#* fearless era: round one

[swiftpolls]

#i can’t believe one of this is going to be eliminated in round one 😭 it was all randomized i promise #taylor swift #polls #swifties #* my polls #* taylor swift #tswift #taylorswift #tayswift #taylor swift polls #taylor swift eras #* speak now era #* fearless era #* album cover polls #swiftpolls #swift polls

[hotvintagepoll]

Propaganda

Anna Magnani (Rome Open City, Mamma Roma, The Rose Tattoo)—don't take my word for it, here are some of the things she was called during her career: "la lupa (the wolf) of Italian cinema," "passionate, fearless, and exciting," "the volcanic earth mother of all Italian cinema," "one of the most impressive actresses since Garbo," "Whenever Magnani laughs or cries (which is often), it's as if you've never seen anyone laugh or cry before: has laughter ever been so burstingly joyful or tears so shatteringly sad?" and maybe best of all, from Tennessee Williams, who wrote multiple roles specifically for her: "She is simply a rare being who seems to have about her a little lightning-shot cloud all her own...In a crowded room, she can sit perfectly motionless and silent and still you feel the atmospheric tension of her presence, its quiver and hum in the air like a live wire exposed, and a mood of Anna's is like the presence of royalty."

Nutan (Bandini, Anari, Seema)— In an era where plump and petite women were considered the height of beauty, Nutan was thin and gangly. While her beauty is obvious today, she was considered somewhat unusual throughout her acting career, which contains over 70 films. Contrary to the belief that female actresses careers ended after marriage, Nutan won four of her five Filmfare Awards after her marriage and the birth of her son. Nutan was known for her gorgeous, emotive brown eyes and her incredible singing voice.

This is round 3 of the tournament. All other polls in this bracket can be found here. Please reblog with further support of your beloved hot sexy vintage woman.

[additional propaganda submitted under the cut.]

Anna Magnani:

An icon of post-war neorealist italian cinema - an unbelievably good actress. Also, the first non-english speaking actress to win the Oscar for Best Actress (in 1956)!

realness!! amid the typical hollywood pristine glamour anna magnani stuck out as sexy in a really real, grounded way. so much so that even shallow 40s hollywood allowed her to come over from italy to be in some high profile movies. an icon

She smoked, she drank, she didn't give a f-. Her acting was described as explosive, with a lot of emotions and drama and they called her a she-wolf. Playwright Tennessee Williams became an admirer of her acting and wrote The Rose Tattoo (1955) specifically for her to star in, a role for which she received an Academy Award for Best Actress, becoming the first Italian – and first non-English speaking woman – to win an Oscar.

Nutan:

#nutan #anna magnani #hotvintagepoll #fuck that old woman #ladies 3

[tibby]

i think it's partly bc of rerecording her albums and having fans love the vault tracks that she now feels she cant leave anything on the cutting room floor just in case

i definitely think that's part of it, but - and i say this as someone who likes a majority of the vault tracks - i think it was a good thing that they were initially left on the cutting room floor. including them originally would have detracted from what the albums were trying to say.

speak now and 1989 are the best examples of this. the point of speak now was two things: taylor wanting to prove she could do it on her own, and each song referencing a specific person or scenario. with the exception of when emma falls in love (the weakest of the lot imo) and castles crumbling (which has a feature), the SNTV vault tracks are more...vague in who/what they're about. and sure, if they'd been released on the original album with the secret messages we might have more context, but that isn't something we can say for certain. speak now is the only album that's about multiple people and we can pinpoint who or what each song is referencing (except maybe sparks fly which was included for the fans, and haunted but that could be because i've never cared enough to investigate if it's about john or joe).

as for 1989, i think the vault tracks are definitely stronger than some of the songs that made the cut (as much as i love WTNY and HYGTG, they're not her best work), but i don't think they would have fit into the story she was trying to tell. whether taylor successfully made an album that is about independence and not love is up for debate, but she claims that was her intention. IION and say don't go aren't great fits for that story, especially since it was one she was trying to tell within the secret messages.

i think red's biggest problem is that it was already too long of an album (which is also part of speak now's problem). i think the red vault tracks fit the theme of all the varying degrees of love, but red TV clocks out at over two hours. it's possible that forever winter in particular was too raw a song to release at the time (has she played it live yet? i haven't kept up with eras tour that much).

and while i love the fearless vault tracks, i do wonder if including them would have earned it less acclaim. they're good songs, but fearless is by far her most polished album imo. even the deluxe tracks, which i also adore, kinda take away from how well rounded the standard album is. it's very possible it's only capped at 13 tracks because cds back then could only hold so much, but i also think that it was a better decision for the marketing of the album itself.

but now, with ttpd and the eight million versions of midnights, it's harder to find the good shit because it's surrounded by so much filler. and yeah, part of it is that some of the songs on those albums are just...not good (bejeweled my deepest enemy), but i think a culling would have greatly benefitted them. ESPECIALLY with ttpd. taylor's always been songwriter who releases stuff that could be diary entries, but at least before it was like...you at least edited this. now it just seems like we're getting every single journal entry as is. and it's tiring. 31 songs is too much. hell, 16 songs for lover was too much.

ultimately i think it comes down to the fact that she no longer gets any push back from the people she works with, and fans are both willing to accept quantity over quality and (for many swifties, but not all) there's just a refusal to criticise her work at all. and i think taylor's desire to constantly release new content (which i think is a combination of a constant need for relevancy combined with the fact she's always writing) combined with being surrounded by yes men and adoring fans is impacting her work negatively. which has been the case since lover if not earlier, but i think midnights/ttpd are her most glaring examples of it.

anyway lmao sorry this got long. sorry for never being on here and then finally showing up to have opinions about taylor swift. do you guys still think i'm hot.

#ask #anonymous

[whenemmafalls]

this was requested by a few people so, without further ado, below the cut i’ll explain how to make an edit of the eras tour poster like the ones that can be found here. i’ve seen different versions of these floating around twitter/tiktok/etc for a while but let’s be honest..the picsart ones don’t look as cute. i use photoshop 2020, but older versions should work just fine since this edit doesn’t involve anything too fancy!

now, i started with the original poster and carefully removed all of the images to create a base template that i’ve used for all the posters since. i don’t really feel like explaining how to do that because it feels kinda unnecessary when i can just link it to you. so go ahead and start by downloading my base template, which you can find here. 

once you have that open, you’ll want to gather your images. you’ll need nine images that should be at least 300x300px in dimension and one much larger image to serve as the center png. how big this needs to be depends how large the subject of the photo is, but it should probably be around 2000px. keep in mind that the subject shouldn’t be too wide either, or else it will block the surrounding photos when you try to position it. for example, the below image wouldn’t be a good option because her arm would cover at least one of the other eras.

