#yes i know guitars have 6 strings

[mf-ladle]

greg in the dragon ball style (also he is yamcha)

[demigods-posts]

Reasons why Bring on the Monsters from The Lightning Theif musical is an amazing song:

1.) "There's gonna be a fight. There still might be a war. For a moment, we've got danger on the run." Talk about setting the tone. We're in the clear as of today, but something is coming. Something bad.

2.) "Feeling ready🌊" "Feeling stoked🦉" "Feeling quesy🐐". Love how they gave Annabeth the 'feeling stoked' line. Because, of course, she's waiting in the wings, ready to kick ass when need. But it's also hilarious that the actress playing Annabeth is Kristen Stokes. So, I just imagine the writers gave her that line to mess with her.

3.) "Bring on the monsters. Bring on the real world." Like, yeah. They physically spent the majority of this musical in the real world, but they were disconnected from it. The three of them singing this line is a declaration of unity between their human and godly side. They are neither here nor there, not bound to one world, but exist in both.

4.) "They'll be times when your faith is shaken." Yes, your faith in the gods will be on the brink of breaking at any given moment. But so will the faith in yourself. But sometimes, being a demigod means doing it scared. But you won't go it alone.

5.) "Gotta know where the real fight lies when it's time to rise and stand your ground." Annabeth and Clarisse singing about knowing which battles are worth fighting and when is utterly amazing. Because not only are they both children of war gods, but they also canonically struggled with being strong-willed and prideful. It's like even though were at odds at the beginning of the musical, they aren't as different as they first appear.

6.) "No, I'm never gonna once have it easy. I'll make mistakes, but my own, and it frees me." In TLT, Book!Sally says something along the lines of: 'If my life is going to mean anything, I have to live it myself.' This is as applicable to a demigod as it is to a mortal. And it's bittersweet because not every demigod gets the chance to choose. Or rather, they don't choose wisely because they're so spiteful when it comes time. But sometimes, you gotta let the anger fade and move forward.

7.) "I'll be back next summer. You'll see me again. I'll be back next summer. I'll survive 'till then." There's something about this line that makes me want to cry. Percy started this musical saying he didn't want to be a half-blood, essentially rejecting the idea of a demigod, but ends the musical declaring his eventual return. He isn't saying goodbye, but a see you later. Which just tugs at my heart strings knowing we'll never get a second musical, but it's okay because Percy's essence extends beyond the Broadway medium. Whether it be a book, musical, movie, or graphic novel, Percy will always be back.

8.) Also, if you listen to the instrumental of this song, the guitar riff at the very end is playing the same melody of 'I didn't wanna to be a half-blood' underneath Percy's declaration of unwavering loyalty to demigods. And it broke me like a bone.

You guys remember these? That's great because I didn't. It just occurred to me that I never finished my analysis of the TLT musical, and I thought I'd get on that. Anyway, this song is fucking incredible, and I want a SOM musical. But I digress.

[pinkygirlymeg]

My opinions on 2.2 - As a Brazilian SPOILER WARNING

First off I'ma kick it saying yes, I am disappointed at Bluepoch for not adding diverse and PoC characters, however, this is a very much positive light on 2.2 because well, I enjoyed the update, I'm not here to defend Bluepoch but to appreciate the research and interesting things I think they added to their game about my people and culture.

I also think it's relevant to tell a bit about me, I'm a Brazilian woman natural from Rio de Janeiro, who early in life moved to a rural area in Goiás and later moved to the capital city of Brasília. I visited São Paulo, the city where 2.2 takes place quite a few times since parts of my family live there to this day, however the longer I've been there was 6 months, my visits to São Paulo also consisted mostly of living my the small towns around the big cities and living mostly in rural areas. (I've visited the big city but only to buy things that we didn't have mostly)

Starting off with some of the things I enjoyed the most: Music

So far there has been 3 songs of which I've listened

Starting with the one in the announcement of the special program; https://youtu.be/JsPw7aaB3WQ?si=aGYVp_yvvf1M5m5A

I do like the song, but this one is where they got the Brazil vibes a bit far off? They were going probably to the style of Bossa Nova, a Brazilian musical genre (noticable example are Garota de Ipanema) but I think in this one they went to much on a vibe that matches more french style music? Or at least reminds me of that (I'm sorry if I'm getting it wrong french people!!! Do let me know if I did).

The second one is the Livestream music! You can listen to it while they announce characters and garments;

I think the song is also not the best but definitely catches more of a Brazilian vibe, the style of music seems to be more centered around another genre commonly from the north east region of Brazil! (Noticable example is Figa de Guiné) Where they use a lot of triangles and little bit of the guitar, they're also going for a more beach style music to match the garments me thinks.

And now the third one and my favorite as off publication of this post. The "Trade Winds Garden" theme;

https://youtu.be/qCz036VZYXc?si=Gsbyl4JZzdPUpPqh

Once again they're going for a Bossa Nova vibe but this time, they nailed it perfectly. The strings and the chocalhos (sorry couldn't find a translation to that) work perfectly to create a representation in form of music! The style of the background of the new suitcase also fits the time period of Brazil's early 1900s or late 1800s that I think they're going for, the best example of a closely related song to this is also one of my favs "Águas de Março" is a music of the same genre who I think that this one might be based off.

Ok now with the characters and I'll start with the character I'm most familiar with the vibes!

Lopera the 6 star from the second part of the 2.2 version

Although we don't have much info on the story yet, she seems to be based of the "caipira" culture, I'll use the term Rural culture because "caipira" was a term used in a pejorative demeanor towards me and my family before.

Rural culture is a lot about family and as we know, Lopera ran away from her's, this is fairly common in these circles because living in a rural area while being young and full of dreams can be quite trapping! As for her design. I absolutely love it! From the hat to the sandal she embodies the spirit of a rural girl, the hat is ofc my favorite part, it's usually optional and men are more likely to not use hats as woman are. Being a Rural girl who easily burned in the sun I had to use long sleeves, long dresses and a really big straw hat, although the sandals are the norm when walking at home, usually we would use boots in the farm. In any case, I love her design and her clothes. In the i2 she seems to be more leaning towards a city girl, wearing the shorts and boots like she's ready for anything they throw at her. I personally like the i0 outfit more than the i2 for the many reasons I stated before and for the projection I did in her when I saw her.

Now for our singing best Anjo Nala!

I also loved her vibes! I saw a lot of people saying she's purple scary woman and I agree a bit with that but I really like this trope so I'm eating it! She's one of the characters that I also think I would enjoy way more if she has more melanin but for lore reasons I think she was never even a possibility for that.

First addressing the whole Anjo Nala is Kimberly, I disagree and don't think they are the same person. My evidence is that Kimberly has an identical twin who has been recently murdered! In the newspaper we can see that a ruthless murderer's life has been put to an end. I believe Anjo Nala is that twin who got murdered, aside from the visual differences both have, they also behave completely different at least from what we can see on the PV. Anjo Nala also speaks portuguese in one of her voice lines, knowing Kimberly she would've probably already said things in Portuguese had she known the language at this point. There's also some visual differences to the two, like anjo Nala's tail and horns being different than Kimberly's.

Now putting that to the side. Anjo Nala seems to be based of a more high class songstress. The beautiful girl who sings in the boats that pass by the river. Although that is a more romantic view of our culture it's still within Brazilian literature to have that type of character. The seducing demons from the rivers are also very much part of our culture as you can see from the "Boto Cor de Rosa" a character from Brazilian mythos and folklore.

The i0 dress looks simply so cute, matching the style and era of the outfits worn by the ladies here in the big cities of Brazil, as for her i2 it seems to be more of a stage outfit, I love it too, but personally, like Lopera I like her i0 more. Although I love the art and the background of her i2 and the references to the festivals of new year here and the carnival with the lights blowing in the sky voice line and the people laughing and dancing! She's a very cute character overhaul!

Mr. Duncan... Another character whom I think would look very good with more melanin, mr.duncan embodies a very common guy in Brazilian families, the "Tio do Pavê" or that cute and funny old uncle who cracks dad jokes whenever you meet with them, he seems like a passionate and generally nice guy and OMG I love seeing older man being added to the game! It really brings variety and the possibility of old men yaoi (looking at u Shamane), I really enjoy his character for how much I can see of him in my own family and it's very fun to think of all the cute interactions he could pull off! Design wise, he feels a little bit more like a tourist, although I've seen my dad wear similar outfits before when going to the beach or simply enjoying an outdoors barbecue. I like both of his i0 and i2 basically equally! I think he looks overhaul very nice

I won't make a comment about our skeleton hand just yet, White Rum seems like the most mysterious one so far! But I will make a post about them if I happen to have some new matured thoughts of if they get more info about them

Lastly for the garments, I LOVED the garments for this version, making the Brazil patch a beach vibes update is expected but they surprised me a lot! The outfits do look really like the things any Brazilian would wear to go to the beach, my favorites being Vila's and Yenisei's garment. Specifically talking about Yenisei, it might be me going on crack mode but I think her design is based off the Victoria Regia story of Brazilian folklore and I think it works perfectly with Yenisei's connection to rivers!

