#it's my first solo foray into this world

[dailyunsolvedmysteries]

The Strange Disappearance of Kenny Veach

The Mojave Desert, located in the southwestern United States, is a brutal and unforgiving landscape.

Sprawling over parts of four states; California, Nevada, Arizona and Utah, the area is so vast that entire European countries like Ireland and Iceland could fit comfortably within its boundaries.

The “high desert” is prone to extreme temperatures and arid conditions. In November of 2014, an American hiker named Kenny Veach had a strange encounter with a mysterious cave in the Sheep Mountain area, just north of Las Vegas.

Once, he posted: “I hike over mountain top after mountain top and sleep on peaks under the stars . . . Sometimes I have to scale giant cliffs to get myself out of a jam, but I always make it back.”

He was proud of the fact that there was only one time that he had to be rescued on one of his adventures, and that was when he injured his leg at the top of a mountain.

Tired of the daily Monday-through-Friday grind, Kenny wanted to be his own boss, be in charge of his own life, and have the free time to immerse himself in his desert explorations.

So, he quit his day job and decided to be an inventor. He started a YouTube channel, documenting his creations and his forays into the desert.

It was in June of 2014, using the name Snakebitmcgee, Kenny left a comment in response to a YouTube video that read: That ain’t nothing. I am a long-distance hiker. One time, during one of my hikes out by Nellis Air Force Base, I found a hidden cave.

The entrance to the cave was shaped like a perfect capital M. I always enter every cave I find, but as I began to enter this particular cave, my whole body began to vibrate.

The closer I got to the cave entrance, the worse the vibrating became. Suddenly, I became very scared and high-tailed it out of there. That was one of the strangest things that ever happened to me. 

Unbeknownst to Kenny and the rest of the world, that comment would have tragic consequences.

Kenny’s comment on that video sparked a flurry of requests for him to prove his claim.

Since he hadn’t documented the first trip to what would become known as “the M cave”, he needed to go back to the area to locate it and, this time, document what he found.

On his second search for the cave, he went armed with a 9-millimeter handgun and a video camera. 

He documented some wildlife and found a whole horde of pine nuts that he gleefully ate on camera. He stood next to an abandoned mine shaft and rather sheepishly declared that he was unable to find the cave on his second hike.

Much to Kenny’s dismay, that video was met with criticism. Many thought he had made the whole thing up, and the public demanded proof of his claim of a mysterious cave with supernatural properties.

Viewers actively encouraged, and some even dared Kenny to go back out to the mountain range a third time. 

However, one comment on his video, which has since been deleted, read, “No! Do not go back there. If you find that cave entrance, don’t go in, you won’t get out.”

Whether that comment was made by somebody teasing Kenny or whether it was a serious warning by somebody who was personally familiar with the cave is unknown.

Regarding the M cave, Kenny said, “I solo hike across mountain tops that most people wouldn’t dare go. I have been in more caves than I can count. I play with rattlesnakes for fun. But this one particular cave was beyond anything I had ever encountered.”

Hoping to put the naysayers in their place, Kenny hiked out to the territory a third time.

On the 10th of November 2014, Kenny once again made his way to the Sheep Mountain area, which is close to the U.S. Air Force installation called Area 51, known for its speculated connection to UFOs and secret government experiments.

It’s located near Groom Lake and is within the Nevada Test and Training Range. As late as 2012, the U.S. government denied the existence of Area 51, and it is still closed to the public.

Both ground and aerial searches were conducted, but no sign of Kenny could be found.

Dave Cummings from Red Rock Search & Rescue reported finding Kenny’s cell phone next to an abandoned vertical mine shaft, where he filmed part of the M cave video.

Specially trained individuals were called in to conduct a search of the mine. Unfortunately, aside from his vehicle and his cell phone, no trace of Kenny was ever found.

#Kenny Veach #unsolved #unsolved mysteries #crime #true crime

[black-arcana]

EPICA's SIMONE SIMONS Releases Debut Solo Single 'Aeterna'

Simone Simons has been a pioneering force within the world of metal for over two decades as part of EPICA. Now, alongside her musical partner and longtime collaborator Arjen Lucassen (AYREON),she embarks on the journey of her debut solo album, "Vermillion".

Arjen is no stranger to Simone's soaring operatic voice, one that can stir even a gargoyle's stone heart to tears. Together they have crafted a sonic universe that befits the influential figure she is. Due on August 23 via Nuclear Blast Records, "Vermillion" emerges as a gargantuan goose-bump generator, a universally touching, stellar tour de force.

Alongside the announcement of her debut solo record, Simone has released a video for the album's first single, "Aeterna". You can watch the clip below.

Simone and Arjen state: "'Aeterna' is the big, epic opener of the album and it comes with this amazing video too, directed by Patric Ullaeus. It definitely sounds the closest to EPICA and AYREON, blending powerful Latin lyrics with a touch of an oriental feel. We've tried to strike a balance between the mighty, bombastic sounds and the more atmospheric parts. Since it's the first track people will hear from this album, it's super important to us and we're really excited for people to hear it!

"'Aeterna' takes the point of view of a star about to go supernova to explore how everything in the universe is interconnected, like a cosmic web made from stardust. It deals our deep emotions, consciousness and other mysteries of life that science still can't fully explain. Essentially it's a reflection on our place in the vast universe and the connections that bind us together, as we're all, to quote Carl Sagan, 'made of starstuff.'"

For more than 20 years, ever since she was a teenager, Simons has been carving her own path as a woman within the world of metal. As a lead singer, icon, and role model for a whole generation of female metalheads, the EPICA lead singer remains one of the most prominent key figures in all things metal. After eight albums and countless global tours with her band, Simone Simons finally found the time to release her first solo album — a moment 15 years in the making. Her breathtaking debut "Vermillion" is a stunning feat chronicling her storied past as well as her rise to fame, and showcasing her many different influences ranging from prog rock to film scores to metal to electronic elements.

Of the timing for her eagerly awaited foray into the realms of a solo career, the Dutch singer says with a disarming grin: "EPICA has my priority and I always have the liberty to do other musical projects besides my career in EPICA. Yet I never had the time to dive into a project to this extent."

"Vermillion" track listing:

01. Aeterna 02. In Love We Rust 03. Cradle To The Grave (feat. Alissa White-Gluz) 04. Fight Or Flight 05. Weight Of My World 06. Vermillion Dreams 07. The Core 08. Dystopia 09. R.E.D. 10. Dark Night Of The Soul

This past March, Simone told Mexico's Summa Inferno that EPICA's follow-up to 2021's "Omega" album will likely be released in 2025.

"I love the songs so far that we've written," Simone said. "There's more [songs that have been written] than fit on the album. So it's gonna be cool. And we won't tour that much this year. So we are focusing on the EPICA album and the 'Symphonic Synergy' shows [where EPICA will play alongside an orchestra], which is a lot of work."

In November 2022, EPICA released "The Alchemy Project" through Atomic Fire Records. The EP was co-written and performed with diverse guests ranging from extremists like FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE, Niilo Sevänen (INSOMNIUM) and Björn "Speed" Strid (SOILWORK) along with melodic masters like Tommy Karevik (KAMELOT),keyboard legend Phil Lanzon (URIAH HEEP) and Roel Van Helden (POWERWOLF) to a once-in-a-lifetime song with Simons, Charlotte Wessels and Myrkur.

Just one day after the release of its anniversary reissues "We Still Take You With Us" and "Live At Paradiso", EPICA celebrated 20 years of existence live in September 2022 at 013 in Tilburg, Netherlands, the same place where they played their first show (supporting ANATHEMA) back in 2002.

EPICA was formed by guitarist/vocalist Mark Jansen after leaving AFTER FOREVER in 2002, and the band quickly gained attention outside their home country, taking big steps towards becoming the leading symphonic metal superpower they have long proven to be. After their ambitious debut "The Phantom Agony" (2002) and the surprisingly eclectic sophomore work "Consign To Oblivion" (2005),the road took them to new heights via their first concept masterpiece "The Divine Conspiracy" (2007) and their global breakthrough "Design Your Universe" (2009). 2012's opus "Requiem For The Indifferent", 2014's bedazzling "The Quantum Enigma" and "The Holographic Principle" (2016),cemented their reputation as not only one of the hardest-working metal bands in the business but also as one of the best. With "Omega", the final part of the metaphysical trilogy they began with "The Quantum Enigma", they reclaimed the throne without so much as the blink of an eye, amassing three million-plus streams during the first week of the album's release.