once you have your photos picked out, you’re gonna want to drag the nine smaller ones into the document and crop/scale/position them so that there’s one in each square. remember that the template layer should be above the photo layers so that they’re contained within the frame. once you’ve done that, it should look something like this:

now it’s outlining time. first, make a new transparent layer and place that between the photo layers and the template layer. it’s really REALLY important that you remember to always paint on this transparent layer and NOT directly on the photos, as we want to be able to edit the photos later without also editing the borders. i used a website like this to find the color codes of the backgrounds on the original poster, so i’ll just put them here for you:

debut: #bcd5b8 fearless: #f4cb8a speak now: #cfb6d4 red: #a45865 1989: #c0e6f9 rep: #5f5c57 lover: #f8bad3 folklore: #d3d0c9 evermore: #ceb69c

you’re gonna want to select the paintbrush tool and set it to 20px and choose the “soft round” setting in the general brushes folder (this will make sure that you don’t have any harsh edges). then, change the color of the brush to whichever era you’re starting with, using the hex codes above. now you’re ready to go in and start painting! on your transparent layer, outline the edges of the subject of your first photo. you don’t have to be super precise with this because the soft edges allow for more error!

once you’ve done that, go ahead and change the brush setting back to hard round in order to fill in the surrounding edges, like so:

and voilà! pretty easy, right? now you just have to do that eight more times for each era, using the corresponding hex code for your brush color. and again, ALWAYS REMEMBER TO PAINT EVERYTHING ON THAT TRANSPARENT LAYER!!! pro tip: you can use the rectangular marquee tool to contain the square of the era that you’re working with so you don’t have to worry about staying inside the lines. once you’ve done that, it should look something like this (just ignore that the reputation background is too light, i used the wrong color and didn’t notice until later):

ok now you’re gonna want to download this lovely psd pack in order to color the photos (you could also color them yourself, but i’m bad at coloring so i took the easy way out). open that up, and drag the first one over for whichever era you’re starting with. position it so that it’s directly above the corresponding era’s photo and then right-click the psd and select “ungroup layers” (you wanna do this because you won’t be able to create a clipping mask from grouped layers). then, with all the layers of the psd selected, you’re gonna wanna right-click and select “create clipping mask.” this should make it so that the filter is only visible on that era’s photo. now just repeat that process for each era! once you’ve done that, you should have eras-colored filters over each image, like so:

now it’s png time! i’m not gonna explain how to make a png here because it would take too long and i’m such a perfectionist that the way i make pngs would probably get me locked up. however, here’s a really useful, in-depth tutorial on the subject if you’ve never made one before. go ahead and make your png and drag it into the document once you’re done. scale/resize/crop the png so that it fits nicely in the center of the document (and remember that this should be the topmost layer at this point, right above the template layer, so that it’s visible). it should look something like this now:

now you’re gonna do the same thing for the center psd that you did for all the other eras, by creating a clipping mask from the “midnights” era filter:

now all that’s left is the text! you have a few options for this part depending on what kind of edit you’re making. for the eras edit series, i made a png of each album title and positioned that in the center, like this:

i’ve also seen a lot of people making edits of these for their pets/grandparents/themselves, in which case you probably want to put a name of some sort in there. i made a sample of this to show you. first, you’re gonna want to download this font. it’s not the exact font from the poster because that one costs money, but this one looks almost exactly the same once you stretch it vertically. once you’ve installed the font, make a new text layer and write whatever word you want. change the font size until it roughly matches that of the surrounding words (remembering that it won’t be as tall). then, right click the text layer and select “convert to smart object” so that you can stretch it and then select edit > transform > warp. a number of dots should appear around the text, which will allow you to pull the top and bottom edges of the word so that it looks as tall as the original font. once it roughly matches the poster font, press enter to exit out of warp mode. the text will also look blacker than what's on the poster, so just right click on the text layer/smart object, select “blending options,” and reduce the opacity until it matches. this is what i got:

now you could stop there, but i like to mess with it a little (bc perfectionist) and go back and tinker with the paintbrush/clean up the edges and alter the brightness/contrast so that the images match each other a little better. after doing all that (and fixing the rep background color), this is what i ultimately ended up with (i also changed some of the images cause i didn’t like them):

and that’s pretty much all there is to it! i’ve never made a tutorial before so idk if i explained too much or didn’t explain enough but please please feel free to message me if you have any questions/require further clarification on anything!!! ok thanks bye!:)

#tutorial #* #idk if anyone actually wanted this but hopefully it helps someone!

[fymoonbyul]

[ARTICLE] Review: K-pop group MAMAMOO keep the ‘Mic On’ for a powerful performance during Bay Area concert debut

At their packed Oakland Arena stop during their debut “My Con” world tour, veteran K-pop girl group Mamamoo put the spotlight on one of the most underutilized concert instruments: the wireless microphone.

It’s no secret that many K-pop performances rely heavily on pre-recorded vocals, but Mamamoo bucked the trend Friday, June 2, serving up live vocals as well as looks. Hitting the stage in white blouses, bustiers and toreador leggings tucked into black knee-high boots, the quartet — Solar, Moonbyul, Wheein and Hwasa — was dressed to slay. But it was vocal performances on songs like “Make Me Happy,” “Paint Me” and “Star Wind Flower Sun” where they killed.

Mamamoo’s tour title “My Con” forms a portmanteau of “Mic On,” a nod to the name of their latest EP and the way they used their mics onstage. Moonbyul offered additional rationale that received lusty cheers from fans.

“The meaning of the tour is that Moomoos (Mamamoo fans) all over the world are coming together to make this concert happen,” she told the audience through a translator.

For more than two hours, Mamamoo showed why they’re one of the most fearless and well-rounded groups in K-pop since breaking onto the scene in 2014. Solar and Wheein form a potent singing tandem — Solar has R&B in her veins, and Wheein is a pop expressionist — while Hwasa and Moonbyul are double agents, contributing vocals and raps.

Mamamoo’s choreography was also satisfying with top-class execution and clean lines despite carrying handheld mics during the show. They were visually accentuated by eight female backup dancers and four outfit changes throughout the night.

The group’s live vocals gave credence to the “mic on” theory, though some assistive vocals could be detected to the naked ear, especially when members lowered their handhelds to complete a choreographed move.

While Mamamoo didn’t perform with a live band, the instrumental tracks sounded freshly recorded and retooled, which gave their songs a punchy, spontaneous feel — from the drumstick count-off to the big clattery toms-and-cymbals finishes.

Mamamoo injected fresh life into the solo medley portion of the show, by individually covering each other’s key solo tracks: Solar sang Wheein’s “Water Color” and Wheein performed Solar’s “Honey,” while Hwasa covered Moonbyul’s “Eclipse” and Moonbyul did Hwasa’s “Twit.”

