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williammorgan45 · 2 months

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You know what time it? It's Realizin' time!

Here it is! The result of the brain rot of @realizinau art and Alan Wake (I took inspiration by drawing this.The games are so cool) so here we are. It's a bit wonky but I think it's decent. Please ignore the little blue spooch on the suit. I made a boo─boo while painting :/

I'm still thinking about on how to name this guy but I have a little of his backstory on how his role would be in the Realizin' AU.

First he's a wolf if you're wondering.

Alright, now into his story: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Before being put into the Bigger Bodies Initiative, he was just a child like any other with a mother and father who loved him and loved them back. But after a tragedy to both parents in a car accident, leaving him as the sole survivor of the crash, he was alone in this narrow dark place.

He was put in normal orphange just with many others parentless but he was different to other kids. Just as the kids where loud, energetic full innocence and some didn't apply to the rules he was the opposite. He was quiet, didn't move alot from his bed, his innocence gone for the result of the crash and allways following orders from the caretakers of the orphange.

Since he didn't talk to the other kids besides to the caretakers to see of he was okay and only respond with a nod, a shake or a short phrase, they began calling him names like 'the silent kid', 'downer', 'the staff's pet' and other names behind his back.

He already got used to this new 'life style' on the orphanage. Wake up, breakfast, gaze outside the window of his room, nap, lunch, more gazing outside again, dinner, sleep, repeat.

He told himself that's going to be his life until he was adopted to a new familly.

...That was the plan before him and others kids where called on the hall as their caretaker was explaning that they were getting 'relocated' to a better orphanage. He didn't understand why tho but if they where getthing relocaded to a better orphanage was probably for the best.

...Right?

Him along with other orphans entered the bus that was meant to transport them to the new orphange. The name on the side of the bus caught his attention before entering. Playtime Co. He knew that name. Tha was the name of the company who sell those toys that appered on TV. His guess was that maybe they are expanding or something.

After that, everything where blur and pieces. How he arrived to Home Sweet Home, meeting the staff, Huggy Wuggy, Kissy Missy, Mommy and Daddy Longlegs along with other toys,doing some sort of test of memory and running, being told that he got adopted, on how he was guided to a room with a bed as they put him on the bed before putting anesthesia and how he became...like he is now.

He felt...weird to say the least but he quickly got used being taller and getting used to his new body. A few bumps here and there but he got used to it. Faster than the others. The Doctor thinks to himself.

And before he know it, he got a brand new suit (he allways wanted to wear one when he was older.It made him feel...important.) and got a new... 'job' as the new guard of Playcare and Home Sweet Home. At day he would help some of the staff carry important papers so he was given a mesanger bag to carry those paper more easier and organize smaller toys for the kids and making sure the wasn't something a miss or any complications among the staff and the children. And by the night, he would roam Playcare and Home Sweet home hall's with his trusty flashlight to make sure there wasn't any stray kid or someone suspicious was around.

He took extra careful in the night because he read in a book once that the dark can by tricky and dangerous. But what caught his attention more was one sentance in particular.

"Trust no one in the dark."

After that, he took his night patrols very seriously, with careful steps and eyes all open for anything. Something tells him there something off but rapidly dissmiss the thought.

Sometimes when doing the day shift, some of the kids would run to him and would either drag him to play with them, show him drawings of him or hug him out of nowhere. He would stay still with no idea what to do or react. Thankfully, some of the staff or caretakers would save him from that embarassment and he would fix tie and continue with his duties for today.

Just like before he is still silent with a neutral looks almost all the time. Responding with a nod, shake or short answer to long questions. He would been doing this for 5 years. Making him 15 years old if his math is correct.

None of the staff, the caretakers or even the children have see him smile. Not even once. Always on focus on the task. Some even says he's more of a robot than someone alive.

It would take a miracle to even make him smile.

...Maybe that miracle could be in the form of 8 new Critters know as The Smilling Critters.

Only time will tell...

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And that's that! (Jesus, that was long.) Anyway, if you read till the end, thanks! 'preaciated! Hoped i could have entertaied you a little. Again, thank to @realizinau for inpriring me to make this little thing and maybe i will do more. But for the mean time...What's the time? Playtime...

#realizin' au #smiling critters oc #oc #oc art #poppy playtime fanart #realizinau

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hils79 · 8 months

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Hils Watches Moonlight Chicken - Ep 4

Surely no one actually sleeps in that position

I'm trying not to let my actor bias affect my opinion of the characters but I am mad at Mix for cheating on First. I mean cheating in general is not cool but First is my precious boy

Wait...is that not his boyfriend?

Okay, they live together and share a bed so they probably are boyfriends

Oh no. The glasses. Help.

AH HAH! Ex-boyfriends! I will stand down. Also, calling it now. Alan is going to end up with Gaipa. Everyone else has been paired with someone they've been in a drama with before and First and Khaotung were the leads in The Eclipse

Aww look at him with his little pride flag on his desk

Please let me direct you to AO3 where there are many, many examples

Wen got Jim a Keep Calm and Eat Chicken shirt for his birthday. I'm dying. I love them.

Aww he fell sleep with the shirt

Also, no one has fed a cat in forever. This is outrageous.

He is me

Oh, they must have heard me :D

Uh, please don't. Why are boys like this?

Oh no. Is Alan going to be the jealous ex who makes trouble? No not my son.

Well now I really want to know what went on between Alan and Wen

Oh no. Does Alan work at the bank where Jim is trying to get a loan to save his business. Oh no.

Oh no it's even worse. He's the head of the loan department. Oh no.

Oh, okay, he did at least offer helpful advice? I think? I was expecting him to be a dick about it

Gosh he's so pretty though

He DOES like Jim! I thought as much. I do wish they'd stop calling him old though.

He needs to have a meet cute with Alan soon

Not sure how I feel about the casual ableism but okay

Aww it's my boy Por from My School President

Oh, Alan. So he wasn't a dick to Jim at the bank but he did use the form to find out where he lives so he can confront Wen. Come on, Alan, I was rooting for you!

Wait, I thought they already broke up. Unless Wen broke up with Alan after he slept with Jim. I'm so confused.

This is meant to be an incredibly sad and dramatic scene but I can't stop laughing at the least convincing head wound I've ever seen. It looks like they've just drizzled some sauce on his face. There's not even an attempt to make it look like a cut

GDI even when he's being a dick I hate it when he cries

Well, that was a real downer of an episode ending. "There's all different kinds of happiness and it's beautiful but actually everyone is secretly miserable."

#hils watches #hils watches moonlight chicken #hils watches tdramas #moonlight chicken #tdrama

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mr-up-on-a-downer · 1 year

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Andrew Tate physiognomy is the perfect argument against race mixing sorry downer

Not that anon just thought I’d signal boost the troof

I know you ain’t saying shit about physiognomy you bastard son of Alan Moore.

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aboutzatanna · 2 years

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RIP Alan Grant

9th Feb 1949 - 20th July 2022

Alan Grant was a prolific writer from the UK who also worked for DC and was part of the ‘British Invasion’ of creators during the 80′s and 90′s. Grant is well known for his work on Shadow of the Bat, Detective Comics, Judge Dredd and the Demon series starring Etrigan the Demon. I’ve written a more in depth post about his work on Batman in my main blog. Suffice to say, seeing so many of my favorite creators pass away this year and so close to one another, has been a major downer.

Since this is a Zatanna blog I checked to see if Grant ever wrote with her in it and sure enough, he did in this little known Elseworlds OGN called ‘JLA: Riddle of the Beast’.