#simone simons #aeterna #vermillion #Youtube

[lenalvthor]

tethered playlist breakdown - ch 2: all too well

this chapter’s music centres mainly around Imogen and Ashton! because i didn’t say anything about Ashton’s musical backstory in the ch 1 breakdown, let’s start with them 🎸🤘🏼: 

Ashton

like Laudna, Ashton had a musical career as a teenager with his band The Nobodies (vibe: 2000s/2010s pop punk/punk rock, see - Five Minutes to Midnight by BOYS LIKE GIRLS or Check Yes Juliet (Run Baby Run) by We The Kings). also similar to Laudna, Ashton found themselves chewed up and spat back out by the industry they’d found a home in and were burned badly when the hamster wheel of international tours and year-after-year back-to-back albums slowed down for the first time (aka 1D vibes of burn out, band break-up + hiatuses). 

their first foray into making music again was through a single, Floating in the Night (by Judah & the Lion) which they had originally written as a more pop punk song, but Bertrand directed them towards The Crown Keepers who Ashton collaborated with to rewrite it into more of a indie/folk rock song, and who ended up featuring when the single was released. Ashton signed with Eshteross Records soon afterwards and started rebranding as a solo artist making more folk rock style music as the years passed (again, taking suggestions for what songs could be the right vibe for an album during this period). 

post 2-year-Bell’s Hells-separation-period, Ashton’s music has mellowed from the thing that’s remained so distinctive about him - the angry rock elements - which is why he is so nervous about his new music. that tone lingers a little in the lyrics and sometimes the instrumentation, but it’s not as consistent, so in the fic’s present-day, Ashton’s vibe most closely resembles Noah Kahan. 

the album Ashton’s been working on over these 2 years, and that he shows Bell’s Hells in this chapter, is:

how it is / how it was / how it has to be 

the view between villages

homesick 

growing sideways

no complaints

stick season

paul revere

call your mom

halloween 

dial drunk

new perspective

orange juice

you’re gonna go far

all my love

now listen to these songs through a different lens for me, will ya? — 

in this au, Ashton’s first real home was music; it was the industry, it was the fans, it was The Nobodies, it was discovering a queer world beyond the place they grew up. but at the same time, just like what happened with Laudna, that same home started to dig its claws in and try to tear Ashton apart without them realising. the industry, the expectations, the lifestyle, the spotlight … it became something so dangerously toxic, threatening to swallow him whole. it was the reason Ashton developed chronic pain, the industry pressure was the reason The Nobodies didn't stay together, it was the reason Ashton became angry and cynical and bitter jaded. so there was an unexpected, devastating relief when The Nobodies broke up and Ashton had an excuse to step away. even though it was his home, it was where he found himself, where he first found the thing in the world he loved to do most, where he found his first real people. 

so one of the reasons Ashton stayed away from music for as long as they did afterwards - older than many of the other Hells, just a little, having started in the industry before they did and waiting longer than Laudna between the teenage career ending and the adult career starting - was because they couldn’t figure out what to do with the conflict of the ‘place’ (the world / the lifestyle / the people / the culture) that made him also being the thing that caused him so much pain. 

how it is / how it was / how it has to be is, in some ways, Ashton’s life and career mapped in its trajectory. from meeting FCG first and toeing the line of being tied to that world, taking the long drive back (the view between villages, homesick) and being reluctantly pulled back into making music (growing sideways, no complaints), eventually signing to Eshteross Records and telling stories again (stick season, paul revere) and everything that’s happened with the Hells plot-wise (some things you know, some things you don’t, i.e. rest of the tracklist) until now (all my love).  

now, the song Laudna and Imogen mention that Laudna collaborated with Ashton on is, probably predictably: Call Your Mom ft Lizzy McAlpine. (Ashton writes it after Laudna gets back from her world tour to all the other Hells gone - Imogen especially - and Laudna and Dusk break up, and Laudna is just not doing well. Ashton first releases the original, and later that same month, a version with Laudna on it too.) also, as already mentioned in ch 2, the song Ashton wrote for + shows Imogen is you’re gonna go far because of course it is. 

Imogen

here it is, here it is, the heart of the fic, its namesake (almost all Taylor Swift songs (different albums tho!) and if you aren’t heels dug in the dirt with only listening to rerecordings, OG versions sound the most like Imogen to me) — 

tethered

breathe 

come back…be here

the story of us 

haunted 

all too well

wouldn’t come back [by Trousdale]

enchanted 

long live 

now buckle up buttercups, we’re looking at these songs through a whole new light. forget romance (mostly),  we’re doing family trauma: 

(okay, admittedly, there is romance woven into all of this because it can’t not be. but that’s not at the heart of this album, is what’s important to note.)

breathe is about Laudna, of course - about their rela—friendship falling apart after their fight two years ago, and as Laudna started dating Dusk before Imogen left. But it’s also about how Imogen saw the crumbling of Liliana and Relvin’s relationship from a young, co-dependent, whirlwind marriage to something neither of them were sure how to hold onto. 

come back…be here again, of course, is a little bit about Laudna (love how I said forget romance and here we are) — about her leaving to go on tour and follow the success of a career that’s finally controlled by her and not Delilah, about Imogen’s feelings of being left behind. but it’s also about Relvin and Imogen, being left behind by Liliana, about the faint memory Imogen has of watching her father pine for her mother as Liliana was off touring and making something of herself, Imogen and Relvin each longing for her to come back to them in Gelvaan one day but not knowing how to articulate that to each other and connect over it. 

the story of us is Relvin and Liliana once their relationship had ended and Liliana still came to see Imogen, and things were tense and uncomfortable and Imogen could tell that a chapter in her life had come to a close in front of her eyes (both for her parents and for her relationship with her mother, knowing it’ll never be the same because Liliana won’t want to come back in the same way.) 

haunted. look. I had many ‘oh my fucking god’ moments about this song. It’s my favourite Taylor song and I’ve used it for many an au, and l i s t e n. I know that for its symbolism and its imagery, could and should be about Laudna. but it’s not — this is about Liliana and Imogen. because the electric guitar and the tension and the building, growing crescendos of the whole song, the sharpness of the violins and the fury of the electric guitars all just fucking sounds to me like a storm. It’s about Imogen’s betrayal over Liliana leaving. so, you’re welcome. 

now here’s the one that fucked me the most and I am begging y’all to appreciate it with me okay — all too well. OG and not the 10-minute version. it’s the song Imogen is the most proud of and the most afraid of putting into the world because she doesn’t know if it makes sense to anybody except her. the perspective changes nearly with every line; it’s the song that blurs together the experience of Relvin, Liliana and Imogen all loving and hating and missing and losing each other. the lines between where one person’s experience ends and another’s starts is impossible to see, and the resounding message of i was there, i remember it, all too well is Imogen determined to make sure that despite Liliana’s death years and years ago, despite Relvin as good as pretending she never existed, despite Imogen having moved away and left it all behind her, none of it is forgotten; a memory of the fact that it all happened has to continue to exist. 

(and of course, that’s also the theme of this chapter.) 

It’s a mixture of Liliana’s perspective of the whirlwind, small town, young love between her and Relvin that was always doomed to end, and Imogen watching the tail end of this relationship, Relvin seeming to lock it away the second Liliana was too far for him to hold onto. it’s Imogen trying to remember, to make sense of her parents’ relationship, their family. 

and because this song is my roman empire for this au, please prepare for the fact that i’m giving you the line by line perspectives of this entire song, you’re welcome (i’m sorry): 

the first verse is about Liliana, the second verse is Relvin, the prechorus - “and I know it’s long gone…” - is both of them and Imogen. 

first chorus is Liliana and so is the verse that follows, but the second prechorus, that “there was nothing else I could do, and I forget about you long enough to forget why I needed to” is Relvin. 

the first lines of the next chorus - “there we are again in the middle of the night, we’re dancing in the kitchen in the refrigerator light” - are Relvin and Liliana, but then the “down the stairs, I was there, I remember it all too well” is Imogen, as a little girl perched on the second to last step of the staircase, watching her parents dancing to the songs they used to love when they were teenagers, bathed in the light of the refrigerator with the door hanging open to cut through the sweltering, thick, night heat of Gelvaan’s summers (and in those moments, Imogen had been so sure that the three of them would be okay).

but of course, that’s not how it unfolded, which becomes clear in that build up to the bridge. so when it climbs and climbs to the “maybe we got lost in translation, maybe I asked for too much, maybe this thing was a masterpiece til you tore it all up” is Relvin and Imogen, being left by Liliana, feeling hurt and betrayed and not good enough in such different but also achingly similar ways. 

