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writerscafehub · 8 days

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𝐌𝐄𝐄𝐓 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐀: 𝐀𝐥𝐞𝐱

@thecutestlittlebunbunfairy

From one to five stars, how would you rate your writing? (No downplaying yourself!)

I give myself a solid 3 stars. I think I can churn out some good stories and smut, but I know I make grammatical errors and sometimes my stories have an awkward flow, but I'm always working to get better.

What do you think makes your writing stand out from other works?

I’ve been told a few times that I have a good story telling ability; so I think that’s where I shine/stand out/ Being able to take a prompt, a song, or just a few quotes and turn it into a full story.

Are there any writers that inspire you?

Unfortunately, a lot of the writers who inspired me have left tumblr and are lost to time. Some of the ones that are still here are angryschnauzer, tsuntsunfangirl, and caffiened-queen. Some new favourites are Navy, hansensgirl, harryspet, tumblin-theworldaway, and of course all my friends in the server <3

What’s the fic you’re most proud of?

It’s so hard to pick just one so i’ll give two! I’m incredibly proud of my Spooptober 2023 collection. It was a tribute and inspired by Hozier’s newest album, and it was the first time I completed a monthly collection! Easter Bunny is definitely a favourite as well; not only a Lee fic (I love our Sheriff so much) but it was a chance to write some real escapist fluff.

Which character(s) do you find easiest to write and which do you find most difficult to write?

Loki, Bucky, and Cap are definitely my easiest characters. They’re my ol’ reliables and I love all three of them.

Who or what do you find yourself writing about most?

The obvious answer is: BUCKY lol. But a lot of my fifcs tgend to be escapism style stories. Bucky coming in to “rescue” the reader in one form or another, even if it’s a dark “rescue”

Tell us about a WIP you’re excited about!

I have 3 long term multi chapter fics planned that I can’t wait to share with everyone (eventually). Two of them are Kylo Ren fics, with one having Kylo Ren as a Director of an art museum, hiring an intern whom Kylo assumes is a guy, but is actually a v cute girl and the other being a Mafia!Kylo with an arranged marriage. The last is a Loki fic with Loki as the CEO of a company who needs a bride to appear good for business purposes.

First fandom you ever wrote for?

Technically the MCU. The first ever fic I wrote was a Tom Hiddleston fic.

Any guilty pleasure trope(s)?

I admit I don’t really believe in “guilty” pleasures; pleasures should be enjoyed! But man am I a sucker for my dub/non-con, kidnapping, and yandere stories!

A trope you’ll never, ever write for.

I try to not to say “never” because i’m always open to inspiration, but i don’t see myself ever writing anything with pregnancy/babies

Wildest fic you’ve ever written?

I wrote this INSANE fic called “When Magic Meets Insanity” which is a threesome between Loki, Reader, and Jerome Valeska from Gotham. It’s crack to hell and is still available to read on my AO3.

Favorite pairing to write for? (platonic or romantic!)

Stucky. Always. They are my OTP and I love how fun it is to explore their relationship. Especially throwing Sam into the mix.

Do you listen to anything while you write?

It mostly depends on what/who i’m writing, but yes! For example, I’ll listen to oldies stuff when I'm writing for Lee, and I have this GREAT Asgardian library ambience for writing Loki.

One-shots or multi-chaptered works?

One-shots.

Have you ever daydreamed about side adventures/spin-offs from your fic? Tell us about them!

Not really, I sometimes imagine what happens after, but once a fic is done, I tend to just put it on a shelf and leave it. It’s why I hardly write sequels

Is there anything you’ve wanted to write, but you’ve been too scared to try?

I long to write some really good multi-chaptered works, but I struggle with writing long term conflict and i’m worried they’ll be awkward and won’t read well.

What’s the nicest comment you’ve ever received?

The best comment I’ve ever gotten was on my fic Sunlight (Sun God!Steve) from tumblin-theworldaway. She wrote a big huge comment on the fic and it was like the first thing I saw on a monday morning and I needed a good comment.

Have you ever gone outside of your comfort zone for a fic? How did it turn out?

I won’t say “comfort zone” but I wrote my first ever Monster Fucker fic not too long ago, “By Land or By Sea” about Sea Monster!Loki and it was defintely new and interesting to write!

Tooth-rotting fluff or merciless angst?

Fluff, always. I’m always a sucker for happy endings (even dark happy endings lol)

Do you have any OCs? Tell us about them!

Sort of. I have a beauty and the beast style novel planned. The beast is a rich lobbyist for oil industries. And the beauty is an indigenous woman who meets the beast at a cabin in the woods. It’s still heavily in development and i’m not sure when it’ll come to fruition.

If you could enter the universe of any one of your fics, which would it be and why?

“Teddy Bears” for sure. With slightly dark Bucky and Steve kidnapping me (is it kidnapping if i’m willing?? lol) and telling me I don’t have to work and they’ll take care of me? I’d be there in a heartbeat.

Is there anything you wish your audience knew about your writing or writing process?

I always write stoned lol. I get a ton of creativity and inspiration from weed and it helps make the ideas flow. It just can take a while to interpret all my stoned ramblings sometimes.

Copy and paste an excerpt you’re particularly fond of.

This is from my most recently published fic, the last fic in my Spooptober Collection, “To Someone from a Warmer Climate. The fic is about a witch!reader who is visited by a humble sheriff, Lee Bodecker. But he is more than meets the eye.

“Mmmmm…damn…That’s the best cup of coffee I’ve ever had. And I just love the taste of the forgetfulness potion you added.” Your heart dropped into your stomach. “What did you say?” He didn’t answer, only leaning back in his chair. He blinked and where crystal blue eyes had seemed to make him handsome and rakish; now were two inky black pits. He blinked again and his eyes were human again, but now his irises were crimson red. You took a deep breath, trying to steady yourself. You’d dealt with a few lower-level demons in your travels, but never someone who you could walk through your house’s defenses so easily. Usually, any malevolent force was neutralized before it even touched your house. But he…he was something darker. “I’d heard about a pretty witch living out here in the woods.” Lee continued. “Thought it was just another one of them dippy mortals wearing peace signs. But then that little old lady came in, bringing some brownies she said you’d made. And when I tasted them, I knew for sure. There was a real little witch somewhere in town. “Though it took me a while to find ya, darling. All them wards and runes…you’ve kept yourself pretty well hidden. But when that same sweet little old lady called in, worried about her friend in the woods, I knew I’d found you and here you are. Hidden away from the world, cooking up spells your nose buried in a mountain of books. All that defensive magic and you opened the front door for me and invited me in. Silly girl.” His eyes raked over your body, studying you.

Ramble about any fic-related thing you want!

Fanfiction writing has been some of the most fun writing I've ever had. I’ve loved writing for my whole life but sometimes it’s a struggle to write and create an entire cast/world. Fanfiction gives a helping hand to an entire gallery of characters with infinite possibilities. Not to mention the fact that based on “What if” logic, there is a multiverse out there where these fics really happen lol. I look forward to even more writing in the future, both fanfic and original.

#𐀔 𝐀𝐥𝐞𝐱 𐀔

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onmy1989shit · 10 months

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My top 13 Taylor songs and why

If you do look through all of this id love to know what you think!

13. Welcome To New York

it's no surprise that I absolutely ADORE 1989 and WTNY is an amazing opening track for the album! I have always had an attachment to this song and it's a go to hype song you just can't not be happy listening to this song! also being bi I love the "you can love who you love boys and boys and girls and girls" line!!

12. illicit affairs

now don't attack me but folklore is not an album I love but for some reason illicit affairs has always had a soft spot in my heart since the album came out! I think this is one of the BEST showcases of her songwriting abilities it is like an elevated version of August and I love it! ive personally never been the other person in a relationship but Taylor does such a good job at detailing and walking you through a story of being another woman to someone you love! AND THE BRIDGE??? ICONIC!!!

11. Midnight Rain

I am a sucker for vocoder so i have been and still am obsessed with how the chorus is done on this album! there aren't many songs out there about being the one to do the breaking up with but Taylor has 2 and I love both this and back to december but this one just barely beat it out! I love her looking back on a love she may have regretted but in the end they both got what they wanted she got a big name and he got a family!

