#would love to make it to the officially nominated list

[clarislam]

My two amateur sleuth murder mysteries, "Winner Takes All" and "Engagement To Die For," are can be nominated for the 2023 Indie Ink Awards!

Both books can be nominated for up to five categories. Please feel free to share this post - nominating both books would be amazing to get more spotlight on my work!

Nominations last until the end of Nov. 2023, based on what the Indie Ink Awards FAQ page says, so make sure you do so before the month is over!

Thanks in advance for your support! I really appreciate it.

Nominate "Winner Takes All:" https://indiestorygeek.com/nominate/5/5803

Nominate "Engagement To Die For:" https://indiestorygeek.com/nominate/5/5804

For more info about the Indie Ink Awards, see this link: https://indiestorygeek.com/a/indie-ink-awards-2023

[cmkinkbingo2024]

It’s time to get kinky! Welcome to Criminal Minds Kink Bingo 2024.

The goal of a bingo challenge is to get a bingo on your card, either by crossing out one line, two lines, or a blackout (full card) by creating fanworks for the prompts randomly provided on the card.

This could be a written piece of a minimum 500 words, a piece of finished art, or another kind of fanwork of your choosing.

Please note that this challenge and blog is for people 18+ only.

Timelines/Deadlines

Until sign ups open, we are accepting kink nominations to be included as options via our ask box. We have a list already, but we will add to it if something is missing.

Sign ups start on May 1st 2024 and will be open until May 15th.

Individual cards will be issued by May 22nd, and the event officially starts on May 26th (you can start creating as soon as you receive your bingo card).

As soon as the event starts on May 26th, you can post fanworks whenever they’re created, in whatever place you prefer. You can tag your fills, bingo updates or WIPs with #cmkinkbingo2024 on tumblr. We also have a collection on AO3 for your works here.

You have until July 31st 2024 to complete your bingos!

How Bingo Works

Lines can be made by crossing out squares in any direction - horizontal, vertical, or diagonal. To cross out a square, use the prompt on it to create and post a fanwork.

You will choose from a large list of potential prompts, marking the ones you would be happy to have generated on a 5x5 square bingo card. This will also allow you to exclude prompts you would not be happy to have to create for. 

While that does mean you could create the perfect bingo card, we encourage you to select upwards of 25 prompts, to allow for some randomness in the challenge.

Every card will have a free space in the middle, where you have the option to choose a prompt yourself. 

You can request additional bingo cards if you complete a line, 2 lines or a full house and want to try for a second win!

Rules/Guidelines

No plagiarism, art theft or AI generated content will be tolerated in works for this challenge. Participants/works will be excluded at our discretion in these circumstances.

You can post your fanworks wherever you prefer.

Just like kinks are not always sexual, works do not have to be explicit to be entered. As long as it relates to the prompt, SFW content is entirely allowed. 

Some of the kinks utilized in this challenge will fall under “real world” kinks, and others under things considered a kink in the context of fanwork creation.

You are responsible for how much you stick to the spirit of the challenge - ultimately this is meant to be fun, and to spur people to be creative, and create content for a fandom we love!

Safety/Your Kink Is Not My Kink

Some of the kinks listed may indicate extreme, upsetting, triggering content, or content you personally find immoral, or that “squicks” you. You are ultimately responsible for the content you consume - if something is not for you, scroll past and/or use the necessary blocking/muting features to exclude this content from your feed.

Please make sure to tag and rate all works appropriately for their content, such as using Archive of Our Own’s warning, rating and tag system, or tumblr’s ‘read more’ function.

You can add any fills posted on Archive of Our Own to the collection here.

Please check out the Frequently Asked Questions, or send us an ask if you have another question!

[hankcon-bingo]

Hankcon Bingo Sign-ups OPEN

Good time zone, everyone. 💙

Thank you very much for your patience. It is with great pleasure to declare the Hankcon Bingo sign-ups officially open! 🥳🥳🥳

Reminders:

💙 Sign-ups will be open from 1st - 30th September.

💙 You can opt into and out of as many prompt categories as you wish. Please make good use of the LIKE and DISLIKE boxes to let me know which kind of prompts you would like more or less of.

💙 Bingo cards will be emailed out to participants within a week of signing up. Posting period will run from 1st October - 31st December (plus catch up month in January.)

💙 A Hankcon Bingo mailing list option is available in the sign-up form. This is a helpful option if you would like emails updating you on Hankcon Bingo events or updates in the future. If you would prefer not to be included, you will only be emailed with your card and future badges. You can opt in or out at any time by DM or email.

💙 Event guidelines, rules and FAQs can be found here.

💙 Bingo prompt suggestions are still open and will remain open during the event. The form for nominating prompts can be accessed here.

An A03 sub collection will be available close to the start of the posting period.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask.

Love, Mod Hemlock 💙

[bookwyrminspiration]

KOTLC Graphic Novel: B&N Virtual Event Summary

There are no spoilers

Shannon Messenger was accompanied by Stuart Gibbs, author of Spy School and other series, who asked the questions

Enjoy!

Event's theme was Iggy Celebration--Shannon chose to wear dark blue, as it's secretly her favorite Iggy

It's officially called Dark Blue Iggy in the books, but the actual color nomination from fans was "tardis blue". She couldn't use that for potential legal issues, but she knows it's actually Tardis blue, making it her favorite

Shannon can't take credit for Iggy's changing color

She'd made him pink in book 2, and so a fan at an event asked her what color he'd be in the next book

Shannon asked her what color she wanted him to be. This fan, dressed in head to toe purple, leaned in and very seriously said "Orange." So Iggy was orange

Opened it to fans after that--but sadly never got the name of that one fan to thank her properly ("Whoever you are girl in purple, thank you!")

Book 10 doesn't have an official release date because Shannon's still writing it (as fast as she can!)

Iggy's color options for Book 10 are still undecided as well

Shannon thanks everyone immensely for their patience; "it's my focus! I want to get to them as fast as possible," but she also wants the book to be good and worth the wait

"Naive Shannon thought the later I got into the series the easier the books would be to write. WRONG!"

she has so many planted seeds to keep track of and constantly feels the pressure to one up her previous books

"I kinda wish I'd set the bar a little lower from the beginning"

She can't make a perfect book; there's always going to be someone who doesn't like something

She's reached the point of realizing her plans, and it's a delicate balance. You don't want reveals to feel like they came completely out of left field, but also don't want them to be like "I guessed that six books ago"

Finding the balance between feeling earned and still surprising is a daunting task ahead of her; it's more labor intensive than she thought it'd be

Stuart Gibbs points out that even if it takes a while, Shannon gives us a lot of book per book, so it's worth it

Shannon never intended to write such long books; she used to say every time that the next one she'd get the hang of being concise and it would be shorter, but everyone stopped believing her by book four

Was a graphic novel adaptation ever part of her plans? Secretly yes--she started as an art major and loves seeing illustrated versions of her characters. The highlight of her year is the cover art, and graphic novels are entire books!

It was on her author bucket-list, but she wasn't sure it'd would be possible; some books just don't work as graphic novels and they're expensive for publishers

When she found out she got the adaptation she "did a happy dance I was very grateful no one could see"

How involved were you in this process? Very involved, since her publishers know she has an art background

They let her pick from writers who auditioned--she wasn't sure that was a great idea because she didn't know if she could be objective; "no, I wrote it this way because it needs to be this way!"

Celina "knocked it out of the park" with her audition

For Gabriella, the artist, she was exactly what Shannon was looking for; she wanted a new style--Jason Chan (the cover artist) is incredible, but she wanted the GN to be distinct and more illustrated

She describes the GN as "like Disney meets manga," cartoonish but not

Shannon gave notes on rough drafts, inked pages, and colored versions--she's sure they got sick of her notes by the end of it

She remembers thinking "certain Keefe jokes MUST make it in," but then seeing them in the visual format they realized "huh, this joke isn't funny anymore"

Anything that surprised you about the process? Definitely some of those Keefe jokes not working, but also the fact they had to split it. At first she thought they could work it all into one, but emotion takes longer to convey visually, and they were "robbing the heart out of the book" by trying to fit it in one

Shannon jokes everything she writes ends up longer than they expect

Do you have any idea about part two? It's in the works, but it's a herculean task for the artists, so it all depends on them; "do not blame them at all! this is a daunting, daunting, massive work load"

Shannon owes Gabriella "all the cookies ever"

it's a very tight timeline, so they'll share the release date when they have it, but for now just let the artist do their thing

Was it weird to spend so much time with book 1 again? Forget anything? Want to change anything? There were some sentences she wanted to rewrite--"a book is never done, it's just due"

Thought about adding Gisela in book one, since she wishes she'd introduced her then; she always knew she'd play a huge role, but thought it'd be more clever to not introduce her until she was ready to bring her into play.