“running scared, I was there, I remember it, all too well” is Imogen and Liliana, a decade apart, running from Gelvaan, from Relvin, from a town that wasn’t enough and desperate to find more but equally terrified for that murky unknown at the same time. 

and then — “you call me up again just to break me like a promise, so casually cruel in the name of being honest” is Imogen. the experience of Liliana slowly but surely drifting away from being Imogen’s mother in a way that felt like such a betrayal. 

everything after this is all of them, everything from “time won’t fly” to the “it was rare, i was there” is all of them, losing each other at the same time and not being a ble to do anything as it happens. 

then those last three lines: “wind in my hair, you were there, you remember it all” is Liliana to Relvin; “down the stairs, you were there, you remember it all” is Relvin to Imogen; and “it was rare, I was there, I remember it all too well” is Imogen (to both of them, but to herself more than anyone else). 

anyway. moving on. 

wouldn’t come back is about the uncomfortable ease with which Imogen understands Liliana’s choices and decisions, when it comes down to it. because she left too, just like Liliana, and then she did it again years later, from people she really did truly love and a life she cherished, and this song is Imogen writing about those choices and those parallels and understanding both the hurt on the side of being left behind and the desperation of needing to leave. 

enchanted is about Laudna. every note, every line, every second, every piece of the story, is all all all Laudna, because I was lying to you about forgetting romance because c’mon. about first meeting Laudna years ago and thinking that she should, by all accounts, be intimidated seeing someone who’s music she’d listened to for years, who’s a household name in a way Imogen has only ever dreamed of being, in a way Liliana was, but Laudna was so shy and flighty back then, so soft and holy shit, she was - is - beautiful, her voice even more … musical than Imogen had heard in the interviews and clips. so that’s enchanted. 

and long live is, of course, about Bell’s Hells. about how they made each other better,  about how they saved each other at points when they were so afraid of what the world had in store for them, about how they made each other the most authentic versions of themselves, and how, as Imogen wrote this album, she was so isolated from all of them by her own making, how all she had was the memories of how that used to be, but that’ll still be worth everything to her. 

so that’s tethered. 

(oh as a little treat: the song Laudna is working on that afternoon while she and Imogen hang out in the apartment is Apple Pie by Lizzy McAlpine xo) 

I’ll wrap it up there so that this doesn’t become as long as the chapter itself, but: hope this gives you some music to listen to and a world to think about in the two week wait before next CR ep! 

give me music recs for this au if you think of any, tell me what you think of the songs I’ve already told you about, and for the sake of ease: here’s a playlist for y’all (will update it every week with new songs as I add them to the plot in the fic). 

love, chim ⚡️

#critical role #critical role fic #imodna #tethered au; music breakdown #tethered au #c3 #cileme writes

[mr-styles]

Artist of the Year Harry Styles Made Harry’s House the Place to Be in 2022

A memorable album and the hottest tour ticket around made Styles a force to be reckoned with in 2022

As another wild year in entertainment heads towards a close, it would be nearly impossible to discuss many of the biggest pop culture moments of 2022 without talking about Harry Styles. If breaking Billboard records and releasing a third solo album (which then earned him six more Grammy nominations) wasn’t enough, Styles also spent the past few months heading one of the most in-demand and oft-discussed tours of 2022. Don’t worry, darling, there was also a foray into movies that saw the artist on the film festival circuit, too. For one reason or another, Harry Styles was the name on everyone’s lips.

Styles offstage operates mostly within a tight-knit circle of trusted collaborators, and pulled in some of his favorite co-writers and producers to begin laying the foundation for Harry’s House, released in May 2022. The results were strong — Styles’ latest full-length outing is a pop-rock record that dazzled upon arrival and ended up having the legs to remain relevant as the year wore on.

Lead single “As It Was” sat atop the Billboard Hot 100 for a whopping 15 weeks, the longest reign by a British artist and by an an artist with no features or accompanying acts. As the record extended, Styles’ name was No. 1 on the charts the same week a film with his first starring role was No. 1 at the domestic box office.

Harry’s House was a breath of fresh air, kicking off with the buoyant “Music for a Sushi Restaurant” and wrapping with the minimalist, emotional “Love of My Life.” Tucked in the 13 tracks are small peeks into Styles’ daily life, confessional moments of intimacy, and thoughtful encouragements, like the tender “Matilda.” The gentle ease of “Cinema” and glow left behind by “Daylight” ensure that the B-sides are far from filler. It’s an album that felt true to this moment in Styles’ career — it’s self-assured and calmer than the intensity of his self-titled debut or the seductive melancholy of Fine Line.

When Styles took Harry’s House out on the road and added songs from the record to the set list of the wonderfully never-ending “Love On Tour,” things really kicked into high gear. Residencies have become something of a trend in the business of live shows, which is still struggling to find stability in a Covid-rattled world, but Styles perfected the mini-residency with his 2022 outings, setting up shop in a city for weeks on end and letting the crowds flock his way.

Getting into Harry’s House quickly became the hottest ticket in town, and the most dedicated among the Harries would take to sleeping on the sidewalk or waiting in August New York heat for a shot at the best spot in the pit. The most diehard fans might have even been caught hopping from city to city, forming a boa’d and bejeweled caravan. Whether enjoying the show from the floor or closer to the rafters (for this writer it was the latter, for what it’s worth), the environment at one of Styles’ live shows was positively electric.

Part of fandom is the creation of inside jokes, rituals, and routines, and a Harry Styles concert has its own fingerprint, from the outfits to the energy. Jump in the conga line that always pops up during “Treat People with Kindness” or always wonder what could have been.

via consequence.net

#harry styles #consequence of sound #year end 2022

[apureniallsource]

Niall Horan is just getting started.

From his days as a boy bander (ever heard of One Direction?), to branching out as a solo artist in 2016, to now leading a team of hopeful musicians as a coach on NBC’s The Voice while gearing up to release his third album, Horan has experienced more in his career than most musicians could ever dream of. Now 13 years in, he’s hitting a new stride—and leading the show all on his own. “As I grow up, I understand myself as an artist more and more,” he told VMAN last month. “I’m getting to that place now where I know what I’m good at, and I know what sounds good on me.”

Horan has had plenty of time to play around with his sound. His second album, Heartbreak Weather—which was an experimental foray into heartbreak pop and a solid departure from his folksy 2017 debut, Flicker—was released in March 2020, just as the world slowed to a halt for the pandemic. Instead of feeling sorry about the timing, Horan took his sudden stretch of free time and got to work on album number three, The Show, which comes out on June 9. In fact, the major source of inspiration for The Show came to Horan shortly after Heartbreak Weather’s release, when an Instagram Live with his fans caused him to rethink a concept he’d already written. “I looked back and saw that ‘the show’ was something I’d had written down for a long time, but I never really knew what that meant until we were in the pandemic,” he explained. “And then it was clear to me that life is like a show. That’s what it is: it’s ups and downs, goods and bads.”

In many ways, the album reflects that. Horan dances around the joys of being in love and the pains of anxiety and finds his groove throughout the album’s 10 tracks. And as he settles into this new era, he feels reinvigorated as an artist: “I want to play arenas. I want to play packed shows every night. And I want to work my ass off to make sure that I get there.”

VMAN sat down with Horan to talk about the making of ‘The Show’, and his new singles “Meltdown” and “Heaven.”

VMAN: Congrats on the second single, “Meltdown.” You also have your first single, “Heaven,” which is just such a catchy song. When did you write that one, and did you always know that it would be the first single?

Niall Horan: Yeah, to be honest. When we first did it, I was like, “God, this is it. It’s going to be tough to beat this one.” I wrote it in June or July of last year in Joshua Tree with a few friends of mine. I felt like I’d been missing something like that in the record, and I wanted to write that concept, so I just went for it and it kind of just popped out. I’d been singing the chorus melody for a couple of days, or at least the first couple of lines of it, and I wasn’t really sure what the hell it was until one of the guys started playing the chords, and I was like, “I know what this is. I’m gonna sing over that.” And then the concept really fell into place then afterwards.

VM: Is that pretty typical of your songwriting process?

NH: I mean, there’s one song in the record that I wrote in under an hour, and it was like, the words just came flying out. I just knew what the concept was going to sound like, if you know what I mean. But there are other times, like, I had this piano line forever for “Never Grow Up,” but it was just about finding what the song meant conceptually, and what lyrics go with that. Most of the time, I like to have a good idea of what I’m going to say, so I write a story out. If it’s a dark song, it’s probably going to be a ballad. But sometimes, it’s the opposite. Like, there’s “Meltdown,” that’s 170 BPM, very up-tempo, but it’s actually about anxiety.

VM: Every song on the album feels really unguarded, if that’s the right word for it. How do you let yourself get into that headspace to be so introspective and vulnerable when you’re writing? I can’t imagine it’s easy.

NH: It used to be really hard for me to do that. You just have to do it in a way where people understand what you’re saying, instead of being so introspective that you’re writing every little detail of your life, and people are like, “what are you even talking about.” So you want to relate to everyone, but it can be tough to get yourself to that point. I used to worry about being asked about stuff in interviews…I thought about writing about certain things and just knowing I was going to be asked about that forever.

VM: Yeah, hard to kind of walk that line I guess. Would you say music has always been the way that you’ve channeled your feelings?

NH: Yeah, I do a lot of writing. And sometimes, it turns into songs, sometimes it doesn’t, but I try to write stuff down. This is the most cliché thing that anyone’s ever said, but sometimes is like a form of therapy. I don’t go to therapy, but I do when I sit down and play the guitar, you know?

VM: So would you say then that overall, the album reflects where you are in your life right now?

NH: Yeah, I think it’s the best reflection for sure. Even when I listen to it now, it’s got like everything that I feel two years later, sonically, lyrically, and conceptually. It’s all there.

VM: How did you land on The Show as the album title? I know you have the song by the same name, but what does that phrase mean to you?

