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luuurien · 2 years

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Julius Rodrigues - Let Sound Tell All

(Post-Bop, Nu-Jazz, Avant-Garde Jazz)

Julius Rodriguez's debut album sees him coming into his own as a bandleader and composer, pieces that toe the line between the explosive energy of live jazz and the meticulous detailing of studio production. Let Sound Tell All is a ton of information delivered in under 35 minutes, and it's a complete thrill all throughout.

☆☆☆☆

Julius Rodriguez has been all over the place, but his heart lies in the endless possibilities of jazz. He's played in jazz clubs since he was a little kid, toured with A$AP Rocky, and even left Julliard to go on that aforementioned tour. It's that impulsivity and energy that gives his music such character, and on his debut album Let Sound Tell All he lets it all out in one massive burst. Taking hold of both precise and painstakingly detailed studio wizardry and the live, in-the-moment intensity of improvisation and jazz melodic language, Let Sound Tell All is the perfect introduction to a bit of everything that makes Rodriguez the artist he is. It's a little swing, a little gospel, a little electronic, a little avant-garde - you could keep going for a half dozen more descriptors - but it's always him. He's an unfathomably skilled pianist and a powerful bandleader, using the myriad of influences afforded to him as a Gen-Z musician to fit everything from classic Monk and Coltrane to Solange and James Blake into his sound. The results are as spellbinding as you'd expect. After opening with the fiery Blues at the Barn, a hard-swinging blues jam that shows off Rodriguez's raw power on the piano atop a rhythm section comprised of bassist Philip Norris and drummer Joe Saylor, Rodriguez takes the rest of these pieces in all sorts of different directions. You've got everything from the vocal jazz kick of album single All I Need, a fuzzy Stevie Wonder cover with singer Mariah Cameron's heavenly vocals driving the song forward while Rodriguez and the band hang back and watch, to Two Way Street's hard bop by way of psychedelic electronica where Morgan Guerin's saxophone is drenched in all sorts of effects to make for an intense body high of a jazz tune and Elegy (For Cam's) eight minute odyssey of improvisation atop ambient synth layerings that make for one of the dreamiest songs on offer. At just a slim 35 minutes, Let Sound Tell All doesn't waste even a little of your time, but it doesn't feel like a fruitless listen just because these songs aren't all that long. He knows how to get you invested in his music and keep you invested as the album continues to unfold, the synth-infused balladry of Gift of the Moon as downtempo electronica sways in the breeze of Giveton Gelin's trumpet or Rodriguez's untamed piano performances that immediately hooks you in Blues at the Barn short but essential parts of what makes Let Sound Tell All such a fantastic debut. It feels incredibly fleshed out not only for a debut, but for contemporary jazz albums as a whole. Not that other players don't have the same wide vocabulary of Rodriguez - I'm sure anyone with jazz experience has played a hard swing tune like Blues at the Barn and ballads like All I Do enough times to practically write one out in their minds - but it's how Rodriguez utilizes all the different kinds of music he makes in tandem with one another that lets Let Sound Tell All be so magnetizing. Two Way Street shows his ability to work deep within the studio setting, layering effects on effects while preserving the song's post-bop sense of freedom and untethered groove, and the four-minute ballad Where Grace Abounds is an undisturbed gospel-jazz piece outfitted with organs, the choir and all. It's not only a skill to be able to make this all work within one single album, but Rodriguez makes them all feel so well-rounded and distinct that you can easily imagine ways he could make an entire album's worth of tunes just off the template of a single track. He's got the normal swing and blues down, he knows how to work with electronics and the labyrinthian insanity of studio production, he's well-versed with the soulfulness and spirituality of gospel, and no matter where his music goes, he never appears out of his depth for a second. The album's best moment, though, is a simple duet between Rodriguez and vocalist Samara Joy, In Heaven. It's without question one of the best songs to come out this year, a solemn and chilling song that brings out the deepest emotions without Rodriguez's playing and one of Joy's most electrifying performances to date. She starts in her warm, cocooning lower range, Rodriguez's soft piano chord creating a backbone for the story of everlasting love for someone Joy sings of. As her voice continues to grow into the song's soaring chorus, Rodriguez follows suit, not trying to direct where Joy's voice goes and instead playing to her strengths and seeing where the music takes them together. It's one of the less outgoing moments on the album - the song sounds like one you'd hear in the dead of night as a bar begins to be put to rest with dawn approaching - but it's truly unforgettable. It's the kind of stripped-back songcraft that only the best can make work, Rodriguez's wild piano solo halfway through the track saying everything Joy's voice and words could not and making it clear his power as an instrumentalist and storyteller. While her words are simple, they seem to promise the world within them. "Don't go running to the mountains, my love / Because you know I won't be there," she sings, "You'll see me in Heaven." It is absolutely unforgettable and one of the most tearjerking songs to come out in years. Let Sound Tell All professes everything Julius Rodriguez has been, is right now, and could be in the future, everything within his reach and ready for him to take hold of. If this album is only the start, you can only imagine how magical the future is going to be.

#julius rodriguez #let sound tell all #verve #avant-garde jazz #electronic #experimental #jazz #nu-jazz #post-bop #soul #vocal jazz #2022 #8/10 #neo-soul

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mako-lies · 2 years

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I’ve been really into Cambodian music lately, specifically the growing Original Music Movement. For some context, Cambodia had a really rocking music scene in the 60s, prior to the Khmer Rouge taking over. A lot of the Khmer cultural heritage was lost during the Cambodian Genocide, and recovery after the fall of the Khmer Rouge regime is... still ongoing in a lot of ways.

Specially focusing on music, a lot of the music that Cambodia “produced” after that was basically Khmer (Khmer, referring both to the people of Cambodia and also the Khmer language) covers of foreign songs. There was no producer of original Khmer music. It wasn’t until recently that there was a revival of Cambodian original music.

The figure I’m most familiar with is Laura Mam, though she isn’t the only figure. She is co-founder of a record label called Baramey Productions, which produces Khmer original music. Her story is really interesting. Here are some NPR articles about her and a TED talk that she did.

Her production company, Baramey, is the one I’m most familiar with and has artists such as VannDa, Sophia Kao, Khmeng Khmer, and Songha. There’s another popular production company called KlapYaHandz with artists like Vuthea, SreyLeak, and AGO. I also was able to find an alternative label called Yab Moung Records.

History lesson aside, LETS TALK ABOUT THE MUSIC.

VannDA

Basically, if we’re talking about contemporary Cambodian music, we HAVE to start with VannDa. He is considered the King of Cambodian Rap, and for good reason. His ability to seamlessly weave old and modern music styles, English and Khmer, is incredible. An incredibly versatile artist, I don’t think I’ve heard anything of his I don’t like. Honestly, a lot of his songs read like poetry—and they’re all subtitled in English so he’s a really good jumping in point.

Time to Rise is his most famous song. It’s helped him reach international fame, and really meshes traditional Khmer music with modern rap. It also incorporates vocals from Master Kong Nay, a musician who survived the Khmer Rouge, to really solidify this blend of past and present. The lyrics are gorgeous, the beats amazing, and it’s just such an incredible song. The instrumentals (the ones not done by Master Kong Nay) are done by Vanthan, a fantastic musician who’s mastered all of the Khmer traditional instruments.

Queen Bee is a sweet love song. This is a live performance he did, linked mostly because you can really see the flute here!

Sorrow lmao he did a video on his phone when he was in quarantine

Laura Mam

While she mostly produces these days I think, she does still make music sometimes, especially for Women’s Day. She has such a sweet sounding voice, and I love everything that she puts out! Also, she dances really well—sometimes she shows up in Baramey Productions videos to dance and things. Again, her videos are subtitled in English, so an easy jumping in point.

Just Like You is a really cool song that honors three Cambodian women and tells their stories of resilience. Has some bonus VannDa in it, and is catchy as hell.

Kmeng Khmer

Literally meaning “Khmer Youth,” they’re a duo who were actually the first group signed on with Baramey Productions. I really like that they’ve got a young, kind of lighter sound. Their stuff doesn’t have subtitles, so I don’t understand the lyrics, but it’s such fun music to listen to!

Far Away is such a bop. And their dancing is really nice. I love how bright and fun the video is, too.

Komlos Tang 3 is another fun, catchy bop that I really enjoy.

Sophia Kao

She’s more of an R&B singer. I love how distinct her voice is, it’s so relaxing and good. She mostly (entirely?) sings in English, and often collabs with the other Baramey artists. I really love her sophisticated sound and sad vibe.

Time is a great sad love song. I love her mix with VannDa, the blend of English and Khmer they have going~!

Hell is another sad love song in her typical style.

Vuthea

A hugely popular Cambodian artist, he works in a variety of styles ranging from pop-rock to hip hop to more traditional styles as well. Vuthea’s songs are some of the most popular in Cambodia today, and for good reason—he’s super fun to listen to.

Kromom 3 Styles is a fun song to listen to, and possibly his most popular song?

Oun Sas Ey is another easy listen. His songs always have such a nice beat, and his voice is so nice!

Sreyleak

A farmer who sings both pop and traditional music, Sreyleak has such a beautiful voice. She is super popular in Cambodia, and I love all of the music of hers that I’ve heard.

Saravan Rok Ku is super neat because she’s got this very traditional sound going on, compared to the rap that goes on in the middle. Her voice is just so lovely, and I never feel like she’s overpowered by the rappers.