Now she disagrees with that decision and wishes she'd been there from book one, but decided that "it's not bad the way she did it, but it would've been more elegant" so she didn't change it

Does Gibbs have anything he would change about his book? He says you don't always know which characters will catch on, some some that become important he wishes he spent more time with in the beginning--"if I'd done this in book one, I couldn't done this in book 7!"

Any movie news? Hollywood is so much hurry up and wait, a ladder with thousands of rungs; they got caught at the script stage when the writer's strike happened, and even though the strike ended that doesn't mean the gears start turning again immediately.

the script is the most important thing, especially since KOTLC would be a very expensive movie, so the more solid the foundation the better the chance they have of getting greenlit

Her fingers are crossed; she wants a movie/show, but she wants it to be a good movie/show

Fans often don't realize how much work it is and how out of the author's hands it is

Reader questions! (name spellings are to the best of my ability)

Celiana: what advice do you have for young authors? Focus on writing and enjoying that part of the process before publishing! Publishing is stressful and complicated

Shannon throws the question to Gibbs. He says a lot of the times fans tell them they don't like their writing, it's their first draft. "Well that would be the problem."

Very few people hit it out of the park on their first try. Editing is a super important part of the process!

Shannon writers her books weird (editing intensely as she goes because she's always behind on deadlines, and hopes to go back to normal one day), but before that she'd have 2 or 3 drafts each. Book 1 was draft 20, Exile was draft 3, Everblaze was 2.

Gibbs does about 10 drafts each (though admits his outlines process isn't nearly as rigorous as Shannon's)

Shannon reached a point where she said "I don't think I'm smart enough to do this alone anymore!" Her books are like houses of cards, and she simply doesn't have time for the drafts to fall apart

She and her team frequently painstakingly plan things out--and even then sometimes have to scrap things. Remember that scene we rigorously went through last week? "it's not working! Now what?"

Mary Claire: Was it hard for you to find a publisher? Yes. First she got an agent, as that's important when traditionally publishing. She got her at draft 13--said that while she loved the book and its idea, you could tell this was Shannon's first book.

They went through a few edits and thought draft 15 was the one, but she got LOTS of rejections

her confidence was shaken, and draft 16 turned into a mess

At draft 18 it was sold, and then they went through 2 more versions with an actual editor; "so so much rewriting..."

Gibbs tried to get published as a kid, but was rejected throughout all of his schooling, so "to heck with this! I'm going to Hollywood to write movies"...which was actually pretty similar

he came back to writing 15.5 years ago during the last writers strike--"hey maybe I should try this book thing again"

They don't share their experiences to scare you; it's worth it, but you have to love writing to be an author given how much work and rejection it is

That's why Shannon says to enjoy the writing stage as long as you can; you need to fall in love with writing and with your story and truly believe in it

Were you always reading as a kid? Writing stories? When did you decide to write a book? Shannon was very focused on art as a kid and wanted to be a Disney animator, but her art doesn't work for that; she can't draw what's in her head, she can only copy, which "makes me about as useful as a camera"

She thought she could learn the skill, but couldn't in art classes; she realized she was always going to be frustrated if she kept at it

She'd started college at 16 and now her life plan was falling to pieces, so her mom advised her to take a class for fun

it was a film class, since she thought she'd be able to watch TV for school

she was, but her teacher also encouraged her to go to film school since she could finally bring things out properly on the page how they were in her head

"You have a lot to learn, but I see something in you." "Cool, I'm a film major now. Answered!"

Turns out film is too collaborative for her and she wanted more control; "there's those book things, I guess I could try those."

She doesn't regret the journey

Addie: How do you et the ideas to write? Shannon wishes she had a tree that sprouted money and great ideas, but really ideas are everywhere and it's a matter of paying attention.

You don't need your whole idea all at once--can be small like "I wonder if that hat...wasn't a hat at all!"

She knew she wanted to work with elves, and she knew she wanted to strip the magic from the story in favor of sci-fi/superhero logistics. The rest came bit by bit

Some days she couldn't write fast enough, others it was "oo, what if they wore capes?"

Elizabeth: what do you do when you have writers' block? Shannon doesn't like to call it that because that makes it seem scarier than it is; to her it's just being stuck, and she plays the "what if?" game

What if I got rid of the previous scene? What if they went here instead? What if, what if, what if? Open yourself to new possibilities

Gibbs is a big going for a walk person for when you're stuck. We all get stuck, not just young writers. he also likes hiking--walking but not coming back for a while.

At this point a poll was sent to the audience asking them to choose between 5 pairs. Bolded won with percentage included afterwards

Teleporting or light leaping? (63%). Eternalia or Mysterium? (63%). Bathe a T-Rex or Pet a Verminion? (55%). Telepath or Empath? (62%). Cape or No Cape? (60%)

Shannon's surprised the Keefe fans didn't pull through with the Empath vote

No matter what Shannon writes, someone's going to be unhappy, so she started pulling back on appealing to fans and prioritizes what fits the story

Marissa: Will Iggy ever go back to grey? That's up to the readers! Shannon leaves it completely in our hands, so if we ever nominate and vote for grey, she'll write it.

Shannon thanks everyone for reading and being patient, as she's writing as fast as she can

When a book is released she usually celebrates with a dessert; she ordered a bunch of fall flavor donuts from Krispy Kreme today, so she's not sure if she'll save one for tomorrow or get something new

It's dangerous that she can just push a button and donuts will show up at her house (doordash)

Gibbs and Shannon hope everyone love the graphic novel as much as they do--and stay tuned for part 2!

[newmusickarl]

Top 50 Albums of 2024: #30-21

30. A Dream Is All We Know by The Lemon Twigs

Last year, Everything Harmony from The Lemon Twigs finished at 35 on my year-end countdown. However, since revisiting the D’Addario brothers’ instant classic several times in the last year and it just getting better with every spin - as well as seeing them live for the first time in October - it’s an album that would definitely place higher if I were to redo that list again now. This year though, The Lemon Twigs go five places better with A Dream Is All We Know and this time around, the placing feels right.

While Everything Harmony just edges it still for me, The Lemon Twigs have to be commended for returning a year after that superb album with another excellent, timeless-sounding opus. Named as our Album of the Month once again back in May, it continues everything that was great about its predecessor, with big nods once again to the music of The Beatles and The Beach Boys. From infectious lead single My Golden Years to the charming How Can I Love Her More? and Status Quo-emulating Rock On (Over and Over), it’s a fun and joyous collection of songs that you can’t help but love.

The big question is now – can The Lemon Twigs keep their winning streak going with another album in 2025? I guess we will wait and see!

Best tracks: How Can I Love Her More?, Peppermint Roses, Church Bells

Listen here

29. Clouds In The Sky, They'll Always Be There For Me - Porridge Radio

Although an album I haven’t officially reviewed this year for either the podcast or the blog, I have been absolutely infatuated with this the latest offering from Porridge Radio, the Brighton rock band led by Dana Margolin, ever since its release back in October.

A band I discovered through their great Mercury Prize nominated sophomore effort Every Bad, Porridge Radio just seem to get better with every new release. Their previous effort – the exceptional Waterslide, Diving Board, Ladder To The Sky – may have finished slightly higher, landing in my Top 20 of 2022, but believe me - this latest record edges even its predecessor.

Born out of burnout, lost love and intense bouts of self-loathing, Clouds In The Sky… is understandably a dark and melancholic experience at times, but it is also lifted by some cathartic choruses and soaring instrumentation. From hard break-up number and one of the songs of the year, God of Everything Else, to the soft, spellbinding sounds of Pieces of Heaven and everything else in-between, this is an album that will make you feel something deep in your core at every single turn.

Best tracks: God of Everything Else, Pieces of Heaven, A Hole In The Ground

Listen here

28. Girl With No Face by Allie X

One of the biggest surprises of 2024 - an album I picked for our February podcast simply based on enjoying Allie X’s previous album Cape God back in 2021, Girl With No Face has turned out to be one of the best art-pop records of the whole year.

If you have been enjoying the music of Chappell Roan and Charli XCX in 2024 but have yet to get round to this one, you need to correct that immediately. Billed superbly by Apple Music as New Order and Kraftwerk meets Madonna and Lady Gaga, its pop music built in the electronic music world. This is evident on incredible lead single Black Eye, which is how I imagine Kate Bush would sound if she was performing New Order’s Blue Monday.

It's one standout on an album of many, which also includes the medieval stylings of Off With Her Tits, a genius track focussing on self-acceptance and gender identity, and the Eurovision-esque Galina, which is an ode to a revolutionary eczema cream manufacturer. No, you didn’t misread that – it is indeed what the song is about!

This type of quirkiness runs deep within Girl With No Face and it is what has made this album such a joy to revisit over and over again since it dropped back in early February. The sound of an artist hitting their creative stride!

