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mytastessuck · 3 years

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Gorillaz: D-Sides

1Man, why do musicians always have to shelve their good stuff?

Seriously though, D-Sides contain some of the best b-sides and demos I've heard in my life. Makes sense that they get their own album to shine on. Also, the remixes on this album are to go ape for, with people making the songs a completely different category while still fitting the spirit of the song.

And on that note, this review will be split into two parts due to the album's length. Today's write-up will cover the demos and the b-sides and tomorrow's will cover the remixes.

All that aside, let get started.

1. 68 State

This is some space shit. Probably one of the best instrumentals I've ever heard in my life with the effect of feeling like you are swimming in a aural ocean of keyboards and strings. Great way to open an album and damn, this shit should be played in museums. I refuse to elaborate.

10/10

2. People

Ah, the stripped Dare. This version has its own charm to it despite not really holding a candle to its successor. Still, it's funny to watch Damon fail to reach a high note that he has no trouble reaching on other tracks. "Loving a lot" indeed.

8/10

3. Hongkongaton

Heh. I love how this track starts its verses off slowly only to rush near the end of the line. Even the instruments seem to making fun of them for this. Then it ends with everything getting lost in a mist. Never change, Albarn.

10/10

4. We Are Happy Landfill

Okay, so about being fair while scoring...I never promised that and you're about to see why.

This is my favorite Gorillaz song.

The use of car honks, the screeching yardling, the screaming of the chorus during the second iteration of the verse. This is it. I've found the quintessential alt-rock song. Every other quirky alt-group should hang their heads in shame. Looking at you, Presidents of the United States of America. Go antagonize some more ninjas, peach farmers.

100/10

5. Hong Kong

This is some cool chill shit. Love Damon's voice on this and I adore the use of traditional Chinese instruments on this track. I'm more of a slut for traditional Japanese instrumentation but fuck it, this track showed me there's another path. I should really pick up that Journey To The West album.

10/10

6. Highway (Under Construction)

They are building a highway back...and Damon going into your heart. Don't try to stop him, he's already got the ordinance. Anyone who doesn't want Gorillaz in their heart is screwed. Love the clapping too. Really makes this more folksy than it needs to be.

9/10

7. Rockit

I remember this being the single used to promote the album. I showed my dad the video for it and he had a goofy grin the whole time. Anyway, I have fun singing along to this swipe at pop songs. Really brought out the hipster in me when I was younger. Also, go wild on that synthesizer, funky eyeless man.

10/10

8. Bill Murray

Bill should be honored to have such an awesome beat named after him. It's cool and freaky, just like him. Too many people get lost indeed...in this track's funky groove! Ha ha ha ha! Yes, I have friends.

10/10

9. The Swagga

WHOO!!!

This song had to grow on me. First, I found it annoying...

WHOO!!!

But after a few lessons, I started rocking out to it.

WHOO!!!

I especially appreciate the breakdown at the end. Really makes the track to get drunk to and scream along with without paying attention to the melody.

WHOO!!!

This a party track. Don't put it on unless you're ready to party.

ALRIGHT!

9/10

10. Murdoc Is God

This track is dirty, filthy, an affront to the mercy of God...it is my second favorite song on the album and one of my favorite songs in the world. The fucking bass growling, the chanting, the climax at the end...dude, Murdoc really doesn't deserve such a fucking raw track.

50/10

11. Spitting Out The Demons

I used to listen to this song all the time in high school right before I went to sleep. The piano opening, the funky beats, the mumbling lines...this album should be required listening for anyone who wants to become a DJ. Give them an idea of what to do with their mixes.

11/10

12. Don't Get Lost In Heaven (original demo)

Wow...they should have kept this version. It feels like a homeless man is screaming this at me on the street and a choir randomly decided to back him up. This would have made Demon Days a blessed item that would have been canonized by the Catholic Church as the Saint of Slaps.

9/10

13. Stop The Dams

Good environmental song, as usual pertaining to Gorillaz track record. It's just...I heard this in a tech ad once and that kinda cheapens the point so...

8/10

Join me tomorrow where I finish the album and give the album its final score. It's going to be ridiculous.

#gorillaz #d-sides #music #review

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murdocsagaypirate · 6 years

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Pazuzu

AKA My unnecessarily extensive theory about the entire plot of Gorillaz

Ok, I lied. this is actually what I’m releasing to thank you guys for 666 followers. It’s more fitting tbqh.... I’ve been thinking about this theory for like a month now, and I finally put it all together so uh... here you go~ <3

As I’ve ranted about before, Murdoc is legitimately a Laveyan Satanist. He observes the solstice, he reads legitimate occult literature such as The Book of Lies. Not to mention Damon is an actual Pagan, so everything I’m about to describe he would know and could communicate to Jamie.

Part of Satanism, Wicca, and many other modern pagan traditions hold an idea about the “horned gods”. Basically it goes that when Christianity was being established and taking over pagan Europe and Middle east they decided to homogenize and demonize many Gods from many pagan different pagan traditions. They claimed that Gods like Pan and Baphomet ARE the devil. So what all these means is that Satanist don’t worship the literal Christian Satan, they worship the Pagan’s gods that he originates from called the “Horned Gods”.

But even before these Pagan God, there were the Pagan Gods of ancient Sumeria. Almost all religions can be traced back to these ideas. Hey. Guess who was one of those ancient original Gods? You got it: Pazuzu.