The songs even received their own distinctive spotlight and dance routine, showing off each member’s versatility and creativity. The group came together for a performance of four more solo snippets, with Hwasa’s “Maria” receiving the biggest response as the performers executed Hwasa’s iconic body rolls during the number, a move akin to seeing James Brown do the splits.

But the night didn’t all go according to script. During the upbeat “Starry Night,” the group got a case of the giggles and broke character, before regaining composure to finish the song. Also, there were lulls as well as lolz. Three interstitial pre-recorded video segments (“VCRs” in K-pop speak) slowed momentum to a crawl. One segment lasting seven minutes — an eternity in concert time — showed group members enjoying a meal and talking shop. These would have been better served as pre-show entertainment for folks settling into their seats.

With nine years of music to pull from, it’s fair to assume that some fan favorites would not make the cut. But leaving the 2020 pick-me-up anthem “Dingga” off the setlist felt like a crucial miss. The quarantine-era hit was meant to be played in this exact setting, with everyone back in a concert hall again.

If the main concert served up stylistic amuse-bouches, the four-song encore was a pop feast. Reappearing in denim and tour merch, the women vibed along with the audience to “Travel,” “Yes I Am,” “L.I.E.C,” and closed with their effervescent early hit, “Um Oh Ah Yeah.”

The encore summed up nearly a decade of influence, showing how all-around talent, experience, fearlessness and versatility are keys to longevity.

#mamamoo #era:mic on #t:article #230604

[the-eras-bracket]

ERAS BRACKET REVIVAL UPDATE!!!

The results are in, and it's tied! People want a mini-bracket with 80 random songs OR a bracket for each album.

I've decided to make ALBUM BRACKETS! It's easier for me to manage + it fits way better with the Eras Tour theme, going era by era.

Here's the gist; each round will not happen in one day anymore, it's a round per album. So a round will last a few days depending on the songs for the album. (For example, the RED round will last for 6 days, going from 32 songs, to 16, to 8, to 4, to 2, and to 1 remaining winner.

Once we're done with each round, i'll make an endgame update for each. There will be mini endgame updates spliced in between each of the polls for the days, showing results.

For clarification, All Of The Girls You Loved Before will be included in the Lover bracket, Safe & Sound and Eyes Open will be included in the RED bracket, and If This Was A Movie will go into the Speak Now bracket, even though I think Taylor intends to move it to Fearless.

Each post will have the tag #the eras bracket: album brackets

The posts for each round will have a big text at the top that looks like this:

R1 D1 M1: DEBUT

The first letter is R, which is round. So we're on round 1. The second is day, so if we're on day 3, for example, for the RED round, we'll have 8 songs competing. And M means matchup, indicating the matchup number.

P.S.: By the end, after we're done with all 10 rounds, the winners of those 10 rounds will compete in one poll to see who wins!!!

Thanks so much for supporting the Eras Bracket. It's been an amazing ride and I'm so excited to revive this one more time before we're done for this year. To anyone going to today's show in Glendale (AKA Swift City!!) I hope you have so much fun and a safe and enjoyable concert experience. <333

I'll post the randomized matchups for Debut tomorrow; we'll have 7 matchups with 14 songs for day 1.

Love you all, and thank you so much for supporting this!!! <3

#updates

[mirrorballsss]

(which taylor swift song captures each tlc ship the best?) (I have kaider ones in my heart.)

OMG YES EEEEEE let me think for a sec

also same girl abt the last part

kaider- peace or great war I CANT DECIDE but probably peace out of like all the songs i could bring back to them (there are literally so many other songs i could do but yk had to narrow it down cuz i love them sm 🤭)

wolflet: out of the woods or don’t blame me probs i rly struggled with this one ngl (they are my least favs technically out of the 4 main ships don’t hate me plz) so had to think hard for this

cresswell: AFTERGLOW AFTERGLOW they’re so afterglow it’s crazy or maybe also like enchanted they give that vibe too

winlet: mary’s song or love story maybe cuz yk like forbidden and shit i feel like it fits them

i haven’t read wires and nerve (yet) so i can’t do kiko lol

BUT BONUS ROUND ILL DO EACH SHIP AS AN ALBUM CUZ THIS IS SO FUN

kaider: folklore or midnights (again, can’t decide) my personal opinion for awhile was folklore but i saw a post the other day i te logged it that said they they were midnights so i’m torn now

wolflet: evermore the vibes 1000% match fight me

cresswell: SPEAK NOW-OW or fearless lol can’t decide again. they’re so old taylor but also like lover taylor too (both eras i love dearly)

winlet: ok lowk? honestly like idk i feel like they’re very folklore too ngl like none of the other albums fit they’re vibe just like folklore does so i’m saying folklore again 🤷‍♀️

anyways that’s the end!! tysm for the ask @impossiblesuitcase i loved doing it!

#but i actually have been waiting for someone to ask me this question lol #if u want more in depth analysis just ask i can do it lol #the lunar chronicles #lunar chronicles #taylor swift #swifties #t swift

[rexxdjarin]

1 & 68 for daimyo-era Boba 👀👀

Smut Prompts

Oh this?????? This is about to be 😮‍💨…imagining reader teases all the rich assholes of tatooine just to get boba what he wants. she uses sex appeal as a weapon (and kills one particularly nasty one with an actual weapon to defend her man) like look at this menacing mfer I wanna fuck him so bad

1) Never tease me like that again. & 68) Kneel.

You knew going into Boba’s meeting in the throne room today that the men he was entertaining were extremely dangerous. Defying him at every turn right underneath his nose and he knew it. He wasn’t stupid. And they were quite unwise to think he was.

They were all the heads of rich, arrogant noble families that had become drunk with power under the former daimyo’s rule. But Boba had grown sick and tired of working for idiots and it was well past time he show them why he’s in charge.

You were addicted to him. Stoic, strong, fearless, powerful. But for you, and only you, he was kind, encouraging, protective and loving. Though not many outside his inner circle knew, you were his and he was yours. For you were all the companionship and love that Boba had craved since he was a small boy.

So every day you sat in his throne room, watching him rule like the incredible man you knew he was. You mostly hung out in the background, blending in with the throes of beautiful lifeforms that made company at his palace. No one knew you were his greatest, most dangerous little weapon. That he watched you all dressed up like a gorgeous bombshell ready to explode the second someone crossed you or him.

Today, that was your plan. The men at the table were unreasonable and stubborn, arguing with him over every little thing he suggested. You sauntered around the table serving drinks with the other servers and entertainers Boba hired as his secret team of beautiful female assassins. It was Fennec's idea to use their underestimation of women as their undoing. And no one did that better than you.