Rom Tov Mit is just a really nice display of her vocals, it’s super sweet~!

Sin Setsochhata

The granddaughter of one of Cambodia’s most famous singers, she is a soul and pop singer. Her voice is beautiful, and she’s able to sing a bunch of different styles too. She’s working on a new EP and I’m super hyped to see what she’s going to make!

Champa Battambang is a remake she did of one of her grandfather’s most famous songs. It’s honestly so beautiful, the first time I listened to it, it took my breath away.

Truth is a beautifully sad song, that shows off her voice so well. It also has English captions, and is an incredibly poignant song about facing the reality of her father’s death.

Vartey Ganiva

Dubbed Cambodia’s Queen of Punk, she’s one of the few punk/alternative Khmer artists. I honestly couldn’t find much about her, but she seems really neat!

Evil Husband is about domestic abuse. Such a strong song. I love her voice, and the instrumentals are so good too!

I’ll stop here because uh… this list is already GINORMOUS, but I hope you like at least some of the songs I’ve linked. Some of the artists are on iTunes if you decide you want to support them. It’ll be really cool to see how Cambodia music continues to develop~! Note: I’m not like… a huge music person, so I don’t know all the terminology or anything so sorry about that! I just got really excited. Also, I’ve done some research for this, but if I’ve gotten anything glaringly wrong, please let me know (:

#cambodian music

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spaceorphan18 · 4 years

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Kurt Duets Ranked

Part 2 of my Kurt Performances series, we move onto duets -- which will probably the least exciting of conversations, because this isn’t going to be much different than my Klaine Duets rankings. I didn’t go check that, however, so we’ll see how I feel about them now that more time has passed.

Meanwhile, the thing about the duets section is that while there are a ton of great songs in this one, it feels limited. Glee didn’t like to stray from what it knew worked, and therefore, we get Kurt having only a handful of duet partners, and only two of them make up a majority of the songs. It’s unfortunate that we didn’t get more Kurt and Mercedes duets, but even more unfortunate that Kurt didn’t sing with a larger variety of people. I mean, could you imagine a season 4 Kurt/Santana duet? Or something season 1 or 2 with Kurt/Quinn? Lots of possibilities, little room for experimentation.

That said - I do enjoy a vast majority of these songs, and like the solos, most of them complement Kurt’s story nicely.

Kurt Duets Ranked:

27. Candles (Original Song, 2x16)

You guys can’t seriously be surprised by this, right? As with all of these numbers, I went back to listen to see if I’ve changed my mind. Nope. And here’s the funny part - I actually do like this song. But the arrangement, production, and context of this number is terrible. My theory is that Original Song had so many songs in it that they were rushed to get this one done. Coupled with the fact that that the arrangement was redone (by Darren? - idk, Darren’s usually better than this.) and probably rushed means that it was just sloppy by the time they got to production.

From a music point of view, the arrangement is not complementary to either of their voices, and both of them clash on harmonies and go out of tune multiple times throughout the song. On top of that, the emotion of the song is completely off. It’s a break up song -- purposely more tailored for the Finchel story line at the time -- but doesn’t mesh well with Klaine’s getting together story. It feels awkward and out of place, and one of those times where I think who ever picked this song made a bad choice.

I know there are those out there who like it -- and that’s great! Don’t let me slow you down. But it will remain a weak link in an otherwise solid discography.

26. Get Back (Tina in the Sky with Diamonds, 5x02)

While this is way, way better than Candles, I do think it’s a weaker number for Kurt, and Kurt/Rachel, seeing that you’ll see they have some fantastic numbers coming up on this list. Not a favorite Beatles song of mine in the first place, not helping is the fact that this song should have a grittier and harsher sound than either of these relatively more classically trained vocalists can give it.

There is some fun with the choreography (weird NYADA piano tuning thing aside - that’s not how you tune pianos...), and Kurt and Rachel’s voices mesh just fine, but the rest of songs on the list just offer a bit more.

25. Memory (Old Dogs, New Tricks, 5x19)

This one is... rough. And it makes me sad to say that about a song picked specifically by Chris Colfer. For Kurt’s part, it’s a perfectly adequate rendition of Memory, though I think it lacks any of the deeper emotion that Kurt normally brings to his solos. But marring it further is the addition of June Squibb (who doesn’t have the same caliber of voice) and the fact that the scene itself is a bit of forced sentimentality. I get what Chris was going for in the script, but we’ve barely met these people, and they’re not memorable enough for us to get a tug on the heartstrings that this song wants us to have. The scene just kinda falls flat. (I’m sorry Chris!)

24. Lucky Star (Old Dogs, New Tricks, 5x19)

I promise, I’m not picking on Chris, even if the two songs he specifically wrote for himself are down here at the bottom. At least this one has more entertainment value even if I think it’s not a great performance. Kurt flying around as Peter Pan is super cute, and the song choice works relatively well with the scene. Once again, though, June Squibb’s Maggie is not a vocalist (And that’s fine - she’s a super cute old person), as well as this is bogged down in that weird sentimentality Memory was going for. It’s not really good, but at least it’s entertaining.

23. Story of My Life (The Back Up Plan, 5x18)

On a list featuring the what works and doesn’t for Kurt’s performances, this one just... oy. First of all, technically, the boys sound fine. Their voices mesh just fine, as usual, though Blaine’s voice is better suited for these slightly melodramatic boy band numbers. It’s a fine song to listen to in the car. Watching the performance, though, is rough. It’s done that way intentionally, to fit the context of the story -- and while it’s supposed to be comedic, to me it comes off as awkward and cringeworthy. Kurt has some odd performance choices, but normally a good performer, and this makes him kind of a bumbling idiot for the sake of the story, to the point where I rarely ever watch this one. I get what they were going for, and enjoy the song as just a song, but am not really a fan of the actual performance.

22. It’s Too Late (Jagged Little Tapestry, 6x03)

This one I definitely have some mixed feelings about. The song is fine, albeit a little on the pop-y side, though that’s intentional for the theme of the episode. And it’s the first time one of these songs directly commentating on the story that’s actually going on with Kurt. On the one hand, the angst of the scene is played well, and these boys pining for each other works for this part of the story. On the other, the vocals are a tad on the generic side (though these boys always sound great each other), and I’m still not sure I understand what was going on with the fantasy element during the middle of the song. Still, it accomplish the feel the story needed, which is why it gets bumped up here.

21. I Am Changing (New Directions, 5x13)

We only get two Kurtcedes duets on this show, which is a damn travesty. But what makes it harder is this one is, well, a little one sided. Mercedes freakin’ brings the house down with her half of the song -- clearly Amber Riley deserves all the credit she got for doing Dream Girls. Kurt, on the other hand, sounds a little rough here. I’m not sure if it’s because Chris’s voice changed during the show, and it actually got deeper, or if it’s due to the weird production values of season 5, but Kurt’s solo verse is a bit harsh and unrefined, and not in a good way. Mercedes saves it and steals the show, and when the two come together they sound fantastic, but this one gets dropped a little further down because it’s just not a strong one for Kurt. Add to that the fact that they’re trying to make Rachel and Santana be friends again, and the song is unfortunately a weaker one.

20. I Believe In A Thing Called Love (Frenemies, 5x09)

Look, I love Elliott, and I love that Adam Lambert came onto the show. He and Chris had some great chemistry, which actually does show through this performance. It’s fun and crazy and a bit out of Kurt’s normal repertoire, but that’s okay, because Kurt lets loose a little, and it’s really fun to watch. No - Kurt can’t match Elliott when it comes to the heavier rock material -- this is much better suited for Lambert than it is for Colfer, and there are times when Kurt kind of gets overshadowed and out performed, but that’s fine. We get to see Kurt pole dance - I think that’s justification enough to have it where it is on the list.

19. White Christmas (Glee, Actually, 4x10)

Believe it or not, out of the three Christmas duets Kurt and Blaine have, this is my favorite to listen to. I love this song, and I love this arrangement. They sound gorgeous on it as it highlights the strengths of their voices when singing together. My biggest issue is, really, with the scene overall. Look - it’s not easy choreographing people who aren’t used to doing routines on ice skates, and I get that. But due to that fact, the performance ends up being a lot of shots of people who aren’t Kurt and Blaine, and that’s a shame. The other two Christmas duets are much more in sync than this one, and this one is really being held back by the technical difficulty. Still - I like the song, and the context that it’s in, which is why it’s as high as it is.

18. Let it Snow (Extraordinary Merry Christmas, 3x09)

While lower than it perhaps deserves, upon watching it again, I know I’m placing it higher on the list of Klaine duets. It’s an incredibly hard number to do with all the dance steps and vocal runs, and the two of them nail it while being in character as their characters and as the Christmas special characters. I’m kind of in awe at the technical ability of this one, and it’s a shame the writers didn’t always play to Kurt and Blaine’s (and Chris and Darren’s) strengths. It’s not a personal favorite of mine, nor does the song hold much weight with their story, but it’s an incredible embodiment of what makes Klaine - Klaine, and showcases how well they can work together when given really good material.

17. You Make Me Feel So Young (New, New York, 5x14)

This is one of those songs that I go back and forth on, and really could write a dissertation on it, because I think there are a lot of elements both internal and external going on, which makes the onscreen performance... weird. But I feel like that would get way too long for the likes of this already too long post. So, I’ll say this. Vocally, they sound fantastic together, which is why I think it deserves to be up there on the list. It’s also one of the few times that we get to see genuine domestic Klaine being themselves with each other, which is also very cool. My issues with the acting and directing of the scene are very nitpicky, and it all lines up with my growing consensus that one of the weaker elements of season 5 were the musical numbers, but if y’all want more, I’ll do another post on just this song specifically. For now, I’ll just say that I enjoy the good things about the song, even if some of it leaves an awkward taste in my mouth.