Set in a fairy tale like world, the main character of the story is Robin Drake who goes on to fulfill a quest involving the Riddler, a radically different Zatanna appears as a mage and Robin Drake’s love interest in the story.

As evidenced by the name, Robin Drake is likely more based on Tim Drake (since Grant also wrote him several times in the 90′s) than Dick Grayson. Still, who would have guessed there would have been another universe besides Young Justice where Robin and Zatanna are an item?

The art style is also beautiful and worth flipping through just to admire the art. This OGN had an army of pencillers working on it: Mike Kaluta, Andrew Robinson, Hermann Mejia, Carl Critchlow, Alex Horley, Liam Sharp, Martin Williams, Glenn Fabry, Doug Alexander Gregory, Rafael Garres, Jon Foster, Saverio Tenuta, Jim Murray, John Watson, Greg Staples and Simon Davis.

Anyway, I thought this would be interesting for those of you who are not just Zatanna and YJ fans but also fans of fantasy like LOTR.

I’m always happy to share the works of Alan Grant (RIP).

#alan grant #batman #zatanna #zatanna zatara #tim drake #elseworlds #young justice #chalant

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wutbju · 9 months

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The BJU Opening Service was, in sum, a Debbie Downer.

Alan Benson was working very hard at insisting to all the students that

You are one of us.

Given what Andrew Pledger's interviewees are stating -- RECENT BJU Grads -- nobody at BJU feels included.

#Bob Jones University #BJUChapel #Alan Benson #2023-24 #Opening Exercises #John Matthews #Gary Weier

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pepperochau · 1 year

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why netflix bebop is bad: a loose agglomeration of thoughts

André Nemec, showrunner of the live-action adaptation, stated in an interview with entertainment weekly that the adaptation had 3 main goals: to not deliver a repeat of the anime; to answer questions the original series had; to dig out deeper histories of the characters. I’m going to give a slew of short thoughts onto how the adaptation largely fails these goals.

Very important to this however is you should still watch the show. It’s been cancelled for one, for two you’re never going to know how bad something is unless you watch it. I have a massive appreciation for the original series only strengthened by watching and attempting to learn from this bad adaptation. Alan Moore once said that, just as important as reading good books is for a writer, you should also read bottom-barrel bad shit as well so you can understand why otherwise good ideas become mired by poor decisions.

-Serving the same meal

It is difficult for a visual adaptation to call itself “not the same meal” when so much of its core components are the same.

In the live-action adaptation, there are a sum total of 3 wholly original stories: Episodes 2, 7, & 9. Every other plotline following the Bebop crew is best considered to be a remix of an existing anime episode, with some slight alterations to cast and story but otherwise largely the same. The Teddy Bomber, as an example, becomes a central character in his episode as opposed to the joke-threat he was in the anime. The Callisto Liberation Front, rather than be undone by Spike’s sabotage, is instead toppled from within by a mother-daughter murder-suicide. Faye’s induction into a mind-control cult in the anime instead becomes Spike’s.

Episode 1, near fully identical to the original, has changes which exemplify the issues in remixing the episodes to tell a “different” story. In the ending to the anime’s first episode, after a botched drug deal that leads to Asimov overdosing, Katerina drags him into their spaceship and flies off with Spike in tow. Spike attempts to convince her to turn herself in, but instead Katerina shoots her overdosing husband before flying into a police firing line; a tragic encapsulation of how the series explores wounded people who view themselves as too tainted to ever see the light again. The adaptation changes this in a number of ways. Asimov and Katerina have eloped rather recently. Asimov, rather than overdosing, is fatally shot in the final botched drug deal. He succumbs to his wounds as Spike chases after the couple, but Katerina is so overcome by grief over the loss of her lover and fear of being forced to return home that she chooses to kill herself rather than be brought in by either Spike or Faye. We go from people denying themselves freedom, to the abandonment of hope. In a much broader stroke, this also changes the very thesis of the series itself, by starting on a downer, rather than tragic, note.

The Vicious/Julia B-plots could be considered enough of a change to make even the remixes into their own original stories, but I think they are best considered to be separate entities in the same vein as Bowser’s Minion’s relationship to Superstar Saga.

-Mining Deeper Histories

As viewers we tend to conflate the portrayer with the portrayal, but rather unfortunately for some, the actors actually do amazing jobs in their roles. The issue here comes with how changing the characters ultimately changes the arcs the go on, the themes they convey, and the the stories that must be used to tell them. In other words: coal is coal, but the mine is important.

Faye Valentine. In the anime, Faye wedges herself onto the Bebop of her own accord after an encounter with Spike and Jet. She has her own small ship like Spike’s which she uses to go off on her own, separate from the rest of the crew, and while Spike and Jet are unsure of her presence at first, they slowly begin to warm up to her and she to them over the course of 10 episodes. In the adaptation, Faye first meets the Bebop crew in Episode 1, as a rival bounty hunter. They do not cross paths again until Episode 4; after her ship is destroyed in a gambit to prevent a bioweapon from landing on Callisto, she is more or less confined to the Bebop if she wants to continue her bounty hunter career. The agency which defined her character in the anime is stripped away in order to facilitate growth. This can be a negative or a positive depending on perspective, but we don’t get the same impact as the anime’s free spirit with a fear of settling down.

Ein is a dog. In many ways, Ein is simply a mascot for the Bebop and the anime as a whole. But Ein is not without his own character, his own intelligence. Ein in the anime is a datadog, effectively a bio-engineered living computer bound in dog form, but is an active participant in the plot of his introductory episode, and similarly participates in the plots of many other episodes. In the adaptation, Ein is made to feel like a regular dog, with accidental flashes of intelligence. In a later episode, his status as a datadog is made to mean that he is a backup for the memories of Mad Pierrot, and can be remotely controlled and used as a projector, all seemingly without protest. Ein has always been a dog, but the adaptation seems to go out of its way to make him into Just A Dog.

There is also a deeper issue here in that, in pursuit of the goal of “mining for deeper histories” of characters, the writing staff seemed keen on neutering the agency of characters, something I briefly touched on with Faye. Ein’s intelligence is downplayed to turn him into a plot device, Faye is effectively trapped on the Bebop and only chooses to stay once she regains her freedom, Julia is turned into a damsel in distress, and Vicious’s uncompromisingly self-serving nature has its core in his daddy issues. Contrast this with the anime, where Ein has his own intelligence, Faye develops a genuine emotional bond with the crew after initially trying to use them, Julia went into hiding in the hope of protecting Spike, and Vicious is a greedy unrepentant to his core. These changes again can be seen as good or bad, but to me, they did not mesh well with a largely similar story.

-Answering the Unanswered

Sometimes, things don’t need to be answered. Sometimes, the unanswered was already answered.

