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360ofopera · 5 years

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ANGEL JOY BLUE

A couple of weeks ago, I had the pleasure of talking to American soprano Angel Joy Blue on the phone, in between her performances of Mimì in La Bohème at Canadian Opera Company in Toronto. At the time of our talk, she was in a practice room working on one of her future roles, Tosca, also by Puccini. Never a dull moment, folks! I had already been following Angel’s career for a while of course, but during this run of La Bohème she went live on her Facebook channel and it was so genuine and inspiring that I felt the urge to communicate with her, understand where this was coming from and share it with all of you!

Click Here to Watch Video!

360 of Opera: What inspired this video? You truly touched a lot of people with it, especially young singers working hard towards a career in opera.

I’m so happy to hear that! There’s so much going on in the world at the moment. I’m pretty sure that was the day Notre Dame was in flames. I’m a pastor’s kid, I grew up in the church and I was really touched by what happened in Paris. This great monument that was burning, watching it being engulfed in flames, watch it go down like in a movie, it was very disturbing. That, coupled with the fact that it was opening night and there is so much going on in general in my personal life. I’ve been studying new roles and I’ve had quite a few people say very negative things to me. In our profession, the first job is to learn the music, and then there is all this other stuff, but ultimately we are supposed to be able to sing what is on the page. I was thinking about everything that I have coming up and all these opinions that I wanted to get out of my head. I also thought it was my 50th performance of La Bohème, which it was, but I guess I was including dress rehearsals and student matinees and one of my friends told me I’m not supposed to include dress rehearsals!

You know, ten years ago when I was a young artist, I wasn’t able to sing Mimì’s arias and I had a lot of comments about my low voice and my middle voice: “You can’t do this, you can’t do that. You’re not going to be Mimì, you’re too tall, you don’t look fit…”

I like to turn off the lights of my dressing room before I go on and sing. I do that every show and I just sit there. And this time I had this overwhelming feeling of: “Angel you get to sing these roles because you didn’t listen to all that stuff. You didn’t listen to what people were saying to you” and I was overcome with a really big feeling of gratitude and thankfulness just to be able to have a job. Maybe some years ago I was not able to sing some of these roles but I still worked on them diligently. That’s the reason I put that video out there, because I knew that someone out there would need that. I feel like in opera we’re always told what we’re not supposed to do. It comes down to what YOU want to do, it’s your voice.

360 Of Opera: You are now singing roles that you were not able to sing 10 years ago. This concept of maintaining a big picture mindset is hard for young singers. How was it for you?

I always had it in my mind. My sister is a clinical psychologist. I had a concert a couple of years ago and I noticed that my voice really changed around 2013. I was telling her how it felt weird and it was out of control. I felt like I was out of control. She said: “you’re not telling me that you don’t think you can sing, all this stuff that you’re saying is psychological.” I was constantly doubting everything. I was really beating myself up for every single thing I did. And my sister said: “Number one, you need to celebrate your successes, number two, give yourself permission to be successful.” And when she said that it really hit me! Whatever success means to you. For me it doesn’t mean that I’m getting to sing at all of these houses, that is a form of success for sure, but at that time what it meant specifically was for me to be able to appreciate and enjoy my talent.

Everybody has an opinion, that’s what people do. It’s a battle, but since then, I’ve really tried to stay in this positive mindset and be excited about my talent and what I can do, be thankful for my talent. My message to young singers is to not let other people decide how you feel about your own voice. That would be weird! I’m constantly working on myself, but it is important to have a very strong opinion about your voice and to find things about your voice that you love.

360 of Opera: You have an exciting year ahead, especially with ‘Porgy and Bess’ at The Metropolitan Opera, which will open the 2019/2020 season. What does this mean for you?

The historical value of it is what makes it special for me. It’s also a full circle for me because my first professional opera role after being a young artist was Clara in ‘Porgy and Bess’ in 2009. Back then, I never would have thought that in 10 years I would be singing Bess and opening the Met Opera season with it! It’s interesting because Eric Owens was also in that production. For me it’s a true story of not giving up on myself. It’s hard to do, this is not an easy career. Once you get in it, it’s full of highs and as high as you can go, you can get as low.

I’m really thankful for this opportunity. I think the opera hasn’t been performed in 25 or 30 years at the Met so I feel really blessed to be a part of the cast that is bringing it back to that stage. I think it’s going to be a very big success and I’m very happy that they decided to call me for it! They believe that I can do it and it’s a wonderful thing to be able to perform this American opera. I’m a very proud American, I love my country and it means a lot to bring this great American opera back where it all began.

360 of Opera: Talking about American opera, what are your thoughts on new compositions? Is there any contemporary American opera in your future?

I love it, I thinks it’s great. Especially composers like Jake Heggie and also Bruce Adolphe who has some beautiful song cycles. It’s amazing, Jake Heggie is one of my go-to composers whenever I do recitals. I would hope to be a part of new projects, operas or song cycles that have yet to be written.

You know, I’ve been to 41 countries. I made it to 30 in 6 years. For politicians it’s nothing but for me that was random and very unexpected. I’m so happy I had the opportunity to travel and see what music is for other cultures. When I came home, I was very happy to confirm that we have a big classical music culture. We’re so far geographically from a lot of the European classical music scene. But I think we don’t give ourselves enough credit for having a rich culture of classical music. I think we really do and it’s unfortunate that people don’t really recognize that we do. It may be that it’s expressed in different ways, maybe a lot of it is through film but I think that we do have a lot for opera and orchestral music as well. I would be really happy to be a part of new compositions based on this American culture.

360 of Opera: What are some of the new roles you are preparing and how are you approaching them now that you are able to sing them?

The voice is just like our bodies when we are growing up as teenagers, first we look funny and awkward and then we level up! The same happens with opera, you have to grow into your voice. It’s something that happens throughout your life but being 25 versus 35 years old is very different. And I’m sure that when I’m 45 it will also be different. But at least now I have a better understanding of my voice and I look at my voice in a different way. I’ve grown into my voice more and as times goes on, hopefully I’ll be able to continue to grow into it and be able to make the proper changes that are right for myself.

As far as roles, I’m learning Leonora, Luisa Miller and Tosca. I’m actually in the practice room right now! I’m making sure I can get the roles into my body. I do believe most things get better with time. So, I’m sure Tosca will be one of those. I can sing it now, but I have it coming up in 2020/2021 and 2022. As I get older, I hope it gets better and better, I pray. It happened with La Bohème and I keep learning more and more about the piece as I go.

360 Of Opera: The opera lifestyle can be challenging. What is your relationship to it and how do you stay grounded?

It’s hard, this is not an easy job because we are gone a lot, we are not home most of the time. I think having a healthy lifestyle and mind is important. My thing is more spiritual, I have to have peace in my heart and in my mind to be able to do my job.

The psychology of singing is important. You cannot let everybody into your head or into your world. I have a very small circle of friends, a coach and a voice teacher, with whom I’ve been working for 15 years, his name is Vladimir Chernov. Whenever I need to talk to somebody, I talk to those people. If I’m not grounded, I feel like I’ll be a walking mess.

Scheduling can be very difficult too. Right now, we have three days between shows, some people fly home in between shows, but that extra traveling can be stressful for me. It takes a lot of balancing. The biggest thing for me is to have my spiritual life in order.

360 of Opera: Could you tell me about your work with Sylvia’s Kids Foundation?

Sylvia’s Kids Foundation is an organization that I founded with my mom. She grew up in what would be considered the ghetto near Cleveland, Ohio. Her parents were restless with trying to provide her and her siblings with a better lifestyle, but they were not able to get them out of that environment. My mom and her siblings all worked very hard to eventually get out of there.

I’m the only one in my family who sings. All are musical, but everyone is either a teacher or a psychologist, or a therapist. When we moved to California, my mom was working with a lot of inner-city kids, who grew up like her. Then, my siblings and I became mentors of the church my parents were working with. In 2016 I said to my mom: “I would like to go back to that, it would be great to work with kids again.”

She was teaching in Nevada and she had a student who was struggling to graduate, we wanted her to succeed. So, my mom helped prepare her and I funded her to get through the schooling, so she could graduate. That’s when I realized we should start an organization for inner-city high school kids, who are graduating and trying to go to college. It could be anything, but they need to be continuing on with their studies. I thought we should name it Sylvia’s Kids Foundation after my mom, because they are all her kids!

I’m so excited with how all this is developing. With our foundation and the Arts High School I went to in California, we’re giving two awards this year to graduating seniors. It’s such a blessing to be able to give back and see the excitement on young people’s faces when they have that kind of encouragement to go to the next level.

Going back to that video on my channels, that’s one of the reasons that I put that out there. I just want people to have encouragement and be helped and happy, because I know I need that too. And I just want everyone to know that there really is greatness inside of each of us. It just depends what we choose to do with it!

To learn more about Angel Joy Blue, visit www.angeljoyblue.com and follow Angel on her social channels under @angeljoyblue.

Photo Credits: The Metropolitan Opera & AngelJoyBlue.com

#360ofopera #AngelJoyBlue #Soprano #MetOpera #OperaPerTutti #OperaLover #OperaSinger #ClassicalMusic #OperaLife

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thislovintime · 2 years

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Peter Tork during The Monkees’ summer 1967 tour.

“One day, there was a knock at my door and it was Peter Tork. ‘Peter,’ I said, ‘what the hell are you doing here?’ ‘I’m on tour,’ he said. ‘I’m one of the Monkees.’ I said, ‘Who are the Monkees?’ I didn’t own a TV. He said, ‘Come on… “Last Train to Clarksville“?’ I said, ‘That’s you?’ The last time I saw him, we were singing for baskets out in the streets. He said, ‘You got any time?’ I said, ‘About three weeks.’ He said, ‘Come with me.’ I packed my bag, turned out the lights and locked the door, walked downstairs, and there was a big damn limousine. We went to a fancy hotel. Jimi Hendrix and Circus Boy and all the rest of the Monkees were there. It was Jimi’s first American tour. He opened for them. He bombed. I said, ‘Peter, why are you subjecting Jimi to this?’ He said, ‘I love him. He’s got to work.’ Peter said, ‘This is incredible. I’m a millionaire. Shit, Vince, anything you want is yours.’ And for the next three weeks, I was in their own plane with the Monkees logo and a red guitar on the side. We sat around in the hotel room, bare-assed naked — me, Steve Stills, Jimi Hendrix, and Peter, jamming, with detectives outside the door.” - Vince Martin, Bringing It All Back Home: 25 Years of American Music at Folk City (1986)

#Peter Tork #1960s #60s Tork #Tork quotes #The Monkees #Monkees #vince martin #jimi hendrix #et al #Peter was such a generous person #and presumably the most loyal friend one could have #<3 #Tork performances #Tork banjo #1967 #Bringing It All Back Home: 25 Years of American Music at Folk City #can you queue it

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rabbitcruiser · 4 years

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New Year's Eve

New Year's Eve takes place on the last day of the Gregorian calendar. The first New Year's Eve festivities date back approximately 4,000 years, to the time of ancient Babylon; Babylonians celebrated the new year during the first new moon after the vernal equinox, in late March. During antiquity, the first days of the new year were celebrated at different times around the world, and the day was usually tied to an agricultural or astronomical event. For example, Egyptians celebrated their new year as the Nile flooded, and the Chinese New Year has long begun with the second new moon after the winter solstice.

In 46 BCE, Julius Caesar consulted with prominent astronomers and mathematicians, and introduced the Julian calendar, which closely resembles the Gregorian calendar. He made January 1 the first day of the year, partly to honor Janus, the Roman god of beginnings. At the time, the new year was celebrated by offering sacrifices to Janus, decorating homes with laurel branches, the attendance of parties, and the exchanging of gifts. During the Middle Ages, Christian leaders in Europe changed the date of New Year's celebrations to coincide with religious holidays such as Christmas and the Feast of Annunciation. In 1582, New Year's was reestablished to follow the Gregorian calendar by Pope Gregory XIII.

In modern times, New Year's Eve is celebrated in various ways around the world. Many people in Spain and Spanish speaking countries eat a dozen grapes right before midnight, to symbolize their hopes for the following months. Ring shaped cakes and pastries are eaten in some countries, which signify that the year has come full circle. Legumes are eaten in various countries, which symbolize coins, and a hope for financial success in the upcoming year; lentils are popular in Italy, and black eyed peas are a favorite in the southern United States. Other popular festivities that cross international boundaries include the watching of fireworks and the singing of songs.

New Year's Eve is not a federal holiday in the United States, but it is recognized by some states. Some organizations and stores are closed, offer limited services, or close early; schools are almost always closed. New Year's Eve events in the United States began to gain prominence in the early 20th century. Many Americans celebrate the day and evening with parties at home and by attending public events at various places and entertainment venues. Often celebrations go long past midnight, into New Year's Day.

The most prominent public celebration in the United States is the "ball drop" in Times Square in New York City, which has been held each year since 1907, except for a few years during World War II. Celebrations first took place in Times Square in 1904, sans a ball drop. Following the banning of fireworks in 1907, after hot ashes had fallen into the streets, Adolph Ochs, a publisher for the New York Times, wanted to replace them with something. The Times Square ball was inspired by time balls, which signaled to sailors on the seas; sailors set their chronometers after observing time balls with a spyglass. The first time balls were installed in Portsmouth, England, in 1829, and the first in the United States was installed in Washington, D.C., in 1845. The inaugural Times Square ball was made of wood and iron, and was made up of one hundred 25-watt light bulbs. As of 2017, the Times Square ball weighs 11,875 pounds, is twelve feet in diameter, is made up of 2,688 Waterford Crystal triangles, and has 32,256 LED lights. It takes the ball sixty seconds to drop down a seventy foot poll to the top of the roof on One Times Square, where it lands as midnight strikes. Similar events are held in towns and cities around the country. The surrounding geography, culture, and history inspires what is dropped as the new year begins—animals, fruit, vegetables, automobiles, and industrial machinery have all been used. Atlanta has a "peach drop" as Georgia is the peach state; Brasstown, North Carolina, lowers a live possum in a glass enclosure; and Port Clinton, Ohio, drops a six hundred pound walleye.

In 1928, Guy Lombardo and his band, The Royal Canadians, began playing an annual New Year's Eve event at New York's Waldorf-Astoria Hotel. Up until 1956 the event was broadcasted on the radio, and from 1956 until 1976 it was broadcasted on television, along with coverage of the ball drop. Lombardo's group were most known for their playing of "Auld Lang Syne," which they helped turn into the standard song of New Year's Eve. "Auld Lang Syne" was a Scottish poem put to paper by Robert Burns in 1788. The melody is from an even older Scottish folk song. The literal translation of the song is "old long times," meaning something close to "once upon a time." The song first became used at British and Scottish funerals, farewells, and group celebrations, before Lombardo began playing it in the United States.

"New Year's Rockin' Eve" debuted on NBC in 1973, moved to ABC in 1975, and was hosted by Dick Clark for over thirty years. It was Clark's intention that it would be a younger alternative to Lombardo's big band music. Central Park's Midnight Run is another New York City tradition, where fireworks are shot off, and a race around the park begins at midnight. Some other larger cities that now hold large public New Year's Eve celebrations include Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and Chicago. Major theme parks such as Disney World and Disneyland also hold celebrations.

In the Catholic Church, January 1 is a day honoring the Virgin Mary, where a mass is attended. A vigil Mass is often held the night before on New Year's Eve. Many other Christian churches have "Watch Night" services, which are services that go past midnight. Attendees give thanks for the blessings of the previous year, and pray for blessings in the year ahead. These services trace their roots back to John Wesley, the founder of Methodism.

New Year's Eve is being observed today! It has always been observed annually on December 31st.

There are many ways you could celebrate the day and evening. Gather with family or friends at a home, find a public event, or go to an establishment that is having a New Year's Eve party, where there may be music, dancing, drinks, and food. If you are celebrating at someone's house, you could bring along a snack or a bottle of Champagne. Watch the ball drop and other coverage of the new year on television, or ring in the new year by setting off your own fireworks and singing "Auld Lang Syne." If you are feeling more contemplative you could write new year's resolutions, detailing things you hope to accomplish in the following year, or you could attend a church service or Mass.

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aili · 5 years

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Valentine’s Day Music Newlsetter 2019!

Welcome to the 13th Music Newsletter! Short intro for the newbies - I love music. I love sharing music with other people. In college I started a "music newsletter" email with some playlists (aka mixtapes) I've made and some song/band recommendations. Why Valentine's Day? Because I think this day should be about love in many ways - including love for music!

That brings us to today. The first Valentine's Day mixtape I put together was actually a physical mix CD that I mailed to my home friends while I was away at college. That was in 2008 (11 years ago!). A lot has changed since then, but my love of music has not. While I feel sometimes too busy or too old or too out of touch to know what I'm even talking about, I hope you'll get some enjoyment out of this - as much as I've been enjoying listening to these songs and picking them for you!

*Click here to download Valentine's Day 2019 mixtape!

Click here to play Valentine's Day 2019 on Spotify!

*Note that the file downloads as a zip file, double clicking on it to open it up should give you the individual songs. Then move the songs to iTunes into a playlist!

1.) "Happy Unhappy" - The Beths New Zealand indie rockers The Beths debut album, Future Me Hates Me, is full of catchy, energetic sad-twinged songs. This song feels like it could have come out back in the 00s when we had to find new music by reading blogs and actually downloading MP3s - it feels closer to the Garden State soundtrack era of indie than the recent moody electronic vibe. It's a lot of fun! Sounds like Courtney Barnett by way of The Wombats, with a splash of Los Campesinos.

2.) “City Looks Pretty” - Courtney Barnett Courtney’s 2018 album “Tell Me How You Really Feel” is only her second studio album, but somehow it feels like she’s been around forever. The album features a “fuller” sound and more production, which may appear dulled next to 2015’s “Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit.” However, I feel excited by Courtney exploring a more mature sound and think it accurately reflects the albums depressive theme. “Sometimes I get mad / it’s not all that bad” is sung with a definite apathy compared to her shout-singing past record. As the bridge settles in, Courtney captures the depression symptom of lack of interest in things you used to enjoy. The city looks pretty when you’ve been stuck inside isolated for two weeks. 3.) “Screwed” - Janelle Monáe feat. Zoë Kravitz Janelle’s 2018 album “Dirty Computer” is an anthology of songs (and truly, poetry) that tell of reckoning with being a queer woman of color in an oppressive, violent society. It’s an incredibly personal album with her fans in mind - “I want young girls, young boys, nonbinary, gay, straight, queer people who are having a hard time dealing with their sexuality, dealing with feeling ostracized or bullied for just being their unique selves, to know that I see you. This album is for you. Be proud.” (Rolling Stone, 2018). My favorite part of this song is “See, everything is sex / except sex / which is power / you know power is just sex / now ask yourself who’s screwing you.”