Marcus looks like the cute and sweet girl at the beach but girl that sunburn marks will be weird looking with all that fishnets /silly

Vila looks gorgeous and 37 is not beating the most beautiful character of the game allegations, I also think her garment has something to do with 37 accepting the malleability of truth and how it bends and changes like a river, truth changes in every different perspective!

Shamane looks gorgeous and I look forward to all the yaoi potential he got hwhshssh /silly and seriously I also love the representation of our fauna in Shamane's garment.

Few that was quite a lot I think I'm done for this post at least! I can and will yap more about this version once things come out and I'm yet to make a post about the PV, I did see it and I have some thoughts that I still need to mature! If you have any questions, suggestions or corrections they're all welcome! I just enjoy discussing things about my culture and country and how people from the outside world perceive us!

[yeehawpim]

Hey Pim. Hope you're doing well. So first of all I love your work, and thanks so much for sharing it. Secondly, I'm a fan of the Drawfee channel and they've all commented on how hard it is to draw a cowboy hat. It's like you know what a cowboy hat looks like but when someone asks you to draw one, it's impossible to do out of your own head. And even when you use reference, it still doesn't look quite right.

Do you find this, now that you've added a cowboy hat to your look (it looks very dashing, by the way) or have you got it down pat now? Thanks and look forward to seeing more of your work, always makes my day.

I'm having an actual stroke, I watch drawfee sometimes too and I could swear I've heard them say that in some ep I've watched

BUT YES thank you for reading my stuff!! I'm doing pretty ok today, less tired than the morning

I actually used to look up reference for it every time I had to draw it lol but recently I've kind of decided on a shorthand. If you actually look at it it's not strictly a cowboy hat 😅 Same as if you draw a guitar in an animation you give it less strings to simplify it even though guitars have 6 strings. Except this is b/c I'm too lazy to look up a cowboy hat anymore 😂😂

like here's my Actual hat for comparison haha

hope you get to do smth fun today!

[medra-gonbites]

Baldur's Gate 3 Companion Head Canon Music Edition

Ok soooo ! Recently my bestfriend and I wrote and composed a song about BG3 (which we might release one day) and it got me thinking about the Tadfools (as if I don’t already think of them 15 times a day) and imagined what their band would look like and which instruments they would play and thus voilà my rendition:

Karlach | Drums

Look at her and tell me she does not play the drums. She would sometimes have to be asked to stop because she would not notice everyone has stopped playing but her. She just has the proper energy, rhythm, not to mention arms, to rock that drum set and start a solo Whiplash style.

Lae'zel | Harmonica

“What is this shiny rectangle? “whistle metallically” Oh. This sounds… beautiful. Like the screeching of a blade on a sharpening stone, but… Better!” And that’s how Lae’zel picked up on the harmonica, true story, I was the harmonica!

Wyll | Main Vocal and Violin

Yes, Wyll would absolutely sing and dance and become an icon on the Sword Coast. He also plays the violin. I don’t know, maybe it’s the horns, but I could also see Duke Ravengard enrolling him at conservatoire at age 6 to play the violin. He writes most of the lyrics

Shadowheart | Bass and Back-up Vocals

Shadowheart is a bass player. Look at her smoky eyes and her pout: she obviously plays the bass! She matches her nail polish to the colour of her bass (black, purple, white). She is always down to jam and she also provides Wyll with beautiful back up vocals when he needs it. Her timber is quite ethereal as well.

Astarion | Electric Guitar

Astarion has massive rockstar energy. He did try to play with his teeth on more than one occasion but that breaks the strings. He has several guitars, guitar straps, dedicated stage outfits and hundreds of guitar picks (which he does not even use but hoards like a dragon).

Gale | Synthesizer

Gale is a piano player but why constrain himself to a regular piano when he can make it sound like space music. Or any other instrument really. Fender Rhodes with a distortion and reverb to the max? Yes, please. He tried the keytar and while he does like the funkiness of it, he prefers the horizontality of regular synthesizers. I also believe he’d compose a lot of the songs.

Now for the one who are not part of the band but do play an instrument:

Minthara | Band Manager

Sorry I do not see Minthara as a musician. She’d be an amazing band manager or music producer though. If I must attribute her an instrument I would say the harp as she canonically has a lute but I imagine the discipline it takes to learn the harp is quite in character and would be a funny contrast; the angelic sound it makes, opposed to… Well, Minthara.

Halsin | Bansuri

And he made it himself from bamboo or wood. He plays it during his session of guided meditation or when he is alone in the forest. Usually attracts dozens of critters and little animals and it makes him look like a Disney princess (Although he has never seen a Disney film himself.)

Jaheira | Steel Drum

She learned during her hippie phase in college back when she would travel to Puerto Rico and/or Jamaica twice a year. She still has her old steel drum and will take it out if you nag her long enough or if she is in a celebratory mood. She might play it at your LuAu themed birthday party if requested.

Minsc | Triangle

It is the only instrument that he can play. It looks relatively simplistic but it is actually quite tricky to play as it requires great timing and a little bit of technique. Minsc is a natural at both. He likes being part of an orchestra and finds the agitated man with a stick the funniest of all people.

Boo | Church Organ

I have no argument to justify this but the hilarious image of a miniature giant space hamster playing the phantom of the opera on a huge cathedral organ. 

Gortash | Acoustic Guitar (but not really)

Gortash will claim he plays guitar. He will claim it even faster if he is flirting (approximately 2 minutes into the conversation and/or maybe before even asking your name). He, however, does not. What he can do is play one song (wonderwall or alleluia take your pick) that he learned by heart back in highschool specifically to brag at parties and bag dates. In adulthood it works way less.

[ladykailitha]

Royal Pain Part 22

Hey, guys! You know how I said there was still plot to go through? Hehehe...

Corroded Coffin gets the opportunity of a life time.

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12 Part 13 Part 14 Part 15 Part 16 Part 17 Part 18 Part 19 Part 20 Part 21 Meta

***

Eddie had been staring at the phone in his hand for the last twenty minutes in absolute shock.

He typed into the Corroded Coffin group chat: Emergency meeting, meet at the usual in twenty minutes.

The chat instantly blew up, but Eddie refused to answer any of their questions. He went to his room and blew his guitar a kiss. “Sorry, beautiful. I’m not taking you out tonight, but if everything goes to plan, we won’t be in this dump much longer.”

He ran his fingers gently over the strings, smiling at the sound. He dashed out of the apartment, patting his pockets to make sure he had his keys, wallet, and phone.

Eddie was the last to pull up to the garage they rented to practice in as he lived the farthest.

He wiped his hands on his jeans before he hopped out of his van. He paused outside of the door and took a deep breath. He opened the slowly and peaked his head in.

In addition to his band, Eddie wasn’t surprised to see that Mandy and Cecil were there too. He did say it was an emergency and the only reason Gethin wasn’t there was that because he was in Hawkins with their mom for the weekend.

Cecil was a quiet young man with red hair and glasses. He had a cane that he used to help him move around, having had knees that went bad early in his life.

“Right,” Eddie said, again rubbing his hands on his jeans nervously. “So I got a message from Rick at Nightmare Holes about a half hour ago.”

“He’s not firing us, is he?” Brian asked. Cecil squeezed his shoulder.

Eddie held up his hands. “Right right, sorry. Wrong order. Let’s try this again.” He took a deep breath. “I know I used the emergency send up, but it’s not a bad emergency, and it’s not an emergency on Rick’s end either.”

Everyone looked at each other in confusion.

“So who’s good emergency is it?” Jeff asked.

“Well, it’s a bad emergency on Metallica’s part,” Eddie said with a grin. “But it’s good for us.”

“No,” Gareth said. “No fucking way.”

Brian stood up and walked straight up to Eddie and got in his face. “You tell me right now, Edward Lawrence Munson, are we opening for Metallica?”

Eddie pursed his lips to keep at straight face. “I think that rather depends on the consensus of everyone in the band.”

Brian hugged him tightly. “Explain.”

He sat back down to next to Cecil.

“So the band that was supposed to open for Metallica,” Eddie explained, “their bus broke down and it’s going to take three days to fix it. And while they can get the members here in time, they don’t have the time to get all their gear here.”