You were his eyes and ears...his mouth too among other parts of you he loved. He got off on the power you had over the men who couldn't handle you. Not like he could. He watched as you brushed over their hands as you poured them drinks and sauntered a little too alluringly past their wandering eyes. Though he was practiced at avoiding you while you worked to listen for him, you caught him stealing subtle glances from time to time. The flirting and the damn near heavy petting was to impress him. Only him. His powerful gaze was all you felt. The other men in the room were nothing by comparison.

Sweethearts and darlings and hands on your lower back and you could practically feel Boba's impatient possessiveness ready to overtake him. But he knew better. You were good at your job. Getting men to reveal the true nature of their intentions to a stunning woman like you was playtime for you. Seduction was your artform like bounties were once his.

One of these so called noblemen, a filthy and particularly handsy Klatooinian, seemed more interested in you than the others. You were eyeing him from the start, taking a supreme disliking to the way he looked at Boba at the head of the table. He wanted you, just like every man at that table did. His eyes nearly popped out of his head as you bent over and lace garters poked out from beneath your leather skirt. Little did he know you kept a small blaster on the inside of one thigh and a powerful vibroblade on the other. His hand groped the meat of your ass hard as Boba spoke.

"You keep some fine stock in the palace now. Much better than what Fortuna offered. This one's a worthy prize. How much he charge for me to take you?" The foul smelling sleemo asked, running his untrained hand up my waist. I kept my composure and nodded as if I was flattered, rounding the front of the table past Boba's chair and feeling him snicker in response.

"More than the likes of you can afford." Boba jabbed at him, leaning forward in his seat to deepen the strength of his threat. "You already owe me more than you have."

"I will not be denied the prize I seek, nor will I pay a Daimyo I do not recognize. You're an outsider. Nothing but an old relic. Your kind was wiped out with the Republic. I don't fear that face of yours, clone. Seen it a million times. You'll die out just like the rest of em." The man spat, standing up at his chair to urge the rest of the men around him to deny Boba his tributes, a marred sign of disrespect.

You see the blaster being pulled from the holster slowly as you pass by his chair again. Boba was right to point this man out. To make this one the victim you were to choose tonight. Boba sat unbothered at his seat. The other men watched with interest as Boba didn't waver at any threat, waiting patiently for them all to give in to his demands. You know better than anyone that that power is irresistible.

The Klatooinian turns to you, the look in his eyes one that says he was taking you one way or another. Suddenly, he whipped out his blaster, moving to fire at Boba from near point blank range. The man's hands grabbed you and in an instant you pulled out your vibroblade from beneath your skirt. In acrobatic fashion, you spun over the man and onto the table, stabbing him straight through the chest. All the other servers followed suit, their own blades to the throats of every man sitting at the table.

Boba finally rose, walking around the table to glare into the eyes of the man you'd taken out for him. "This one's no prize, she's my strongest, most beautiful and most lethal weapon. And loyalty like hers has no price." He smirked, kissing your lips slowly. He wrapped his hands around yours on the blade and twisted it deeper. The rotten man fell to the ground in a pool of blood of his own making and you smiled at Boba.

"Now pay up or all of you will face the same fate." You threaten with a sultry grin, stepping down after him and twisting your hips as you walked away toward his throne. They showered Boba's table with credits, spice and whatever else they had their hands on. Boba let them leave graciously with the reminder that anything he could do to them would be a hundred times worse than what they saw today.

As they left, the remaining crowd stayed to enjoy the banquet and party that followed. You could feel Boba's presence before you saw him, the massive wall of armor slowly striding over to where you sat perched on the side of his throne. His brown eyes darkened with a maddening hunger for you. Justified murder always wound him up a bit. He sat down in his throne, rigid and regal with his helmet tucked at his side. You turned to slide down into his lap only for his mouth to curl into a wry smile. "Kneel." He demanded, his large hand smoothing over your waist and gripping once before motioning for you to do as he says.

The eyes in the room follow you as you kneel before him, both hands resting on his unarmored thighs. No one can touch him there but you. You slid your hands up to massage him, knowing full well that he was hard as the rock he sat upon underneath his black suit. His gloved hand met your chin and he tipped your gaze up to him. His stern face was soft when he looked at you, the slightest hint of warmth flushed his cheeks and only you would ever get close enough to notice.

"Made me fucking proud today, princess. How you handle yourself...fuck you're dangerous." His hand slid along your shoulder and up your neck. "Very, very good girl. But never tease me like that again or I'll kill them all to take you on the table in front of them." He chuckled, his hand gently curling around your neck as he leaned forward to kiss you deeply. You held onto his vambrace, lifting yourself to your feet and slipping into the comfort of his lap.

“You should have. Let my filthy moans for you show them who’s boss.” You mutter between kisses, your lips brushing his. His gloved hand splayed out on the small of your back and he pushed your open legs onto the bulge between his.

“Mmm…you’re tempting me to do that right now. In front of all the people in this room. Letting me fuck you is all the tribute I’ll ever need.” He groaned, laying back in the chair to watch your body torturously writhing against his. His jaw clenched as you slowly rode his thigh to work yourself up, dropping your head to his shoulder and kissing his neck.

You moaned illicitly in his ear, making a soft growl of his own rumble in his deep chest. His hands held you to him now, rocking you forward under his command. “Well then let me pay up, Boba.” You whisper.

The Great Daimyo took your offering, making sure you received plenty of his own. On the throne. In his chambers. On his balcony. Everywhere. This was his city now. Your screams of his name echoing throughout the warm night air more than confirmed that.

#smut ask #boba fett smut #boba fett ficlet #boba fett x reader #boba fett x you #I accidentally made this long as hell #I just love this concept for him :) #daimyo boba #is my mfing daddy tbh #asks and thots #smut prompts

[suchagallabitch]

Word Prompts Round Up!

I am in actual shock that I was able to finish my goal of writing 22 oneshots and actually posting them! I am so incredibly proud of that accomplishment even if it is a little silly. A massive thank you to all of you that continued to support me in this endeavour. Forehead kisses all around!

All 22 oneshots with links and descriptions under cut! (bonus the Taylor song they’re named after)

1. your kiss, my cheek- Mickey is pissy at Ian for only kissing his cheek instead of lips

Title: This love -1989 Word: Cheek by @sluttymickey Word Count: 1.5K Tags: Sick fic, domestic fluff Published: Mar. 30th

2. lingering question kept me up, 2 AM, who do you love?- Mickey tries to get his baby to stop crying in the middle of the night

Title: Enchanted - Speak now Word: Beloved by @whatwouldmickeydo Word Count: 2.8K Tags: Kid fic, babies, domestic  Published: Mar. 31th

3. he's got his mothers eyes- nine year old Ian spends the day with a manic Monica 

Title: Superman - Speak now Word: Acorn by @tsuga-of-mars Word Count: 4.3K Tags: pre-canon, younger version of character (non gallavich centred) Published: Apr. 2nd CW: Bipolar disorder - Mania

4. leave with my head hung, you are the only one who seems to care- Mickey’s at the club we wishes he was home with his husband instead

Title: Miss Americana & the Heartbreak Prince - Lover  Word: Reverent by @smokey-mickey Word count: 3.5k Tags: drinking, club, Gallagher  in-laws Published: Apr. 3rd

5. life was a willow and it bent right to your wind- Mickey and Ian get stuck on the side of the road after a branch hits their car. Chaos and bickering ensue.