Now where at the point of all this: Murdoc never made a deal with Satan, because he doesn’t believe in Satan. It’s very very clear he is a devotee of Pazuzu... If a Christian heard what being a devotee of a deity entails they would describe it as a pact with a demon, with out a doubt. It basically goes, “I like what you represent or what you can offer, I want you to have influence in my life and in return I’m going to offer you something (usually whatever it was their culture of origin offered) and show you reverence.” One of many ways to do that is by keeping idols of them.... Which I mean. Murdoc has kept an idol of Pazuzu near by EVERY SINGLE PHASE.

Kong Studio (Phase 1)

Kong Studio (Phase 2)

Plastic Beach:

Spirit House:

Kong Solar Studio:

Note how Pazuzu is ALWAYS depicted in an “As above, so below” pose, the same one that Baphomet is known for. And more evidence that it’s Sumerian paganism that Murdoc is specifically interested in is the occurrence of the Evil Eye talisman in his room (Shown below) the fact that this concept is present in SO MANY different cultures around ancient Sumeria, it’s may very well have it’s origins in these traditions, not to mention Pazuzu himself has association with dispelling the Evil Eye.

Not only is Pazuzu always nearby where ever Murdoc is living, but he appears everywhere purposefully in Gorillaz publication, associating him with not only Murdoc’s occult practices, but the band as a whole. As you can see below, he’s placed front and center in music videos, “photo shoots”, merchandise, even as Murdoc’s own accessories.

Now. As we established when many pagans refer to “The Devil” they are referring to a Christian homogenized concept of many many “horned” or “demon” Gods. I believe the FIRST demon Murdoc ever made a pact with, the one he describes as “The Devil”, was Pazuzu and this deliberate inclusion of him in music videos and merchandise is part of how he’s fulfilling that pact.

This is part of the modern concept of “Deals with The Devil”. It’s a very popular conspiracy theory that musicians (Particularly Rock, Metal, and Pop artist) make pact’s with Satan to ensure their career is successful.... Sound familiar? Part of theory is that, in return, they essentially devout themselves (... and obviously... their soul...) and their music to “Satan” (Usually like, the whole band, and not just one person in it... The Beatles for example are a huge part of this conspiracy) and the artist puts symbols of Satan in their music and videos.... You know what... I’ll just let Murdoc himself explain it to you:

What I’m saying is... Not a lot of Satan.... Tons of Pazuzu. Murdoc goes on to explain in this blog that he doesn’t understand this concept of the “subliminal” messages...... yeah..... clearly. Asking artist to do this grows Satan’s influence and army... you know.. for end times... “Choose Pazuzu”, get on his team...

Another large part of the conspiracy (especially in more recent culture) is the idea that these artist and celebrities frequently allow themselves to be possessed. (For example, people say that Beyonce’s alter-ego “Sasha Fierce” is a demon) ...It may not have been a very Sumeria concept, but that doesn’t change the fact that our culture has some very ingrained ideas about the nature of Pazuzu, thanks to a little film he stars in called The Exorcist. I believe this depiction of him is considered part of Gorillaz canon. The longer Phase 5 goes on the more and more the fandom is considering that possess may play a major role in the plot.... Especially for 2D... it’s as if he’s become his own version of “Sasha Fierce”...

Glowing white eyes are at least associated with demon possession in Gorillaz canon via Russel’s back story. They don’t mean active possession, but there was a clear connect drawn there when they explained the meaning behind his white eyes. The idea can be drawn from this that 2D’s eyes may have something to do with possess and I want to argue that has been the case since Phase 1.

A really obvious counter to that is that we see 2D’s eyes white in situations that don’t make much sense for him to current be dealing with demon’s. I’ll admit, I honestly don’t understand why Jamie would be inconstant in his depiction of 2D’s eye color especially if it’s an essential clue to the over arching plot.. But it could be a variety of things, possibly that a demon is near by (The Boogieman was often lurking around the island in phase 3, where 2D’s eyes were white most often) or simply that someone with 2D’s possibility supernatural condition (whatever that condition may be) have there eye’s effected randomly. Who knows, maybe we will find out one day or maybe it means nothing, but I believe special attention was drawn to his eyes in RockIt (where they literally glow just like Russel’s are described to do) and Humility (where we get to see them actually shift colors for the first time), The big kicker is both of these video’s heavily imply some association between 2D and Pazuzu.

The opening sequence shows an image of Pazuzu that is then covered by vines, when the vines are pulled away, there is 2D in his place.

2D’s image is overlayed with Pazuzu’s when he sings the chorus and Pazuzu sing’s “Rock it”. As the song ends, they are both singing “Rock it” in unison.

And here are 2D’s eye’s specifically glowing.

Here’s what RoTO has to say about Pazuzu in this music video:

...Now for an extremely suspicious shot in Humility, again the music video where we actually see 2D’s eye’s change for the first time, drawing special attention to them. Even though it’s clear Murdoc was the one that made sure Pazuzu appeared in Gorillaz over-all image, he’s still appearing in a video Murdoc couldn’t possibly have anything to do with... This is the only shot he appears in the video, and they chose to frame 2D in front of it this way... That doodle in 2D journal sure does suggest he’s gotten involved with “The Devil”... and maybe, following Murdoc’s lead, the same Devil that’s been at the center of this the whole time.

.... SO. In conclusion:

If Murdoc’s deal with Pazuzu has something to do with the Boogieman, the Black Cloud, El Manana, or even Noodle’s possible death and trip to hell and whatever is going on with 2D... it means he’s not happy with Murdoc because in some way he’s gone back on their deal...

