let her fans know that it’s okay to feel that way and that she has actually been through that; nevertheless, you will eventually get over it and move on. Also, I can assure you that hearing to these songs when you are feeling down will help you to clarify your feelings and get a better perception of your situation; and later or sooner. you will find a solution to everything.

We have to survive the storm in orden to find the clarity, we have to fall before we get up and we have to make mistakes in order to learn.

[jennas-seltzer-review]

Natural Light: Catalina Lime Mixer flavor

You knew this was coming. I knew this was coming.

Natty Light is in the seltzer game, baby, and despite not being in college for a solid five years, I decided I had to get a piece of that. There are two flavor offerings currently, Aloha Beach and Catalina Lime Mixer. I decided that if I’m going to review a seltzer version of a college beer, I gotta pick the one that’s a Step Brother’s reference.

So first things first, we have to talk about this product before we even drink it. Something that stands out about it is that, despite most seltzers being in a taller, slim can, this one comes lookin’ like a regular ol’ brewski. I know you’re thinking “Didn’t Natty Light get the memo? Bros will still drink seltzer even in a skinny can.” I mean you’re right, but Natty KNOWS they have a college bro to keep up with. You gotta make it a mystery of what’s in that koozie, dawg. Beer cans are bro cans and Natty clearly wants their seltzer to fit in nicely with the rest of the bro lineup. Guys that drink Natty seltzer don’t smoke Juuls, they either have those incredibly large vapes that you have to hold in your entire fist or some expensive cigars that they smoke exclusively because their grandfather does, no in-between.

Something else that makes this seltzer Very Bro is that it has slightly more alcohol than your typical spiked seltzer. It has 6% ABV, where most seltzers usually have 4-5%. I know Four Loko teased that they might release their own spiked seltzer with a whopping 15% ABV (which, if real, I will try, although I am terrified), but for now Natty Light is wearing the “Most Alcoholic (to my knowledge)” crown.

Now it’s time for the flavor. Oh god the flavor. I’m just gonna be real here, I don’t really like how this seltzer tastes. I’m going to give it credit that there is a LOT of flavor (as opposed to the “essence” of booze fruit many other seltzers have). Unfortunately, the flavor is best described as “a red jolly rancher dissolved in NyQuil.” So, uh, not great. Ugh. I should have bought the peach one. I will say though, that it’s still very drinkable... in like a “not super drinkable” kind of way. Maybe it’s because I’m Not A Bro, but when I drank this seltzer I just kept wishing it was a different seltzer. Maybe I can’t rush Delta Apple Pie this year. Maybe too many of my shirts have sleeves. Maybe I can’t crush it with my bro Kyle at the gym. I just don’t have what it takes for this seltzer.

Anyway, something nice about this product is when I bought it at the liquor store, there was a $10 rebate offer. A case was $12. Hell yeah.*

I’m giving this a 3/10. Sorry bros.

*I submitted for this rebate and was rejected because I didn’t buy $10 of “spirits” with it. Well MAYBE they should have specified that a bunch of Cappriccio Sangrias don’t count as “””””spirits????””””

[basicgrayson]

My partner bought himself an Xbox for Xmas that came with 1 month of game pass. While browsing the selection, I noticed that Lego Star Wars TCS was available and I hit the download button so fast. It was one of my favorite games way back when. I've already unlocked all the characters and I'm working on the rest of the achievements. I'm having a ball.

I've been a bit off Star Wars as a whole since the new trilogy became a thing (even more so after TLJ), but this game is helping me remember how much I used to enjoy it.

Unfortunately, I grew up watching the 1995 VHS release. For me personally, all versions of the original trilogy released after that are unwatchable. When I was 17, I bought the 2006 DVD release for the sole reason that the original theatrical version of each film was included on "bonus discs." I still have it, and have never touched the other "main feature" discs. Every day I have lived in fear that those bonus discs will bite the dust somehow and I'll have to track down a VCR just to be able to watch Star Wars.

Btw the picture quality of those discs? Of the final legitimate release of the original unaltered trilogy? AWFUL. Watchable when there's no other option, but really just not good. Needless to say I was pretty disappointed when I heard that the versions I love wouldn't be included in the 2011 Blu-ray release.

Anyway, I decided to dig out the ol' bonus discs the other day and got through the first two films when I made a decision I'd been wembling about for quite a while. "It's a New Year and I've just turned 30. What the heck, let's try something new," I thought to myself.

I decided to finally acquire Harmy's "Despecialized" Trilogy. I was always hesitant before. I was definitely a bit of a Star Wars snob in my youth. I thought there was no way a fan-made cut could possibly be as good as the original "proper" release.

Y'all I WAS WRONG. THEY ARE SO VERY GOOD. Everything I remember and everything I love about those movies is there! And they are in HD! 720p, BUT STILL! I am so angry at my past self for depriving my current self of many happy viewings of HD Star Wars, but also I am so happy that I finally get to watch HD Star Wars! I am now planning my first 6 movie marathon of the year. Heck I might just throw in the last 2 movies as well just because I'm so darn pleased.