10. New Romantics

hey look another 1989 song! (and not the last) the production, the lyrics, the vocal effects, the adlibs, the vocals everything about this song is pure pop perfection! this song reminds me of Halsey's new Americana of how it's a song about just embracing everything about yourself and the people around you! and come on tell me "heartbreak is the national anthem and we sing it proudly" doesn't describe most swifties

9. Christmases When You Were Mine

an underrated MASTERPIECE by Ms Taylor Alison Swift! i fully believe if this song was on an album and not just the Christmas ep it would get so much more love cause she deserves it!! im the kind of person that loves a good sad Christmas song (my fav being Christmas makes me cry by Kacey Musgraves) and this one never fails to make me cry! the song perfectly describes the feelings of the first Christmas away from your ex and how off the happiest time of year can be

8. False God

now on the complete opposite spectrum of that we have one of the few times Taylor was feeling spicy! I love all of her songs like this dress, I think he knows, cruel summer are all bangers but this one is just another level! the way this song perfectly blends jazz, r&b, and pop into a soft sultry song about a love so good you worship it like a false god! I also think this song does such a good job of showing a rollercoaster relationship but in the end you're still there for each other! the line "I know heaven's a thing I go there when you touch me, honey hell is when I fight with you" is just perfect

7. Our Song

our song is just THE country Taylor song! I don't really have anything deep to say about this one lol it's just a fun catchy song that if you don't like it there is something seriously wrong with you!

6. Coney Island ft. The National

now I'll be honest I still don't completely understand what this song is about but ill say kinda what I believe it is! I've always thought of this song as being about the guy dies leaving coney island so this place holds a spot in the girls heart and the national plays the guy in his final moments and all he can think about is her in coney island before he left.

5. All You Had To Do Was Stay

THE BEST TRACK 5 FIGHT ME!! also this isn't the last 1989 song on this list 💀 this song to me is a perfect showcase of her songwriting abilities and ability to make a catchy af pop song! this to me is one of those sad lyrics and happy production songs being about her taking to an ex that wants her back and saying you know all you had to do was stay and that she's the kind of person that once you leave you leave!

4. Love Story (Taylor's Version)

if this song is not in your top you're lying to yourself! i don't even know what to say about this song that hasn't been said a billion times! it's lyrics, the production, THE MUSIC VIDEO! everything is top tier when it comes to this song and it's popular for a reason! the Taylor's version is literally my most streamed song by any artist 💀

3. New Years Day

this is a beautiful love song and a perfect closer for the reputation album! and her performance of this song on Jimmy Fallon is like ingrained in my head permanently! it is such a beautiful metaphor of I'll be here for the party and all the glam in your life but I'll still be there for the ugly and the clean up after aka new years day!

2. How You Get The Girl

this song kinda reminds of her country style of writing cause it very much still follows the repeating chorus but the verses build on each other to keep telling this story of Taylor telling this guy exactly how to get her back! I think this song is an interesting contrast to ayhtdws where there she said once you leave you're gone so maybe whoever this song about is someone she'd be willing to take 2nd chance on if he did it right!

1. Tied Together With A Smile

not to be emotional but this song got me through so much in middle school and high school cause I had to be the "therapy friend" the one who always had a smile on my face and this song helped remind me that yk it's ok to come undone let others know your problems! listening to it also makes me feel like someone understands what I'm going through and is like patting me on the back saying it's gonna be ok!

I hope you enjoyed this thread I had fun going through and thinking about all my favorite Taylor songs!!

#taylor swift #welcome to new york #illicit affairs #midnight rain #new romantics #false god #Christmases when you were mine #our song #coney island #the national #all you had to do was stay #ayhtdws #love story #new years day #how you get the girl #tied together with a smile

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fatally-alive · 1 month

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The Honest Review: All Quiet on the Eastern Esplanade -rating from 1 - 5 ( Part 1 )

5. Perfection!🤩 4. I really like it! 🥰 3. This one feels good 😊 2. Just ok/fine 👍 1. Don't like it. 👎

Run Run Run 5/5 🤩

Love it ! Best first single and time has proven it. It's an upbeat, fast-paced rhythm, strong guitars, and fab drums. I am a sucker for classic 50's-60's Beatles-ish beats which have been part of the classic Libs sound. I hear it and I can imagine them giving a strong vibrant live performance at some music festival. I can hear all of them at the same volume and with the same passion. This is a song to scream with and drive fast with, have a few drinks with, or just get your life restarted with it. Right now I very much identify with the song: there isn't enough time to live !

2. Mustang 5/2 👍

Nice laid-back rhythm, loud chorus, clear lyrics telling us about 3 different everyday people dreaming through their lives. It could have developed each story a bit further but went straight to the point. I wish I could understand the last lyrics Carl is singing behind the female voices at the end.

3. I have a friend 5/5 🤩

This is a critique of politics/government, human behavior, and a view of what war causes in people's lives. Love the overall strong sound to it, the urgency of the rhythm: "This is an important message so hear us, hear the human pain "

4. Merry Old England 5/4 🥰

Listening to it plus having the visuals at the same time made me a little emotional, I've been an immigrant for a short time and have seen, heard, and lived the sadness that leaving home brings and the fear of being rejected in a new place. The migrant crisis is a difficult subject to talk about, yes countries should be able to decide what is best for their land and the people but what's the right answer ?

5. Man with the melody 5/5 🤩

Wow man! This song was so good, the man with the melody got me from the start. I love John's voice and the way it was sung. The extra goodness in it is that they all sing this together, I do believe with this album The Libertines have truly become a band made up of 4 members, not just Carl and Peter.

It is a mellow and sentimental song but not sad, it is peaceful and has a smooth feel to it.

6. Oh Sh!t 5/4 🥰

Imo +Jaimie and then Nicky + Imo ( if I am not mistaken ) starting a new passionate relationship of surviving with each other. A theme of moving fast, loving hard, living fully without thinking about the future or consequences:

" What's it even matter You're just young and in love"

I am happy to hear Carl as the main voice and his talent with the guitar riffs untouched. Carl's voice has changed through the years, it developed nicely but I believe there is still more to his voice that should have been exploited.

7. Night of the hunter 5/5 🤩

Classy ! It begins with a haunting guitar and the Swan Lake sample adds to this beautiful ballad. This person has committed a crime and he is on the run, the time is running out but he knows he won't outrun the law.

Pete is lucky to have a voice that has barely aged (I like to think so), he still has that sweetness, and tenderness to it, and of course, his poetry and the way he writes songs are still faithful to himself although we know that co-writing with Carl completes his songs and takes them to the right direction.

Part II soon ...

#the libertines #all quiet on the eastern esplanade #pete and carl #british rock #new music #album review

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icymusicreviews · 2 months

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Cigarettes After Sex - Self Titled

Much like TV Girl I have been hearing a lot about the band Cigarettes After Sex. I have been curious for quite some time now, but today I will finally determine if all of the hype is warranted. So to find this out, I will be diving into their self titled album from 2017.

First look is the album cover. There isn’t much to it, its quite literally just a black album with white lettering. To be fair, I don’t dislike covers like this, its a very, “You have to listen to find out” vibe. But I digress.

