#wrap&rap & wrap&rap! ✧ meme friday

[7grandmel]

Todays rip: 08/03/2024

Reach for the Submission, Immortal Fes

Season 5 Featured on: Bloodstained Bounties ~ The SiIvaGunner All-Star Summer Festival 2021 Collection [Event Side]

Ripped by minindo, Myeauxyoozi

Requested by crickqt! (Ask Box)

And so we reach the third installment of this, I guess "Trilogy" of Minindo Touhou rips. It's fascinating, especially as someone who doesn't really know much about the games, to see how Touhou music gradually became more and more prominent on SiIva over the years - it began as mostly just Princess Sylvyspirit's passion project on the channel back in Season 1, yet gradually grew into becoming one of the channel's most known sources for good ass rips. Touhou creator ZUN was featured in both King for a Day Tournaments, we finally got the long-awaited Touhou album right before Season 5 began, and as Season 5's big summer festival event drew to a close, it was a Touhou rip - Reach for the Submission, Immortal Fes - that co-signed its ending.

I've gone on record saying that Season 5 was the time where I was...least engaged in the channel's activity. I believe I described the Season as feeling "aimless" back in my rip :), which in hindsight I wouldn't exactly say is accurate, It's moreso just that it was a period where the channel was doing things I wasn't quite as enthusiastic about. In a way the change was to be expected: the team had put the main narrative of the channel on hold since Season 3 and spent both episodes of Season 4 specifically on building up to, performing, and celebrating the King for Another Day tournament. Season 5 (and the final months of Season 4 Episode 2) was then, in a way, the first time that the channel wasn't really tethered to any recently set-up beats to follow through on, with the Christmas Comeback Crisis already long on hiatus and the King for Another Day tournament officially wrapped up. As a result, we got a ton of interesting, out-there projects that we likely wouldn't have otherwise: The beginning of SiIvaGunner Fusion Records/SGFR in snow halation but it shreds and Running Through Cookie Country, the debut of Friday Night Funkin' and the ridiculously high-effort rips made for it such as Epic Rap Battles of History: Funny vs. Funnier; and of course the continued emphasis on voice acted side stories, with various audio dramas such as Curse of the Fallen Angel in Knowledge of the Depths and today's topic, SummerFes 2021.

SummerFes 2021 may not have had as much immediate emotional pathos as its predecessor in Season 4 Episode 2, but used its standalone nature to great effect - a super distinct western theming with some of the best art on the channel, tons of left field events like Christmas in July with Nostalgic Blood of the Gregg ~ Old Source and Dream's birthday with Five Dreams at Night 1.16, and so much more. In closing out this vast, varied fun time of rips, Reach for the Submission, Immortal Fes is more than just a meme medley mashup - most all of the jokes are, in chronological order, reflecting each part of this greater SummerFes event. The annual PSY Day, the Spirited Away anniversary event, the Dream event (synced with *Dream* Land's music from Smash 64 to also cover Super Star Symphony), Beatles Day...its a full-on journey, a trip down memory lane of the entire event and just how much fun it all was.

Minindo's ripping prowess is something I've emphasized before in the prior Touhou rips of his I've covered, particularly Beautiful Dreamer, but it absolutely bears repeating: a rip this varied and large in scope only works because the guy is exceptionally good at what he does. And while I definitely prefer Beautiful Dreamer as a listen due purely to how focused and refined it is, Reach for the Submission, Immortal Fes still manages to give me those same feelings that the smaller-scale Fusion Collabs on the channel have always done, of sending me on an audio journey through an super-event that, though less fondly than others, I do still hold very dear to my heart. A lot of people became fans of SiIvaGunner through King for Another Day and its subsequent celebration in the Season 4 duology, and SummerFes 2021 did an excellent job demonstrating just how good the team is at keeping you engaged even with seemingly so little to actually work with.

[champagnecall]

//  picrew !!! saved my best boy for last...ofc i had to include wife mode and host mode....

[lazywitchling]

Dabbler’s Week - research proposal edition

I say “Research proposal” because this isn’t so much going to be what I’d ACTUALLY use as a guide, it’s just the STRUCTURE I’d use to write the guide, and why I chose what I did. For a little background on what the hell is going on, see @asksecularwitch‘s post here.

Monday - Spellwork

What: A simple candle-and-petition-paper spell. Dabbler chooses what they want, but with the instruction that it is straightforward, specific, and tangible. The Drake-Meme format would be: “I want to increase my wealth” ✋ - “I want ten bucks in the coming week” 👈 The spell is written out exactly as performed, really hand-holdy, Do This, Then This, Next This, Finally This.

Why: Look, if I were brand new and gonna pick a “dabble in witchcraft for a week” thing, I’d want to start out doing some effin’ witchcraft. So we’ll start with casting a spell. It’s written super hand-holdy because at the beginning, you really just want some step-by-step instructions on what to do. Also a week is a good time frame to give a spell, and casting it at the beginning gives it a chance to manifest by the end of the week. And FURTHERMORE, it’s a surprise tool that will help us later...

Tuesday - Cleansing a Space

What: Dabbler picks out a space to cleanse, told that the space they choose will be made into a sacred space tomorrow. They will play music of their choosing (with a few suggestions to get them started, just so nobody’s floundering, aka “relaxing yoga music, or something loud and peppy, your favorite childhood song, a meme song that makes you laugh, etc.”) while they also mundanely clean the space.

Why: Cleansing is one of those Cornerstone Witchy Things that everyone talks about offhandedly, like “cleanse your space after this spell”, and giving the Dabbler a simple way of doing that is a good first tool to have in their bag. Music is freely available, and it’s customizable, and playing music while doing a mundane cleaning associates the Magical Cleaning with the Mundane Cleaning in their mind, so they get a sense of “clean vibes” as related to “clean space”. Sidenote: the space can be a shelf, a box, a corner of the room, whatever. Might have some notes in there about other things they can add to their cleansing, like the usual magical washes or sprays, lighting a candle, or whatever. Nothing too complicated at this point, though, we’re still taking baby steps.

Wednesday - Creating a Sacred Space

What: The Dabbler picks out items they already have on hand to create a sacred space in the area that was cleansed the day before (the shelf, box, corner, whatever). Sacred here meaning “Set apart; special”, not necessarily “holy; religious”. Dabbler is encouraged to decorate and arrange things until they feel it has the proper vibe.

Why: This is to encourage the Dabbler to think about the mundane things around their own home, and how those things can be magical just by Deciding That They Are. The idea is not necessarily to create an Altar, though it can also work as practice for that should the Dabbler later choose to have one. In my own practice, I don’t have a permanent Sacred Space, because it doesn’t really fit what I do or how I live. But I tried making some when I first started, and I think it was an important learning point. Now, when I feel that I DO need a sacred space, I’m able to whip one up with whatever is around, and I think that’s a great skill to have. It’s helpful to know and feel what “Sacred” or “Special” feels like to the individual, what it takes for you to really vibe with a space or setting. My spaces are more about reining in my hyperactive brain and creating a boundary for it to focus on, not about creating a holy circle of ground, but I know what that distinction feels like BECAUSE of the times I dabbled in creating sacred spaces. This is when your brain gets to learn what It’s Witchin’ Time feels like.

Thursday - Herbal Correspondences

What: The Dabbler goes to their own kitchen or garden and picks out three spices, herbs, and/or flowers (that they 100% know what they are). At this point, it isn’t necessary to actually gather them, just to write down what is easily accessible at that moment. They then check out the Wikipedia article on their chosen herbs, and build their own correspondence list from that article.