I think all of this can tie into my theory that part of Murdoc’s first pact involved promising the souls of the eventual member of the band, that the Devil (Pazuzu) would hand pick and deliver to Murdoc... but I’ve already been over that here and here. Maybe Murdoc has been actively preventing the band’s souls being claimed this whole time (because.. you know... he loves them) and now that he’s in jail and the band is all together in one place... there’s nothing to stop Pazuzu from claiming what’s his.

Update, cause guess what... Tranz came out:

#lore analysis #gorillaz

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exileoblivion · 6 years

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all of them for you too buddy

alrighty, here goes!!1: when you have cereal, do you have more milk than cereal or more cereal than milk? I try to make it equal, but I always end up with more milk than cereal

2: do you like the feeling of cold air on your cheeks on a wintery day? For the most part, yes. Unless I’m not feeling well or whatever

3: what random objects do you use to bookmark your books? Whatever’s close at hand that’s flat and small, lol

4: how do you take your coffee/tea? My coffee has to have a LOT of creamer and/or sugar. My tea depends; for the most part, it HAS to have at least a little bit of sugar, but there’s some that I don’t mind not having sugar in, just depends

5: are you self-conscious of your smile? YES.

6: do you keep plants? No

7: do you name your plants?No

8: what artistic medium do you use to express your feelings? Either writing or drawing

9: do you like singing/humming to yourself? Yup!

10: do you sleep on your back, side, or stomach? Mainly my sides, but I’ll lay on my back when I’m sick or hurt

11: what’s an inner joke you have with your friends? …oh god…my one friend and I have one that deals with DMMD, and I am SO not talking about that here pppfffttttttt

12: what’s your favorite planet? I don’t really have one

13: what’s something that made you smile today? I WATCHED THE LEGO BATMAN MOVIE, AND IT WAS SO DAMN CUTE ALSDKFJELAKJSDF

14: if you were to live with your best friend in an old flat in a big city, what would it look like? Dorky AF. Probably a lot of purple/shades of purple for the colors

15: go google a weird space fact and tell us what it is! Space smells like burnt meat and metal, or something like that? I remember hearing that a while back

16: what’s your favorite pasta dish? Chicken alfredo, or Mushroom Ravioli alskdjfalskjdf

17: what color do you really want to dye your hair? I REEEALLLLYYYYYY want to dye the right side of my hair pastel pink

18: tell us about something dumb/funny you did that has since gone down in history between you and your friends and is always brought up. that same inside joke about DMMD omfg alskdjf

19: do you keep a journal? what do you write/draw/ in it? a writing journal? No. I do have a TON of sketchbooks though, which have random doodles in them.

20: what’s your favorite eye color? Blue. BRIGHT blue. I’ve also lately REALLLYYYY been loving shades of brown that almost look red.

21: talk about your favorite bag, the one that’s been to hell and back with you and that you love to pieces. I recently bought a Castiel bag from Hot Topic, and while it’s not old, it has gone on a few adventures through the woods with me, and went with me to my last job quite a lot. I’m going to be using it a TON when I get my fursuit partial in 2018.

22: are you a morning person? Depends on if I get enough sleep, and wake up in a good mood

23: what’s your favorite thing to do on lazy days where you have 0 obligations? Laying in “bed” curled up in a few blankets with snacks and watch youtube vids

24: is there someone out there you would trust with every single one of your secrets? In the past, yeah. I haven’t had someone I could trust that much in a looonnnggggg time though

25: what’s the weirdest place you’ve ever broken into? Technically it wasn’t breaking in to, but I went to explore my old abandoned house and it was SO cool, omfg.

26: what are the shoes you’ve had for forever and wear with every single outfit? Lately it’s either my red converse or my gray winter boots

27: what’s your favorite bubblegum flavor? Man, I haven’t chewed gum in YEARS…I dunno?

28: sunrise or sunset? Sunset

29: what’s something really cute that one of your friends does and is totally endearing? i can’t think of an answer to this one

30: think of it: have you ever been truly scared? OF COURSE

31: what is your opinion of socks? do you like wearing weird socks? do you sleep with socks? do you confine yourself to white sock hell? really, just talk about socks. I love them in the winter! I love the ones with patterns, or things on them. The plain colored ones are so boring, tbh. I loooveeee the ones that go up to my knees, or the super fuzzy ones. I also super love slippers asldkfj

32: tell us a story of something that happened to you after 3AM when you were with friends. I can’t stop thinking about that damn DMMD joke between my one friend and I alskdjfalkds that happened WELL after 3am when we were both super tired to the point of delirium, and it’s just so funny alskjf

33: what’s your fave pastry? It’s a tie between pie and cinnamon buns/rolls

34: tell us about the stuffed animal you kept as a kid. what is it called? what does it look like? do you still keep it? I had this plush cat that my one grandma gave me for christmas like…a year or so before she died? I named her Jellybean, and I took her EVERYWHERE with me. I should still have her…at least I did when we moved here when I was like 15…but I haven’t checked…she could be ruined for all I know ughhhhhhh

35: do you like stationary and pretty pens and so on? do you use them often? Yeah! I use stuff like that on rare occasions.

36: which band’s sound would fit your mood right now? STARSET!!!!!