K. Starting off with a longer song, just over five minutes. I am a fan of longer songs, so this is a positive. I really do like the calm vibes of the instrumental. Throughout the song its quiet and chill. It kind of reminds me of the Neighbourhood. But I will say, I am pleasantly surprised by this song. Not because I was expecting it to be bad, its just not like what I would typically be interested in. But with that being said It’s a good song and I will be listening to it again. 8/10

Each Time You Fall In Love. This one is once again very chill and quiet. But it doesn’t differentiate itself too much from the previous song. I’m not as big of a fan of this one as the last one. However, I do get the storytelling of this one and It does earn some credit because of that. I personally love when a song can tell me a story. I do like the outro, even with its length it kind of makes you think back on the song. 6/10

Sunsetz. Straight away, im starting to notice a theme in their music with the overall vibe. But I will say I am a sucker for a good lead guitar and this I think has a pretty good guitar riff, its simple but it complements the song well. Again it also tells a story throughout the song, and i think overall its a very melancholic song, but in a good way. It does kind of piss me off with how they spelled “sunsets” but whatever. 7/10

Apocalypse. It didn’t go without notice that this is their most popular song. I can see why as well, its very pleasant. There isn’t anything super monumental I havent said about the other songs already, but there is also nothing negative I have to say about it. I will listen to this again in the future. 8/10

Flash. This one is slightly different in the sound. It also has good lyrics that are really catchy. I am not going to go too much into this song but this is my favorite so far 9/10

Sweet. The title of this song is very fitting, its a sweet song. Its a love song that I think is very nice. The lyrics are pretty simple and standard for a love song, but theyre still good. It isn’t my favorite song, its quite simple and pleasant. I don’t have much negative to say about the song 6/10

Opera House. This is a song about the duality of love, and the pain that comes with it, or at least that’s how I take it. I try to not get too into what songs are about because I can go on and on about it, but in this case its necessary for me to mention the meaning. Because I really love this song for its meaning, the duality of love and the poetic meaning that I take from it. It’s a longer song, but I do wish that there were more lyrics for the storytelling of it, but I also can behind a song that has little to no lyrics so either way, I like it. 8/10

Truly. I don’t think it’s bad, but I can’t get over the fact that he’s singing in cursive. It’s very subtle that he is doing this, but its noticeable enough that I am finding it annoying. Other than that I think the song is fine, but its a minor thing that I cannot get over. 5/10

John Wayne. I like the storytelling aspect of the lyrics here, I also appreciate the lack of the subtle cursive singing. I am trying to not overthink the first lyric because I think I misunderstood it so I will not be counting that against the song. Because I don’t think there was anything weird meant by the lyrics here. Overall, I like it. 7/10

Young & Dumb. So I didn’t want to like this song as much as i do, the lyrics are weird but also in a very good way? Its hard for me to explain but I think its good. The cursive is back and that didn’t go unnoticed, so it does lose points for that, but I do actually like this one. I think It was a good way to end an album. 8/10

So overall I would give this album a 7/10

Mathematically it gets a 7.2 This album is different from what I typically listen to, it is no secret that I’m a sucker for rowdy, guitar heavy rock songs. But I also really love a good story being told through lyrics, and this is what this album excelled in. I think that it is a pretty good album with some songs that i will be adding to my playlists. I did notice the sexual themes throughout, but I was expecting that from a band called cigarettes after sex. I think that they are a calm and quiet band, but overall their self titled album was alright. I do see why people like them and speak so highly of them.

Completed March 12th 2024

#music #cigarette #cigarettes after sex #band #music review #music recs #album #album review #2017

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truebiue · 1 year

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the record being essentially an album full of love songs about friendships

I first listened to the album at a listening party and the whole time i was very emotional just thinking about their friendship - when i left the listening party i texted one of my friends “it feels like a bunch of love letters that they wrote for each other”. ever since i haven’t been able to not view The Record with a different mindset. This post is just me trying to put together all the lyrics I thought were the most linked and related to friendship and love. - I am a very big sucker for songs that are about friendships.

We’re In Love:

“you could absolutely break my heart, / that’s how i know that we’re in love”

“so put down the knife we’re not swapping blood”

“You listened like it mattered”

“Sing the song you wrote about me, never once checking the words” - this part which is a nod to the way each member has written songs about one another in their solo work.

“if you rewrite your life may i still play a part?”

Leonard Cohen:

The entirety of this song being about the road trip

“ ‘if you love me you will listen to this song’ ”

“didn’t tell you you were driving the wrong way / on the interstate until the song was done”

“but it gave us more time to embarrass ourselves / tellin’ stories we wouldn’t tell anyone else”

Cool about it: - although this song to me personally feels more like a failed love there’s one line that can be used for a multitude of different relationships.

“once i took your medication to know what it’s like / now i have to act like i can’t read your mind” - to me personally this feels like they’re making an effort to understand each other, going through this trouble to take someone’s ‘medication’ to be able to understand their emotions and feelings and when they do they have to pretend they don’t in some ways.

Without You Without Them:

“Talk to me / Until the words run dry / We’ll see eye to eye”

“I want you to hear my story and be a part of it” - very clearly indicating to that line in ‘We’re In Love’

Revolution 0 :

“If it isn’t love, then what the fuck is it?”

True Blue:

“And it feels good to be known so well”

“I cant hide from you like i hide from myself”

“I remember who i am when I’m with you”

Not Strong Enough:

“drag racing through the canyon / singing boys don’t cry” - in an interview when they talked about going on a road trip

“skip the exit to our old street and go home”

Satanist:

“will you be a satanist with me?”

“will you be an anarchist with me?”

“will you be a nihilist with me?”

Letter to an Old Poet:

“i wanna be happy im ready” - they’ve talked in interviews about helping each other and they’re clearly the happiest ever when they are together.

These are just some of the lyrics i could come up with, there are definitely so many more that i have missed out on.

#boygenuis #julien baker #phoebe bridgers #lucy dacus #the record boygenius

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rainydawgradioblog · 1 year

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boyGENIUS!!!!

boygenius, a superstar trio of indie artists including phoebe bridgers, julien baker, and lucy dacus, recently released their debut album, and it is truly nothing short of genius. in a moment that was about as culturally significant to me as the signing of the declaration of independence, these three women utterly changed the course of my life and the lives of thousands of other melodramatic girlies. this lil post, despite being a healthy 3-ish weeks after the actual release of the record, will compile some of my standout thoughts on each track of the album. hope you enjoy! ;)

1: without you without them

one thing about me, i LOVE some boygenius harmonies. in a similar manner as my beloved favorite track from their 2018 EP, ketchum ID, without you without them provokes a deep sense of peace and emotion combined. “speak to me, until your history’s no mystery to me” is the cutest cleverest little lyric. the perfect opening track.

2: $20

0:01 seconds in, any seasoned boygenius fan immediately goes “julien!!!” her signature heavier guitar and drums sets her apart from the jump and creates the catchiest hook. plus the screaming at the end?? oh my god??? (that video of phoebe recording I KNOW!!!!! YOU HAVE!!!!! 20 DOLLARS!!!!!! has actually not left my head since i saw it)

3: emily i’m sorry

i will forever be unapologetically weak in the knees for phoebe bridgers. she captures so many emotions so beautifully in this, between loving someone so much it destroys you and feeling completely out of control of your life. i love the progression between “i can feel myself becoming someone only you could want” and “i can feel myself becoming somebody i’m not, i’m not” between the two choruses.

4: true blue

more songs about platonic love!!!! PLEASE!!!! this track is devastatingly adorable. “i can’t hide from you like i hide from myself,” is the perfect lyric to make you think of that friend who will tell you that you don’t have to say “its ok” when you’re miserable over something. the bridge also makes me feel like i’m floating. i love lucy!!!!

5: cool about it

WOW. unquestionably in the top three, immediately. i’m a sucker for a boygenius song where they all have equal verses (souvenier-esque) and this one HITS. i’ve seen so many different interpretations of this one, including but not limited to: 1: the feeling of knowing an old friendship is slowly drifting apart, 2: a heartbreak that you swallow and smile through for the other person, and 3: clinging to someone that you know is bad for you because you can’t imagine yourself without them. all of them are so fitting, and i find so much beauty in the open-endedness.

6: not strong enough

LUCY AT THE END. LITERALLY JUST. LUCY’S PART AT THE END.

makes me go actually crazy every time. they ate this one up. a depressing song in an upbeat major key melody is an incredible combination. sneaks up on ya.

7: revolution 0

this is such a genuinely beautiful song. another one where they just nailed the harmonies. “i used to think if i’d just close my eyes, i will disappear” reminds me so much of “i used to think you could hear the ocean in a seashell, what a childish thing” in phoebe’s single “sidelines.” definitely a lie on the floor and ponder existence while tracing the cracks in your ceiling type jam.

8: leonard cohen

i love a short little song. and this is a fantastic one. “i am not an old man having an existential crisis at a buddhist monastery, writing horny poetry, but i agree” is incredibly boygenius-coded. their tendency towards the occasional silly little lyric is something i can always get behind. my favorite fact about this one is that the story at the beginning is 100% true-and that phoebe was the one driving the car.