Why: “Whoa whoa whoa, Jes, why are you suggesting Wikipedia??” Oh easy. Because it’s accessible, it’s free, and it’s not witchy. Wikipedia gets a bad rap as a resource for a variety of reasons, but for what it does, it does well. It’s an encyclopedia, so it is by nature a surfacey resource. That’s okay. That’s all we need right now. Instead of googling magical correspondences of cinnamon and finding 1000+ lists that all copied from a copy of a copy of a copy of Crowley and then not knowing WHY that thing has that correspondence, the Dabbler is going to learn to make their own by starting a (very basic) relationship with that herb. Example: I was trying to research magical correspondences of base oils, but everything I found was one-word answers, most of which was “fertility”. Which was... entirely not helpful. So I set out to make my own. Specific example: I looked into castor oil (according to “magickal” sources, it’s correspondence is simply “protection”), but my mundane research taught me that it’s been used for hydraulic and brake fluids, used in food preservation, sold as a laxative, and historically has been used as torture and humiliation (with the laxative effect, I’m sure you can figure out exactly how). Well NOW we’re getting somewhere, because now I associate it with “getting things moving”, whether in a negative or positive way. Having the Dabbler learn to do mundane research like this helps strengthen their relationship with what they use, teaches them that they can research their own materials without needing another Witch (or an Amazon Lisa) to do it for them, and teaches them that they can use what they have on hand rather than consulting a magical list of things they don’t have and wondering where the hell they’re supposed to buy white willow bark.

Friday - Divination

What: The Dabbler will gather small trinkets that they already have and collect them in a box or bag. They then ask questions (possibly with the aid of a list of suggested questions?) and draw a trinket (or cast a couple, if they’re feeling adventurous!) and interpret.

Why: I love Tarot as much as the next witch, but it’s not always practical for the starting witch. And in my experience, I can be dragged just as hard by my trinkets as I can by my traditional tarot decks. Gathering trinkets is (again, as you’re starting to see a theme, I hope) a way to use what is already on hand. And after the Wikipedia exercise from the previous day, the Dabbler should have a little bit of practice in thinking about associations. The action figure their nephew left at their house can mean “lost” but it can also mean “found”, or it’s Spiderman and means “responsibility” or Wonder Woman means “truth”, etc.

Saturday - Crafting a Charm

What: The Dabbler will create a simple charm (most likely a protective one, but I’m not married to the idea). They’ll use their own skills to hand make something tangible, however simple it may be. Could be crafting a keychain using their beading skills, or embroidering a small design onto their jeans pocket, or as simple as wrapping a colored thread around a ring they wear. Whatever it is, it will be a thing that they make with their hands.

Why: We’re falling away from the railroad guidelines at this point in the week, and encouraging the Dabbler to start thinking on their own about what they can do. There’s still suggestions so they don’t get totally lost, but it’s far less hand-holdy than the first spell of the week. With two whole exercises about thinking through associations of things, hopefully they can start to come to conclusions on their own (”You know, I think I’ll hang a safety pin from the keychain, because that just Feels Right to me” or “This string should be blue, because that’s the color of my protective gloves at work”). And the second purpose of the charm is... it’s a tangible thing. It’s a souvenir. If at the end of the week the Dabbler decides that they had fun but witchcraft isn’t for them, cool. But maybe three years down the line, they find that keychain they made during Witch Camp Week, and they think “Oh hey, I remember doing that...” and perhaps it comes to them at exactly the time they need it and they decide to pick it up again. (Or they find it and go “lol that wasn’t for me” and chuck it in the trash. Failure is always an option!)

Sunday - Spellwork Redux

What: Get in losers, we’re casting the same spell again. Well, not the SAME spell, but the same sort. That candle spell from the beginning of the week? The Dabbler will now repeat it with similar purpose. BUT, this time they are to modify the spell somehow. Even less guidelines here now. Maybe they want to perform the spell in their sacred space. Maybe they want to cleanse before performing it. Maybe they want to sprinkle some herbs on the candle, or steep some herbs in hot water and use a brush to write on the paper. Whatever they do is theirs to decide.

Why: EXPERIMENTATION. Really, how often do any of us see a cool spell and then perform it EXACTLY AS WRITTEN? I don’t know about you, but I always always always have to modify it somehow, whether it’s to fit what I have, fit my paradigm, or just because personalization is important in my craft. Redoing the spell with a little bit of tweaking means the Dabbler gets to close off the week with a little more of that Witches Casting Spells stuff that they probably expected, but with a chance to see how they can change it now, how they can make it more suited to them, or how they think it might work better. Maybe it will work better. Maybe it will be worse. Either way is a result.

Conclusion - or the TL;DR

Guidelines at the beginning of the week, transitioning to more creative freedom by the end of the week. Heavy encouragement of using what’s freely on hand and easily accessible, rather than buying specialty materials that may or may not be helpful or ever used again (not to mention could be hella expensive). Some spells, because let’s be honest, some people just really really want the spellz. And mundane research, because it’s too often neglected even among the veteran witches.

[hatari-translations]

Hi! There is a radio interview from december 31st called "Á síðustu stundu" (rás 2 kl 12:40) . Would you like to translate what they are saying? :)

The show can be found here, with the segment that Matthías is in starting at roughly fifteen minutes in. It’s quite long and most of the segment isn’t relevant to Matthías or Hatari at all, so there’ll be a lot of omissions here, but I’m translating or summarizing everything substantial that Matthías says, as usual. They actually talk about the international fanbase a little!

(Also: I’m bad at voices, I may be wrong somewhere in here on whether a host or a non-Matthías guest is speaking, please forgive me)

He is introduced as a “Matthías Tryggvi Haraldsson, I’m going to say playwright…” “Thank you.” “…singer…” “Okay.” “…activist…” “…Sure.” “And hater/Hatari.” Matthías then again says “Thanks for ‘playwright’.” I love that people do introduce him as a playwright a lot; I get the feeling that may be the work he’s proudest of, and he likes it when it’s acknowledged.

They talk about global warming a bit and denialism; Matthías contributes, “Denialists don’t want to be called denialists. It offends them.”

He’s asked if he’s doing anything special in his life for the climate; the other guy being interviewed talked about sorting his garbage. “Other than sorting garbage? Well, one should attend those protests [the youth Friday climate protests, which the woman being interviewed was part of organizing]. I haven’t done so thus far, I must admit.” They talk about how most jobs won’t let you just disappear off to a climate protest every week. Then he says “In the meantime, maybe I should buy a ‘Rótarskot’ from the persons of the year.” [The “Person of the year” was announced earlier in the show as the Icelandic Search and Rescue organization. For many years, their primary source of money was to sell fireworks for New Year’s Eve; in 2018, they started also selling ‘Rótarskot’, for those who don’t want fireworks, which is essentially funding the planting of trees and Search and Rescue at the same time.]

After talking about Search and Rescue for a bit, Matthías is asked about Eurovision, “all this… hullabaloo”. Matthías says “Yes. That’s a good choice of words.”

Host: “Have you recovered?”

Matthías: “No, I’ve just been kind of bit by bit regrounding myself. Then of course we get the New Year’s Comedy tonight and that’ll be a backslide. And then of course there’ll be another Eurovision Song Contest, and that’ll also bring it back. But then I think we’ll be rid of it, in the summer. May-June-ish.”

The host talks about how Eurovision is so huge here and people often think we’re the only people who care about it, which is a myth. He says he runs the social media for RÚV and put a photo of Matthías on Instagram when he was on Kappsmál, no gimps or leather, just Matthías (“I was wearing a green shirt,” Matthías adds), and that this photo got a lot of likes, almost exclusively from international Hatari fan pages.

Matthías: “hatarii with two i’s underscore belarus.”

Host: “Matthias I love you…”

Host: “Pics of matti…”

Matthías: “Matthías smiling is one. Hatari memes.”

Host: “Is this something that you sense in your everyday life, or is it just there?”

Matthías: “It comes up in the unlikeliest moments. Just some child pointing, or a woman at the store complimenting you out of nowhere.”

Host: “People are still thinking about this?”