16. Animal (Sexy, 2x15)

Animal is one of the few truly comedic performances Kurt gets to do. Between the silly sexy faces, euphemistic foam, and overkill addition of plastic balls, it’s hard to take this one very seriously, but that is the point. Both boys sound great on it, and it’s a lot of fun to watch -- being cringy in a good way. I really don’t have any criticisms of it besides I just prefer the others on the list just a bit more. But we’re getting into that territory where I think all of these songs are solidly good, and on any given day, I could rearrange the whole list.

15. 4 Minutes (The Power of Madonna, 1x15)

The second, and original, of the Kurtcedes duets, this is the first time in the show that Kurt gets to turn his sexy on, and it’s really awesome that they give him the chance to shine in such a way. Despite the fact that Kurt is doing the occasional weird hand gesture and choreography in this one, he and Mercedes play off each other incredibly well, and it’s a shame they never let these two really get to do anything once the juggernaut of Hummelberry came along. No, the song isn’t the best for Kurt’s voice, but sometimes it’s the spectacle of what’s going on during the number rather than how it sounds.

14. Love is a Battlefield (Tested, 5x16)

Showing that not all Season 5′s numbers were, well, not up to par as everything else, we’ve got this Klaine duet, which might be one of my favorite pieces of choreography and showmanship on the show. I really don’t like the song, at all, which I know goes against the grain of a lot of you, but it’s a testament to how powerful this number is visually that I’ve ranked it so high. (It’s about anger sex guys, and more sexual than the scarcely few sexy time-ish scenes we actually got.) The boys sound great on it, and the layered acting in it is pitch perfect. I love this duet, even if I’m not a fan of the song.

13. Ding, Dong, The Witch is Dead (The Purple Piano Project, 3x01)

Well, there is a reason Hummelberry was what it became, and this showcases that to perfection. The song isn’t worth much story wise, but it does show just how wonderfully these two play against each other, as well as sounding great together. This song is playful and light and the perfect showcase for what real talents they both are. I have my issues with Hummelberry (really, I do) but I can’t deny that they’re standout performers together, and everything about this number comes together to show that off.

12. Perfect (I Kissed a Girl, 3x07)

Look, this list is subjective. Yes, there are a few that stand over the rest and a few that are really not that great, but most of Kurt’s duets, like his solos, are really all solid performances. And I just happen to really love this song. I’m not going to defend Blaine’s questionable rapping or the context this song is performed in the episode. But what I will say is that I love what the lyrics have to say about Klaine’s relationship at the time, and the fact that they both (but especially Kurt) sound so great here. Plus, I enjoy jamming out to this one in my car.

11. Daydream Believer (Dreams Come True, 6x13)

This just happens to be one of my favorite songs ever, and I’m so glad this got to be the last Klaine duet. I have no issues about how well they sound together. As cute as they are dancing with the kids, I do wish the context would have been totally different -- I wish that they were singing this to each other -- or their own child. But I still think it’s a pretty meaningful song, and I love it, so here we are.

10. Just Can’t Get Enough (I Do, 4x14)

I unabashedly love this song. Sure the song is rather repetitive and is going on during other people’s plot lines, but every time I hear this one, I just want to get up and dance along with it. The boys sound great on it, and they get to be rather flirty in the moments that the camera is actually on them. If only the had more screen time, I probably put this one higher near the top.

9. Somebody Loves You (Transitioning, 6x07)

A lot like Just Can’t Get Enough, this duet is flirty and adorable and I love everything about it. They sound great together and, as usual, play off each other well. On top of that, the song itself plays nicely into the Klaine story of the moment, which I appreciate. It’s not a perfect performance, but an incredibly enjoyable one, and that’s what matters.

8. American Boy (The Untitled Rachel Berry Project, 5x20)

Are either Kurt or Blaine suite for Rap and R&B? No, not really, but do I care? No. As you’ve probably noticed, I love these flirty duets, this is one of the best ones. Sure, they don’t really capture the style or tone of the original very well. But they’re having a lot of fun out there and being adorable while doing it. And Kurt simulates having sex. I mean, do I really need to say more? But really - I actually enjoy this song a lot, so there we go.

7. Popular (2009, 6x12)

This is easily the best performance of Kurt’s limited performances in season 6. Kurt and Rachel haven’t head a duet together since Season Five’s Get Back (interesting right?) but they’re able to turn right back on the magic that was going on in the earlier seasons. This song is near perfection -- the acting is solid, the performance is layered -- being both comedic and a commentary about the both of them, and they sound wonderful together. This is truly a treat for the end of the series, and I’m a little sad the rest of the season didn’t put as much effort into its musical numbers.

6. Come What May (Girls and Boys on Film, 4x15)

The thing about Come What May, for me, is that it’s deeply a romantic song - and shot (intentionally) in a very movie-like way. I love so much about this, from the staging, to the bit of flashbacks setting the tone at the beginning, to the misdirect and reveal that it’s really Kurt’s fantasy and not Blaine’s. Vocally, there are a few weaker spots towards the beginning, but that can be overlooked when visually and lyrically there is so much wonderful things going on here. I love when a performance can have layers to it -- and this one say so much about Kurt as a character and the head space that he’s in, while being deeply romantic without being vulgar, that it firmly takes a spot near the top of the list.

5. Got to Get You Into My Life (Love, Love, Love, 5x01)

The thing that’s so great about good Klaine duets is their push and pull of each other. This duet has a ton of that -- each of them playing against each other in such a flirty way. They sound great, they look great, the number has a ton of energy, and the bright tone is a nice change from all the somberness that came along with season 4. It’s a visual treat as well as a aural one, and nearly flawless in execution, which is why it’s ranked so high on the list.

4. Rockstar (New, New York, 5x14)

Is this really one of Kurt’s best duets? Technically, probably not. I don’t really care - I. Love. This. Song. Really, I listen to it all the time, and it’s just a song I never tire of. It’s really Adam Lambert’s show, and Kurt is kind of dancing around like the littler brother of the rockstar that is Elliot ‘Starchild’ Gilbert. And I do think Kurt and Elliot’s voices mesh rather well -- even if Kurt’s overshadowed a bit here. But that’s all fine - because this song makes me happy for no other reason that it does, and that’s a fine reason to be near the top of the list.

3. Baby, It’s Cold Outside (A Very Glee Christmas, 2x10)

I keep trying to think of reasons not to put this as the number one Klaine duets. I keep looking at the list thinking that something else about one of the other duets will stand out more, and I just can’t. This scene and this performance is damn near flawless. I’ve already talked about this scene at length, and I really don’t have anything new to add, but here’s the thing -- this song sounds wonderful, the game of cat and mouse they play with each other is one of the best scenes on the entire show, and I can’t say enough at how brilliant and layered and amazing this scene is. Hands down, best Klaine duet, and one of the best overall duets on the show.

2. Happy Days Are Here Again/Get Happy (Duets, 2x04)

The thing is, about this duet, is that it’s iconic. Just hands down iconic. Not only were they able to take an old school mash-up done by Babs and Judy and make it their own, but they gave it the same amount of power and emotion the original had as well. I don’t think it’s easy to sit on a stool and make any kind of song engaging but these two are able to do it. They sound flawless on a technically difficult song. There’s subtly and nuance in the performance. There’s balance and give and take. And contextually, it fits in nicely with where each of the characters are at. On top of that, it’s a really great arrangement of these two songs in the first place. I have nothing but good things to say about one of my favorite songs and favorite performances on the show. And while Hummelberry has so, so many issues as a friendship -- their ability to make amazing performances together was not one of them.

1. For Good (New York, 2x22)

I went back and forth on what the order of the top three would be -- they could easily be interchangeable they’re all so good. But here’s the thing about this one. I feel like this one just takes an extra step up in, well, everything -- the performance level, the context, the layers of emotion woven through this song, it just hangs itself up a little higher than the rest of them. Yes, Kurt and Rachel sound as good as they ever do -- playing off each other and meshing with each other brilliantly. But this song is a grand musical theater piece that they pull off masterfully.

But on top of that... The weight this song has is given is higher than pretty much any other song on this list. it’s a perfect fitting song that punctuates their paralleling journey throughout the season. This song is a final statement and thesis of everything that became before it, and because of that, I’m ranking it as the best of Kurt’s duets.

#finding kh #kurt hummel #non link no photos version #because tumblr is the worst and has a million restrictions

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bobdylanrevisited · 3 years

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Blood On The Tracks

Released: 20 January 1975

Rating: 10/10

Often regarded as Dylan’s greatest album, and potentially the greatest album of all time, it’s hard to disagree. Released on Columbia Records following Bob starting a relationship with an employee whilst his marriage to Sara was crumbling following the 1974 tour, the record is actually two different recording sessions. One was in New York, with a much more mellow feel, the other was in Minneapolis with a backing band, following Dylan’s brother stating that the New York songs sounded too similar. Whilst the original recordings are available on the Bootleg Series Vol. 14: More Blood, More Tracks, and are fucking fantastic in their own right, the final product is a thing of inconceivable genius. It’s an album that perfectly captures the turbulence of divorce, love, longing, and self reflection, and is easily the most beautifully written collection of songs ever released.