37: do you like keeping your room messy or clean? I don’t have a room, and have way too much stuff in all different areas to keep anything organized. I HATE it :”D

38: tell us about your pet peeves! I CAN NOT FUCKING STAND THE SOUNDS OF PEOPLE EATING. IT DOESN’T MATTER WHAT IT IS, I CAN ALWAYS HEAR PEOPLE EATING. I HATE IT. I HATE IT. I FUCKING HATE IT ALSKDJFALSKDJFLAKSJDFUUGHHHHHHHHHHHH. No, but seriously. I can NOT be around people that are eating. I HAVE to have headphones in. Like, no offense…I have sensitive hearing, and chewing ((honestly, any kind of mouth noise other than talking)) noises make me gag and spiral into a HUGE anxiety attack and it’s so bad alsdkjfalskdjf

39: what color do you wear the most? Black

40: think of a piece of jewelry you own: what’s it’s story? does it have any meaning to you? Okay, so since I keep mentioning DMMD; I got an Industrial piercing in my left ear just like Noiz. It was the last piercing I got, and my first one from a PROPER piercer. The whole experience was awesome, and I loved it. It was back when our group was still 4 people, and we made a day of it. The piercer was SUPER nice, talked me through everything he was doing, being calm and reassuring, and just super sweet in general? Afterwards, he gave me a box of apple juice to help with my blood sugar, and I loved that idea so much, that to this day after I get tattoos or piercings, I always make sure to have apple juice as a tradition. I got my last piercing because 1.) I thought it looked HELLA cool, 2.) I reallllyyyyyy wanna cosplay Noiz, and 3.) Noiz’s character has a TON of meaning and stuff with me. Up next I’m gonna start stretching my lobes like him. Maybe it’ll be soon!

41: what’s the last book you remember really, really loving? Another Note: The Los Angeles BB Murder cases

42: do you have a favorite coffee shop? describe it! Sadly, no. If I did, it’d probably be a Starbucks or a Crazy Mocha

43: who was the last person you gazed at the stars with? Like, actually laid out with a blanket and watched them for a long period of time? When I was a little kid with my brothers, watching a meteor shower

44: when was the last time you remember feeling completely serene and at peace with everything? n-e-v-e-r~

45: do you trust your instincts a lot? sometimes

46: tell us the worst pun you can think of for the life of me, I can’t think of any at the moment alskdjfalskdjfleakjsef

.47: what food do you think should be banned from the universe? BLACK LICORICE

48: what was your biggest fear as a kid? is it the same today? I think it may have been the dark…? And I mean…I do suffer from sleep paralysis…so…sometimes, kinda…..bllleeecchhhhhh

49: do you like buying CDs and records? what was the last one you bought? YES! The last two that I bought myself was Gorillaz’s Demon Days and Plastic Beach

50: what’s an odd thing you collect? Do stuffed plushes/animals count…? Cuz…ya boi has a bad addiction with buying stuffed things

51: think of a person. what song do you associate with them? The only ones that I can think of are all sad/depressing/triggering…

52: what are your favorite memes of the year so far? What in tarnation dog…I don’t get the whole babadook being a gay icon one, but it is funny af for some reason??? distracted boyfriend….is the “BITCH I WON’T HESITATE’ considered a meme at this point, cuz I LOVE that one even if it isn’t

53: have you ever watched the rocky horror picture show? heathers? beetlejuice? pulp fiction? what do you think of them? I will NEVER watch or listen to that shit, get it out of here. Not yet, but maybe someday. HATE IT. Never seen it.

54: who’s the last person you saw with a true look of sadness on their face? IRL…? no clue lmao

55: what’s the most dramatic thing you’ve ever done to prove a point? God…I have no clue….probably like, raise my voice…?

56: what are some things you find endearing in people? …I really need to start paying attention to people more…I can’t think of anything…

57: go listen to bohemian rhapsody. how did it make you feel? did you dramatically reenact the lyrics? Unpopular opinion…I hate that song.

58: who’s the wine mom and who’s the vodka aunt in your group of friends? why? I don’t have enough friends to apply this to anyone oops

59: what’s your favorite myth? I don’t have a favorite myth, but can we talk about conspiracy theories and stuff like that???? cuz, holy hell…my eyes are finally open to them and some of them are GLORIOUS

60: do you like poetry? what are some of your faves? Poetry’s okay, I don’t have any faves

61: what’s the stupidest gift you’ve ever given? the stupidest one you’ve ever received? Probably like everything I ever give people. I can’t think of any

62: do you drink juice in the morning? which kind? If I have apple juice, I WILL DRINK THAT EVERY MORNING ALSKFJLSKEJF

63: are you fussy about your books and music? do you keep them meticulously organized or kinda leave them be? I kinda just leave them be. As long as they don’t get ruined

64: what color is the sky where you are right now? It looks black?

65: is there anyone you haven’t seen in a long time who you’d love to hang out with? convention friends. I also used to have a lot of online friends who have all pretty much disappeared that I miss terribly…

66: what would your ideal flower crown look like? It’d be made of golden flowers. because reasons.

67: how do gloomy days where the sky is dark and the world is misty make you feel? ALIVE alskdfjaslkdfj

68: what’s winter like where you live? It’s all over the freaking place. Sometimes it’s super cold, snowy, windy….other time’s it’s kinda cold, no snow, we’ve had a few where it’s practically spring weather?!???!?!?!

69: what are your favorite board games? I love CAH, and other kinds of adult humored games like those alskdfj

70: have you ever used a ouija board? Not an Ouija board, but I have used a pendulum thingy with a sheet of paper that almost represented an Ouija board

71: what’s your favorite kind of tea? I love ALL kinds of tea. I have so many faves, I can’t pick just one alskdjfalskdfj

72: are you a person who needs to note everything down or else you’ll forget it? Sorta, yeah

73: what are some of your worst habits? Whew boy, just about everything I do anymore is bad lmao

74: describe a good friend of yours without using their name or gendered pronouns. um…they’re…human?