Matthías: “Yeah, it’s still…”

Host: “But what about the foreigners? Are you still getting a lot of attention from abroad, messages or love confessions or…”

Matthías: “Uh, I get messages. I’ve stopped looking at my requests, long ago. Of course it’s calmed down a lot. It was real chaos back in May/June. But yeah, there’s still… you get weird tags on Instagram from all these pages. But of course, when you’re in a nation of multi-millions, the contest is a lot more niche. Even though it’s big, it’s not this unifying public thing, like it is a bit here, even though it has a large fanbase. It doesn’t dominate society in Britain or Germany like it does here.”

Host: “Here and Sweden.”

Matthías: “Yeah.”

They start talking about podcasts for a bit; Matthías says he associates audiobooks with that as well. He’s asked if audiobooks have become mainstream, and he thinks yes, at least for him this year. Somebody asks if it’s the authors reading or actors, and Matthías says he thinks it’s actors working as contractors.

A bit later they start talking about whether this is actually the start of a new decade, and Matthías opines that he feels it is. They talk about how to celebrate that; the woman host says she just bought more fireworks than usual for 2010, but today that’s not really the zeitgeist (there’s been a lot of discussion in recent years about how the ridiculous amounts of fireworks Icelanders set off on New Year’s Eve create serious pollution). The guests agree they haven’t been doing a lot of fireworks recently; Matthías says last year he just bought one rocket and one Rótarskot. Host suggests then he rocket was already carbon-neutralized. “Yes, I’m allowed.” Matthías talks about how in Sweden there’s a law where you have to prove you attended lessons before you can set off fireworks.

It’s suggested maybe there should just be one fireworks show. Matthías agrees that he likes that idea, that there’s one show and if you want to see it you just go to a certain place to watch it. Somebody says “A state show,” and Matthías says “Yeah, the state - or you could have private enterprises bidding on it.”

Eventually Matthías is asked what’s next for Hatari. “What do you do next? It’s a lot of performance art. How can you top yourselves?”

Matthías: “A good question. Well, we’ll probably take one step at a time. There’s an album in January, and a release gig, both an evening show and one the next day with no age limit. It’s all on tix.is, just to mention that. But then the future will show what we end up doing. Personally - well, you don’t want to say too much. But just continuing to surprise, introduce unexpected elements into the staging. We’ve been working with opera singers, a choir, a violin player, an accordion player… just trying to get in new elements, use the dance in a new way, just back to basics, thinking about the staging.

Host: “Will Europe crumble?”

Matthías: “Well, yes. That’s clear and that’s why we named our tour Europe Will Crumble.”

Host asks him about how they’ve got a show for all ages now, and they could hardly have imagined when they started this that they’d have children on board. He brings up Ash Wednesday and all the BDSM children running around.

Matthías: “I didn’t actually see that. But no, we weren’t expecting that. But we were to some extent conscious that we were going to slip away from the audience’s expectations. If we’re part of some scene or some particular demographic is into us, we try to surprise them and throw ourselves into some other scene. So Eurovision was in some ways a part of that. At first it was mainly metal fans who liked it. We went to Eistnaflug and it’s the first time I sing on a real stage that’s not at a bar or something. And after that we start getting more into rap, and publish a song with CYBER, and yeah, we try to demolish expectations.”

Host asks if Hatari have to restrain themselves a bit with the wider age demographic.

Matthías: “Nah, we’re just doing the same we’ve always been doing, and developing that show further. But yeah, of course the audience has changed, and we’re still trying to put our finger on exactly what group it is that’s attending our shows. It depends on the country a bit too, and place in the country. We still haven’t figured out who the typical Hatari fan is today.”

They discuss the current President of Iceland, Guðni Th. Jóhannesson, who is pretty universally beloved.

Matthías is asked for his plans for New Year’s Eve.

Matthías: “I’m getting nut roast at my dad’s, then driving home, where I rent with five cool kids, and we’re having a party. I’ve never done that, hosted a New Year’s party.”

The segment then wraps up pretty quickly after they’ve talked about what they’re doing for New Year’s.

[childofthecornmusicreview]

My Songs of the Summer 2019

With it being the first day of Summer what better way to celebrate this week’s Fresh Track Friday than providing you with my selections for Songs of the Summer.  As a heads up, these are the tracks that are currently on my radar and that it wouldn’t be shocking if none of these survive the next three months on the chart.  Additionally, with artists being able to drop music at any given time you never know what song is going to take over the internet and create its own buzz for dominating the charts this season.  Thus, for the time being these are my summer songs for 2019!

Martin Garrix - Summer Days feat. Macklemore and Patrick Stump

As mention a few weeks back, this song just has everything you’re looking for when it comes to a summertime song.  An EDM backing beat with two well-known features from a bragging Macklemore and wonderful chorus from Patrick Stump.  The video has a funny concept that gets people interested in watching it, and altogether just a really well done song that is perfect for the beach, grilling out, or rooftop bar environment.

Vampire Weekend - This Life

This song just screams a day at the beach with friends with the guitar sounds and the production all put together about free love and harmony.  Vampire Weekend is on a role with their new album Father of the Bride that has seen lots of success on the charts and has won over critics and fans alike.  “This Life” is just a well done put together single for all kinds of summer related occasions that I will certainly have on repeat throughout the season.

Lizzo _Juice

I know I am late to the party for hearing about Lizzo as I have read up on her and seen her name attached to lots of songs by other artists, but I was blown away when I heard this funky jam “Juice.”  There is no shame in her game, and I just love the attitude Lizzo personifies as she is comfortable with herself and knows that she can pull any man that she desires.  I can’t determine if she is trying to go the Drake route and have a little bit of singing as well as rapping with her music but you do get a sample of both this this song which is done well.  With the Prince esc backing beat, this is the perfect summer jam to throw on at a wedding and strut your stuff on the dance floor.

Luke Combs - Beer Never Broke My Heart

I’m not typically known for country selections when it comes to this blog but it seems like when the weather starts to turn warmer I tend to lean into more of a country fan this time of year.  This track from Luke Combs knocks off that typical country song traits (Girl left, dog ran off, truck broke down, etc.) within the first ten seconds of the single and goes for the main theme of the song which is that the one thing he can always depend on is an ice cold beer.  It may be the beginning of summer but as soon as you’re summer time fling ends, beer will always be there to get you through.  Combs as a wonderful, authoritative voice and the band only adds to this celebration vibe with its loud and dominating sound that will certainly get you in the mood for a few cold one’s.  

Lil Nas X - Old Town Road (Remix) feat. Billy Ray Cyrus

Although this single has been out for a good chunk of time now and for most I’m sure the novelty has been worn out, I still am excited to hear song when it is played out at the bar. Now granted, I don’t really listen to the radio so unless I listen to it on my phone, I really haven’t been over exposed yet to this track.  Still, almost every hip hop concert I have attend since this release, this song has been played to hype up the crowd as well as bars and weddings, it is very hard not to hear this song at least one on a typical night out.  Just like when peanut butter and chocolate come together, somehow that powers that be found a perfect way to combine rap and country for what I believe will be not only song of the summer but in the running for song of the year at the Grammy’s  next year. When you’re able to draw upon different cultures, break the internet with memes and videos, and wrap it all up under three minutes, then it’s easy to see how this single was able to and still continues as of this post, dominate the charts.

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Billie Eilish - Bad Guy

Georgia - About Work the Dancefloor

Taylor Swift - You Need To Calm Down

Kane Brown - Short Skirt Weather

Steve Lacy - Playground

[sithlordintraining]

BEYCHELLA 2018

A/N: Because my hair still hasn’t grown back and to be honest I could go off and give detail about everything but I was like I don’t have time for that. 

Summary: Kylo “I got fuxking money” Organa-Solo takes his unapologetically black girl/friend to Beychella VIP status

Warning: cursing.