1) Tangled Up In Blue - Once again, Bob opens the album with one his best ever compositions. A non-linear tale of love and loss which would rival the postmodern writing style of Kerouac and Ginsberg. The story he tells here is both sweet and tragic, filled with nostalgia and longing for a companion. Potentially partially biographical in nature, the lyrics are among his very best, relatively simple at face value, but filled with references and meaning that could take a lifetime to fully digest. His voice continues to sound more mature and even quite commercial, though his brilliant nasal twang is still present, particularly when he hits the title line. This Minneapolis version is astonishing, it may be the perfect song, though the slower and more chilled out New York recording is equally as brilliant. Although for me the defining performance is the one found on his 1984 live album ‘Real Live’, which completely alters most of the lyrics, something Bob carries on doing to this day.

2) Simple Twist Of Fate - A beautiful track about the cruel nature of fate and losing a soul mate. The song talks of the life cycle of a relationship, through metaphor and abstract imagery that wouldn’t be amiss on ‘Blonde On Blonde’, and feels like a dream sequence that ends with waking up alone and confused. The walking bass in the background and soft acoustic strumming create a relaxed and almost floaty tune that only elevates the vivid lyrics. As this is the ‘divorce’ album, the song ends with the lover being gone and Dylan deep in regret, and whilst he says this record is based on the work of Chekhov, I believe this is how Bob viewed and dealt with his separation. Sara came into his life through fate, and he let her slip through his fingers, it’s a moving song that is drenched in a need to understand the confusing and painful side of love.

3) You’re A Big Girl Now - Bob is begging for forgiveness here, promising to change and asking to be taken back as he sings through tears. I do take issue with the idea of Bob saying it pains him to see Sara walking away from him given his infidelity, however he does accept that it is entirely her decision and he is pleading his case. Ultimately, despite the brilliant performance Bob gives of desperation and pain, along with some great piano and guitar playing from his band, I do think this is the weakest song on the album due to the lyrics bordering on self pitying. It’s still a great song, I just don’t think Dylan comes across the best here. The rest of the record focuses on either anger, sadness, or regret, whereas here it seems he’s focusing on himself and almost being absolved of his own wrongdoings.

4) Idiot Wind - Though Bob claims this isn’t about the causes of the breakdown of his marriage, I think we all can take that to mean that it definitely is. It also happens to be the best song on the album, Bob is snarling his way through an epic poem of accusations and falsehoods, betrayal and bitterness. It harks back to his finger pointing songs of 10 years earlier, and it doesn’t hold punches against the press and those who had been circulating rumours about both him and Sara. It’s fucking amazing, Bob sounds genuinely enraged and yet also confused at the exaggerated actions he’s having to defend or downplay. Not only are the lyrics both chaotic and fascinating, the organ playing is superb. Throughout the 7:47 minute song, every time Bob sings ‘Idiot Wind’ it’s like a direct insult to those who meddled in his relationship, as well as another nail in the coffin of his once happy marriage.

5) You’re Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go - It’s been argued as to whom was making Bob lonesome, is it Sara or his Columbia girlfriend? Either way, it’s quite a happy sounding song that’s actually a heartbreaking tale of loss and reluctance to accept life moving on. Bob invokes the poets Verlaine and Rimbaud’s turbulent relationship, with Bob very much being the Rimbaud of the 20th Century, to describe the breakdown of love and happiness leading to feeling alone and self-reflection. As with the whole album, the backing band sound great alongside Bob’s relaxed vocal style and joyous harmonica, and the song creates a tragic feeling of putting on a brave, upbeat facade as life goes on. It’s undeniably becoming much sadder and, as the title suggests, much more lonesome, but Bob attempts to carry on and learn from his mistakes. It’s a hard message to convey in under 3 minutes, but Bob’s pained and honest writing from this period manages it perfectly.

6) Meet Me In The Morning - Musically, this is the best song on the album. All the instruments have a brilliant bluesy feel to them, and Dylan’s voice matches this style, with his nasal tone elongating phrases and making him sound like the blues singers of old. From what I can gather, the protagonist of the song is asking his lover to a rendezvous, but waits from dawn to dusk with no appearance from her. Throughout the song he wishes they could be elsewhere, and compares his love and longing to the darkness of the night and the setting of the sun. It’s a difficult song to unpack as Dylan is the master of mysterious and metaphorical storytelling, but understanding every line really doesn’t matter here. The song itself is a joy to listen to, proving that Dylan shouldn’t just be applauded for his lyricism, but also his ability to compose and record with various musicians to achieve a specific and memorable sound.

7) Lily, Rosemary And The Jack Of Hearts - I’ll quickly mention that Dylan and his harmonica sound amazing on this song, as do the backing band who evoke the sound and atmosphere of the cabarets of old. However, it would be impossible to do the lyrics to this song justice in one small paragraph. This song is the ‘Desolation Row’ of the album, a sprawling epic poem featuring a host of characters in various criminal and romantic encounters. It’s an incredible piece of work, more interesting and exciting than most of what we see on the silver screen. I urge you to fully immerse yourself into the world Dylan creates here, as for nearly 9 minutes, he and his band weave a perfect story worthy of Homer.

8) If You See Her, Say Hello - This song reminds me of ‘Girl From The North Country’. It’s about passing on well wishes to a former lover, letting them know you’re still thinking about them, even though they’ve left your life and moved on. The lyrics are heartbreaking, as Bob remarks that the love still burns within him, but he wants to ensure this information isn’t passed on to her. A brilliantly moving and desperate song once again, with another beautiful backing arrangement and a pained voice longing to rekindle what he has lost.

9) Shelter From The Storm - A love song that focuses on being saved, clearly Bob is talking about Sara and his needing to be rescued from the hurricane of fame, drugs, and parting of 1965 when they met. It’s a romantic story featuring religious imagery, showing Bob’s true feelings towards how he viewed himself and the period of life that was now being ripped apart by his actions. The near angelical way he describes Sara, and his ending thoughts on how he still feels about her nurturing and caring personality, are a far cry from some of the earlier tracks on the album, but this feels like perhaps the most personal song on the record. The stripped back instrumentation allow the bittersweet lyrics to take centre stage, with Bob again sounding much more mature and accessible with his relaxed vocal style. Whilst this version is incredible, I’d also recommend the live 1976 recording on ‘Hard Rain’. The song is much rockier, Bob barks the lyrics, and it sounds fucking brilliant.

10) Buckets Of Rain - The album closes with a genuinely lovely track, both simple and sweet as it addresses a lover. The melody is delicate and Dylan’s singing is soft and full of warmth. There’s not much else to say about this beautiful song, other than it feels like Bob showing us that there is light at the end of the tunnel, and that everything will work out in the end.

Verdict: I could happily just listen to this album until the day I die. If Dylan going electric is the most important musical moment of the 1960s, then this release is the 1970s equivalent. It’s pure art, it captures a feeling most struggle to internally process, let alone articulate in such a poetic and moving way at only 33 years old. The lyricism on this one record alone proves Bob is the greatest poet of the 20th Century. Even the outtakes from this album, especially ‘Up To Me’, are better than most artists creative peak. This may be Dylan’s most personal record (despite his insistence that it is not autobiographical), and I imagine it will be studied for centuries to come as his magnum opus. In typical Bob style, he would bizarrely head out on an exhaustive tour called the ‘Rolling Thunder Revue’, playing at small venues with a band that resembled a circus show, whilst his family life continued to disintegrate. But before he managed to capture the spirit of these carnival-esque performances, he gave permission for some mythical recordings from 1967 to finally be released.

#bob dylan #blood on the tracks

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deadcactuswalking · 3 years

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REVIEWING THE CHARTS: 30/01/2021 (Wellerman, Fredo, Sabrina Carpenter, Billie Eilish & ROSALÍA)

I’ve never been more thankful for a song being this big – “drivers license” by Olivia Rodrigo spends a third week at #1, blocking “WITHOUT YOU” by The Kid LAROI at #2. Thank God. Anyway, we’ve got 10 new arrivals so let’s cut the chit-chat and start REVIEWING THE CHARTS.

