#Bobby Would

[goodbysunball]

Digital monsters

Sneaking a few in before April's done and gone. Many of these musics were experienced digitally only for the most part, whether it was due to lack of a physical product or expensive import prices, none of which now apply (except for the Stone Rollers) as I finally get around to posting this. Ian's making Light Metal Age tapes, MIKE just put Pinball on CD, I finally pulled the trigger on KN​Æ​KKET SMIL, etc. Still, the car is the place where most listening is done these days, an unavoidable and really-not-that-bad reality. Windows down, these up:

Maria Bertel & Nina Garcia, KN​Æ​KKET SMIL (Kraak/No Lagos Musique/Otomatik)

It would not be much of an understatement to say I'm a bit burned out on free-improv-jazz and adjacent records, but a live video posted earlier this year by @dustedandsocial piqued my interest in this duo. Nina Garcia shreds and mangles the guitar in a manner both controlled and explosive, like the best no wave auteurs, but the draw here is what Maria Bertel does with the trombone. She pulls these long, drawn-out notes from the belly of the instrument, like glass fibers being pulled from a melt, reminiscent Phill Niblock's arrangements for cello or voice. There's plenty of scrape 'n skronk coming from the trombone, too, like on "Trick & Illusion," but I find the bass-y drones to be more interesting. The end result is a brittle, harsh push-pull between the relatively free guitar and the more grounded trombone, where it often sounds like the two are running in circles in a room with their eyes closed, occasionally colliding to combine forces. When they are not at odds, as on "Nightmare of a Lunatic," the results can be thrilling. At other points on the record I am reminded of Harvey Milk's "Pinnochio's Example" (the title track), later-period Sightings ("Lost Arts," "Twin Truths") and the instrumental side of Khanate ("Playground of Blind Forces," "Inorganic Body"). Given how this is presented - bare, without any perceivable ornamentation or post-production - it makes for a tough listen; you've gotta be in the mood for something this harsh and unadorned, 'cause meeting you halfway isn't happening. But, if you've any affinity for old instruments hammered into new shapes by inspired/inspiring hands, there's some powerful, almost-mystic energy wafting from the grooves.

Bobby Would, Relics of Our Life (Digital Regress)

Bobby’s back, continuing his partnership with the esteemed Digital Regress label, who brought his STYX release to the LP format. STYX was dedicated to his mother, and initial listens have left me convinced that Relics also appears to be wrestling with her passing. Unlike STYX, which contained tracks like "Hype On" that worked themselves into something resembling upbeat and energetic, Relics is a comparatively somber affair. It's bookended by two quiet instrumental tracks ("Runaway" is especially good), and in between is more skeletal, maybe even refined, version of Bobby Would. The overall effect here is often reminiscent of Wonderfuls, or Lewsberg on In Your Hands: gossamer-thin arrangements, sparkling guitars, slow tempos and mumbled vocals. While there are points where Bobby Would presents as a bit listless or hopeless, it never stretches to the maudlin, mostly due to the opaque phrasing. As on previous BW releases, the lyrics are still usually little more than repetition of single phrases until they become profound, which works especially well on these subdued arrangements. The more I listen, the more it sounds like a natural progression from his last two proper LPs, the subtle refinement of a now-signature sound. Like “Maybe You Should” from World Wide World, “Tryin' 2," "Is It Nice Now?" and “No More” rank with some of his best slow dancers; "Explain" and "All I Do" feel like Baby's grown now, using only the necessary elements to create a song and cutting the tape when it's done (not that Bobby Would has ever had a problem with economy). The only misstep here? The hidden track at the end of the physical record, a cover of UB40's "Red Red Wine" (no fucking joke), and nothing more need be said about that. The nine tracks that properly make up Relics of Our Life deserve to be lived in, spindly guitar lines swirling around like smoke and mumbled vocal incantations taking you elsewhere for the duration. Another unassuming gem from the surprisingly durable Bobby Would.