9: satanist

as the text that my best friend sent to me at the release of the album reads, “satanist BANGS” and it’s true. satanist does in fact, bang. another distinct julien standout, it provides a sick little head-bangy intermission to all the introspective, staring-at-the-ceiling pondering. “will you be a nihilist with me? if nothing matters, man that’s a relief” has got to be the realest thing i’ve heard in a minute.

10: we’re in love

dunno if this song has too much of a tinge of sadness to be my first dance song at my wedding…..but i certainly want it to be. i’d have to claim this one as my favorite from the album. everything about it is just stunning, from the lyrics and the story they convey to the vocals and simple instrumental backing. the verse about finding each other in the next life actually made me tear up in the public record store where i first heard the album. “i can’t imagine you without the same smile in your eyes, there is something about you that i will always recognize” ARE YOU KIDDING?!! so heart-stoppingly beautiful.

11: anti-curse

i’d love to drive down an empty highway with this song playing. there’s something so magical about a song that has a dramatic build-up, and there’s nobody that does a dramatic build-up better than these three right here (shout out not strong enough again). the instrumental swells at “i guess i did alright considering” and “i’m swimmin back” feel like such a true release of emotion, you can’t help but feel it alongside the band.

12: letter to an old poet

INSANE. easily a standout track, between the parallel to the past “me and my dog,” from the band’s debut EP, to the gut-wrenching lyricism delivered in phoebe’s smooth vocals, it’s seriously unforgettable-especially for old fans of the band. “and i love you, i don’t know why, i just do” is a poignantly simple capture of a feeling we’ve all faced at one point or another. the combination of love, hurt, and rage is such an intriguing combination and draws the listener in from the first moment. also a BIG fan of “you don’t get to tell me to calm down.” remember to never let anyone invalidate how you feel, my friends. and also remember to…

STAY COOL!!!!!

K-MURPH

listen here:

#Spotify

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thechaseofspades · 1 year

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How about a director’s cut for My Head Is an Animal? What made you decide to work Of Monsters and Men (and that album, in specific) into the story? How did you first get into them?

🎵 Musical Episode Talk 🎶

Fair warning, I use a *lot* of words to answer this. 900 of them to be approximate. Peek under the cut and scroll at your own risk.

There's a bunch of different angles to this so I'm probably just gonna spit them out variety show style and then maybe have them cross over at the end.

I've danced around this before but I'll just out and say it, Violet is kind of loosely based on me. Not in a Literally Me ™️ self-insert way, but I give her some traits and characteristics that I have in real life. As much as I like her, I feel like the show kinda left her blank, especially compared to how much development Lena and Webby got. I don't think the stuff I've added feels very out of place on her anyway.

I remember reading a few fics in which characters would come out to each other, and that was pretty neat. At the time I was way less out than I am now, so the only way I could really express that was through fiction. Hence, why I took the aroace Vi headcanon I already had and made a story out of it.

I'm a sucker for character playlists. Whether it's songs that tell their story, or just the kind of music they'd be into, it's the easiest way for me to get a grasp on a character. I actually do this when I write as well. Each fic has its own "soundtrack", except Dream(s) because of how short it was.

OMAM had their big hit in 2012 with "Little Talks", which has kinda lingered around ever since. I've gone through phases of loving it and forgetting it even exists over the past ten years, although it's probably never leaving my head anymore.

I pick up a lot of music from soundtracks and playlists. I'm not a big discography guy. The easiest way to get me to like a song is to attach it to something else I like (hence why character playlists do it for me). In this case, OMAM appeared in the NHL 20 soundtrack ("Alligator". Recommend it), which brought them back into my brain around 2020-21.

There was a social media post I saw while I was still getting accustomed to the whole aroace thing, which asked for songs that fit the community. Kinda similar to the aro vibes post that went around about a week ago. One of them was "Love Love Love", which caught my eye because it was OMAM. I gave it a listen, and I would love to tell you that it hit me right away, but it just didn't really. But after a few times over, it started to click. I'm not sure if this is when I listened back to the whole album or if that came later, but this was the catalyst for that.

Whenever I have panic attacks or otherwise just bad times, I listen to Fleetwood Mac. It's my ultimate comfort band. My top 2 tracks are "Rhiannon" and "Dreams", which are pretty much guaranteed to put me in a better mood. That's one of the concepts I gave Violet, as both a justification for the music and a point of conflict.

[Edit: oooh I just remembered I also did this concept in the first ever fic I wrote (unreleased) about Lena having a meltdown and Webby and Vi calming her down with a song! So I guess that makes 3x I've done that trope now]

Back to character playlists. If you remember the post I made recently about the Violet Sabrewing playlist getting wiped from Spotify, that's relevant here. It had songs by The Oh Hellos and The Crane Wives, which really planted the idea in my head that Violet would be into indie folk rock. What else is indie folk rock? OMAM!

I already liked "Little Talks" and loved "LLL", and I dug the indie folk rock vibe, so I figured why not dive into the whole album. Which is funny because I almost never do that. Not a discography guy, like I said.

You still there? Great. Anyway...

When I sat down to write "My Head is an Animal", it was originally going to be about Violet finding the song, kinda like I did. The "Love Love Love" scene was going to be the majority of it. But I felt like it was missing something. I wanted to see Violet go through the process. I wanted to show her struggling, realizing, accepting, etc. I wanted to show the full experience.

Hence, the full album. I had some ideas for where I was ultimately taking the story, but this was the most seat-of-my-pants writing I've ever done. I had the songs playing on loop as I wrote each segment, writing down how it made me feel. How it made her feel. The ups, the downs, everything.

I didn't want to just parachute in during the middle of Violet's process, because that feels like shortcutting it. But I also wanted to give closure as seen in the final cut. In reality, there's still a lot more to figure out for Vi, as there is with anyone, but after putting her through a panic attack or two, I wanted to see her happy.

Hopefully that all made some sort of sense. At the very least, it was worth writing down for my sake. And big thanks for the ask!

#ask and you shall be answered #my head is an animal dx #aroace violet my beloved #what can i say? i like writing characters who are struggling through hard times but are comforted by the people they love most #and also a song that means a lot to them personally while still carrying relevance in the situation at hand #as one does #but yeah thanks for the excuse to ramble #my autism appreciates it

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lunarmothmann · 2 years

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RTC SONG RANKING!!

this is all just my opinion, and I dont expect everyone to agree with me, but let's get into it anyway!!

STARTING AT THE BOTTOM (for climax reasons)

12. Every Story's Got a Lesson

- dont get me wrong, its a fun number (and I am an Ocean lover), but its kinda boring. The funny moments are spoken AFTER the song ends, so you dont even get to hear it in the cast album

11. This Song Is Awesome

- this song IS awesome, but it just doesn't sit with me that well compared to the other tracks. Its a fun song, but I never end up listening to it as often as the rest.

10. Space Age Bachelor Man

- DONT MURDER ME BUT LIKE- this whole track makes me feel so weird and I end up having to skip through it if im listening to it. It's only higher than TSIA bc of the riffs, Ricky himself, and how he sings "i am just a man. a space-age man, thats all I am"

9. Karnak's Dream of Life

- QUESTIONABLE I KNOW. It's really short, but im a sucker for ballad-like songs, regardless of length. If this was a full-length song, it would 100% be in my top 3.

8. The New Birthday Song

- you cannot tell me that this number isn't absolutely adorable. it may be the fact that Ocean and Jane are my favs, but I honestly really like this track.

7. Sugar Cloud

- okok you can fight me on this one. I just never was that connected with Constance, but I really like the beat and ive definitely had it stuck in my head a few times bc its SO CATCHY.

6. Uranium Suite

- while I do prefer Fall Faire Suite, its still a bop. I especially love the ending, with the overlaying harmonies and the line "earth is sky, the sky is ground. did we finally leave our town?".

5. It's Not a Game/ It's Just a Ride

- before I watched RTC, I just thought it was some sappy finale song and didn't LOVE it. afterwards tho- I cant listen to it without almost sobbing and thats a GOOD THING.