NH: The title came before the song, to be fair. Back then, I was taking down notes all the time. I’ve got 101,270 voice notes, I checked earlier. And I looked back and saw that “the show” was something I’d had written down for a long time, but I never really knew what that meant until we were in the pandemic. And then it was clear that life is like a show. That’s what it is: it’s ups and downs, goods and bads. And that felt like a good strong concept to me in terms of sitting down to write an album. And once I’d written the song called “The Show,” I felt like alright, I’m off to the races here a little bit. It just kind of fell into place like that.

VM: So “The Show” was the first song you wrote for the album?

NH: It was, yeah. It was like a 1 a.m. Instagram Live with my fans in the pandemic, because we weren’t going anywhere, you know. I wrote the first verse of the song, and then the whole album just made sense from that. It’s a hard one to describe, how it just came about.

VM: Sonically, then, how do you think you’ve evolved in the three years since Heartbreak Weather?

NH: I’ve really started to bring my influences—the stuff that I listen to—into play now. The stuff that I’m into from the ‘70s is coming into play a lot with all the big, bright background vocals that you hear throughout the album.

VM: Switching gears a bit, you obviously got your start on The X Factor. Now being a coach on The Voice, I’m curious if that aligns with what you thought it would be like to be a judge, back when you were a contestant on The X Factor?

NH: I was like a deer in the headlights, back in the day. There’s loads of famous people who have got your future in their hands, and I was still just taken aback by the fact that I was on a big TV show every Saturday night. I was just loving that we were having such a great time, so I didn’t really look at it from the other side. Now, knowing that I have people’s future in my hands is a scary prospect. I have to make really tough decisions about people leaving the competition, losing team members, stuff like that. I can now understand what it would have been like for those people who had to make decisions on my behalf and my future. Apart from that, it’s just an absolute blast. We spend all of our time laughing, on and off camera. The banter between all the coaches is so good.

VM: So, festival season is coming up, and you’re playing at quite a few. First of all, what are you most looking forward to with that, and second of all, do you think that playing for a festival audience is going to be different from a more traditional concert audience?

NH: I’m so excited for festivals—I’m a huge festival-goer. And I always get jealous when I’m watching the artists on stage, just thinking that I’d love to be up there looking at that sea of people. So, I’m looking forward to doing that. But I also see it as a challenge to try and get some new fans, because I’ve been that drunk guy walking around the field looking for the bar, and then walking past the stage and there’s someone up there playing and all of a sudden, I’m listening to their music online. I’ve done that so many times at festivals.

VM: You’ve got to get the people who are in the back getting food or something.

NH: Exactly. Hopefully, the guy going to the bar looking for a drink or whatever might stick around, then might listen to me online, and then might even buy my new record. You never know.

#niall horan #28april

[smash-64]

2022 Game of the Year Countdown 6. Pokemon Crystal Clear Shockslayer and Game Freak GameBoy Color, 2022 current version (2000 original game)

Do not play this game as your first Pokemon game or your first foray into Johto. Other than that, and especially if you enjoyed the Gen 2 experience, you absolutely MUST play this game. It’s the exact formula change people have been begging Game Freak for ever since the first new Pokemon games were announced: open world Pokemon with level scaling.

The reason I say not to play it as your first Pokemon game or your first Johto game is that it’ll ruin the experience created and molded specifically by the developers. This is a romhack that removes all the roadblocks, barriers, and scheduled in-game plot events. So if you haven’t ever played a Pokemon game before, going back to one that has all of those things will probably hamper your experience with that game. I think roadblocks and such are necessary in Pokemon games so you don’t just blaze through the entire game, mindlessly taking out the gym leaders and Elite Four, and then putting the game back on the shelf forever. I like the roadblocks because it makes you take a moment to look around and explore, catch new Pokemon, and just enjoy the region. 

Now that I’m done ranting, let’s praise this romhack. I absolutely adore Gen 2, far beyond any other generation of Pokemon. So being able to pick my starter from a MUCH longer list, plus pick my character’s sprite, and set off in any direction was an amazing thing to experience. Doing the gyms in any order felt freeing because I could wander Johto or Kanto as much as I wanted and whenever I wanted. On top of that, the levels of all trainers scale directly with how many gym badges you’ve collected, so you always have at least some sort of reason to keep training. Pokemon fans have begged for this for years, and to have it actually implemented in a way that worked and felt right was great.

The romhack also removes any need to actually trade, and all 251 Pokemon are available in-game for the first time. It feels weird to use a Metal Coat to evolve a Scyther without needing to trade, but I like the decision to enhance the solo player’s experience.

Additional areas have been modified, and gym leaders’ teams change as the levels scale up as well. It’s honestly the best Pokemon romhack I’ve ever experienced by such a wide margin that I like it more than most other actual generations of Pokemon, and I almost wish it had an official physical release. Shockslayer outdid it with this one.

#pokemon #crystal clear #romhack #shockslayer #game boy color #nintendo #game of the year #2022 #countdown

[xplrvibes]

do you think SnC could change for a bit this year what I mean is I’m kind of tired of the Ghost hunting , I do hope they’re going to explore abandoned places where it’s legal or maybe doing it like explore with Josh where he did Travel to Asia etc… I do love ghost hunting but it’s just kind of repetitive to me Collab after Collab and they didn’t do anything in there personal channel for a long time I do hope So let’s see this year what SnC will do lol…..

Do you think Ms singer was right about her friend K that she’s a clout chaser lol?

Have a great day! 🙂

I think they would if they could...the thing that may be holding them back is that the last couple of times they tried to flip formats (25x25 and their brief foray into treasure hunting), it did not go well for them, so they feel kind of type casted into this.

I know people keep saying they want the abandoned back, and I get it - that was my introduction to snc too, and it is a very nostalgic thing. The problem is, the last couple of times they did videos with a more abandoned theme, like Chernobyl, their cave videos, that video they did with Josh - they simply did not get the hype or the views. So I doubt they will flip the format in any significant way, anytime soon.

But I do think there are plenty of ways they could switch it up with the ghost hunting, if nothing else! They need to stop with the incessant and annoying collabs, for one (which, from what little they've said on xplrclub, it sounds like they are going to try to bring in people that the fans really want to see and kind of calm down on the randos a bit, so that's good), they gotta chill out with these stupid rituals and challenges, maybe do a few solo investigations...and (this is probablt just for me, @golbrocklovely and aussie anon but fuck it, we deserve this lol) do a few videos where they dig more into Colby's more emphatic/intuitive side and leave the equipment at the door, or do a video where they go in and investigate the house first and then find out the lore of the place later, just new and fun stuff like that.

And I would live if they'd bring back their personal channels, honestly...sadly, I just don't think they have the bandwidth to do it right now. But if they hired more staff to help them with stuff, maybe! I think it'd be a great outlet for then. Sam could do his philosophical shit, Colby could maybe make more music, they could post on their channels here and there...they'd have an outlet, we'd get more personalized content that I think would help break up the monotony of the main channel, and life would be good.

As far as Ms Singer and K...I think Ms Singer is speaking from a place of true hurt where K is concerned. It seems their friendship did not end on good terms at all, and poor Ms Singer got left in the dust. I don't know if or how that correlates to being a clout chaser, but I think there's a lot of resentment and hurt feelings to go around in thay situation, and calling someone a clout chaser in that world is like the ultimate insult, so...who knows! Guess we'll find out for sure eventually lol.

#asks

[corvidcrows]

A little something I whipped up for @vellichorom 's Thierry– another character study I did just some time ago. As always, thank you for lending me your character to play with and letting him interact with my Narrator, Luke!