Light Metal Age, s/t (self-released)

In retrospect, I think Gen Pop's PPM66 is one of the best records to come out in the past decade, wringing modern ennui by the neck to squeeze out lyrical inspiration, nailing down a balance between catchy and smart in an impressively effortless way. That record flew, and still flies, under the radar, unfortunately, and the band is no more. Light Metal Age is the new project of Gen Pop's Ian Patrick Corrigan, and it sorta picks up the thread of PPM66, but veers off into the countrified black humor of Country Teasers ("Quil Ceda"), lonesome new age ("Oakland 2017"), and a chilling minimal synth track ("Garage In Meridian"). Corrigan's vocals sound like Bill Callahan in his early days as Smog, but in content he appears to be searching for a place or meaning or some sign that the world isn't as backwards and cruel as it actually is. I think opener "What He's Done" is my favorite song of the year so far, a perfectly dusty guitar line paired with deep, reverberated vocals coldly presenting a personal inventory (“Tattoos since he was 20,” “$20K he owes/20 years to go”). It’s all tied together by the chorus of “You said let it go/But do you know/what he’s done?,” the anxiety of being a prisoner of your past neatly summarized. “Quil Ceda" is my other standout favorite, the biting line "It will make you sick" now popping up in my head all too often as I go about my days. Really, there's something to like on every track here: the double-timed portion toward the end of "T.U.L.I.P."; the rain-soaked, pre-dawn alleys conjured by "Garage In Meridian"; and the subdued Ben Wallers impression on "Gaps In the Material." Sure, "Oakland 2017" is maybe a bit long and saps momentum plopped in the middle, but this seems more like a mixtape than a finished product, and I've come to appreciate the cracks in the tracks forced together. I've been playing it non-stop for nearly two months now, a potent distillation of the young American's modern struggle, laid out without self-pity and the right amount of simmering discontent. Can't ask for much more.

MIKE & Tony Seltzer, Pinball (10K)

Here’s an unexpectedly economical and breezy offering from MIKE, produced entirely by Tony Seltzer. Not sure what Tony Seltzer did here to allow MIKE to let down his guard and puff out his chest a little, but it’s a welcome change of pace, if a bit forgettable. Seltzer’s beats aren’t going to have many rappers come calling, but they’re exciting enough jumping off points for MIKE to try on different personas. I get hints of UGK-era Bun-B (named checked in “Underground Kingz,” as required), Young Dolph, and Lil Baby in MIKE’s rapping on Pinball, and it’s fun and jarring to hear him rap over trap beats like “Yin-Yang.” For all his efforts, the album lags in spots - “100 Gecs,” “Underground Kingz” and “R&B” have become laborious over multiple listens, the beats sputtering, the rapping losing steam without MIKE’s usual emotional overflow. But the opener “Two Door,” the unassuming bounce of “Skurrr” and "Pinball," and the Niontay-featuring “2k24 Tour” still connect, MIKE throwing off a satin boxing robe and sparring with whoever. It’s true that overexposure to this album over the past few weeks has probably taken away some of its luster, but hearing MIKE in this capacity paints a more complete picture of him as an artist. Short ‘n mostly sweet, with no tears, Pinball’s sure to be a steady listen through the punishing summer ahead.

The Stone Rollers, The Ballad of Bill Spears (self-released)

Are the Woolen Men done? Nothing official on that, but members are shifting priorities to other groups: guitarist Lawton Browning is in Change Life, and the Stone Rollers features WM drummer Raf Spielman. The Stone Rollers have been releasing single tracks, one at a time, since September of last year, and The Ballad of Bill Spears puts all four tracks together. It's a separate project and unfair to compare the two, though there are strong sonic similarities to the Woolen Men. The Stone Rollers are bouncy and hard-strumming, somewhere between folk protest songs (yes, there's harmonica) and country with a punk edge (but obviously not as bad as that descriptor conjures). In the spirit of the best country songs, the Stone Rollers don't restrain themselves from saying some really mean shit on these songs, taking people to task with an acid tongue and leaving without apology. I like all four songs - if you're not listening to the lyrics too closely, these are breezy pop songs with the strong character of the '60s - but I think "The Shell Song" and "You Can't Reach Me" are the two best. The former has the harshest lyrics ("When I see you down the line, I hope you're not the same" and "I won't wait around to see what you become/because good or bad I do not care at all"), and "You Can't Reach Me" is an ode to the dream of escaping "my life/bound up so tight" for the greener grass. All four tracks are simple and effective/affecting in an immediate way, familiar but bristling, classic-sounding but unmistakably modern. A nice teaser from the Rollers, who I can only hope will excoriate this feeble review on an upcoming track.