Title: Willow- Folklore  Word: Branch by @messedwithmandy Word count: 5.8K Tags: bickering husbands, side of the road, stranded Published: Apr. 5th

6. you carry my groceries and now I'm always laughing- Ian and Mickey have grown so much as people. Strangely enough, their fridge is a reflection of that. 

Title: Stay Stay Stay- Red [TV] Word: Strawberries by @xninetiestrendx Word count: 2.9K Tags: food, introspection, domestic husbands  Published: Apr. 6th

7. my hands shake, i’m not usually this way- After his daughter has a panic attack, Ian makes her feel safe. 

Title: Fearless- Fearless [TV] Word: Dizzy by @iansw0rld Word count: 3.3K  Tags: Good dad Ian, kid fic Published: Apr. 8th CW: anxiety, panic attacks, throwing up 

8. long list of traitors who don’t understand- Teenage Ruby continues to be a pain in the ass to her parents. Ian however is on the receiving end instead of Mickey. 

Title: Dear John - Speak now Word: Betrayal by @tellmegoodbye Word count: 5.5K Tags: kid fic, teenagers, lack of communication   Published: Apr. 9th

9. you’re untouchable burning brighter than the sun- Ian and Mickey wake up at the Alibi the morning after their first-anniversary party. Mickey thinks Ian looks beautiful in the sunlight.

Title: Untouched- Fearless [TV] Word: Sunshine by @gardenerian Word count: 3.1K Tags: introspection, married bitches Published: Apr. 11th

10. does she mouth fuck you- a domestic day in takes a turn when baby Ruby learns a new word.

Title: Mad Woman- Folklore Word: Fuck by @squirrelfund Word count: 5.5K Tags: (baby) kid fic, domestic bitches Published: Apr. 12th

11. your heartbeat on the high line- westside era husbands get up to some misdeeds for fun. 

Title: cardigan- Folklore (cabin in candlelight version because i like that one best) Word: Thrill by @arrowflier Word count: 5.3K  Tags: idiots in love, petty crimes, westside era Published: Apr. 14th

12. never made anyone less gay- Mickey slowly blossomed into accepting his sexuality over the years. 

Title: You Need To Calm Down- Lover  Word: Blossom by @energievie Word count: 8.2K  Tags: 5+1, Mickey growing up :) Published: Apr. 15th CW: Canon-typical homophobic language, internalised homophobia, mentions of incest (Sandy & Mickey) & a dash of sexual harassment in the +1 (mainly inappropriate nonconsensual touching)

13. all eyes on you, my magician- Carl gets a magic kit. Ian somehow ends up with it when and is definitely not great at tricks. 

Title: So It Goes… - Reputation  Word: Magic by @sunoficarus Word count: 1.6K  Tags: plain silly, drabble (?)  Published: Apr. 17th

14. don't you dare look out your window, darling everything's on fire- less than a week after Ian and Mickey’s first-anniversary party, everything seems to be going wrong. Lip and Ian try to sit down and amend things. 

Title: Safe & Sound- Hunger Games Soundtrack Word: Firewood by @squidyyy23 Word count: 7.3K Tags: introspection, post canon fix-it, brothers Published: Apr. 18th

15. it was as good as our song- five times Mickey and Ian heard their songs, one time someone heard one for them.

Title: Our Song- Taylor Swift (Debut) Word: Song by @mikhailoaleksandrmilkovich Word count: 11.8K  Tags: 5+1, domestic life, (some) kid fic Published: Apr. 20th

16. It seems like the perfect night for breakfast at midnight- Carl forgets his anniversary is coming up. He employs Ian to make him a pie but Ian doesn’t know how to make a pie. He has Ruby help him. 

Title: 22- Red [TV]  Word: Meringue by @depressedstressedlemonzest Word count: 5.8K  Tags: kid fic, plot what plot, slice of domestic life Published: Apr. 21st

17. made your mark on me, a golden tattoo- five times Mickey and Ian thought about their tattoos. One time they thought about someone else's.

Title: Dress- Reputation Word: Tattoo by @mmmichyyy Word count: 11K Tags: 5+1, s4, s6, husbands Published: Apr. 23rd

18. and you held me close- Fiona invites the whole family down to Florida to celebrate her successes. Unfortunately for the Gallagher’s, a hurricane is about to hit and they all find themselves in close quarters. 

Title: Dancing With Our Hands Tied- Reputation Word: Close by @vintagelacerosette Word count: 7.8K Tags: snowed (rained) in, stuck in a house, family  Published: Apr. 24th

19. burrowed under my skin in heart-stopping waves of hurt- Mickey is getting under Ian’s skin, he needs it to stop. Prison era angst, that’s basically it. 

Title: The Lakes- Folklore Word: Stop by @thisdivorce Word count:  6K Tags: prison era, angst, hurt/comfort Published: Apr. 26th CW: canon typical domestic violence & a pretty poorly written fight scenes (graphic ish)

20. i’m five years old, it’s getting cold, i’ve got my big coat on- The family is running late one winter morning, this only makes Mickey hate the season more.

Title: The Best Day- Fearless [TV] Word: Winter by @ianandmickeygallavich Word count:  6.5K Tags: kid fic, grumpy mickey, chaotic Published: Apr. 27th

21. this is the golden age of something good & right and real-  Liam has a school event that runs him the chance of getting a scholarship. His history seems to be a point of teasing amongst his peers

Title: States Of Grace (Acoustic)- Red [TV] Word: Gilded by @sleepyfacetoughguy Word count:  7.1K Tags: Gallaghers, family, Liam, (non gallavich centred) Published: May 2nd

22. tasting your lips is my idea of luxury- Mickey misses the way Ian tastes, aka elle tries smut for the first time

Title: King Of My Heart- Reputation Word: Delectable by @gallawitchxx Word count: 6.9K Tags: NSFW, porn without plot, porn with feelings Published: May 5th

Related: the other one-shots I wrote this month

*Note: I feel empty inside now so if you feel so inclined leave me some prompts to write! A single word, full prompt, a number between 1-175 (👀), whatever i’m always happy to write