Suddenly everyone was trying to talk over each other.

Jeff let out a loud piercing whistle. “Shut up and let him finish.”

Eddie cleared his throat and said, “So their manager was calling around all the local metal bars to see if they could recommend a band to sub in for the opener. Rick told him about us and asked if we were free tonight.” He glanced at his watch. “We have twenty minutes to decide before they move on to the next band.”

The room was now deathly quiet and Eddie gulped.

“Right,” Jeff said, “we’ll go around and ask each member of the band for their vote and then if majority says yes, Eddie will call Rick and that we’ll be there. Agreed?”

Everyone nodded.

“I’ll go first,” Eddie said. “I say yes. Of course I do. This has been my dream for years!”

“Brian?” Jeff said after nodding at Eddie’s answer.

Brian twisted his fingers nervously. “I want this as bad as Eddie does. Maybe even more. So, yeah, my answer is yes.” Cecil smiled at him and Brian smiled back.

“Gareth?” Jeff asked.

The youngest of the band was hunched behind his drum kit, making his small frame appear even smaller. “I know that it’s not going to matter, that we’re going to do it anyway. But I don’t want to. I like what we do. I like small crowds, dedicated fans. I know it’s everyone else’s dream. But it’s not mine. I say no.”

Eddie walked over to Gareth and pulled him in a big hug. “That was so brave of you. Thank you for being honest.”

The younger man nodded and squeezed back with all his might.

Jeff cleared his throat. “I want to do it. It was be the chance of a lifetime. A golden opportunity. But I don’t think we’re ready as a band for that type of crowd. Especially since none of our fans are going to be there. The people that are coming tonight expecting this other band and are going to be pretty disappointed when they don’t show.”

Mandy gave his thigh a quick squeeze. “I know I’m not part of the band and really don’t have a say, but I’d like to say something before Jeff casts his vote one way or the other.”

The band nodded. Mandy hadn’t been there since the beginning, but she had been with them the longest. She had seen their up and downs and knew them better than they did.

“I don’t think it’s about not being ready or just liking a dedicated fanbase,” she said gently. “Though I don’t doubt that’s part of it. This could signal the biggest change in your lives full stop. I noticed that Eddie didn’t bring up the money, so I’m assuming it’s a lot.” Eddie nodded. “That’s scary. And I get that. But when I tell you if you don’t do this you’ll regret it, I mean for the rest of your lives.”

Everyone was silent.

“Everyone here likes Metallica,” Mandy continued. “Hell, even I like their music and I am not a not a metal fan. These are your heroes. And you get to be theirs for one night, how epic is that?”

Gareth blinked. “We get to be their heroes?”

Mandy nodded. “Yeah. They’re in a bind. They need an opening act and if you step up, then you’re their hero. You came to their rescue when they needed it. Plus, you’ll get to meet them and not just with a table between you at some signing. Actually meet them.”

Gareth and Jeff exchanged glances. They both nod.

“I change my answer to yes,” Gareth said.

Jeff chewed on his lip for a moment. “Yeah. Okay. Let’s do this.”

Eddie nodded back. “Okay, I’ll give Rick a call.”

He called up the owner of the Nightmare Holes and told them that they would be there and to send over the contract for them to all sign.

Cecil licked his lips. “How much money are we talking about, Ed?”

“Ten thousand,” Eddie said.

Jeff frowned appreciatively. “Not bad for one night’s work.”

“Each.”

They all stare at him not quite comprehending what he just said.

“Each? Each what?” Gareth asked with a furrowed brow.

“Of us,” Eddie clarified. “Ten thousand for each of us.”

“Oh my god,” Brian said, his eyes wide. “Forty thousand dollars for a single night, forty-five minutes of music? That’s insane.”

Eddie shrugged. “The other band was going to get seventy.”

Jeff leaned forward and cocked his head. “Come again?”

“You’re preforming at the biggest venue in Indianapolis, that’s huge crowd,” Eddie explained. “Metallica makes two million. Forty k, is like a drop in the bucket. It is more than a band like us would normally make. About two thousand a concert. But they’re in a bind and are willing to pay a lot.”

Everyone nodded.

“Sound check is in two hours,” he continued. “So we won’t have time to practice. But we’re professionals. We do this shit every weekend. They’ve given us ten VIP tickets to give to loved ones. That’s three tickets for all but one of us. I only have two people I want to invite, so you guys can take the rest.”

Gareth was already on the phone with Gethin. He looked up at Eddie, “He says that he should be able to pick up Wayne on his way out of town.”

God, Eddie loved his friends with every fiber of his being. He just nodded, suddenly overcome with emotion.

He pulled his phone out of his pocket knowing that this was going to be a hard sell. The shop closed at eight and the concert started at seven. He let out a shuddered breath and hit Steve’s contact.

“Hey, honey,” he whispered when Steve picked up. “Is this a bad time?”

“Not at, sunshine,” Steve said brightly. “I just finished up with a client. What’s up?”

“You know that Metallica concert tonight?” Eddie asked, struggling to get the words out.

“Sure!” Steve said. “Dustin and his friends were going.”

Eddie closed his eyes, and pressed his finger and thumb into the lids. “Yeah? You thinking of going?”

“Not really,” Steve said. “It’s sold out, and I figured since I had to work it wasn’t really a big deal.”

“What if I told you I had two tickets to go see them tonight, VIP?” he asked, his lip beginning to quiver. He started to pace back and forth.

“You want me to go with you?” Steve asked slowly, unsure where this was going. “I figured you would take Jeff first before asking me, love. He loves that band.”

Eddie huffed out a watery laugh, chewing on the edge of his thumb. “That’s sweet, baby. No, he’s already going to be there.”

“Oh cool,” Steve said. “I’ll see if I can move things around, but sure if you want me to go with you, I’d be happy to come.”

Eddie breathed out a sigh of relief. “Great, it starts at seven and goes until ten.”

“So I’d have to get off at six to be ready in time?” Steve asked, sounding a little more up beat.

“Sounds about right,” Eddie said. “I think you’ll really like the opening act.”

“Yeah,” Steve said with a smile, “anyone I’ve heard of?”

Eddie laughed freely for the first time. “Yeah, babe, you’ve heard of them.”

“You sure about that?” Steve teased.

“Corroded Coffin.”

Eddie pulled the phone away from his ear as Steve started screaming on the other end.

Once Steve’s volume returned to normal, Eddie put the phone back to his ear.

“That’s so amazing,” Steve was saying. “You’ll have to tell me all about it later, I’ve got to get back to work. But yeah, babe, of course I’ll be there. I rearrange heaven and earth to see you preform on that stage.”

“See you tonight, sweetheart,” Eddie said, grinning from ear to ear.

“Will do.”

Eddie hung up and did a little dance. Everything he ever wanted just fell into place.

***

Part 23 Part 24 Part 25 Part 26 Part 27 Part 28 Epilogue

Tag list: @spectrum-spectre @estrellami-1 @zerokrox-blog @artiststarme @swimmingbirdrunningrock @gregre369 @pyrohonk ​ @renaissan-vvitch @goodolefashionedloverboi @chaoticlovingdreamer @maya-custodios-dionach @messrs-weasley @val-from-lawrence @plyerice27 @thedragonsaunt @sapphirecobalt-1 @a-little-unsteddie @i-must-potato @danili666 @carlyv @rozzieroos @wonderland-girl143-blog @itsall-taken @justforthedead89 @emly03 @bookworm0690 @aizawa-emma @redfreckledwolf @thesuninyaface @bookbinderbitch @yikes-a-bee @littlewildflowerkitten @scheodingers-muppet @archermightbegay @hallucinatedjosten @ellietheasexylibrarian @anne-bennett-cosplayer @cinnamon-mushroomabomination @bestwifehaver @xxfiction-is-my-realityxx @oldwitcheshat @nightmareglitter @tinyplanet95 @novelnovella

[cosmicseafoam]

Randy Moore on the Sunken Teeth Co live part2

part 1 about the drop here

These wont be super in order as I'm gonna try to group them

Dividers by @wrathofrats

He's in the middle of making a record so new music soon-ish

It's not a new band, he says this is a "Randy record"

It's being produced by his friend Henry Chadwick

They'll be in the studio this weekend to record more stuff

.

Someone said "I hope you're taking care of the Mothman enamel pin I gave you" and he said he transferred it from his jacket to a pin board in his room to keep it safe so he doesn't lose it

"Do you still have the Sunken Teeth Bracelet I gave you at the SLC show?" he said "Yes I do! Anything that anybody has ever given me, I still have and I cherish cherish cherish everything that people take the time to hand me and make. 🙏🏻 I'm very appreciative. You guys are awesome"

He was fucking around a bit with a delay to make voice effects and said "I'm just trying to add some production value, y'know, just a little something, know what I'm saying?"