4. Talia

- this is the epitome of romance. i want someone to love me how Mischa loves Talia (regardless of whether she is real or not, but we'll talk abt that another time).

~TOP 3~

3. What The World Needs

- what did I say, im an Ocean lover. its so upbeat, and I can dance to it alone in my room at 3 am with ZERO SHAME. only the best for my favorite emotional support ginger <3

2. Noel's Lament

- its just groovy, and I love groovy stuff. its the perfect amount of raunchy and dark that it doesnt make me uncomfortable (looking at you, SABM)

1. Ballad of Jane Doe

- we all saw this coming. what RTC ranking isn't complete with this absolute MASTERPIECE at #1. i could get into the flawless vocals, the lyrics, or even the visuals when watching the show, but then this post would be about 200+ words longer. I LOVE THIS SONG.

#ride the cyclone #rtc #i am inviting you to make your own rankings #i wanna see em! reblog if you wanna tell me how wrong i am #i will never be ashamed of ranking SABM low tho #cat lady sex is where i draw the line

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stilldancewithyou · 2 years

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hi how is everyone doing today?

just saw that Taylor Swift is releasing a new album in October (I'm so excited!!!) and Jenny Han posted about it on her insta story and I am living for that. Praying that Taylor writes a special song for tsitp since she's already blessed it with the gift of her music.

unrelated to tsitp, today is Bachelor Monday! and I'm a sucker for trashy reality tv lol. This season of The Bachelorette has been kinda dry/boring so I haven't been able to get that into it but the Tell Alls are always the best part of every season. If you're also a Bachelor Nation person and wanna discuss something non-tsitp I am here for it.

while we're talking about reality tv, there's a new show called Claim to Fame that I started watching bc Kevin and Frankie Jonas are hosting it but I actually love it and it's hilarious. 10/10 would recommend.

alright, I am off to catch up on the new season of HSMTMTS bc I keep seeing posts about it and now I have to see it.

anyway, just wanted to check in with everyone and tell you about some other things I watch.

#maggie talks #i still have so many tsitp thoughts but I was catching up on the bachelorette this morning and had to see if anyone else here watches i lol

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what-breaks-my-heart · 2 years

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✨when u get this, list 5 songs you like to listen to lately, publish and then send this ask to 10 of your favorite followers (positivity is cool) ✨

MEEEEEEE? Someone's favourite follower???

Ok so limiting this to only 5 is so hard but here goes my poor attempt at trying to shortlist the top 5 (I’ll probably change my mind almost immediately but whateverrrrr 🤣🤣):

Orekoso Only One (Avataro Sentai Donbrothers main theme song). I blame/thank @jdramastuff for making me addicted to this one.

Avril Lavigne - I’m With You. I’ve always loved this song but Avril re-releasing her debut album for its 20th anniversary makes me fall in love with it all over again!!!

Avril Lavigne - Tomorrow. This new favourite of mine is again thanks to the album being re-released recently. I didn’t even like this song before (not that I hated it but I was simply not interested).

Avril Lavigne - Breakaway. I’ve liked her demo version of this song since I first heard it in 2016/17 so imagine my excitement when I found out she properly recorded this song for the 20th anniversary re-release! While the demo felt more melancholic while inspired at the same time (which makes sense that she decided not to include it in the original album as the vibe didn’t match the album), this version feels more like looking back at your past and telling everyone that even if you could turn back the time, you’d still do the same each and every time you’re faced with the same choices. Like WOW the power of this song is incredible! You could feel Avril bringing out the spirit of the persona since it was HER STORY.

Noel Gallagher - The Dying of the Light (acoustics version). I’m blaming @luinel-kaya for this one (heh look at me tagging your different blogs).

Okay one more (I told you shortlisting only 5 is haaaaarrrdddddd). Apple of Discord (from OST House of Bluebird). I am a sucker for string orchestra and this music, albeit uses electric guitar in addition to the classical string instruments, is a BANGER.

Hope you don’t mind all the details. It’s hard for me to shut up 😅😅😅

#still vibrating at the thought that I'm one your favourite followers AAAAARRRRGGGHHHHH #answered asks #iamcolor

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radioladioxfm · 25 days

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Album Review: Rat Saw God by Wednesday

Release date: April 7, 2023 Genre: Indie rock, Shoegaze, Alternative country, Grunge Runtime: 37:03 'Rat Saw God' rotates through upbeat, sentimental, nostalgic, and furious moods and doesn't let up. If you like Midwest emo, guitar that's one part 90s grunge and one part 70s country, and tales of ODing in parking lots and getting high on Benedryl, go listen now! Rat Saw God is my favorite album of 2023.

About the band

I am glad that Wednesday, a band that hails from the mountains of Asheville, NC, chose to tour mainly in the South. They even kicked off their tour in my home town. Growing up in the South it can be hard to find cool, new bands playing live near you. But recently, I got the fuck out of the South and the only Wednesday show I could attend was in New York City. It sold out long before I knew about it. Bummer.

I got into Wednesday for their single, Feast of Snakes (2022) and later Handsome Man, a song off of their album, Twin Plagues (2021). I was instantly drawn to the angst in lead singer, Karly Hartzman's voice. The way it rises and falls on sustained notes. I've always been a sucker for a unique singing voice. The twangy banjo, grunge distortion, and vivid imagery of their lyrics were irresistible to me.

I've borrowed this review format from Tiktok user, DailyAlbumGuy. He's cool, you should follow him. Without further ado, here's the review.

Standout ⭐ Bull Believer

When I sat down for a first listen, Bull Believer grabbed me by the horns--pun intended. I didn't expect the meandering pace of this 8-minute song to give way to one of the rawest female vocal performances with a reference to Mortal Kombat. This song has earned its place on every "GIRLS SCREAMING" playlist. The buildup to that 6th minute breakdown is *chef's kiss* What a surreal choice to make it the second song on the album. I would've put it later, but hey it got my attention so maybe that means I'm wrong.

After that amazing concert-finale-type song, it picks back up not giving you not a second to recover. The best type of Wednesday song is one where the lyrics sound like a personal story remembered, written down in a journal, and still sitting at the back of your mind. Waiting there for an intimate gathering between friends for a chance to be retold. Rat Saw God is full of those songs.

Catchiest 🦗 Chosen to Deserve

I particularly love the country sound of Chosen to Deserve. To be clear, I don't mean country country. I mean the romantic version of country I have in my head where it's a little raccoon and possum in cowboy outfits sitting around a campfire. Folk country. It's so sweet and dreamy. It's a vulnerable love song. Have you ever felt that you have so many skeletons in your closet that any lover who will have you needs to read your warning label first? "I'm the girl that you have chosen to deserve"

Standout 🔈 Quarry

Quarry makes me picture the faces of folks in my dad's neighborhood in western Massachusetts. The friendships I fostered with kids there every summer break growing up. Running around, overhearing neighborhood gossip. The stories Wednesday songs tells are very rural suburban-core. Setting the scene in towns like Sevierville AKA home of Miss Dolly Parton herself. I really empathize with their desire to talk about the places they grew up with frankness and fondness, even when it's not so glamorous.

"With any writing, I just think I’m impressed with people that are able to describe their own life in a way that captures how original everyone’s life is. It’s harder than you would think to find the things that make you and your life what it is." - Karly Hartzman (source)

My favorite 💜 Bath County

This song is the real reason why I want to talk about this album. It topped my Spotify Wrapped. I listened to this song every time I had a bad day in 2023... which was a lot. This song carried me through it. I would blast this song in my car to sing along, emphasizing the words bad luck in "Every daughter of god, has a little bad luck sometimes." It's so Midwest emo. I could quote so many lyrics that I love. From the "Sippin' piss colored, bright yellow Fanta" to the "Be my baby 'til my body's in the ground". Guitarist Jake Lenderman (same guy from MJ Lenderman), absolutely shreds too. I adore this song. Bonus points for the not-so-subtle Christian imagery at the start of the song. As a former Catholic, I love a little blasphemy.

#wednesday band #music #album review #rat saw god #tunes

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the-invisible-queer · 3 months

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In regards to the new Jonas Brothers album "The Family Business" what are your thoughts on their opinion of their greatest hits? would you re-order the songs, switch any out?