#well folks i did it #to quote taylor swift #‘oh my god she’s insane she wrote’ #i do be writing #i think this took a few years off my life #worth it i’d say #big shout out to the stinky sprinters ♥️♥️🥰 #signal boost maybe if you’re feeling kind lol #elle writes #gallavich #gallavich fanfic #ian and mickey #shameless us #gallavich oneshot #gallavichedit #ian x mickey #ian gallagher #mickey milkovich #parent mickey #parent gallavich #galladads #fanfic

[boldlychristina]

My Eras Tour Set List

Original concept and template by @speaknowtv​

My goal with creating this set list was to

a) have balanced representation of all eras while still b) giving preference to the newer ones where applicable and c) choosing a well-rounded set list which can be enjoyed by locals and die-hard Swifties alike

So how did I select my songs? A fairly simple process- first going on Wikipedia to find all the singles from each album (counting TVs alongside the originals, as you’ll see w the Red section) and, if all of those were exhausted, finding out which ones had the most streams using billboard.com’s statistics. And from there I just tried to put them in an order that made sense to me. This mainly meant putting the heavy hitters as the first and last song in each set and putting ballads in the middle, though this tended to vary. I didn’t really have a refined system for this specific part, more so just going on vibes.

And if you would like to experience the Eras Tour set list as I have created it, I made a Spotify playlist with all 44 songs in order!

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0OqFLSJWBOVBZZ1KEo9pby

Part 1: Fearless

1. Love Story (full song)

2. Fifteen (verse 1, chorus, bridge, chorus)

3. White Horse (verse 1, chorus, bridge, chorus)

4. You Belong With Me (full song)

Part 2: Speak Now

5. Mine (full song)

6. Back To December (verse 1, chorus, bridge, chorus)

7. The Story Of Us (verse 1, chorus, bridge, chorus)

8. Mean (full song)

Part 3: Red

9. Message In A Bottle (verse 1, chorus, bridge, chorus)

10. Begin Again (verse 1, chorus, bridge, chorus)

11. I Bet You Think About Me (full song)

12. We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together (full song)

Part 4: 1989

13. Blank Space (full song)

14. Style (full song)

15. Bad Blood (chorus, verse 1, chorus, bridge, chorus)

16. Shake It Off (full song)

Part 5: Reputation

17. ...Ready For It? (full song)

18. End Game (chorus, verse 3, chorus)

19. New Year’s Day (full song)

20. Look What You Made Me Do (full song)

Part 6: Lover

21. Me! (verse 1, chorus, bridge, chorus)

22. Lover (full song)

23. The Man (full song)

24. You Need To Calm Down (full song)

Part 7: Folklore

25. The 1 (full song)

26. August (full song)

27. Exile (verse 2, chorus, bridge, chorus)

28. Cardigan (full song)

29. Betty (full song)

Part 8: Evermore

30. Gold Rush (full song)

31. Long Story Short (full song)

32. Coney Island (verse 1, chorus, bridge, chorus)

33. Champagne Problems (full song)

34. Willow (full song)

Part 9: Surprise/Debut

35. Our Song (full song)

36. Teardrops On My Guitar (verse 1, chorus, bridge, chorus)

37. Tim McGraw (full song)

38. Surprise Song #1

No Body, No Crime on guitar with special guest HAIM (full song)

39. Surprise Song #2

Getaway Car on piano (full song)

Part 10: Midnights

40. Lavender Haze (full song)

41. Maroon (verse 1, chorus, bridge, chorus)

42. Bejeweled (full song)

43. Anti-Hero (full song)

44. Karma (full song)

#erastoursetlistnight

[swiftpolls]

#taylor swift #polls #swifties #* my polls #* taylor swift #tswift #taylorswift #untouchable #superstar #* fearless era #* fearless era: round one #i love taylor swift #tayswift #taylor swift polls #taylor swift eras #fearless tv era #fearless era

[hotvintagepoll]

Propaganda

Anna Magnani (Rome Open City, Mamma Roma, The Rose Tattoo)—don't take my word for it, here are some of the things she was called during her career: "la lupa (the wolf) of Italian cinema," "passionate, fearless, and exciting," "the volcanic earth mother of all Italian cinema," "one of the most impressive actresses since Garbo," "Whenever Magnani laughs or cries (which is often), it's as if you've never seen anyone laugh or cry before: has laughter ever been so burstingly joyful or tears so shatteringly sad?" and maybe best of all, from Tennessee Williams, who wrote multiple roles specifically for her: "She is simply a rare being who seems to have about her a little lightning-shot cloud all her own...In a crowded room, she can sit perfectly motionless and silent and still you feel the atmospheric tension of her presence, its quiver and hum in the air like a live wire exposed, and a mood of Anna's is like the presence of royalty."

Rosemary Clooney (White Christmas)—Rosemary!!! Her singing voice is incredible, she looks stunning in everything she wears, she has this quiet gravitas on screen that I haven’t seen anywhere else!! She deserves to be known as a lot more than George Clooney’s Aunt (if anything, I think of him as Rosemary Clooney’s nephew who also went into the business). Also when she got older she had this amazing sexy raspy voice (which sadly was due to smoking a lot but doesn’t take away from the fact that it’s very very sexy)

This is round 2 of the tournament. All other polls in this bracket can be found here. Please reblog with further support of your beloved hot sexy vintage woman.

[additional propaganda submitted under the cut.]

Anna Magnani:

An icon of post-war neorealist italian cinema - an unbelievably good actress. Also, the first non-english speaking actress to win the Oscar for Best Actress (in 1956)!

realness!! amid the typical hollywood pristine glamour anna magnani stuck out as sexy in a really real, grounded way. so much so that even shallow 40s hollywood allowed her to come over from italy to be in some high profile movies. an icon

She smoked, she drank, she didn't give a f-. Her acting was described as explosive, with a lot of emotions and drama and they called her a she-wolf. Playwright Tennessee Williams became an admirer of her acting and wrote The Rose Tattoo (1955) specifically for her to star in, a role for which she received an Academy Award for Best Actress, becoming the first Italian – and first non-English speaking woman – to win an Oscar.

Rosemary:

Rosemary Clooney made very few movies, and built her career mostly as a singer--however, anyone who has ever seen her in White Christmas understands that this was Hollywood's loss, because she exudes glamour and charm and does a wonderful job acting it as well. She's gorgeous, she has a beautiful voice, she has one of those faces that the screen just loves, and she is, frankly, hot as hell.

An absolutely amazing singer and so stunning. Her performance in that black dress in White Christmas just takes my breath away every time. She's also George Clooney's aunt.