Kylo’s fingers strummed against the table you were sitting at; your dark eyes were glued to the screen of your Mac. “I’m going to Coachella with Rey, Finn, and Poe.” He said and you just ok’d him unbothered. “And...so are you.” The badge popped up in right hand corner of your screen for an airdrop. The words that he said didn’t process but when you saw the photo of the ticket, you turned to look at him. “Wha-Why, Kylo?” You were confused but were smiling. You watched as his large body shrugged his broad shoulders, looking like an oversized child as a blush filled his cheeks. “I-I just thought you would like to go with m-us. I know you usually go to Panorama, so I thought you would enjoy it.” Kylo said avoiding eye contact. “Thanks, Kylo. I mean I don’t know what to say.” You were in such a shock, your brows were still furrowed. “That you’ll go, please.” He joked. “Yeah, yeah of course. How much do I owe you? I’ll Venmo you right now.” Your fingers moved quickly against the keyboard. “Nothing Y/N, it’s my treat.” Your eyes found his brown irises that you loved to compliment him about. “Don’t give me that look Y/N, I mean it.” You would be lying if you didn’t like him paying for everything, but he was spoiling you and he wasn’t even your boyfriend! “Fine!” You rolled your eyes. “When is it so I can block out my days at work?”

“It’s Saturday, April 14th. I could only afford one day, sorry. But if you want, we can go the whole weekend and I can show you California.” Kylo’s rich voice was soft as he spoke to you. He knew you had never been and he would love to show you, Cali, just like you had helped when Rey visited New York. Plus, if he could just get you alone for a weekend in his element, maybe he would finally be able to tell you how he feels. “I guess,” you teased never really being a fan of the West Coast, besides the rap. “Let’s see this lineup.” Kylo bit his bottom lip knowing that his plan would work. He watched your eyes widen at the screen. “BEYONCE?!” You turned to look at him with a wide smile plastered on your face. He broke out in a giggle. “You look like the meme,” Kylo said. “Shut up!” You punched his arm. “But seriously though, Beyonce? Oh my God, we are going to see you Beyonce!” His lips tugged up because he loved seeing your smile and knowing that he caused it, made him happier. You wouldn’t consider yourself a die-hard Beyhive member, but as a former dancer and performer, you respected the woman and gave credit where credit was due. She was the best living entertainer of this generation and most influential person; not to mention her music has gotten you through a lot and she was Blue Ivy’s mom. “Oh my God, what am I going to wear?!” You screeched as you maniacally hit the keys on the laptop. Kylo just chuckled before pressing a kiss to your forehead. “Alright, see you later.” “Bye Ky, thank you so much.” You looked up at him with a happy pout. “Anything for you, kid.” He smiled and was on his way.

All of Friday, Kylo took you to see his California. Everyone could go down Rodeo Drive or see the Hollywood sign, but he wanted to show you a side to California that almost made you want to stay. But Saturday came fairly quick and you were waking up to the smell of pancakes. You strolled downstairs to see Kylo behind the island. “Good Morning,” You said. Kylo turned to see you in your cute little PJs and head scarf. “Good Morning, Y/N.” He plated the bacon. “Where’s Rey and everyone?” You asked. “They left already.” He handed you your plate. “I thought we could just chill and get ready until Beyonce,” Kylo told you. “You act like I’m going to take long.” You rolled your eyes eating the bacon. “Of course not sweetheart. But, I know it’s a time zone difference and you would like to perfect your baby hairs.” He teased. You gave him a death look. “I know you’re joking but the hairs are a serious thing.” You stuck your tongue out. “What time does she perform?” “At 11pm.” Kylo told you. “11? Oh, Bey, I’m going to need a nap, we have like 12 hours to waste.” You wore a silk and lace yellow cami with crystal embellished high-waisted shorts and the big purchase that you had been saving just for the concert: Miu Miu Matelasse leather belt bag. Expensive and trendy? Yes. But you could also wear it as just a belt or a clutch. Your tongue pressed against the back of your teeth as you focused on laying your baby hair down perfectly. Kylo stood at the door just watching you with a small smile on his lips. He knew how he felt about your curls. Looking in the mirror, you saw the weirdest sight. “Are you wearing a-” You turned to see his muscles under the ‘Beyhive Boys’ shirt and his dark hair braided back in a bun. You couldn’t help but laugh at how cute and out of his element he looked. “I don’t want to be out of place.” Kylo sat down on the toilet and held out be stickers. “What is this?” You took it from him. “I’m going to put them on my body.” Kylo was the master of being emotionless, so when you saw his straight face say this and you busted out laughing. “You’re so cute!” Kylo opened his legs as you engulfed him in a hug. His arms wrapped around you tightly, nuzzling into your belly. “Alright, Mr. Knowles lets put these bees on you.”

Walking the festival grounds, you held Kylo’s hand as you took in everything. Never have you ever thought you would be at Coachella or see Beyonce or be with Kylo in this type of setting. Kylo always like it for it to be just you two and you thought it was so sweet that he spent the time and money to think about you like this. “We are meeting them here.” Kylo stopped as he looked around for his cousin and friends. Soon, both were able to make out the sound of laughter from the famous trio. “BEN!” Rey screamed running to him but then quickly shifted to you. “Y/N YOU LOOK SO GOOD!” She ran to hug you. Poe and Finn approached Kylo. “Woah, aren’t you ready for Queen Bey?” Poe said. Kylo just rolled his eyes. “And Miss thing came to slay over here.” Finn's hands moved up and down and in a praising gesture. Y/N laughed at Finn’s ridiculousness. “Come on, let’s get some pictures and fun in before Beyonce stops the world.” Rey grabbed your hand and everyone followed. You had such an amazing time and took so many great pics with your friends. Not to mention Kylo, you thought Kylo was so beautiful, not just on the outside, and you wish he could see that. The group made their way to the main stage. “We are going this way.” Kylo tugged your hand that almost never left his. “Dude, what? We are going to be in the back already, where could we possibly go?!” He could tell you were getting anxious and frustrated. “We’ll catch you guys later,” Kylo told the trio as he led you to a secluded section. It was heavily guarded and made you confused. “Can I see some ID?” The man asked and the pair showed him. Soon he was letting them in and handing them lanyard.

Thanking the man, you read the laminated card. “BEYCHELLA!” You squeaked. “Oh my God Kylo, how the fuck did you do this?” Kylo just shrugged. “I guess it pays to have my mom be a famous Senator,” Kylo told you. Kylo had money, so you weren’t surprised that you both had VIP bands for the festival but this was another level. “This is crazy!” Both of your hands wrapped around his as you beamed up at the tall figure. Kylo looked down to see you glowing and not just your skin, but your whole aura. He loved every moment of you taking him by the hand and leading him to a good spot to see both stages. You stopped in front of the gate and looked at him. “Oh my God, that’s Jourdan Dunn!” You whispered. He turned to see a couple of models that you followed and he grabbed both your hands smiled down at you. “You’re so cute.” Now it was your time to hide your blushing expression, wrapping your arms tightly around him. With other people filling into the little VIP area, you tried your best to keep it cool, but and you and Kylo caught everyone’s attention. Two beautiful Beyonce-themed people, everyone thought you were the cutest couple, Kylo was very surprised when people wanted pictures. Of you, he was not; you were his Naomi Campbell and he loved seeing and watching you take pictures. But him it was different, he wasn’t as photogenic as you. With some hyping and a few of you, he was able to show off his Queen Bey outfit. “Just letting you know, I’m not apologizing for my actions and if you don’t want to be my friend anymore, it’s fine ‘cause baby girl finna turn up!” You told him.