I just wanted to post it ln this blog for safekeeping. Here you go!

~~~

Luke does not often go to recreational spaces like these. Bars, taverns, pubs? They do not seem to fit his type of pasttime.

But who is he to turn down a good promotion? The bar's happy hours started at an optimum time for him, and the offer of multiple rounds of his favorite fruit cocktails was too much for him to resist. Luke liked this bar anyways; they served good food for a reasonable price, and many Narrators frequented the place for their (admittedly delicious) fried calamari rings and roast chicken strips.

Even if he might not be the type to eat greasy food or try alcoholic beverages, Luke would still find it compelling to visit. Since his fall into the rift and his subsequent integration into the multiversal region, he had not had the chance to acquaint himself with other Narrators, so the idea of seeing many of them out and about, milling around like the bar was their natural element, was fascinating to Luke. He *must* experience it at least once, if not just to observe how other Narrators act in such an environment.

But perhaps he had made a mistake, for he had not been given the memo that this was not a solo event. Many of the people present have come in pairs, triads, quads, and any assortment of groupings other than one. It made Luke feel terribly out of place, especially when a waiter drifted closer to him and says, "table for how many, sir?"

Luke was seriously considering giving up on his first foray outside his comfort zone, when a heavy hand descended upon his shoulder. He jolts and looks behind him to see a man, most probably a Narrator, giving the waiter a truly shit-eating grin.

"Isn't it obvious?" the man huffs. "Table for two, please."

"Apologies, but who are–"

"Can you make it snappy?"  The stranger says, raising his voice to drown out Luke's.

He had no chance to protest. The waiter nods and gestures to a far corner, then proceeds to lead them to it. A bewildered Luke is then steered by the new Narrator, towards the direction of where the waiter had gone off to. Luke was too stunned to say anything when he is offered a chair.

Luke blinks owlishly when the other man throws himself in the seat across him, slouching lazily and scratching his chin as if this was the most normal occurence in the world.

"Pardon the rudeness," Luke starts, still very much confused, "but what do you think you are doing?"

"Saving you a good time, that's what," the Narrator says smoothly, yawning as if he had not done anything strange. He folds his arms over the table and leans forward. "You were about to leave because you were alone, weren't you?"

Luke purses his lips, not knowing what to say. It was none of this man's business, yet he seemed as if he truly cared whether Luke, a complete stranger, was ready to leave the bar. It made him stop short of explaining himself. But from the looks of the man's smug expression, it seens as if he had already come to a conclusion.

"I was. How does this fact concern you in any way?"

"It doesn't. But a shame if you left right now just because you don't have a friend or partner, eh? I've gone many times. Happy hours here are too good to pass up just because of that."

Well. He wasn't opposed to staying any longer, but this strange Narrator had Luke eyeing the other critically.

From what he's seen, he wasn't a good deal shorter than Luke's normal height, and appeared to be a human on the somewhat average side. He'd have thought this Narrator to be completely biological, if it weren't for the slight static of his technopathic powers alerting him that this man's *otherness.*

If Luke could sense this much, then the man could have digital origins, but nothing about him seemed to point to any of this, so it did throw Luke off quite a bit. He surmises that he should treat this man as a completely ordinary human Narrator for now.

Luke's eyes flash, and he gleams some of the man's emotions from his mind.  Languor, joy, expectation, and a slight bit of boredom on the side. No ill intent that he could detect. And his name–

"Thierry. Who are you?" he asks bluntly at the exact moment Luke reads his name off his code.

"Luke."

"Well, Luke, don't I get a thank you?"

Well, he can't read anything more from the man, his biological components throwing Luke's powers off. Oh well. If that's the case, perhaps he could humor this man at the very least.

"Very well. Thank you," Luke concedes. "And you? Are you also alone? Is that why you decided to accompany me?"

The man seemed surprised by the question. "Hell no. I'm waiting for my friends to get here, actually. I'm only keeping you company 'cause I felt sorry for your ass."

Luke's eyebrows raise. Alright, a man who's a bit on the tactless side– but has a good heart nonetheless.

"You didn't need to do that," Luke says slowly, "but I appreciate it, I suppose."

"'Course you do. Say, you wanna talk about something that happened to me last week?"

Before he knew it, Luke is deep into a casual conversation with Thierry, who talks and talks as if the world would end if he did not. Luke does not mind, though– he matches the man beat for beat, his energy infectious.

Soon enough, Thierry is glancing at his watch, and he ends the lighthearted conversation with two hands slapped onto the table.

"RIGHT! I've kept you long enough. Gotta go; my friends are probably going to be here soon."

And so Luke waves him a quiet goodbye, even after realizing that Luke had bought two drinks for the man and the other hadn't bothered repaying him. The man deserved that much; he did prevent Luke from leaving after all.

And so the rest of Luke's evening was spent drinking cocktails and observing the people milling around. The crowd thickens at one point and he loses sight of Thierry, so he quickly aims his attention elsewhere.

That is, however, when the sound of broken glass and yelps resound throughout  the entire bar, and Luke swivels his head to see his new acquaintance being yanked by the collar towards an enraged-looking man– possibly a Stanley.

"What is your problem?!" The Stanley spits. "You spilled your shitty drink all over the front of my shirt, and you just walk away?"

"Ffffuuuck off, I said I was sorry," slurs Thierry, "Not my fault I didn't see you. I was busy being hotter sssshiiit than y-you, you know?"

"You just stood on our table and danced to Lady Gaga, and you think you're hot shit. Sure, fucker. Maybe on another planet."

"I'm here to give this crowd a motherfucking show," the Narrator says with bright eyes. Luke balks and sets his drink aside, already feeling like a disaster was about to occur. He stands up and starts making his way to the duo.

"Yyyoooou know, big boy, I give the best shows. You wanna see?" continues Thierry in mock sweetness, causing the other to snarl and ball his fists.

Just before the Stanley could take a swing, Luke smoothly intervenes and grabs Thierry's arm.

"Apologies, gentlemen. I didn't quite see my, ah, friend making quite a commotion. I'll make sure he's under control next time."

The Stanley gives him the dirtiest look he's ever been given, and snorts. "Get that asshole away from my face, and we might not see any fights today."

He didn't need to be told twice. Luke drags the obviously drunk Thierry with him, out of the bar, and starts hauling him with all his strength. His tail wraps around Thierry's midsection and strains to keep him upright.

What happened? Why did he get so drunk, and why had no one helped him? Luke turns to Thierry and surveys him. Bloodshot eyes, unfocused pupils. Yep, definitely wasted.

"Where are your friends? Why aren't they here?"

Thierry's lip wobbles, and it looks like he's on the verge of tears. "They couldn't make it. I was alone."

Oh. Luke looks around, at the empty street, wishing someone could help him right now. He was bad at comforting people, that's what his track record says.

"Do they just not like me? Maybe Iiiiii'm just an annoying little piece of shit. That's what those people at the bar c-called me," Thierry continues, eyes trained on the ground. Luke bites his lip when the other Narrator falls silent.

"I'm sure they were just occupied with other activities," Luke says gently.

"Buuuuut they still blew me off."

"They wouldn't do that on purpose."

"How do you know? Yyyouuuuu don't even know me!" Thierry practically snarls. "You heard what that guy in the bar said. I'm an asshole. No one, no one would care to–"

"You never knew me, yet you still chose to help me out even when I haven't asked. That says far more about your character than anything anyone says about you," Luke points out.

Thierry says nothing. Luke almost thinks that Thierry is digesting his words, but then the other man wobbles and heaves all over the pavement. Luke retreats but leaves his tail coiled around Thierry.

But then Thierry wipes his mouth, glances up at Luke, and nods weakly.

"Okay. Okay. If you sssay so, you silly sexy snake man. I probably won't remember this in the morning, but I'll believe you."

*Snake man?* Luke's lips twitch as he disregards the strange nickname. His fingers dive into his coat pocket and pull out his phone.

"I hope you do. I am my time to bring you home after all. Now, address?

#im just dumping this here so no tags #look away folks

[inkysqueed]

Can you tell us about any projects you've been working on lately? I'm sorry you've been sick 🫂

(I'm sorry I'm sick too! Bleugh... don't wish this on anyone.)

Well you personally know about my sandboxes and about my elder scrolls fic series quite well so I'll shake it up and talk about my first solo foray into building a fictional world!

It's been interesting to say the least. I'll probably go for some level of pure fantasy-- though once in a while my brain tells me to drop more modern technology into the setting.

I'm ignoring it for now haha!

Currently the most developed part is how humans view magic in this setting. You've got your regular schools of magic until you start to notice there's nobody practicing restorative magic. This is because humanity in this setting views healing one's self with magic to be as unnatural as raising the dead without any sense or sanctity. There are multiple ways to heal someone-- but generally the approved everyday methods tend to be slow acting medicines that supplement the body's natural healing rather than spells that instantly heal.

Humanity is memed on a lil bit for this superstition but other beings cannot deny that there may be some credence to what humans say.

The other thing is that vampires are treated as a subrace of humanity rather than their own monster class because of this superstition. A vampire in this world can be one of two things; an actual undead vampire or a healer who was condemned to be called a vampire. Both kinds of vampires tend to be chill with one another and perhaps have even formed their own secluded communities with one another :D