Race. There could be an argument made that, since Jet Black was seen by many viewers to be either coded as black or light-skinned, that race is a largely forgone conclusion in the later stage capitalism of cowboy bebop’s future. The adaptation, however, makes a choice to bring the question of racism back into the far-future. To be clear: is not a jab at Mustafa Shakir. If anything, it is a shame that we will likely never get more of his portrayal as Jet, easily the best casting and best portrayal of the bunch. However, the writing staff seems to want to make a statement on the issue of police violence directed at black men but doesn’t want to commit to the bit. Abdul Hakim, described as a “negloid” in the anime on his mugshot, steals Ein from a research facility prior to receiving a kind of extreme plastic surgery which causes him to resemble Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. In the live-action adaptation, this is reversed: Abdul Hakim’s true appearance, the one on his mugshot, resembles that of Kareem, while the disguise he obtains is a hologram of a smaller white man. “True” Abdul only appears in the flesh in order to fight off Spike’s pursuit, while “Fake” Abdul is the one who navigates the episode and gets shot by Jet’s former station-mate Chalmers. Any kind of impact that kind of statement kind have is lost in the disguise. Speaking of the police, Chalmers, the one who killed Abdul, is also implied to be the one who got Jet kicked off the force on top of starting a relationship with Jet’s ex-wife. We later find out that, actually, Chalmers isn’t racist and is actually something of a good dude underneath the animosity he has towards Jet. Maybe it’s because Chalmers is Irish, I don’t know. One of Jet’s contacts, an older white woman, is also aggressively sexual and flirtatious with Jet in a very racialized manner. Now, sexualizing men v. women for the sake of a joke are two very different things given the long exploitative history of the latter, but to sexualize him for his race puts a very strange taste in my mouth, especially given the kind of racial awareness the show seemed to want to cultivate through its casting choices.

Also on race, there’s the issue of the Red Dragon Syndicate. In the anime, The Syndicate is more or less The Chinese Triad In Space. I’m not going to attempt to dance around that, as it just is what it is. It’s a Chinese organization with Chinese leaders. But there’s also no aliens in space. Why is this important? Well, the adaptation changes the organization from a Space Chinese one into a Space Chinese-LARPing one. The Van, leaders of The Syndicate in both shows, are elderly human beings—in the adaptation, however, The Van wear incredibly racist-looking wooden masks based on the anime designs. I can only assume this was done accidentally, assuming that the anime version of The Van were aliens. But it exists, and it needs to be brought up as part of the weird relationship the adaptation has with race.

This is the part of the ramble where I bring up Julia and Vicious. This would have been in the prior section, but really it deserves to be down here given the stark differences between the anime and adaptation.

Julia is interesting. I mean this both as a plus and a minus. On the one hand Julia didn’t have a great deal of depth in the anime, bailing out on Spike when he faked his death to escape The Syndicate. On the other hand, not every character needs to have a lot of depth to be good. Some characters are just there to serve a role, and while unfortunate that Anime Julia was that kind of a character, an idealized goal for Spike to aspire to, it’s a role she did well. Adaptation Julia, in contrast, is a fairly fleshed out character with her own goals separate from Spike. She still shares the same fear of Vicious that the Anime has, but she slowly morphs into a kind of power fantasy by seizing The Syndicate instead of just cutting and running from the men who have been such destructive influences in her life. Is a power fantasy bad? No, not at all. But it clashes against the reality of Spike’s mostsly clean getaways from The Syndicate in both anime and adaptation. She could have marooned a dying Vicious on a foreign planet, or left him for dead in the church. It’s a confusing writing choice to me which maybe someone else could explain to me, but as I see it, was a weird move to make given that she clearly wants out of life as a Syndicate member’s woman.

Vicious is….hoo boy. I think it’s best to start with the anime Vicious here. Anime Vicious is a greedy, power-hungry bastard. He was willing to subvert and sell-out his fellow soldiers to ensure his own survival, he grated against The Van during his power plays to seize the distribution of the drug Red Eye, and violently pursues Spike to achieve revenge stealing Julia from him. Vicious is amoral, and abuses the honor systems of others for his own gain.

Adaptation Vicious is a Woobie. He is my poor little meow meow wet dishrag man who I want to throw in a dryer on high until he shrinks and burns. He is a child. He sucks at his job in The Syndicate. He doesn’t even want to be in The Syndicate, he is forced to be in this medium-high ranking position because his yellowface-cosplaying abusive father is a member of The Van. He is a pathetic wet slug of a human being that the writers tried DESPERATELY to write as an incel-type character, but instead succeeded in making a strangely sympathetic character whom I want to see succeed in spite of his own severe character failings. Vicious is abusive towards Julia. This is a fact. The bizarre woobification of Vicious’s character does not negate this abuse. But the difference is that where Anime Vicious was an irredeemable force of malice and greed, Adaptation Vicious is a pitiable and stringy weeb.

Gren is—oh, did you think I wouldn’t bring up Gren? See this is why I hid this part at the very end, because I knew some people would immediately roll their eyes and look away the moment I brought up Gren out of an assumption for what I might say, but I implore you keep reading. See, I don’t mind Gren being non-binary in the adaptation. I don’t think it adds to the character per-se, but I don’t think it’s a negative either given how they were in the anime. My issue is more that Gren just kind of...does nothing. Gren exists for the sake of existing. In the anime, Gren serves almost as a final damnation of Vicious’s character: if he’s willing to violate the sacred bond of brotherhood between soldiers, what won’t he sell out for his own gain? In the adaptation, Gren has such little personality that they sort of blend into the set. Like, yes, I’m aware of Bury Your Gays as a trope. I’m also aware that queer characters shouldn’t have to have big important parts to justify their existence, but that’s not what I’m saying. What I’m saying is, why take Gren from being a brief but impactful character, and turn them into a shallow and inconsequential recurring character?

These are just the core problems which I noticed in my own watch.

Any thoughts?

#cowboy bebop #netflix #netflix cowboy bebop #anime v adaptation #just thoughts i guess #does this count as film analysis #review #criticism

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mendely · 2 years

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Not to be a downer on main but I gotta get things off my chest. This post is going to be long and rambly and clumsily written to the nth degree, so please bear with me just a moment.

For one, I really don't feel like I fit in with the Snape fan crowd. I'm not interested in discussing the book meta (HP series' writing decisions leave me dissatisfied), I'm not a fan of the Snape design in the books, I fuck right off as soon as I get a remote whiff of Snape vs Marauders discourse (seriously, please stop arguing about this. Touch some grass). I don't even find him that sexy either; Alan Rickman radiates charm and charisma, but to me it instead makes Snape appealing in an aesthetic manner. It goes without saying I'm also very much anti-JK Rowling, both politically and artistically. We all know she's a virulent, egotistical bigot. I genuinely don't enjoy what she's done with the character, and personally, Alan Rickman did a lot of heavy lifting to make Snape endearing.

In short my interest in the character lies solely in the actor and the character design from the films. I prefer to draw him differently from most fanart, rounder and softer and heavier to match the actor's physique, rather than being lanky and pointy like a Disney villain as he was depicted in the books. I'm not immune to cool goth uncle Alan Rickman with the tousled hair and swishy robes, so I lifted that entire look for one of my character designs. Plus it gives me the chance to draw something I like without having to invoke the name of the TERF or her bloated wizard franchise. Snape fandom hasn't noticed, but it's not like most of them will enjoy what they'd see anyway, since the character's resemblance to Snape is limited to being Alan Rickman with long hair and black robes and none of the traits that most Snape fandom loves him for.

I really don't know where this rant is going. I guess these are all the reasons why I feel hesitant about posting more Snape content or interacting much with fandom really. He is wildly out of character in most of my doodles of him and at this rate I might as well just stop calling him Snape and start calling him my OC (a step I've already gotten to).

Sorry if this was incoherent

#do I tag this #?#snape fandom #idk man I just tend to feel like I don't fit into fandoms and enjoy things differently from everyone else #and i have so many unpopular opinions about severus snape that i am sure i will get yelled at for #agghhh

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mermaidsirennikita · 1 year

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Ahhh loved your takes on succession, esp on kendall! Do you have any thoughts on how roman might end up? also as another note, i’ve really been loving connor this season, his scenes feel more emotionally weighted than past seasons if that makes sense

Thank you! I have a hard time deciding where I think Roman will end up. I feel like Roman is someone Jesse may have had the most flexibility with in terms of how he's deviated from where he began. Shiv and Kendall have been following arcs I find pretty clear thus far (though that could change). There have been bends in the road, but I think they've always been sort of in line.