Soon all the lights were dimming and screams filled the air. Kylo heard you gasp as the surrounding phone screens illuminated your face. His dark eyes memorized your childlike expression waiting for the show to start. The spotlight illuminated a female drummer as she began tapping. “Oh, my God.” You whispered. A whistle blew and the beat dropped, the dancers began to move and exposed Beyonce in all her royal garb. Y/N’s mouth hung open as she couldn’t believe what she watches. Her eyes fell to the main stage where she saw the bleachers and the band. “OH MY GOD IT’S A FUCKING HBCU, SHE’S FUCKING TAKING US TO COLLEGE!” Y/N screamed and Kylo chuckled. He knew that when you were little you wanted to go to an HBCU and you wanted to be a line dancer, sometimes you regretted not going and that would make Kylo sad because he met you here in college and he couldn’t even FATHOM you not being in his life. Even if he had only known you for a little less than a year. Kylo’s eyes went from you to the top of the bleachers seeing Beyonce. “That’s from the fucking Wiz, woah okay, bitch take me all the way black!” He heard you say. The beat dropped and Beyonce began to move. “Coachella are you ready?” “YASSS! IT’S FUCKING CRAZY IN LOVE” He heard you say. He just stared in awe as the show commenced. He never really watched for Beyonce until now and he had to admit, the price was worth it and the show just started.

“She’s line dancing, she better not sit-wow, she’s fucking my life up.” Y/N said she could feel the adrenaline rush through her as the performance went on. You stuck your tongue out and began to twerk when they remixed Crazy in Love with Back Dat Ass Up. Kylo looked at you for a brief second before a blush hit his face and continued to watch the dancers do the same thing. It started to slow down as she moved to the next song. Your hands flew to your face. Kylo’s brows furrowed as he gently pulled you to him. “You okay? What happened?” Y/N turned up to look at him with glossy eyes. “She’s singing Lift Every Voice and Sing. That’s the Black national anthem.”  She hadn’t heard that song in years! From pre-school to middle school she went to an all-black and very pro-black school that celebrated the culture. So hearing this definitely invoked some nostalgic emotions for her. But the tears fell away as Formation came on and Kylo knew how much you LOVED that song. “Are we swag surfin’ again?” You began to dance and took Kylo’s arms and did the same. “YASS BEY!” He stood there smiling torn between watching Beyonce perform and the girl he was in love with being so happy and carefree.

“Kylo those are Les Twins!” She shook his shoulders which prompted him to tear his eyes from her to the stage. The beat for Partition dropped and you were living and soon filtered into Yonce which got you hyped because Jourdan, Joan, and Chanel were in your section and if you were living, you know they were living. Check On It started to play and you swore if they weren’t already, your edges were GONE! “Check On It like Pink Panther, bitch throwback to my fucking Disney MP3 Player!” You screamed. You haven’t heard that song in years, but you still knew the lyrics. “Oh, Shit!” They both said in unison as Jay-Z walked on the stage. “If Blue comes out, I’m done, I’ll be done.” Kylo threw his head back laughing because you LOVED that little girl more than you loved her parents. The girls and Beyonce came back with their army fatigue and you felt so stupid for not realizing what this was leading up to when three silhouettes rose from the stage. Hands flew into your hair as you screamed. Kylo jumped definitely not expecting that. But, never in your twenty-two years of life did you think you would get the chance to see this. You remember playing Destiny’s Child and telling people you were Beyonce and they weren’t. Young Y/N was going off; Kelly, Bey, and Michelle were right there looking fine as ever and better than most of the artist that we have now! You haven’t heard good harmonies like that in a minute. “Woah, the boots are falling, somebody’s getting fired.” If that wasn’t enough, Solange came running out. “WHAT?!” You screamed as they danced to Get Me Bodied. “THIS IS AMAZING!”

You don’t know why you underestimated Beyonce by thinking it couldn’t get better than this but when Single Ladies started you were breaking out the dance moves that were in your muscle memory. Kylo couldn’t help admire you dancing with the same energy as the dancers on stage. He knew about Single Ladies so he flipped his hand just like Beyonce which made you laugh. You hugged his side and he wrapped his arms around you, hopefully, you wouldn’t be single any longer once he finally worked up the nerve. Beyonce began to talk and sang Love On Top. With your arms still wrapped around him tightly, you began to sing the song, Kylo’s head rested atop your head. They continued to watch Beyonce snatch wigs and life from everyone at Coachella. Beyonce said her thank yous and left the stage. Everyone began to exit still on a high. Kylo led you out. “You enjoyed yourself?” He asked walking to the meet-up with the trio. You nodded still reveling in what just happened. The ride back to the house you were silently snuggled up with Kylo; Rey, Finn, and Poe didn’t mind as they were drunk and talking about God knows what.

When you entered the house everyone went to bed except you and Kylo, who was chilling in the living room. “That was amazing, I’ve never seen a show like that and it wasn’t even her concert,” Kylo told you. “Yeah,” You said silently with a smile. Kylo observed the small smile on your face as tears filled your eyes. “A-Are you okay?” He moved closer to you. “Yeah, I just,” You wiped your tears as you giggled. “You might think it’s silly, but watching her, watching THAT performance, that was me. It was for me, it was for us.” Kylo didn’t need you to explain what you meant; he remembers all the times you complained about going to see Solange and all the whites being at the front of the stage and not showing her enough love, how it wasn’t fair for them or you, and how she had made you feel as a black woman. “No, I don’t think it’s silly.” Kylo shook his head. “It’s just, that was my culture. Like the bands, the frats, the line, the songs; I wanted to go to Hampton like my Uncle and be a dancer and perform at the shows that we used to go see. And the Nina Simone, Malcolm X excerpts and the anthem-like.” You rolled your eyes as more tears fell. “I’m getting goosebumps just thinking about it.” You show him your arms. “She turned the whitest festival black.” Kylo joked and you laughed. “Totally, but I mean she made history, we witnessed history and she infused it with our history. After everything, this was for us by us. Thank you for allowing me to see this.” You turned to him and smiled. Kylo brushed the fallen curls out of your face.

“I’m just happy that you’re happy. You make me so happy Y/N and I couldn’t think of a better way to express how thankful I am for being my friend and just putting up with me.” Kylo said. “So you take me to the most anticipated show since 2017? I must mean a lot to you. I’m forever indebted to you.” You laughed. His fingers combed through his hair as he let out a shaky breath not knowing how to say his next words. “You can be my girlfriend.” He said and you threw your head back in laughter which confused him. “You didn’t have to take me to see Beyonce to be your girl, but I’ll take it.” Hands cradled his face as they nuzzled their noses together. Two pairs of dark eyes held a heavy stare. His large hands softly gripped your waist. His full lips touched yours as he pulled you closer. Kylo couldn’t believe this whole night was real. He felt her soft lips fall into a smile as he continued to leave kisses on her lips. He pulled back to see her blushing expression. Her head fell into the crook of his neck as he pulled her into a bear hug and pulled you on top of him. “Thank you, Beyonce!” Kylo sighed looking down at his favorite person in the whole world.

tagged:  @rebeccamaximoff @hoe-for-kylo

P.S: Y’all better read this lmao

[jamisonpro]

How to speak In Tongues

Ok, I’m taking a departure from my normal subject matter this week. I want to write more about Stranger Things 2 and everything I loved, I want to talk about Blade Runner 2049 and how it totally blew me away, and how it’s potentially the best sequel ever. However, something happened on Friday, November 3rd that has captivated me completely since. I’m going to take some time and gush. It’s not exactly movies or television, but it is tangentially related.

No, it’s not the iPhone X. I’m still waiting on mine (arriving hopefully Friday).

What actually happened was the man who is known by some as Filthy Frank (Sir Francis of the Filth), Pink Guy, Salamander Man, Safari Guy, and other outrageous internet characters released an absolutely incredible EP. No, this isn’t Pink Guy wrapping about how hot the girls who used to be on Nickelodeon are. This is joji (the way his name, George Miller, is said in his home country of Japan) releasing some heart wrenching, melodic, and beautiful tracks on the In Tongues EP. This is the man turned the Harlem Shake into a meme, and purposefully personifies the worst parts of the internet (to show how ridiculous and awful they really are, a point many fans miss). 