Best tracks: Black Eye, Off With Her Tits, Girl With No Face

Listen here

27. People Who Aren’t There Anymore by Future Islands

One of my most anticipated records of the year and one that did not disappoint. Baltimore synth-pop outfit Future Islands served up their incredible seventh studio album all the way back in January - People Who Aren’t There Anymore - a record that I’m pleased to say delivered on its early promise. Playing out almost like greatest hits record at times, the more I spun it throughout the year the more it quickly became my favourite record of theirs – which given their discography is saying something!

Capped off by seeing them live for the first time at Live at Leeds back in May, here’s what I had to say in my review for Clash back at the start of the year:

“Whilst ‘People Who Aren’t There Anymore’ ultimately isn’t an album that breaks the Future Islands mould, it’s hard to hold that against them. This is their sound, and they prove here they can still do it better than any of their peers. And whilst the sonic evolution from their previous work may only be subtle shifts, the biggest change comes with the band leaning on personal stories this time around rather than more observational lyricism. Most importantly though Future Islands’ fans will find plenty to love with this album, with some of the songs here already instant favourites and others feeling like some of the best, most fully realised of their career thus far.”

Best tracks: King of Sweden, Deep In The Night, Say Goodbye

Listen here

Read my full review for Clash Magazine here

26. In Lieu of Flowers by Aaron West and The Roaring Twenties

The final part of a trilogy that had been a decade in-the-making and the brainchild of The Wonder Years’ frontman Dan Campbell, there were few better alt-rock records in 2024 than In Lieu of Flowers.

Blending all my favourite genres of music into one unique, heartfelt sound, Aaron West and The Roaring Twenties served up an incredible collection of songs that are as sonically satisfying as they are lyrically moving. On this record, you’ll find elements of indie, folk, Midwest-emo and even a dash of pop-punk too, while Campbell spins beautifully written stories of heartbreak, touring life and battles with the American Healthcare system.

Full of passionate vocals, delicate orchestration and anthemic choruses made to be sung full lung, every single song on here can be considered highlight. From the acoustic-angst of Roman Candles, the bluesy waltz of Whiplash and the triumphant burst of horns on the album’s title track, this is another highly acclaimed 2024 record that rightfully deserved all the praise in the world.

A truly captivating third act in what has been a sublime trilogy of albums – here’s hoping there is still more to come!

Best tracks: Paying Bills At the End of the World, In Lieu of Flowers, Alone At St. Luke’s

Listen here

25. Cartoon Darkness by Amyl and the Sniffers

Back in 2021, Aussie punk outfit Amyl and the Sniffers would finish in my Top 10 Albums of the Year thanks to their blistering sophomore record, Comfort To Me. While their new album places a bit further back this time around, the chances are if you loved Comfort To Me like I did, you’ll certainly love Cartoon Darkness as well.

Their latest album is mostly more of the same but in the best way possible, with the band doubling down on their straight-talking, in-your-face lyrics and face-melting guitar solos. Not a single moment is spared as the band shred their way through highlights such as stomping lead single U Should Not Be Doing That, the X-rated Jerkin’ and the impressive full-throttle riffs from Declan Mehrtens on Motorbike Song.

There is also at least one moment that suggests progression too with Big Dreams. It’s a more mellow moment with a terrific vocal performance from enigmatic frontwoman Amy Taylor, where she invites the listener into her apathetic internal monologue about being fed up and wanting more out of life.

Overall though, just another fantastic record from the Aussie quartet, one that looks at the state of the modern world and then violently spits it back out in these thirteen brutally honest, no frills punk tracks. A deserving winner of our October Album of the Month title!

Best tracks: U Should Not Be Doing That, Big Dreams, Motorbike Song

Listen here

24. Where’s My Utopia? By Yard Act

While I enjoyed The Overload upon release, the Mercury Prize-nominated debut album from Leeds post-punk outfit Yard Act, it was an album I went off quite quickly. So much so, it didn’t even make my year-end list in 2022.

Wrongfully writing them off as a flash in the pan, soon to be lost in the rapid oversaturation of the post-punk genre, I didn’t really have high expectations going into their second album, Where’s My Utopia, back in March. Thankfully, the record marked a noticeable sonic shift for the band and is an improvement on its predecessor in every single way.

With this record maintaining Yard Act’s witty, observational lyrics but musically seeing them be much more explorative and adventurous, Where’s My Utopia has been a delight to experience all year round. Blending elements of pop, soul, disco and funk into their classic post-punk palette, this one is an ambitious and enjoyable rollercoaster ride. From the super catchy We Make Hits, the Pulp-esque The Undertow through to the Katy J Pearson and David Thewlis featuring bop When The Laughter Stops, it is just an absolute blast from start to finish.

Successfully breaking free of their post-punk mould, this album was a big sonic evolution from Yard Act that impressed all of us on the podcast back in March, and has personally left me incredibly intrigued to see where they go next.

In short, it’s Ace! Top! Mint! Boss! Class! Sweet! Deece! Not bad!

Best tracks: Dream Job, When the Laughter Stops, The Undertow

Listen here

23. Foxing by Foxing

With Foxing’s last record Draw Down The Moon finishing well within my Top 20 for the year back in 2021, I certainly expected good things from this self-titled record. But even then, I don’t think I was prepared for this colossus of an album from the American post-rock/emo outfit.

Back in September, Foxing delivered easily one of my favourite first spins all year, knocking me for a loop straight away with their much heavier sound and ambitious scope. The record is a natural step forward from Draw Down The Moon, with Foxing finessing the experimentation from that record for an album that feels fully realised and more assured.

From the aggressive stomps, whirring synths and violent screams of Hell 99, through to the dreamy, synth-soaked 8-minute odyssey that is Greyhound, Foxing try their hand at everything here and the result is never anything less than scintillating. This is captured perfectly in album highlight Gratitude, which sees Conor Murphy deliver an outstanding vocal performance amidst a glorious barrage of static instrumentation.

Without a doubt one of my favourite heavy records of the year, Foxing delivered a masterfully crafted and eclectic sonic thrill-ride with this self-titled, which also ranks right up there with their very best work.

Best tracks: Gratitude, Hell 99, Greyhound

Listen here

22. Filthy Underneath by Nadine Shah

Whilst everyone was going through their own personal turmoil during the last few years, much revered musician Nadine Shah was going through a particularly tumultuous time. Not long after releasing her 2020 album Kitchen Sink, Nadine would tragically lose her cancer-stricken mother during the height of the COVID-pandemic. Locked in isolation with her grief, Nadine entered a downward spiral that would play out over the next two years, with heavy substance abuse leading to depression, divorce and even an attempt to take her own life in 2022. Thankfully Nadine survived, agreeing to enter rehab where she would get the help and support she desperately needed.

Now out of rehab, substance-free and most importantly finding her happiness again, Nadine thankfully returned with new album Filthy Underneath earlier this year - and it is just an absolute tour de force from beginning to end. Playing out almost like a cathartic exorcism of all the demons that have plagued her the last few years, Filthy Underneath is the sound of Nadine laying everything bare for the listener. Brutally raw, deeply personal and gracefully honest, the heavy lyrical inspiration for each track is carefully balanced with liberating, synth-drenched and  rhythmic instrumentation, with the live-sounding production adding a theatrical touch to proceedings too.

While it’s an album best experienced as a complete work from start to finish, there are a few standout moments here too. None more so than Greatest Dancer, a song where Nadine recalls getting high on her mum’s prescription medicine in front of an episode of Strictly Come Dancing, with pulsating synths reverberating and tribal drums pounding away as she recounts her feelings in that moment. Sad Lads Anonymous is another high point, a poetic spoken word confessional that sees Nadine describe her woes to a work experience kid in an awards show bathroom. Both these tracks present the whole album as a microcosm, filled with sounds that draw you in and make you want to dance, whilst the stories at the core are quite dark and harrowing. It all eventually culminates in the album’s hardest moment, French Exit, an ominously tense track on which Nadine openly confronts her suicide attempt. It’s a truly devastating end to an utterly enthralling record.

It’s no secret that often the darkest times can produce the greatest art. Filthy Underneath is a testament to that, with Nadine bravely and openly sharing her story as both a lesson to others but also, no doubt, her own personal catharsis. Shocking and upsetting at points yet always refreshingly honest and completely captivating, this is without a doubt one of the most powerful albums released all year.

Best tracks: Greatest Dancer, Sad Lads Anonymous, See My Girl

Listen here

21. The New Sound by Geordie Greep

Momentarily going back to my Honourable Mentions blog where I shared the basic criteria I look at when choosing my Albums of the Year, you’ll notice point three: showed ambition or had something unique to offer. Now, if I judged these 2024 albums on that basis alone, there would arguably be one clear winner - this spellbinding solo debut from Black Midi’s Geordie Greep.

Having raised eyebrows with the out-of-the-blue announcement of Black Midi’s demise, the concern quickly turned to rapturous applause as The New Sound instantly became one of the most critically acclaimed records of 2024 – and for good reason too.