#squeed speaks #thank you for the ask! #original writing

[noloveforned]

no love for ned is on wlur from 8pm until midnight tonight for our typical friday night foray. if you've found yourself elsewhere, last week's show is up on mixcloud for forays more convenient to your schedule.

no love for ned on wlur – september 15th, 2023 from 8-10pm

artist // track // album // label tuscadero // candy song // the pink album // teenbeat babaganouj // stay up for me // jumbo pets // coolin' by sound special friend // fault lines // wait until the flames come rushing in // skep wax the beths // watching the credits // expert in a dying field (deluxe) // carpark the dream syndicate // tell me when it's over // the days of wine and roses // fire lewsberg // an ear to the chest // out and about // 12xu podcasts // cockatoos // podcasts // prefect the sprouts // hammer // eat your greens cassette // tenth court the she's // anywhere but here // all female rock and roll quartet // empty cellar yoko ono // dogtown // season of glass // geffen gaye su akyol // love buzz // love buzz 7" // sub pop hiss golden messenger // shinbone // jump for joy // merge lemon quartet // hyper for love // artsfest // last resort tomas fujiwara // other // pith // out of your head claire rousay // first half // an inevitable solution (to) // kendra steiner editions brandon lópez // billie // vilevilevilevilevilevilevilevile // tao forms anthony davis, kyle motl and kjell nordeson // fictions ii // vertical motion // astral spirits sun ra and his arkestra // enlightment // jazz in silhouette (expanded edition) // cosmic myth navy blue and childish major // dolla // dolla digital single // def jam cleo sol // go baby // heaven // forever living originals eddie kaine and finn // double back // quincy st. blues // copenhagen crates corinne bailey rae // put it down // black rainbows // thirty tigers the finks // love man // birthdays at solo pasta // milk! linda smith // but is she happy? // the space between the buildings cassette // preference tony jay featuring karina gill // just my charm // perfect worlds // slumberland tobin sprout // atom eyes (piano version) // demos and outtakes, volume two // persona non grata anna mcclellan // song about time // off my chest, 2012-2021 // (self-released) bronze float // drink the rain // drink the rain 7" // rc legacy

#wlur #radio shows

[zydrateacademy]

Hogwarts Legacy: First Impressions

I said my piece. My reasons haven’t changed. So let’s talk about the game.

I’ve never played a Harry Potter game before this, because they all seemed to just play through the book and movie plot lines over and over again. Sometimes as Lego people. I read the books, watched the movies, and therefore held no interest in the franchises foray into my favored hobby. Until now, because this is literally the game I’ve been waiting for. My own character, their own stories. Right out of the gate I will say the plotline is a little reminiscent of the original plot. However it still twists and turns the original stuff to keep it at least moderately fresh while still being familiar.

You are still “the special” as someone who can see and use traces of “ancient magic” which never goes named, just repeated as “ancient” through the course of the game. Effectively decided to be the only one to deal with the local problem, a sort of goblin rebellion leader who’s tapping into that same magic as a way to brute-force it, notable by the usual coded Red Equals Evil media coding that we’ve seen before (read: Dark Side, or the red lyrium from Dragon Age, countless examples). Some of the plot involves you circumnavigating those machinations while still focusing on school work, much in the same way the original plot lines did. We get the same scene of sneaking into the forbidden library, the room of requirement, and other things. While you have some assistance from other students, they are mercifully not joined at the hip throughout every single adventure. You solo your way through caves and dungeons, the few other students just help grease the wheels a bit as they teach you new spells or introduce hidden areas. I’m particularly fond of Sebastian, your local Slytherin teammate who seems to lead you into all things forbidden and I’m here for it. Still, there are moments that make you think “oh, come on”. The potions professor basically just looks like Alan Rickman but with some facial hair. Perhaps a more agreeable attitude but is still gruff with the students.There’s even a couple of Dumbledore-likes with outfits highly reminiscent of what we’ve seen him wear in the movies.

The pacing of the game, eight hours in, is wonderful. I’ve only had two run-ins with the goblins in the main story (and two other bandit camp encounters), but as far a the main bad guy goes, just the once post-prologue. The game is paced excellently, as it gives you the main plot in bite sized chunks while so far the meat of the game is doing what your character came here for; learning magic. Part of what enchanted those of my age bracket back when we were young; yearning for school work that was more interesting that bored, underpaid teachers droning on about math. Every time a class mission comes up I get overjoyed not because the experience I’ve craved for some years, but also it usually means it has a practical reward by way of new spells and tools to help you traverse the world. It takes a few hours for you to get the broom but after getting there I understand why. By that point you’ve run on-foot to a couple of towns by necessity to finally earning it through a class mission was a joy; and probably one of my favorite moments in the game so far as you tour the skies of Hogwarts with some of the best music to fit the mood. Within all this is the combat, which reminds me of the original Fable but more modernized. There’s both a quick-shield to deflect certain spells as well as a dodge to just roll out of the way from things your shield wouldn’t do much against (like giant troll hammers). I play on normal (the difficulty affects the response time you get for dodging/deflecting) and battles can be quite frantic as you only have so much time to decide whether to deflect-stun or go the easier route of just dodging away while leaving your opponents unaffected by anything so you have to decide what to do after a roll. Combat is all about those split-second decisions and I rather enjoy it, and I haven’t felt overwhelmed quite yet except during on bandit camp encounter that I almost lost because it just threw more enemies at me than I was used to at the time. Learning curve ahoy.

It is perhaps not as much of an open world as one might think. There’s plenty to explore to find chests and loot, sometimes blocked by ways you don’t have access to quite yet. The game doesn’t throw every tool at you immediately to let you loose upon the world and for good reason; because there’s not a whole hell of a lot to do town by town. This is not a “pick a direction and go” kind of world, as early on you get a tutorial notation saying that some activities are straight up locked until you get certain spells. Remember I said it takes about five hours just to get open world flight, that kind of thing.

Side quests seem to be the usual “go to this location, get thing” but the writing and characterization of the quest givers are usually charming enough to see it through, and the objectives are rarely far enough away to be inconvenient and fast travel can be done from nearly anywhere.

I will say as one of my only points of contention is that some of the activities can feel a bit like busywork. I am particularly irritated at Merlin trials, which usually hides its solutions in the immediate area but are not always terribly obvious. If you go to far away from the trial it resets itself, which can also include hopping into your broom to get a vantage point of the area. Even when it’s simple they’re very tedious, and they’re the only way to increase your inventory space (which fills up quickly because loot is absolutely everywhere). I’m okay with the various bandit camps and animal lairs but it does reek of that Ubisoft-ness that has tired gaming in the last few years.

There’s probably plenty more I can say, but that’s almost all I have to say about the game and gameplay. It’s great, I’m quite enjoying it. Obviously there’s still plenty left I need to do but I’m having a great time.  I feel like this game brings to the table that HP fans have wanted. If you wanted the school experience, it’s here in in bite sized chunks, a class or two at a time for you to navigate the wonderfully designed school with all kinds of bits and bobs to discover. If you’re one of those HP fans who thought the combative implications of the world went under explored, then there’s plenty of it to be had here as well between shooting at wolves, spiders, bandits, rebels, and other creatures with fake made-up names.

There’s some buzz about performance. My computer is a few years old but with a decent amount of VRAM. I play on high settings and while I have noticed a couple frame drops during a couple of cutscenes, I have not experienced any crashing or other issues. I’ve also run into a big where my girl would remain targeting a downed enemy which made the dueling tournament a bit complicated to finish but saving and reloading cleared it up.

So yeah, there we have it. I like the game and don’t regret getting it.

#Hogwarts Legacy #Harry Potter

[coffeeandjournaling]

Field Guide to Memory

A keepsake game by Jeeyon Shim and Shing Yin Khor

Materials

game manual

journal

pen, art supplies

printer (if you want to use the ephemera provided)

some common items for one prompt or another (coin, leaf...)

Premise

Accomplished cryptozoologist Dr. Elizabeth Lee has gone missing and is now declared dead five years after her disappearance. Her ongoing research on the Pronghorned Desert Rat remains unfinished and is currently held hostage by the Institute for Theoretical Evolutions. As her former student, you set out to finish what your mentor started to save these endangered critters and reconnect with Elizabeth and her legacy in all new ways - some surprising, some humbling, some devastating. This is a game about community and finding peace in the knowledge that no one ever truly leaves this world as long as they are remembered.

Mechanics

At the beginning, you use the character sheet to create your persona. Each in-game day then provides you with the next piece of the narrative as well as one or several prompts to journal about. Most of the prompts are presented as some sort of in-game correspondence or other ephemera/facsimiles for you to react to. You journal in three different categories, as given in each prompt: your diary, your field notes and your correspondence (each is basically exactly what you would expect from their name). If you take notes on cryptids, answer some official letters or reflect on your time with Dr. Lee, each journal entry brings you closer to the whereabouts of the Pronghorned Desert Rat. Some prompts bleed into your reality as the player - you might be asked to destroy parts of your journal or go outside to answer a prompt and gather materials. Bit by bit, you’re creating your own artifact, a chronicle of your efforts, as foreshadowed by the keepsake aspect of the game description.