Over the years, George, in the guise of Filthy Frank, released dozens of videos on different aspects of internet culture, from Weaboos (people obsessed with anime and Japanese culture), to pranks and life hacks. However, in the background, George was always a musician, and he quietly produced some pretty fucking amazing music under the alias “joji”. A few years back, the tracks Thom and You Suck Charlie were leaked, and completely knocked his usual fanbase off their feet. These low-fi inspired, melancholy R&B tracks were such a huge departure from his usual rude, crude, and hilarious Pink Guy rap tracks and it immediately drew in and held a cult group of fans that managed to find it on an otherwise unpublicized soundcloud account. Many, including myself, anxiously awaited the supposedly forthcoming “Chloe Burbank Vol.1″ where we hoped to get even more of joji’s work. 

We waited a long time. “Pink Season”, a collection of truly hilarious and outrageous songs by “Pink Guy” came out January 4th of this year and was enjoyable, but didn’t reach into your chest like You Suck Charlie. This hiatus seemed it would last forever. Joji released great tracks from time to time on his Soundcloud, but there was no mention of “Chloe Burbank Vol. 1″ getting its full release.

However, this Spring, 88Rising, a music collective dedicated to promoting Asian artists (notably including Rich Chigga and Keith Ape as well), uploaded a new joji track on their youtube channel - I don’t wanna waste my time. This was joji music, plain and simple with a simple line in the description, “'17 joji for all seasons″. This promise of more joji in 2017 was deeply exciting. 

Fast forward to October 17, and joji releases Will He, the first track of the promised forthcoming EP, later revealed to be titled “In Tongues”. Now it’s November 6/7th and I’m totally hypnotized by this album. It’s genuinely incredible and with more promised on the way, it’s hard to put any other way than that I’m so fucking excited. 

You may be wondering why it took George so long to fully commit to music, especially if it was so good. This stems from his community. There were those -- notably those who didn’t get that he was making fun of the type of person he was portraying -- who only wanted Filthy Frank-style comedy videos from George. To George, as he’s expressed, this felt like a majority of his fanbase, and he was concerned the audience wouldn’t make the transition with him. Luckily, it seems over the years, as he slowly released his joji works, he built up the confidence to make the full transition. Filthy Frank has slowed down significantly with some hilarious, but clearly climactic videos, along with the near silent release of a book, a veritable Filthy Frank Bible. 

George now seems to be fully committed to joji as his full time endeavor, for all intents and purposes, and it just feels right. Even though he clearly had talent for his specific brand of internet satire, his music as joji just has this unmistakable soul and passion that just wasn’t present in the rest of his body of work. This was clearly exactly what he wanted to do, the music he wanted to hear and produce. Now, he’s doing it at the pro level, with enthusiastic support from his fans and seemingly the support of the mainstream music scene. I don’t know George personally, but goddamn if I’m not so insanely happy for him and proud of what he’s accomplished. This music speaks to me, and although I have no illusions about knowing him personally, it’s very cool that we both clearly share a passion for this music. 

I can’t wait to see what’s next. 

[nighttimelights-prompted]

Can I get some US!Papyrus and reader fluff, after he walks in on the reader in the middle of a bad panic attack?

(hey there anon! it’s my pleasure.

The slim phone Alphys had rigged for him hadn’t made a sound for a few hours. Stretch flipped it idly in his hand, his bones clacking against the sturdy plastic rhythmically as he stared at the dark screen each twist of the phone. Smoke slipped from between his teeth, past the clove cigarette lazily hanging from his mouth.

Normally, he’d already be over at your place by now; it was Friday, nearly 10pm, and you’d have been back from work for at least an hour, sending him the go-ahead to come over… but tonight he hadn’t heard from you, not even a quick stray response to the ancient meme he had dug up and sent to you earlier. His soul was a little tight as worry pooled in his chest - he’d been working to not start assuming the worst case scenario since coming to the surface - or, at least since he first met you and you had gotten close, stars bless your steady hand and sweet, funny, calming words that drew so much reason in those hard nights - but..

Well, he could at least check in on you.

It was a short step through the clinging darkness before he landed in front of your door - he let the cigarette drop in the void, knowing better than to get caught by your landlord with it in front of your place. He rapped his knuckles on the door, raising his voice at the same time, the gravelly pitch to his voice one he knew you loved. “knock knock,” he said.

His knuckles rested on the cool wood of your door as he waited. You had a small space, and the walls were thin. You’d hear him, so he was okay with waiting for you to come and reply.

Well, that was if you would reply.

He swallowed with a throat he didn’t have. “knock knock,” he tried one more time.

Quiet.

In truth, he should have probably waited longer than the second and a half he allowed before cutting through the void to step inside, but instinct told him it wouldn’t matter. Instinct had kept him mostly living this long, so he was inclined to listen.

Your living room and kitchen were lit, and before he had a moment longer to scan, the microwave beeped shrilly - something in there had been left, unclaimed. His gaze scanned the familar room as he crossed it in his usual easy pace - you hated that sound, and would always run to cut it off - but you weren’t in here. Your hoodie had been tossed over the couch, your shoes toed off at the door - his fingers met the button of the microwave’s latch as his mind raced.

As his fingers grazed against the mug inside, he realized that it was cold.

A swear crossed his tongue in a whisper before he heard the noise - something in your room had moved, falling with a thump.

He was already in there before the moment passed.

You were pressed against the side of your bed, knees drawn to your chest, your blankets drug mostly off the bed and clenched in your shaking hands as you stared at them. No, past the material, Stretch immediately recognized, your eyes wide and unfocused. Your laptop lay haphazardly upside-down near you - where it had fallen.

He approached carefully, humming softly in a way that buzzed through his bones, a low sound he didn’t realize he made so often until you had brought up how much you loved it.

You started, but didn’t lift your gaze.

“hey there sweetheart,” Stretch said, his voice low and soft. He was already on your level when he reached you, bent down on a knee, careful to not crowd you.

Your knuckles went whiter, your breath stuttering as you opened your mouth once, twice, then bit your lip and clenched your eyes shut.

Stretch gently laid his hands over yours. His thumbs stroked your knuckles, trying to smooth the tension there as he took care let let his chest rise and fall in steady breaths for you.

“it’s going to be okay. i’m here, i’ve got you,” he said to you. “you’re safe. we’re in your room, just us.” he felt the tension in your hands slacken a little, and the corners of his mouth picked up. “there you go, honey. that’s it. just one thing at a time, that’s all we have to do. focus on me, on my chest, yeah?”

Your hands, still shaking, slipped over to grasp at his. He held them securely in return as you clenched your grip - then nodded, almost imperceptibly. Your eyes focused on him, on the strings of his hoodie.

So quietly, “I’m s-sorry, I’m so - I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” you tried to say, your words halting, too quick, too short.

He hummed again, bending down just slightly to press his forehead to yours. “shhhh, there’s nothing to be sorry for. all i see here is a cute human doing their best, right? just working on taking those deep breaths…”

You nearly hiccupped in inhalation, but slowly, unsteadily, you matched Stretch’s breathing. The corners of his eyesockets were tight as he continued making a steady pace in breath for you, murmuring words of encouragement.

Finally, finally, you looked up at him. Exhaustion lined your eyes, and your hands still trembled in his, but you were breathing normally once more.

Just for him, you smiled. It was small, and shaky, and full of so much gratitude that he felt winded.

“Stretch… I’m sor-” you stopped yourself at the knowing quirk to his brow bone. Your smile turned a little sheepish, but you took a deep breath and squeezed his hands. “Thank… thank you,” you said instead.

He grinned at you and lifted your hands to press a kiss on your fingers, drawing a gentle sigh from you and a red tint to your cheeks. “i’ve got you, honey. stars know you’ve got me - like hell i’d want to be anywhere else but by your side.”

You stared up at him, a wave of emotions rolling through your expression for just a moment, before you shifted to quickly wrap your arms around his neck. Your reply was muffled and lost in the soft honey-and-clove scent of his sweater, and he chuckled as you ended up pulling him down and forward. He looped his arms around you, pulling you easily around to settle in his lap.