Rundown

Of course, after this brief rundown we always do. Thankfully, the site actually updated last week, so I can go through this as routinely as possible. For drop-outs, it’s a lot of recent new arrivals falling out either off the debut or a few weeks after – most of them being pretty crap – but we do have some notable drop-outs, like “Forever Young” by Becky Hill, “Plugged In Freestyle” by A92 and Fumez the Engineer, “pov” by Ariana Grande, “Love is a Compass” by Griff, “Tick Tock” by Clean Bandit and Mabel featuring 24kGoldn, “Lasting Lover” by Sigala and James Arthur, and finally, “Perfect” by Ed Sheeran. Now to move onto the chart proper, we do have some movement to discuss. Firstly, we have some fallers, those being “Dynamite” by BTS at #32, “positions” by Ariana Grande at #39, “Lemonade” by Internet Money and Gunna featuring Don Toliver and NAV at #41, “All I Want” by Olivia Rodrigo at #43 off of the return, “SO DONE” by The Kid LAROI at #46, “Best Friend” by Saweetie featuring Doja Cat at #47, “Midnight Sky” by Miley Cyrus at #48, “What You Know Bout Love” by the late Pop Smoke at #51, “Wellerman” by the Longest Johns practically being replaced at #52 (We’ll discuss this more later), “See Nobody” by Wes Nelson and Hardy Caprio at #53, “Notorious” by Bugzy Malone and Chip at #55, “Looking for Me” by Paul Woodford, Diplo and Kareen Lomax at #60, “Bad Boy” by the late Juice WRLD and Young Thug unfortunately purging to #62, “WAP” by Cardi B featuring Megan Thee Stallion at #67, “Pinging (6 Figures)” by Central Cee crashing off of the debut to #72 and “Diamonds” by Sam Smith at #74, joining our two returning entries – which are just older songs getting another brief pick-up at the bottom of the charts. Those are “Baby Shark” by Pinkfong and “Shallow” by Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper at #75 and #73 respectively, by the way. Oh, and we also have “Martin & Gina” by Polo G at #65, but I honestly can’t see that song going anywhere – and I really like it. This doesn’t mean that we don’t have any gains, however, as finally, we can see some rising hits trying to fill in the cracks, like both of Rudimental’s debuts from last week: “Be the One” with MORGAN, TIKE and Digga D is up to #58, whilst the incredibly worse single “Regardless” with RAYE is cracking into the top 40 at #40. Sigh, well, we do have some more promising gains, like... “Heat Waves” by Glass Animals at #38? “Friday” by Riton, Nightcrawlers and Musafa & Hypeman at #37 off of the debut? Okay, 2021 might end up being pretty rough, huh? Thankfully, we have a plentiful amount of new arrivals to waive any of my fears, so let’s just start with those.

NEW ARRIVALS

#70 – “Overpriced” – M Huncho

Produced by Quincy Tellem

Oh, come on! Okay, so this is M Huncho, UK trao’s answer to the late MF DOOM, except without any of the lyrical complexity, storytelling abilities, genuine wit, charming sampling and production techniques, brilliant discography... he’s pretty much just a guy whose main gimmick is the mask, and it’s on this single cover too, seemingly in a museum. This song in particular is just one of these melodic trap cuts with wavy acoustic guitars blended with synths beyond recognition, topped off with odd bass mastering and a checked-out performance from M Huncho, who spends way too much time on his verses going “doo-doo-doo-doo-doo”, before the beat switches for a verse that fades out after like 20 seconds. What’s the point of any of this, honestly? It’s not awful – the bass does kind of knock – but I really don’t understand why this is here, or why M Huncho is a big name. It’s not even as good as AJ Tracey’s trap bangers and it’s not even as funny as D-Block Europe, which I’m surprised by, considering that he had his own stupid hit with “Pee Pee” around this time last year, and that song was actually good. Also, M Huncho, what do you think your fans get from you dissing them? If you’re going to brag about your “house by the lake” and then rap about how some unnamed individual “still lives at their mum’s in a council estate”, consider that a lot of your audience will still live with their parents in council housing or be surrounded by people who do. Someone who really came from poverty should know that this is classist and disrespectful to your own demographic. Yeah, this is worthless. Why’s this guy still charting? At least Young Adz knows how to write a hook.

#65 – “New Love” – Silk City and Ellie Goulding

Produced by Silk City and Picard Brothers

Okay, so we do have some energy on the chart – or at least half of the credited acts have. Silk City is a duo of producers, those being Diplo, a true weirdo in mainstream EDM who’s honestly kind of fascinating and oftentimes a fluke genius (especially in its work in Major Lazer and Jack U with Skrillex), and Mark Ronson, one of the greatest producers of the 21st century so far, probably most known for “Uptown Funk!”. These guys did have a hit together with Dua Lipa in 2018 in the form of “Electricity”, but it’s been a while and I’m interested to see how they work with the complete non-presence that is Ellie Goulding. It’s with some level of disappointment that I say that she’s not a non-presence here, as this is otherwise a pretty neat house tune with some excellent 90s keys and a deep-house groove I think is pretty fun. The strings in the pre-chorus are great and build-up to a fantastic chorus... or at least the instrumental is fantastic, because Goulding is a waste here, mixed way too high and honestly just faltering her vocals here. She sounds awkward through multi-tracking and even worse without it, as she clearly goes for a rough swagger that cannot work with her light, almost fairy-like voice she’s relied on much of her career. The intricacies of this production are really admirable, but Goulding was clearly an afterthought. With a real diva on vocals, or honestly just a sample of a soul or diva house track, this could be excellent. As it is, I’m bored. Next.

#63 – “Typhoons” – Royal Blood

Produced by Royal Blood

Oh, okay. Well, this is a pleasant surprise. Royal Blood are an English garage rock duo that rock pretty hard, and don’t go for anything else beyond that, which to me is a breath of fresh air, and, yeah, this is good. Is it as good as their debut? Of course not, their biggest hit “Figure it Out” is still incredible, and this one goes for a more synthesized 70s feel, even accentuated by disco keys in the pre-chorus. The riffs are still here though, as that main guitar line is pretty awesome. I see this as a mix of garage rock revival bands from the 2000s like the White Stripes, as well as some stoner-adjacent bands like Queens of the Stone Age, with a more classic hard-rock groove and Mike Kerr’s signature yelp, and it works for what it is, so I’m excited for that upcoming single. Nothing’s particularly impressive here, but I’ll definitely go for this over the rest of what we have charting, so I’m not complaining. This is good, you should check these guys out, even if they tend to be a bit derivative. That tense bridge with the looming background vocals and intensifying riff is genuinely epic, by the way, even if there isn’t much more of a pay-off behind just... the chorus again, which ends up rendering as flat as a result. Regardless, it’s a good break from the norm – which for a chart week like this, I’m especially glad is here.

#61 – “Your Love (9PM)” – ATB, Topic and A75

Produced by ATB, Topic and Rudi Dittmann

German DJ ATB was showing his girlfriend his new recording studio when he got carried away with a single guitar sound and made a song out of it, “9PM (Till I Come)”, named after the time the track was finished. Later on, he took the track and added some whispered vocals from Spanish model Yolanda Riviera. This happened in 1999, by the way, when this song was released to great success in Europe, leading to a hilariously dated album cover but still a UK #1. The song is honestly kind of bad, relying on a pretty typical house groove, ugly MIDI guitars and that seductive vocal loop. Regardless, since 90s nostalgia has come way too fast, Topic has remixed the track with A75, a collaboration we’ve seen before on “Breaking Me” from last year, which sucked. To be fair, the original song is pretty empty, so I’m interested to hear A75 add some vocals... and he just sounds pained over a deep-house rip of the original. The ugly MIDI melody stays, just now it’s drowned out and even more synthesized – this is the guitar sound you liked so much? I hope she left you. Let’s move on.

#59 – “My Head & My Heart” – Ava Max

Produced by Jonas Blue, Earwulf and Cirkut

Speaking of being bored, here’s pop singer Ava Max, with a new lead single from the deluxe edition of her debut studio album, Heaven & Hell. This one’s produced by Jonas Blue, which, alongside a redundant “Jonas Blue remix”, is probably why it’s charting. What’s sad is it’s not really very good, as the vocals are over-processed over fake hand-claps and clipping mixes that make those plastic synths sound even worse. Admittedly, I like the rubbery future bass-esque bass line here, but that’s really as far as my appreciation for this goes, as the writing is non-existent, and Ava Max is barely here. It’s honestly really similar to “New Love”, except this one’s not even as interesting as that track, going for an exhaustingly tired house-pop style that while she is a natural fit for, it does make the 2000s synth-pop she started with sound inspired in comparison. Oh, and the “Jonas Blue remix” is practically a glorified bass-boost that makes this sound even uglier, so, yeah, skip this.

#42 – “Apricots” – Bicep

Produced by Bicep

Bicep is a Northern Irish electronic duo from Belfast, and this is an instrumental from their most recent album, Isles, which clearly must have stood out enough for it to debut at #42. I can understand why too, as that sample from Hugh Tracey’s African music recordings, particularly the vocal sample used, is really infectious and interesting. I don’t think everything surrounding it is enough to really make it less annoying, as it running through nearly the entirety of a four-minute track makes this sample lose its lustre too quickly. It runs its course far before the song has the chance to build up into a house track, with that sample crushing everything that isn’t the percussion in the mix anyway. The keys are really cool, and I can’t fault the strings and ambiance that keeps the song building up for as long as it does. It also takes a sample from a Bulgarian folk choir, which they paralleled to the Celtic folk they grew up hearing, and honestly, this is just a cool blending of global music rather than an actually good song, ending with me respecting this more than actually enjoying it. The synths by the end sound fantastic as does the Bulgarian chanting, but it doesn’t really have a great climax or drop to make the build-up worth it, defaulting to a generic house groove by the end that fades out before it can have any real impact. So, yeah, this isn’t bad, but feels like a waste of some really great ideas. I guess I can say that “Northern Irish remix of an English ethnomusicologist’s recordings of African music that also samples a Bulgarian folk tune” isn’t quite as much of a developed idea as “Kazakh remix of an American rapper of Guyanese descent’s trap song in a Brazilian house style released on a Russian record label”.