At one point he did something with the delay pedal and then said "never mind that was dumb and I've embarrassed myself"

He's excited to see the new Nosferatu

He doesn't have a dog but wishes he did

He's from the Bay Area

He drinks sparkling water

He's been watching The Sopranos for the first time (he's on s6)

He hasn't seen Twin Peaks

He hasn't gone to Spirit Halloween yet because he thinks he should wait for Lucy to get back from tour so they can go together

He hasn't watched Longlegs because he's "been busy doing stuff"

He's playing with Sweet Gloom in Santa Ana and San Diego on the 9th and 10th of August

He hasn't watched Over The Garden Wall

He really liked the Danzig dance scene in Abigail

If he was to get a Nightmare Before Christmas tattoo it would be of the masks that the three kids wear to represent him and his siblings

Someone said bring the 'stash back, he said "I don't think so"

He hasn't been to a Rocky Horror shadow cast and the thought scares him cause he doesn't want people to touch him while he's watching the movie

Someone asked which chipmunk he is, he said his sister Alyssa dubbed him Simon, herself Alvin, and their brother as Theodore.

He's not doing any overseas gigs any time soon

He said he's trying to recharge creatively and physically

He's an Aries

He uses the Ernie Ball regular slinky 10-46 guitar strings in the green pack

Someone asked if he plays mermaids he said "of course"

If he was a muppet he'd be "The Count. Obviously"

He has not listened to BRAT

He mains Dry Bones on Mario Cart

He likes Halloween because he thinks the weather is nicer, he likes sweater weather

He's never watched Baywatch

He gets scared of walk-through haunted houses

He is not going on the next Alkaline Trio tour

He likes Sisters Of Mercy

He has 10 or 11 guitars

He's been playing guitar since he was 11 or 12.

He takes his coffee with lots of sugar but Lucy drinks hers black which he "could never"

He doesn't know what he's gonna be for Halloween

He's not watching IWTV

He wants to visit Salem and the cemeteries in New Orleans

He has paper bats strung up on his shelf and he said "The bats keep my record collection safe. From... the sun! Idk."

He hasn't watched the new Deadpool movie

He likes The Shining

.

"I'm a real vampire, it's confirmed"

"I can fit in your pocket. I can get in there, for sure. IIIIIII can get in that pocket"

Someone asked how tall he is and between questions he said "I'm 6 feet tall", "I'm LIKE 6 feet. I don't know what I am, I haven't measured myself since I was 12 so who cares", "I'm like 6ft on a good day. People shrink, fluctuate. Who cares. Who cares about anything", "Yeah I'm like 6 feet on a good day, it's not that big of a deal. 6 feet is like NOT that tall. Maybe? I don't know", "I'm ACTUALLY 7 feet tall. Let that be the takeaway from this." and finally "I'm two bats tall."

Someone in the chat said "Basically 6ft is not 6ft, why do men lie?" and he responded "I'm sorry. I'm just- I'm just a boy"

Favourites:

Vampire movie: The Lost Boys, he later mentions it was filmed in Santa Cruz which is close to where he lives and he hangs out at the bridge sometimes

Beatles song right now is "I'm looking through you"

Chappell Roan song: Red Wine Supernova

BoyGenius song: "probably Satanist" but he really likes the first EP a lot

The Strokes song: either The Adults Are Talking or Last Nite

Cryptid: Mothman

Newer horror movie: Nope by Jordan Peele

Tattoo of his: ballerina on a tightrope or the crocodile underneath her

He owns a first pressing of Goddammit by Alkaline Trio and it's his favourite record of all time

Someone asked him to rate the 1990s ninja turtle movie out of 100 and he said "It's probably 100, it's maybe my favourite movie"

He can't pick between Creature Of The Black Lagoon and Dracula, they're his two favourites from the Universal monsters

Dogs or cats? "Dogs"

Metallica album: Master Of Puppets

Misfits song: Night Of The Living Dead or "Astro Zombies is always a favourite" and he did specify Danzig Misfits

Spirit World song: ULCER

Dracula: Bela Lugosi

System Of A Down song: Toxicity

Guitar model: Fender Jaguar

Dead Kennedys song: Kill The Poor. He said Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables is his favourite DK record.

He likes MCR, his fav album is Three Cheers and fav song is I'm Not Okay

Fall Out Boy song: Dance Dance

Fav song EVER: Sleepwalk by Santo & Johnny

Animal: Bats. No specifics, he said "I like 'em all!"

Alkaline Trio song from the new album: Shake With Me

Halloween candy: the pumpkin reeses cups

Concert: He saw Green Day do a secret show at Gilman Street which is a really small DIY venue

Thing about touring: he likes to see the friends he's made over the years cause he doesn't get to see them often

White Claw: Raspberry. He doesn't like Black Cherry so he gives those to Lucy

Cemetery he's visited: Hollywood Forever

AFI song: Fall Children

Zombie Film: Night Of The Living Dead

Horror movie actor: Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi, Christopher Lee

Pokemon: he's a Charmander guy

Place to travel: "My bed. I love sleeping"

Food: Pizza. He said he's a pineapple on pizza guy.

Liv was in the chat and ask for a toy shelf tour

Pee-wee Dracula painted by Matt Skiba, given to Randy as a gift

He has a Green Day tour poster from when Dog Party (his gf Lucy’s band) opened for them and he said “super proud of Lucy, she’s the best”

Funkos: Rivers Cuomo, Dracula (which the lady at walgreens didn't charge him for), and Twenty One pilots but he's trying to get rid of his funko pops

He’s trying not to collect things anymore

Kiss Alive figures

Ozzy bark at the moon werewolf eating a mini brand ball taco

Ninja turtles 1990 movie figures

Fake ninja turtles ice cream

Alkaline trio Campbell soup cans from the my shame is true record

Metallica figurine setup

He thinks he has about 500 records on his shelf

Someone asked for a tattoo tour and he said "that would take too long" but he did show off his arm and speed run through some of them.

tooth

flower

moth

birds

crystal ball

rose through a heart

ballerina + crocodile

bats

skeleton

panther

scorpion

His first tattoo was a mermaid on an anchor on his upper arm. Her tail is "seafoam green" which he said is his favourite colour.

Most of his tattoos are in a traditional style, but he said he's "got some crazier ones" on his leg.

Ones he didn't specifically mention but that I've seen from photos:

a broken arrow

an astronaut lady

bats on his collarbones

portrait of a lady on the back of his arm

a few random roses scattered around

a large flower on his elbow

(what looks like) a rose inside a diamond with a straight razor underneath

(what looks like) a mummy/wrapped sarcophogus

Legs:

dagger and rose

Elvis TCB lightning bolt

a small flower with a smiley face in the center

creature from the black lagoon

[verdantlights]

YOUR TILL ART IS FRIKIN AMAZING!? HOW DID YOU GET THE POSING SO ON POINT, THE ANGLE OF THE FACE, THE TEEEEETH

Amazing

I'm also here to ramble about something arguably meta oops

What if Mizi's hair is a connection for Ivan and Till? This isn't just Ivantill narrative, but rather, her role in their lives!

We see several arts of Till holding the strand of Mizi's long hair, and the new Vivinos instagram image has Ivan brush a similar strand of hair over his lips/nose.

But in one of the alnst Friday arts, we see Ivan practicing/copying Till's guitar notes in the air while Mizi is sleeping on him. Her hair notably is splayed out, but Ivan isn't touching it.

Before I make the connections, let's also look at WHEN Mizi's hair gets shorter.

That happens in All-In, during the infiltration mission into Alnst, right before Round 6.

Now! With all the pieces set, here's the theory:

Mizi's hair signifies life itself. In round 1, her hair was tinted blue at the tips, almost eerily similar to Luka's fingers. In round 1, Sua sacrificed herself for Mizi.

Her hair remains tinted blue at the edges in Round 5, when she comes dangerously close to death herself, since she's at the whims of Luka there.

To note: Her hair had no blue tips during her time in Anakt Garden, from what I've noticed.

Till is notable holding onto Mizi's hair, like his red string of fate and yet hope too. It's his will to live. He grasps onto it the way he had idolized Mizi in part, yet he would never do that if she's next to him (see the flashback in FINAL).

How is Ivan involved in all this? I feel that Mizi's hair shows us memories of both Ivan and Till (I hope this will make sense, trying to explain the connection my art brain already did is hard).