“yeah, i love you even when i don’t have a star’s clue as to what you’re saying down there.”

A warm orange glow wrapped around the blanket you had dropped, and it slipped to tuck around the two of you without Stretch having to let go of you. His phone slipped out of his pocket with the same glow, hung in the air for a moment as he concentrated - then he let it drop onto the bed behind you as laidback, calming music started playing at a low volume from it.

You moved your head, pressing your cheek to his collarbone. He hummed again. You nestled closer to him, and he swore he could feel the pulse of your soul pressed so close to him as you did so.

You hummed, your own little low tone that brought a softer turn to his grin and a slight orange dusting to his cheeks. He ran his hand along your back, drawing absent-minded designs along the line of your spine as he held you secure and close.

Your body relaxed against his, and a small, relieved sigh left you.

“I said... I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else but by your side, either.”

[biofunmy]

The Playlist: Lana Del Rey’s Pointed Protest, and 8 More New Songs

Written on Monday, teased with a snippet on Instagram that same day, and then released in full on Friday, Lana Del Rey’s “Looking for America” is a rapid-response protest song — following a slew of mass shootings — from an artist whose tortured relationship to an idealized America has always been central to her persona. “Pulled over to watch the children in the park/We used to only worry for them after dark,” she sings, lightly vibrating with anger. What makes this protest so striking is that Del Rey sings about the country’s fall from grace (“I’m still looking for my own version of America/One without the gun, where the flag can freely fly”) with a convincing wistfulness, the sort that jingoists think is all their own. JON CARAMANICA

Alessia Cara, ‘Rooting for You’

More of Alessia Cara’s voice unimpeded, please. “Rooting for You” is lilting and pleasant, a light vamp with some Huey Lewis-era digitized saxophone jammed in the middle. Cara has an exemplary voice, and she doesn’t have to push hard to extract meaning. “Now I see you’re having so much fun/with everyone/you had so much fun making fun of,” she sings almost tenderly, as the sarcasm drips off like grease. CARAMANICA

Megan Thee Stallion featuring Nicki Minaj and Ty Dolla Sign, ‘Hot Girl Summer’

Meme first, song second is perhaps the wrong order. The pressure to make “Hot Girl Summer” — the new track from Megan Thee Stallion, following her coining and popularizing the titular phrase — a special event may have been too strong. Certainly she didn’t need Ty Dolla Sign (not by any metric a hot girl) singing about his own pleasure to begin the song. And while the team-up with Nicki Minaj is inspired — Megan is assertive and plain-spoken, Minaj is jubilant — the production is bizarrely downcast. It’s a missed opportunity, lacking the exuberance of the phrase, the sentiment, the meme and, ultimately, the summer. CARAMANICA

PJ Morton, ‘Kid Again’

“You don’t need to give up, that’s the beginning of the end,” PJ Morton sings, a chorus of falsetto harmonies flickering around him. “You just need to believe like a kid again.” Morton is a New Orleans-born virtuoso who plays in Maroon 5, and in his own work he runs the influences of Allen Toussaint and Stevie Wonder through a bevy of ideas from R&B’s more recent decades. All the while he’s leaning hard on his buttery, heartfelt singing voice and masterful studio chops. On “Kid Again,” with a repetitive chord progression wrapping its arms around him, he insists on idealism and innocence, things that feel like precious commodities today: “You don’t need to grow up/You just need to believe like a kid again.” GIOVANNI RUSSONELLO

Chastity Belt, ‘Elena’

Lydia Lund and Julia Shapiro’s vocals wind around each other, buffer each other, underscore each other as they sing about a boyfriend who was hardly worth the trouble: “His only intrigue was the lack of him/Fill in the blanks with what you see fit.” The Seattle band’s new self-titled album is due in September. CARYN GANZ

Bas featuring Ari Lennox and Kiddominant, ‘Amnesia’

An unexpectedly seamless blend of euphoric Afrobeats, spacey R&B, melancholy post-Drake pop and straight-talk rapping. CARAMANICA

Stephen Mallinder, ‘Working (You Are)’

Stephen Mallinder of the English post-punk provocateurs Cabaret Voltaire will release his first solo album in 35 years, “Um Dada,” in October. Its leadoff track, the groovy curio “Working (You Are)” is a delightful companion to Marie Davidson’s pointier “Work It” from last year, introducing and then quickly retracting a series of ear-pleasing, familiar dance-music flourishes. In a statement announcing his return, Mallinder wrote of a “false nostalgia about the analogue past,” and concluded: “Let the machines talk to each other, let them dance … they lead, we follow.” GANZ

Grade 2, ‘Graveyard Island’

The English punks in Grade 2 come through with a super-catchy blast of rebellion rock with “Graveyard Island” from their Hellcat debut, produced by Rancid’s Tim Armstrong: “We see it now/it’s smoke and mirrors/our broken future couldn’t be any clearer.” GANZ

Mike Holober Gotham Jazz Orchestra, ‘Jumble’

At the outset of this 14-minute track, which opens the Gotham Jazz Orchestra’s fine new album, “Hiding Out,” a quietly suspenseful melodic theme is passed around between flutes and muted brass and cooled-down saxophones. A bass line creeps upward, starting to bring a Brazilian maracatu rhythm to life below. Mike Holober’s woven composition unfolds across various movements, kicking up dust as it goes along; toward the end, after a snaky, scorching guitar solo from Jesse Lewis, the whole band piles in together, and the rambunctious energy of a street parade — or just a lively city block, on any day of the year — spills forth. RUSSONELLO

Sahred From Source link Arts

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[poetrybooksya]

Hello Darkness, My Old Friend | November/December 2017 Wrap-Up

I didn't forget to do a November wrap-up, but since I was so caught up in real life I didn't feel the desire to do one. So I'm basically combining November and December's wrap-ups to end the rest of the year.

In Real Life (IRL)

November was ok, I don't really remember much of what happened. But this December has been a lot of trying times, filled with anxiety, worried moments, and feeling like my world was crashing down. It was mostly due to me not making time and being accountable for my actions. In case some of you don't keep up with my personal Twitter account, I share a lot of my writing on different platforms. I have had the hardest month so far scheduling, writing, and posting on time for a certain website. Before, I blamed my hectic work schedule, not getting enough time during the week to write, my boss, the moon, the sun, the stars, anything you could have thought of, I blamed it on why I couldn't just sit and write!! And for awhile, I even thought about quitting or taking a break, because I was just so frustrated on why I couldn't get anything done. Even if I sat home on my ass all day and just wrote, something else would get in the way and ruin my creativity. And I hated feeling out of control of my own work ethic. I still hate it. Even though it's a little better now, it definitely woke me up and made me change the way I work. Now, I just work on some things day by day, hour by hour, and if I don't finish by the end of the day, it's ok! There's always another day to keep at it and it'll get done eventually, one way or another. I know there are deadlines involved, but it's better to work on it even past the due date in order to finish. Because then it's done! There's not a lot of stress involved. Hopefully for the rest of the month and the beginning of 2018, I can use that analogy to work on other things, outside of writing.

In more happier news, I got my first internship at Entangled Publishing!! At first, I wasn't sure to apply because I don't have a lot of experience in publishing (just because you have a book blog doesn't mean you know about publishing lol). But I talked to my parents about it, and they encouraged me to apply....and I got it!! So far, it's been great; my job is to read manuscripts by new authors and make brief reports on them. There's a Facebook group for new interns, and we all get along great, we're learning a lot, and our editors are really nice!