75: tell us about your pets! I don’t have any

76: is there anything you should be doing right now but aren’t? sleeping lmao

77: pink or yellow lemonade? yellow

78: are you in the minion hateclub or fanclub? HATECLUB

79: what’s one of the cutest things someone has ever done for you? no one’s done anything cute for me in years thx

80: what color are your bedroom walls? did you choose that color? if so, why? The area that I sleep in has white walls. It’s the color that was here when we moved in.

81: describe one of your friend’s eyes using the most abstract imagery you can think of. …it just occurred to me…that I have no idea what color eyes my friends have…WELP

82: are/were you good in school? Nope lmao

83: what’s some of your favorite album art? I think the art for Plastic Beach is pretty neat

84: are you planning on getting tattoos? which ones? YES!!!! I have my Bill Cipher one all drawn up, just need to get it done. And then, I’m thinking of getting the seal of Metatron from the SH series done on my other rib, and then….I have SOOOOOOoooooOOoOOOoOoO many more ideas for tattoos, it’s ridiculous, lmao.

85: do you read comics? what are your faves? I don’t read comics, but I do read manga lol. I LOVE Deadman Wonderland, I just got the complete series of MARS which was the first manga series I ever read through, Alice 19th is SO GOOD, of course my unhealthy love for Killing Stalking, Blood Bank…um…I can’t think of anymore atm

86: do you like concept albums? which ones? I honestly don’t know what that means….? But, it’s possible…?

87: what are some movies you think everyone should watch at least once in their lives? Nightmare Before Christmas, Inception, Shutter, the original Halloween movies, Guardians of the Galaxy, The Lost Boys, Queen of the Damned, Ironman 3

88: are there any artistic movements you particularly enjoy? Not really

89: are you close to your parents? nope

90: talk about your one of you favorite cities. Okay, so…I’ve only ever been to D.C. once so far, but it’s REALLY beautiful alskdfj I can’t wait for next Otakon, and hopefully be able to explore it more. There’s such a surreal charm to it. You can reallllllyyyyy feel the history everywhere you go there. Just. Damn.

91: where do you plan on traveling this year? I WANT TO VISIT CENTRALIA SO GOD DAMN BADLY WHILE I’M STILL THE SAME AGE AS JAMES SUNDERLAND, AND I’M RUNNING OUT OF TIMEASLDKJFALSKEJFLAKSJFLKJ

92: are you a person who drowns their pasta in cheese or a person who barely sprinkles a pinch? no cheese plz

93: what’s the hairstyle you wear the most? messy buns or ponytails

94: who was the last person you know to have a birthday?…one of my brothers…???

95: what are your plans for this weekend? celebrate Thanksgiving, make a dessert for our dartball tournament…hope to hell I don’t get dragged to it…and hopefully write or play games. Maybe also clean too….

96: do you install your computer updates really quickly or do you procrastinate on them a lot? I tend to let them go for awhile before updating

97: myer briggs type, zodiac sign, and hogwarts house? INFP, Aquarius, Slytherin

98: when’s the last time you went hiking? did you enjoy it? too long!!! and, I think so?

99: list some songs that resonate to your soul whenever you hear them. Hiro no Tsuki/Melfina’s song, Is there Somewhere and Control by Halsey, just about the whole Undertale soundtrack, the sountracks to both Portal 1, and 2, ESPECIALLY Exile Vilify by The National, All of Me by John Legend,JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING BY STARSET, I know there’s a ton….but those are all of the ones I can think of at the moment

100: if you were presented with two buttons, one that allows you to go 5 years into the past, the other 5 years into the future, which one would you press? why? 5 years into the future. 5 years ago was TERRIBLE, and I never want to relive it again.

#about me #long post #hot-for-justice #ask Oblivion

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grumblebee-trilogy · 7 years

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Ask meme: All of them!

@alexample living up to his “I want to hear all about you!” promise :D!!!

#2,5,12,30 already done. The rest of me is under the cut.

1.if someone wanted to really understand you, what would they read, watch, and listen to?

Listening to Symphonie Fantastique explains a lot. If you haven’t picked up already, its one of my most treasured things ever and kept me through some bad times.

3.list your fandoms and one character from each that you identify with.

I guess for Turn it would be Ben? Need for validation and approval from daddy looking authority figures? Me. Has a bunch of friends who don’t follow directions too well? Me. Would probably dive head first into some pit despair if my best friend died? Me.

4.do you like your name? is there another name you think would fit you better?

My name is plain and traditional, but paired with my middle name (also plain and traditional) it sounds a little more badass.

6.are you religious/spiritual?

No. My family is, and I just never felt it. Plus the people and gossip culture of church was not the best place for me: the gay as fuck altar server.

7.do you care about your ethnicity?

I’m happy to have an Italian family that kept a lot of its traditions. I feel like that happens a lot with New York Italians, but its nice to feel like I was a part of that. I wished I had more of a connection to my Lebanese and Syrian family, but they were mostly dead/estranged before I was born.

8.what musical artists have you most felt connected to over your lifetime?

See above for Hector Berlioz. But also the band Gorillaz has a sound that I feel in my soul.

9.are you an artist?

Yes! I paint and draw.

10.do you have a creed?

No?

11.describe your ideal day.