It just goes to show: don't be a snob! You might be depriving yourself of something wonderful! I mean don't get me wrong, you can pry my 2006 bonus discs and 1995 VHS tapes from my cold dead hands, but I'm happy I can finally retire them and appreciate them as the relics they are.

[spekture]

Some cars are rare because they are so insanely expensive only the elite (and fortunate) can purchase them…and then some cars are rare because only a few of them still exist. Either way, you’ll pay a ton of money to own a rare vehicle. But what if you found something so rare, yet so surprisingly obtainable? Enter the 1996 Nissan Skyline R33 GTR LM Limited street car. Never heard of it? Don’t worry you’re not alone. In fact, I’ve been to all kinds of car events and shown this car to literally thousands of people and I can count on two hands how many people have known about the LM. As I see it, the best thing I can do for the car world is help share the history behind the LM and what makes it so rare. Continue reading if you enjoy obscure car knowledge. Who knows, it might come up in a trivia game sometime and you will know the answer! Winning.

‘One in a Thousand’ is rare or even ‘One in five hundred’ is rare, but how about one of 98 total vehicles ever produced in the world? Let’s stop and dwell on that for a second, shall we? Here come the fun car facts! Let’s think about how many of these cars are actually on the road worldwide. The 1996 R33 GTR LM is now 20 years old and if just one vehicle per year was totaled in an accident that brings the total to 78 vehicles remaining. We are talking an endangered species here! This vehicle was never sold in the United States, so not one single person out of the 400,000,000 people in the United States was able to purchase this vehicle, EVER. An owner in New York and I were able to navigate the United States red tape, find willing sellers searching the entire world, buy the car, bring it into the U.S., and park it in our garages. Two of us total in the United Sates! That offers a little perspective on how rare this car is, and unfortunately most people will never see this car on the roads in their lifetime. It’s basically like a blue unicorn.

Now that we’ve established this car is a pretty darn rare item, let’s give a little history. The Nissan Skyline GTR model earned the name of ‘Godzilla’ by the Australians after winning 29 out of 29 straight international events in competition. Hashtag beastmode. While we’re on the subject of ‘rare’, that feat has never been repeated. Nissan then turned their focus to the 24 hours of LeMans. Rules for participation in the event require the race car to be based off of a manufacturer’s street legal car. A minimum number of road legal cars must be sold to the public in order to participate. Nissan built 2 LM race cars (these are museum items) and decided to run a special version of their R33 GTR platform to commemorate their participation in the LeMans race. These cars started as normal R33 GTR models and five specific changes were made before leaving Nissan. Carbon Fiber rear wing, Commemorative Checkered Flag Decal on the C-Pillar, N1 air ducts, N1 bonnet lip, and the most noticeable, BT2 Championship Blue paint. 99 total units were produced with chassis code 001 remaining in Nissan’s collection. The rest were sold to the public and if you were one of the 98 lucky customers, good for you!

So let’s talk about this particular car. If this were an article written in Japan, it would be pretty short and simple. I imagine it would go like this: “I wanted a rare Skyline so I called around to a few dealerships, found one, bought it.” Article finished. However, things become much more complicated when you live in the United States. The first step for me was to establish a great network of United States citizens who knew about these cars in Japan or who had worked on them before. I built a great network of the top GTR experts in the US over the course of 7 years. There weren’t a ton of people in this niche so we all became close and information traveled fast. In 2013, a good friend of mine named Steve McCarty, Owner of Rivsu Imports based out of Florida, called me and said “I have a car that I know you know about and it will be the first one to enter the United States in a decade. Do you want to talk about it?” We had a long discussion about the logistics and how we’d get this little project to the finish line but at the end of the conversation I was sold. Personally, I really hated the idea of trying to modify a United States Domestic Market (USDM) car enough to be rare. It was kind of a bucket list item to be “the only” one of a type of car at an event, so it was something that I really wanted to make happen. I of course talked to my wife, who lucky for me, is a little bit of car enthusiast that likes being unique as well, and she approved! Excited like a kid on Christmas, I made a deposit to purchase the car from a dealership in Japan.

In most stories here in the United States, purchasing the car is where the story ends. For this car, that’s where the real story begins! If you need to go grab some popcorn or a soda now is a good time to do that…I’ll wait for you…Ok let’s get in to the good stuff!

The only avenue to get this car in to the United States and be legally titled and insured was under a little known Voluntary Clean Up Program (VCP) 32. VCP32 specifically identifies the 1996 to 1998 Nissan Skyline R33 passenger car as being legal to import to the United States and gives you step by step instructions to get to the finish line. The entire compliance package is hundreds of pages and in the interest of everyone’s time I’ll just hit the high points.

The first major hurdle for us was the “Registered Importer” hurdle. According to the VCP32 document, only a Registered Importer (RI) could import the vehicle, and more specifically, the VCP32 identifies JK Technologies as the only RI who can complete the process. Enter, the lawyers. Rivsu Imports has to legally sell the vehicle to JK Technologies and ensure JK Technologies will legally sell the vehicle back once the compliance is complete. We buttered up Lois and Jonathan at JK and they agreed to take on the project! Yay! Next stop for the car, the port!