She was a very cool woman, who had a very hard life. She had severe mental health struggles throughout her life and left the stage for quite a while, but fought hard to make her career comeback later in life with a little timely help from good friend and frequent collaborator Bing Crosby. She also duetted with Marlene Dietrich early in her career

Okay so obviously she's more a singer than an actress, but she was still one of the best musical actresses of the era! They just didn't know what to do with her. She really wasn't a dancer at all, so you'll see most of the numbers in White Christmas she's got a convenient prop to sweep around. However, this ~weakness brought about a love story for the ages! Dante Di Paulo (you may know him as the mustachioed townie rival to the Pontipees in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers) was hired to teach her to dance and they fell in love over rehearsals. Separated by filming schedules, Rosemary ended up marrying José Ferrer and breaking Dante's heart, but 20 years and two divorces from José later they met in traffic. Not about to miss her second chance, she honked her horn and yelled her phone number at him (talk about carpe diem). He moved in a couple of months later but they finally made it official in 1997 because "our grandchildren want us to get married". They were utterly devoted to each other and he was very much a Wife Guy.

when she. when she. 'love you didnt do right by me' from white christmas-

She was very funny and very civic-minded, she campaigned with RFK during his presidential run. She had a very close bond with her nephew (that George Clooney yes), he even had her songs on the playlist when he proposed to his wife! She didn't enjoy singing this song from White Christmas, as it wasn't quite in her range, but she's incredibly powerful and undoubtedly very hot in this scene (fun fact, oscar winner George Chakiris is one of her dancers here, before his big break!) -

#rosemary clooney #anna magnani #fuck that old woman #hotvintagepoll #ladies 2 #Youtube

[leeoconnor]

Some interior illustrations for the Trinity Continuum: Aether tabletop RPG book from The Onyx Path publisher, successfully funded via Kickstarter (with a bunch of stretch goals too).

The Trinity Continuum games takes place in alternate pulp adventure fiction history. There’s the pulp modern age, pulp sci-fi, pulp superhero and now we have a forthcoming steampunk, weird science and superpowers Victorian pulp era game with ‘Aether’.

ZORP! Martians from ‘War of the Worlds’ attack Victorian London! Big Ben gets heat-rayed and the River Thames is clogged up with The Martian Red Weed! Because why just have weird science superheroes when you can have weird science fiction aliens too..? (A friendly reminder here that sci-fi is actually a Victorian period thing, from about 1850, futurist types.) I might have been listening to Jeff Wayne’s ‘War of the Worlds’ musical while I was painting the first one above. UULAAA!

Firmly back into the weird science with curious super-powers bestowed by the brand-new, alternate world science. This gentleman is clearly a Benimaru from King of Fighters fan, standing in his blown-out lap, presumably after repeatedly shouting, “More power! More power!” Hope your next leccy bill isn’t too steep.

Here, a fearless explorer thinks maybe she shouldn’t have gone so close to a volcano.

This is ‘Spring-Heeled Jack’, who was a genuine historical phenomenon where people (or possibly sensationalist newspapers) claimed to have seen someone (sometimes with fiery breath) who could jump as high as a building. Finding some period etchings to reference was fun, believe it or not there was no consensus on what the guy actually looked like. I’ve got him dressed in something a bit like some period accounts, jumping over a chimney pot like Victorian Spider-Man, while the police get left behind at street level.

Victorian urchins cutting some squares’ purses. Some ‘Oliver Twist’ style lovable scamps pickin’ a pocket or two so they can get some more gruel. All of these were painted in Photoshop, guvnah.

Say Onyx Path of the book;

“Trinity Continuum: Aether is a game of steampunk adventure, exploration, and mystery set in 1895 in the Trinity Continuum. In the decade prior, Nikola Tesla identified and learned to harness Aether, an energy source capable of spinning new realities or unwinding the effect to restore reality. Now, Aether users dot the globe, silently spinning and unwinding with ease while Victorian era society goes about unaware of the dangerous experiments taking place in underground laboratories, dark alleys, and foreign worlds.”

It’s out physically in… March 2024! It’ll soon come round!

#rpg #illustration #art #ttrpg #aether #trinity continuum #storyteller #digi paint #digital art #photoshop #victorian #victoriana #steampunk

[x--daughters-of-darkness--x]

THE PRETTY RECKLESS Shares Acoustic Version Of 'Harley Darling' From 'Other Worlds' Collection

THE PRETTY RECKLESS will release a new collection of music, "Other Worlds", on November 4 via Fearless Records. The effort sees the group delivering its first proper acoustic recordings, unexpected covers and other reimaginings.

Today, the band has shared the visualizer for the acoustic version of "Harley Darling". Watch it below.

THE PRETTY RECKLESS dressed down this favorite from the band's latest album, "Death By Rock And Roll", to its bare essence with a stirring and striking acoustic performance.

"'Harley Darling' is a love letter to [late THE PRETTY RECKLESS producer] Kato Khandwala," says singer Taylor Momsen. "It's as simple as that. So many of us have stories of losing loved ones, especially now, and I hope this song can be used in other's healing as it was in my own."

"Other Worlds" collates striking acoustic renditions of personal favorites accompanied by some very special guests. The recording of Elvis Costello's "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love And Understanding" served as Momsen's first cover originally performed for the "Fearless At Home" livestream in the midst of COVID. As another pandemic-era cover, Matt Cameron played guitar and sang as Taylor powered an airy and lithe reimagining of SOUNDGARDEN's "Halfway There" from "King Animal", generating hundreds of thousands of views on its initial post. Iconic multi-instrumentalist, producer and artist Alain Johannes handled guitar on THE PRETTY RECKLESS' pensive and poetic interpretation of "The Keeper", originally by Chris Cornell, while David Bowie pianist Mike Garson performed a stirring piano movement for THE THIN WHITE DUKE's "Quicksand".

"For a long time, we've been trying to figure out an alternative way of releasing music, including songs we love that didn't make our records, covers, and alternate versions," explains Momsen. "We found a way to do this coherently and consistently with 'Other Worlds'. We're a rock band, so there are lots of electric guitars on our records. However, we've gotten incredible feedback from fans about our acoustic performances, and we'd never put those out in any real format. So, this is a different take on the traditional format of a record and a stripped back version of us that our fans haven't really heard before, but it's still us."

"You get to hear a different side of Taylor's vocals," adds guitarist Ben Phillips. "It was a chance for us to see what she would sound like singing songs by people who have inspired us. It also gave us some perspective of where we need to go and what we need to be if we want to be that good."

"Other Worlds" track listing:

01. Got So High (remix) 02. Loud Love 03. The Keeper (feat. Alain Johannes) 04. Quicksand (feat. Mike Garson) 05. 25 (acoustic) 06. Only Love Can Save Me Now (acoustic) 07. Death By Rock And Roll (acoustic) 08. Halfway There (feat. Matt Cameron) 09. (What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love And Understanding 10. Harley Darling (acoustic) 11. Got So High (album version)

"Death By Rock And Roll" was made available in February 2021 via Fearless Records in the U.S. and Century Media Records in the rest of the world.