4.) "BAGDAD - Cap.7: Liturgia" - Rosalía 25-year-old Rosalía Vila Tobella from Catalonia has an excellent 2018 album El Mal Querer. The album combines traditional flamenco with modern R&B. The album is a story of love and heartbreak over the course of 11 chapters/songs. This particular one might sound familiar due to the sampling of Justin Timberlake's "Cry Me A River."

5.) "Gun" - St. Lucia St. Lucia's first release off of their 2018 album Hyperion caught my attention with its connection to a more traditional rock sound and the heavy-hitting, one-word title. The production and sound almost reminds me of Oasis or U2. Turns out that the album is indeed produced by someone who worked on records with PJ Harvey, Depeche Mode, and U2. In interviews, Jean-Philip Grobler talks about how this song is generally about both gun control and power. "You said you wanted to feel a gun in your hands" in Verse 1 transforms to "You said you wanted to feel the blood in your hands" in Verse 2, highlighting the fact that guns are designed to kill.

6.) “Apathy” - Frankie Cosmos With a catchy bass line, gorgeous lyrics, and endearing vocals, this song and entire album are not to be missed. As you may notice on this year’s playlist, this year I was super into what I would describe as punk-influenced, low-fi indie female vocalists. Pretentious enough for you? Haha. I just mean that there are a ton of young women blowing up in the indie music scene with a huge crossover in sound. As demonstrated in “Apathy,” many of these songs are short, lack a traditional pop music format, use low-fi production, and have a storytelling aspect of almost speak-singing. These elements are all found in traditional punk music, so it’s interesting and exciting to see these artists shaking things up and challenging the punk genre. Frankie Cosmos has a long history of creating music, under various projects using Bandcamp as a teenager. Her 2018 album “Vessel” is nothing short of delightful and another one of my favorites of the year. 7.) “Your Dog” - Soccer Mommy Soccer Mommy is Sophie Allison, singer-songwriter based out of Nashville. She opened for Paramore on their recent tour and she has launched into the indie music scene with a lot of attention in the past couple years. I love how her voice clearly carries so much anger as she sings about an emotionally abusive relationship. Her lyrics describe the agony of small, sweet gestures pushing her back to her ex, despite her wanting desperately to end it. Using the metaphor of being a loyal, sub-servient dog, she describes the way her SO treats her like she’s his property. Because the song lacks a traditional “pop” format (verse 1 / chorus / verse 2 / chorus / bridge / chorus), there is a sense of the story ending unresolved. Fortunately, she has an excellent album (one of my favorites) from 2018 called “Clean” where you can learn more of her story. 8.) “Pristine” by Snail Mail A stunning debut from 19-year-old Lindsey Jordan, “Lush” is a 2018 release not to miss. “Pristine” perfectly encapsulates teenage life and love - “it just feels like the same party every weekend. Doesn’t it?” There is such a sense of genuine hormonal angst that she is almost joyfully celebrating. Her album reads more like a diary - and how lucky she is to have these future memories and be able to approach them with such wisdom.

9.) "Uncomfortably Numb" - American Football feat. Hayley Williams Paying homage to Pink Floyd, legendary emo band American Football joins with Paramore's lead singer Hayley Williams for a devastating track about losing emotional sensation. "I blame my father in my youth / Now as a father, I blame the booze." I couldn't find too much information on the exact inspiration behind the track, but it's the second track released off their upcoming album out March 22nd. Hayley is usually front and center as a singer, and it's interested to hear her take more of a backing role, as well as explore a bit of a lower vocal range than she usually does.

10.) “Geyser” - Mitski Mitski absolutely killed it last year with “Be The Cowboy,” which was consistently rated not only in the top 5 best albums, not only top 3, but making MULTIPLE end of year lists as the number one album of 2018. It’s easy to see why, given the incredible breadth of music she wrote for her album. I see Mitski's influence reflected in the rise of fame in other punk-inspired female vocalists in the indie scene, building off her ability to capture the attention of a wide audience. Which is also very interesting because she incorporated elements of many other genres on this album (spot any disco on “Nobody”?) While it was difficult to pick one song for my playlist, “Geyser” stands out to me as not only an excellent album opener, but a fascinating look into Mitski’s own relationship with the art she creates. In an interview, she explains that this song is about her feeling like she has to create music because she would never be satisfied in life without it, but feeling sometimes stifled, stuck, and resentful when she puts music above basic needs such as her health and self-care. She needs her art to survive but it simultaneously kills her.

11.) “Me & My Dog” - boygenius It’s impossible to pick just one song of this album. Boygenius is the supergroup of Phoebe Bridgers, Lucy Dacus, and Julien Baker - who each could also have one of their incredible solo songs on my playlist. Partially because they enjoyed each other’s creative energies and partially as a response to constantly being compared to each other as “women in indie,” the trio came together to create an EP of emo-influenced, folk-inspired gorgeous tracks about grief, loneliness, identity, and heartbreak. This particular song features Phoebe Bridgers in the verses and is a beautiful representation of the embarrassing and frustrating feeling of being in love with an ex. Please check out the individual work of these artists too!

12.) "bless ur heart" - serpentwithfeet Serpentwithfeet, aka Josiah Wise, has a gorgeous, intimate voice throughout his 2018 debut album, soil. This song starts off with a question of how his art will be received by the world. The rest of the song is a tender message of gratitude to his first love. It seems like Josiah questioned the choice to speak about his experiences with his ex in such a public fashion - with complexities of privacy, being open about sexuality, and possible painful memories on the table. Josiah's writing is very much like poetry, and his raw, unfiltered, un-autotuned vocals match the beauty of his words.

13.) "Bury A Friend" - Billie Eilish 17-year-old Billie Eilish is set to release her debut album, When We Sleep, Where Do We Go? next month. This song matches her goth aesthetic with a creepy story from the perspective of the monster under the bed. We learn that the monster is part of Billie herself, who is struggling with her own demons. 14.) "Loading Zones" - Kurt Vile A gorgeous guitar track, Kurt Vile paints a picture of his hometown Philadelphia and feeling on top of the world exploring his city's streets. He included a hilarious marketing strategy of sending fake parking tickets to fans in the mail to promote the song. Kurt Vile talks about the metaphor of "I park for free," which is how he sometimes lives his life - breaking the dumb rules because it's his life, his streets, his town. 15.) "Dylan Thomas" - Better Oblivion Community Center Is it possible to already be nostalgic for the late 2000's? Conor Oberst and Phoebe Bridgers released this surprise collaboration last month and this is the standout track for me. Conor Oberst's incredibly recognizable voice is hard to match in terms of strength, timbre, and uniqueness. While Bridgers is young enough to be from a different generation than him (she also grew up listening to Oberst's music), he saw something in her that resonated with him. I love how they sing in unison on this track (and much of the album) and think their voices sound really good together.

16.) "Butterflies" - Kacey Musgraves Kacey Musgraves is bringing a breath of fresh air to country. After self-releasing three albums, she tried her hand at reality TV through Nashville Star over a decade ago. Golden Hour is her fourth album using a record label, and she just won Album of the Year at the Grammys! Her voice is beautiful and has an earnest, authentic approach in joining elements of country pop.

17.) “Prior Things” - Hop Along “Bark Your Head Off, Dog” is Hop Along’s third album, released in 2018. Singer/songwriter Frances Quinlan has the ability to transform the themes of her songs. Layered with a multitude of different sounds and instruments, it could easily sound scattered and busy, but instead feels like we are huddled around a campfire with an enthusiastic, stream-of-consciousnesses storyteller. “Prior Thing” is the last song on the album and crosses time, space, and memories with the start of a hallucinogenic drug trip. She has the ability to take a phrase and transform the expected - pausing or elongating notes at unexpected places. This method keeps you invested in figuring out what the song is really about or what the conclusion is. 18.) "Kids" - Pup Emo/pop punkers Pup have a new album Morbid Stuff coming out on April 5th. Their songs are made for live shows - shouting/singing alternates, sing-a-long catchy lyrics reminiscent of the Hold Steady, and unison whole-band lines. Pup frontman Stefan Babcock said this song is about finding someone who agrees with your view of the world being a fucked up place, and enjoying small moments of solace in spending time with them.

SPOTIFY

Don't forget to subscribe to my playlists on Spotify! Here is the link to listen to this year's mixtape on Spotify.

I try to add new songs at least once a week to this playlist: What I'm currently lovin' (updated freq)

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I hope you guys enjoy the new music and feel free to send me recommendations of anything you like!<3 aili

Previous Mixtapes:

Autumn Love mix | Autumn Love Spotify

Copenhagen mix | Copenhagen Spotify

Valentine's Day downbeat 2010

Valentine's Day upbeat 2010

Valentine's Day 2011

Philadelphia mix | Philadephia Spotify

New Crime mix | New Crime Spotify

The City mix | The City Spotify

Drive mix | Drive Spotify

Valentine's Day 2012 | VDay 2012 Spotify

King's Myth mix | King's Myth Spotify

Hold On mix | Hold On Spotify

Valentine's Day 2013 | Vday 2013 Spotify

Valentine's Day 2014 | Vday 2014 Spotify

Valentine's Day 2015 | Vday 2015 Spotify

Valentine's Day 2016 | Vday 2016 Spotify

Valentine's Day 2017| Vday 2017 Spotify

Valentine's Day 2018 | Vday 2018 Spotify

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onestowatch · 6 years

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10 Ones to Catch at Austin City Limits 2018

Austin City Limits returns to Zilker Park in Austin, Texas for two consecutive weekends, October 5-7 and October 12-14, to gift hundreds of thousands of ecstatic fans with some of the best music out there. With artists like Paul McCartney, ODESZA, Metallica, Travis Scott, Arctic Monkeys, Khalid, BROCKHAMPTON, and more topping the bill, there is enough here for quite literally anyone.

The same is true when one looks at the undercard, where one will find a myriad of noteworthy acts from a vast array of genres. With eight stages and over 130 acts performing, choosing where to start may appear to be a daunting and insurmountable task, but that’s exactly what we’re here for. We combed through this year’s Austin City Limits lineup to hand-select ten hidden gems, in addition to a helpful playlist to familiarize you with each of your soon-to-be new favorite musical discoveries.

Japanese Breakfast

When & Where: Saturday (10/06 & 10/13), 3:30pm at Barton Springs

The solo project of Philadelphia musician Michelle Zauner, Japanese Breakfast is indie rock perfection. Drawing from the world of lo-fi indie pop and utilizing varied synth-assisted instrumentation the Japanese Breakfast project felt varied and inventive since its first full-length outing, 2016’s Psychopomp. Chronicling the emotional fallout following her mother’s death, Zauner had planned Psychopomp to be the only Japanese Breakfast record. As anyone reading this in 2018 can attest, this was not the case, with Japanese Breakfast releasing the acclaimed sophomore effort Soft Sounds from Another Planet. A sprawling assortment of indie pop that explored themes of grief, outer space, and dead pop stars, Japanese Breakfast proved herself to be more than just an indie darling.

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Lo Moon

When & Where: Saturday (10/13), 12:00pm at Miller Lite

Lo Moon’s music pulls you further and further into their cinematic world. The Los Angeles-based alternative pop-rock outfit currently only has one album to their name, their self-titled debut, but their musical world already only feels expansive. This is in large part thanks to the magical ways the Los Angeles trio structures their songs. Creating an atmospheric soundscape made of ethereal guitar work, reverberant synths, and yearning lyricism, each Lo Moon track takes you on an otherworldly journey that we wished could go on forever. Earning much-deserved comparisons to fellow vibe-crafting giants The xx, Cocteau Twins, and CHVRCHES, Lo Moon is poised to be the next big name in atmospheric pop.

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Noname

When & Where: Friday (10/05 & 10/07), 2:45pm at HomeAway

Fatimah Warner, more popularly known by the moniker Noname, may have released one of the best albums of 2018. The critically-lauded Room 25 witnessed a Noname who truly mastered her craft. The poetic nature that defines her distinctive brand of hip-hop remains, but it signaled the maturation and evolution of one of music’s brightest voices. Encompassing themes of sexual exploration, ongoing racial tensions, and emotional anxieties, the Noname of 2018 and beyond is one at the pinnacle of her craft. Set to embark on a winter tour in support of the new material, fans lucky enough to attend Austin City Limits will be treated to Noname’s lyrical talents and one of the finest albums of the year months ahead of everyone else.

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Parquet Courts

When & Where: Sunday (10/07 & 10/14), 3:00pm at Miller Lite

Brooklyn-by-way-of-Texas band Parquet Courts create noise-driven punk rock that defies simple classification. The band’s brand of art punk is fronted by vocalists Andrew Savage and Austin Brown whose vocal delivery switch from rushed shouts with an inescapable urgency to frantic yet monotone conversational tone. Combine that with the jangly background of fellow bandmates Sean Yeaton and Max Savage and you have something that is still quite undefinable but calls back memories to the likes of the Talking Heads. With a wellspring of material to pull from, spanning the range of everything from dance punk to new wave, a live Parquet Courts show is not to be missed, ensuing mosh pit and all.

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Natalie Prass

When & Where: Friday (10/05 & 10/12), 12:00pm at American Express

Natalie Prass released her critically-acclaimed, self-titled debut album in 2015, yet the long-awaited follow-up would not arrive until 2018. There is a good reason for this. Having recorded and finished what was to be her sophomore release, Prass was confronted with the reality of the 2018 election. Deciding to rewrite the record, the end result was the striking The Future and Past, a sonic work of art and feminist statement. Exploring ageless struggles of equality and individuality through 12 sprawling twelve tracks of brilliant songwriting, Prass’ work feels particularly relevant today. Indeed, with her latest release, she has cemented herself as an artist 2018 needs.

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Donna Missal

When & Where: Saturday (10/13), 12:45pm at Honda

New Jersey native Donna Missal first turned heads in 2015 with her debut single “Keep Lying,” which showcased an irrefutably soulful and emotive new voice in music. Intermittently releasing a series of singles in the years to come, the excitement surrounding Missal was palpable. With a voice and take on pop and R&B that transcends time, the only thing Missal seemingly did not have was a wellspring of material to pull from. All of that changed in 2018, with the release of her highly-anticipated debut album, This Time. An expansive 11-track album that illustrates why Missal is such a lasting voice in R&B and beyond, she will have a wellspring of new material to pull from come Austin City Limits.

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Greta Van Fleet

When & Where: Friday (10/05), 4:45pm at Miller Lite

Greta Van Fleet is a band with the unique ability to make you forget what year, or generation, you’re in. The project of four young musicians out of the small Michigan hamlet of Frankenmuth, Greta Van Fleet is making rock ‘n roll that instantly transports you back to its golden era. More than simple nostalgia for classic ‘60s and ‘70s rock bands like Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd, the Michigan quartet instill their newfound brand of rock with messages and sentiments that speak to the values and concerns of people today. Currently working toward their long-awaited debut album, Anthem of the Peaceful Army, which will explore themes of love, integrity, diversity, peace, and more, Austin City Limits will be one of the first places to hear the new material live.

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Wilderado

When & Where: Sunday (10/07), 11:30am at Miller Lite

Formerly known as Bird Dog, Tulsa, Oklahoma rockers Wilderado makes the sort of music that feels intrinsically timeless. The quartet strays the line between pulsing indie rock and heartfelt folk to deliver a sound and performance that feels perfectly at home no matter the setting. Debuting with the Misty Shrub EP in 2017, the band arrived at their sound fully-formed but have continued to evolve, as is made readily apparent on their latest collection of songs, 2018’s Favors. A succinct yet developed four-song collection that sees Wilderado taking their indie rock influence to new heights, it marks a new and much-applauded stage for the band.

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Hailey Knox

When & Where: Sunday (10/07), 5:00pm at BMI

Hailey Knox may have found her start posting acoustic covers of pop hits online, but the rising star has since outgrown her viral beginnings to develop into a fully-formed artist. The Knox of today is one who infuses impressive technical prowess and soulful lyricism into her meticulously crafted brand of pop. That is not to say the New York-based singer-songwriter does not still retain a certain fondness for covers. Looping herself and mashing together pop, hip-hop, and rock favorites, Knox’s live show is brimming with surprises. Throw that in with her own infectious material, and you have an Austin City Limits set not to miss.

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DAVIE

When & Where: Sunday (10/14), 11:30am at BMI

Davie’s fusion of varied musical styles blends into something truly unique and tantalizing. The Los Angeles-based singer and producer brings together the worlds of Prince-reminiscent funk and the left-field pop and R&B leanings of Frank Ocean all into one undeniably soulful package. It’s the sort of music that compels you to groove and move. Releasing the two-part EP, Music By Davie in 2016, the world gained an artist who looked into music’s storied past to create something new. Serving as a brilliant introduction DAVIE, he would further deliver upon the grand entrance in the 2017’s follow-up, Black Gospel Vol. 1, and is sure to continue to delivering with his moving live show.

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#ones to catch #austin city limits #japanese breakfast #lo moon #noname #parquet courts #natalie prass #donna missal #greta van fleet #wilderado #hailey knox #davie #acl #acl festival

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thislovintime · 2 years

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Peter Tork, onstage in 1964. Photo by Bob Campbell.

“I arrived on the Village scene the winter of ‘61, and stayed there for about two and a half years. I played guitar and banjo. I came to the Village for glamour, excitement, hippiedom, the liberal lifestyle, free love. I was on the basket-passing circuit in the smaller clubs, like the Basement, the Cyclops and the Id. I later played Gerdes. What I was working towards was to be in a group. When the Beatles hit, where were all the folkies going to go? But I also wanted to be a folk music performer. A lot of what I did was hanging out, feeling for the first time that I was part of the scene, walking down the street and seeing people I knew, doing a little flirting. People were coming to the Village to sit down and have a cup of coffee and hope to find the free love that was supposed to be all around. The character that I was on The Monkees was developed on the stages of the Village clubs.” - Peter Tork, Bringing It All Back Home: 25 Years of American Music at Folk City (1986)

More about Peter's Village days here.