Fusing prog-rock with jazz and plenty of theatrical flair, The New Sound makes for a dazzling and dramatic hour-long listen. From the vintage swing of Terra to the Steely Dan-inspired lead single Holy Holy, through to album highlights such as the punky Motorbike, 12-minute epic The Magician and the waltzing finale of If You Are But A Dream, The New Sound is a breathtaking masterclass in inventive genre-fusion.

Weird, wonderful and completely unique, The New Sound is no doubt far too out-there for some listeners to stomach. But for those with the patience to fully process the wild musical arrangements they are hearing, Geordie Greep’s music will no doubt leave you astounded.

Best tracks: Holy Holy, As if Waltz, Motorbike

Listen here

The Albums of the Year countdown is nearing its conclusion - up next is the penultimate part, highlighting albums #20-11!

[seth-burroughs]

What drinks do you think the Amaterasu peeps would have

While the game only mentions coffee I cannot accept them all drinking coffee that's boring

I hardly know what even constitutes as a drink in the common understanding of the term as I'm a polish man living under a rock, and thus I have done extensive research on the classification of liquids and it basically turns out anything that's liquid is a drink unless it isn't -- which, okay, fuck you. I have forgotten what the original ask might've entailed and thus the answer evolved into "assigning every character affiliated with amaterasu corp what drinks they'll like" which *scrolls up* close enough whatever, forcing you to listen anyway. List of characters I count for the amaterasu folks: makoto, huesca, akira, swank, seth, martina, yomi, dominic, guillaume, fake zilch (amaterasu's officially licensed hitman & one of """yomi's closest advisors""" whatever the fuck that means because you and I both know that yomi wouldn't accept advice from anybody unless that's just a fancy word for a very platonic companion whom he has a very strong, passionate, very platonic mind you brotherly bond a bromance a comradeship if you will,)

Swank is goldwasser personified. He loves that shit. Also always has a bimber (or vodka/starka. but preferably bimber) bottle on hand too, no one knows where he stores it he just kinda reaches into his coat and gets it

Me 🤝 Seth (tea drinkers). Has to have tea at least two times a day, doesn't matter what kind they'll drink anything as long as it has leaves in it. Favourites include black tea (optional honey and lemon), mint, chamimole, melissa and sage. He's also partial to pickle juice (makes his own pickles in the basement, they're not wasting any of that pickle water he's chugging that shit just to feel something) and pouring cucumber soup (filtered) to a cup and just drinking it. I don't know what's with Seth and cucumbers. Also would like kefir, probably.

Guillaume likes anything that's sweet or fizzy or whatever, has to have a stash of oranżada and coca-cola somewhere in his house at all times. Sometimes she just opens the cola and lets it degas in the fridge call that a. I don't know. Often makes hot chocolate. Once it offered to give Seth some but was extremely disturbed when he ate the milk skins too and that was the last time she did it for him. Not a drink, but she also eats tangerines and grapefruit via biting it with her shark teeth and sucking out the juices then tossing up the dried fruit remains into the trash can

Dominic makes kompot, you know, the polish juice that's warm and significantly worse and watery as fuck and all your older family members love it for some reason even though. But we all got our preferences whatever. Get this man some wine too.

Speaking of wine, Yomi is Kanai Ward's resident wine man if it has wine in it's name he's gonna drink it, especially mulled wine. Also likes champagne and nalewka. Plus has a fondness for fanta (or any carbonated drink with fruit flavors) but he took it into his head that it's cringe now or not respectable anymore or for 12 year olds only. No one cares except for him, it's a fucking drink. But he also thinks soy feminizes men and Makoto is putting chemicals in the rain so that's not the worst one of his beliefs by a long shot

Martina nominated for #1 coffee drinker, also really likes inka which is just polish coffee but without caffeine. probably a cappuchino enjoyer i don't know never had coffee it smells like shit

Dr. Huesca has sworn off alcohol, to be honest he has sworn off everything that isn't essential to survival because he's always on that fucking grind (unethical research), and probably hates himself or something. He likes water that's preferably fresh. Doesn't have to be though it's not like it can expire right.

Akira... probably likes soured milk. also, he eat kogel mogel like it's a drink you're supposed to eat it with a spoon not sip it like like a fine cup of cocoa

Fake Zilch survives off of 7 cans of monster a day. As a rule of thumb, the more genuinely terrible a drink is, the more he likes it

Makoto probably also has an egregious taste (his profile says he likes raw ham and dislikes olives, which in my eyes makes every opinion that man has automatically invalid) but I don't think humanity has yet discovered the kinda drinks he'd like yet so- oh wait, theres the leftover salad sauce/juice. and kefir. and mountain dew.

[sonicshipbattles]

Eggman Ship Tournament Nominations

He is the Eggman and he's looking for love! Not that our genius doctor needs anyone in his life, as certainly his glory is beyond compare! But now that he's embraced parenthood, it wouldn't hurt to have someone around the egg-bases to help out with a few lesser tasks. That's why, our esteemed doctor is leaving it to the minions of the eggnet to debate who'll be worthy of his love! ...Or that's the flavour text, anyway. Now, onward to the actual tournament:

Our second tournament will be to figure out which is the most popular ship on tumblr dot com that features Dr. Eggman himself. This tournament is open to any version of the character from any media, not just game Eggman, so if you have a burning AoStH Robotnik ship in your heart, submit that, too!

This tournament will be done based on your submissions (plus a few ships that I like and want to include, but I'm holding off mentioning them because I'm curious to see how many nominations they'll get on their own)

Some house rules for submissions and the tournament in general:

Most importantly: BE NICE. No bashing of any ship will be welcomed. Use your propaganda to uplift your own ship, not put down others

Any Eggman (or Robotnik) ships from any media is welcome - be it the games, comics, cartoons or anything else

Only ships including the character Dr. Eggman will be accepted (e.g. Eggman/Starline, Robotnik/Agent Stone, etc.). Ships for other characters in the series that do not involve Eggman (e.g. Tails/Kit, Knuckles/Rouge, Amy/Tekno, etc.) will get their own tournaments later on. Submissions that do not follow this rule will be ignored

Submit as many ships as you want, but don't spam submit a single ship

No Eggman x OC ships. All of your OCs are great and we wouldn't want anyone's feelings hurt by seeing them knocked out :( For the sake of this tournament, an OC is a fan-made character that has never been used nor was created to be used in licensed Sonic media (So yes, you can submit cancelled character ships if any of those apply to Eggman)

We do accept crossover ships, but only with media that Sonic has officially crossed over with. Meaning stuff like Eggman/Dr. Wily and Eggman/Bowser would count, but Eggman/Dionysus would not count (as much as that breaks my heart). And yes, since people asked last time: characters included in Smash Bros. are fair game for crossovers. I may make posts asking for feedback on crossovers with franchises I'm less familiar with

Polycules are welcome

If you have a specific version of the ship that you like, specify what it is and this will be counted as separate to the general ship, e.g. Eggman/world domination (general) and Robotnik/world domination (SatAM) would be included as separate ships

Also, we didn't have a rule about this last time and honestly no one submitted ships that fell into this category, so it wasn't a problem, but I'm aware that the blog has more followers this time around, so I want to add that I won't be adding ships involving Eggman being paired with characters he sees as his kids (Sage, Metal Sonic). For other things I'm concerned might make folks uncomfortable, I'll run polls to gauge feedback to see if they'll be included or not. Like I said, I don't think this'll be an issue, but mentioning it just in case ANYWAY, that's the long list of rules done, so here's the submission form:

Submissions will be open until Saturday 27th May or until I feel we have enough to run a tournament. I don't expect this one will be as big as the Sonic one, so I might cap it at 16 or 32 ships, if we reach that many

[world-cinema-research]

A Critical Analyzation of Tangerine (2015) with Comparisons to Reservoir Dogs (1992)

By Cris Nyne

From the opening scene of Tangerine by Sean Baker, the dialogue feels like a long string of firecrackers sparked by the lead character Sin-Dee Rella (Kitana Kiki Rodriguez) that doesn’t stop until the end of the film. Sin-Dee has just gotten released from jail after serving twenty-eight days and she is seated with her best friend Alexandra (Mya Taylor) in a donut shop. Both are transgender sex workers in West Hollywood. As soon as Sin-Dee mentions her boyfriend (and pimp) Chester (James Ransone), Alexandra interjects and states how she knew she was going to break up with him because of how much he cheats. This confuses Sin-Dee and throws her off into a tailspin of rage and determination to track down Chester, and they’re off! Interestingly enough, in Reservoir Dogs by Quentin Tarantino, the film opens up with the main characters sitting around a table in a diner, discussing topics like the true meaning behind Madonna’s Like a Virgin, and why Mr. Pink (Steve Buscemi) doesn’t tip waitresses. Both films revolve around people who are on the fringe of society and operate in the shadows of what is considered normal and accepted.