#35 – “Lo Vas A Olvidar” – Billie Eilish and ROSALÍA

Produced by FINNEAS

It’s not often that songs in non-English languages chart in the UK. Whilst in the US, Latin music is such a force that it’ll launch hits for many Spanish-speaking artists, this isn’t the case in decidedly smaller Britain, where a still multicultural society tends to produce art that is always in English. To be fair, we don’t have a place like Puerto Rico, and the few songs I’ve talked about this year that have been in a different language... well, basically the one song I can remember off the top of my head, was in a Nigerian Creole language. So, why’s a Spanish song by Spanish artist ROSALÍA charting so high? Well, it’s also a Billie Eilish song, and it’s also from the HBO teen drama Euphoria. Yeah, a teen drama makes a lot of sense for Eilish to soundtrack. This has been teased since 2019, and is actually ROSALÍA’s first song to chart here in the UK, so is it any good? Well, yeah, actually, it is. Both Eilish and ROSALÍA have excellent whispery tones that complement FINNEAS’ muted, ambient production perfectly, and their harmonisation sounds great, with both singing in Spanish here for the most part. That chorus is pretty janky, though, and I don’t really see the point in the Auto-Tuned interludes, even if they both sound great playing off of each other with a lot of tuning in the outro. This is pretty minimal and dare I say awkward, kind of eerie, so I don’t see it sticking around, but as a longing break-up track, they both sell it well. Next.

#28 – “Skin” – Sabrina Carpenter

Produced by Ryan McMahon

Joshua Bassett’s response flopped immensely, meaning that now it’s Sabrina Carpenter’s time to shine, because if it’s anything she gets out of this Disney love triangle, it’s a hit song, and people clearly want to hear more from the women than they do from Josh. Telling. Now I’m not one to follow Disney teen drama because this is all a marketing gimmick. I mean, the songs dropped every Friday so anyone who can’t see through this is either blind or... a child, and considering the audience, that second one is more likely, which is fine. Popular music is, ultimately, in the hands of teenagers and record executives, and all of these break-up response diss track... things, tend to feed into both hands, whilst also giving these talented young actors a bigger break. This is Carpenter’s first charting hit in the UK, after all. The song is decidedly worse than “drivers license” though, and by a lot, as the mixing here isn’t even competent, as Carpenter’s voice clips through these ugly pianos, worsened by how her voice does not sound great here at all, as she struggles through that terrible chorus. She may say that this isn’t a response to Rodrigo, but given the lyrics and how quickly this rushed release was put out, are we really supposed to believe that? The percussion here is gross as well, drowned in bad reverb that makes this just sound grey and dull. The strings building up to a climax are barely there, and when they are, they sound like they’re elevating a really garbage performance from Carpenter, who can barely keep up. This is supposed to be a ballad yet it sounds so stiff and controlled, meaning that Carpenter trying to let loose on the vocals makes this awkward and painful. I’m sorry, but this is really bad, and I hope it doesn’t stick around. Thankfully, I don’t see that happening.

#20 – “Back to Basics” – Fredo

Produced by Dave

Lil Chocolate Frog’s got a new record out this week that I’ve yet to hear, and this is the lead single, produced by his long-time friend and collaborator, Dave – who’s awesome. I’ve typically been less kind to his mate Fredo but honestly, his ever so slightly off-kilter style has grown on me too, and this song is a pretty good introduction to that. It’s one verse over rattling trap hi-hats and a really eerie vocal sample, and Fredo flows casually and smoothly over the beat, in his typical careless, just barely there style, which works well over a pretty subtle beat like this. Fredo’s lyrics are pretty interesting here too, as amidst flexing and gun-play, he has some pretty funny lines, although far from Dave’s wordplay, rather relying on fun one-liners where he says he’s “kind of Christian”, doing revision on drug trafficking, will run for mayor, and because of how much of the gang violence is sadly amongst ethnic minorities, he himself is racially profiling his “opps”. One line near the end of the track actually made me laugh, when he says he counts up twenties while eating porridge. It’s not funny on paper, sure, but the delivery is gold. He shows more character here than he has since “Funky Friday”, also with Dave, so I’m pretty excited to hear this record, which Dave actually executively produced. It’s also got the late Pop Smoke on a track with Young Adz, so at least I’ll let out more of those laughs. This lead single is pretty good though, and I can see it going top 10 next week with the album boost.

#3 – “Wellerman – Sea Shanty” (220 KID x Billen Ted Remix) – Nathan Evans

Produced by Saltwaves, Billen Ted and 220 KID

Last week, the sea shanty “Wellerman” charted as a cover by the Longest Johns. It’s a fine acapella cover, and this version, by Nathan Evans, was originally similarly acapella, except for the tap of a table as percussion to keep time. This version got even more viral on British TikTok, and if I recall correctly, he quit his job to be signed by Polydor, which is pretty scummy on Polydor’s part. I mean, you know this guy won’t have any more hits. Regardless, this version debuted at #3 thanks to a remix by DJs 220 KID and Billen Ted, three English producers. According to their Spotify duo, Billen Ted used to be a death metal band of all things but then transitioned into writing for dance-pop tunes, and have worked with 220 KID, even if this is technically only their second single. This remix is actually pretty cool to be honest, as it takes the original track and adds some needed energy, mostly through this generic 90s house beat and some admittedly really nice pianos. It’s nothing special, and I would usually criticise something this generic, but the song’s not even two minutes and it’s a pretty inoffensive remix that genuinely adds to the original song through that brilliant flip of the original hook melody in the drop, so I can’t complain. This won’t last, but I’m not mad that it’s here.

Conclusion

I’m actually somewhat pleased with this chart week, which I wasn’t expecting initially, as you can probably tell from my above cynicism. Regardless, we’ve got some variety here (though I don’t see much of it sticking) and I’ll give Best of the Week to Royal Blood for “Typhoons”, with a tied Honourable Mention for “Back to Basics” by Fredo, and, God damn it, “Wellerman” by Nathan Evans and remixed by 220 KID and Billen Ted. Shut up, it’s fun! Worst of the Week will probably go to Sabrina Carpenter’s “Skin”, with a Dishonourable Mention for the complete lack of effort that is M Huncho’s “Overpriced”, just being mildly offensive if anything. Here’s our top 10:

For next week, I mean, a girl can hope for some Weezer, but it’s more likely that we’ll be met with a Fredo album bomb and some scattered efforts from that middling Lil Durk deluxe edition. For now though, you can follow me @cactusinthebank for more ramblings and thanks for reading. I’ll see you next week.

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autoirishlitdiscourses · 4 years

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Discourse of Saturday, 17 October 2020

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Are Old discussion of An Irish Airman Foresees His Death 5 p. You've not only keeps us on task. Discussion notes for section attendance and participation is 55 5 _9 points. Both of these policies in the context of your performance and discussion: performed: Oh I Do Like a S'Nice S'Mince S'Pie sung by Corp. You may have required a bit so that you took.

I can see it promptly and therefore limit your late penalty, you can respond productively if they haven't done an acceptable job of thinking about identity formation, I think that your paper's overall point or points to which you can find applications in the morning shift if that works better for you in section that you might, of course I know that I wasn't engaged in memorization and recitation of a terrible thing: your writing is very unlikely even a perfect score on the you two both gave strong recitations and did a good number of sections attended, in juxtaposition with your paper would most need in order to do is meaningfully contribute to reproductive success by selection pressure, in your discussion notes, but really, really nice work. Part of the obscenity trial surrounding it.

It was a make-up final on Wednesday evenings and bring them to connect them to go into in order to achieve this—I'm not as bad as it could be. I'm behind where I wanted to write questions on the exam, send me the page numbers for the specific language of your introduction and conclusion do some of the text. She had that cream gown on with the play, but it's not necessary and that you picked a good question, people are reacting to look for cues that tell us? One example of a country Begins as attachment to our own field of action And comes to find love so hurtful so often to be taken by the group as a response to such a good way, the sex-food combination pops up! You've got a potentially very productive, though again, a fair amount of points in this arena is a specific analysis and what question you're answering. James Joyce's Ulysses/is available. Please let me do so. Here is what I initially thought I was now a month and a good one a lot of ways: 1 avoid the specificity that you want it to me, and is mentioned in lecture or section, and getting a why you picked to the right page on your midterm and the phrasing of your material effectively and provided a good thumbnail background to the group.

Still, she's a dear girl. This being a good quarter. You have some very good textual choices and analytical methods just depends on where you land overall in this direction would be to make other people to avoid this would require that you look at my paper-writer may be more help. Doing this effectively is to let it motivate other people who never ask naive questions never stop being naive.

Let me know and we'll work out another time to accomplish in ten to fifteen minutes if you'd like. The code that I've pointed to some extent as you write, and 4:30 spot at the beginning of the research or writing process is also a Ulysses recitation tomorrow. I'll stay late. It's not.

Hi!

A-range papers often have a copy of the arrival of Irish identity are instantiated in the hope that helps! I'll see you next week: have several options: prepare a short phrase from it into an effective job of discussion that night for you by this lack of Irish literature in English department look into it for you. Similarly, perhaps not, let it motivate other people to do so. Is that Walter definition of flaneur?

I'll put you down a little bit before I pass it out in section this information allows them to provide useful input. You also picked a difficult business and requires a historical text, though never seriously enough to juxtapose particular texts could be squeezed in most places is basically avoiding the so what? —And to be one of the multiple works that you're aware of what's going on here that are important to you for a lot of material. If a fellow gave them a few days once you've produced a draft maybe let them do so, because the 5 p. There are many other gendered representations here. The Emigrant Irish aloud near the end. So you can deal with the Operator or Tails plug-ins, you may not look at at it from the course of the text and helping them to the page number for the recitation itself that is a good passage and showed this in any reasonable way, and sometimes the best way to do this at this stage in the discussion requirement. Here's a count of various grades assigned to my students on the assignment, so I'd say to i says in this way. Com that you have disclosed any part at all who says you got most of that looks good to me about them more quickly. Of course, it will help you to reschedule, and that's also an impressive move on your feet in response to divergent views and responded in a strong reason for pushing the temporal envelope this far open makes it impossible, very perceptive readings of the disappointed reaction to painkillers and had some interesting comments about some kind same thing for you—I've tried to gesture toward these in more close detail. Which isn't to say, Welp, guess I'll just say that I am giving you this week. Also, my point is more of an overview on a very good papers and given out three.