Thoughts and Examples from my Playthrough

Field Guide was my first foray into solo games and a truly magical experience. The game has a very strong narrative, aided by a pleasant and engaging writing style that manages to feel consistent and still leave room for distinct character voices. You’re drawn further into the story by the lovingly designed ephemera and facsimiles, effortlessly fitting into the gorgeous layout of the game manual (which feels like a horrible name for something that is much more than just a guide for you to follow). Sitting down every day to answer prompts was always thrilling: What piece of Dr. Lee’s colourful past will be unveiled today? Which challenges lie ahead? Who is going to join my ranks of allies? Each journaling session was satisfying in a different way, each prompt unique and engaging.

The simple yet elegant layout, the ephemera and the writing spark your creativity to create beautiful, clumsy, neat, human ephemera yourself. I haven’t drawn for a good while before I started to play and suddenly found myself doodling again without pressure or anxiety. You don’t need to be an artist - the game doesn’t judge your skills, only challenges you to try. If that’s not your cup of tea, there’s enough material to be printed and used as a base for your journaling. It might help to have some stickers, washi tape and similar stationary supplies at hand, but maybe your character prefers a simple black pen in a blank notebook.

If you decide to play, you will be busy for a few weeks, at least. I do recommend you take your time, as intended by the game - it’s a much more lasting, reverberant experience and will stay with you for a good while after. Some of the “reality-breaking“ aspects had me wait on the next journaling session for a couple of days until I could do what the prompt asked me to - while you can always use your imagination, of course, I found the waiting time to be beneficiary to my game experience. It felt wonderful to finally get back into it, like I waited for a letter in the mail that finally came. Honestly, don’t rush it. And don’t worry if you leave the game to rest for a bit - it’s gonna marinate in your head and get even better. Linking the game to real-world places and experiences connects you that much more with your character and the story you’re building. I don’t think I’ll forget that day at the park although I was alone and the weather was terribly bleak - yet I enjoyed myself immensely.

A lot of the gameplay relies on you getting introspective. You might reach into places that feel uncomfortable for you. While the mood in general is a lighter one, with bright memories of your mentor just as frequent as the more sombre ones, it can get pretty dark here and there. Personally, I liked these parts best, but if you’re looking for an overall fluffy and happy adventure, this might not be for you. I’m not ashamed to admit that I cried a little at the end.

Finally, the cryptids! There’s of course the Pronghorned Desert Rat, a small horned critter on the verge of extinction (according to Dr. Lee). If you are not able to attach yourself to your late mentor, these wee guys will motivate you to keep going. Learning about them, their behaviours and characteristics, was some of the most intriguing things about the game. With them come a few more cryptids that are part of their ecosystem and a few others you will have to explore or make up yourself, as well as - light spoiler! - some sexy cryptid costumes for a burlesque show. The concept of the ecosystem is also adapted to describe the community you build to achieve Dr. Lee’s goal. The theme of connection is weaved strongly into every aspect of the narrative and gameplay, so much so that you begin to think of it even at times you’re not playing. What makes a community? I think that is one of the question the game wants you to find an answer to.

Even though you have plenty of creative freedom to answer your prompts during the game, the narrative is mostly linear. There’s a predetermined ending that you can embellish to your liking and will be different for each player, but I reckon a second playthrough for the same player, even with a new character, wouldn’t differ significantly and isn’t necessarily worth it. That being said, the time you spend with it is plenty and I find the game worth the cost for what it is.

This might be your cup of coffee if...

you prefer to be guided in your solo adventures.

you enjoy a well-designed manual full of fake memorabilia and ephemera to use in your journal.

you’ve always wanted to be a cryptozoologist.

you take pleasure in exploring a character in-depth, especially in relation to other characters and how they impacted yours.

you are open to experimental mechanics.

You can find the game on itch.io. Both creators also have their own patreon - your support garners you access to some of their smaller projects, which are also worth a look!

#solo rpg #review #journal #long #beginner friendly #reality encroaching #keepsake #drawing #drama #field guide to memory

[transformingbricoleur]

🎡No doubt you will surprise us. Looking forward to it.

[[ meme || prompts from my Storymatic box ]]

[[ uhhh.... ]]

"...and since it wouldn't do to leave a limp, lifeless body in a populated area, you'll be wanting one of these." Kisuke's thumb and pinky gripped the ends of a candy dispenser; he waggled his brows as he rattled it.

"Soul Candy! Doubtless you're familiar with gikon, but this being your first solo foray into the world of the living, may not have the personal experience. May I recommend, in your case, the third most popular, Pupples the professor? I believe this personality will manage to mimic your erudite sensibilities well enough to fool the locals for... oh, at least a few seconds."

He offered her the dispenser, which featured mascot head appeared to be a cartoonish dog with eyes hidden beneath a fringe that was indistinct from the ears, and tiny mortarboard atop its crown. "Should you need to hastily exit your gigai, simply pop one in your mouth, and Pupples will pilot it to safety!"

He held up an index. "—Now, please bear in mind that we cannot be held responsible for anything terribly out-of-character that is said or done, including 'woof'..."

Having very nearly completed the transaction, he cocked his head suddenly, a new thought occurring. "You knowwww..." His smile grew lopsided and awkwardly sympathetic. "If you became attached to him, I could have him installed in a plushie for you. It might be nice, in your solitude, to have the companionship of a best friend..."

#[[ imagining she visited his shop before attending those conferences ]] #reservedhealer #tsp activity check

[welcometomy20s]

November 29, 2022

VOCALOID LEGENDS - 2022 Part 9

I am... taking a gamble here. I think there is enough in December, but I could be very wrong, so the next post might be really short.

#R-3, U-9, S-2 - Kuuneru Andgazer (Den+Kujira) [Akane, Aoi, Nene, Sutopi-kun, AquesTone2]

Achievement Date: 22-10-11, Upload Date: 19-02-07

First VOICEROID song, the rest are chorus only, not by GYARI to be on this list, and this is on the obscure side of things, well not that obscure, it’s a pseudo-xx song about the girls living after an apocalyptic winter. It has that typical NicoNico eclectic yet cute vibes, which is quite nice. It’s a thing Pepoyo does well, I wonder if he gets here.

#733 - NINA (PinocchioP) [Hatsune Miku]

Achievement Date: 22-10-24, Upload Date: 13-11-25

A quite a nice ditty from PinocchioP, I think one of his first forays into more light affair, although the lyrics are a bit reflective, it really feels like the transition from the heavy chiptune of RH&C to his more current sound. It also has a sly DECO*27 reference!

#734 - Reincarnation Apple (PinocchioP) [Hatsune Miku]

Achievement Date: 22-10-24, Upload Date: 22-06-03

Nice to compare with above. One of PinocchioP’s newer songs, I think the two have some light similarities, poppy electronic sounds with deep reflective lyrics, but the production has become much better and more engaging. It kind of grows on you.

#735 - Dokuzu (Nakiso) [Kaai Yuki]

Achievement Date: 22-10-26, Upload Date: 22-03-05

Yuki’s third solo song. While the previous two used Yuki’s innocence, this firmly lands in the transformed Yuki, where she is used as this light wispy voice by people who formerly used v flower, and Nakiso uses her to great effect… People call this a yandere song, but it sounds more like a revenge song, although it does go yandere later… 

#736 - Hiasobi (Camellia) [Hatsune Miku]

Achievement Date: 22-10-26, Upload Date: 22-03-12

Camellia, famous in rhythm games, made this song for a ProSeca contest. It did not win, but it did not stop all the MMDs, but there are fewer singing covers, because this is really one of the songs that only Miku can sing. There are not a lot of those out there, but this song, only Miku’s electronic grating rising tones really fits this gritty dance song. 

#737 - It’s A Whole World (Sooichi) [Kagamine Len]

Achievement Date: 22-10-29, Upload Date: 13-09-27

We have a banging bass-boosted dance Len song about the hard knocks of life. It starts blasting and does not stop until the video ends, while Len doesn’t fit so well sonically, the subject matter oddly seems right in line with him. 

#738 - QUEEN (Kanaria) [GUMI]

Achievement Date: 22-11-01, Upload Date: 22-08-06

Not my favorite Kanaria song from this year, but it does fit as a counterpart. I like the Embellique chorus. That bye bye lady makes me think of Jerry Lewis for some reason, not the singer (that’s Jenny Lewis) but the old comedian… 

#739 - Parasite (DECO*27) [Hatsune Miku]

Achievement Date: 22-11-07, Upload Date: 22-02-07

Another song from the Mannequin and a turning point from the three poppy songs. A return to the form and a nice counterpart. The album is about the ups and downs of a relationship, and this is where we get to the down of a relationship. DECO*27’s lyrics tends to vary but ‘down’ lyrics are almost childish, which is… okay. 

#740 - World Faith Revival Zone (Rokuro) [Hatsune Miku]

Achievement Date: 22-11-17, Upload Date: 17-09-08

Finally Rokuro gets a second song in the Legends. Kind of a softer rock than Slow Downer but still very much rocking. The lyrics are about… what it is about? Man, I am drawing a blank here. It’s not bad lyrics, it’s just… I don’t know the direction here.

#741 - Yoidore Shirazu (Kanaria) [GUMI]