#Peter Tork #1960s #Tork quotes #early 1960s #60s Tork #oh to have been in the audience back then to hear folkie Peter #<3 #Tork performances #Tork banjo #love his mind #1964 #Bringing It All Back Home: 25 Years of American Music at Folk City #can you queue

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pemdasblog · 4 years

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PEMDAS -- 11•19•20

Welcome to the new PEMDAS Blog! My work on PEMDAS keeps expanding each week so it needs a bigger home. She loves The Overwhelm.

My main goal is to have a one glance spot for all things news/entertainment. I want it to contain as much detail as possible without being too cluttered. Striking the balance is hard. If you have feedback, please share it with me.

Open below for PEMDAS!

POLITICS/NEWS

U.S. Coronavirus Numbers

More than 11,695,500 people in the United States have been infected with the coronavirus and at least 251,100 have died.

The number of people who have died from Coronavirus in the U.S. is equivalent to 84 times the number of U.S. citizens who died in the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. It is 56 times the number of U.S. soldiers who died in the war against Iraq. It is 7 times the number of U.S. citizens who died from the flu last year.

On Nov. 18: 1,923 deaths (+52% 14-day change), 172,391 infections (+77% 14-day change)

The rates of infection and death remain disproportionately high in the Native American communities across the country. Just last weekend, 600 Native people died on the Navajo reservation.

Sen. Chuck Grassley from Iowa has contracted coronavirus. The nation mourns :-(

Global Coronavirus Numbers

The coronavirus pandemic has sickened more than 56,661,800 people, according to official counts. As of Thursday afternoon, at least 1,355,100 people have died.

On Nov. 18: 11,133 deaths (+13% 14-day change), 598,877 infections (+25% 14-day change)

Election 2020

President-Elect Biden claims that Trump’s refusal to concede the election is preventing him from accessing critical data about the U.S. outbreak and that this could slow the vaccine distribution process.

President-Elect Biden names Cecilia Muñoz as part of his transition team. Muñoz served as a top immigration advisor for Obama, justifying harsh immigration policies, including the deportation of thousands of Central American children and the killing of an executive order that would have halted deportations.

Nancy Pelosi is re-elected as Speaker of the House.

World News

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo toured an illegal Israeli settlement and said he has plans to tour another in the occupied Golan Heights. This violates multiple U.N. resolutions and the Geneva Conventions. He also labelled the B.D.S. movement “anti-Semitic.”

In Central America, at least 30 people have died from Hurricane Iota. About 160,000 Nicaraguans and 70,000 Hondurans were forced to flee from their homes.

The head of the Australian military has apologized to the people of Afghanistan after Australian special forces committed war crimes by killing 39 noncombatants in Afghanistan over the past 4 years.

A nearly three-decade-old ceasefire has ended in occupied Western Sahara — what many consider to be Africa’s last colony. Fighting has broken out in several areas between the Moroccan military and the Polisario Front, the Sahrawi liberation movement seeking independence, after the Moroccan military broke into a no-go buffer zone in southern Western Sahara.

Winners of the National Book Awards 2020

Fiction: Interior Chinatown •• Charles Yu

Nonfiction: The Dead Are Arising: The Life of Malcolm X •• Les Payne and Tamara Payne

Translated Literature: Tokyo Ueno Station •• Yu Miri and Morgan Giles

Young People’s Literature: King and the Dragonflies •• Kacen Callender

EDUCATION — Topic: this Candace Owens tweet

“There is no society that can survive without strong men. The East knows this.“

Both of these sentences separately are not true; both of them together are not true.

Here is an article about a village in China (”the East”) with women running the show.

Here is a list of several others, mostly in “the East.”

“In the west, the steady feminization of our men at the same time that Marxism is being taught to our children is not a coincidence.“

First of all, Marx has not been an outright advocate for a gender-queer society.

Second of all, I think she’s right. Socialism and gender/queer theory are intertwined in so many ways.

“It is an outright attack.“

And I think she’s right about this, too. Socialism and gender/queer theory all are an attack on the cis-hetero white supremacist capitalist patriarchy.

“Bring back manly men.“

Okay, this is where I think she’s wrong again.

1) "Manly men” haven’t gone anywhere...

2) Is she basically arguing that a couple of men wearing dresses means every man is no longer “manly?” This makes no sense.

3) In a society, “manly men” can coexist with “feminized” men. There is enough room for everyone. And there will always be men who want to take up the “manly” MANtle. And there will be queer/trans masc people who will want to do the same, though I’m sure Candace would hate that.

MEDIA (OTHER)

BOOKS - Tuesday, November 24

Ready Player Two •• Ernest Cline

How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories (Folk of the Air) •• Holly Black

Saving Freedom: Truman, the Cold War, and the Fight for Western Civilization •• Joe Scarborough

Bright Shining World •• Josh Swiller

Ruinsong •• Julia Ember

The Awakening (Dragon Heart Legacy #1) •• Nora Roberts

Dark Tides •• Philippa Gregory

Escape Pod: The Science Fiction Anthology •• edited by S.B. Divya & Mur Lafferty

The Thirty Names of Night •• Zeyn Joukhadar

MOVIES

Friday, November 20

Jiu Jitsu •• Dimitri Logothetis •• In Theaters

The Last Vermeer •• Dan Friedkin •• In Theaters

Run •• Aneesh Chaganty •• Hulu

Soros •• Jesse Dylan •• In Theaters

Sound of Metal •• Darius Marder •• In Theaters

The Twentieth Century •• Matthew Ranking •• In Theaters

Vanguard •• Stanley Tong •• In Theaters

Sunday, November 22

Belushi •• R. J. Cutler •• Showtime

Dolly Parton’s Christmas on the Square •• Debbie Allen •• Netflix

Monday, November 23

Shawn Mendes: In Wonder •• Grant Singer •• Netflix

Tuesday, November 24

Hillbilly Elegy •• Ron Howard •• Netflix

Wednesday, November 25

The Christmas Chronicles 2 •• Chris Columbus •• Netflix

The Croods: A New Age •• Joel Crawford •• In Theaters

Happiest Season •• Clea DuVall •• Hulu

Stardust •• Gabriel Range •• In Theaters

Thursday, November 26

Mosul •• Matthew Michael Carnahan •• Netflix

Superintelligence •• Ben Falcone •• HBO Max

TV SHOWS

Friday, November 20

Animaniacs •• Season 1 •• Hulu

The Mandalorian •• Season 2, Episode 4 •• Disney+

Marvel’s 616 •• Season 1 •• Disney+

The Pack •• Season 1 •• Prime Video

Small Axe •• Mangrove •• Prime Video

Voices of Fire •• Season 1 •• Netflix

Saturday, November 21

Between the World and Me •• Special •• HBO

Sunday, November 22

American Music Awards 2020 •• Special •• ABC

Host: Taraji P. Henson

Performances

Bad Bunny x Jhay Cortez

Bebe Rexha x Doja Cat

Bell Biv DeVoe

Billie Eilish

BTS

Dan + Shay

Dua Lipa

Jennifer Lopez x Maluma

Justin Bieber x Benny Blanco

Katy Perry

Lewis Capaldi

Lil Baby

Machine Gun Kelly

Megan Thee Stallion

Nelly

Shawn Mendes

The Weeknd x Kenny G

Monday, November 23

Black Narcissus •• Miniseries •• FX

His Dark Materials •• Season 2, Episode 2 •• HBO

Tuesday, November 24

Big Sky •• Season 1, Episode 2 •• ABC

Wednesday, November 25

Saved by the Bell •• Season 1 •• Peacock

The Wonderful World of Disney: Magical Holiday Celebration 2020 •• Special •• ABC

Hosts: Derek Hough, Julianne Hough, Trevor Jackson

Sneak peek of Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure attraction and of Pixar’s Soul

VIDEO GAMES

Friday, November 20

Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity •• NS

Katamari Damacy REROLL •• PS4, XBO

Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin •• PS4, NS

The Skylia Prophecy •• NS

Monday, November 23

World of Warcraft: Shadowlands •• PC

Tuesday, November 24

Cobra Kai: The Karate Kid Saga Continues •• NS

Football Manager 2021 •• XBX, XBO, PC, Mac

Just Dance 2021 •• PS5, XBX

Wednesday, November 25

Out of Space: Couch Edition •• PS4, XBO, NS

Star Renegades •• PS4

Vigor •• PS4

Thursday, November 26

Maid of Sker •• NS

DIRECT ACTIONS/DONATIONS

Give $5 to... Unicorn Riot: on-the-ground journalists covering and capturing footage of the revolution!

ALBUMS

separated from her twin, a dying android arrives on a mysterious island [EP] •• Ada Rook

distanceless gentleness

time dilation

total memory failure

otherworld

Self Help •• Badge Époque Ensemble

Sing a Silent Gospel (ft. Meg Remy & Dorothea Paas)

Unity (It’s Up to You) [ft. James Baley]

Cloud

The Sound Where My Head Was

Just Space for Light (ft. Jennifer Castle)

Birds Fly Through Ancient Ruins

Extinct Commune

BE •• BTS

Life Goes On

내 방을 여행하는 법

Blue & Grey

Skit

잠시

병

Stay

Dynamite

Hypoluxo •• Hypoluxo

Seth Meyers

Ridden

Nimbus

Tenderloin

Appetizer

Night Life

Pointer Finger

Shape Ups

Shock

Sweat

Harmony •• Josh Groban

The World We Knew (Over and Over)

Angels

Celebrate Me Home

Shape of My Heart (Duet with Leslie Odom Jr.)

Your Face

Both Sides Now (Duet with Sara Bareilles)

She

The Impossible Dream

The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face

It’s Now or Never

I Can’t Make You Love Me

The Fullest (feat. Kirk Franklin)

Sin Miedo (del Amor y Otros Demonios) ∞ •• Kali Uchis

la luna enamorada

fue mejor (w/ PARTYNEXTDOOR)

//aguardiente y limón %ᵕ‿‿ᵕ%

¡aquí yo mando! (w/ Rico Nasty)

vaya con dios

que te pedí//

quiero sentirme bien

telepatía

de nadie

no eres tu (soy yo)

te pongo mal (prendelo) [w/ Jowell y Randy]

la luz (Fín) [w/ Jhay Cortez]

ángel sin cielo

III •• Lindstrøm x Prins Thomas

Grand Finale

Martin 5000

Small Stream

Oranges

Harmonia

Birdstrike

Good News •• Megan Thee Stallion

Shots Fired

Circles

Cry Baby (ft. DaBaby)

Do It on the Tip (ft. City Girls)

Sugar Baby

Movie (ft. Lil Durk)

Freaky Girls (ft. SZA)

Body

What’s New

Work That

Intercourse (ft. Popcaan)

Go Crazy (ft. Big Sean & 2 Chainz)

Don’t Rock Me To Sleep

Outside

Savage Remix (ft. Beyoncé)

Girls in the Hood

Don’t Stop (ft. Young Thug)

Copycat Killer [EP] •• Phoebe Bridgers x Rob Moose

Kyoto (Copycat Killer Version)

Savior Complex (Copycat Killer Version)

Chinese Satellite (Copycat Killer Version)

Punisher (Copycat Killer Version)

Euphoric Sad Songs [EP] •• RAYE

Love Me Again

Change Your Mind

Regardless (ft. Rudimental)

Secrets (ft. Regard)

Natalie Don’t

All Dressed Up

Please Don’t Touch

Walk on By

Love of Your Life

Dimensional Stardust •• Rob Mazurek - Exploding Star Orchestra

Sun Core Tet (Parable 99)

A Wrinkle in Time Sets Concentric Circles Reeling

Galaxy 1000

The Careening Prism Within (Parable 43)

Abstract Dark Energy (Parable 9)

Parable of Inclusion

Dimensional Stardust (Parable 33)

Minerals Bionic Stereo

Parable 3000 (We All Come From Somewhere Else)

Autumn Pleiades

While the World Was Burning •• SAINt JHN

Sucks to Be You

Switching Sides

Freedom Is Priceless

Gorgeous

High School Reunion, Prom (ft. Lil Uzi Vert)

Monica Lewinsky, Election Year (ft. A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie & DaBaby)

Roses (Remix) [ft. Future]

Pray 4 Me (ft. Kanye West)

Quarantine Wifey (ft. JID)

Time for Demons

Ransom (ft. 6lack & Kehlani)

Back on the Ledge

Roses (Imanbek Remix)

ALIAS •• Shygirl

TWELVE

SLIME

FREAK

TASTY

LENG

BAWDY

SIREN

Coping Mechanisms •• Tayla Parx

Sad

Dance Alone

System

Stare

Fixerupper

Bricks

Residue

Justified

NonChalant

Nevermind

Last Words

You Don’t Know

LIVE DRUGS •• The War on Drugs

An Ocean Between the Waves (Live)

Pain (Live)

Strangest Thing (Live)

Red Eyes (Live)

Thinking of a Place (Live)

Buenos Aires Beach (Live)

Accidentally Like a Martyr (Live)

Eyes to the Wind (Live)

Under the Pressure (Live)

In Reverse (Live)

SINGLES

NEW

“Revolutionary Love” •• Ani DiFranco

“Dido’s Lament” •• Annie Lennox

“My Head & My Heart” •• Ava Max

“Endless Me, Endlessly” •• Baio

“What Do You Say When I’m Not There?” •• Baio

“45” •• Bleachers

“chinatown” •• Bleachers x Bruce Springsteen

“Thousand Pills” •• Boldy James x Stove God Cooks

“gf haircut” •• dad sports

“Scratchcard Lanyard” •• Dry Cleaning

“Angel Rock” •• Dua Saleh

“Best Rapper in the Fuckin World” •• GoldLink

“Anywhere” •• Hannah’s Little Sister

“Love Not War (The Tampa Beat)” •• Jason Derulo x Nuka

“Pick Up Your Feelings” •• Jazmine Sullivan

“Daddy Boyfriend” •• Jessica Lea Mayfield

“Emotional Abandonment” •• Jessica Lea Mayfield

“Hitman” •• Kelly Rowland & NFL

“Summertime The Gershwin Version” •• Lana Del Rey

“Undone” •• Lande Hekt

“Man’s World” •• MARINA

“Prisoner” •• Miley Cyrus x Dua Lipa

“The Lighthouse Keeper” •• Sam Smith

“Is It Just Me?” •• Sasha Sloan x Charlie Puth

“Shameika Said” •• Shameika x Fiona Apple

“Monster” •• Shawn Mendes x Justin Bieber

“Hey Boy” •• Sia

“nhs” •• slowthai

“Plead Insanity” •• Spring Silver x Sad13 x Bartees Strange

“feel good” •• Tierra Whack

“Peppers and Onions” •• Tierra Whack

“Flawed” •• Wale x Gunna

“Tried to Tell You” •• The Weather Station

REMIXES

“Valley of One Thousand Perfumes (Orchestral Version)” •• Mary Timony

“Lifetime (Planningtorock ‘Let It Happen’ Remix)” •• Romy x Planningtorock

“Boys Who Don’t Wanna Be Boys (U.S. Girls Live from The Peppermint Lounge Remix)” •• Seth Bogart x U.S. Girls

COVERS

“Waverly” (Samia cover) •• Anjimile

“Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays” •• Betty Who

“Deacon Blues” (Steely Dan cover) •• Bill Callahan x Bonnie Prince Billy x Bill McKay

“Christmas Will Really Be Christmas” •• Black Pumas

“Clementine” (Elliott smith cover) •• Bonny Light Horseman

“The First Time I Ever Saw Your Face” (Roberta Flacke cover) •• James Blake

“The First Noel” •• Jazmine Sullivan x Cory Henry

“A Dreamer’s Holiday” (Perry Como cover) •• Julien Baker

MUSIC VIDEOS

“JUMPING SHIP” •• Amaarae x Kojey Radical x Cruel Santino (dir. Remi Laudat)

“34+35″ •• Ariana Grande (dir. Director X)

“Shameika” •• Fiona Apple (dir. Matthias Brown)

“Don’t Underestimate Midwest American Sun” •• Kevin Morby (dir. Johnny Eastlund x Dylan Isbell)

"Star” •• LOOΠΔ (dir. MOSWANTD)

“Waverly” •• Samia (dir. Samia Finnerty x Matt Hixon)

“Kerosene” •• Yves Tumor x Diana Gordon (dir. Cody Critcheloe)

#pemdas

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memorylang · 4 years

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God’s Grace Through Pandemic Life | #45 | October 2020

As I strolled through the neighborhood on my last week in Reno, after days of freeze warnings and fire watch alerts that I saw on my phone, once-green tree leaves had become red, orange, amber and upon the earth. I’d walked with jacket layers, for I felt the breeze of change.

I celebrated this Hallowe’en in Vegas, where weather’s warmer. Rather than helping at trick-or-treating events of years past, I’d urged against people going around, given we’re in a pandemic. Staying inside, I wrote this month’s tales.

I start us back in Mongolia, February 2020, then bring us up to nowadays via March, June, September and October. Since we’re amid Allhallowtide, the Christian sequence of All Hallows’ Eve, All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day, I’ve decided to make God’s works the topic of today. Whether you read as a Christian or non-Christian, I hope you feel hope!

A traditional Catholic prayer called the Examen involves one considering one’s day to recognize areas where God appeared present. Through this type of reflection, Christians better understand how God exists in every moment of all things. Often, this awareness takes conscious efforts to seek and recognize the Spirit. So in October’s tale, I seek it.

February: Mongolia’s Churches Closed

Eight months ago, I was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Mongolia packing to evacuate to America. By Sunday, March 1, I would be boarding a Peace Corps vehicle with just my backpacks and a suitcase, having by then had to have said final goodbyes.

The Saturday night before, Feb. 29, a local CICM missionary priest visited my apartment. Back in this spring 2020, I’d written to you about how he and I related as foreign Catholics amid pandemic restrictions. I felt consoled by our discussions that night.