I graded it you write your thesis. And I think that your ethical principles are often sophisticated and interesting thoughts, are faulted by society at large for failing to turn it in general is a piece of background information demonstration of why you picked those particular texts could be. No, I think that you leave town. 5% on the section Twitter account in a packet of poems tonight.

Too, I will definitely be there. I have a perceptive argument that, for instance, and I will probably drag you down for 'A Star. Again, thank you for being such a good sense of the final, you will also have a basically strong delivery. The Stare's Nest and of showing how the poem on the same time, and you related your discussion plans. I'll probably do this would result in an email last week due to the aspects of the performances you gave a solid job, and this is a fantastic document/outline/explanation of why you feel this way. 2, again tying them to larger concerns of the pleasures of travel is to listen for the quarter have been to be read as, say, I hope your surgery went smoothly. I think that asking open-ended that people saw in the sense of rhythm. You've done a solid job here. I want the paper just barely push you down to an oversight: there is a specific point about that.

I'm sorry to have thought of it. A-range papers do not impede the reader's ability to serve as mnemonic aids and that what you're saying and what Molly thinks about after 2 a. More administrative issues? Which texts I have to schedule a presentation as a foster-mother to him, perhaps Gertie's thoughts directly? Thanks for being such a good job of weaving together multiple thematic and plot issues and weaves them gracefully without losing the momentum of your own work will help you be absent from lecture or section in a close-reading exercise of your paper. Discussion Section Guidelines handout, which is rather complex. Choosing a few exceptions, listed in a term paper of this would have paid off here. Despite these things would, I can't recall immediately and have some strong work here, and it looks like there are many ways. But I'll take back over your own experience as a major theme of crime drama: the only person in each passage. All in all, you did a very good work here. Well, God is good and reflected the assertive hesitations of the poem and its background.

I think that it might come off as much as you can go, though there were things that I set the image properties, then go ahead and cancel the add period and how does the show is that the student's ideas. On it, because that will be. If you are of course welcome to send me a couple of administrative announcements the most up-to ten-digit code, which is not caught up on the female figure and with your approval, I'll post them unless you have some very, very good readings of Godot and would give you good advice and I'll see you next week. I would also like to hand on. Are the descnts of Irish literature that you use. All of these are genuinely astounding bonus, this is a good student so far, mid-century American painter Willem de Kooning's Woman series is full. Again, please consult a writing tutor in CLAS can help you to stretch your presentation, not a bad idea. 4% in the corners sometimes. Explains the currency in question. If you miss the 27 November and discussion by the selections in which this could conceivably boost your attendance/participation grade is at least a preliminary selection of what you're expecting. Wow, that's incredibly comprehensive. This is a penalty of/The Music Box/1932: There will be out of that grade range—not just closely at whether every word, every B paper, but I'll have your paper topic. Your discussion and which texts you want me to answer questions in order to be, the word love generally covers a specific claim about Yeats's relationship to each other you give a close reading of the section as a whole, though never seriously enough to be aware that it could, theoretically informed paper, or didn't when you know you've got it perfect. Does that help? Let me know what that third plan looks like you're writing more of the poem responds to these questions, OK? I can attest from personal experience it can be. 79%, a B on your final draft, letting it sit for a productive set of numbers is in this world and the fact that marriage is supposed to have dug into these in my office with the course of the room. Can we talk about the format or point totals should map onto letter grades onto point totals. You could probably find the full text of the one hand, I'm leaning toward putting you either cross them or want you to demonstrate mercy, I really liked it. And I do tomorrow, you should be to find evidence on their experience of love is perhaps one of the novel. Again, I can't think offhand of work to be as successful as it might be worth 150 points. I can just tell me when I pass out a draft, letting it sit for two or three most participatory people in, first-person pronoun in a word processor fails to conform more closely on the syllabus assigns for the sake of having misplaced sympathies for criminals. Not surprisingly, the more interesting way to think about Ireland as a section you have any questions, OK? Let me know if you would need to do is meaningfully contribute to reproductive success by selection pressure, in my mailbox South Hall.

Thanks! If you need 94% on the matter have I emphasized enough that you may not be relevant to the next two presenters, and it can be a hard line to walk, admittedly, and a server error on the midterm to get back to you staying within Irish culture. All in all, an A for the quarter, then I will not necessarily the order I will offer you some thoughts.

Thinking about this very open-ended pick three texts requirements fairly loosely, provided that you express that claim guide you to engage in micro-level course, with your score regardless of race that is particularly difficult in this range do not participate, then the two things. I will probably involve providing at least 24 hours in advance will help your grade I'd just like to put that would help you to structure your weekend so that I have to give McCabe a really difficult selection, effectively, not to avoid responding to emails that it naturally wants to do is either of the interpretive problems that I've made some very impressive moves here.

I use a standard list of works cited page for each one. You've done a lot of information about your other email in just a tiny bit over, and I have to be answering a question is a broad home. I like, and effectively positioned it as soon as possible, OK? You've written quite a good student this quarter: U2's Sunday Bloody Sunday. He's been a good job of interacting with the question of influence on your group makes it an even bigger honor to win—people who are doing poorly in this way. You memorized more than the syllabus. As promised in the twelfth episode, Cyclops, which pulled the grades up for a comparatively difficult poem to the specific, this is a minor inconvenience. Participatory-ness, I will not be everything that you carry in your paragraph before. Think about what Yeats wants to do well just by one-third of a few spots open, so you can get the same way my first year in grad school? Thanks! 137. I think that this is not something that other people uncomfortable enough that I would recommend that you want to keep bubbling in the Ulysses lectures which, as well. Ultimately, think about how you can give you an additional five percent/of opportunities to reschedule, and nearly three-syllable metrical foot, accented-unaccented. Does that help? Grammar, mechanics, and more than a very good work in the early stages of planning I just got swamped responding to emails from students: You dropped or from the other hand, a fraction between zero and one days late unless you go to, close your eyes open and relish the experience of the things you'll have to turn your final tonight went or is going well, it's no skin off my back, and I completely appreciate that you're capable of being paid to serve as mnemonic aids and that her suicide occurs when Francie runs away, which is one of the difficulties involved. This is a good idea in a moment. Your writing is so impassioned. At the same as totalitarianism, though it was a good number of different ways that you make in your thesis to say is that your midterm and recitation of at a different direction. Think about what your paper needs to be changed than send a new follower on Twitter. It may be performing an analysis of a set of images to look for ways to relate Ulysses to cubism as the weeks progress, and you've been a pleasure having you in section I was going to be less emphasized than, say, none are egregious or otherwise just saying random things about what you're actually using, and larger-scale project. I'll remove my copy and redirect the link from my student, has dictated that this is a suggestion, then waited four days after the fact that a paper that takes this approach is basically very much so. I think that more explicit thesis statement to take another look at some point in the sequence twice; changed It seems _______________ is to drop by, you can't go on because there are certainly other possibilities. So you can which specific part of your newspaper article, too, and not because you clearly have excellent things to say and got a general sketch of what your most important thing to be necessary, but if you do an excellent quarter! In addition to section. Failure to turn in your case, bring me documentation from a medical provider for me if you have a point of thinking even more front and center would help to avoid trying to say about the recitation half of your total score for base grade-days late unless you have any other absences for any reason, it will probably drag you up for the quarter is completely over. I think, is 50 10% of your specific question. All in all, this is because it's a draft maybe let them do so. There are no meaningful differences—there are a number of important goals well, too, about what you want to go for the quarter when we first scheduled recitations. This may be that the maximum number of ways. Attendance and Participation I track your absences from each section and leave it.

Discovering at the document from Google Docs spreadsheet or downloading and installing LibreOffice, which seemed to warm up quickly is not yet posted, with the texts you've chosen, and this paid off for you to follow up with a good choice, and their relationship. You picked a wonderful book, on p.

To put it another way, I did to so I can reasonably fault you for doing a very impressive. Discussion notes for week 9. I hope that helps you prioritize. It was a pretty rigorous framework at the beginning, and the expression of your peers with the professor is behind a bit flat in establishing their relevance, because I'm mean but in your life, and over the printed words. It's a good holiday! Let me know what you want to reschedule, or else you will be out of that text correctly. I don't think that student lists from eGrades didn't have the overall logical/narrative path through them in detail is the MLA standard actually doesn't require students to make sure that you finished final revisions too soon before it jerked; added that to me like the Synge vocabulary quiz on John Synge's play, and you really want to make sure that you will have to have practiced a bit nervous, but it doesn't look like anyone else at all to the food-based mnemonic devices that make much other course poetry easier to get to everything anyway, but I can plan for section attendance and participation. Anyway, my point is to avoid specificity, and the group-generated midterm study guide for his opinion directly in section.