It’s foggy, early spring or maybe autumn. I get to walk along the trail in the woods that leads to my tiny hidden house. It’s chilly and the mist makes my hair damp. I spend all day wrapped in a cozy blanket with some tea, drawing or reading, maybe a little tv. By night it rains and I can’t leave the house. My amazing wonderful gf is over, and we put on a little Matt Doyle and slow dance.Then eat junk food all night. Don’t ask how my house in the middle of nowhere has Wendy’s and Taco Bell. It does. We eat it.

13.inside or outdoors?

Inside. Outdoors in small doses. Preferably from a window.

14.are you a musician?

Yes, but I’ve been out of practice for a while. I miss my clarinet.

15.five most influential books over your lifetime.

you know that feeling when someone asks what you want for your birthday and you can’t think of anything? Despite being a materialistic little thing? I’m experiencing it right now.

16.if you’d grown up in a different environment, do you think you’d have turned out the same?

No, I’d be different. Not sure if it would be good or bad though.

17.would you say your tumblr is a fair representation of the “real you”?

Horny, annoying, complains about my old man back problems...yeah. That’s me.

18.what’s your patronus?

A fox!

19.which Harry Potter house would you be in? or are you a muggle?

Ravenclaw

20.would you rather be in Middle Earth, Narnia, Hogwarts, or somewhere else?

Middle Earth. I’m so short and hungry and fuzzy. I’m perfect for a hobbit.

21.do you love easily?

Yes. If the wind blows just right I’ve fallen for someone. I am very eager to love.

22.list the top five things you spend the most time doing, in order.

Sleeping

Eating

Personal sexy time

Complaining

Procrastinating

23.how often would you want to see your family every year?

I see them once a week but I could do with once a month.

24.have you ever felt like you had a “mind-meld” with someone?

My best friend and I used to be on the same wave length, so that’s close.

25.could you live as a hermit?

Yes. If I have internet and my dog, I really don’t need to go outside and socialize. Or see people at all.

26.how would you describe your gender/sexuality?

cis woman, pansexual.

27.do you feel like your outside appearance is a fair representation of the “real you”?

Not at all. I don’t have the money/will power/patience to present myself the way I feel I should.

28.on a scale from 1 to 10, how hard is it for someone to get under your skin?

1, I’m extremely petty and easily inconvenienced

29.three songs that you connect with right now.

Maintain the Madness-The Jane Austen Argument

This is Not An Exit- Beecake

Love Uncontrolled- Matt Doyle

Now you know a shit ton about a grumbly bee.Enjoy!

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chpkns · 6 years

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BEST ALBUMS 2017

2017. Great year for music. Weird/terrible year for mostly everything else. You know how this works... let’s go.

Hon. Mentions: Mura Masa - Mura Masa; Everything Now - Arcade Fire; Teenage Emotions - Lil Yachty; Antisocialites - Alvvays; Ti Amo - Phoenix; Humanz - Gorillaz; Harry Styles - Harry Styles; Good for You - Amine; All American Made - Margo Price; This Old Dog - Mac Demarco’ Pleasure - Feist; Life Without Sound - Cloud Nothings; Big Fish Theory - Vince Staples; Aromanticism - Moses Sumney; Culture - Migos; More Life - Drake; Something To Tell You - HAIM; Hug of Thunder - Broken Social Scene; City of No Reply - Amber Coffman; Ctrl - SZA; Now That The Light Is Fading - Maggie Rogers; Blue Chips 7000 - Action Bronson; The Wild - Rural Alberta Advantage; American Teen - Khalid; Reputation - Taylor Swift; Run The Jewels 3 - Run The Jewels; Process - Sampha; Japandroids - Near to the Wild Heart of Life; Rainbow - Kesha

10) Half-Light - Rostam

Two things pushed the former Vampire Weekender’s debut solo album into my top ten, despite its shortcomings (that garbled dialogue section on ‘When’ almost lost it for me)... (1) I’m an all time sucker for Vampire Weekend, and this album at its best moments sounds like the very best parts of Modern Vampires, (2) BIKE DREAM. The glimmering centrepiece of a lead single might be the single best song of 2017. Although the rest of the album doesn’t quite match Bike Dream’s energy, it is airy and delightful in its own way. While Half-Light misses the boldness of a frontman like Ezra Koenig (busy with his own vanity projects at the moment) or any of the superstars that Rostam Batmanglij has worked with since parting ways with VW (Frank Ocean, Hamilton Leithauser, Carly Rae Jepsen, among others), there is an undeniable charm to the tentativeness of Rostam’s voice as he takes centre stage for the first time. A worthy solo debut.

Highlights: Bike Dream, Gwan, When, Wood, Thatch Snow

9) Funk Wav Bounces, Vol. 1 - Calvin Harris

Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 1 is the Scottish DJ’s first Post-Swift album and the closest thing 2017 had to an official summer soundtrack. Harris reinvented himself, trading in the club for the beach and teaming up with a cadre of collaborators from established hip-hop stars (Migos, Pharell, Nicki Minaj) and rising stars (Khalid, Lil Yachty and Toronto’s own Jessie Reyez). Harris displays his talents as curator on Funk Wav Bounces, matching each track to just the right combination of guest artists with often inspired combinations (Frank Ocean and Migos on Slide, Kehlani and Lil Yachty on Faking It). And despite the varied cast, it maintains a consistent sound throughout -much moreso than its chief rival and closest contemporary in the summer collaboration album field this year, DJ Khaled’s wildly inconsistent and gloriously self-indulgent Grateful. FWB sounds exactly like its title - a collection of tropical jams sure to keep any backyard BBQ bumpin’.