Sin-Dee Rella catching up with Alexandra during the opening scene of Tangerine.

Lawrence Tierney as Joe Cabot, a crime family boss who got the crew together to pull a diamond heist. This is the opening scene when Joe is counting the tip money and makes Mr. Pink (Steve Buscemi) throw in a dollar, despite his beliefs of not tipping servers.

Tangerine was filmed with an estimated budget of $100,000 and was shot with three iPhone 5s and an eight-dollar phone app. The film is based around transgender sex workers and the lifestyle that they live. This can hardly be considered a mainstream or conventional film. Although the film had an incredibly low budget, Tangerine generated more than $930,000 at the box office. It was picked up by Magnolia Pictures at Sundance after overwhelming praise for the film from critics and audiences alike. Rotten Tomatoes lists Tangerine with a critic score of 96% and an audience score of 76%. The film was also nominated for many awards, and co-star Mya Taylor won numerous awards for her brake out role as Alexandra.

Katherine Johnson for the academic journal The Conversation writes, “Given the marginal status of many transgender people, the mental health stresses they face and the likelihood of discrimination in access to health care, secure housing and employment, it is important that populist representations create realistic and non-shaming examples of trans lives.” Tangerine creates a narrative that expresses the determination and grit of the transgender community to thrive in a society that does not whole-heartedly accept them."

The official trailer for Tangerine.

A burgeoning new mind state was coming of age during the year of Tangerine’s release in 2015. RuPaul’s Drag Race and Caitlyn Jenner’s reality show I Am Cait pushed the idea of gender roles into the American lexicon and fostered a new mindset of understanding and acceptance from a swath of the public who only knew the concept of patriarchy. The Danish Girl was also released the same year. This was a film based upon a novel by David Ebershoff that told the story of an artist that is about to undergo one of the world’s first sex change operations. Collins dictionary runner up to the word of the year was Transgender in 2015. That same year also saw the Supreme Court federally legalize same sex marriage.

A monumental shift was happening. As we steamroll into the future, every family seemingly has a member that does not fit into the norms of society. Loved ones that we grew up with would keep secrets of their sexuality and desires, as to not be rejected or ostracized by those close to them. Seeing representations of themselves on screen facilitates acceptance and the related content is empowering. Roger Ebert concludes:

“That we rarely see transgender characters in movies who aren't prostitutes is an entirely separate issue that I'm sure will be discussed in months to come—but here, too, we have to keep such misgivings in context: American films rarely show us worlds like these, and when they do, the films don't tend to get much attention.”

Roger Ebert once again hits the narrative right on the head. It’s a positive step to see more diverse representation on screen, but how they are represented will remain a source of friction.

The official movie poster for Tangerine (2015)

As I mentioned earlier, Tangerine was shot with an iPhone and a film app. Perhaps that is harped upon all too often when describing the film, but fast forward nine years after the film’s release, a lot of us now experience a voyeuristic life through our smartphones. This has distinguished the film as unique upon itself and makes the style and feel of the movie relatable. It’s as if you are sitting in a rumble seat along for the ride. Tarantino’s film Reservoir Dogs, although created before iPhones, also lends itself to an up-close-and-personal style that is engaging to the viewer. Most of the film was shot in one room, almost giving the viewer space to look around the warehouse. Violence is evident in both films, although Tangerine does not supply the bloodshed that Tarantino submerges us in. Both films are dialogue-heavy, full of rapid-fire wit and over-the-top colorful street slang.

Another trait both films shared are the smaller production companies that financed the film that also did not have household name actors to help draw in an audience. Tangerine was a Duplass Brothers Production, along with Cre FIlm, Freestyle Picture Company, and Through Films. It was later at Sundance when Magnolia would assist with a wider distribution. The main stars Kitana Kiki Rodriguez and Mya Taylor were picked from an LGBTQ center and were virtually unknown. Since it was Tarantino's first film, he was not yet a name brand and most of the actors at that time were not that recognizable, except for Harvey Keitel, whose career was essentially at a standstill during this period in '92. Keitel wound up co-producer Reservoir Dogs, and paid for the studio to help secure the talent. Dog Eat Dog Productions Inc. and Live Entertainment were the companies involved with finance and distribution.

Sin-Dee getting into a screaming match while looking for her partner and pimp Chester.

A memorable scene of Mr. Pink (Buscemi) and Mr. White (Harvey Keitel) arguing over the next step after the cops threw their plans into disarray.

Although every country has its own distinct cultures and quirks, both Tangerine and Reservoir Dogs are international in their appeal to viewers who appreciate the representation of the underbelly of culture that is a shared common bond of anywhere in the world. They were both filmed in highly unconventional styles that exposed aspects of society that many mainstream audiences at home and abroad would consider best left in the dark. Reservoir Dogs was Tarantino’s first film, so he was virtually unknown during its release. Sean Baker had a few films under his belt, but they were independent films with low budgets that revolved around the lives of sex workers. Mainstream audiences would not be familiar with his catalog. Sean Baker’s latest film Anora was just crowned with the Palme d’Or at Cannes, and it also delves into the trivial life of a sex worker. Both directors have very distinct styles and references throughout their careers that build upon a cinematic theme.

Tangerine and Reservoir Dogs both came full circle by the movies end. There was nothing left for debate, and you could deduce that there was not going to be a part two for either film. All the gangsters were dead by the end of Reservoir Dogs, and Sin-Dee and Alexandra completed their mission, as both characters expressed resolve in the last scene.

Sin-Dee finally catches up with Chester (James Ransone) to confront him on his cheating.

Tangerine is a film that flew under the radar, but I believe will continue to find new viewers as Sean Baker continues to rise as a respected writer and director in the industry. Given the advances we have made in the last decade since the films release, the addition of genders up for debate and their roles in society, Mr. Baker will seemingly have a lot of content to sort through and create in an ever-changing world of self-discovery.

[mcytrecursive]

Nomination Overview - Omegaverse

Continuing with the love-it-or-hate-it, let's look at the nominated omegaverse fics! There aren't very many, but of the ones which have been nominated, we have some real epics here.

Title: One Long Season of Waiting Rating: E-rated Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/42741399/chapters/107375079 Fandom: Dream SMP Author: Anonymous Relationships: Quackity/Schlatt, Quackity/Wilbur, Quackity/Eret, Quackity/Techno, Quackity/Philza, Quackity/Foolish, Quackity/Wilbur/Eret/Techno/Foolish/Philza Characters: Quackity, Schlatt, Wilbur, Techno, Eret, Philza, Foolish Length of the work: 490,718 words Genre: AU, Domestic/Slice-of-life, Drama, Fantasy AU, Found Family, Hurt/Comfort, Omegaverse, Romance, Royalty AU, Slow Burn, Smut Type: Fic Summary: Polyamory was a relatively new development in the world of nobility, but when the emperor was looking to add another consort to his flock, it was Quackity’s job to ensure that Schlatt was the one chosen for the position. As the duke of one of the four major duchies of the Antarctic Empire, Schlatt was a political powerhouse for sure, and Quackity couldn’t be more proud of his protector. All they had to do was get through the consort trials and then Schlatt would be in, and Quackity could continue to support his partner from the shadows, where he could be safe and protected. Of course, there is a chance the plan devolved almost immediately upon execution, and Quackity found himself getting far more contact with the royal flock and the other consort candidates than he ever could have expected. THE SHORT OF IT: A Fantasy/Royalty AU that features unconventional A/B/O dynamics, political worldbuilding, a heavy emphasis on trauma recovery and found family dynamics, and soap-opera levels of non-communication. And also, there’s romance. See forenotes for more details.

--

Title: SnapShot ?.? - Spoiled Rating: E-rated Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29202555 Fandom: Hermitcraft SMP Author: Shadowfire_RavenPheonix Relationships: Keralis/xBCrafted Characters: xBCrafted, Keralis Length of the work: 3810 words Genre: Omegaverse, Smut Type: Fic Summary: Keralis has a tendency to spoil his partners

--

Title: Beta Testing Rating: E-rated Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27662032/chapters/67689973 Fandom: Hermitcraft SMP Author: Shadowfire_RavenPheonix Relationships: Grian/Iskall85, Grian/GoodtimesWithScar, Grian/BdoubleO, GoodtimesWIthScar/BdoubleO, Grian/Xisuma, Grian/Keralis Characters: Grian, Iskall85, GoodtimesWithScar, BdoubleO, Xisuma, Docm77, Tango, ImpulseSV, Etho, VintageBeef, Keralis Length of the work: 100,214 words (incomplete fic) Genre: Angst, AU, Character Study, Domestic/Slice-of-life, Drama, Friendship, Humour, Hurt/Comfort, Omegaverse, Slow Burn, Smut Type: Fic Summary: Grian was nervous when he was invited to join the HermitCraft server, because unbeknownst to anyone, the popular family friendly entertainment server is also an ACTIVE A/B/O server behind the scenes. After, having spent so much time with them and making so many amazing friends while on the UA (or Unavailable) list during season six, he's decided to make it more official and join the Active Available List for season seven. For Grian, however, the switch is going to be life changing. A journey of sexual self discovery and experimentation. Not Your Typical A/B/O

__

See something you want to offer or request in the exchange? Horrified that a classic of the genre isn't represented yet (to be fair, maybe we didn't get permission)? Join our discord and sign up today!