In other news, my new obsession has been the K-pop guy group, BTS!! I first noticed them on Twitter when my timeline was showing their American debut on the 2017 American Music Awards, and they were just so cute! In case you don't know, they are a group of 7 young men from South Korea:  Jin (진), born Kim Seok-jin,  Suga (슈가), born Min Yoon-gi, J-Hope (제이홉), born Jung Ho-seok RM, born Kim Nam-joon Jimin (지민) Park Ji-min V (뷔) born Kim Tae-hyung Jungkook (정국), born Jeon Jung-kook They have been a band since 2013, their debut was June 13. And I had no idea that they were even a thing, if it weren't for my Twitter friends going OFF for these boys!! And they can dance!! A lot of my timeline during the AMAs were not here for them or into them like that, probably because we've had so many boy bands come and go through out the years. But the thing is with BTS and K-pop groups like them, they dance and entertain better than the US does, not going to lie!! We've had our N'SYNC, BSB, NKOTB, 98 Degrees, One Direction (whom I love!), The Wanted, Five Seconds of Summer, who were popular and loved in their own right, but not a lot of them danced. That's what I've missed from recent boy bands! And BTS know how to incorporate rap and hip-hop without it being offensive to black people, and I love it!! Even though a lot of their music is in Korean and I don't speak the language myself, just the fact that I can vibe with them and still understand their meanings means more to me than if they were to do an English album. Plus, RM is fluent in English, and Jungkook knows some English, which is helpful.

(Left to Right: V, Jimin. Cuties! ♥)

I still have a lot to catch up on when it comes to their music, but so far, V is my bias! His deep sexy voice is just my everything! Jimin is a cutie too, he may be a close second to being my bias wrecker! Let me know in the comments if you're a member of the BTS ARMY!! Who's your bias? Which songs should I listen to first?

BLOG POSTS

Weekly Memes

Book Blogger Hop - Here are all of my BBH posts from this month. Each week the hop will start on a Friday and end on Thursday. There will be a weekly prompt featuring a book related question. The hop's purpose is to give bloggers a chance to follow other blogs, learn about new books, befriend other bloggers, and receive new followers to your own blog.

POSTS

December 1-7

December 8-14 December 22-28

Top 5 Wednesday - I either forgot to do many of these Christmas themed prompts, or just didn't want to lol. But I did do one! 

POSTS

Characters on the Naughty List

Readathons and Reading Challenges

I don't know if this counts as a readathon, but I participated in Jaimie from The Broke and the Bookish's Secret Santa again. This was my second time participating, and it was a lot of fun! My person, Madalyn from Novel Ink Blog, got her gift and loved it, All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely.

Ahh yay you got it!!! You’re welcome!! Happy Holidays!! #TBTBSANTA 😍❤️👏🏾🎄 https://t.co/JqncL36eeE

— Danielle ❤️ (@poetrybooksYA) December 20, 2017

My gift was The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas, and I gagged on the inside!! I was so excited that I finally got a book that I've been dying to read. I'd also gotten candies, chocolates and treats: Tipson Black Tea, Simpson’s Classic British Travel Sweets, English Tea Shop green tea, Godiva white chocolate pearls, Ghiardelli chocolate squares, and Lindt hot chocolate! Talk about spoiled!!! I didn't know who my Secret Santa was, and I still don't!. Thank you so much, whoever you are! 

GUESS WHAT GUESS WHAT GUESS WHUT I got my #tbtbsanta gift super early: THE HATE U GIVE BY ANGIE THOMAS IM SCREAMINGGGGGGGG (in my head because my mom is home watching TV in the living room😂😂😂). There was no name that came with my awesome gift, but whoever you are, thank you SOO much!!! You don’t know how long I’ve been wanting to read this book!! Gonna start right after I finish my internship manuscript read lol. Next week!! 🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾 ——— #thehateugive #angiethomas #secretsanta #whoisit #noseriouslythough #christmasgift #christmascameearly

A post shared by Danielle 😍❤️✨ (@poetrybooksya) on Dec 10, 2017 at 5:56pm PST

I also participated in the 2018 Holiday Adventure-A-Thon, hosted and created by Jasmine from Novel Thoughts. I was on Team Holiday Penguin, and I read 1 book, and participated in 0 challenges. 

Book Reviews and Blog Tours

I participated in a blog tour for Xpresso Tours, promoting  EXPOSURE by Sylvie Parizeau. I also participated in Xpresso Tours' cover reveal for Inger Iversen's Blackwater Savior: Mia and Spooky. I haven't even read the book, and I'm already excited for Inger because she's so sweet and so talented! :) 

How was your December and Christmas season? What presents did you get? Leave comments below! 

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Thanks for reading! :) ♥

via Blogger http://poemsbyayoungartist.blogspot.com/2017/12/hello-darkness-my-old-friend.html

[champagnecall]

11, In what situation was your character the most afraid they’ve ever been?

idk why this auto formatted to a list,

CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT QUESTIONS ( HARD ) ! ( currently accepting ! )

( under the cut due to abuse / abuse trauma mentions )

11. In what situation was your character the most afraid they've ever been?

High school.

That's the easiest way to put his fears into a moment of time - but to narrow down to a specific moment was when he realized how much of an idiot he was to trust Honobono, and let her be a person in his life, as she tore him down.

Honobono Keitoin is both his biggest mistake, and his greatest fear.

He trusted her, she was nice, he loved her. He introduced her to his mother and his sister - neither of which he can speak to anymore, thanks to what she did.

He let her into his life, developed feelings for her, gave her a position he offered only a select few as one of his friends, and never picked up on any of the red flags, where others did, because he was foolish enough to trust her.

Because of what she did to him that day in high school - because of what she did to his mother and his sister - Hifumi cannot look a woman in the eyes, or be in the same room as one, without suffering a severe meltdown.

Honobono is the reason he developed gynophobia, and the closest thing he's ever felt to that moment of fear when she first ripped out the flesh she dug her claws into, was the moment she stepped back into his life again after over a decade of having escaped her.

That moment tore down every defensive mechanism, every wall, every persona he had slaved over creating just so he could have a fighting chance at survival, and in that moment, he realized he would never truly escape how weak she always made him feel.

He cannot stand the sound of shattering glass any longer, because of that night.

Being afraid is something he lives with on a daily basis, but those true, horrifying moments of fear that shoots ice up your spine, is only a feeling he's dealt with twice, and each time has broken him entirely.

[champagnecall]

what sky are you?

sunset.

you are wistful goodbyes and unspoken promises. you are warmth and comfort for others. but sometimes you give so much of yourself that it leaves you cold inside. it's bittersweet, offering other people the care and affection you crave for yourself as well, but you wouldn't do any less if it means the people you love are content. you're very grounded, but you long for things you can't quite name - perhaps a time when your heart was full and your spirit free.

[champagnecall]

how do you love?

with warmth, wonder, and willows

you love with fondness. your love is coming home to a snuggly cup of tea and book by your side. your love is kissing the foreheads and cheeks of the people you love as you pass by. making dinner together. riding bicycles. sitting with your back against a tree in a quiet meadow. you love with your whole heart and you are not shy. the people you love cannot help falling in love with you too. you love with serenity.

[champagnecall]

mun + muse picrew ! it’s hard to do when you and your character are both masc lol

[champagnecall]

MUSE AS A DEITY

rules: think carefully about your character and their development through their journey ( canon or oc ) within their story. fill out the chart and tag whoever you want ! please repost, so the dash isn’t clogged with reblogs.

HIFUMI IZANAMI 

god of : rebirth / regrowth , recovery , determination , bravery 

associated with : recovery , hope for a better future , perseverance 

sacred plant( s ) : yellow roses

sacred stone( s ) / gem( s ) : fool’s gold , emerald , yellow topaz

sacred animal( s ) : wolf

colors : gold , silver , red , purple 

food : champagne , anything homemade 

scents : clean laundry , summer rain , ocean breeze , a home-cooked meal , roses

accepted offerings / ways to honor : a glass of champagne , a thornless yellow rose , a meal prepared with love no matter how skilled the recipe is , time spent with close friends, enjoying their warmth and comfort 

[champagnecall]

describe your muse as bad ebay reviews