Highlights: Slide (ft. Frank Ocean and Migos), Rollin (ft. Future and Khalid), Prayers Up (ft. Travis Scott and A-Trak), Faking It (ft. Kehlani and Lil Yachty)

8) Dirty Projectors - Dirty Projectors

2017′s self-titled Dirty Projectors release could not be more different from 2012′s Swing Lo Magellan. Most notable, of course, is the absence of Amber Coffman. Not just for her vocals, but for the fact that Dave Longstreth seemingly crafted the entire album around her breakup with him and the band (although he swears it isn’t as autobiographical as it sounds). There’s almost a chutzpah to Longstreth titling the Coffman-less album “Dirty Projectors” as if to put his own stamp on the meaning of the band (as he quotes KISS’ Gene Simmons: “a band is a brand”). Listening to the album, you can hear Longstreth working through the emotions of the breakup in real time, from bitterness, to regret, to resignedness and ultimately, resolution. Longstreth seems to have evolved the Projectors’ sound in his years since Swing Lo, having spent time collaborating with more mainstream pop and hip-hop artists. Dirty Projectors the album sheds the acoustic jam band aesthetic for tightly produced, electronic beats and vocal distortions. The result is a complex and eminently enjoyable album that delivers surprises on every track.

Highlights: Keep Your Name, Up In Hudson, Little Bubble, Cool Your Heart (ft. Dawn Richard)

7) Melodrama - Lorde

It’s amazing to think Ella Yelich-O’Connor is only 21 years old. Whereas Pure Heroine, released when she was 16, was a quintessential teen pop record, Melodrama, her second album, is a testament to newfound maturity. The New Zealander has done some growing up since she sang about “getting on [her] first plane” on Heroine, and it shows through the lyrical and musical diversity of this album. Melodrama ranges from anthems (Supercut, Green Light), to bangers (the Tove Lo co-written Homemade Dynamite) to ballads (Liability) all the while retaining an authenticity and unique weirdness to its songwriting. The lead track, Green Light, stands out as a particularly ambitious piece of songwriting. In less skilled hands, it might collapse under its own weight, but Lorde makes it work. The refrain on Liability of “you’re a little much for me, you’re a liability” and the image of “one girl, swaying alone, stroking her cheek” is just so good. Melodrama is a beautiful, complex pop album that solidifies Lorde’s place well above the majority of mainstream mass produced blandness.

Highlights: Green Light, Homemade Dynamite, Liability, The Louvre

6) Freudian - Daniel Caesar

Toronto’s own Daniel Caesar’s debut album, Freudian, quickly became one of my most played records of 2017. Caesar’s mix of jazz, gospel and R&B is such easy listening I’ve often put it on while working and forgotten to change playlists before the album loops several times over. No one will accuse Freudian of being a high energy party record, but damn is it ever chill. Caesar’s silky smooth vocals, slipping effortlessly in and out of falsetto and floating effortlessly over the instrumental arrangements, are reminiscent of early Frank Ocean with a coolness harkens back to Love Below era Andre 3000. Freudian’s bucking of trap-influenced R&B trend for a more traditional sound comes out sounding modern and innovative. The obvious gospel influences make Caesar sound closer to Chance the Rapper than his fellow 6-natives Drake and the Weeknd. If Freudian is any indication, Daniel Caesar will be helping define Toronto’s sound for a long time to come.

Highlights: Get You (ft. Kali Uchis), Best Part (ft. H.E.R.), We Find Love, Transform (ft. Charlotte Day Wilson)

5) DAMN. - Kendrick Lamar

New Kung Fu Kenny! It’s even a shock to me that there ended up only being one true hip-hop record on this top ten (and we’re not really counting Calvin Harris as a rap album, are we? I didn’t think so.) But if there had to be only one, it had to be Kendrick Lamar. Kendrick is in rarefied, Kanye West type company in being able to say both that DAMN. might be his worst album, but still a bona fide classic. DAMN. embraces more of a mainstream hip-hop sound (complete with the faux mixtape DJ ad libs) than either of his last two offerings, To Pimp a Butterfly and untitled, unmastered. And while it fails to match the thematic unity of Good Kid, m.A.A.d. City, it still bangs. My first impression of DAMN. was that it sounded like if Kendrick made a Drake album (and made it look sexy)... and that ain’t a bad thing. Under the more commercially tuned exterior is the same incendiary social commentary we’ve come to expect from Kendrick. Turning his sights on Fox News critics, flexing about his friendship with Obama, and somehow making U2 seem cool in 2017 are all things that Kendrick does on DAMN. Another entry in K-dot’s epic canon.

Highlights: DNA., LOYALTY. (ft. Rihanna), HUMBLE., GOD.

4) Colter Wall - Colter Wall

My favourite country record of 2017. Speedy Creek’s own Colter Wall (the son of soon-to-be former Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall) is only 22, but you wouldn’t know it listening to this album. Wall’s deep, gravelly voice, layered over a stripped-down accompaniment feels as classic country as it gets. The starkness of the songs creates a barroom feel and leaves you to focus on the storytelling in his lyrics. Thirteen Silver Dollars tells the tale of an unfortunate drunken encounter with an RCMP officer. Kate McCannon is a classic western murder/love ballad. You Look To Yours rattles off a series of rejections by women in bars (and warns the listener “don’t trust no politicians”, showing that Colter Wall isn’t just a chip off the old block). Nashville producer Dave Cobb, who also worked on recent albums from the likes of Sturgill Simpson, Jason Isbell and Chris Stapleton - all leading disciples of the neo-traditionalist movement in alt-country - lends his talents to Wall’s debut release. The increasingly unlistenable quality of mainstream radio country may make one want to pour out a bottle of Thunderbird on music row, but Colter Wall shows us that the saving grace may come in the form of a prairie kid from up north.