Fast forward about 60 days and the car lands in Baltimore, MD. When the car is released from Customs and Border Patrol, we have already made history! This is the first R33 GTR passenger car to enter the United States in more than a decade. Unfortunately, breaking one record doesn’t get the car to my driveway. On to the compliance package! JK Technologies is a great partner with us and has a no quit, no give up attitude to get this project to the end! Everything is firing on all cylinders (pun intended), until we come to a screeching halt. EPA requires the vehicle to perform several cold start, warm start, and various speed emissions tests to pass Unites States emissions requirements and the vehicle developed a problem during these tests – “Rod Knock.” If you are a motor head, you instantly know those two words equal “expensive!” Rod knock is essentially when a bearing in the motor fails and the motor will have to be rebuilt to perform correctly again. My car developed this dreadful condition while going through the EPA testing and JK Technologies halted testing immediately. This brings us to our second major hurdle. According to VCP32, the vehicle must pass the EPA compliance with the motor that cleared customs. This requirement exists to prevent importers from importing vehicles with nonconforming motors, swapping them with USDM motors to pass emissions and then swapping the non-conforming motor back in later. Knowing this, we all knew the test would have to be completed on a damaged motor, unfortunately no one wanted to take the blame if the motor blew up before the tests were finished. Enter the lawyers. The ultimate agreement was for Rivsu Imports to “hold JK Technologies harmless” if the car failed during the tests but to continue the tests. Heavy motor oil was put in the car to help the damage and the tests continued.

It made it! The EPA testing was completed with the motor intact. Upon completing of EPA testing the car was given its NHTSA, EPA, DOT and FMVSS approval letters to operate legally on United States roads. Phew, what a victory. It was the first time in a year and a half I sighed a moment of relief. Once the papers were issued there was no more risk of the car ever having to leave the country. I was so excited to see the car on an actual road, I scheduled a flight down to Florida to see the car in real life at the Rivsu Florida facility. What a bitter sweet moment. The car was there, I saw it, touched it, sat in it, started it up… and heard the rod knock.

Just to do a quick recap. I purchased the car in 2013 and it was released from the government as a legal vehicle in 2015. I hit the high points but there were months of waiting and working in between. All the while, I decided to build this car in the image of Nismo (Nissan’s racing division). I had 2 years to find some of the most difficult to find and discontinued Nismo parts ever made in the world. I stockpiled them all at an RB26DETT shop in Arlington, TX; Alamo Autosports. I was ready to throw the whole Nismo catalog on this car the minute it landed!

Back to our story. The car was finally ready to ship to Alamo Autosports to get it ready for the street. Thankfully, all of the parts we needed to rebuild the motor and all of the Nismo parts that I had been saving were ready to go when it arrived! The next 3 months of reconstructing the car were far more difficult than the previous 2 years. It was finally almost done and ready to roll, and I couldn’t wait to show this piece of history to the world!

December 2015, the car was FINALLY ready. I wanted to debut it at Hot Import Nights Houston, so that was our goal. It made it! I was ready for the jaw dropping reaction of spectators similar to those who see the Mona Lisa for the first time. At least that’s what I thought was going to happen after all I went through to bring this car to them. Needless to say, I was disappointed. There were a lot of patrons who enjoyed the car, but labeled it as a regular ol’ every day R33 GTR and not an ultra-rare, limited edition. I got mad. I wanted to correct everyone who walked by and told their friends “Oh damn, an R33 GTR, so cool” and walked on by. No one had a clue. No one even knew why I had the license plate LM GTR. It was supposed to be the best moment of the last 2 years and it was noticeably underwhelming.

I had to take a step back. After HIN I realized there are only two handfuls of people who truly knew what this car was. The rest, just knew of this forbidden fruit from Japan and that was it. How was I supposed to expect them to know all of the history that I knew, and all that we went through to get the car here? That’s not fair to them and certainly not fair to myself. To say I didn’t care about other people’s reactions would be a lie. No one is supposed to derive their self-worth from others but it’s kind of nice when people build you up. Come on, that’s part of the reason why we all want to own awesome cars!

After the show I drove the car home and parked it in my driveway next to my R35 GTR and left the garage door open for a minute longer than usual to simply look at what I had achieved. A network that started 10 years prior, took multiple companies, lawyers, time zones, miles, countries, languages, shops, family, and friends was finally sitting in my garage, and I had the keys, the title, and the papers to prove it. No one else needed to tell me I had done something amazing, at that moment, I knew I had.

Curious about importing a car from Japan? David shares his story and the journey of the Skyline GTR R33 LM. #spekture #nissan #gtr #R33 #lm #godzilla Some cars are rare because they are so insanely expensive only the elite (and fortunate) can purchase them…and then some cars are rare because only a few of them still exist.