Since Mizi's hair was cut in All-In, the link has been broken. Till will now no longer have anything left to hold onto, because the hair is no longer connected to Mizi. We see his resignation in Round 6.

And just the way Ivan was like a best friend to Mizi, and the way he was always more than willing to tease Till and her through his own ways (see the "What does this mean" comic with the whispering in ears and all), the connection to Ivan that connected the three is also broken. Ivan was more of a stand-byer and protector even to Mizi, never too close and never too far, hence the "Mizi sleeps on him while he copies Tills guitar practice".

In round 6, Ivan sacrifices himself for Till. Till is left pulling at strands, literally, because the hair he held onto is connected to nothing.

In round 7, Mizi and Till try to reunite, but the connection was already broken. Till was still pulling at strands, and when he reached the end of them... There was nothing.

Till looses round 7, and Mizi is left to watch.

Both her friends, maybe everyone she knew, was doomed, metaphorically, because she has moved onto a different life.

The short hair is, in the narrative of All-In, meant to represent change, moving forward from the past. This is why it's significant that she had her hair cut off, the hair that held memories of Sua... And her friends. By removing her grief, even if briefly, Mizi as a character has moved on from her past.

This is also meant to represent why you shouldn't dwell on the past. Again, this isn't intentional on Mizi's part, and she's allowed to move on, but now, her past will destroy her.

It's a very interesting deconstruction of grief, and I know a story that represents this just as impactfully! But yes, Vivimeng's work is a deconstruction as it is for the idol industry, and one moment even for AI (only briefly in FINAL, I could go into that if anyone's interested 😭), so I thought these parallels were more than coincidence 😅

now sorry this took me so long to respond to, it was a bit daunting seeing a whole analysis in my inbox, but rereading it just now reminded me that... sua was braiding mizis hair in the new comic. tills comic with Io.

its as if they all clung to mizi and that yeah, her hair was a representation of life itself. its a really interesting view on grief and how its applied in alien stage.

also thank you, and im glad you liked my till usseewa so much!! it was heavily referenced from the original, but i changed a lot and redid the background so that it wouldnt look weird. i just think a song about going against an oppressive controlling system is very tillcore... yaknow?? hehehehe

[poorlytunedukulele]

Day 8 - Harmonica

TYPE: GUARDIAN CUSTOMS PROJECT PARTIES: Four [4]. Three [3] Guardian-types, Class Hunter, designates Cayde-6 [c6], Azra Jax [aj], Shiro-4 [s4]; One [1] Ghost-type, designate Sundance [s] ASSOCIATIONS: Cayde-6; Jax, Azra; Shiro-4 CUSTOMS ASSOCIATIONS: First Lives; Music; Pack [Hunters] /AUDIO UNAVAILABLE/ /TRANSCRIPT FOLLOWS.../

[c6:01]: What do you think of “The Dust Rock Blues”?

[s4:01]: For what?

[c6:02]: For the name of our band.

[aj:01]: You’re forming a band?

[c6:03]: We are forming a band.

[s4:02]: This is news to me.

[c6:04]: It’s cutting-edge stuff.

[aj:02]: How are we going to form a band?  Half of us don’t even play instruments.

[c6:05]: Not true!  Andal and Tevis both play guitar.

[aj:03]: And what?  You’ll play the harmonica?

[c6:06]: As a matter of fact, yes.  Hence the blues.  You think “Dust Rock Blues” is too on the nose?

[aj:04]: Two guitars and a harmonica does not a band make, Cayde.

[c6:07]: You haven’t heard my harmonica playing.

[s4:03]: Everyone from here to Twilight Gap has heard your harmonica playing.

[aj:05]: What are me and Shiro supposed to do, be backup dancers?

[s4:04]: Actually, I can play the violin.

[aj:06]: Since when?

[s4:05]: I dunno.  Few years?  Cane real naturally.  Might have been from my first life, who knows?

[c6:08]: Cool, a fiddle player.  Hey Azra, maybe-

[s4:06]: Not fiddle.  Violin.

[c6:09]: Same thing.

[s4:07]: They’re different instruments.

[c6:10]: Bullshit.

[s:01]: Actually, fiddles have a much flatter bridge.  It’s so you can play two strings at once.  It’s called-

[c6:11]: Aren’t you supposed to be on my side?

[s:02]: Not when your side is a dumb one.

[c6:12]: Anyways, what I’m getting at, is we make Azra the singer.

[aj:07]: Absolutely not.

[c6:13]: Come on!  Imagine it.  Fronting the band?  The money, the fame-

[aj:08]: I think I would die.

[c6:14]: Fine.  Maybe we can put you on upright bass or something.

[aj:09]: I can’t play the bass.

[c6:15]: You can’t sing much either, but I wasn’t gonna let that stop us.

[aj:10]: Why don’t I take the harmonica?  We can give you another instrument.

[s4:08]: Like a kazoo.

[aj:11]: Yes!  A kazoo.  Maybe one of those little clappers.

[c6:16]: You know what?  Forget I said anything.

[s4:09]: I think it’s far too late for that.

[c6:17]: I’m going to be finding kazoos everywhere for a month, aren’t I?

[s:03]: If you want help hooking one up to his respirator, just let me know.

[c6:18]: Betrayal! 

[s4:09]: You did kind of start it, Cayde.

[aj:12]: Insinuate that I can’t sing again and I’ll make it a year.

[a-moth-to-the-light]

Most-Listened of May 2024

[last month]

May 2024 was finals + road trip home from uni + getting settled in at home for the summer, so the songs on this month's list were the soundtrack to a really busy time for me. (Because of that, I'm extra grateful to them for helping me power through it all!) I didn't have the brainspace to be properly excited about any new releases (except Repion's at the end of the month), so a lot of the songs here kind of snuck up on me. Surprisingly, I'd still say I enjoyed May's releases more than April's, though!

1. Not Like Us -- Kendrick Lamar

The Drake-Kendrick beef finally graced my YouTube recommended at the beginning of May, just in time for "Not Like Us" to save me from the Inevitable Finals Gloom. The beat was what hooked me at first (so string instrument!! so texture!!), but there are SO MANY good lines here--more than enough to keep me excited about this song, even after I massively overplayed it in just a few days of finals. (I'm a 'leave songs on repeat for hours as I float in and out of The Work Vortex' kind of guy, you know?)

2. Candy Store -- from the 2014 Heathers soundtrack

No complicated reason here: the vocal performances are just breathtaking, so I haven't been able to get this song off my mind for the past two weeks. Shoutout to @embraceofday for introducing me to this one! (That was a couple of years ago, I think, but somehow it came back to me recently, and I've been more obsessed than ever!)

3. Anthems For A Seventeen Year-Old Girl -- yeule

I've been getting ads for I Saw the TV Glow all month, and they worked on me--sort of? I still have no plans to see the movie, but this song from the trailer has taken my listening by storm. Lyzette G on YouTube mentioned yeule last year (I am SO jealous of their taste in music), so I'm proud to say I like a yeule song now! This is peak 'driving home on the highway at night and your heart is all sparkles because she said she'll text you later', which is one of my favorite kinds of music, actually. (Yes, this is oddly specific. But it's also like A General Feeling, you know?) It's eerily inhuman but also full of longing; it keeps a consistent, hazy atmosphere while still including a few moments of emotional punch--it's great!!

4. Down Swinging -- Holly Humberstone

Saxophone solo!!!!!!! That actually isn't my favorite part of this song, though--the way Holly Humberstone sings "watch me keep my cool tonight" at the end of every chorus is full of just SO many emotions--shame, determination, acceptance, longing--I find it captivating (really, every lyric in this chorus is a gem). I love songs like this (see also: Betty Who's "You Can Cry Tomorrow" and Lee Hi's "HOLO"), songs that aren't about being over something bad but are just about being within something bad and getting by anyway. Being stuck, and knowing you're stuck, and being okay regardless? Sometimes, I just need to know that's possible, and "Down Swinging" makes it feel more real than ever.

5. I'm the Ocean -- Neil Young

My dad and I ran across this on our (twelve-hour) drive home from my university, while we were listening through this playlist. My dad is a huge Neil Young fan, while I'm just meh about him--"I'm the Ocean" caught my attention from first listen, though, and I've been revisiting it daily since then. (Funny enough, my dad doesn't care for this one.) I love its haziness, how it walks the line between hopelessness and rage and how you're never exactly sure how to feel about the speaker, or about the song itself. I love singing "I'm the ocean / I'm a giant undertow". (Like, that is a captivating lyric. So powerful, so simple yet so layered with meaning?) I love the crunchy TV-static guitar!!!