Achievement Date: 22-11-30, Upload Date: 22-05-02

Now this is pretty good. I like the vibe, and I think this is the furthest departure from the KING trap that gripped Kanaria for some reason. There’s a bit of a funk going on, I like this almost narrative approach, more akin to his first song. It’s a good song, and I think it shows Kanaria can absolutely write something other than KING.

#vocaloid #music #review

[thepermanentrainpress]

CONCERT REVIEW: MACHINE GUN KELLY W/ AVRIL LAVIGNE AND WILLOW AT ROGERS ARENA - JULY 23RD, 2022

Golden light poured over industrial structures in the heart of Downtown Vancouver. On an event-filled Saturday evening, concertgoers at Rogers Arena experienced an exquisite indie punk rock performance from WILLOW, who joined Avril Lavigne and Machine Gun Kelly on the latter’s Mainstream Sellout tour.

WILLOW always maintains a balance between ethereal vocals and striking instrumentals. Whether she cranks out indie-pop hits or forays into punk rock, WILLOW’s art always feels new, fascinating, magnetic–and genuine. To hold such an authentic appeal whilst landing multiple viral hits on TikTok is no easy feat.

A massive white tarp hung behind the stage with a symbol etched in sharp black marker. The symbol, contained within a circle, housed a symmetrical floral design. In the foreground, a giant “W” cleverly enclosed the remaining letters of the singer’s name. Carved silver trash cans lined the stage, luminous light shining from inside.

WILLOW was accompanied by a full-fledged rock band: steely electric guitars, deep bass, and fierce drums. She dispersed her setlist, drawing from albums lately I feel EVERYTHING, ARDIPITHECUS, and THE ANXIETY.

“I knew a boy just like you / He’s a snake just like you / Such a fake, just like you / But I can see the truth.”

WILLOW’s vocals were light, full, and powerful. Beautiful vibrato circulated throughout the arena: a venue known for being sonically difficult to master. The performance was full of wonderful contrasts and passionate lyrical stings. WILLOW moved loosely and with poise across the stage. A rainbow knitted beanie bounced around on her head and played off nicely with the black t-shirt and pants adorned with warm colourful patches.

“I really love this next song cause it’s very ugly out here on earth–but sometimes it can be kinda really, really beautiful,” said WILLOW before launching into “Lipstick.” Booming vocals cascaded and harmonized over shredded guitar and heavy drums. “And I’m looking at pain like my old close friend / Open arms for her when I see her again.”

The pace simmered with “Come Home,” a pristine pleading for love. “I’m tired of this feeling, I feel so alone / I need you right now, baby / won’t you come home?” WILLOW’s nuanced melodies and radiant runs weaving into a dramatic chorus.

“It’s kinda cliche,” said WILLOW leading into the song, her soft and kind tone putting the crowd at ease. “But the next song is about being in love.”

“I know we all kinda like being in love, right? Some of us maybe hate it…”

“Meet Me At Our Spot” brought trendy timelessness. The audience erupted in excitement after the first few beat drops and started bobbing along with WILLOW’s heartfelt vocals. “Caught a vibe / Baby, are you coming for the ride? / I just wanna look into your eyes / I just wanna stay for the night.”

Wavy guitars paved a scenic detour away from punk rock with “Wait a Minute!” – WILLOW’s dynamic vocals adding a bold flair compared to the studio recording. “Hold on, wait a minute / Feel my heart’s intention, oh / Hold on, wait a minute / I left my consciousness in the sixth dimension.” To end off the beachy psychedelic rock tone, WILLOW strapped on an electric guitar and played a rich solo melody.

“<maybe> it’s my fault” was a strong end to a captivating performance. Luscious, soft vocals blended into enthusiastic electric strums during the verses, while tension built with a thundering tempo change during the chorus of the track. Screamo vocals cut an intense, cathartic edge.

“It’s all on my mind, it’s all on my mind / I try to rewind / And all of the while / I’m hurting inside / It’s your fault / Maybe it’s my fault.”

Up next, Avril Lavigne. An icon in the punk rock world and Canadian music scene. Lavigne played classics like “Girlfriend,” “Complicated,” “Sk8er Boi,” and “I’m with You.” She also played some tracks off her new album, including “Bite Me” and “Love It When You Hate Me.” Lavigne was energetic and joyous, soaking in the audience’s adoration who knew much of the words to the songs she played.

Machine Gun Kelly (MGK) took the stage from a life-size pink helicopter attached to the arena’s ceiling. He played through most of Mainstream Sellout, including “born with horns,” “god save me,” “make up sex,” “emo girl,” and “die in california.” He also played some tracks off Tickets To My Downfall, including “kiss kiss,” “drunk face,” “bloody valentine,” and “my ex’s best friend.” MGK even performed “el Diablo,” a track from his rap days.

MGK’s stage was a giant optical illusion. A “slanted” checkered circle platformed the band. He wore a glittery tank top and pants with his pastel pink hair. His performance was vibrant and lively. MGK seemed comfortable with the crowd, complimenting the city’s water, donning a purple Vancouver Canucks Hockey Fights Cancer jersey, and walking through the floor crowd during multiple songs. The Mainstream Sellout tour revolved around defeating the internet, which was personified as a giant human figure with a television on its head.

MGK was charismatic and lively, clearly bringing out all the stops for the tour. It was impressive to see old and new guards of punk rock come together for a nostalgic and unique event. Fresh, skilled sounds collided with extraordinary spectacles in a jam-packed concert.

Written by: Jenna Keeble Photographed by: Timothy Nguyen

#Jenna #Jenna Keeble #PRconcert #concert review #review #Music #live music #Rogers Arena #Willow #Willow Smith #MGK #Mainstream Sellout #Mainstream Sellout Tour #Vancouver #yvr #Machine Gun Kelly #Colson Baker #Avril Lavigne #concert #Tickets to My Downfall

[wtfcraigslistnyc]

I’m back motherfuckers!! YES!!! To the roots of where this whole sorted mess began.. CRAIGSLIST… Life has handed me some of the sweetest cherries via CRAISGSLIST. I can’t ever quit you….

This first foray back to the OG art form comes to us from some DOUCHE in VIRGINA… It’s not just for LOVERS apparently. Having spent a fair amount of time in the mid-atlantic region I feel connected to this world this strange query springs from… ENJOI 12.6.23

CHRISTMAS ELF…

It’s really profound what the human mind is capable of. Curing cancer, overcoming tremendous adversity, dragging what’s left of your body after a bear mauls you… But other times the mind wanders in the cold, bleak, dark of winter. The walls close in and everyone begins to look like a bucket of KFC that complains too much. So the wheels spin and land on a very intuitive and obvious solution as you drift across the sewage treatment plant liquid surface of the modern popular cultural zeitgeist.

One can only try to imagine the wretched and pitiful mind that would solicit another human for their sick holiday fun….

WILL FARRELL!!! OF COURSE!!! ELF!!!

My cheating wife and asshole children will be so goddam stoked on this utter tidal wave of yuletide inspiration. Nothing will prepare them for the TRAPPED IN THE CLOSET-esque reveal I have on deck for them all…

The whole concept actually appeared in a fever dream as I took a stroll down memory lane to revisit my old childhood haunts of the web… EBAUM'S BABY!!! All the most vile stuff really. It brought me back to the time of dial up and TUB GIRL. Of lesser and greater evils I may or may not have been privy to.

The issue is that I know my dog is gonna rape the ELF… It’s the ELEPHANT in the room really.

BUSTER has been really not adjusting well to any of the many hurdles we’ve presented him with. First, we switched him from a VEGAN, non protein based diet. This caused our beloved pup to really take a turn for the worse almost instantly. His poor canine rectum became a fire hydrant of angry, hateful excrement. He seemed to charge at passing cars with what little life force remained, chasing his own death like a ball sadly…

Thankfully we found a DOGGIE LIFE COACH who really set us straight on the path of nothing but freshly butchered chicken and raw veg. His stools are now like baseballs, one saves in a bin and are carefully burned over the winter months to warm the family at our cabin in the stix…

The unfortunate byproduct of this new vigor BUSTER’s meat infused doggie heart is that he basically tries to penetrate ANY creature that he perceives as a possible for him to mount and dominate.

We found out the hard way… The kids had just come back from school. I was busy cutting brush out back with our gardener… Lord knows his idle hands won’t execute my desires if I’m not there to micro-manage each and every gesture of his hands.

The sound made JUAN and myself quite concerned. The state has advised me not to really provide any other details as the investigation is still pending. I think that in the end everyone will come out on the other side of this unfortunate misunderstanding far more cognisant of BUSTER’s potential for solo doggie breeding supremacy.

We take him to a place now. JUAN introduced us to the guy. He refuses to tell me his name because he says I have a big mouth and will make problems if I know it. He’s got a system where two times a week I drop off BUSTER and he lets him just pound all these dogs making more of his ilk to populate the gene pool. The guy is giving me a really good deal on this dog therapy. BUSTER is much more manageable now that his balls are drained of the hateful poison that bubbles like molten lava…

I’ve already hired a gregarious fella named AL to be the ELF. I actually held “AUDITIONS” in my minivan at the mall. AL was the only one to swallow and that goes a very long way in my book. He didn’t even complain about the ether fumes that engulfed the cabin of the van as I let my drippy rag make me forget why I had a little person blowing me at WALMART, nibbling on a churro….

AL says he has a lot of mascott experience which is going to be very important…. The guy who helps keep BUSTER chill, is on holiday for the next month and as such he left him with a rubber dog we chained up next to his kennel… The poor thing is barely intact and it’s only been a couple of days.

I see this whole holiday ELF reveal meets my psycho dog extravaganza going one of two ways… AL will be smiling counting his money driving home… AL spends the holidays chilling as BUSTER’s bitch in the kennel waiting for the “BONUS” I keep telling him is gonna be life changing and super sweet… It’s yet another YULETIDE MIRACLE.

#uziego #nyc #savagesneversleep #wtfcraigslistnyc #comdey #craigslist #uziegoart