[lantura]

Doll History: #FAILFix

Slogan: Takeover the Makeover!

Company: Moose Toys

From: 2020-2020(Discontinued)

Height: 8.5”

Gimmick

Each doll (except 2Dreami) came in three variations (Day, Sparkle, and Evening) and when you opened the doll and gave it a "makeover": your dolls variation would be revealed.

A faceplate of their faces in messy make up covers each dolls face. To “wash away” the makeup, a plastic mask(a faceplate that looks like a foamy mask) clips onto her face, which then pulls off her “messed up makeup” faceplate-revealing a more manicured face.  Then her hair needs to be brushed and styled, which is gelled into a crazy-like pattern. Each doll comes with a different hair tool for each dolls different hairstyle.  

In addition, each doll had a different body type and, when light is shone in the eyes, reveals a symbol.

History

#FailFix dolls were developed by Moose Toys, an Australian-based company, and are their first fashion dolls in their toyline. The line was nominated and a Finalist for Toy of the Year in the Doll Category by the Toy Association. The company took inspiration from the “beauty tutorial fail” memes and videos of that time.

Core Dolls 

Each doll listed contains their bio, description, and fave vid from the website and doll packaging along with their hairstyle and eye symbol.

Dance.Stylz: A black doll with braids and dressed in sporty attire. You can style her hair in a high pony. Bio: When the music starts flowing, Dance.Stylz gets going! Hip-hop, jazz, tap, ballet – she's a dance style master with a new look for every routine! Description: Choreographed or freestyle, she puts her heart into every step. But when the music stops, it's time to chill – this girl’s earned some binge-watching with her fave snacks and her fave peeps! Fav Vid: How to Dance Like No One’s Watching. Eye symbol: Unknown

Kawaii.Qtee: An Asian doll with pink hair and dressed in anime-inspired attire. You can style her hair with two clip-in hair buns. Bio: Anime obsessed and always adorably dressed, Kawaii.Qtee is a cutie beauty! Description: When she steps out, she can't help but make people happy with her unique style and kawaii smile. Catch her hanging at the Cat Cafe with her friends taking silly sweet selfies! Fave Vid: Anything with baby animals! Eye symbol: Star

Loves.Glam: A olive-skinned doll with red hair and in a glamorous black and gold dress. You can style her hair with the curler. Bio; Roll out the red-carpet – this glamazon is here to slay! Description: She's a loyal friend who always knows what's on-trend! Her favorite piece of style advice is to be yourself and never step out without a smile. Fav Vid: Best and Worst Dressed 2020. Eye symbol: Diamond

PreppiPosh: A fair-skinned doll with blond hair in preppy attire. You can style her hair in a high pony with a butterfly clip-on. Bio: When PreppiPosh doesn't have her nose in a book, it's in a fashion magazine. Description: This hardworking scholar gets an A+ for style and an A+ for science! But don't judge a book by its cover, this perfectly put-together princess loves to let her hair down around her friends, dancing and singing badly to her fave tunes! Fav Vid: N/A Eye symbol: Bow

SlayItDj: A tan doll with light brown hair in a pink and black dress. You can style her hair into a faux hawk. Bio: Spinnin' tracks and droppin' beats, SlayitDj knows how to get people outta their seats! Description: This DJ's got killer tracks and the style to match, she loves to play at parties with all of her friends! But when she's got a moment to spare, you can find her in her studio creating and mixing her own tunes to play for you! Fav Vid: Ultimate Party Mix Eye symbol: None

PrettyArtee: A darker-skinned doll with blue hair dressed in summer-like attire and overalls. She is the only character with a hat. She was the only Walmart Exclusive doll and was released along the Failfix Pets Line. She did not have an official bio or decription on the FailFix website. Eye symbol: Unknown

2Dreami: A fair-skinned girl with white hair. Unlike the other dolls, she comes with two outfits and hairdye. She also comes with a salon chair. You can style her hair into a French braid. Bio: A daydream believer, 2Dreami's got fantasy fever! Description: She colors her world with pastel and rainbows, decorates with sparkles, and fills it with unicorns! You might think her mind is away in the clouds, but this is one smart cookie who knows how to pull off a magical look with no effort at all! Fav Vid: DIY Unicorn stationary, candy, make up…. Anything! Eye symbol: Heart

Controversies

Due to the makeover aspect, many parents complained that the dolls implying to be failures for having messed up makeup and hair was damaging to young girls. The Chief executive, Felicia Willow, of the Fawcett Society, a gender equality organization remarks: 'It's disappointing that sexist stereotypes persist. 'It's about time toy manufacturers and retailers woke up and dragged themselves out of the dark ages.' 

The original version of Kawaii.Qtee's dress had stolen art on it by the artist known as Misskika who created the artwork for an official Sanrio T-Shirt. The dress was later changed to feature a different design but was then changed back to feature Misskika's design once again after the conflict was concluded.

The Children's Advertising Review Unit (CARU) (an independent self-regulatory agency for the promotion of responsible advertising and privacy practices to children under the age of 13) determined that Moose Toys product advertising to children for the dolls failed to comply with provisions stating that advertising should not portray or encourage negative social stereotyping, prejudice, or discrimination. Moose toys in response decided to pull Failfix off the shelves.

[loremmagazines]

Issue 4 - Grocery Bag

It’s no secret that Austin, TX is a hotbed for musical talent, producing captivating live acts in any available corner. While compiling a list of every must-see band may feel like a seemingly impossible task, there’s no doubt that Grocery Bag would find themselves at the top.

Acting as one of Austin’s premiere rock ensembles, Grocery Bag leaves audiences in the wake of their own fevered mosh pits, incited solely by the fast paced rhythms that define the “psyche-punk” ethos found in every one of their live performances. Now being recognized by the Austin music scene with nominations in the Austin Music Awards and official showcases as SXSW artists, Grocery Bag has found themselves with the recognition they have long been deserving of.

The band is fronted by guitarist Bella Martinez, with Jimmy Mercado on drums, Dillon Aitala on lead guitar, and Logan Kerman on bass. 

_____________________________________________________________

Following an electrifying performance filled with intense head banging and frequent crowd surfing, Grocery Bag and I found ourselves seated on the back patio of Hotel Vegas discussing how the the current lineup of the group came to be.

Bella: Grocery Bag used to be an old band that I had in San Antonio. I had gotten asked to do a show and I was like “Hey guys (current Grocery Bag line-up) I have this old band, would you guys possibly want to start something with this?”

Logan: We literally had our first band practice over Instagram Live mid-covid.

_____________________________________________________________

Met with a coalescence of shared influences ranging from Rush, Ty Segall, The Police, and more, Grocery Bag has found themselves with a truly unique sound. With the ability to show off their technical virtuosity in a musically rewarding way, the group allows each and every song to be elevated beyond a previously set standard.

Dillon: I think it’s our love to create. I want to reciprocate in some sort of way, the energy our favorite bands give us. All of the bands we love, we want to put it into our own words by playing our instruments.

Jimmy: I just like how, complex musicianship can like, heighten a song and make it super intriguing and powerful. I think bands like Yes and Rush, they just compliment the music with their drums differently then maybe someone like, Ringo Starr. 

_____________________________________________________________

Following the release of singles such as Alone and XING, Grocery Bag announced their highly anticipated debut album Break You, with an official release in November of 2023. This quintessential introduction was set to record at Matchbox Studios with producer Jackson Baker at the helm.

“Without him the album wouldn’t be the same.”

Bella: It was a whole week of being together in such a great environment with Jackson. It felt like we were hanging out with our homie, making music with him. He was just like ‘oh, do this, do that, add this!’”

Jimmy: When you think of a producer, they’re someone who really thinks about the music. Jackson really spiced it up and put his flavors into it and made it sound amazing. It was just like working with your best friend. 

_____________________________________________________________

As our interview with Grocery Bag was wrapping up, a security guard from Hotel Vegas kindly informed us that they were closing for the night. Making their way back inside to gather their gear, the band was kind enough to answer one final question before heading out.

Each member of Grocery Bag has had their own unique level of involvement in the Austin music scene prior to the group’s formation. From playing in multiple bands, being a concert photographer, booking DIY shows, and more, this band has been, and still is, a part of the engine that keeps this scene alive.

Now being recognized by the Austin Chronicle as a nominee for Best New Act at the Austin Music Awards, along with their recently announced status as the official artist of SXSW, their hard work is beginning to receive the recognition it has been deserving of.