6. From Small Things (Big Things One Day Come) [Live at Malieveld...] -- Bruce Springsteen

Spotify keeps notifying me whenever Springsteen releases a new compilation album (they know me too well...)--and he just keeps releasing them. I'm not sure I needed all these albums, but I'm glad to get this gem, at least! This one has a super-singable chorus, and the fiddle solo is SUCH a high.

7. Turn it up -- PinkPantheress

Not particularly exciting, but super fun! It's a solid serotonin jam to go on a playlist with all the early Twice title tracks.

8. No Biggie -- Itzy

SO CUTE SO CUTE I LOVE IT. With "None of My Business" + this one, I've been so glad to see how well the post-NewJeans world suits Itzy. My main problem with a lot of their music, especially title tracks, is that the songs strain their vocals in ways that end up sounding unpleasant to me--a chilled-out song like this one reminds me just how listenable Itzy's music can be!

9. Rollercoaster - MTV Unplugged -- Bleachers

I think Spotify suggested this one to me. I am THE Bleachers girlie, but I'd never heard this specific version of "Rollercoaster" and oh my GOD does it make me emotional. If you've ever cried to "Someone to You" by Banners, I think you already understand what this one makes me feel.

10. The Ghost of Tom Joad (feat. Tom Morello) - Live in Anaheim, CA -- Bruce Springsteen

My #1 song from my #1 artist!! (Sorry, "Badlands". Your top spot was beautiful while it lasted, and we've had so many good times, but I just... I don't think you're the one for me anymore...) I did an essay about Springsteen for one of my finals, believe it or not, and I talked about this song in particular, so that explains the sudden spike in listens--though it's constantly in my rotation regardless.

11. Wave - Ollounder's Bold Dynamics Mix -- Ateez

It's a time-honored tradition, now: trashy club remixes are my THING during finals. This one stuck with me all month, though, because it's actually kind of compelling--I find it fun, even when I'm not speedrunning a final paper. "Wave" is just a really sweet song already, and I think this remix adds a variety of sounds that make it not just pleasant, but also super captivating.

12. Lookalike -- Conan Gray

No comment...

13. Set Me Free (Lindgren Remix) -- Twice

Re: trashy club remixes for finals. This is so trash, I can't even argue that it's worth listening to at any time other than finals season. (The synth riffs in the prechorus are kind of awesome, actually, but the vocals sound like you're listening to them through a tin can telephone.) It was a great hype song while I studied, though.

14. Maybe -- (G)I-DLE

My second-favorite G-IDLE song ever (though I have no idea how I'll make room for "Eyes Roll" and "Revenge" in an updated top ten) is never not welcome on my most-listened list, but I have no idea why this is here. Maybe I left it on repeat while working on a paper? It has the right kind of beat drop to give me the same kick of adrenaline as my trashy club remixes do--though in terms of how much I admire it, "Maybe" is on a whole different level!

15. BOA -- Megan Thee Stallion

This is a wildly addictive song. The Gwen Stefani sample is such a good hook, but it's used so sparingly that I'm left hanging on Megan's every word, waiting for it to appear again. The deep bass makes the song feel full, though--by the end, I'm left wanting more without feeling like the listening experience was actually incomplete. My favorite line is definitely the Birkenstocks one; I still smile every time I hear it! I'm so excited for the album :)

Five-Star Songs (& Albums!) This Month

BOA -- Megan Thee Stallion

Lime -- Soojin

With just a few twists on a sweet, summery formula, "Lime" manages to stand out from the pack of cheery dance songs coming out at this time of year. The orchestral intro is so exciting, and the weirdly gritty vocal production (I still have no idea why anyone would consider that on a song like this--this album has some truly baffling production choices amid all the fantastic ones) unexpectedly grew on me. This song does sweet-and-sour so well!!

[Speaking of baffling production choices: "Drop Top" from this same album is a very nice listen, but what the hell is happening in the bridge... It would totally be a five-star song for me if not for that screechy violin (?) note in the dance break. Like. Why. Why would you just repeat the same ear-piercing note. The whole time. Have you considered a riff? Or making it just a TAD BIT quieter? Or just... a lower note? Anyway. Also, the ENTIRE title track, "Mona Lisa", is a baffling production choice. Just. The whole thing.]

Not Like Us -- Kendrick Lamar

Summer Daze -- Soojin

I like "Lime" a lot more than this one, but I can't help but admire "Summer Daze" too! I'm so in love with how it's a pop b-side just feels so authentically indie-rock? Like, "Más Lejos" by Atalhos was one of my favorite songs of the summer last year, and that's an actual indie-rock song--and it feels like everyone who had a hand in "Summer Daze" understood exactly why people enjoy that type of song & decided to write a love letter to the genre. This track would fit right in with anyone's wistful k-indie playlist!

Entre todas lo arreglamos (album) -- Repion

Yeah, fuck it--I added Repion to the stanlist this month! After this EP, how could I not? The pre-release "El día no me da" had my heart already--it was so similar to their last album, though, that I found it a tad bit boring. But as an opener for a song like "Viernes", "El día no me da" reaches its full potential; it functions so perfectly that my qualms completely disappear. "El día no me da" builds up the energy to this delightful high, and then "Viernes" is the rollercoaster ride back down, full of twists and turns--I love the experimentation with rhythm, which continues in "Qué hay de ti?". It adds such a nice edge to the album; even though this release retains the things that drew me to Repion in the first place--strong vocals and incessant energy--it feels anything but boilerplate. This EP has only one flaw, and it's the kazoo-sounding thing that shows up in "Vienen de pasárselo bien". Maybe it's a perfectly lovely instrument in other contexts, but I think it just sounds silly here, and I really would rather just appreciate their (always delightful) harmonies in peace. Those harmonies do save the song for me, though! To be fair, this album only has four songs--putting it in the albums category is kind of a stretch--but these four songs are packed with enough interesting ideas to make this the fullest EP I've heard in forever. (Plus, Repion gets extra-credit points for releasing my album of the year--a full-length one, too--last year.) I'm not sure if this EP will turn out to be a smaller part of an upcoming album, but I really hope so--I love this sound for them!

[dollarbin]

Sandy Saturdays #20

I'll Keep It With Mine

There are plenty of versions of this tricky Dylan song. Nico, Judy Collins and Dylan himself stumbled over it for years before everyone shelved it altogether.

Everyone, that is, except Sandy Denny and Fairport Convention.

The story starts in June of 64 when Dylan recorded Another Side of Bob Dylan in one rambling and probably pretty drunken night. Dylan did not attempt the song during the session, even though it was freshly written. Would the resulting record be better with I'll Keep It With Mine in place of the whiny, sophomoric Ballad in Plain D? Yes, totally.

But it's a tough song! Here's Dylan that same month trying to figure it out for copyright purposes. Suffice it to say that he does not figure it out.

6 months later, in January 65 (don't believe the date on the video below; I clearly know Dylan's timeline better than he does) he gave it another go, this time during the Bringing It All Back Home sessions. Bob was a far better musician and studio presence by that point and he lays down what is perhaps the song's most elegant take.

Most of us born in the 70's or 80's grew up with this version. Beloved copies of Biograph served as our introduction to all things Bob and this version of I'll Keep It With Mine is one of the collection's signature moments.

But no one in the 60's ever heard this version: Dylan recorded just this one take and then immediately abandoned the whole thing, jumping back into the far more manly, silly and obscure songs that actually make up the record.

At that point Dylan clearly felt done with the whole thing. I'll Keep It was either too complicated, too earnest or too melodic; probably all those things.

And so he tossed the song to Judy Collins, telling her it was meant for her anyway, and she immediately put out a fussy and almost good version that never merited space on one of her albums.

It's too bad Collins got her hands on the track in 65; a year earlier she would have slayed the thing by playing it solo acoustic; don't be fooled, Collins could totally play guitar.

But in 65 she was entering her pop arrangements phase, during which no let her pay an instrument. You can hear the dumb men in the room undercutting her greatness here: everything is rushed and hummable, lacking depth.

Dylan's producer, Bob Johnson, clearly wasn't impressed with Collins' version because he tried to talk Bob back into the song a year later while they were making Blonde on Blonde. Listen to Johnson here, cajoling Dylan into playing the damn thing while perhaps the great assembly of studio musicians in white man musical history work out their parts.

Johnson was so sold on the song that he put the musicians to work on an entirely new arrangement soon thereafter while Bob was momentarily missing in action (he was either writing Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands at that exact moment, taking uppers and/or downers, or recovering from just having done all those things).

Wow, don't you wish Dylan had given in to Johnson and completed this version? The whole thing is so tight and crisp; I'd love to hear Dylan mangle it. But no dice: Bob had Sad Eyed Lady to record instead, and I guess that worked out pretty damn well.