I think it's possible that Roman will take over in the end. At this particular moment, he's probably my next bet after Tom (or someone we know far less intimately, a real left-fielder). Largely because I think he's in a very weird place right now emotionally (imo he was probably on some kind of prescription downer for most of the last episode--Xanax, Valium, whatever, he's that kind of griever) and there is of course some level of the poetic to Roman, who's been perhaps the most susceptible to his emotions in the past couple of seasons, being so unable to let go of Logan that he fucks Kendall over and takes power.

And don't get me wrong, I think Shiv and Kendall are just as haunted by the specter of Logan, and it's motivating both of them to want power. But for different reasons. I've always referred to Shiv and Kendall as the kind of "alpha puppies" of the litter. Naturally, personality-wise, I think they both want to be dominant and distinguished as such; Kendall's just the only one Logan would train in that sense. They want to have power to prove something to Logan and stick it to him, whereas I feel like Roman still has this very childlike desire to connect with Logan. Being in his chair, perhaps even "protecting" his memory could be seen as a way to do that.

I also feel like we may see Roman's political sensibilities return, just because he's been getting a very sympathetic edit and I can see Jesse being like "hey hey reminder that Roman is kinda into fascism" as he's prone to those types of kicks to the gut.

I'll be honest, I've long been a Conhead. Alan Ruck is criminally underrated--he's deserved an Emmy nom for QUITE a while. But this season his scenes have been especially lovely. I think Connor feels the most level of freedom with Logan's death because he's not tied to this company. Like, Connor is the only one with some possibility of a semi-happy ending (and even then.... doubtful lol). It's because he's the most detached and always has been. Even his reaction to Logan dying wasn't the sense of denial and desperation the others had--he was FULLY aware of what the score was immediately, and Connor isn't normally super aware. Just "he never liked me", those quick shocked acknowledgments, before he does what Connor does, which is put on the expected face for the siblings. (Like, I think Connor is totally ill and borderline delusional lol, but I also think he puts it on a bit more at times for the siblings' sake.)

#succession

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tunglo · 2 years

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Fanfiction 21 Q&A Tag Game

Answer the 21 questions!

★ What fandoms have you written for?

Uh, there’s a lot... Over 50, at least.

★ How many works do you have on AO3?

144 - but a fair few of those are oneshot collections so, yeah, I dread to think what the actual fic number is!

★ What are your top 3 fics by kudos on A03?

4242 - Make Me Smile (DBH, Reed900)

1155 - Come Up and See Me (DBH, Reed900) Yeah, I named my Reed900 fics after Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel. #NoRegrets

1131 - Kink Meme Fills, etc (The Hobbit, Bilbo/Bofur)

★ Which fic has the least kudos?

I was heartened to see on my stats page that they all have at least one kudos. I’ll take that! :D

★ Which fic has the most comments and which has the least?

Gordlock Fills (Gotham, Jim Gordon/Harvey Bullock) - 1388 comment threads.

I’ve written lots without any comments, such is the pain of tiny fandoms.

★ Which complete fic do you wish had gotten more attention?

Where I Want To Be (Tucker’s Luck, Alan/Creamy)

Realistically it can’t because the fandom is restricted to like the 10 people who ever watched all of Tucker’s Luck, but I loved writing it so much.

★ Have you ever written a crossover?

I’m sure I must have, back in the day. I don’t remember them though.

★ What is the craziest fic you’ve written?

I once wrote a G rated tentacle monster romance for an exchange treat, that’s gotta be up there!

★ What’s the fic you’ve written with the saddest ending?

I don’t know to be honest - I feel like most of my faves of the fics I’ve written have sad endings.

★ What’s the fic you’ve written with the happiest ending?

Come Alive (Downton Abbey, Thomas Barrow/OMC) All things considering.

★ What is your smuttiest fic?

You’d have to tell me!

★ Have you ever received hate on a fic?

Not hate as such, but critical comments are always a downer. The worst is actually in bookmark comments, I think, because it’s like - why have you singled this out in a way I can’t even respond to? Why even bookmark something you don’t like in the first place??

★ What is the nicest comment you’ve received?

Once, way back in LJ/FFN days, somebody sent me a really long email to say my fic - I was writing mostly young adult stuff at the time - had given them the confidence to come out to their parents. I still have a print out of it somewhere. ♥

★ Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Some have been reposted in full to random Wattpad collections and stuff, which I always find kind of baffling, but I don’t think I’m ever gonna be high enough BNF status for someone to straight up steal a fic!

★ How many fics do you have marked as incomplete?

I very rarely write multi chapter pieces because, well, my attention span isn’t long enough and I know I won’t finish it. It just stays in drafts until it’s done.

★ Which of the WIPS will most likely be finished first?

See above...

★ Which WIP are you looking forward to finishing?

Any of them. Seriously though, inspiration to finish anything is a win in my book.

★ Is there a WIP that you’re considering abandoning?

There are lots of drafts which will likely never see the light of day for whatever reason. Sometimes I cannibalise lines or two of them when I switch fandoms...

★ Which complete fic would you consider rewriting?

I wouldn’t, I’m too lazy.

★ Which complete fic is your favourite?

I wrote a Priest AU for Gotham which I’m still really proud of. Mostly because all I knew about priests past like the 15th century before I started writing was that they traditionally wore some very aesthetically pleasing clothing. Anyway, all the research reignited my interest in religious history and I’ve been doing bits of work on early Celtic Christianity and the links between Welsh Methodism and socialism ever since. So, yeah, double win.

★ What’s your total published word count?

1863553 according to AO3, but there’s probably another 250k or so of stuff I don’t admit to floating about kink memes and the like...

#tag game #ask game #ask challenge #would love to see everyone else's answers!#fandom #obikin #star wars #reed900 #gotham #gordlock #downton abbey

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skymaiden32 · 2 years

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Path of Construction

Tagging: @dragonoffantasyandreality @thundergeek59 @janetm74 @katblu42 (Please ask if you would like to be alerted when I update or write new stories)

July's calendar story.

The Crablogger Mark II makes landfall at Odin's Forge in Norway, on a mission to carve a path for one of the most ambitious construction projects in Europe to date. A stowaway on board is determined to change that, however...

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I have nothing to say for myself for this being two months late and therefore pushing back August's story as well...

But hey, I've finished it all before posting it so you guys can read the full thing now! :3

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4

The sea surrounding Odin’s Forge was, for now, calm and still. But like the Norse god for which the fjord was named, that could change in an instant. A situation that many locals and workers who frequented the area saw far too often. At this point in time though, everyone who needed to be was asleep, the night-shifters keeping an eye on things for now. Good thing too. The new and improved Crablogger Mark II was due to arrive first thing in the morning. After the pure chaos that had happened with the first model of the powerful machine that had managed to destroy a large portion of forest and almost destroyed a vital dam, Crablogger Mark I had only been stopped thanks to International Rescue. The hope was that the organisation didn’t need to be called out a second time for the same thing.

But the past had a way of repeating itself, as the saying goes. And the second Crablogger was about to get an unwanted visitor…

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John groaned at the news he’d just heard over the radio, waiting for Alan to get settled into his quarters on Thunderbird 5 before leaving with Scott back home, who was helping move his bags onto Thunderbird 3 while John finished up a few duties he’d been set back on from the first week he was back and was so ridiculously sick from something that Brains had to activate the satellite’s automatic receiving system remotely so International Rescue could still run as it should.