My friend looked a bit glum when he said that this was his first Ash Wednesday without Mass. By mid-February, Mongolia had already barred large public gatherings, including church attendance. My friend explained how many Catholic churches, such as those in Korea and Taiwan, experienced the same. I realized that this must have been my first Ash Wednesday without Mass, too—what an uncertain start to Lent.

But my friend and I moved from our dreary topic. We chatted about Mongolia’s culture, American culture and the Congo’s, from where he came. Reflecting on the culture that I’d soon encounter in the States felt refreshing. I felt glad that our discussions readied me for what would come.

My friend and I also discussed Mongolia’s Lunar New Year /Tsagaan Sar/ that had begun that week. We asked each other how many бууз /boe-z/, the traditional steamed dumplings, we’d eaten. He said 15, and I guessed that I’d had at least 30. We chuckled.

My priest raised an insightful point. Compared to more widespread Western practices, Mongolian hospitality felt like it extended across both the rich and poor. My experiences that very morning fit well his observation. An older Mongol friend who’d often given me lifts downtown or back had invited me to the house of his shopkeeper friend. And while the shopkeeper may have had more than other Mongols, he and others gave freely and generously.

Shortly after reflecting with the missionary, my older friend returned to my apartment. To both I gave from my fridge and shelves all the food and ingredients they’d accept. We said bittersweet goodbyes. At least I could give as I’d received.

God has a way too with echoing my late mother in my mind. My friendship with fellow foreigners in Mongolia reminded me of hers in America. She would befriend Chinese and Asian immigrants. When I was little in Indiana, I used to think that Mom simply liked to have friends who looked like her. Years later, when I’d met our relatives in China, they’d told me how she’d help foreign students who’d come to America. She sounded so selfless. And, after my own experiences being a foreigner in, for me, a foreign land, I realized that even the companionship of those who share experiences provides vital social support (Deut. 10:19).

Comforted on my final night in the city whose people I’d committed to serve, I felt renewed on my sudden path to leave.

March: America’s Churches Open

One week later—Sat. March 7—was my first full day back in Vegas. It also marked my return to church for the first time in weeks. At that time, my brothers were still busy with school, and our papa worked in another city. So, I went alone.

Going alone let me arrive early and slip into wherever I wanted to sit. Still, my experiences as a Knight of Columbus led me to favor the front, where few go, anyway. I could hardly believe how in Mongolia so much had already closed yet in the States people acted as though the pandemic was hardly real. People in Mongolia hadn’t gotten the virus, yet people in Vegas already had.

Still, the Mass felt refreshing. Reading the English-language hymnal hearing English-language speakers made so much a breeze. In fact, singing familiar music reminded me of going alone to the bishop’s Thanksgiving 2017 Mass when I visited home the year Mom died. Parishioners at that time had commented that I sang well.

In March 2020, I kind of hoped that people wouldn’t comment, so I could lie low. But at Mass’s end, a woman in front of me complimented me, saying that she’d love to see me in up with the choir. Well, there’s my introduction.

I approached the choir director to learn how to volunteer. I applied that week. When the office woman read my application, she commended that America could really use a person like me, speaking Chinese and Mongolian. I felt glad.

In seven of eight days (week 1, March 7-14) I’d attended Mass, which was definitely a personal record. I spent almost my whole Friday, March 13 enjoying the church’s Lenten activities including Stations of the Cross and Adoration.

But I could feel how times have changed. Seeing the newer Fr. Marc many days instead of our past Fr. Jim felt weird. I’d only seen Fr. Marc once, at Christmas 2019, because he’d started during the summer I left for Peace Corps. Fr. Jim, on the other hand, had pastored there since 2013, from my high school sophomore year till past my college graduation.

At the week’s daily Masses, elderly folks treated me as a new member. They commended me as a young person for showing up to morning prayer, rosary and Mass. To be fair, in all my family’s years since 2008 there, we’d participated in few functions outside Sundays. My late ma was our exception, having sung in the choir. Still, hearing folks commend me for coming to church reminded me of my conversation the week before in Mongolia with my priest who came to say farewell—how much we missed the Mass.

A week later, my second in America, churches closed from the pandemic. This made more sense. Still, I loved my brief week back in church. I’d recounted Easter 2020 in my story of week 6 (April 10-16). Now, let’s fast-forward!

June: Feeling Called to Reach Out

On my last June Wednesday, week 16 (June 19-25), I was in Reno, Nev., taking part in our Carmelite Monastery’s Zoom prayer session. We couldn’t meet in person. During our long contemplative silence, I felt this urge to share with a handful of specific friends my then most recent blog story, “Fathers’ Day, Familiarity and Faith | #38 | June 2020.”

I felt surprised by this idea and sat with it for a while. Ultimately I felt convinced that I ought to share.

I learned that one of the women to whom I sent the story, a friend of mine from high school, had been working for our congressman’s office. We enjoyed catching up. She even shared with me online events about religious diversity.

A couple months later, week 24 (Aug. 14-20), the National Peace Corps Association (NPCA) advocacy had requested that I arrange meetings with my congressman’s office. I remembered that I had a friend there. I reached out to her, and she was my in. Her colleagues quickly set a conference call with me and Returned Peace Corps Volunteers.

A month of advocacy followed. Then, on week 27 (Sept. 4-10), the NPCA held a check-in call. They mentioned that I should have already been receiving Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA). So, they suggested that I reach out to my congressman’s office.

Actually, I consider that 2020 week of Sept. 9 my ‘seven days of wonder’ for its great and many unexpected happenings. The week coincidentally followed a few months’ consecutive daily rosaries. Well, I reached out once more to my friend.

By the next week 28 (Sept. 11-18), after my struggles with the system since mere days after I’d reached the States from Mongolia, I was, in September, then finally receiving the PUA.

I felt extremely privileged and grateful to have had that connection who could help me. I felt awed by how I’d reconnected with her simply because I felt called in prayer to do so. God works in mysterious ways!

September: Wondrous Feelings

Usually, car rides between Reno and Vegas can be for many the most lackluster trips across the American west. Well, this time was different!

During the ride to Vegas ending my week 29 (Sept. 18-24), Dad drove, and my tita /tee-tuh/ (my Filipina stepmom) rode shotgun when she wasn’t driving. Well, Tita suggested that she and I pray a rosary. I felt surprised, since Dad had said that his mom would pray rosaries on car rides. Dad said that the two of us could do the praying for him. Thankfully, since my COVID summer rosaries, I’ve grown accustomed to praying on the fly!

I procured from my pocket the blue rosary that my mom had gifted me in commemoration of my First Communion 2005—one that I’d repaired last year with a Mexican cross I received at World Youth Day. Anyway, I liked to keep it with me. Tita and I prayed the Luminous Mysteries since it was Thursday. Luminous are my favorites, too. They feature Jesus’ teaching, Transfiguration and Last Supper—all among my favorite Biblical moments.

Well, after we finished, I noticed that I had cell service again (a blessing in rural Nevada). I also had received a Facebook message from someone unfamiliar, with a uni listed in Hong Kong. The message thanked me for having written an article. I felt joyfully confused and typed to ask which. He wrote that he meant my one about learning Mongolian! He added, he wanted to travel to Mongolia.

I felt pleased. I’d just finished the piece my week before, recounting experiences learning languages. When I asked him what languages he knows, he mentioned Chinese and added that his English isn’t very good. So, I swapped to Chinese characters, writing back and forth in those. He added that he too is learning Mongolian, so I briefly hopped to Mongolian! Then we settled on Chinese.

Every so often, when my cell service went spotty, I recounted to Tita my joys from this conversation.

Turns out that my new friend worked for a media corporation in Southern (Inner) Mongolia in China. I added, what a coincidence, since I’d studied journalism as an undergrad! He asked on what topics I’d reported, so I linked articles about my pieces on religious and ethnic diversity. He felt amazed! I insisted that I’ve great teachers, friends and God to thank.

By this time, Tita was driving, and we reached Tonopah, the halfway point between Reno and Vegas. Cellular data was stable, so I figured I’d better finish the conversation. With all these coincidences, I felt joys like those of the Magnificat!

I asked the friend about the topics on which he reports. He wrote that he interviews people and covers Chinese Mongols, including their culture, economy and, more recently, the pandemic. His interest in Mongolian culture is why he’s studying their language. I felt amazed! I love when people share stories about diverse groups.

The friend had added that he looked forward to reading more of my work. I felt delighted. Finally, I asked how he’d found my work. Turns out he was reading about Mongolia’s education, came across the Peace Corps, and my article popped up. Somehow after that, he found me on Facebook and messaged me, too! The internet astounds me.

Earlier in the week, I’d attended a seminar in which panelists assured me that whether or not people read my work, I should continue to practice writing daily. Well, somehow my work found someone all the way on our globe’s other side.

And earlier that day, I’d connected online with a stateside Chinese instructor who’d had some free time, being short on students due to the pandemic. She offered to teach me for free, just because I wanted to learn! I felt overjoyed at her offer and thankful that she wrote how glad she was that we’d found each other.

How could I be so blessed?

After all, I’d been already working with a friend to learn my Latin who similarly found joy in instructing me from my sheer willingness to learn. Well, the evening’s surprise conversation with the reporter in Chinese Mongolia gave me my answer.

I, too, try to freely share so others might learn. I’m like those who teach me. So blessed!

October: To Church Again and Again (...And Again!)

I empathize with Americans who insist that we need to reopen churches amid this pandemic. I really worry about public health, and indoor churches can be dangerous when people don’t take all the proper precautions. Despite these, some churches take proper precautions. I felt gladdened this month by multiple opportunities to visit church.

Overall, October was a great month for my faith.

It kicked off with reuniting with the first Peace Corps Mongolia Volunteer from my cohort I’d seen since March! Drew and I had made our farewells in Berlin, Germany, so seeing each other again in Reno, Nev., of all places felt amazing. We swapped religious and spiritual resources like the good ol’ days when we’d served in neighboring Mongolian provinces.

After having been out of church since March 2020 (just watching the liturgies online), I’d gotten to attend Catholic Masses five times! For a Catholic Christian like me, the Mass can be an especially consoling experience with Christ, fellow believers and a religious leader.

My first Masses since week 1 (March 7-14) were in week 31 (Oct. 2-8). My family had come up for our youngest sister’s confirmation at Our Lady of Wisdom Newman Center, Reno, originally to happen at Easter. The Mass felt different, with people so far apart. I felt flickers of memory from my 2016 confirmation and those that I’d attended over the years. So few people this year with such distance between us left me feeling strange but still gladdened by the fellowship.

After the event, we ate out at a Taiwanese restaurant decorated with pictures of the 101. I remembered friends and felt nostalgic about my life in Taipei. I miss Asia.

The Thursday after, fellow Brother Knights of Columbus and I revisited Reno’s cathedral. It had tile floors now instead of carpet. This felt surreal. I hadn’t expected to be there in a while. My Grand Knights and I used to serve there mornings of my undergrad. But, staff still remembered us, greeting us warmly. The place was beautiful. My Worthy Brothers and I returned there the week after, leading up to Fall Retreat 2020.

Winding Up on Retreat

I feel that God does funny things in our lives. Even what we perceive as inconveniences wind up serving His greater mission. My folks and I thought that I would have a ride down to Vegas for the weekend after Fall Retreat, so I let the coordinators know that I’d be around to attend.

Through a series of miscommunications, we found on the morning of Retreat that I actually didn’t have a ride to Vegas. But, too late to change that!

Fall Retreat was awesome, getting to “Be Still” (Mk. 4:39). It was my first retreat since spring 2019, a year and a half prior. Amid undergrad, I was attending two to four retreats a year. Coincidentally, my freshman’s Spring Retreat 2016 theme too was “Be Still” (Ps. 46:10).

On Retreat, coordinators had posted up a still from the Pope’s Lenten 2020 “Urbi et Orbi” (to the City and to the World) prayer service in the Vatican. I recalled having seen that on TV, the surrounding darkness beyond his platform’s lights, my week 4 (March 27-April 2). Reflecting on this image and others during week 33 (Oct. 16-22) reminded me of just how long I’ve been back in the States weathering this pandemic.

The retreat reintroduced me to the Ignatian Examen prayer, so I resumed that, too! Retreat’d helped me to remember that solidarity with Christ and fellow believers is crucial to my spiritual wellbeing.

My fourth October Mass concluded our day. To have a closing Mass reminded me of World Youth Day in Panamá, an exclamation point to mark a grand day. I’d taken years to appreciate the Mass this much.

Later that week, I got to attend Mass one last time, followed by learning this new game, “Among Us” with the students. Evidently it fits the Hallowe’en season! Fellowship is fun.

Being Prepared

By mid-October, week 32 (Oct. 9-15), I’d resumed my grad school search after my Latin-tutoring friend taking the LSAT suggested that I take the GRE while still here in the States.

Meanwhile, the friend with whom I’ve been reading a Psalm a day suggested that I should move to D.C. for its foreign service opportunities. When I mentioned to her my grad school search, she asked a series of probing questions to better understand my intentions. After all, not too many people declare that they want to devote graduate studies to Chinese Christianity.

The next day, I had a Zoom call with a Catholic writer in Malta. I felt surprised that all the questions my friend asked to encourage me to think critically reappeared as similar questions that the writer asked to gauge my interests.

I felt gleefully surprised by similarities. I answered his questions with much greater clarity than my friend’s. He gave me clear advice.

Both encouraged me to remember no matter my work to put God first. As my friend noted, religious leaders of Jesus’ time, according to Scripture, had focused more on the words than their meanings. She insisted that I take to heart the meanings. She and the Catholic writer reminded me of my other spiritual mentors. I felt glad.

November: Election Day!

After seeing my media mentors before I left Reno and having watched the U.S. presidential debates online, I felt drawn to read “Beyond the Messy Truth” by Van Jones. In his book, Jones tries to pinpoint American thoughts that shaped the 2016 election and teach us to understand and respect many perspectives.

People pray on both sides that their candidates win. I pray more that with whatever happens, people on both sides accept the outcome. In these United States, we need decency to work together.

Well, with Bon Jovi’s “2020” on my room’s music player I’ve worked on another few lovely blog stories for you~ Regardless of which way the election goes, my end-of-October story will cover American diversity! Hopefully we’ll know our next president by my time of writing. I’m hoping to include in that second tale this month, too, anecdotal adventures with my present and future.

The closer I get to January, the more I realize I might be going back to Mongolia soon. Keep me in your prayers. And see you on the flipside!

You can read more from me here at DanielLang.me :)

#Peace Corps #Mongolia #memoir #story #Catholic #God #memoryLang #Coronavirus #COVID-19 #Christian #Nevada #StayHome #news #WithMe #Reno #Las Vegas #USA #evacuation #holidays #election

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djskrappydu · 6 years

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2017 Year in Review

Photo credit: @seinfeld2000 twitter I probably need to write more than once a year. I also probably need to find a better medium than Tumblr, but alas here we are 2017. (You will not find “Despacito” or “Bodak Yellow” here.)

Albums

1. Lorde - Melodrama

Ella Yelich-O’Connor’s sophomore heartbreak rebound album is bursting at the seams with raw emotion. Lorde described the album as a concept of one long summer house party. She is motivated to go out to get over her ex. (“Green Light”) She gets too drunk and falls apart. (“Writer in the Dark” & “Liability”) She wakes up the morning after and decides this isn’t helping. (“Perfect Places”) Melodrama is an album of youth and heartache that brings everyone to where they were at Lorde’s 21 years of age. Best Tracks: “Green Light,” “Writer In The Dark,” “Supercut,” “Perfect Places”

2. Father John Misty - Pure Comedy

Josh Tillman has stated that Pure Comedy was written and completed before Election Day 2016. But it sure feels like he wrote the whole thing on November 9th, 2016. Without once mentioning the current flaming dumpster in chief, Father John Misty diagnoses America’s disease. The State of Our Union is self-obsessed, screen-attached, entertainment-driven and headed for ruin. If you thought this summary was grim, listen to the album. Best Tracks: “Pure Comedy,” “A Bigger Paper Bag,” “Leaving LA,” “Birdy”

3. Kendrick Lamar - DAMN.

I want to state firmly DAMN. is not K.Dot’s best album, honestly I’m not even sure it’s his second best album. It would be hard to ever match such a complex opus like To Pimp A Butterfly that we’re still trying to unravel nearly three years later. However, DAMN. is a very, very good album. It’s an album about success, struggle, race, hip-hop itself, roots and hard work. In a sense, DAMN. is a summation of Kendrick Lamar as an artist with pieces of all his previous work collapsing into a whole. Best Tracks: “ELEMENT.” “FEAR.” “LOYALTY. (featuring Rihanna)”

4. War on Drugs - A Deeper Understanding

War on Drugs is driving music. The long kind of drive where you know your ass will be glued to your seat for a while. It’s a drive through the plains where you can see the whole sky stretch across your field of vision. The songs are long and the riffs and solos paint epic landscapes. A Deeper Understanding sweeps you up in the massiveness of its sound like driving into the sunset. Best Tracks: “Strangest Thing,” “Up All Night,” “In Chains”

5. Waxahatchee - Out in The Storm

Looking through this list, there’s a large portion of break-up albums, but I guess that’s one of songwritings biggest inspirations. Well, here’s the second of four on this list. Katie Crutchfield’s heartbreak is a lot angrier than Lorde’s. She’s furious and hurt. Her pain cuts to the core. Crutchfield feels that she wasted so much time and energy on her ex. On Out In The Storm she bares it all and releases it, well, into the storm. Best Tracks: “Recite Remorse” “No Question,” “Silver”

6. The xx - I See You

After Coexist, the members of the English trio recollected themselves. Jamie honed his craft with 2015’s In Colour, Romy worked on songwriting with Ryan Tedder and Oliver got sober. On I See You, Jamie XX became the frontman of the band behind the decks and drumpads. The groups third album is their most upbeat, lively piece of work. The phrase “I See You” was a saying between the band recognizing each other beyond skin deep. Each members pain and joy can beheard in their voices, basses and samples. Best Tracks: “On Hold,” “Replica,” “I Dare You”

7. St. Vincent - MASSEDUCTION

Here’s breakup album three of four. Annie Clarke’s fifth album as St. Vincent has been described as “Trauma Pop.” After a series of breakups including one with supermodel/actress Cara Delevigne, Clarke created a piece of pop art. While the album and cover evokes hot pinks and reds, the lyrical content is quite glum. On “Los Ageless,” she asks why fall in love at all if you’re bound to lose anyway. It’s a breakup album about witnessing your own pain rather than the path to recovery like Lorde or driving your raw anger at the ex like Waxahatchee. Best Tracks: “Los Ageless,” “Slow Disco,” “Hang On Me”

8. Migos - C U L T U R E

The title says it all. The Migos are the culture. (It’s literally the opening line of the album.) Quavo, Offset and Takeoff are rockstars. After a dud debut album with Yung Rich Nation, Migos created a summation of their contribution to Atlanta rap culture, rap culture and culture, period. C U L T U R E elevates the Migos to icon status where they can pave their own lane and everyone will follow. Every track on this album had the ability to become a rap radio hit. Quavo and Offset have become the go-to guest versus as Lil Wayne was back in the late 2000’s. Fuckboy bowdown, don’t ever doubt that the Migos aren’t the culture. Best Tracks: “Bad and Boujee (featuring Lil Uzi Vert),” “T-Shirt,” “Big on Big,” “Get Right Witcha”

9. Dirty Projectors - Dirty Projectors

Breakup album four of four. After a five-year hiatus, Dave Longstreth returns solo since the album is mainly about his former bandmate and ex Amber Coffman. (Her album City of No Reply was also fantastic.) Still inventive, Longstreth utilizes dancehall and pop sounds to create a breakup album with a long-term scope about taking note of the past and moving on. Longstreth is a master storyteller recalling the relationship in whole on “Up in Hudson” Best Tracks: “Up in Hudson,” “Cool Your Heart (featuring DAWN),” “Little Bubble”

10. Amine - Good for You

Amine’s debut album is on par with Chance the Rapper’s Acid Rap. Hear me out. Both rappers sing and rap. Both embrace positivity over the rap majority’s sound of violence and anger. They rap about friendship and family (“Sundays”/ “Cocoa Butter Kisses”). Arguably, Amine’s hometown of Portland doesn’t face the crime rate of Chance’s Chicago. Amine, like Chance, seems to be paving his own lane. Good For You was arguably the most fun record of the year with great joy and self-empowerment. Best Tracks: “Yellow (featuring Nelly),” “Wedding Crashers (featuring Offset)” “Sundays”

Songs

1. “Perfect Places” - Lorde - Melodrama

Lorde discovers partying won’t make her whole by making a masterpiece of pop songwriting.