Still, Johnson's promotion of the track must have stuck with Dylan because the next time he had a goddess to impress - that would be Nico - he offered I'll Keep It With Mine to her.

As we speak, my famous brother is sitting up a little straighter, a look of potential fury forming in his beedy eyes: if I insult his beloved Nico and her VU bandmates his wrath will know no bounds.

Well, tough luck broheim: I think Nico's version, which is from 67, sucks like a cranky old vacuum. The guitar sounds good, and Nico is great in her standard I'm-not-familiar-with-your-language-or-how-to-sing-in-it-but-I'm-fabulous-anyway manner. But John Cale clearly had nothing to do with the string overdubs and they make this whole thing sound like a soundtrack for Honey Bunches of Oats: they're the cheery and wholesome way to start your day.

Enter Fairport Convention. It's 1968 and they suddenly have one of the greatest singers of all time, Sandy Denny, standing alongside their more than capable male vocalist, Ian Matthews. It was time to up their game with a complex, big deal song that everyone knew but no one had ever done quite right. It was time for them to play I'll Keep It With Mine.

Is this the song's perfect take? No. Denny and Matthews had not yet learned how to support one another dynamically (though they'd soon figure it out in a big way) and Matthews' contributions feel competitive here rather than complimentary.

Okay, you ask, it may not be perfect, but is this the best version of I'll Keep It With Mine out there? Naw. I like Dylan's Bringing It All Back Home take just as much.

But, whatever: Fairport's late 68 version is still pretty damn great. On the other side of the Atlantic Neil Young was getting ready to reinvent lead guitar playing on Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere. But you can hear Richard Thompson doing much of that same work here, albeit in a less flashy fashion: his lead guitar chases itself all over the mix as Simon Nicol ably fills the Danny Whitten chair.

And then there's Sandy's lead vocals. Denny had never played anything larger than a coffee shop at this point and had had just one real recording session with a band beforehand. But she sure doesn't sound like a newbie here. Rather, she sounds like Athena: assured, patient and powerful; Dylan, Collins and Nico are mere mortals beside her.

Update from an hour after posting:

My famous brother just humbled me yet again, offering up two more versions, neither of which I knew about until this moment; I'll let him introduce them himself:

I think I prefer the Richard & Linda Thompson live version over Fairport — uses a pretty similar arrangement, but Linda might have the edge vocally. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Q6Y-R-p7J4

And yeah, the Nico version isn't great, but the Velvet Underground version ... it kind of cooks! Beware of horrible bootleg quality sound here. Legend has it that Lou Reed hated this song but Nico insisted they play it a few times early on. So they basically do it like it's "I'm Waiting For The Man." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tP5-vv9mmZM

Imagine emails like this showing up in your inbox regularly. It's sure nice having a famous brother...

[iguessitsjustme]

Jack o' Frost Ep 5 & 6 Thoughts

I think you guys were playing a prank on me telling me to watch this show. Was that what happened? Is this payback for all of my cruel polls? Did I deserve this? It’s fine. It’s fine. I am going to try my best to enjoy the final two episodes. Because I need to. THERE IS GOOD IF I JUST LOOK FOR IT and ignore the very bad things. It’s fine. Time to watch:

I don’t blame Ritsu for being hurt by Mr. Lyingface but also why is his response complete and utter avoidance? My guy. Go confront him. Make him own up to his actions. Then you two can talk it out. Or not. It’s not your fault he withheld this from you. But your response to learning about it is not great either.

I don’t care about what’s happening right now but I am VIBING with this music. Guitar and strings? Excellent.

Oh no music went away booooo.

If even the ex boyfriend is like “y’all…need to talk” then perhaps forcing the relationship isn’t a good idea and you should both give yourselves a break. A chance to move on with your lives and be happy.

Wow. Okay. This is a conversation that should have been had before you got to this point of anger my guy. My dude. If Ritsu has been constantly flaking on you and forgetting your dates, this needed to be brought up not in a fit of anger on his birthday. Is Ritsu wrong for it? Absolutely. Should he be making adjustments to make sure he doesn’t flake on you? Yes. Was this the proper response to it happening? No. In this situation they both suck. But I think yelling at Ritsu, on his birthday, while he’s drunk, was not it. Has he even brought it up before? Based on his earlier conversation with Tomoko, I’m gonna say no. That he waited until it reached his boiling point and he exploded. Which is not a productive way to solve issues.

And now Ritsu is acting like a petulant child. Am I supposed to want these two together? Nope. Not unless they get counseling.

Dude. Listen. As someone who is also bad at talking about how I feel…you cannot be this way in a relationship. You just can’t. You have to be willing to compromise and talk about it even a little bit. Otherwise you will not have a relationship. It will either blow up like your relationship with Ritsu did. Or it will fizzle out. If you want something that lasts you have to be willing to open up when you’re hurting. It hurts the other person more if you don’t.

Gotta pause. My coworker is sending memes in the group chat.

Ritsu is right. He can’t fix his behavior if he isn’t told he’s hurting Mr. Lyingface. He can’t reflect on it if he doesn’t know. This goes for before and after the amnesia as well. Do I think he should have to be told to stop flaking on his boyfriend? No. He should try to make sure he’s making time for him BUT sometimes when people get busy, they don’t realize what they’re doing or who they’re ignoring. I have been in both positions of being ignored and doing the ignoring and I gotta say. It’s very easy to not realize you’re ignoring someone. It hurts so, so incredibly bad to be ignored by someone who you love so dearly, but sometimes they just…don’t realize. I say this as someone who shuts down when hurt. I also say this as someone who had someone blow up at me the way Mr. Lyingface blew up at Ritsu. Guess who I don’t talk to anymore. And this is someone I loved a lot. I miss her so much. She remains a part of me. I can’t erase her from me any more than I can erase one of my limbs attached to my body. But in the end, we could not communicate. The same way these two can’t communicate. These two should not be together. They just should not be. It is not fair to either of them if neither can compromise. Sometimes it is best to acknowledge the love. To know it happened. And then to let it go. Keep the memories in your heart and in your soul. But give yourself the grace to find happiness without them.

Anyway time for episode 6 and then I can move on to my next binge of the day.

He’s running again. Ugh the cardio. Maybe I should go on a jog. It’s been awhile.

Fluffy pancakes…mmmmmmmm. Gimme.

SAILBOAT

I forgive everything. This show gave me a sailboat.

I’m indifferent to these two but this MUSIC. Has me in a chokehold.

They’re gonna fuck on that couch again.

Last time they did that, they broke up immediately after.

Well. That’s a show I watched. I hope you guys liked my liveblog. I had fun. Well I had fun liveblogging. This was not my favorite show but it also wasn’t the worst? I hope those two get couples therapy or they will not last. They never really resolved their issues. But I do enjoy writing out my thoughts as I watch things. I will liveblog something else later. Maybe another show from my poll? We’ll see.

[beeandheroddobsessions]

You Stop My Heart (pt.1)

Pairing: Elvis x Black! Reader

Summary: Y/N L/N age 19, manages to make her way onto the louisiana hayride. Elvis Isn’t the only one who can cause a visceral reaction in the crowd. When he sees her, his heart stops.

Warnings: In future chapters, there will be heavy talk of race issues. Anxiety? 50s!Elvis (yes, i do consider that a warning). Nothing really in this chapeter.

A/N: Y’all don’t even know how im about to drag you through the weeds with this series! Happy reading!

Part 2

November 6, 1954

Nervous isn't the right word to describe how you're feeling right now; your heart is in your ass. It all started as a silly joke between you and your friend Mackenzie, who you dubbed 'Sister Mack' or sometimes just 'Mack.' Sister Mack and her family were the only white people that gave you the time of day.

You had been singing since you could form words. Everyone in the neighborhood was sure to let you know you had the loveliest voice around, and your mama had always been so supportive. She'd encourage you to sing to your heart's content. That's how you met Mack, around fifteen or so. She said she'd never heard someone sound so good.

Mack played the guitar and would often join you whenever you sang, adding an alluring melody to your vocals.

When she introduced you to her family, they were more accepting than you would've thought. 'Ma and pop' treated you like one of their own and supported you just as much as your folks.

Her brother, Greg, a tall, twenty-two-year-old, rambunctious man with fluffy brown hair and striking green eyes, had a love for percussion that you couldn't even begin to understand. He had no rhythm; half the time, he was just making noise on that drumset. Bless him. Eventually, you taught him how to play in time. That's when he joined you and Mack.

Valerie and Angel were Mack's older sisters. A sweet set of twins who absolutely adored you. They were great at harmonizing and loved the style of music you introduced them to. Over the next four years, the five of you managed to make it onto a local radio station. You wanted a heftier challenge though.