His younger brother poked his head out of the crew’s quarters where he had been fairly quick to empty out his bags and get settled for the month. “What’s up, John?” Alan asked innocently. “You’re not sick again, are you?”

John chuckled. “Nope. Thank goodness.” He frowned softly. “Just heard something on the radio…”

“It’s not a rescue, is it?” Scott frowned, coming out of the boarding tube to grab the next round of belongings, before pausing to talk to his brothers. “Because there is no way I’m letting Gordon fly Thunderbird 1…” The eldest Tracy brother folded his arms with an unimpressed look, causing the other men in front of him to stifle their laughter.

“No. Not that either.” John placated. Scott and Alan gave him a puzzled look.

“Then,” Alan scratched his head, “what’s going on?”

John grumbled. “Crablogger Mark II has been given the go-ahead and has just arrived at Odin’s Forge…”

Scott grimaced. “That’s… probably gonna end badly…”

Their younger brother, however, gave them both a look. “Don’t be such Debbie-downers, my dear brothers.” He smiled tentatively. “I’m sure everything will be fine!”

“Please don’t jinx it, Allie…” John huffed. “I’m only fine with it if they incorporated a better shut-down sequence that is more accessible if anything does happen.” He sighed. “The last thing we want is for Penny and Parker to have to go out of their way to find the engineer and hold him at gunpoint for the information we need. Again. I very much doubt it’ll be the same sequence…”

Alan cleared his throat, wanting to change the subject before his brothers started talking about it too much. “Well, I’m all done with getting settled, so you guys can leave when you’re ready.”

John nodded. “I’m just about done, so I can help get the last bag in.” The blond reached for the lone backpack on the floor, before it was scooped up by his older brother.

“Oh no, you don’t, Johnny.” Scott grinned smugly.

John deadpanned. “It’s literally a backpack-”

Scott held a hand up. “I know. I’m still carrying it for you.” If at all possible, his grin widened.

John sighed, before grinning devilishly. “Fine.” He folded his arm. “But I’m flying home.”

Scott shrugged, unimpressed. “Alright. I don’t mind that at all. You do realise 3 isn’t my ‘Bird, right?” He quickly reached over to give Alan a quick squeeze goodbye before heading back through to the red spaceship, waving as he disappeared through the hatch.

The astronaut slumped almost cartoonishly. Alan smiled in that evil way little siblings do when they’re up to something. “Well, that didn’t work…”

“I know Alan…”

“Hope you two have a safe flight home…”

“Thanks Alan…” John huffed, also hugging Alan before heading out to join their older brother. “Stay safe, you here?”

Alan waved as John pulled out of the embrace, before he would disappear from his life for a month. “You know I will. Same goes for you guys as well.” He adopted a very stern expression, immediately reminding John of their father. “No adventures without me.”

John laughed once. “No promises, little brother…” And just like that, Alan was separated physically from his family once more.

The youngest Tracy of them all raced over to the viewing window in the side of the station, watching as Thunderbirds 3 and 5 separated and didn’t leave until the rocket was completely out of sight.

He grinned. It was time to get started. Back into the swing of things on the space station, and into some peace and quiet from all the shenanigans that were going on back home…

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“Are we still sure about this, Scooter?” John kept his eyes on the instruments around him as Thunderbird 3 hurtled toward Earth, even as he held a conversation with his brother. Scott was similarly occupied, although his duties on the ship were far lighter than John’s. “It was supposed to be your month…”

Scott sighed. “I know, John.” He pointed his brother towards the temperature gauge, as it gently nudged towards the red, showing re-entry was imminent. John quickly re-adjusted the angle to minimise the rise in temperature before Scott continued. “But after what happened at the rig, I just don’t feel right about leaving you guys, even if it’s just for a month…”

John frowned. “And if Alan finds out he’s essentially up there because we all want him to be as safe as possible? He’s gonna lose it…”

All of the Tracy’s, aside from Alan himself, had agreed that the youngest should take Scott’s shift on Thunderbird 5, to minimise the chance of the Hood’s resurfacing affecting Alan before they could properly prepare for the inevitable confrontation. Not to mention Scott, Smotherhen tendencies at full force, refused to be up in space while he could be on the ground helping in the best way he knew how to.

“I know that too.” Thunderbird 3 shook as the atmospheric burn started in earnest. “Heck, he probably knows it. He’s not stupid.” The two brothers prepared for landing even as they swayed from side to side almost violently. “I know it may seem like I just want him out of harm's way because he’s the youngest…”

John cut him off as the ship stopped shaking, guiding Thunderbird 3 down through the centre of the Roundhouse and into the hanger. “That’s exactly what it sounds like, Scott.” The astronaut almost snapped, before sighing. “But I also know exactly how you feel.” Scott gave him a deadpan look. “Well, not exactly, you’re still older and have those protective feelings toward all of us, and I’m the dead middle of the Tracy pack. I’m just saying he’s my little brother too. I get it. That’s why I agreed to it.” They were out of uniform now and on their way back to the lounge. The sofa slid back into its proper place as John finished. “I’m also saying he’s not going to like it if he ever finds out.”

“I know. Which is why if he does, I’m taking full responsibility.”

A new voice drifted into the conversation. “No. I’m taking full responsibility.”

The brothers looked in their father’s direction. “Dad.” Scott shook his head. “No.”

“I’m doing it.” Jeff gave them a look that invited no objections whatsoever. “I’m the one who made the final decision on it, and I’m not letting any of you boys take the blame when Alan’s anger turns on us.” He shivered. “He is far too much like your mother in that regard…” He smiled sadly as his memories of his dear Lucille rushed back to him. “She always knew just what to do, even when she was mad at me. She had enough passion and fury to conquer the world.” Scott and John smiled back at their father, happy he was talking about her again. It had only been a couple of weeks ago when Jeff started talking about his lost love; her death had cut far too deep to be healed in all that time since, but his sons couldn’t have been prouder. Before anything else could be said, Alan’s portrait flashed. “Speak of the devil.” He switched the comms link on, addressing his youngest with a serious look on his face. “Go ahead, Alan.”

Alan had a deadpan look on his face as he looked in his brother’s direction. “You guys won’t believe what just got sabotaged…”

John hazarded a guess, equally done with the world. “Crablogger Mark II?”

Alan nodded. “Hit the nail on the head.”

“Again?!” Virgil, who had just come in from the hallway, looked absolutely horrified.

Jeff sighed, ignoring his second eldest’s outburst as Gordon leaned over to give Thunderbird 2’s pilot a sympathetic pat on the shoulder. “Well, I’ll leave the decision of what Pod to bring up to the recommendation of Alan and Brains. Gordon, John, both of you go in Thunderbird 2 with Virgil.” The boys nodded. “Scott, I want the area around Crablogger’s route evacuated once you touch down. Help your brothers only when that’s complete; I think three people might be enough…”

“FAB, Dad!” Scott saluted.

Gordon frowned. “What about the saboteur, Father?”

Jeff smiled grimly. “That’s why I’ve put you on duty, Gordon. I know I can trust you to be able to defend yourself and your brothers if you manage to run into them.”

Virgil piped up from where he stood next to the rocket portrait, ready to depart as soon as briefing was over. “Do you think it might be the Hood? Or one of his cronies?”