2. “(No One Knows Me) Like The Piano” - Sampha - Process

Sampha and the piano are a simple, but soul-crushing duo.

3. “Strangest Thing” - The War On Drugs - A Deeper Understanding

“Strangest Thing” takes you like a tidal wave of sound rushing over head.

4. “Recite Remorse” - Waxahatchee - Out in The Storm

Katie Crutchfield builds on her anguish over her ex’s treatment of her over this ambient gust of a track.

5. “Pure Comedy” - Father John Misty - Pure Comedy

American society has become a sitcom unaware of its biting irony. This is the theme song.

6. “Up in Hudson” - Dirty Projectors - Dirty Projectors

Dave Longstreth recalls his relationship with Amber Coffman, seemingly in real time.

7. “Slide (featuring Frank Ocean & Migos)” - Calvin Harris - Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 1

Calvin Harris, Frank Ocean, Quavo and Offset take you to the funkiest beach on their sonic island.

8. “Half-Light (featuring Kelly Zutrau)” - Rostam - Half-Light

Rostam keeps his love and all of us warm with this beautiful romantic jam.

9. “The Story of O.J.” - Jay-Z - 4:44

Jay-Z reflects on race and how to escape the system through credit.

10. “Tonite” - LCD Soundsystem - American Dream

Aziz Ansari had a joke about the kind of music they play at the club. James Murphy must have heard that when he wrote this song.

11. “Los Ageless” - St. Vincent - MASSEDUCTION

Is it better to have loved and lost or to have never loved at all? Annie Clarke tries to shred her way to an answer.

12. “Chanel” - Frank Ocean

Frank Ocean flexes his rapping chops on his ode to his fluid sexuality.

13. “Big Fish” - Vince Staples - Big Fish Theory

Teetotaler Vince Staples and syrup-laced Juicy J create a club heater over a glitch house beat.

14. “Turn Out The Lights” - Julien Baker - Turn Out The Lights

The twenty-two year old singer songwriter builds it up and lets it bleed on this emo-folk slow burner.

15. “FEAR.” - Kendrick Lamar - DAMN.

Kung-Fu Kenny lights one up and exposes the traumas of his childhood home in impoverished compton.

16. “Deadly Valentine” - Charlotte Gainsbourg - Rest

The French actress-singer repeats her vows over and over to art funk.

17. “Kept Me Crying” - Haim - Something to Tell You

The sisters Haim tell the ex it’s time to let it go and let them breathe over the heavy drums.

18. “This Old Dog” - Mac DeMarco - This Old Dog

Aging takes a toll on all of us, but the ever-goofy DeMarco keeps a hold on his younger self and his love for his Kiki.

19. “Crew (featuring Shy Glizzy & Brent Fiyaz)” - Goldlink - At What Cost?

I moved to the D.C. area this year. This is what it was like to watch a city receive an anthem.

20. “T-Shirt” - Migos - C U L T U R E

It was a daunting challenge to follow-up “Bad and Boujee,” but don’t you ever doubt the Migos.

21. “Mask Off” - Future - Future

An inescapable song that turned flute rap into a real thing. However, don’t take this song as a source of advice.

22. “Bobby” - (Sandy) Alex G - Rocket

The Philly singer-songwriter personifies his depression and tries to fight him off for love.

23. “Supercut” - Lorde - Melodrama

While the good times always seem to draw her back, Lorde knows she’s lying to herself to ignore the bad ones.

24. “I Dare You” - The XX - I See You

This song feels like a breakthrough for the XX. An escape from their depression bound to new-found love.

25. “Slow Disco” - St. Vincent - MASSEDUCTION

St. Vincent leaves her old lover hanging in the wind under this orchestral cut.

26. “On Another Ocean (January/June)” - Fleet Foxes - On Another Ocean

Fleet Foxes return with a vast song about long distance.

27. “From The Dining Table” - Harry Styles - Harry Styles

The most recognizable member of the most famous boy band of the last ten years makes himself incredibly uncool and vulnerable.

28. “ELEMENT” - Kendrick Lamar - DAMN.

K.Dot’s in the zone and no matter what he does he’s going to make it look sexy.

29. “Portland (featuring Quavo & Travis Scott)” - Drake - More Life

Drake, Quavo and Travis sound impossibly cool while stealing Future’s flute rap wave.

30. “Serve The Song” - Real Estate - In Mind

Real Estate commit themselves to their trade with the grooviest song of the year.

31. “Magnolia” - Playboi Carti - Playboi Carti

Playboi Carti and Pierre Bourne let it bounce in New York.

32. “Sundays” - Amine - Good For You

It’s important to take advantage of your leisure time as Amine’s sinks into the beat like we should all sink into the couch.

33. “You and I” - Toro y Moi - Boo Boo

Chaz Bundick elevates while finding love after a long search.

34. “A Bigger Paper Bag” - Father John Misty - Pure Comedy

It’s been hard not to think about that one person all 2017. Clearly, Josh Tillman had him on the brain too.

35. “Blu (featuring Damon Albarn)” - Mura Masa - Mura Masa

The Guernsey-born producer is so in love it hurts.

36. “Czech One” - King Krule - The Ooz

Archy Marshall fades into the night over this slow jazzy track.

37. “Midnight” - Jessie Ware - Glasshouse

Taking some liberties from Elton John, Jessie Ware reminds us that she can really sing.

38. “disco tits” - Tove Lo - BLUE LIPS (lady wood phase II)

The Swedish star songwriter is feeling herself almost way too much over this house pop banger.

39. “On + Off” - Maggie Rogers - Now That The Light is Fading

The recent NYU grad and indie darling shows her promise and her changing moods.

40. “REDMERCEDES” - Amine

Amine rolls deep over a Missy Elliot style beat.

41. “Candles” - Future Islands - The Far Field

The deep-voiced, operatic Samuel Herring makes it sound sexy.

42. “The Bus Song” - Jay Som - Everybody Works

Take a saturday bus trip around the bay area.

43. “Undercover” - Kehlani - SweetSexySavage

Kehlani is going to get to her love no matter what especially with a little help from an old Akon joint.

44. “GOLD” - BROCKHAMPTON - SATURATION

The world’s coolest boy band flexs their gold chains over old-school beats.

45. “How To Talk” - Lil Uzi Vert - Luv Is Rage 2

Just because Lil Uzi rode his wave to a number one album this year, doesn’t mean you can’t hurt his feelings.

46. “20 Something” - SZA - CTRL

The TDE-singer doesn’t want to let her 20’s go to waste.

47. “Motion Sickness” - Phoebe Bridgers - Stranger in the Alps

The up-and-coming is in a fragile state after her break-up and she’s trying to keep her balance.

48. “Million Enemies” - Wavves - You’re Welcome

While this probably isn’t what the band was getting at, imagine what it’s like to be in Trump’s brain.

49. “Hard Times” - Paramore - After Laughter

The emo giants return after a tumultuous hiatus with this Talking Heads-style jam to help you get through the day to day.

50. “Wild Thoughts (featuring Rihanna & Bryson Tiller)” - DJ Khaled - Grateful

This is the sexiest song ever to be recorded with DJ Khaled also screaming over it.

Music Videos

Migos - “T-Shirt”

youtube

I’ve never seen The Revenant and I don’t see why I would now.

Tove Lo - “disco tits”

youtube

Not safe for work, not safe for puppets.

Charli XCX - “Boys”

youtube

Like this year, the girl flipped it on the boys.

BROCKHAMPTON - “GUMMY”

youtube

Every video by this group is incredible. This was just the one with a “plot.”

Kendrick Lamar - “ELEMENT.”

youtube

Every frame is a powerful photo and he made it look sexy.

Most Underrated Album

Harry Styles by Harry Styles

I think I know like at most two One Direction songs. It must be quite an advantage to make your album debut already being one of the most famous singers in the world. Sure, you could have made R&B that sounds like Usher and Drake *Zayn*, just decided to ripoff the already terrible Ed Sheeran *Niall* or you could just make the same boring pop music anyone else would make *the other two*. But you could say, fuck it I’m going to attempt to bring back rock and roll instead. I’m not saying Harry Styles is the savior mainstream rock needs or it’s savior period, but this record blew out all expectations with him trying to do so. Styles recreates himself as Mick Jagger, David Bowie and John Lennon over this underappreciated record. Best Tracks: “From The Dining Table,” “Meet Me in The Hallway,” “Woman”

Best New Act

BROCKHAMPTON

“Rock the boat like a one-eyed pirate/Rick James, I can get it on my eyelids”

“I used to deal with the grams until they put the cam on my face/Now I’m evading the law on a high speech chase.”

“DON’T. CALL ME. STUPID. THAT AIN’T THE WAY MY NAME PRONOUNCED/DON’T CALL ME CUPID. I GOT TOO MANY HOES RIGHT NOW!”

What if I told you these were all lyrics from a boyband? Then let me introduce you to the one-of-a-kind style of BROCKHAMPTON. The group is the way should be America should be. Members of every race, religion, nationality and sexuality. A multi-faceted machine with members doing every kind of creative role. These guys work fast. By the time you read this, their third album of the year will be the days away. Unfortunately, it’s going to be their last, allegedly. (You can still catch them on tour through the beginning of 2018.)

The best part of BROCKHAMPTON is that this 20+ member group is having more fun than most of us probably do in our whole lives. The beats, flows and rhymes are all insanely creative because it feels like their just riffing in the garage. None of the videos don’t fit any strict narrative. People are saran wrapping PB&J to their face, bouncing in sumo suits and just hanging with a llama. The world needs to be more like BROCKHAMPTON.

Best Non-2017 Song Discovered This Year

“Ripple” by The Grateful Dead

I went to college in Colorado for four years. When everyone else was getting into the Grateful Dead, I stupidly shied away. I knew the basic, “Uncle John’s Band,” “Friend of the Devil,” “Truckin,” “Shakedown Street,” etc. This past June I joined a friend and his frat brother to a Dead and Company show at the Jiffy Lube Live amphitheater. Needless to say, I left with a tie-dye shirt of cartoon Jerry driving a VW Bus.

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johngarrisonmusic · 7 years

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Tour Diary Part 2

Arrive at JFK fully expecting a thorough, Trump era inspection and interrogation. However, I breeze through immigration and even have a nice conversation with Errol, my inspector. Although his authority muscle was flexed a little when questioned what music I was playing. “I play bass for James Blunt” I reply. “Who?” he says “That’s Showbiz” I quip……..!!!! An icy stare falls onto the once happy face of Errol. “I only like rap” are his final words as he stamps my passport and shouts “Next”

June 26

3 hours sleep. 4am lobby call. It’s Good Morning America live performance today of “OK”, Blunt’s new single here in the States. This track is quite personal for me as they are releasing a version of the track that I remixed along with James, as the main version to radio here in the States. You need to have many strings to the bow to make a living in music these days. We’re all in a daze as we check our hire gear. God knows what time our crew arrived but all the gear is set up and ready to go. Writing this a few days later and I can’t remember much about the performance but the label and management all seemed happy. I think. Or maybe I dreamt that…!!!

youtube

Jet lag and the general buzz of being in New York means an attempted snooze doesn’t happen. So Pembers (keys), Kristoff (drums) and I go for a power walk around Central Park. Gotta take the opportunities to stay in shape on the road. Something I’ve learned over the years. And failed at mostly..!!! Central Park is such a wonderful place. It never fails to impress. A perfect way to pass a few hours off. Days like this I feel very privileged to be doing what I do.

We then head off to another TV studio to perform on the Seth Myers Show. The studio is bloody freezing. It’s always the way with US TV shows. God knows why. There must be a reason. No idea what that is though. But it’s full jacket wearing performance for this show. Which is odd as it’s 27oC outside. A planned big night out in NYC is thwarted by jetlag that eventually kicks in too hard to ignore. Early night for us boring folk. How very un rock n roll…!!!

June 27

5am wake up. Not for any particular reason. Just jetlag. But that’s ok in NYC. I go out and wander the streets for 4 hours interspersed with coffee breaks. I still love this city. I lived here for 2 years back in 2006/7. It still feels like home. There’s an energy that emanates through the floor here. You can feel it coming out the walls of the buildings and skyscrapers. Everyone is here for a reason. There is a focus here that brings out the creative side in everyone who has one. I still love it and today I soak it up.

We are performing on Kelly and Ryan TV show today. Another freezing studio. A trailer filled with farmyard animals is parked right outside our dressing room. The odd ‘Moooo” and Baaahaaaa” interrupting James’ vocal warm up are highly amusing breaks to the tedious boredom of TV world. Still no idea why they were there as they never appeared on the show…!! Slightly gutted that the very cute Kelly is on holiday. It’s always a treat for the eyes playing on her show.

The boredom is abruptly shattered when we are told we have to lose 30 seconds of the track. We have already soundchecked so it’s a strategic edit arranged, board meeting style, around the table with no way of checking. Times like this we are thankful we are a fully live band with no backing track. We visually cue the changes live on air while being broadcast to millions. It’s times like this you know you are alive. It works. No time to stress or panic. We nail it. 3 mins dead. Everyone is happy. And we are done for the day. With nothing but a fight tomorrow, there is a palpable air of excitement amongst the band.

We head downtown to my favourite Italian restaurant in NYC called Emilio’s Ballato. It’s an old school mafia style Italian that I was introduced to when I lived here. Emilio is a terrifying, yet lovable character who sits at the door. Always does. Has done for decades. You only have to imagine a mafia style Italian restaurant owner with a gravelly voice who has to occasionally pop out to “take care of business” to know what he looks like. The mental picture you have now……. That’s Emilio. The first time I came here, Sting was sat at the first table with Jay Z and Rhianna. It’s that kinda place. Emilio Jnr takes us to a table and explains the menu in his “baddabing” way. It’s so cliché one or 2 of our party suspect it’s all a show. But I know for a fact it is not. The family back in Sicily send over the ingredients twice a week. All 3 of Emilio’s sons work at the place. It’s the real deal. And it’s awesome.

Tonight we are all on the guest list of the Imelda May gig at Webster Hall. Pembers, our keyboard player, is Imelda’s player too. He depped out the last 2 Imelda gigs as they clashed with the Blunt tour. But coincidence means we are all here in NYC. The band are amazing and Imelda’s voice soars in this place. A great old school sweaty gig. We hang out with the band at an Irish bar around the corner after the show. God knows what time we finished but it was a long hazy walk back to the hotel.

Goodbye NYC

June 28

Flight to Kansas today. We arrive to find they have not sent the mini bus that we asked for, but a car….!!! For 12 of us. So we squeeze in 3 cars with gear and bags on our laps. It’s not all glamour…!!

June 29 It’s the first day of our Ed Sheeran support today. Kansas City the first show. Still jetlagged. I’m up and wide awake at 5am. I decide to check out Kansas. I set off on a head clearing 90 minute walk. In the space of a few minutes, the sky turns apocalyptic black and I’m suddenly in the middle of an almighty downpour and a violent thunder storm. Flash floods come hurtling down the street. It’s actually pretty scary. But awesome too. Mother nature flexing her muscle and reminding us how insignificant we all are. Trash cans hurtling down the street. I run back to the hotel and watch the storm from the safety of my hotel window.

A post shared by JohnnyVic (@satellites_johnnyvic) on Jun 29, 2017 at 5:38am PDT

The tour bus pulls up outside our hotel. Always a hugely exciting moment. There’s something about American tour buses. It’s probably subconsciously linked to the childhood dream of touring the States that most musicians had at some point. But also just how cool the busses look. This is home for the next 2 months.