Let's get into it!

As per usual when I ramble about JB, this one might be a long one so of course I'll add a cut to spare your dash.

The Family Business was released in 2023 as a compilation album and has 23 songs:

"Sucker" from Happiness Begins

"Burnin' Up" from A Little Bit Longer

"Only Human" from Happiness Begins

"Year 3000" from It's About Time

"S.O.S." from Jonas Brothers

"Leave Before You Love Me" with Marshmello

"What a Man Gotta Do"

"Cool" from Happiness Begins

"Lovebug" from A Little Bit Longer

"When You Look Me in the Eyes" from Jonas Brothers

"Fly with Me" from Lines, Vines and Trying Time

"Hold On" from Jonas Brothers

"I Believe" from Happiness Begins

"Paranoid" from Lines, Vines and Trying Times

"That's Just the Way We Roll" from Jonas Brothers

"Rollercoaster" from Happiness Begins

"A Little Bit Longer" from A Little Bit Longer

"Cake by the Ocean" by DNCE from DNCE

"Toothbrush" by DNCE from DNCE

"Jealous" by Nick from Nick Jonas X2

"Close" by Nick, Tove Lo from Last Year Was Complicated

"Chains" by Nick from Nick Jonas X2

"Levels" by Nick from Nick Jonas X2

NOW that order doesn't make sense to me. Especially ending it with DNCE and Nick's solo career.

Based on the order of the JB songs I am assuming the songs are ranked by popularity, but I feel like if that was the case solo Nick would rank higher than some of the last JB songs and "Jealous" would probably rank higher than DNCE - might be neck and neck with "Cake By the Ocean".

I wouldn't start with "Sucker". I know it's a popular song, but that is one of the songs I'm talking about when I say "pop garbage". Not that anything JB has ever released is trash (except DCMFTC).

I'd put what I think their best songs are. However, that's hard because I do genuinely love all of their songs, except for the one.

Excluding The Album because it wasn't out when this compilation was released/

Personally, I'd remove "Sucker" and "Fly With Me". Everything else is fine. I'd change the order. Add "Jersey", "Hollywood", and "Please By Mine" and either put it towards the top with "Rollercoaster" or spread them throughout and tell the story of their career. Put Nick's X2 songs before DNCE and LYWS after. I'd add songs from Who I Am and Fastlife. Also would add some of the songs they did for Disney that they might not own if I had full control.

I'd either do it in mostly chronological order or I'd do it in sections. Brothers, falling in love, the end, solo careers, the comeback, etc.

But again, it depends on what they're going for.

Because if it's just a Jonas Family Greatest Hits, they did it perfectly - but I would have included "Who I Am" from Who I Am and "Just in Love" ft. Lil Wayne from Fastlife.

But MY version of a Jonas Brothers/Jonas Family compilation album is telling the story of THEM. From the beginning, to where they are now. But also with a title like The Family Business I need a volume II where they add Franklin's music.

What I would LOVE to see is them make a compilation album of their favorite songs or the songs they think are underappreciated.

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hydralisk98 · 7 months

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Klara "Olive" Kér (my ideal self) Personalized Moodboard #1

Man, that music rocks. I'd imagine even Loona and Octavia from Helluva Boss would dance to it. 👍

youtube

Extra stuff for this...

Well, I want to participate so I will.

Movie: Look, I am quite the sucker for "Alien The 8th Passenger" (prefer the look of Alien Isolation however) & the first Terminator (aka the originals) aesthetically speaking. "Wakfu" and "Helluva Boss" conceptually speaking. Most of my mediatic appreciation stems from video games and other immersive experiences, see later about that...

Hobby: Life-long learning, writing vast abundance and designing / iterating on speculative worlds (aka the activity of documenting and worldbuilding); Also chatting with a bunch of internet comrades about spiritual matters...

Animal: Turkish Angora housecat, the type of cat that I envision Shoshona to be...

Character: "V" from V for Vendetta. He is a INTJ just like myself but I do want to craft some new character / agent to replace such in this list in due time because I feel like we deserve more... constructive and empowering representation as far as the story arcs and overall message going across is concerned. Hence how I see Kate 'Olive' Kér as both a character and a self-insertee standing for myself.

Could have mentioned somebody more iconic that I do appreciate too but I really go on lengths to despise and avoid Disney and the other multimedia franchises that disrespect us so yeah... (*Looking at Magneto and Wednesday Adams*)

Colour(s): Beside black and white stark contrasts, I am overtly fond of olive green, amber yellow/orange and rust red (teal cyan is where I draw the limit for my palette focus tbh). So pretty much soft warm yet mute and naturalistic colors. (You see enough of such a color scheme here anyway)

Place: I appreciate the mixture between contemporary architecture and the public park life so close to my household. Not even two minutes of walk away. And public libraries... they are my weakness.

Season: I do like winter most, but I really do enjoy Fall as well as it is really nice for its whole Halloween / Samhain trends year-long.

Song/Album: My tastes are quite diversified so I could say Deutschland from Rammstein. However, I love Sabaton more due to the special way it connects power metal and history. I am a hobby historian lady, can`t you tell?

Food: I like to eat Pork with potatoes. But the winner really is the traditional meat pie they make in my paternal family's region... (Tourtière du Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean)

Computer game: Sid Meier's Civilization V (+ FreeCiv) by so far... (other simulationist games and frameworks still come somewhat close)

Book: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

Historical Figure (not fictional): Pedro II of Brazil (& Richard Stallman as well because I stand my ground for FOSS software)

And no, I won't tag anybody yet.

Other details:

Light+Dark Gruvbox, very dark night with dim yet soft & warm lights, Shoshona the black Angora housecat, solarpunk, 16^12, witchy coven commune, walking her way to her own home library, forested library location, night, hoof shoes, black gloves (giving the blackhand surname), relaxing 45rpm 7" vinyls' music, bell thousers, jackets / blouse, black lipstick, white hoof shoes, daybreak / dusk, black sun, stargazing, retro warm grunge look with black white and amber tones, large backpack, amber polka dot patterned identity card, libre cyberware & libre bioware, GLOSS (gratis, libre, open source software / culture), olive & black net socks texture, soft woolen rug texture, notepad at her hand, soundscape of a forested park library with some river nearby, cozy vibe of curiosity and knowledge-seeking...

Some majestic Lisp poetry & code booklets on the shelves, puffy layered turtleneck shirt and bell cap trousers, Olive Synod Mixnet library card, autistic fem symbol talisman, keychain charms, analog medium, retro computers, axis victory?, anti-Wilsonism, Strasserism, Shoshoni language, conlangs, alternate technologies, mysticism, communion, community building, honest humble living, witch coven, STEM ladies, Chronokinesis, True Polymorphs, Toymaker, open culture, public domain, copyleft, desktop environmental storytelling, REPL feedback loops, Lisp symbolic computation machines, addventure, neo-brutalism, systemic change, historical retrospective, from grim dark to bright solarpunk, Konrad Zuse, factions, far far away future foresight, van hexcrawl, encyclopedic knowledge, life-long learning, Zettelkasten, Markdown, Argdown, DolDoc, Parade FS, DocBook, HTML, XML, SVG toons, Common Lisp, Worker Cooperatives, KDE_Plasma's Kate;

Neue-Geo-Syndicalist constructivist empowerment worldview, Lisp program forms as Lisp-y poetry, mysticism, geofiction realms & speculative paracosms, constructed languages' jargon / dialects and technological systems...

So let us imagine a multimedia (game? movie? book?) project around the fundamental prompt / question of "Regardless of context, what does it take for us to bring forth the future we deserve?".

Maskoch, Shoshoni Union... May 4525; INTJ (Kate Kér, sapient-tier human Shoshoni self-insert) & ENFP (Ava, synthetic-tier android blonde lady) duet, with Nil the camera-person perspective.

Harmony, Progress, Liberty, Knowledge, Transparency, Copyleft / Open Culture;

Ok, so let's imagine a animated film where Kate literally records comforting memories of herself alongside Ava and Nil, reading books and just living their best lives.