Highlights: Thirteen Silver Dollars, Motorcycle, Kate McCannon, You Look To Yours

3) Turn Out The Lights - Julien Baker

The sophomore record from Tennessee singer-songwriter Julien Baker is not exactly a “feel good” album. At times, it feels downright depressing. The visceral quality and the rawness of the emotion in these songs just kept me coming back to this album. There is a realness and an intimacy that runs deep through the album. Turn Out The Lights deals with weighty stuff - addiction, mental health, loneliness, self-doubt - but with an undeniable beauty to the way Baker’s voice and lyrics layers over the piano and guitar. Woodwinds and violin accompaniments add to the richness on a few tracks but for the most part, the sparse palette of Baker’s voice, guitar and piano is enough to get the devastating point across. Baker’s voice, especially, has a haunting and beautiful quality that helps convey the gut wrenching emotion in her lyrics. There’s a hope, too, shining out behind the darkness. On Hurt Less, Baker moves from not wearing seatbelts because “I didn’t see the point in trying to save myself” to finding a reason in someone else to start buckling up. On another standout song, Appointments, Baker closes on a refrain of “Maybe it's all gonna turn out all right / Oh, I know that it's not, but I have to believe that it is.” Moments like that show that Turn Out The Lights isn’t the collection of sad songs it seems at first blush, but a celebration of the little moments of hope that help us get through the darkness.

Highlights: Appointments, Turn Out The Lights, Televangelist, Hurt Less

2) A Deeper Understanding - The War On Drugs

One word to describe this album: Big. I first listened to A Deeper Understanding on a float plane ride crossing the Georgia Strait from Vancouver island to the mainland on a sunny day. I can’t think of a better soundtrack for that than this. A Deeper Understanding is all soaring guitar, wailing synths and beating drums, perfect for tearing down a highway on a summer day, windows open to the wind. The War On Drugs’ Adam Granduciel has perfected his 80′s rock sound from 2014′s epic Lost In The Dream, tuning it perfectly to his Dire Straits-meets-Springsteen vocals. Every part of A Deeper Understanding feels finely tuned and crafted - you can feel the obsessiveness of Granduciel’s arrangements as the songs unfold. The songs themselves, mostly dwelling on loss and longing but against an undeniably upbeat musical background, are a strange contradiction that somehow never sounds wrong. It’s impossible to get through the guitar or organ riff sections on Nothing To Find without nodding a head or tapping a foot. The sonic grandeur, the “bigness”, of A Deeper Understanding is ultimately its greatest strength. Granduciel is painting landscapes here, not portraits. The influences are clear: Springsteen, Petty, Knopfler. If you think rock and roll is dead, you’re not listening to The War on Drugs.

Highlights: Up All Night, Holding On, Nothing To Find, Clean Living

1) American Dream - LCD Soundsystem

I never understood the backlash that LCD Soundsystem faced for coming out of retirement. Sometimes, an honest intention to hang up your skates is what it takes to bring out your best work (see, for example, Jay-Z’s The Black Album). American Dream, my favourite album of 2017, should solidify LCD’s comeback as a “good thing” once and for all. It would be one thing if a band kept churning out new, increasingly mediocre material (like later seasons of The Simpsons), but with American Dream, James Murphy and co. have done something truly great. American Dream is a brilliant, electric, synth-pop odyssey from start to finish. Recurring LCD themes like commentary on the state of popular music (lamenting on tonite that ‘everybody’s singing the same songs’) are prominent, but Murphy ruminates on personal topics like his divorce, missed opportunities (Black Screen lingers on Murphy’s failed chance to work more closely with David Bowie on his final album) and friendships lost. The most stunning track on the album, how do you sleep, is a pulsating, 9 minute take down of Murphy’s former collaborator Tim Goldsworthy - essentially a diss track - and it’s savage. The ‘drop’ at around the 3:30 mark is right about where I realized this album was something special. What finally sold me on American Dream as my album of the year was seeing it played live. LCD are probably one of, if not the, best live acts we have and this album truly bangs in person. At the centre of it all is Murphy, the unlikeliest front man, unshaven and drinking expensive wine in a grubby t-shirt. A rockstar with a dad bod. A bizarro light-side-of-the-force version of Steve Bannon. The American Dream incarnate if there ever was one. James Murphy is all of us, and none of us at the same time. Normal, but exceptional at the same time. This album is all exceptional. It’s the best of 2017.

Highlights: oh baby, how do you sleep, tonite, call the police

SPECIAL RETROSPECTIVE

Now that I’ve been doing this a few years, I wanted to look back at my top albums of the decade so far...

2010: The Suburbs - Arcade Fire

2011: Take Care - Drake

2012: Channel Orange - Frank Ocean

2013: Yeezus - Kanye West

2014: Our Love - Caribou

2015: Art Angels - Grimes

2016: Coloring Book - Chance The Rapper

2017: American Dream - LCD Soundsystem

All in all a very solid and defensible selection of albums. I don’t want to second guess myself too much, and I would still ride or die for any of these choices, but if I’d change one or two, it might be to flip Yeezus for Modern Vampires in the City in 2013, or swap the Caribou for RTJ2 in 2014... which are just albums that have stuck with me more over time.

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