We get to the venue. The Sprint Arena. Sold Out 16,000. We meet Ed and all the crew. They are all super nice and friendly which is a welcome relief. It’s not always the case. The support act can occasionally be treated as a lesser entity. But not here. I think the fact James is such a big name in his own right helps. And the fact James and Ed are friends. Ed co-wrote some of the tracks on James’ new album and we even recorded one of them at Ed’s house earlier in the year.

We soundcheck the whole set. It feels a bit weird. Ed does his thing with just an acoustic guitar and a loop pedal. And rarely sound checks. So seeing all our full band gear on his stage feels a little intrusive on his minimal set. But again, Ed’s crew are all super helpful and asking if we need anything. We iron out a few issues from the rehearsals and drop a song as we creep over our allocated 40 mins.

My Bass Set up.

James and I then play a quick 3 song set unamplified on acoustic guitars for 25 competition winners. We haven’t worked out the songs before on acoustics so it’s very much on the fly. But they all seem thrilled.

Ed pops in to wish us luck as we all do our vocal warm ups. We go on.

It’s a younger crowd than we are used to. It’s quite clear pretty early on that a few of them have no idea who James is. I guess it is 12 years since his debut album was no.1 here in the States. But rather sweetly, you can see a lot of the crowd are holding their phones with the lyrics on and are attempting to sing along. So cute.

James announces “most of you were probably conceived to this song” as he strikes up the opening chords to the world wide smash that is “You’re Beautiful”. You can see the penny drop in the audience. And in a scene reminiscent of an 80’s style cheesy high school movie, the crowd slowly all get to their feet and whoop, with fists in the air as they all realise ‘it’s that guy’. It’s an amazing moment. And from that point on it’s an amazing show. James gets all the 16,000 to their feet as he piano surfs during the outro of our set.

We all come off and have a post gig huddle. It’s a success. There’s always a slight element of doubt before a support gig. But those doubts are put to bed tonight. Ed pops in before his set and pours us all a mandatory Tequila.

Ed hits the stage to an ear splitting shrill of 16,000 very excited people. It’s an amazing spectacle. Just a man and a guitar with a loop pedal. He is a master of his craft. Everyone is on their feet. From the hardcore fans at the front to the reluctant parents on the very back row, Ed has them all in the palm of his hand. With just the occasional look down at his loop pedal multi track set up, the accompaniments he makes on the fly with his voice and beating the guitar body for percussion, it’s seamless. And mighty impressive.

#ed sheeran #james blunt #nyc #kansas #johnnyvic #john garrison

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ljfeed-spn-j2-bigbang · 7 years