_____________________________________________________________

Jimmy: It really means something that people would nominate us. It’s really it’s own destiny in a way.

Logan: I think it’s just motivation to keep going. It’s validation that we’re adding to the collection of music Austin produces. 

Dillon: A true privilege. I feel very lucky, I definitely don’t deserve this life nor to play in a band like this.

Bella: It feels pretty crazy! Also, it’s Dillon’s first band!

_____________________________________________________________

With each electrifying performance leaving a trail of audiences in a fevered frenzy, Grocery Bag continues to solidify their status as Austin's hottest band. As they gear up for a packed schedule of official SXSW showcases, you can listen to Grocery Bag’s latest release, 'Break You', available on all streaming platforms. Keep an eye out for restocks of physical copies in select Austin record stores; copies of this must-own album sell out fast!

[arts-dance]

All The GIFs You Need For The 95th Academy Awards! March 12, 2023

It’s that time of year again: awards season!!

2022 was such an amazing time for film and, today, we have an idea of which were the best of the best thanks to the 95th Academy Award nominations. From gripping Irish dramas to tales of cinematic aspirations, parallel universes, and the life of a music legend, the nominees had it all.

Grab some popcorn and let’s celebrate the nominees in the best way we know how: with GIFs!

First up, the biggest award of the night: the nominees for Best Picture!

These includes the World War I epic All Quiet On The Western Front, the long-anticipated CGI adventure sequel Avatar: Way of The Water, the Irish macabre comedy The Banshees of Inisherin, rock-and-roll biopic Elvis, the dimension-bending Everything Everywhere All at Once, Spielberg’s coming-of-age meta film The Fabelmans, the gripping orchestral drama Tár, Tom Cruise — and Maverick — returning to screens in the sequel Top Gun: Maverick, the celebrity and wealth lampooning French film Triangle of Sadness, and the drama adapted from a novel that tells the story of women in a Mennonite colony Women Talking. Ten incredible films that capture the year in cinema!

The Best Actors’ race is full of drama, too. For Best Actress, there’s Cate Blanchett’s tormented conductor in Tár, Ana de Armas as Marilyn Monroe in Blonde, Andrea Riseborough as a troubled Texan woman in To Leslie, Michelle Williams as a loving and supportive mother to a budding director in The Fabelmans, and Michelle Yeoh bending through the multiverse in Everything Everywhere All at Once. For Best Actor, there’s Austin Butler’s portrayal of a rock and roll legend in Elvis, Colin Farrell as a shunned best friend in The Banshees of Inisherin, Brendan Fraser’s comeback performance in The Whale, Paul Mescal as a loving but troubled father in Aftersun, and Bill Nighy as a bureaucrat facing illness in Living.

…and make way for these supporting actors and actresses who blew us away! We would be remiss to not share this GIF of nominee Jamie Lee Curtis as a hotdog finger-wielding IRS Inspector, Key Huy Quan for his portrayal of a loving husband in every multiverse, and Stephanie Hsu as a very complicated daughter, all from Everything Everywhere All At Once. Also nominated are a trio of performers from The Banshees of Inisherin: Kerry Condon, Brendan Gleeson, and Barry Keough all! Outside of these two films, we can’t forget, for Best Supporting Actress, Angela Bassett in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and Hong Chau in The Whale along with, for Best Supporting Actor, Brian Tyree Henry in Causeway and Judd Hirsch in The Fabelmans.

A huge congrats to every nominee this year, as they truly took us on a cinematic journey. Peruse the full list of nominees here and be sure to catch more GIFs from the show from the official Oscars Tenor page.

Which movies and actors are you rooting for?

[poptrolls]

get to know poppy can : 

daughter of US politician peter “peppy” can - everyone had always assumed that poppy would one day follow in her father’s footsteps. and for awhile she thought the same, purely just because it’s what everyone expected of her. it wasn’t where her heart was though - no her passion lied truly and deeply in music. her love for music was always there it feels like, but it was when she was fifteen and started writing her own songs that it really fully bloomed.

at age seventeen she was discovered performing some of her songs and popular covers by a talent agent. after many discussions with her father, she signed onto a record label - trolls records - and her real time music career began. it took about a year to get everyone onboard with a song list for her first album.

the album was released when she was 18 in the year 2014. it had commercial and chart success, though never any number ones. with it poppy was nominated for many awards - most notably best new artist at the 2015 grammys (but she didn’t win). 

she also released an album when she was 20, one when she was 22, a christmas album at 23, and then a final album with her original record label when she was 24. It was after the last album that she decided to break away from trolls records. more to come on those albums i need to fully decide her discography but when i do i’ll make a post for them.

the first three albums were all dedicated to her at the time long-standing boyfriend/fiance, creek conrad. the two met in high school and were close friends, but didn’t start dating until poppy officially landed her record deal. he was one of the main people always right there by her side for the entire journey into stardom and after the release of her second album at age 20, he proposed to her. it was a long lasting engagement - plans for the actual wedding never getting too far considering poppy’s busy schedule as well as just the understanding that they were young - they had more than enough time.

for a few months between her christmas album and her last album with trolls records, poppy had toyed with the idea of stepping out of the limelight. when she presented that idea to creek, things turned sour. he was dismissive and discouraging of her taking any kind of pause on her career, instead actually suggesting she try furthering it by getting into acting on top of her music. it was some of the first time they had real arguments, where poppy didn’t back down easily or eventually come around to see his side. when she firmly stood her ground that she was going to be taking time off - creek made the ultimatum that ended it all. threatening to break things off with her completely if she did that. a huge fight broke out from that, uncovering the truth of why creek was even with her to begin with – for her fame and the benefits that came along with that for him. maybe he really did actually love her too, but that for certain wasn’t the main reason he had even started dating her or why he stuck around for so long. 

the breakup really fucked with poppy. she is still fucked up over it tbh. she likes to say she’s over it – but she’s not. she struggles to believe anyone really loves her anymore and that doubt has crept into practically every relationship she’s tried to have since. 

funnily enough, breaking things off with creek actually spurred poppy to continue with her career rather than take a break as she had initially planned. The songs she wrote from their break up inspired her to release her fourth full length album. However, after touring for said album, she came back to the idea of stepping out of the spotlight for a bit, deciding not to renew her contract with trolls records and instead moving to the not super well known country of echo isle for a few years.

she’s been on the isle for the last two years – so plenty of room for connections !!

during her time dating creek, she had three miscarriages - one of which being very public and what originally gave her the idea that maybe she needed some time away from everything. they all deeply upset her. she wants to one day be a mother so bad, like so so bad, its one of the main things she wants in life – but she fears she’ll never have the chance for that.

her mother was killed and eaten by a serial killer cannibal when she was two.

her best friend is a man named branch. he also lives on the isle, technically he lives in the same house as poppy - but the majority of his time is spent in the bunker he built out in the middle of the woods. he is a survivalist and doomsday prepper. poppy has a pretty damn intense panic room built in her house because of him, one that is fortified with many a weapons. 

Since the magic of the isle started going haywire - poppy gained the power of glowing different colors based off her emotions. her most common color is a champagne yellow-ish glow, which represents general happiness. A pink or rose gold glow is romantic love. An orange tinted glow is when she’s upset. And when she’s sad or depressed she loses all glow and turns a gray color.

Speaking of depression - girlies got that for sure. Very manageable most of the times, until she falls into an episode that has her spirling for weeks or potentially months at a time.

She loves arts and crafts. Her favorite way of crafting being making scrapbooks. But she also loves knitting and other crafty stuff.

Very big stress baker and just baker and cook in general. She loooves making food for all her friends and loved ones. Will never show up to an event at someone else’s house empty handed.

Has a bunch of minimalist tattoos scattered all over her body.

[hislittleraincloud]

Honestly I didn't give a fk about the stalker storyline, but it wouldn't surprise me if they tried to make it be Donovan somehow (because misplaced Blame for Tyler blah blah). That storyline is shit anyway, with the stupid photos being far too out of sync/incongruous with the timeline. This is gdamn moronic:

Because that means it can't be anyone but someone at the school/who was at the school when everyone was leaving. And don't get me started on the other physical pics that fell out of Laurel's music box. The only one who seems to know where Wednesday is at all of these times is Thing. Oh gods, I would love it if it were him. But it won't be, and we're gonna get more nonsense.

With Buscemi as Principal Dort and Thandiwe as her new therapist/Dr. Fairburn — and given that the cast was photographed in Wednesday and Enid's room/the new set they built in Ireland — I think they're still going to be at Nevermore and within and around Jericho (with Deputy Santiago being promoted to series regular, we should probably assume she's the new sheriff). I'm going to also assume that the Addamses decided to get Pugsley into Nevermore, too (which...agh, spoilers for my own 💩). If they show the house it probably won't be central to anything, just a demonstrative "Wow, look, Wednesday's house is cool" exhibition.