#maskutchew #16^12 #maskoch #Youtube #moodboard #tag meme

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69fever · 10 months

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hey guys! i finally got a chance to listen to Rob Grant's first album☺️ i decided to rate it whilst i listened to it, so here's my ratings!

🎵

Lost at Sea by Rob Grant

• Moon Rises Over The Ocean - Perfect

10/10, So calming, beautiful intro to the album, needed to be longer.

• Setting Sail On A Distant Horizon - Perfect

9/10, The piano is so gorgeous, such a magical and soulful feeling, sounds similar to the album title track and the next track 'Lost at Sea", this is me predicting that it will transition into it, (knocked a point off because it did not transition🙁).

• Lost At Sea - Perfect

🥈10/10, This is an obvious one, Lana's voice is so beautiful, she fits this genre so incredibly and i think it's so sweet that her and her dad are making music together. The violins are incredible.

• The Texture Of Dreams - Great

7/10, The build is lovely, all this music is so soothing, this song just didn't stand out to me as much as the previous ones but does that mean it is bad? Absolutely not.

• The Poetry Of Wind And Waves - Perfect

🥇10/10, I love the intro, this song truly radiates poetry and the atmosphere of a love poem, I feel like this song emits the feeling of realising that you love someone, omg it's so perfect. 1:15 is a delight for my ears. The waves in the outro?!?! Amazing.

• A Beautiful Delirium - Great

8/10, Ooo this song is a bit louder and more powerful sounding, I like. And then being beautiful contrasted by a soft piano?!?! I'm astounded.

• Deep Ocean Swells - Amazing

10/10, It's very clear that this album is telling a story. I love the sea theme, and the concept of being "lost at sea" opens so many doors for so much creativity and freedom. This song really captures the title well, the chime heard close to the ending reminds me of a navigation system in a submarine, I think that's a very cool detail!

• My Deep Blue Dream - Amazing

8/10, Felt a bit short and didn't build up much momentum, still a beautiful song nonetheless and I think the placement was smart, it's like a nice, calm song, separating one half of the album to the other.

• Reflections Of Light On Water - Perfect

🥉10/10, Feels like I'm on a little row boat, cruising down a peaceful river with my lover, watching the sunset on a warm, Summer's night. Love.

• In The Dying Light Of Day: Requiem For Mother Earth - Amazing

9/10, Instantly loved the beginning, love the song name, actually I love all the names to all these songs. They reflect the song itself and embodies the title. The talent to do such is amazing.

• A Delicate Mist Surrounds Me - Great

7/10, Very short one, the piano is gorgeous as expected, would be a lovely song to fall asleep to.

• The Mermaids Lullaby - Perfect

9/10 I love the intro, very ominous which I think perfectly reflects a mermaid. The whole song gives a very ominous feeling, it's almost unnerving, it's like being on a old and grand, wooden ship, in the middle of the sea and staring off into the foggy distance to see rocks and faint figures that you can't quite make out. Those figures being mermaids. It's very mysterious and magical.

• Song Of The Eternal Sea - Perfect

10/10, The violins are so beautiful in this. The piano transfers a calming atmosphere, representing that the sea can be just that. But then the violins resemble this state of panic and a omnipotent strength, reminding us that, as beautiful as the sea is, it is also hauntingly dangerous. Relating back to the song title. I love how music can take you to these places and make you think of these things, Rob Grant has perfectly nailed creating an atmosphere.

• Hollywood Bowl - Perfect

10/10, I am a sucker for Lana's voice. Anything that she is in, I love. This is the only song that doesn't have a something sea related in the title but, as it's the final track on the album, I think that's really nice because it's like we've reached a destination. Whoever was lost at sea in this album has made it out! They've got to where they needed to be, better than before. They've survived. And in this case, they made it to the Hollywood Bowl!

->🥇My 1st favourite

->🥈My 2nd favourite

->🥉My 3rd favourite

oh and i am so incredibly excited for mitski's new album!!!

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29pageshomestuckeveryday · 1 year

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Homestuck, page 1,358

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[S] ACT 4 ==>

walkthrough: http://readmspa.org/transcripts/readmspa-transcript-6_003258_John_explores_LOWAS_with_help_from_Nannasprite_transcript_and_walkthrough.html

Song used: Doctor by Buzinkai

song commentary:

Clark Powell:

Doctor was originally by Buzinkai and then a now non-active member Michael Vallejo added a few bits of percussion to it. I then put together a larger mix of the tune with shinier production and a glockenspiel tag, and this was the version Andrew used in the end.

Buzinkai:

Doctor was written before Homestuck, actually. The only thing I can really remember was that Super Smash Bros Brawl came out right before I finished it. The original loop (which is not the one specifically heard in the comic, but was included in the album release) was directly inspired by music from Cave Story, and I was trying to at the time musically embody how I felt at the time, I think. Though it never seems to come out exactly as I plan it, I enjoyed the results. I will say that I cannot truly believe how many people have remixed it.

The arpeggio part at the end goes between the left, both, and right speakers sequentially. I was too lazy to set the channel settings manually, so I did each note on a different instrument, which is set to each speaker channel. Not many people know that, and I think it actually made it a living hell for remixers who got a hold of the original file.

Author commentary:

Welcome to Book 3, which obviously starts with Act 4, which obviously starts with Gate 1. I mean…obviously? Glad that's obvious to everyone. What's also PAINFULLY obvious to anyone looking at this page, no matter who they are, is that this [used to be] a loading screen. Hot Flash Content is being piped directly into your [browser], right now, at the speed of bullshit. We're off to a great start here in the author notes section. Hey remember Flash loading screens? Those were the days. You needed SOMETHING to look at while untold KILOBYTES were crawling through your ethernet cables. In this case, I chose to dazzle you with a hypnotically morphing spirograph. You quickly went into a trance of fascination. The suspense built. Cue the music. and then…….magic.

>1: Okay, no magic here. No music or movement, because it's [not Flash]! All you get is my goofs. Sorry, sucker. Let's talk about this animation. It's pretty damn enchanting, really. We finally get to see what's under those gray clouds. It's a bunch of fireflies, and a blue landscape with phosphorescent flora and black oily rivers. Act 4 marks the official beginning of the scenery porn era of Homestuck.

>2: Or "LOWAS," as becomes the model for further nomenclature in reference to Homestuck's lands. These "lands," of course, are fairly small planets. Hard to say how big exactly. I don't think I ever really did any due diligence on the cosmological scale of these bodies. They're big enough to explore and get lost in but not so huge as to be hopelessly unchartable. I guess I always pictured them being like a small state in the US. Like if Rhode Island or Connecticut were wrapped around a sphere. Literally doing so would make for a fairly lackluster land, suitable for a pretty bland player of Sburb. (I suppose such as…every resident of those particular states? Why…why am I alienating these people already? It's only the fourth page. Oh well, forty-eight states to go, I guess.)

>3: OKAY LET'S CUT THE SHIT AND TALK ABOUT THIS FLASH! It's a playable game. That turned out to be a thing in HS. As a Flash loaded, readers would wonder…is this going to be a GAME? (Virtually always: no. But sometimes…sometimes, yes!) This one is similar in style to the game when John first enters the Medium and can wander around his house, but this time there's ACTUAL battle mechanics.. You can bonk imps with a hammer, collect grist and items—all rather pointlessly, I should add. But you can do it, is the point. Why? I really couldn't fucking tell you, to this day. I think I was legitimately insane? This, with perfectly brutal honesty, I must admit now strikes me as something a crazy person would do.

>4: I suppose the upshot of the game format is that it lets the player wander around this fantastical new land and discover its mysteries just like John is doing. Actually, YOU don't get to. You get to [click] through this [set of images] with your grubby fingers while I struggle through a borderline state of dementia, heroically trying to remember what I was thinking when I made this. But some people sure did get to do that. Anyway, this is what happens when you click that icon in the upper right. John gets to talk to Nanna, like…there's some sort of comm system back to his sprite? Sprites technically can't go far from the house after their player enters the Medium. That's the strict rule of Sburb. Until much, much later, when it stops being all that strict, for reasons that are unlikely ever to be explained, even by the WISEST of sprites.