#Maria Bertel #Nina Garcia #KRAAK #Bobby Would #Digital Regress #Light Metal Age #Gen Pop #MIKE #Tony Seltzer #Stone Rollers #Woolen Men

[musicdiaries]

VA - Erstes Wiener Krandaubel Opening: Donauwalterinterpretationen (2023)

#va #various artists #compilation #album #matthäus bär #pü #adina camhy #bobby would #francesca centonze #conny frischauf #clemens denk #farbfelde #lukas könig #aras levnis seyhan #michael fischer #power #dj josef #katarina maria trenk #albert mayr #sundl #moya hoke #matija kac #die wutzlinge #afghanistan mon amour #sean derrick cooper marquardt #Bandcamp

[kvltklvb]

#welt star #ich hasse blumen #punk #post-punk #Bandcamp #vaguess #diode #bobby would

[dustedandsocial]

BOBBY WOULD LIVE - 08/12/23

#2023 #Music Videos #Post Punk #Lo Fi #Bobby Would #Youtube

[tiredpinkpanda]

Episode 10: Crafty Snappy

#smiling critters #bubba bubbaphant #craftycorn #hoppy hopscotch #dogday #catnap #kickinchicken #bobby bearhug #picky piggy #they would half beef

[thefrsers]

#when you know your kids so well

#911 #911 abc #911 spoilers #911edit #7.03 #athena grant #athenagrantedit #bobby nash #bobbynashedit #evan buckley #bathena #bathenaedit #gifs #mine #yeaaahhh that's their bb boy <3 #i love how Athena immediately thought of Buck cos that is exactly what Buck would do *cries* #she knows her boys so well #like father like son frrrrrr

[probablyday]

millennial nerd bertie wooster for some reason

#congrats to the ten people on tumblr who get all the references #jeeves and wooster #pg wodehouse #bertie wooster #reginald jeeves #florence craye #bobbie wickham #ttrpg #d&d #florence craye would be an indie game designer whose work 'explores the human penumbra' #bobbie wickham cannot be contained by mere 'genders' #spode is still a fascist #that part's evergreen :\ #woosterposting

[purrassicjet]

Bobby Dawn works in a place with at least four (an argument could be made for five) people who would kill him for what he did to Sandra Lynn that man is NOT safe

#The four people are Jawbone Fig Adaine and Gorthalax #And the fifth is maybe Gilear #Please drop in the comments other people who work at Aguefort who you think would kill for her #And maybe I'll update it #dimension 20 #fantasy high #fhjy spoilers #sandra lynn faeth #bobby dawn

[natcatontheprowl]

I’m trying to wrap my head around how a mega church preacher turned high school teacher tells his child their son is dead. I’m in no way expecting him to take responsibility but he wanted to screw over a teenage girl and now his grandson is dead. One of his friends did it. They can’t bring him back (right now) and they can’t move his body.

His parents sitting around waiting to hear about how some other adventuring party did on their test, how we got to use magic Helio gave him to save them. But the hours just… keep passing. Do they know about Lucy? Have they met the Rat Grinders? Do they talk about what great kids they are?

#dimension 20 #fhjy spoilers #i would kill for the lovely people at dropout #fantasy high #i’m foaming at the mouth #buddy deserves better #Bobby can choke

[nymika-arts]

someone should stop them.