So here you all sit, about to shit yourselves. What you were about to do hasn't been done before. A black woman, or any black person for that matter, in a place like this? Unheard of. The strings your and Mack's family had to pull to get your name on the list were the only reason you hadn't hightailed it out of there.

Would you be throttled off the stage? Arrested? You didn't have a clue, but this was your only chance to advance in this business. All the money (and begging) spent to get to this point wouldn't go to waste.

"You guys ready?" Mack asks, "Sister Mack, I-I feel like I'm gon' drop. I-Is it hot in here? I'm burnin' up." You stammer out. She lets out a nervous chuckle, "It's just nerves, Y/N. We're gon' do fine." You nod your head in an attempt to convince yourself that she's right. You had gained a spot on the Louisiana Hayride, now was not the time to get cold feet.

Before your act, there was another. Some white boy in a suit that looked about two times too large; he wore eyeliner, and his hair had been slicked to perfection, save for the few strands that fell in his face. The thin layer of sweat that adorned his browbone and his heavy breathing let you know that he, too, was scared shitless.

The host introduced him as Elvis Presley. This 'Presley' boy expressed gratitude for being here with a painful stutter and a wavering voice. A few snide remarks are made, followed by chuckles here and there. You look away, disinterested, thinking he would be another country singer. You couldn't be more wrong. He starts playing; the song begins slow, his voice low and bouncy. "Oh baby, baby, baby..." You're uninterested again, just like that. But then the tempo shifts to something more upbeat.

You sit up a bit, brows raising and eyes widening as he bellows out, "Well... you may go to college, you may go to school, you may have a pink Cadillac, but don't you be nobody's fool." You don't even hear the rest; all you see is a man wiggling his hips in a way that sets a warm feeling deep in your belly. It feels wrong. Traditionally, people stay seated at these shows, not while he's up there. Women left and right pop up out of their seats, shamelessly forgetting about their boyfriends. Screams start as one and become many, soon filling the room.

His movements are nothing new to you, but his charisma sure is. You look on in amazement. The man in front of you makes your heart flutter, and as you look a little closer, you realize he's just so pretty. You wonder if he'd think the same of you. "Fat chance," You mumble out. Greg, somehow, hears you, "What do ya mean, Y/N?"

You don't want him to know you've been ogling too, "uh...how are we s'posed to top that? It's just a fat chance, is all." Val speaks up, "It ain't a competition, Y/N. Show a lil' gumption, and all eyes will be on you."

You shake your head with a smile, "I don't think gumption will save me this time, Val." Mack chimes in, "worked for that white boy, didn't it?" This makes you laugh, "fair enough, Mack, fair enough." Soon, Elvis finishes his set; he and his crew exit the stage. As they make their way back, he glances at you, eyes widening just a hair.

You don't even notice, too focused on battling your nerves. The host speaks up again, "Woo! Quite a show, huh, ladies? Alright, Well...next, we've got Y/N L/N and the Sound Of The South!"

The first to walk on is Greg, then sister Mack, then Val and Angel. Lastly, you grace the stage. It gets so quiet you could hear a pin drop. As you look out over the crowd, you see a mix of confusion, interest, and disgust. You don't let it phase you. You step up to the mic and take a deep breath.

Alright, here we go.

Taglist: @dumpsterhippie @tacozebra051 @prayerstopresley @pennyroyalcreep @18lkpeters @misspresley @waiting4brucewayne2adoptme @dkayfixates @powerofelvis @presleyenterprise

[jfk-blown-away-blog]

Hey I saw your guitar music post and liked it and you seem really skilled in that so l have a question if you don't mind...

I wanna learn to play like that. I currently have no knowledge beyond like Day 1 of piano (that I accidentally absorbed 5 years ago from friends playing). I don't even know if electric guitar and acoustic(?) guitar have transferable skills or not. I'm also left-handed.

I don't have any great instructors where I live, so if I choose to get involved in a course it'll have to be a trial and error process.

Anyway, my question is this: is it possible to just pick up an (electric?) guitar and learn on my own through online (free) resources?

Short answer is basically yes, there are plenty of self taught players who learned in a pre-internet world, so I don't see why you or anyone else wouldn't be able to learn nowadays.

Longer answer:

So I started out taking lessons at the young age of 8 years old. Having an actual physical guitar teacher in the same room as you is a really great experience for learning how to play. I do highly recommend it if it's a possibility, but I also know that there are endless amounts of online resources if that's just not an option. An important thing to note with guitar is that while there are some techniques that don't translate between acoustic and electric guitars, most of the time you'll be able to play both even if you only learn one type. Also, keep in mind that I have been playing off and on for the better part of 18 years and I don't consider myself amazingly talented. While I do have a great grasp on most of the necessary skills for playing, a lot of my "skills" come from a bunch of experimentation and fucking around and finding out. I'll also mention that music theory is something that I have recently been trying to implement more into my development of playing, while not necessary for making music, it is something I want to be more knowledgeable about. On the topic of previous music experience, you mentioned having a very small amount of piano experience, I never had any lessons for any other instruments, but I can still use the music knowledge from guitar to play other instruments to some degree, like all the midi keyboards I have and the pump organ. I also have messed around with banjos and a trumpet, and of course bass guitar is very simple to pick up after learning traditional 6 string guitar. The most important things to learn for casually playing are all the open chords (A.K.A cowboy chords) A (there is no open B chord in standard tuning) C D E F and G. The major and minor "blues scales" shapes. As well as the regular major scale shapes. In standard tuning of course. I would also recommend following that up with learning the E and A string bar chords. Then start messing with open tunings after developing all those skills in standard tuning.

Hopefully that wasn't too much of a ramble and I thoroughly answered your question.

[livdrawsstuf]

Ngl I have no clue who your ocs are could ya give a small re introduction or just reblog where you first mentioned them?

Whats your roc's biggest fear or regret?

if your ocs could go have a vacation anywhere ,where would it be?

whats your oc's biggest hobby?

what everyday skill might you oc be the worst at?

Which of your oc's are the most trustworthy?

which oc knows the most about your world and it's secrets?

which oc is suffering the most from your hands?

which one if your favourite?

which oc was the hardest to come up with?

which one was the funnest one to think of?

which oc is the most hated by the rest of the characters?

would any of them like a wheel of cheese?

(Im so sorry that I replied to this late, also, key for who's who= Eliza: red text/Micah: blue text/Liv: Pink text)

I regret......... a lot of things........ dont wanna talk about it....... I'm scared of the dark. I know it's childish, but its the truth

I guess....... i'm scared of dying.....or death.... ironic huh?

...... i........fucking hate mirrors.... and blood

2. we've talked about it, and we all agreed that we would go to Egypt. Liv want's to learn about the culture, Micah would be there for the kinds of music and art they make, and I would want to learn about there history.

3. I tinker with a lot of things. I've made a lot of gadgets, like my sticky boots. But most of it got burned in the fire

well...... I used to play a lot of instruments at the orphanage, mostly strings..... gambit gave me his old guitar to play after learning that.

I don't have time for hobbies

4. I'm the best at everything! I don't know what you're talking about!

.......... I'm bad at cooking...... not that we cook much.....

Im bad at spelling, or I used to be, 'till Liv helped me out

5. Eliza

Eliza

I would like to think I am

6. (honestly don't know how to answer this one, sorry)

7. Right now? Eliza (He He >:3)

8. I really liked making Micah and his backstory, so probably him. But I still love all ma little gremlins <3

9. I don't think It was hard to come up with any of them, but Micah definitely took the longest to make

10. Liv. She was made to be a silly goofy goober (she's dealing with something rn tho)

11. For awhile, It was Micah because of how cocky he can be, but he's changed.

12. yes, very much so. They are all starving

[pinkwinesupernovas]

day 2/6

i procrastinated a lot lot lot LMAO but its 5:30 and im planning to ft with my friend and study so hopefully that works out 🙏🙏

i contemplated changing my sisters (we use it together) guitar strings because they’re rusty but i didnt know how and i just didnt because i was lazy 😸

I did not go outside today !! Its ok

helloo coraa, i hope the ft with friend helped 😭 omg you play the guitar????? thats soooo cool and i have no idea about guitar strings

also i saw that you're graduating in march omg and that's pretty soon, manifesting that uni will be really amazing for you 😚

i just got back from college and my classes are officially done, im free until next thursday!!!!! so yes let's hang and ill be updating you on what i do hehe

oh also my favs from tsou rn are (took me so long to pick 🙏) free now, let it happen, blowing smoke and close to you!!! what's yours??