Upon release, "Death By Rock And Roll" topped multiple sales charts — including Billboard's Top Albums, Rock, Hard Music, and Digital charts. The record also yielded three back-to-back No. 1 singles — "Death By Rock And Roll", "And So It Went" (featuring Tom Morello of RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE) and "Only Love Can Save Me Now" (featuring Kim Thayil and Matt Cameron of SOUNDGARDEN). The band has tallied seven No. 1 singles at the rock format throughout its career.

"Death By Rock And Roll" is THE PRETTY RECKLESS's first album to be made without longtime producer Kato Khandwala, who died in April 2018 from injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident.

THE PRETTY RECKLESS formed in 2009 and is rounded out by bassist Mark Damon and drummer Jamie Perkins.

Last year, Momsen — who rose to fame portraying the character of edgy little sister Jenny Humphrey on The CW's "Gossip Girl" — described "Death By Rock And Roll" in an interview with ABC Audio as a "battle cry for life and for hope."

"I think that that's something that we can all use a little bit more of, especially right now," she said. "We could always use a little more hope, and we could always use a little more rock and roll."

#Taylor Momsen #The Pretty Reckless #Death By Rock And Roll #Harley Darling #2022 news

[onwriting-hrarby]

Isn’t that sad 😭 I don’t even think nwjns are mediocre singers like they’re pretty solid but for them to be one of the best vocalists out of the hybe gg’s speaks so much

Like without a doubt there are members in other groups who have more vocal ability but nwjns are pretty well rounded where they’re all at the same level and that’s proven to be their benefit compared to having one or two members who can sing and the rest can’t 😔 those encores are killing the girls!!

But now that we’re here it actually drives me mad that lsfms new title track was too low for them 😭 like sure majority of them cannot sing point blank period but the two members who can are being made to sing in a octave that’s not comfortable for them and as a result they’re not sounding as great as they could like hello????? I just don’t know why they would pick a song like easy while knowing their capabilities and limits 🙃

completely! i think they are very well trained but my fear is that they don't train more... like in the first eras (and in loolapalooza) they sang live a bit but with the new era they just weren't singing live because they had very difficult choreographies, and it's what hybe has been doing withh all the groups except their seniors

and omg... the encores... i always watch them to see WHO CAN SING. it's one of the things that i'm not loving in the 4th and 5th generation: i feel like they are forgetting that they should be singers!!! i am very glad that groups like aespa have forgone their playback nd sang live lately.

and i agree a lot with easy! it's a marvellous song but not for lSF :( and it's sound very western, like i could not see a kpop group doing that... i reaally really like the song but i do think it wasn't catered to lsf, chaewon and yujin had a lot of trouble and even eunchae who has a deeper voice couldn't pull it off. for me it felt like hybe needed a western-ly song and chose this, but smarter would have been aa better title track for the girls i believe. but they also had the same problem with fearless... the verses were good but the chorus was very low imo. (at the same time i feel like no one but lsf could have pulled it off! same as "eve...")

#le serafim #hybe #vocal training

[dustedmagazine]

Amirtha Kidambi's Elder Ones — New Monuments (We Jazz)

The great DC artist, audio scholar and activist Thomas Stanley once described Sun Ra’s concept of the Alter Destiny as “a small chunk of language, a key unlocking large powers and capacities that will allow us to realize sustainable futures that are not subordinate to the same imperial regime that fucked up our planet in the first place. History is the plantation, abolitionist Ra reminds us, and it is time to break loose from these chains and leave.” This is a particularly resonant message today, in an era of late capitalism, deteriorating institutions and genocidal warfare. Yet, the inevitable future promised to us by this seemingly unending quagmire presents a sense of stability in its repetition of failures that enables many of its subjects to cling to its promise even as we further careen into the abyss. Amirtha Kidambi is not one of those people, and in the five years since her previous release with her group Elder Ones — a period marked by the pandemic, the George Floyd protests, and a rapidly-encroaching American fascism — her resolve has only been strengthened. Their record New Monuments is a battle cry for building not a better future, but a different future entirely, one free from the ghosts of colonialism and imperialism.

Kidambi has a background in both new music and DIY, and navigating these disparate worlds has informed her unique approach to improvised music. This is on full display on the opening track “Third Space,” on which Kidambi sings with punk-inflected energy while maintaining complete control and authority over her vocals. The track takes its name from influential postcolonial theorist Homi K. Bhabha’s concept of a liminal space in which, in the context of colonial ambivalence, different cultures interact with each other. The (very) basic gist of this theory is that, in post-colonial society,  culture is constantly moving, never one singular thing and never the property of any singular people. In turn, on this track, and the album as a whole, Kidambi defies any essentialized notion of “Indian music” or Indian jazz (which has become yet another needlessly limiting genre term in this “spiritual jazz” era), and not just by invoking Bhabha. From the moment the record kicks off, new agey world music treacle is left behind on another planet entirely.

On this record, Kidambi is backed by a top group of New York improvisers, including Elder Ones mainstay Matt Nelson on soprano saxophone alongside cellist Lester St. Louis, known for his work in the late Jaimie Branch’s Fly or Die group, and Jason Nazary, frequent collaborator of Darius Jones and one half of Jaimie Branch’s Anteloper group. Rounding out the quintet is Eva Lawitts, whose propulsive basswork pushes the multi-part compositions on the album forward. On album centerpiece “Farmer’s Day” the band balances a modal, in-the-pocket groove with loose improvisation, with a particularly dazzling solo from Nazary showing off his impressive and dynamic range as a percussionist. After this solo, the song slows to a crawl as Kidambi invokes the now-yearslong protest movement of Indian farmers against a series of bills designed to weaken working farmers and benefit corporations: “We work from cradle to grave / conditioned like a slave.” This is protest music, as clear in its radical intentions as it can be, but the Elder Ones find plenty of room for beauty in struggle. This is especially true on the title track, which has a synth line that, if isolated, would call to mind the devotional music Alice Coltrane recorded in the 80s. Kidambi asks “in the end is history always doomed to repeat?” The answer she arrives at for this unanswerable question is to “build new monuments to new futures,” an affirmation of the Alter Destiny. Though the struggle is neverending, these new futures are still well within our capabilities. All it takes is a level of fearlessness, something Amirtha Kidambi has shown in spades on this record.

by Levi Dayan

#amirtha kidambi's elder ones #new monuments #we jazz #levi dayan #albumreview #dusted magazine #jazz #Carnatic classical music #harmonium #Matt Nelson #Lester St. Louis #Jason Nazary #Eva Lawitts #free jazz #avant garde jazz #vocal jazz