Scott hummed in concern. “Maybe. I guess we’ll have to find out. Keep your stun guns loaded, and remember to use those special contact lenses we got from Penny. If it is the Hood, that way we won’t be taken out with that hypnotism trick of his…”

Jeff nodded in agreement. “Alright, boys. You’ve got your orders. Immediate launch. Thunderbirds are go!”

#thunderbirds #thunderbirds 1965 #thunderbirds fanfiction #thunderfam #alan tracy #john tracy #scott tracy #virgil tracy #gordon tracy #jeff tracy #thunderbirds calendar 2022 project

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aesthetic-day-dream · 1 year

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1: A song you like with a color in the title

3: A song that reminds you of summertime

14: A song that you would love played at your wedding

29: A song that you remember from your childhood

30: A song that reminds you of yourself

1. I picked two. Orange show speedway - Lizzy McAlpine and Big Black Car - Gregory Alan Isakou

3. Temperature - Sean Paul

14. Epiphany by BTS, but only the instrumental version by The Piano Guys. It’s such a beautiful cover. I highly recommend it for those who have not heard it.

29. Lips of an Angel - Hinder. I was literally obsessed with this song.

30. Not to be a Debbie Downer with these songs, but they were the first ones to come to mind. Empty House - Abe Parker. Fat Funny Friend - Maddie Zahm. Ceilings - Lizzy McAlpine

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byneddiedingo · 1 year

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The Parallax View (Alan J. Pakula, 1974)

Cast: Warren Beatty, Hume Cronyn, Paula Prentiss, William Daniels, Kelly Thordsen, Earl Hindman, William Joyce, Jim Davis, Kenneth Mars. Screenplay: David Giler, Lorenzo Semple Jr., based on a novel by Loren Singer. Cinematography: Gordon Willis. Production design: George Jenkins. Film editing: John W. Wheeler. Music: Michael Small.

This somewhat elliptical political paranoia thriller was a critical and commercial dud in its day, but time has been kinder to it than it has to more conventional films in its subgenre, such as Three Days of the Condor (Sydney Pollack, 1975), which looks rather slick and self-satisfied by comparison. The story, about a reporter's investigation of a shadowy company that seems to provide fall guys for political assassination, is framed by shots of a panel of judicial figures delivering their conclusion that the most recent assassination was the work of a "lone gunman." We think "Warren Commission" without hesitation. Although the main story is somewhat fragmented and the film occasionally seems rushed, there are some terrific action sequences and an overall feeling that the director and screenwriters are on to something real. The "downer" ending leaves us with that sinister panel floating in darkness, and although conspiracy theories are thicker than fleas these days, who doesn't think there might be one or two of them that have merit?

#The Parallax View #Alan J. Pakula

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webseriesviral · 4 months

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Oneida County real estate: See all homes sold, Jan. 13-Jan. 19 The following is a listing of all home... #movie quote #movies #movie line #movie line #movie scenes #cinema #movie stills #film quotes #film edit #vintage #movie scenes #love quotes #life quotes #positive quotes #vintage #retro #quote #quotes #sayings #cinematography

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wordsandsound14 · 4 months

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Top 20 albums of 2023

So it was a tough year. I think a lot of people have said this and I’ll add to the noise on it. And the damage of the year continues into the next a little bit - it does sadden me that I will have to announce that I am unable to continue releasing music for a little bit because of financial reasons. If I want to campaign these songs and get them out into the world in a meaningful way that could increase my chances of them being heard, I’ll need to hold off since that takes money to accomplish. My last song, "Orion”, got so very little listens while “Yellow” was making headway with almost 1000. So my goal of releasing a song a month for a year will have to be held off until I start again. My hope is to start releasing in the summer when life is more consistent; it could happen sooner, it could happen later. I’ll just have to see how things are. I’ll continue making music in the background as always. I really do want to put these songs out and I can’t tell you how bummed I am that I have to wait longer. I just want to give my best shot at this and this is part of it.

With that said, I do have a list of albums for you to listen to and a list for my top 50 songs is to soon follow in a different post. The year started out a little rocky with releases but started to fill out by the end and this year had some great albums when things started actually picking up. Some honorable mentions first tho. This will included albums I discovered too late to be part of best of 2022 list, albums that I listened to in 2023 that don’t qualify but I liked, and ones that didn’t make the list but felt like I should mention: Pink Floyd - The Dark Side of the Moon / Pool Kids - Pool Kids / Gang of Youths - angel in realtime. / Arm’s Length - Never Before Seen, Never Again Found / Lizzy McAlpine - five seconds flat / JID - The Forever Story / Red Hot Chili Peppers - Unlimited Love / The Wonder Years - The Hum Goes on Forever / Michigander - It Will Never Be The Same / Big Thief - Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe in You / The Linda Lindas - Growing Up / Gregory Alan Isakov - This Empty Northern Hemisphere / Point Taken - Here / Various artists - Barbie the Album (Best Weekend Ever Edition) / Crown Lands - Fearless / My Kid Brother - Happy.Mad.Weird.Sad / The Smashing Pumpkins - Siamese Dream / Eric B. & Rakim - Don’t Sweat the Technique / Arlie - BREAK THE CURSE / Vines - Birthday Party / Noah Kahan - Stick Season

20. King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard - The Silver Cord

From the lists I’ve seen so far, a lot of people preferred their other album to this one from this year. I thought Petrodragonic Apocolypse was alright but didn’t really click for me. However, this one feels super unique and captured my attention. There isn’t another album that I’ve heard like this one, which is what I love about King Gizzard in their genre bouncing journey. It chases the 70’s Sci-fi sound and has fun with the idea of making music within that context. I will say that I listened to the shorter version of the album. There are the “regular” versions of songs and the “extended” versions I didn’t get around to trying since they are substantially longer. I do think the regular versions could’ve been longer but none but one felt like it warranted a prog like “extended” length. Regardless, I enjoyed this album a lot and have a great time when listening to it. It’s a journey through space that you’ll never forget you’re on. (Fav songs: Set, Theia, Chang’e)

19. Sam Smith - Gloria

It feels really weird that Sam Smith ranked on my list, no offense to Sam. There were some artists that I was really anticipating their releases and their music didn’t make this list and Sam’s music quality has been inconsistent to me. Don’t get me wrong though, I think this album got slept on. There’s some really good pop songs on here and only two songs that I dislike (Gimme, Who We Love). In all honesty, this album would have placed higher if it weren’t for those two downers. But everything else feels like Sam reinventing themselves and solidifying themselves as a pop artist. They were still making some hits in the past 2 albums but nothing felt like it was really leaving impact. It felt like the songs from their first album were still carrying their success. But Gloria goes to prove that wrong. “Unholy” made records and the other songs here prove that Sam wants to make music. This album is why I still follow this artist. (Fav songs: I’m Not Here to Make Friends, Lose You, Love Me More)

18. The Front Bottoms - You Are Who You Hang Out With

I think what feels funny about this album is that I don’t feel like The Front Bottoms really nailed it here. I feel like they could’ve done better but I also haven’t really heard a lot from them to really compare it to. I stumbled upon this album since I was trying to get all my songs from my old computer hearted on Spotify (didn’t even finish doing that lol). I remembered The Front Bottoms and really liked the songs I did have by them. I gave them a follow and pretty soon there was an album to listen to. However, whenever I go back and listen to it, I enjoy the songs here. I think what happened is that this album isn’t what I expected. They’ve changed a lot, especially when the songs I listened from them are over a decade old. At the same time, I think that’s what I like about it. What I appreciate the most is that they didn’t try to push the envelope on making their music have the feeling that it once was. A lot of bands from the 2000’s will try to pull their former sound into their new sound with varying levels of success but they just let it be. It’s a fun and light hearted record that doesn’t take itself too seriously. They at least made the music they wanted and allowed it to happen in the form that they found it. Give this album a listen and just take it as it is. (Fav songs: Punching Bag, Paris, Not Joking)