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2017 Masterlist

This year, cloex_brosluvr is the hero for coding allll of this masterpost. Please tell her thank you! Below, you will find master lists of all the entries posted to this community for the 2017 spn_j2_bigbang challenge. I encourage you to scroll through the list and look for anything you might have missed. There is some AWESOME fic and some INCREDIBLE art, and it all deserves to be appreciated! If you see any errors, just let me know and I'm happy to correct them. Start getting ready for 2018, I'll see you right back here in January for sign-ups! JARED/JENSEN Fic title: Wandering Lost Link to art: Here Author name: dugindeep Artist name: thruterryseyes Genre: RPS Pairing: Jared/Jensen Word count: 36,000 Summary: Hired by an eccentric billionaire, Jensen is tasked with transporting a '55 Ford F-100 from California to New York. After the car breaks down, he's stuck in the middle of Nebraska and spends a week getting to know a whole mix of oddballs he'd never spend a minute with back in NYC. "Not all who wander are lost," but Jensen's a little of both as he warms up to the townspeople and the local handyman, who is equal parts peculiar and charming. And maybe he even finds himself along the way. 　 Fic title: To Protect Link to art: Here Author name: twoboys2love Artist name: 2blueshoes Genre: SPN RPS AU Pairing: Jared/Jensen Rating: Explicit Word count: 27,000 Warnings: Vague references to anxiety, hurt!Jensen, hurt!JDM, UST, violence, firearms, bottom!Jensen, assault Summary: Jensen is a famous author of horror novels. He gets his inspiration from his nightmares and fears. When he moves to an isolated house, he picks up a "stalker" who sends him vaguely threatening letters and flowers. His agent and long-time friend, JDM, hires a retired cop as live-in security for Jensen. As Jared makes himself at home in the house, on the grounds and the pool, they develop a friendship with tantalizing possibilities. What are Jared's motives for the friendship? Is JDM jealous or protective? Jensen ends up with two people he trusts pitted against each other. 　 Fic title: Come What May Link to art: Here Author name: hideurdemoneyes Artist name: quickreaver Genre: RPS AU Pairing: Jared/Jensen Rating: NC-17 Word count: ~32k Warnings: major angst, fluff, smut, major character death, modern day AU, prostitute!Jensen, writer!Jared, swearing, bottom!Jared, top!Jensen, implied past Jensen/others, implied bottom!Jensen, terminal illness, virgin!Jared, anal sex, anal fingering, rimming, drinking, attempted non-con, mild violence, singing, light feminization Summary: San Francisco, mid-2000's. Jared is fresh off the bus, a wild-eyed dreamer from Texas searching for fame and romance. He finds himself in an unexpected friendship with t he eccentric Misha and his gang of aspiring theatre folk, allowing them to introduce him to the seedy underbelly of the performance world. Along the way, Jared falls madly in love with the star of the failing Castro Theatre, Jensen. But there's another man out for Jensen's affections - the rich, powerful, and sadistic Jeffrey. Based as an AU of Moulin Rouge!, Jared and Jensen's tale is the greatest love story ever told -- and the greatest tragedy of this modern era. 　 Fic title: Forgiving the Past, Finding the Future Link to art: Here Author name: morganadw Artist name: white_laurel Genre: J2 AU Pairing: Jensen Ackles/Jared Padalecki Rating: R Word count: 44,176 Warnings: This may contain slight triggers but nothing is shown and most of the serious trauma/abuse is in the past and mentioned in dialogue or description. This is a bottom!Jared fic as well that includes some minor kink and use of handcuffs. See tags and warnings on actual AO3 story post. Summary: Jensen Ackles & Jared Padalecki were once best friends and high school sweethearts in their small hometown of Paxton, Texas. They had plans to run away to start college & their life together on their terms until the night of graduation when betrayal and lies ruined those plans. A decade later found Jared returning back to the town he hated & finding himself confronted by Jensen, the man he believes lied and used him. Jensen wants answers as to why Jared not only ran away without any explanation but also now hates him. Upon learning the truth of that fateful night, Jensen uses some unconventional methods and his job as sheriff to get Jared to listen. He realizes he also has some listening to do as some of what Jared's done comes to light. The former flames must come to grips with their pasts and the events that led to their breakup. They will have to learn to forgive in order to heal and start moving forward towards a future they both still want. 　 Fic title: My Secret Heart Link to art: Here Author name: storyspinner70 Artist name: meesasometimes Genre: RPS Pairing: Jensen/Jared Rating: NC-17 Word count: 25,154 Warnings: bottom!Jared, top!Jensen, OCD!Jensen, genderqueer!Jared, m/m, light angst, schmoop, homophobia Summary: Jared isn’t obsessed with Jensen Ackles. Except, you know, that he really kind of is. A moment of clumsiness brings him into Jensen's life and they start a tentative friendship. As they get closer, they learn exactly how true the old adage is – you can never judge a book by its cover. He learns how Jensen struggles with OCD and the nightmare the world can be for him. He also learns Jensen is a safe place for him to lay his own secrets, and that not everyone will laugh at an all american college boy who, some days, wants nothing more than to be beautiful. College age AU. Reduced age gap boys. Genderqueer!Jared, OCD!Jensen, Not a cross dressing fic. 　 Fic title: Wake Me Up When September Ends Link to art: Here Author name: lullysg Artist name: kaelysta Genre: RPF AU Pairing: Jared/Jensen Rating: NC-17 Word count: 131k Warnings: descriptions of September 11th attack (only in the first couple of chapters), permanent injury, physical disability, PTSD, survivor’s guilt, alcoholism, depression, substance abuse, accidental overdose, a lot of angst, hurt/comfort, hurt!Jared Summary: It started out as a regular Tuesday morning in New York City. The sun was bright in the sky when at 8:46 a.m., a plane crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center. 2,606 people died in there that day, but there were also survivors. Jared and Jensen meet for the first time in a night that hadn't gone so well for either of them, and they build an instant connection. An unplanned second encounter happens while a building is threatening to collapse on their heads, and an impossible choice has to be made. The attack leaves deep scars, both physically and mentally, and they are going to learn that the hardest part wasn’t surviving September 11th. Finding the strength to keep living in the aftermath of what that day caused is what proves to be the real challenge, especially when the light at the end of the tunnel seems impossible to reach. 　 Fic title: When the Devil Came to Pluto Link to art: Here Author name: tsuki_no_bara Artist name: amberdreams Genre: RPS Pairing: Jared/Jensen Rating: PG Word count: 21,300 Warnings: Chad. Asexual!Jensen. A certain amount of historical hand waving. Non-CW actors. Summary: The New Mexico territory in the 1870s is a vast and wild place, all scrubland and hills and mystery, home to gunslingers and miners and working girls and scattered native tribes. Jared and Jensen live in a little mining town called Pluto, keeping the peace for a brothel and occasionally checking up on the mine. The land around them is full of secrets and stories, which Jared is eager to learn and share. And then one night Jensen vanishes and Jared sets off through the desert to find him. A herd of ghost ponies brings him to the devil's front door, and even though the devil is not what Jared was expecting, he still thinks they can make a deal so he can get Jensen back. 　 Fic title: Bound Link to art: Here Author name: junkerin Artist name: emmatheslayer Genre: RPS Pairing: Jensen/Jared, Jensen/Misha (mentioned), Jensen/Lehne (non-con) Rating: NC-17 Word count: 35,809 Warnings: Non-con, slavery Summary: Thanks to nanobots humanity got finally rid of all diseases. Or so they thought. That was when "Omega" the last disease hits. It leaves the patient paralyzed while conscious. Catlin Padalecki finds a treatment in form of bonds or tapes that enables the "omegas" to move again. But her invention gets misused and sends the omegas into slavery. 25 years later Jensen Ackles is a freed omega who works with the resistance. He wants to pressure Catlin into helping them. But he only finds her son Jared and Jared is to not willing to help even after Jensen makes him an omega too. Can the two stubborn men overcome their differences? Will they be able to overcome hate and prejudice in order to free the omegas and to set right what once went wrong? 　 Fic title: A Song in the Stars Link to art: Here Author name: strive2bhappy Artist name: immortalfire13 Genre: RPS Pairing: J2 Rating: NC-17 Word count: 40,000 Warnings: mentions of past torture, scarring from said torture, a bit of blood from overuse of powers Summary: Jared Padalecki has dreamed of taking to the skies since he was five-years-old. When he becomes an adult and builds a spaceship of his own, he gets to do just that, looking for adventure -- little did he know the adventure waiting for him. Jensen Ackles is born part human, part Terryn and his life as an outcast is difficult -- music is his only real escape. When he's captured by the Dominion, an organization hell-bent on taking over every galaxy in every way they can, he's used as a lab experiment to see how his special, combined heritage can be advantageous for them. Fleeing Dominion control, he vows to himself, they will never find him again. A chance meeting between Jared and Jensen helps both of them get what they're looking for -- and the way things end up, it may have been more than just chance. From various planets throughout different galaxies, to nights under the stars in space, Jared and Jensen find in each other something worth fighting -- and possibly dying -- for. 　 Fic title: Silly Love Songs Link to art: Here Author name: nerdypastrychef Artist name: liliaeth Genre: RPS Pairing: Jared/Jensen Rating: NC17 Word count: 28,436 Summary: Jensen’s life revolves around love songs. He feels about music the way that most kids feel about Disney movies. They all have a special place in his heart and all of his important memories are embedded with a soundtrack of his favorites. Jared, on the other hand, doesn’t care much about music beyond background noise and love songs are low on his list. But when he moves into a new apartment in downtown Austin his neighbor’s singing through their shared walls start to change his mind. A love story told in three acts. A YouTube Playlist for the music. 　 Fic title: Open Warfare: The Secret of a Successful Marriage Link to art: Here Author name: whiskygalore Artist name: magic_penguin Genre: RPS Pairing: J2 Rating: NC-17 Word count: 40k Warnings: Omega Jensen, Alpha Jared, Age switch, Very brief attempted non-con, and potty mouthed boys. Summary: There was a time that arranged marriages for Omegas were a common occurrence: thirty or forty years ago. Now, thankfully, Omegas have the same rights as everyone else, are free to live their own lives, to marry whomever they choose. Except for Jensen. Because, in a move that will save Ackles’ Systems from bankruptcy, Jensen’s dad has just signed him up for an arranged marriage to Jared Padalecki. Unfortunately, Jared is an idiot with a poor choice in friends, and Jensen is a stubborn dick with an unconventional profession, so it’s no surprise when their marriage quickly degenerates into a state of open warfare. 　 Fic title: The Pie that Binds Link to art: Here Author name: herminekurotowa Artist name: liliaeth Genre: RPS Pairing: Jensen/Jared, Jensen/Matt, Jared/OMC’s Rating: NC-17 Word count: 29,000 Warnings: kidnapping, slavery, non-consensual drug use, most dubious consent due to drug use, attempted rape, minor character deaths, hurt!Jared, hurt!Jensen Summary: Jensen lives in the woods, He'd never thought his sweet tooth could get him into trouble so deep he might drown in it. Jared lives in a palace made of stone because he's the king, but he's not very good at it. 　 Fic title: Till Death Do Us Part Link to art: Here Author name: aggiedoll Artist name: mangacat201 Genre: RPS Pairing: J2 Rating: NC-17 (PG for art) Word count: + ~126k Warnings: major character deaths (for fic, no warnings for art) Summary: When two young men, Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki, bump into each other in the crowded cab zone in front of a bustling airport, in the middle of a fierce comeback of winter in spring time, they don't know yet how their fates will soon intertwine – and how this connection has started years before without them realizing. When the competition between the ruling mob families Jensen and Jared belong to turns into an open war, things start to get out of hand. Mob Family politics threaten to crash and burn the forbidden love, marriages are being plotted, death sentences spoken. A mysterious blue eyed consigliore, called “The Angel” and a ruthless Russian mob boss who likes to call himself Lucifer are woven into the deadly game. A game that might become obsolete, as Jensen is fighting a war of his own against an illness no one knows of, and Jared desperately tries to write his own rules by turning his parents´ schemes against them... 　 Fic title: Therapy Link to art: Here Author name: sanshal Artist name: evian_fork Genre: RPS Pairing: J2 Rating: R Word count: 37,345 Warnings: There are instances of male-nudity, and (because of the theme) descriptions of power-imbalance. Also mentioned are one incident (each) of spanking, diapering, figging and past/off-screen, but referenced instance of self-harm. References to past dub-con. Jared suffers from self-hate/ excessive guilt and self-image issues. Unevenly sized chapters. Some language. ... and I think that covers it? Summary: Jared embarks on a D/S relationship to combat his depression. 　 Fic title: Of Princes and Prophecies Link to art: Here Author name: zubeneschamali Artist name: fridayblues Genre: RPS Pairing: Jared/Jensen Rating: NC-17 Word count: 44,101 Summary: Jared has lost everything thanks to the usurper High King. He can't take any of it back, but he can strike out the only way he knows how: kidnap and ransom. The High King's fiancé is riding across the country and through Jared's forest, and wouldn't he be a fair prize? Jensen has not quite resigned himself to the fate of being the High King's second spouse when bandits strike. If he can get away from them, it might be his only chance for a life of his own. But once he finds out who the bandits' leader really is, everything will change, for himself and for his kingdom. 　 Fic title: The Lighthouse Link to art: Here Author name: timehasa_way Artist name: blondebitz Genre: RPS Pairing: J2 Rating: NC-17 Word count: 21,388 Warnings: top!Jensen, language/sex, some angst, AU Summary: When his adoptive mother loses her eyesight, a clueless Jensen takes her to the San Antonio Lighthouse for the Blind, an organization meant to empower, train, and educate those with her condition. Upon their first visit there, they meet Jared, a helpful volunteer who's been through a similar experience with his grandfather. Jared helps Jensen adjust by befriending him and accompanying him to blindness sensitivity training classes. Jensen comes to realize that he and Jared have a connection he can't ignore, and that this helpful volunteer could be the best thing that's ever happened to both him and the woman who raised him. 　 Fic title: Flickers Upon Cordillera Link to art: Here Author name: cyndrarae Artist name: yanyann Genre: RPS, werewolf lore AU, shifter lore AU, post-apocalyptic AU Pairing: Jensen Ackles/Jared Padalecki (others: Jensen Ackles/Matt Cohen, Jared Padalecki/Adrianne Palicki, Jeffrey Dean Morgan/Andrew Lincoln, etc.) Rating: NC-17 Word count: ~70k Warnings: explicit m/m sex, bottom!Jared, BDSM elements, dubious consent, prostitution, non-graphic violence, character deaths, some heterosexual content, minor characters from cast of The Walking Dead Summary: It’s a brave new post-apocalyptic world. Humans no longer rule the planet, Lorics do. And at the bottom of the food chain are the shifters. This is a world pretending to be better, but racial tensions simmer thick under the surface. Then there’s Jared, genius-level shifter, pretending to be someone pretending to be Jared. And there’s Jensen, powerful Loric Alpha, falling in love with a human but accidentally bonding with a shifter. It’s an epical comedy of errors that snowballs into the biggest socio-political scandal of the millennium. One this brave new post-apocalyptic world sorely needed. 　 Fic title: The Load Link to art: Here Author name: zmphony Artist name: myukur Genre: RPF Pairing: J2 Rating: NC-17 Word count: 56k Warnings: Brief attempted non-con (not main characters), age gap, bottom!Jensen, daddy!kink, explicit sex, language. Summary: Jared had never picked up a hitch-hiker before. He’s spent the last five years behind the wheel of a semi-truck, looking down the endless black ribbon road like the barrel of a gun. This was his job – his life. It’s when he’s passing through Loveland, Colorado, a few weeks into the haul, that he sees him; sitting on the side of Route 287, a few scarce fingers from the yellow line dividing him from the wandering shoulder to Limbo, USA and instantaneous death. His thumb pokes out of a hole in his ratty black gloves, arms covered in flannel and denim, and his whole body is strapped under worn, beaten overalls. The line of his legs, constantly stepping backwards, becomes fractured at the calf where steel-toe boots begin. Overalls, Jared thinks. 　 Fic Title: Yours, Mine, and Ours Link to art: Here Author name: angelzfurys Artist name: bluefire986 Genre: Supernatural RPS Pairing: J2 - Jensen Ackles/Jared Padalecki Rating: NC-17 Word count: 54,000 Warnings: slight but not to detailed self harm and thoughts of suicide, not very detailed car accident with minor injury, male on male sex (just two small scenes) and some teenage sexual exploring in general. Summary: Jared and Jensen have been accidentally switched at birth. They grow up in vastly different circumstances owing to the fact that Jared is a werewolf in a family of humans who sometimes masquerades as the family dog while Jensen is the lone human in his pack and feels ever the third wheel. When the mix up is discovered it shakes up both families and opens a new can of worms for all involved. 　 Fic title: Fair Winds and Following Seas Link to art: Here Author name: riyku Artist name: phoenix1966 Genre: RPS Pairing: Jared/Jensen Rating: NC-17 Word count: 21,000 Warnings: age difference, mentions of permanent injury (not the main characters) Summary: Deadliest Catch AU. Keep your head down. Work hard. Never wear a hat in the wheelhouse or your luck will take a nosedive. This is the rookie advice that Jared gets in his first few days as a deckhand on board an Alaskan crabbing boat, in between catnaps and ice storms, twenty-foot seas and more near misses than he really wants to count. He also learns early mornings followed by late nights aren't enough to kill a person, but ten minutes in below freezing waters might be, and that the biggest favor he can do for himself is to try and stay on the captain's good side. Jensen rose quickly through the ranks to become one of the youngest captains the fleet has ever seen, but he has been around long enough to know that no one ever gets through a season without a few battle scars. It's Jared's quick wit, sarcastic mouth, and a particular sort of point-of-no-return look about him that makes Jensen hire Jared on a whim, reminds Jensen a little of himself fifteen years ago. There's nothing better than watching the morning break over the bow of the ship - Jensen just needs to keep Jared alive and well long enough for the kid to figure that out for himself. 　 Fic title: Breaking the Ice Link to art: Here Author name: ashtraythief Artist name: dancing_adrift Genre: RPS Pairing: Jared/Jensen Rating: NC-17 Word count: ~70k Summary: Jared has been harboring a crush on Jensen, the prince from the far north, ever since he was fourteen, so when his parents announce that they’ve chosen Jensen as his husband, Jared couldn’t be happier. But when Jensen arrives in Scayen, Jared realizes that there’s more to him than meets the eye — and even more that Jensen doesn’t want Jared to see. But it shouldn’t take much more than Jared’s sunny charm to melt Jensen’s icy facade, right? Except it isn’t so easy dealing with cultural differences and misunderstandings; sometimes it takes a lot of food, some good friends’ advice, a little kitten, and even a bit of magic to overcome a rocky start. 　 Fic title: Love is a Burning Thing and It Makes a Fiery Ring Link to art: Here Author name: deanshot Artist name: bflyw Genre: RPS AU Pairing: J2 Rating: NC-17 Word count: 32,759 Warnings: Bottom Jensen, scenes of fire damage Summary: Fire, one of nature’s purest forms consumes as it goes, caressing the earth in its fiery grip, like a serpents tongue it flickers and wraps its coils around living things before turning them black as life departs. Being part of the Glenveagh Fire search and rescue team was a dream job for Jared. But being part of a community that cared for each other and had no problem with Jared loving another man who happened to be the most gorgeous green eyed man he had ever met but also understood Jared’s passion for his job. Everything was going well until on a seemingly normal sunny day, one fights to stay alive while the other has to wait at his boyfriend’s base of operations. Each one living through their darkest day not knowing if they’ll see each other again. 　 Fic title: The Deeper Illusion Link to art: Here Author name: hybridshade Artist name: riverofwind Genre: RPS, AU Pairing: J2 Rating: Nc-17 Word count: 37k Warnings: includes some minor/previous pairings other than J2, dub-con situations, mind control, power imbalance, injured!Jensen Summary: Agent Jared Padalecki of the FBI's Magical Injustices Division is just doing his job when his team manages to capture high-level magic user and thief extraordinaire, Jensen Ackles. The takedown seems way too easy for Jared's liking, but Jensen refuses to divulge his motives until an attack on his life forces him to give up a name. That name is JD Morgan - an infamous mind-weaver and all-round bad guy that the MID has been quietly hunting for years. Using Jensen as bait, the Bureau decides to tie him and Jared together in more ways than one, and neither is particularly happy about the new arrangement. However, in the process of luring Morgan out into the open, Jensen's precariously kept secrets threaten to be exposed, and he and Jared may just be forced to put their lives on the line. 　 Fic title: Swallowing Matches Link to art: Here Author name: sleepypercy Artist name: emmatheslayer Genre: RPS AU Pairing: J2 Rating: NC-17 Word count: 32k Warnings: underage sexual content (younger Jared is the aggressor) starting at 13, implications of violence, actual violence, serial killers, rough sex, toxic relationships, bottom Jensen, Jensen/OMC Summary: Jared's a budding serial killer and Jensen's the boy next door who sometimes baby-sits. They've always been obsessed with each other, and Jared's always been able to get Jensen to do anything he wants. The problem is, Jared gets jealous. And when Jensen hits high school, Jared's not the only one who notices how pretty the boy is. 　 Fic title: Singularity Link to art: Here Author name: paleogymnast Artist name: lightthesparks Genre: RPS (sci fi au) Pairing: Jared/Jensen Rating: R Word count: 21,000 Warnings: descriptions and discussion of terrorism, war crimes, violence to children, and other unsettling subjects in a sci-fi setting; nonconsensual body modification; slavery; xenophobia; apartheid, other dystopian elements, and widespread mindf*ckery Summary: Thousands of years ago, humans left Earth and traveled to the stars. Hundreds of years later, humans left Earth once again, and founded a new home, New Terra. New Terra exists in peace, but danger lurks in her past, and the calm is nothing but a paper-thin illusion. War is returning—a centuries-old conflict between humans and "Pios," the pioneers who left earth hundreds of years before the settlers of New Terra. Will Jensen unlock the mystery of his past? Will Special Agent Jared Padalecki find the traitor responsible for the worst act of terrorism in New Terra's history? Or will their shared secrets push them towards a deeper hidden truth? 　 Fic title: Mayhem Afloat Link to art: Here Author name: candygramme and spoonlessone Artist name: thruterryseyes Genre: (rps) Pairing: Jared/Jensen Rating: NC-17 Word count: 33,572 Warnings: Minor Character Death Summary: A cruise should be a relaxing vacation away from the worries of the everyday world, but with an international assassin running wild, not to mention a master jewel thief, relaxing is the last word Jared Padalecki would use to describe his voyage. Fortunately there's a really hot lounge singer onboard to help take his mind off things. 　 Fic title: ...and heartbreak ensued Link to art: Here Author name: cillab42 Artist name: jessie_cristo73 Genre: SPN RPF Pairing: Jared/Jensen, Chris Kane/Steve Carlson, Tom Welling/Mike Rosenbaum, Chad Michael Murray/Matt Cohen Rating: NC-17 Word count: 75,041 Warnings: mentions of abortion, miscarriage, mpreg, A/B/O, werewolves, omegaverse, top!Jensen, Bottom!Jared, suicide attempt Summary: Jared loves Jensen, he does; he just doesn’t like being an Omega. He’s assimilating, but he’ll never be the perfect Omega that society demands. After a year of hell, he’s still attempting to reconcile who he was with who he is now and the answers aren’t easy. Especially when Jared spends his free time dreaming of subjugating his Alpha and have Jensen bend to his will. Jared plans to continue to struggle against his mate’s authority until Jensen comes to the aid of two Omegas whose problem takes up Jensen’s time and awaken a jealousy in Jared he wasn’t aware he had the capacity to feel. 　 Fic title: Untitled Superheroes or Why you should never let the media decide your superhero name Link to art: Here Author name: shadowcat_spn Artist name: siennavie Genre: RPS Pairing: Jared/Jensen Rating: NC-17 Word count: 20k Warnings: Swearing, description of violence and injuries (minor, not too graphic), sexual situations, implied!bottom Jared Summary: Splashing color from your fingertips isn't the greatest superpower to have. But when a new villain emerges who only brings darkness it is left to a young reporter and his disabled chameleon to save the city. And maybe fall in love with his roommate along the way... Featuring Jared as a reluctant hero with a peculiar gift and a sense for bad timing, lots of color being splashed around and two boys being oblivious to what is right in front of them. Or: The hero and the villain unknowingly share a flat. 　 Fic title: Blues in the Night Link to art: Here Author name: oobydooby67 Artist name: beelikej Genre: J2 RPS Pairing: Jared/Jensen Rating: NC-17 Word count: 33,000 Warnings: Vampire AU, blood, blood kink, graphic sex, PTSD, WWII, graphic violence, depiction of war, minor character death, implied character death, torture, angst, explicit sex/language. Summary: The search for a missing elder leads Jensen to Los Angeles, California. It is his responsibility to question contacts and connections about Tyman, who has not been heard from or seen in a year. Frustrated with the search, Jensen meets a human who claims to have had a casual relationship with Tyman. Jared trades information for two pastrami sandwiches and ten thousand dollars. Unfortunately, after the trade, Jensen is no closer to finding Tyman, and a lot closer to Jared than he ever thought possible. 　 Fic title: The Wounded Don't Cry Link to art: Here Author name: pinkisgoth Artist name: sinnerforhire Genre: RPS Pairing: Jared/Jensen Rating: PG-13 (technically under the MPAA: R for language) Word count: 87k Summary: When artist Jensen Ackles moved to the Pacific Northwest from the southwest with his family – adoptive father Jeff and adoptive brothers Chris and Quinn – it gave him a chance to paint a whole new world of mountains and forest at the beautiful plateau near Mount Rainier. Two years later, disaster struck when Jensen was the victim of a violent attack that left his hands permanently injured to the point that he could no longer paint. During the two years since then, he has spent days helping his father and brother at the farm, café and draft horse rescue that has become the center of their lives on the plateau while slowly recovering, physically and mentally. One day their world is shaken when their new neighbor – a local tycoon infamous for his ruthless business methods – informs them that the survey line on their property is wrong and they are about to lose almost a third of their pasture to him. That is, unless one of them can work for him for a year, in which case he will deed over the property. Jensen goes to work for their mysterious new neighbors – coffee magnate Jared Padalecki and his lawyer Matt Cohen – but is shocked to discover one of his own paintings hanging in the house. As the past is slowly revealed and revisited, their lives are increasingly intertwined until the fateful day where all their lives may be changed – or destroyed – forever. 　 Fic title: Gladiator: A love story Link to art: Here Author name: zara_zee Artist name: evian_fork Genre: J2 RPS Pairing: Jared/Jensen Rating: NC-17 Word count: 29,930 Warnings: violence, minor and spn-canon character deaths, torture, references to animal deaths, references to executions, m/m sex, slavery, branding, corporal punishment, non-con touching, attempted assault, non-graphic references to non-con and dub-con, fanciful Romanization of names, anachronistic language. Probably. Well it’s not ancient Latin, anyway. Summary: As a second son, Jensen Akelsen of Cimbria will never inherit the family farm, so he travels to Rome with a trader to join the Auxilia—the non-citizen corps of the Roman Imperial Army. Unfortunately, Jensen’s travel companion proves less than trustworthy and he finds himself sold into slavery. Jensen’s fighting skills see him bought by Ludus Armentarius, the training school which owns the most popular—and most terrifying—gladiator in all of Rome; the infamous Colossus, Jared of Illyria. Bitterly angry and struggling to adjust, the very last thing Jensen expects to find in his new life is friendship, romance and love. 　 Fic title: You're My Mortal Flaw; I'm Your Fatal Sin Link to art: Here Author name: backrose_17 Artist name: banbury Genre: RPS AU Pairing: Jensen/Jared Rating: Mature with a few NC-17 scenes Word count: 31,522 Warnings: Minor character death, top!Jensen, bottom!Jared, child trauma Summary: Jared has always been a fan of heroes and hopes to someday be the sidekick to his favorite hero the Dragon. What he didn't expect was one of the Dragon's worst villains to kill his parents and his life changed forever after that night. Being the adopted son of his hero's alter ego Jeffrey Dean Morgan Jared vows to do whatever it takes to prove himself to Jeff that he is a worthy hero. The day that Jensen Ackles and the new villain Chaos arrive into his life Jared's world is altered once again. Jared finds himself swept off his feet by Jensen and unable to say no to Chaos as Tempest. He has no clue what Chaos and Jensen are the same people, they, on the other hand, have known for a while who he is and plan to never let him go. If Jared knew what was waiting for him in the shadows he would have been happy dealing with the fact that his boyfriend was a dangerous villain. 　 Fic title: Muse FM Link to art: Here Author name: cleflink Artist name: dollarformyname Genre: RPS Pairing: Jared/Jensen Rating: PG Word count: 31,920 Warnings: Fantasy violence Summary: Jared's job is boring, boring, boring. As a night security guard, he protects empty buildings by sitting on his ass and watching the security cameras while listening to a lot of talk radio. Not exactly the life he dreamed of for himself but hey, it's a living. When he gets chosen for a new job babysitting the front desk at Muse FM radio station, Jared's mostly expecting more of the same. He's not expecting Jensen, the mysterious, hoodie-wearing host of Muse FM's overnight show, to catch his interest quite so thoroughly, or to be quite so difficult to figure out. He's not expecting so many unanswered questions about what, exactly, he's supposed to be protecting Jensen from. He's also not expecting to care so much about either of those things. Oh, and he's definitely not expecting the monsters. 　 Fic title: Shipwreck Between Your Ribs Link to art: Here Author name: cherie_morte Artist name: cassiopeia7 Genre: RPS Pairing: Jared/Jensen Rating: NC-17 Word count: 40,913 Warnings: Explicit sexual content and mental illness (supernaturally induced depression, suicidal ideation). Consent issues typical of selkie tales are not present between the main pairing but are discussed. Summary: AU: All Jensen wanted was a nice month at the beach. What he got was an over-affectionate seal that happens to turn into a hot guy when no one else is around. Jared makes Jensen’s summer better than he ever could have expected, but when his vacation is up and he has to return to the real world, Jensen finds that he's fallen in love with someone who can only truly love the ocean. 　 SAM/DEAN Fic title: Sometimes Love Don't Feel Like It Should Link to art: Here Author name: amypond45 Artist name: stormbrite Genre: Wincest Pairing: Sam/Dean Rating: PG-13 for show-level violence, sexual suggestiveness, bad language, dark themes Word count: 27,784 Warnings: suggested non-con, self-harm, addiction, sibling incest (not explicit) Summary: Investigating a rodent problem in the bunker, Sam and Dean find a magic door that reveals alternate realities, worlds that came into being when Dean made different choices throughout his life, sometimes disastrous ones. When Dean finds another version of his little brother, one who is wounded and alone and needs his help, his instincts lead to potential disaster as he learns that things aren't always what they seem. 　 Fic title: Flyover States Link to art: Here Author name: tardisonameter Artist name: badbastion Genre: Wincest Pairing: Sam/Dean Rating: NC-17 Word count: 32,000 Warnings: sexual content, canon-typical violence, angst Summary: Sam's world tips on its axis after his girlfriend dies in a fire and his brother is the only thing that keeps him from drowning. Despite his every intention to hunt down the demon that killed both Jessica and his mother 22 years ago and then returning to his studies, that plan grows more and more distant. The ever-presence of Dean's care morphs into something else over time, born from the need for comfort and fueled by danger and desperation, and Sam realizes something about the both of them. But transitioning from being brothers that are just beginning to find their way around each other again to something more, something that could potentially destroy them for good, is anything but easy. 　 Fic title: Seven Rows of Seven Link to art: Here Author name: smalltrolven Artist name: tx_devilorangel Genre: Wincest Pairing: Sam/Dean Rating: NC-17 Word count: 28,500 Summary: Soulless Sam reconsiders the leprechaun’s offer to retrieve his soul from the Cage. As they leave Elwood, Indiana behind them, Soulless Sam reads the fairy spell book in the car and weighs the pros and cons of giving up the freedom of being without a soul. Due to a series of ill-considered decisions, the payment of boons owed to the fairies cause changes to the brothers' relationship that have been a lifetime in the making. 　 Fic title: The lost plateau - The lost daughter Link to art: Here Author name: siriala Artist name: kuwlshadow Genre: Wincest AU, partial fusion with The Lost World Pairing: Dean/Sam Rating: NC-17 Word count: 30k Warnings: hurt Dean and hurt Sam, bottom!Sam, top!Dean, human Castiel, animalistic Impala, dinosaurs, ghosts and demons Summary: Still trapped on the plateau without the first clue about a way to escape, the members of the Campbell-Singer expedition settle in their new lives through more adventures and strange discoveries : backbreaking work down in the mines, ghosts and monsters, deadly volcano and ceremonial caverns ! The Winchester brothers and their allies might stand a chance of surviving all foes and obstacles if they prove smarter than the traitor in their midst, ready to take advantage of their weaknesses to get what he wants more than anything. Notes : this fic is a sequel to my 2016 bigbang, The lost plateau – The lost brother. If you haven't read it, you'll find everything you need to know in the new story. 　 Fic title: I Wanna Live With You (Even When We‘re Ghosts) Link to art: Here Author name: runedgirl Artist name: alexxkah Genre: Wincest Pairing: Sam/Dean Rating: NC-17 Word count: 23,400 Warnings: Character death (Dean is a ghost), suicidal ideation Summary: The Winchesters learned a long time ago that it takes more than death to part them. But Dean didn’t count on two things when he decided to stick around – Sam harbors feelings that aren’t just brotherly for him, and Bobby was right about what eventually happens to ghosts. 　 Fic title: Moments Lost Link to art: Here Author name: milly_gal Artist name: stormbrite Genre: Wincest Pairing: Sam/Dean. Pre-Crowley/Castiel Rating: NC-17 Word count: 29,780 Warnings: Temporary Major Character Death. Suicide. Blood, guts and gore. Dark Themes. Time Travelling Winchesters Summary: Sam's gone, Dean's barely holding on, and Castiel - well, Castiel's left nursing a man who's already given up. When Dean decides The Empty would be preferable to a life without his brother, Castiel has to find a way to scrub the red from his clothes and fix the world, a world that needs the Winchesters. It takes a deal with a deity who wants nothing more than to see the Winchesters burn, a reforming of old friendships, and an alliance with an unholy creature to bring Sam back into play and stop Dean making a cataclysmic mistake (again). Now, all that's stopping the universe being shredded is a group of individuals that make absolutely no sense: two desperate and disheveled Hunters, one half flaccid Angel, and a Demon who doesn't know which side of the fence he's sitting on any more. Can Dean let go of this Sam? Will Crowley finally pick a side? Can Castiel live with his guilt? Who knows, but one thing is set in stone: The Winchesters and their family never give up without a fight and they'll take whoever they need to, down with them. 　 Fic title: (Only) the Gods Can Dwell Forever Link to art: Here Author name: swan_song21 Artist name: blackrabbit42 Genre: wincest Pairing: Sam Winchester/Dean Winchester Rating: NC-17 Word count: +34k Warnings: graphic descriptions of violence Summary: In his desperation to save his brother from The Mark of Cain, Sam makes a pact with Ishtar, the Sumerian goddess of love. The story follows Sam as he struggles to finish his quest, and comes to terms with his relationship with Dean. Only to discover that the solution has been with him all along. 　 Fic title: Stillness in Winter Link to art: Here Author name: glasslogic Artist name: blythechild Genre: Wincest - unrelated , slash Pairing: Dean/Sam Rating: R Word count: 34k Warnings: Vampires, Murder and slow, sleepy sex Summary: As the world around him gives up its autumn colors and settles down into the long cold of winter, Sam's own body is finally slowing into its own kind of hibernation. Deep in the mountains with only Dean and a broken laptop for company, isolation is their best defense against the outside world during the vulnerability of Sam's transformation. Sam didn't expect becoming a vampire to be easy, but he didn't expect almost a decade of being mind-numbingly bored either. He should have remembered that the world has cures for boredom – and the cure is always worse than the disease.　 Fic title: The Many Bitchfaces of Sam Winchester Link to art: Here Author name: majestic_duxk Artist name: stargazingchola Genre: Gen Rating: PG Word count: 22400 Warnings: canonical death, but not all canonical deaths, show level violence, spn au, John Winchester neutral, canon verse, canon divergent, brotherly relationship, angst, misunderstandings Summary: Sam's always had a way with words. Dean's always admired it, respected it. But what he can do with a single facial expression? That's pure genius. 　 Fic title: A Step Beyond Logic Link to art: Here Author name: firesign10 Artist name: red_b_rackham Genre: Gen Rating: R Word count: 20,760 Warnings: Major Character Death, Side Character Deaths Summary: When Gadreel kills Kevin, it triggers a series of personal losses and grief that devastate Dean. He continues to hunt, but travels a path of moral ambiguity, self-searching, and analysis that ultimately leads him to take drastic action. Working with Rowena, Dean confronts God (Chuck) and seeks to violently reshape the world on a scale that even the Winchesters have never attempted before. Fic title: Through the Valley of the Shadow of Death Link to art: Here Author name: ameraleigh Artist name: kuwlshadow Genre: SPN AU Pairing: Dean/Cas Rating: R Word count: 31191 Warnings: character death, sexual content, horror elements Summary: When Sam came home, they thought that their troubles would be over. That they could get back the normal life they craved so much but when the demon who had spent more than a decade torturing them threatens to take away everything and everyone they love; Sam and Dean are forced to team up with Crowley via a binding spell. Instead of normal they are forced to deal with the horrors of time travel, curses, evil spirits, the devil and a weapon that could potentially blow up their entire lives. Continues on from His Name Was Death and Hell Followed with Him. Fic title: Curse Breaker Link to art: Here Author name: all_the_damned Artist name: m14mouse Genre: Supernatural AU Pairing: Dean/Castiel, Sam/Castiel, Dean/Sam/Castiel Rating: NC-17 Word count: 50,722 Warnings: Mystery, Horror, Memory manipulation, Spells and curses, Light blasphemy, Brief references to torture--including sexual assault and mutilation, War, Demon deals, Hellhounds, Blood drinking, Slavery, Immortality, Deception and lies, Sibling Rivalry, Wings, Rimming, Biting, Anal, Hand feeding, Humiliation, Service Submission, Magically induced asexuality, Complicated book restoration Summary: In Heaven, all angels bow to Michael, immortal god and supreme ruler, the architect of peace and order. At his command, Castiel, a humble librarian, is sent to Hell to serve as ambassador, the liaison between regimented Heaven and unruly Hell. Castiel doesn't feel up to the task, especially after meeting Lord Winchester, the charismatic and cruel ruler of a large territory in Hell. At Winchester Hall Castiel finds secrets, lies and manipulations. But he may also find the answer to the disturbing dreams that have long disrupted his sleep. Fic title: Sweets For My Sweet Link to art: Here Author name: ascn Artist name: knowmefirst Genre: SPN AU Pairing: Sabriel Rating: NC-17 Word count: 24k Warnings: Gore, Murder, Blood, Blood-play, Mental Illness, Hallucinations, Injury, Bleeding, Serial Killers, Psychology, mentions of abuse, mentions of sex trafficking, death Summary: Serial killers Sam Winchester and Gabriel Novak dole out their brand of poetic justice as the Karma Killers, disposing of those who have slipped through the law's fingers. After a botched kill tears them apart, leaving Gabriel in jail and Sam floundering on his own, the two Killer lovebirds have to find a way to be together, or die trying. 　 from Supernatural and J-Squared Big Bang Challenge! http://ift.tt/2ucrgza