#911 abc #911edit #nymsedits #evan buckley #eddie diaz #buddie #evanbucklyedit #eddiediazedit #buddieedit #bobby nash #hen wilson #chimney han #911 on abc #firefam #useralie #tuserzee #userisha #userceecee #laurenlook #usercorrine #userrin #useranniie #i would link my insp for this but unfortunately the account deactivated and i have no idea where to find it now rip #anyway welcome to the dumbest shit i've ever made probably #long post

[deedadobee]

preschool eggs :)

#qsmp #qsmp eggs #qsmp jaiden #qsmp bobby #qsmp wilbur #qsmp tallulah #qsmp philza #qsmp chayanne #they are so… precious #worth 4 hours of work #better fucking appreciate this or my back pain would have been for nothing #NO T H H I NNVG.

[sunglassesmish]

i love these idiots

#the context was that they would do whatever it took to save bobby and athena. therefore. who cares if they get in trouble #my gifs #911 #911 spoilers #911 abc #these are sooo dark i’m sorry my brightness was down #flashing #tw flashing

[musicdiaries]

Bobby Would - Relics of Our Life (2024)

#bobby would #album #Bandcamp

[beebox-illustrations]

Have you thought about Emma Winchester recently? You know, Deans amazon warrior daughter from season 7? No? Sorry then. Still immeasurably infuriating me.

Anyway, Happy Father’s Day 🥲 from her and the dozens of kids Dean adopted along the way

Have a nice week 🐝🌻

#supernatural #dean winchester #adopting children left and right #i miss all of them #like bobby-john #and Jesse that half demon boy #especially #emma winchester #she would have been such a badass character #instead they made Sam shoot her wth spn #well in this comic #sam winchester #gets to be a wholesome uncle #as it should have been #oh and #castiel #is in this comic! this means I can finally tag #destiel #i have awaited this moment #also #claire novak #having a small appearance #web comics #spn #procreate #my art #illustration #digital art #beebox-illustrations #i hate this show

[ghostatrandom]

“Oh what if the code tricks Jaiden pretending to be Bobby” OKEY AND WHAT ABOUT JAIDEN’S EMPATHY FOR THE REJECTED? HER ABILITY TO FIND THE GOOD IN THE SO CALLED EVIL HUH??!!

I cannot be stopped somehow I’m gonna found family my way to death

#fanart #digitalart #art #qsmp fanart #qsmp #qsmp code monster #code entity #qsmp Jaiden #q!jaiden #qsmp Bobby #and yes in the project bluebird au I would make Jaiden choose between her federation family and her island family #MY ANGST IS BASED AROUND LOVE AND ACCEPTANCE #my art

[doctorsiren]

thinking about Phoenix Fulwright….😳

#doctorsiren #ace attorney #phoenix wright #bobby fulbright #ace attorney spoilers #aa5 spoilers #miles edgeworth #apollo justice #simon blackquill #judge ace attorney #the phantom ace attorney #ace attorney fanart #digital art #my art #procreate #dude… #when I think about Bobby I GET SO SAD #because we never knew the real him… #AND I THINK AHOUT #about Blackquill… #blackbright please save me BUT YOU CANT BC ONE OF YOU IS FAKE #SIMON NEVER GOT TO KNOW THE REAL BOBBY #I really like the theory that Bobby was Sebastian’s older brother (i haven’t played AAI2 yet shh) #and like…he would have been friends with everyone….BUT NOO #LIKE CMON I DREW BOBBY BEING AN ANNOYING YOUNGER BROTHER FIGURE TO GUMSHOE MONTHS BACK #AND THEN A FEW **DAYS** AFTER I DREW THAT I WAS SPOILED ABOUT THE PHANTOM #BY BOBBY’S WIKI PAGE #I WAS JUST LOOKING FOR THE DUDE’S HEIGHT AND I GOT ENDGAME SPOILERS LIKE BRO WHAT #I WAS DEVASTAED #anyways yeah thanks Capcom for putting Phoenix’s face on that body hehehehehehehehe