17. Spanish Love Songs - No Joy

The funniest thing is that my spouse loves to make fun that Spanish Love Songs lead singer sings the same way for every single song. It’s really apparent when you pay attention to it. But that’s also kinda the pull to their music. Anyways, Spanish Love Songs comes out with follow up to the incredible “Brave Faces Everyone". While they fall a little short, they still manage to capture me on most the songs here. They experiment some and continue to make gut-wrenching lyrics. I do think this one needs time to ruminate; a quick listen doesn’t quite allow it to sink its teeth into you. It works best when you grow attached to each song individually (looks up the lyrics and all) and then put them together again. Then the project feels a lot more complete. What this album does signify to me is that there’s a lot left for this band and I’m really interested in what’s next for the band and how this album will place in their career in the future. I’m usually not a fan of saying I’m excited for next time cause I should be excited for this time but the hinting in this album does do that for me. (Fav songs: Haunted, Clean-up Crew, Here You Are)

16. Susto - My Entire Life

While Susto comes right out of the gate with “Rock On”, the rest of the album is less in your face and asks the listener to pay attention rather than demand it. This southern rock band is one I found in 2022 from Spotify’s discover weekly. I listened to their 2021 release “Time in the Sun” and fell in love with what sounded like southern Jack Johnson. In a way, I can still hear the interoperation but Susto has a bit more to them than just that descriptor. They are self described as “acid country & artisanal rock.” What I feel they achieve the most is that they make music that feels like being in Carolinas, their home being in Charleston. There’s a sunshine prevalent in their music, a local comfort, and a sense of community that all comes together to make an organic experience. Susto isn’t flashy but they make good songs and I’m excited to listen more from them and they have a decent backlog to check out. (Fav songs: My Entire Life, Mt. Caroline, Rooster)

15. Citizen - Calling the Dogs

Citizen also had the challenge of creating an album to follow up their last amazing album, “Life in Your Glass House". That album has the #1 spot on my list in 2021 so there was a lot of expectations on this album. “Calling the Dogs” does something that I was hoping they would do and that was not even try to attempt to create something like its predecessor. It keeps its identity and follows a branching route hinted at in the last record. While it’s not as a monumental album, it does a great job of making high energy short rock songs. Almost like bubble gum rock. It feels like these type of songs were just the songs that were coming out of the band when making this album and they made them instead of fighting it. They’re all memorable, catchy, and fun rock songs to listen to. There’s a driving energy to this album that’s infectious to listen to and they don’t waste a song slot while at it. (Fav songs: Can’t Take it Slow, When I Let You Down, Takes One to Know One)

14. Hannah Wyatt - hummingbird

This is one my classmates from school and I adored her first album and she came out sneaky with this release early in the year. “hummingbird” is a dark, Americana folk album that takes you into the forest during the early night. It almost feels like going back in time and living off the land. It’s a period piece almost. There’s a somber mystery that runs through this album. The violin and acoustic guitar are the backbone of this album and compliment each other terrifically. Hannah is amazing at making a folk album that is one that catches the itch I’m wanting from the genre since singer/songwriter get lumped into folk sometimes. While it’s little lower on my list, it is one of the fuller experiences here. Give her a listen and hopefully she can find her crowd for her endless talent. (Fav songs: Cincinnati, high-water, yakima two-step)

13. Gregory Alan Isakov - Appaloosa Bones

My spouse and I really fell in love with Gregory this year, even though it was just one song that we liked, “Big Black Car”. She told me about the new songs and that there was an album coming out later. We waited with anticipation and, much like Susto’s release, it didn’t stand out right off the bat. It felt underwhelming, especially since Gregory doesn’t release music often. But after I put him in my playlist of recent releases, it started to click and I fell in love with the album. When it was time to take the album off and I pick the songs I like so I can remember them for year end lists, I ended up wanting to pick majority of the songs to add. These are songs to live with and they grow with you the more you listen to them. Gregory made some beautiful music this year and, while it’s pretty on the outside, it is so much lovely on the inside. (Fav songs: Sweet Heat Lightning, The Fall, Mistakes)

12. Foo Fighters - But Here We Are

Every time I talk about the Foos with friends, we almost always state how we aren’t Foo album people and that we just grab the singles. And each time, about half the albums end up being our exceptions of full ones we listen to. In conclusion from those talks, I think what we mean is the Foos mostly make a collection of songs instead of an album and that their non-singles don’t really do much unless the album as a whole works. “But Here We Are” is probably their most cohesive album thematically. We all know about the struggles that Dave Grohl had to endure lately. And while I don’t think this is as lyrically nuanced that I would have hoped, that was never their thing. Dave still wrote some songs that say what they are wanting to say and still conveys the full meaning without having a complex vocabulary. This felt like one of the first Foo albums that it felt like the world was silently anticipating so there was a lot of pressure on this album. I believe the band delivered on making something that still felt like the Foos (even sounding the most Foo as of recently, calling back to early 2000’s sound) and speaking about the band’s sorrows. (Fav songs: Show Me How, Under You, The Teacher)

11. The Maine - The Maine

I actually missed this one when it came out and it was ARTV’s YouTube short that notified me that there was another album out. I honestly thought I was following the band on Spotify. Guess I wasn’t but I am now. Anyways, the comments on the short were all talking up the album as a return for the band and how they have gotten back to making good music. I hadn’t listened to them since 2017 since the previous albums didn’t get much praise. In this album, The Maine prove that they are masters of pop rock and really deliver on it. It is true that they sound like a boy band most of the time but the music is fun and upbeat that who really cares that they sound like One Direction. And I’ll address the elephant in the room for those who know the album. Yeah, “cars & caution signs” should have been the closer and “spiraling” is the worst song on the album and doesn’t really feel like a closer. But it’s not that bad to me. The album goes by quickly and having fun with the album way overtrumps this concern. (Fav songs: I think about you all the time, leave in five, the mood i’m in / jsyk)

10. Ed Sheeran - Autumn Variations

Ed put out two albums this year and the first (“-”) was just alright. There were some decent songs but the promo made it seem like it was an album that was hard to write and subtract was gonna be the “sad” album. It didn’t really deliver on that. Then he surprised released Autumn Variations and didn’t do any PR on it. Just said that he wanted to put these songs out and didn’t want to do the whole music label release stuff. To this day, I still think his first album is his best and there hasn’t really been anything close. This album breaks that for me. It doesn't dethrone “+” but it does feel like a call back to a more authentic Ed. I’m not sure if the two albums were written at the same time or not but these songs feel like the ones he wanted to put out more. I can feel that these are the ones that really speak to him and I hope future Ed can continue along this path of making music that feels this honest. Maybe he can experiment again with hip hop (like hist first single of 2023) but right now, he can be cozy in this album. (Fav songs: Plastic Bag, England, Page)