#supernatural #J2 #big bang #spn-j2-bigbang #livejournal #fanworks

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Sept. 25, 2019: Columns

Angel

The Lucky Dog...

By KEN WELBORN

Record Publisher

In August 14th column I told about having a new dog, Angel.

Angel is a bull terrier and labrador mix, white as snow with a few black freckles--and yes, she could be the sister of my dog Powder.

Powder died of an aggressive cancer at only 9 years old in February of 2018, and who I have grieved over ever since.

As noted then, in particular, my son, Sam, tried to find me another dog--calling me with strays, rescue dogs, puppies, and abandonments from mutts to pedigrees. He even found three cats that needed a home.

Well, when he saw Angel and her uncanny resemblance to Powder, he told the folks keeping her to please hold on to her a few days until his dad could see her, telling them, "If Pop sees this dog, she will have hit the dog lottery."

That was a great line, but I am the one who hit the lottery.

When I picked her up, I asked Sam if she liked to ride. Before he could say one way or another, she had jumped into my pickup, stuck her head out the window, and in her own way said, "Let's go." Before I had reached the interstate, Angel was sitting snuggled up next to me like a 16-year-old girl out on a date with her boyfriend.

On the way home, I worried she would cry all night, so later I made her a good bed on the floor at the end of my bed. I checked on her off and on all night, and she was sleeping like the proverbial baby. At about 5 a.m., I rolled over to go to the bathroom and, before I knew it, this huge dog tongue had slurped into my ear, across my nose, and all over my mouth and face. When I finally got upright, Angel was sitting there, smiling as only a dog can.

At that moment, I ceased to be Angel's owner, because clearly, she now owned me.

This past weekend, I took Angel to the Carolina in the Fall Music and Food Festival in Wilkesboro a couple of times. First when I went to pick up my credentials, while we were waiting in the tent next to the ticket booth, several folks stopped to pet Angel as she looked up at them and wagged her tail. One couple in particular made the comment that they were dog people and she literally sat down on the pavement to play with Angel. After a bit they went on into the festival but soon returned--laughing as they told me they had such a good time playing with Angel they forgot to buy their tickets.

But the best part was on Saturday evening. I was signed up to work the night shift for Rotary at the Artists Merchandise Tent. When I went home to check on Angel, I just could not leave her again, and took her with me to the Festival. Since I was the de facto greeter at the entrance to the tent, Angel was the perfect partner. Everybody wanted to pet her and she wanted everyone to pet her, so everyone was happy. After about an hour, Angel stopped even looking and smiling at folks as they walked up, and just flopped down on her back so they could easily scratch under her chin and give her a belly rub. It was just plain fun to watch.

Angel has got to be the most social animal I have ever seen, and there is really no doubt who the big winner is in he story of Ken and his Angel--for I am surely "The Lucky Dog."

The Gospels: Conventional Wisdom Is Not Heresy

By HEATHER DEAN

Record Reporter

Rev. James Martin, an American Jesuit priest, is known for his outspokenness for accepting all of God’s children, especially the outcast.

He wrote a book entitled “Building a Bridge,” in which he urged the Church to create a dialogue and find common ground with the LGBTQ+ community who feel estranged because of social and religious stigma.

The subject always seems to ruffle some feathers of the most pious, but so did the son of God; what with talking back to the priests as a child, chasing the church leaders out of the temple with whips, slinging political insults toward the Herrod. His ministry consisted of taking in the undesirables: the prostitutes, anarchists, embezzlers, politicians, heretics, lepers, immigrants, and tax collectors.

Yet the backlash of being an inclusive continues to grow, despite us being taught otherwise. “Good Christians” hardening their hearts, slinging insults, hateful rhetoric, judging, labeling, sending death threats, even beating or killing those they think unworthy. That goes against everything I was ever taught raised in a Christian religion. I still believe that compassion and love is the way to live a good life, even though I was betrayed by the hypocrisy and misogyny, including sexual assault, from those I trusted most in the congregation.

Jesus, and other prophets, said not to be a jerk and that's what I try to live by. Though I do not subscribe to Christian theology these days, being a good human is all encompassing. Sometimes, however, we have to rely on the Constitution to bring us back to an objective center in deciding what is for the good of “we the people,” not just one color or one religion, “defending against enemies both foreign and domestic.” According to the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) the number of hate groups in the U.S. is the highest in 20 years.

This week in the news we saw two huge steps in progressing “liberty and justice for all.”

A federal judge ruled that an anti-LGBTQ Florida-based church can be labeled a hate group by SPLC as a matter of free speech, as the church “maligns the entire LGBT community.”

The Department of Homeland Security, created after the 9/11 attacks, has added white supremacy to its list of domestic terrorism threats. Kevin McAleenan, the acting secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, said that recent mass shootings had “galvanized the Department of Homeland Security to expand its counterterrorism mission focus beyond terrorists operating aboard. The continuing menace of racially based violent extremism, particularly white supremacist extremism, is an abhorrent affront to our nation, the struggle and unity of its diverse population, and the core values of both our society and our department.”

Pope Francis received backlash once again because the most conservative of his flock want him to be stricter, less accommodating and stop reaching out and engaging others, especially those that don’t fit into the niche that the Church has worked so hard over the past thousand years to control. He told them no, because that is not what Christ did.

Now, this is sure to ruffle more feathers, especially those claiming they are only protecting their Christian beliefs in some imagined war against them, but let me bring you back to beginning of the conversation and let you decide what the prophet would really do.

Jesus never said you were going to like what happened in the world. He laid the groundwork of how to deal with it, and he said not to let it get to you, because GOD was the end-all-be-all when it came down to judging and deciding who would make it into the kingdom of heaven. (James 4:12)

The good book also says that the Old Testament Laws (over 600 of them) are now void because Jesus paved the path of faith with love, and to obey the Christ, because LOVE is the new law. (Gal. Chapters 3-6)

The least you do this to others you do it to me. (Matt. 25:40)

“If we can’t even begin a dialogue without being considered a heretic, then we need to take a good look at how we understand the gospel.” –Reverend Martin.

A piece of the untold story

By AMBASSADOR EARL COX and KATHLEEN COX

Friday marks the end of the work week in Israel. It is a time for rest and for extended families to get together to keep the Shabbat. What does this mean? According to the Torah (first five books of the Bible), Shabbat commemorates the day God rested from creating the world. It is a day of peace and holiness offering all those who are observant an opportunity to contemplate the spiritual aspects of life and to spend time with family.

Let’s take a look at the land of "camels, sand and sandals." This is what the left-leaning media would have us believe about Israel. The truth is, Israel is light-years ahead of most of the world in science, medicine, technology, agriculture, research and development, aerospace, military defense and intelligence gathering, pharmaceuticals, telecommunications, computer hardware and software, and the list goes on. Most major companies have their R&D facilities hear in Israel. Worldwide, Israel is known as "the start-up nation." It is home to major players in the high tech industry. Israeli schools produce some of the best and brightest minds in the world therefore Israel has the most technologically literate population in the world. Tiny Israel, no bigger than New Jersey which is one of the smallest states in the United States, has more Nobel Prize recipients per capita than the United States, France and Germany. For a country that was reborn only a little over 70 years ago following thousands of years of exile having been dispersed throughout the world, Israel's contributions to the world have been disproportionate, dramatic, and nothing short of miraculous.

In the 1800s, a small California newspaper sent a journalist to the Middle East to report back to wealthy American society what he saw on the other side of the world. The name of this journalist was Samuel Clemens, better known to the world as Mark Twain. He visited many places to include the land of Israel where he was not at all impressed. In fact, he called it, "a boiling hell with dry, torn and helpless ground." He claimed that life could not exist in this place and that it had no potential. Mark Twain even saw Jerusalem as a, "dark, lonely, lifeless and unimpressive ruin." But Mark Twain was so wrong!

Now, let's take a look at a place once designated as a "settlement." This means a place of metal shacks, tents and trailers, right? WRONG! The city of Ma'ale Adumim is located only a few short miles outside of Jerusalem. It is on the land known as Judea and Samaria - the heartland of Israel. Mayor Benny Kashriel governs his city with love always thinking about ways to improve life for its citizens and residents. He makes it a point to attend every major function in his city and this includes graduation ceremonies from kindergarten! Ma'ale Adumim is a beautiful and thriving city where Israelis and Palestinians work side by side in peace. People are attracted to life here because of its parks and playgrounds, outstanding infrastructure, streets lined with brightly colored flowers, neatly kept yards and storefronts, lovely homes and apartments, a municipality that truly cares about the wellbeing of the people who are secure and proud of their city. This "settlement" is bursting at the seams with a happy, healthy, friendly and peace-filled atmosphere.

This trip to Israel has been quite different from any other over the past 20 years. Unlike so many cities in Europe where life and the spirit of joy, as the French say, "la joie de vivre," seems to have evaporated having been replaced with nothing but a sense of fading glory, old structures, and a lack of enthusiasm and vision, whereas Israel is thriving and vibrant. At all hours of the day and night, people, young and old alike, and all colors, faiths and creeds, are enjoying family and friends over a meal or a cup of coffee in the many sidewalk cafes which line about every street. Pregnant women and their husbands and families are strolling the streets enjoying the evenings. Music is everywhere. Throughout Jerusalem are what I have come to call "public pianos." They are perfectly tuned, weather resistant, grand pianos, placed along major pedestrian walkways waiting for whosoever will open the lid and fill the air with magic. The U.N. World Happiness Report was released on March 21 of this year. Once again, Israelis ranked among the happiest people in the world despite living in a very tough neighborhood surrounded on every side by evil-minded people who want to wipe them off the face of the earth forever. Israel enjoys an internal and an eternal peace. God said never again will the Jews be removed from their land and our God reigns supreme!

The American Songster

By CARL WHITE

Life in the Carolinas

Over the years, we have produced many broadcast segments that celebrate music in the Carolinas and those who bring it to life.

Several years ago, we produced a segment with the Carolina-based group, The Carolina Chocolate Drops on stage at the McGlohon Theater at Spirit Square in Charlotte. It was a good interview and I recall how amazed we all were with the performance. When the onstage energy was combined with the telling of the history of the music, the audience enjoyed an authentic time-travel experience.

Dom Flemons was a founding member of the band. It was his ability to master various historic instruments which left the audience spellbound. Some were common, and others were new to most audience members. I think that was what made the performance so engaging and entertaining. You dared not take your eyes off the stage for fear of missing what he might play next. It really was a special evening.

Some time would pass until one day I received the news that Dom had left The Carolina Chocolate Drops to develop his solo works. The American Songster Dom Flemons now shares his interpretation of American folklore, ballads and storytelling. Among others he plays American old-time music, Piedmont blues and country music that might be new to your ears.

Dom has an American and international audience. So far he has received two Emmy nominations and is a Grammy award winner.

Not so long ago, I had the opportunity to sit down with Dom for another interview. It was a great visit and Dom was quick to say, “Carl, this time I have a back story.” Almost nine years had passed since our first visit at Spirit Square and he was right; a lot of things have transpired over the years.

Dom was born and raised in Arizona, where his family has had a long and fascinating history. He moved to North Carolina because of his interest in the musical and cultural heritage of the region.

It was a life changing event when he was invited to participate in the 2005 Black Banjo Gathering in the Mountains of North Carolina.

He was inspired by the likes of Joe Thompson and other songsters who had been creating music in the “gray areas” between genres.

Dom began to learn more about the larger African American folk tradition and his passion for telling the historical narrative increased. This drove his involvement with the Carolinas Chocolate Drops and then subsequently, the development of his solo work.

We talked about Dom’s Black Cowboys project that brings attention to the music, culture, and the complex history of the Wild West. I learned about the importance of the role of Black Cowboys. It was a great conversation and when Dom played a selection from the project, I understood even more than before.

No matter where he plays, his desire is to spark cultural memories for the audience, reminding them of things they didn’t know they had forgotten. He wants others to experience their cultural heritage the same way that he has.

Music has great power. It can change our moods in an instant, It has a unique way of bringing history to life. I think we are fortunate when we encounter people who have the talent and passion to share the history of music and bring it to life.

Dom Flemons, the American Songster is such a person.

Carl White is the Executive Producer and Host of the award-winning syndicated TV show Carl White’s Life In The Carolinas. The weekly show is now in its 10th year of syndication and can be seen in the Charlotte market on WJZY Fox 46 Saturday’s at noon and My 12. The show also streams on Amazon Prime. For more information visit www.lifeinthecarolinas.com. You can email Carl at [email protected]

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