I've commented about the stunt casting before (it was my very first thought upon reading who was going to be appearing). It's cute that Burton and Ortega are reaching for our Gen X nostalgia, but that's something we're already getting with Burton. One of the things that nobody cared to ask us Ignored Generationers is whether we like that shit over consistent storytelling. I can't speak for all of my kind, or any other kind, but it just seems like this isn't going the way it should have (due to the strike, due to time, due to shit writers to begin with). I don't have the attention span of a gnat and don't need to be dazzled by the bloated cameos. ETA: I keep forgetting to include Iman Marson (Lucas) in the deleted cast list. He had a thing with Bianca, and he helped Wednesday with the Laurel Gates information. There has to be a new Mayor of Jericho, since Noble was murdered, but what, the Walkers are just gone too (I mean, Lou-Anne owns Pilgrim World now)? WTAF is going on?

That leads me to something else I've talked about...Season 3. Season 2 is being released three years after Season 1 and they're supposed to be teenagers in high school. Ortega said in the beginning that she didn't even want to do this TV show, that she wanted to do movies. Perhaps now that she's an EP (seems nominal) and her recent movies are floppity flopping (Miller's Girl, Finestkind), she might consider chaining herself to this until she's 25/26, but it just takes too damn long to make the show and get it out. A Season 3 would have to be shot almost back to back with Season 2, and that would mean all principal actors having to free up their schedules for 7 months at a time. I know that they've done similar shooting schedules with Stranger Things, but this is not ST; in ST they kept all of their principals and added more. (This last season of Stranger Things is going to take a YEAR to film.) Here on Wednesday they stripped half of the non-Addams cast and are starting with new people (and adding the stunt casting). It seems like a bad sequel to me, and even if/when S3 is greenlit, they're all going to be ageing out of this high school story by the time they're buckling down to film (they're still all humans with their own desires and ambitions).

But whatev. I guess we'll see. As for Naomi, Johnna, and Oliver, yes, they're all talented and beautiful (Johnna and Olivers' eyes are just...mesmerizing) and I posted Naomi's podcast before I passed out. Y'all should really listen, it tells much more than her official statement, and also go support her podcast/$3 (minimum) a month is negligible (even for me, the Poorest of Poors) to be supporting someone we like. 🫴🏽💕🎌✨

Support our babies!

UGH the more I think about the cuts in W2 the more pissed off I get.

This half Asian hates having learned during Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month that the only Asian rep we got in this crap pile of a show was shitcanned. It was completely unexpected to us that three other Nightshades wouldn't come back, and it also pisses me off that no one is even mentioning Johnna or Oliver in the press.

It pisses me off that they won't bring Weems back because they wouldn't be able to explain it, but somehow they're going to explain the absences of Xavier, Yoko, Divina, and Kent.

"They weren't important —"

SHUT THE FUCK UP.

[extremetimedchallengeexchange]

I am here to tell you about a terrible great idea.

Have you done a fandom exchange before? You submit a list of characters you would like a gift made for you about, and a list of people you're willing to write or draw about, and then you get matched together? Yes? What if I told you that you could do a REALLY FAST exchange at at the end of this month and get the whole exchange experience over in 48 hours? Hang out in a caffeine-fuled discord (or only show up for the sparse official accouncements) and speedrun that shit? Get to say "yeah, I did [x+1] number of exchanges this year," because you did a whole exchange in a weekend? Sounds like a objectively bad super fun idea, right? Come, join us....

Have you not done a fandom exchange before? You submit a list of characters you would like a gift made for you about, and a list of people you're willing to write or draw about, and then you get matched together? Sounds like fun? What if I told you that for your first exchange you could do a super low-commitment one (it only takes 48 hours of creaton time! 300 word minimum or a decent sketch for your gift!) and then get to tell people that yeah, I'm an exchange veteran, I've totally done that before, love exchanges, who hasn't done an exchange? (Not you, because you just did one in a weekend).

Come! Check our our post for more information, join our discord and ask the mods or send asks on the blog if you want to ask questions! Come have fun with us!

But wait, why is this turning up in my fandom tags? Because right now in the exchange we are in Tag Nomination (making an official Ao3-hosted list of all the relationships that are going to be available to pick among once it's time to officially sign up next week, tags have to be submitted by two people to make it to the list, to increase matching possibility), and there are enough people submitting for your fandom that we already have TONS of tags to pick from. This post is tagged with every fandom that got to 15 tags already, which means the likelihood is high that either a) your specific blorbo is already in, b) there's someone in the discord who will back you on getting your skruklies into the tag set. YOUR fandom is already in, but we still have 3 days (until the end of the 13th), to get any other smaller fandoms into the tag set. Got a smaller fandom you like? A book you enjoy, a movie you saw once, a niche piece of canon? This is your opportunity to get it into the tag set and into the exchange, and maybe get a gift about it!

So anyways, thank you for your time, and have a good day! (Join us)

[timmymyluv]

Everyone thinks our love’s for show, when I would die for you in secret.

An insight into revealing your relationship to the public, and being each other’s date at the red carpet. A seemingly public declaration of love, that still was private and intimate.

Timothee always kept his private life close to him. Like a secret, like an oath that he guarded defensively with every fibre of his being.

Yet with you, he felt truly alive. He had this overwhelming, glowing pride to show you off, to let the world know how you two fit like a perfect puzzle and you were his missing piece.

You, too, were a creative artist and worked in the industry. You understood how the industry worked inside and out. You were a jack of all trades, you’ve done acting, singing, songwriting - name it and you’ve crossed it off your list. No matter how young you were, you always had this drive to do something more. Yet they never felt as fulfilling as it did when you met him and fell in love.

You previously feared that if you ever fell in love with someone as magnetic, as talented and as magnanimous as he was, you would lose your independence, your own identity and not just as his significant other. But he changed your mind.

What started off as secret texting and furtive dinners that seemed just like a group of friends tugged along by Zendaya and Tom, to late-night video calls, mailed love letters, voicemails and sneaking in hotel rooms because so, so much more.

When he asked you if you could be his date for his movie premiere, your first instinct was to said no, but the strings in your heart made you say yes. You didn’t care anymore what people thought. You felt established enough, no matter how far you had to go in the industry, that nothing would tear you apart from Timmy.

It came as a surprise, you in a complimenting, couture gown from the fashion house you’re an ambassador of, tow and tow with your arm around his, as he protectively circled another around your waist.

No social media posts confirming, just radio silence but that physical comfort, the support you wanted to give him was greater than what the tabloids and gossip wanted to say.

It wasn’t just possessive, as it became a regular occurrence for you to be his date. Especially as he proposed and wanted to put a ring on your finger, make it official, finally want to settle down without feeling suffocated and held back.

Just as he would blend into the crowds at your sold-out arena tours and sneak backstage, or eventually promote your latest single on his IG story, it just felt so right. So perfect.

Even when time differences, conflicting schedules and some misunderstands may get in the way, you wanted to be there for him. You wanted to be his special person, his second home, his soulmate, his perfect match.

Whether it was him, you or both of you nominated for the Oscars that year, you were always a silent force supporting him. By his side or not, you would see your successes and your struggles together.

In your own films or tv show premieres, he would show up, supporting you in every way and praising you to the heavens non-stop at the after-party. Showing you off to your friends, hyping you up, and throw you extravagant birthday parties with both your industry and non-industry friends fully represented, with your family there of course.

You didn’t care whether people would call you two just a “public relations stunt” or a “fake couple” for media attention, because they could never understand how real the two of you were. How fated the bond between the two of you was.

No matter how many photos on the red carpet or secret paparazzi shots were out there in the world, what you two had was more than words can explain. More than they could understand.

Nothing would beat the pride of your skin against his, bejewelled designer rings or not on your thousand dollar dresses, and the pride in your heart that you were his as he was yours. The same look from other more established couples in the industry seeing the familiar gaze you two shared, that reminded them of their own young love many decades before.

Whenever he would thank you in his speech, alongside his own family, co-workers, producers and numerous friends, no matter how many people were in the room, whenever he would be holding his award up in the air looking in your direction, it felt like you two were the only people alone in the room.

How his own family had treated you as their own. From regular brunches with Nicole, even when Timothee wasn’t in New York, discussing current affairs became a usual routine for you with Marc, and how Pauline accepted you like her sister, arm in arm wherever you went, whether it be shopping downtown or helping introduce you to their extended family reunions. It felt like home, you belonged.

The warm feeling you had when he would swing his arm over your shoulder, almost claiming you, but still granting you your space as he welcomed you into the family and introduced you as his significant other, the love of his life, his eventual spouse to his family. How his grandparents would take their wrinkled, aged hands in yours and see how happy you made their grandson beyond relief, and see you as their own grandchild.

It didn’t matter how much the world would see, when there was still so much between the two of you that kept secret. It was the perfect balance. And you wouldn’t have it any other way.

…

Not proofread but had to quickly write this up out of my love for him. <3