9. blink-182 - ONE MORE TIME…

blink came out and made of the best reunion records. It’s everything you’d expect a blink record to be as they pull from all the sounds of the career, there’s a song for every blink fan. The punk, to the pop punk, and with the short humorous songs. The more impressive thing is that they did it without it feeling like you already heard it or as a cheap version of their already existing sound. They really went all out and made sure they delivered on their reunion. Everyone seems to be playing at their best and I am pretty impressed with their musicianship here. I will say that I do think they bloated up the track list by having 17 songs and, while none of those songs are bad, they could have cut 2 or three songs (tracks 14-16 come to mind). But that’s the only thing keeping this record back. Give blink a listen, even if you are just here for the reunion since I’m sure it’ll get you to go listen back. (Fav songs: ONE MORE TIME…, MORE THAN YOU KNOW, CHILDHOOD)

8. Drew Holcomb & The Neighbors - Strangers No More

The title of this album comes from the love of music. Drew Holcomb was feeling very holed up after covid lockdown and that feeling was so overwhelming that he went on tour before releasing another record. They did come out with a record in 2019 so there were songs that didn’t much live attention but I think Drew wanted to make songs inspired by coming back to the road. There’s a few songs that were recorded and released during covid that make the track listing but it’s overall a new bunch. What I love most is that I feel the intention behind every song here. There’s not one that feels like it’s phoning it in or doesn’t work. It’s been a while since the band put out a record that is this complete. There’s no dull moment and they are slowly becoming more and more renown within their genre. Each record increases their clout as they continue to chase great songs and this album is another great step forward. (Fav songs: Find Your People, Fly, That’s on You, That’s on Me)

7. Movements - RUCKUS!

Movements is known for being an entry point within the post hardcore genre, making gut punching lyrics with a little softer of a hard rock. Lots of use of space and ambience to pull everything together. And their sophomore album was more of the same but with less hardcore in it. This is more like a straight up rock record. Even with two lead singles, it was a little weird to digest that they were going to change up their sound this much. It’s not even that dramatic of a genre change but it wasn’t something I was expecting them to do. But they nail it. There’s a pounding kick drum as a heart beat with crunching guitars throughout this record. And while the lyrics are toned down just a little bit, they aren’t worse because of it. They fit this style of music better and they still are pretty good. I think they were struggling to find the next direction to go given the singles released in between releases but this was a great direction and gets me excited to what Movements can do and how they will break their barriers. (Fav songs: Tightrope, Lead Pipe, Fail You)

6. Genesis Owusu - STRUGGLER

Hip-hop/rap and country are two genres that I’m slowly attempting to find my tastes in since the mainstream of either really don’t interest me that much. The trap beats all sound just as the same as another bro country song that’s about beer, Brad, and breasts. Both genres feel redundant so squeezing the bad stuff feels like energy better spent listening to genres that better suit me. But I still like the core idea of either genre and crave the creativity from them. Genesis Owes is a rapper who has broken into my interests with his first record “Smiling With No Teeth”. While that record didn’t blow me away, I was really intrigued by his sound and liked the way he was making music. I could tell that his next steps were going to be in my interest. I wasn’t prepared for the musical fest that he had waiting on “STRUGGLER". It’s rap, it’s rock, and it’s R&B. I’m not sure what else to call it other than a modern funk album but take the disco out. The bass lines in these songs are incredible and that doesn’t even take away from how central of a role the electric guitar plays. And then he raps on top of them too. It’s really an incredible album that has a great vibe to it and he explores his central theme well too. (Fav songs: Tied Up!, Leaving the Light, Survivor)

5. Benny Sings - Young Hearts

I found Benny Sings by one song “Here It Goes”. It was on my year end list of songs for 2021 and I followed him because of it. He was dropping songs at the end of 2022 but I wasn’t expecting an album, I honestly thought he was just a single and EP person but then “Young Hearts” came out and I fell in love. It’s a bedroom pop and easy to listen to but Benny Sings proves that he’s worth listening to with his comforting sound. His sound is so simply done that it really does sound so effortless. But the craftsmanship comes from within and the songwriting on the record is what holds it together as nothing is over the top. He has a way to create songs that have a sense of magic to them that only a songwriter could create even though they have the same tools as you. It’s a charming cute album that goes on repeat and is easy to loop. (Fav songs: Pyjamas, Take Your Time, The Only One)

4. Waterparks - INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

Waterparks has a very interesting career so far… with an equally interesting fan base. There’s lots of opinions about the band but I usually try to stay away from all the noise to keep my mind at ease. They have, also, slowly become a band I keep up with but don’t wait for their releases. Something about their music stopped clicking and it felt like ego was getting in the way. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY changed that. It truly felt like Waterparks entered with an album ready to say the things they wanted to say and make the music to have the urgency to accompany it. It’s a record that represents what I wanted the band to do again. Except they surpassed the expectations. There’s rap, pop punk, hard rock, ballads, and pop rock. Waterparks wanted to get everything they could that’s under their umbrella and show that that they have it in them still. The added track added on the digital release that does kinda ruin the ending a little but I’ll ignore that because the music is just that good. (Fav songs: BRAINWASHED, CLOSER, FUNERAL GREY)

3. Zach Bryan - Zach Bryan

This was probably the biggest surprise of the year. I hadn’t even heard much of this guy before this year. I got some exposure when the song with Kacey Musgraves came out but I wasn’t sold until the song with Bon Iver was released on a follow up EP. By then, I had seen his album everywhere and being pushed on Spotify a lot. So I thought I would give it a listen. Zach created an album that is music at its core. These songs feel so alive and have so much heart in them. He made these songs without concern for if his numbers would go up and without any PR. And it completely changed the game for country music and, maybe, music overall. And these songs aren’t flashy. There’s not much hook to it and the he opens the album with a spoken word over some guitar. This isn’t even a country album in the modern sense but one that goes back to the more traditional country. It was just about writing songs and telling stories. Good songwriters making music that feels like it came from within. Zach has got my attention. (Fav songs: Hey Driver, Smaller Acts, Jake’s Piano - Long Island)

2. Teenage Wrist - Still Love

These top 3 had a huge battle for the number one spot, especially these top two. I’ll say that maybe “objectively” this album is what I consider the top one. But I have more of an emotional connection with the winning album and my gut told me that it didn’t belong in second. So I welcome you to the best rock album of the year. I first heard Teenage Wrist when listening to Spotify’s discover weekly. That one song (“Stella”) got me to listen to their last album (Earth is a Black Hole) the year after it got released. It got me to follow them and that ended up paying off really well. The band decided to go in the direction of a really solid post grunge sound in a year when I was really craving it. But none hit the spot quite like this one. The keen songwriting and fuzzy amps make for an exceptional album that’s enhanced by collaborations that only add to the project. I can’t explain how much I enjoyed listening to this album and how each song has stuck inside my memory. Give them a listen and give Teenage Wrist the audience they deserve. (Fav songs: Diorama, Sunshine, Still Love)

1. Glen Hansard - All That Was East is West of Me Now

Glen is one of my all time favorite songwriters. His lyrics are raw, ability to coordinate the song with the emotion, and passionate singing make for a folk artist at the core. He has also been experimenting with his sound for the past two albums, one being self produced with more horns and his other being a collaboration of friends live in studio. This was a callback to his career, even calling back to his days with The Frames on “The Feast of St. John”. It was a return to the form in which a lot of people had fallen in love with without retreading the same ground. He continues to write meaningful and beautiful songs that are precisely written. I always look forward to a Glen Hansard release but this one is the type that I live for. The album went under a lot of radars, especially for a veteran act. But my favorite album of the year has already woven itself into my soul. It’s a fine addition to my collection and will be placed along the other high achievements from this artist. (Fav songs: Sure as the Rain, There’s No Mountain, Down on Our Knees.)

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