>7: Here's a little taste of the gameplay. You click on a thing and a menu pops up, which includes what is…technically a text command that is being entered by…the player of Homestuck? (Who has at this point been revealed to be any given exile, operating the post-apocalypse Sburb station.) It's pretty esoteric. But you don't need to think about any of this to play the game, get a sense of John's rad land, meet some scurrilous foes in need of a bashing, and feel like a cool hero.

>18: The ghost gauntlets holding that ridiculous paisley hammer are just a fixture of the environment in this game. I didn't want them to be an item you could use, because that would have been complicated to implement. It was a little attention to detail on my part, by which I mean my inclination to consider how John could wield this huge hammer in his inventory. Specific items that are accrued by the players become a lot less relevant much later in the story. Because it stops being a thing about a Guy In A Game You Are "Playing," and starts being more about a bunch of Characters In A Story You Are Reading, Who Are Sad All The Time.

>20/23: Here we meet a "consort." Or, a salamander, in the case of John's planet. All planets have consorts, usually a different kind of amphibian or reptile for each. Why amphibians or reptiles? Didn't I cover this already in another book note? Oh. You don't remember either? Well, guess we're in the same boat then. (Consorts have very short life spans, which is the joke here.) And a parcel pyxis is like a pipe mailbox they throw shit in to send places. They have a whole pipe-based civilization, but the pipes are all clogged with oil, and… You know, I did a much better job with this worldbuilding stuff by letting you understand it all in the game through exploration and inference. Too bad you're not playing it now, so you get remedial lore for boneheads down here.

>29: This salamander laments the desecration of a glorious village frog idol. (Frogs are sacred. This fact will be as important as it is frequently repeated.) He talks about the underling swarm dedicated to destroying and oiling up such idols as a "recent" event, as if this village has existed for hundreds of years and only now have the underlings emerged to wreak mischief. This is in keeping with the strange paradox of planets in the Medium: the fact that they were just created instantly through booting up the game, and yet have always existed with entire smorgasbords of ready-made lore and quests for the players to engage with.

>36: Here this sassy salamander alludes to an alliance that John's denizen seems to have formed with the agents of Derse. Those are the "terrible guys" who commissioned the underlings. The denizens aren't really the bad guys of this game. They're more like ornery yet neutral gods of these planets, who can help or harm depending on the circumstances. Derse agents are the formal bad guys, whose designated role is to obstruct the progress of the heroes, vandalize frog statues, antagonize frog enthusiasts, and dislike frogs in general.

>37/38/40: Are you thrilled about sifting through layers of worldbuilding as conveyed through the expository bubblings of enthusiastic amphibians? Then this is the page for you. It's a pretty straightforward outline of John's formal quest on this planet. Wake the monster, kill the monster. Clean the pipes, release the Breeze. The Breeze clears the clouds, the fireflies go free. That's the goal. What does it all MEAN? That is for YOU, the reader, to boggle over, forever. It's worth nothing that when John actually gets around to doing all this, the meaning of completing this quest and the thing that it actually accomplishes are radically different than what the present stakes of the story are understood to be at this point. There is, throughout this tale, an ever-present tension between the hero's quest as presented at face value and the hero's True Quest—the mysterious journey overlaying and superseding the shallow journey described by consorts, sprites, et al—which the kids must come to grips with. >41/43: This is a pretty good procession of salamanders talking about important stuff, which perhaps makes you think it's all leading up to an encounter with some sort of regal presence in the village. Perhaps a tribal leader. But no, it's just this fool, farming all these goddamn mushrooms. The Mushroom Farmer is just notable enough of a salamander to be known to fandom as the Mushroom Farmer, and would probably be credited that way in the end credits if this were a movie. Same goes for the fellow below wearing the hat. He's known as Crumplehat. Trust me on this. >45: See? I told you his name was Crumplehat. Maybe try to fucking believe me next time I tell you stuff. >51: There are two reasons why John can only say no to this offer. First, I would have had to program an alternate path where he gives up the suit, as well as change the sprite to reflect that, and permanently introduce a fork in the story where John either sells the suit or doesn't. The second reason is it's just a straight-up dogshit offer. Giving someone a boondollar for something is like offering them a penny you found in the toilet.

>58: Salamanders are pretty good at trolling, actually. So are lots of figures in Homestuck. Like John's nanna, his dad, John himself, all his friends, and also all the characters who are literally called trolls. I guess there are a lot of characters who like to troll each other because that is my forte, you could say, as a storyteller? This could also explain why characters who are actual trolls entered the story. They simply manifested as an extension of the story's nature.

>65: Oh Christ, the Secret Wizard. I forgot about him. Yeah, him too. He's also a really big-deal salamander. (Just joking, he's actually a small deal.) He's a simple man. All he really wants you to do is behold his robes. That's it.

>67: John's bedsheet will show up again later as well. It makes quite a trip through the story, actually, and appears in a surprising number of panels. Specifically, every single panel that WV appears in. Surprised? No? Oh. Well, let's just say you are, and move on. (Okay, wait, before we move on I should clarify something. WV's shroud is actually the dream version of John's bedsheet. The Secret Wizard just keeps this oily, shitty one forever, and then starts some sort of cult. Okay, NOW we can move on.)

>70-72: So in other words, their entire mail system revolves around putting shit in the pipes, having it sent to completely random places, and whoever gets it gets it. This sounds pretty stupid, but I guess it's part of their religion or something. So you have to respect it.

>78-84: When you're playing through this game, I guess one of the more low-key, gradually unfolding jokes is how it slowly becomes apparent that all the garbage from John's house that he carelessly launched out windows and fumbled over cliffs ended up down here to be scavenged by a bunch of enterprising salamanders who try to pawn all the items back on him. Or just keep them as incredible new accessories.

>81: Five million boonies really isn't all that much, huh.

>84: I'm glad we dedicated an entire page to the choice John makes in refusing to buy back his own shitty clown statue from this guy. Look. This is my ART, people. It needs room to BREATH.

>87/88: Maybe one of the strangest traits of salamanders is how acerbically self-deprecating they are. Maybe they just hate themselves? They'd be far from the only ones in this tale. Also, here's a nice, snap game-design thing I thought of on the fly, when this game was being "developed" over a span of literally about forty-eight hours. Just put a damn bubble with a telescope in it hovering at exactly the place where the player needs to use the scope. That way, they use the scope, and they don't NOT use the scope. So you can see what's in the scope, over there. Incredible.

>90-93: Here's what's in the scope: a view of John's house up on a tall rock-spire plateau, way off in the distance. This view gives you a sense of how far John traveled by going through his gate, the relative proximity of his house, and the fact that the house is inaccessible for a while at least. It also reveals a little more about gate logic and the distances they can send you, and helps you start to imagine hopping all around this world via gates to complete your quest. Oh, and I guess this is kind of a cool shot? Sure.

>94-100: And here Nanna basically explains some stuff I just explained on the previous page. The point, obviously, is to browbeat you with explanations of Sburb game logic fundamentals until you start crying. Here's another thing I guess I haven't mentioned yet: walking through this game gives you a pretty good appreciation of the variety of imps, now that there's been another pre-entry prototyping. Remember Rose entering the game just as John goes through his gate? Now we get to observe all these imps in princess gear, or with tentacles, or cat parts, or some permutation of all three.

>100:And once again Nanna steals my thunder by explaining a thing I just explained. Damn it, Nanna. I feel your pain, John. She's absolutely brutal.

>107: More sass from one of these bastards. I feel like I'm getting fucking roasted every time they open their mouths. I'd look up at the sky and ask "Why, God?" But it's not that mysterious. I'm getting roasted by my past self and his snarkyass writing. If he wasn't trapped back in 2010 or so, I'd ask him why he wrote these damn lizards to be a bunch of wiseasses. "That's just all I know," he would probably say. Yeah, I feel you man. I mean, don't get me wrong, they're funny as hell. But, why? I don't… Oh, never mind. Now I sound like a person who is insane. I'll try to do better.

>111: Oh, here's the end of the game. That game was a single panel of Homestuck. And here we are, on…page 30? Thirty pages' worth of annotations just to cover the first panel of Act 4. I think I need to lie down.

#homestuck #video #walkaround page #Youtube

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