All in all ways to think about this during our last two stanzas are good I think that even this was a sneaky kind of viewer is likely to drag you down to, but leaves important points, actually. Ultimately, you'll get other people have prepared as your main points of the people who attended last night's optional review session last night, and it would help to motivate them to lecture with me. You may also be read, so I'm not sure how much you knew about the issue, I do have some idea of what you're actually claiming about the course of the room to make this paper to be productive to discuss your grade: You may not have started reading Godot yet if they're cuing off of earlier discussion, and various relationships between those points, and you do so would be unwise simply to talk about why the comparison is worthwhile, because you won't have the gaze. I was of course thinking of a letter explaining specific reasons why the IRA's treatment of his lecture pace rather than an omnivore would? You also picked a selection of an A-and rhyme-based mnemonic devices that make sense? And, again, did a really difficult selection, in part because its boundaries are rather difficult passage, getting 95% on the paper, this could conceivably drop the class if you fall back on if you're trying to force a discussion of the class and did a good rest of the harder things to do what the real payoff for your recitation in front of me wanted to remind people. What that person's ancestry also includes more material than you'll actually be factored in until your final decision on which it takes a bit more space to examine the assumptions that you really do have a few minutes talking about, and seemed to be successful in any case, that proofreading and editing a bit better, and will use these two. I think that it never hurts to think about how readers respond to the shaven-headed woman tied up outside the range of the list, I think that one way to go down might involve Umberto Boccioni: Dynamism of a small boost. Hi! I will respond as quickly as possible! Etc. Ultimately, I grade the first three paragraph exactly of the passage you chose a longer-than-required selection and delivered your lines from Stare's Nest by My Window Heaney, Requiem for the quarter when we first scheduled recitations. You have some very good job of putting your texts, and I'll print it out in a lot of things that would need to be examined, please leave the group may help to specify a more likely scenario is that the smarter thing to do quite like your lecture orientation was motivated by nervousness, and I will make what I think that what your paper must represent your thoughts have developed a great deal since you wrote, basing your argument though I think that articulating a specific point, the attraction of the country, though it's probably not the only ones going at 5 p. That is, again, a high bar for anyone to assume that they'll be able to avoid discussing it in without hurting your grade, but leaves important points, would be not providing a thumbnail background sketch of what interests you about The Butcher Boy was not acceptable, that your very fair in a comparative analysis of a group means that a you have an A for the group is, in part because its very everydayness shows how strange Francie's life is not yet made a huge number of important ways.

This is quite good. But really, really is a high B. Realistically, calculating participation will probably drag you down more if you have also explained this to many other parts of the paper does what it needs to be the most famous parts of The Butcher Boy both are a lot of ways here. Again, you're welcome to attend even if you want to attend section during which you dealt. 59 p. I'll have them. What I'd encourage you to dig into a more general note, do not override this mapping. If you choose and which texts you propose to read and interpret as a whole tomorrow; In front of the test in another pattern.

#Irish literature #automatically generated text #Patrick Mooney #Python #Markov chains

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traincat · 5 years

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Can you share why you like the 2015 Fantastic Four movie?

Must a superhero movie be “good”? Is it not enough for a superhero movie to criticize the US military, large?

Okay, seriously, a little bit of background in three points: 1) I followed this movie from the beginning. Through the casting, through the reshoots, through the cryptic articles about how the movie would feature an unexpected romance that turned out to be right but not how we all thought -- I’m pretty sure a Ben/Sue cut of this movie exists somewhere, but it’s hard to argue that the only romantic subplot that exists in the finished film is... Ben/Reed, so. I got excited over stuff in the trailers that was cut from the finished movie entirely. I analyzed the hell out of previews. I almost stole a theater stand but it wouldn’t have fit in my friend’s trunk. I, no joke, bought the Fantastic Four peanut butter. And I had friends who were also excited for the movie, so we were having fun together. So the anticipation definitely has a part in my enjoyment of the movie. “Even though it came like that?” Oh, 100%. 2) I really like Ultimate Fantastic Four, a bad comic, so in a way I was primed to already be like “must a movie be “good?” Must it not simply give me the Mole Man?” (It did not give me the Mole Man.) Fant4stic is much more heavily influenced by Ultimate Fantastic Four than it is by 616 Fantastic Four, especially in its Reed and his relationships with Ben and with Franklin Storm and the think tank. Finally, 3) I really, really dislike the 2005/2007 movies. I think they’re flashy, sexist, shallow hot garbage pieces of filmmaking and I hold Chris Evans’ Johnny from all angles -- writing, styling, performance -- largely responsible for a wide fandom perception of Johnny Storm as a hotheaded playboy. I like Reed and Alicia but that’s basically it.

And I can -- and have already -- gone over Fant4stic’s faults. It’s very clear that the movie largely falls apart after the time skip, but especially during the final battle, which is messy to the extreme. The extensive reshoots messed with the overall product to the point where you can pinpoint while watching what comes from which shoot, though that’s in part to the horrendous wig they put on Sue to cover up that Kate Mara had cut her hair for a different movie in-between. Josh Trank’s dogs did $100,000 worth of property damage, somehow, during filming. So I’m going to talk about what I like about Fant4stic, and here’s a really big thing: as superhero movies go, it’s different.

There’s something I hear a lot in discussions about Spider-Man films, when someone goes, “No, it wasn’t a good Spider-Man movie, but it was a good superhero movie.” Which is something I take issue with because how are we defining what makes a superhero movie good? And what people seem to think makes a superhero good is the MCU’s general formula -- not necessarily the content of their movies, but formula with which they’re devised, which does, it’s fair to say, make for a big office winner, too. And what the MCU does is it makes superhero action movies. It plays around a little with genre -- Captain America: The First Avenger is a war movie, but it’s an action war movie. Guardians of the Galaxy is a space action movie. Ant-Man is a heist action movie. It’s spun its Spider-Man movies as coming of age stories, but they’re action movies. This becomes a problem for a viewer (me, I’m the viewer) if you don’t really love action movies all that much.

In no way, shape, or form can anyone make the claim that Fant4stic is an action movie. Its one big superhero fight scene is a complete and utter failure and probably the worst scene -- probably because it was never meant to be in there. Fant4stic was meant to be a horror movie with a superhero angle, which isn’t all that surprising considering it was directed by Josh “Chronicle” Trank. And I’m really into using big superhero properties to explore other genres -- Logan’s dystopian western, TASM/2′s romance. Fant4stic’s horror. Some of the best parts of the movie are the ramping up to the accident. You know it’s coming. You know it’s going to go horribly wrong. You know Ben, in particular, played with a quiet but longing stoicness by Jamie Bell pre-transformation (and the only film Ben to be acknowledged on-screen as Jewish), is about to be, pardon the pun, doomed. And then there’s the utter horror of the aftermath: Johnny, apparently a burnt out shell, lying in the wreckage as Ben screams for Reed for to help him. Reed crawling through the smoldering chaos only to look back and see that his legs are still pinned under the wreckage. That’s good. A version of the film was apparently screened before the reshoots and the test audience found it “too dark” and I desperately want to see that cut.

In addition to Fant4stic’s horror angle, there’s the villain of the piece: the US military. Doom, despite showing back up last minute looking like lovechild of Annihilus and a melted toy soldier -- Annihilus was supposed to be an initial villain in the film, so the resemblance likely isn’t accidental -- isn’t the true villain of the piece. If anything, young ecoterrorist Victor who just wants to rule his own planet is kind of a charming concept. But the villain of the piece is the military, who wants to use the gate for their own purposes. The military imprisons Ben, Johnny, and Sue after their transformation and explicitly uses Ben as a killing machine. When Harvey Allen approaches Ben, he convinces him Reed’s abandoned him, and that he has to “play ball” with the government. Johnny’s youthful enthusiasm and longing to belong places him in similar danger -- Sue and Franklin explicitly talk about how, if they don’t do something, Johnny’s going to be used as a weapon. One of my favorite lines in the film is when Reed is brought back to the compound to see his reworked invention: “You made it ugly.” The film backs off on this at the very end -- it doesn’t stick the landing like TASM/2 does, where the ultimate villain that spawns the actual superpowered villains is consistently Oscorp’s abuses -- but it does better highlighting this than a vast swathe of other superhero films: the bad guy isn’t Doom. Doom isn’t the one who tortures Ben. Doom isn’t the one who remakes the gate with the express purpose of breeding super soldiers. It’s the military.

I also really like the characters within the film. I don’t think this is going to be hugely surprising to my followers, but really all you need to do to make me like a Fantastic Four adaptation is nail Johnny Storm, and Fant4stic nailed Johnny Storm. I think Michael B Jordan was really terrific casting, and I’m sad we didn’t get to see more of him in the roll, because he was great at portraying Johnny’s insecurities and his vulnerability, making his occasional moments of swagger charming instead of oily, like when he blows a kiss to a rival racer. Introducing Johnny with a drag race -- and with Standing in the Shadows of Love, which is a great Johnny song, and I love how music is a big thing for both Storm siblings -- established his ability with cars and his talent for building things, letting the audience know that Johnny is smart and capable, it’s just that he doesn’t feel like he is. I love this Sue, too, serious and blunt and a little awkward, incredibly smart and far more inclined to hold a grudge than her brother. I love how she’s styled -- her clothes are normal and her makeup is realistically minimal, not movie-minimal. There’s no scene where Fant4stic’s Sue has to strip off her clothes to use her powers, or where a sexy nurse exists so Johnny can hit on her and the audience can get their recommended fifteen minutes of female objectification.

Ben is, as he often is in Fantastic Four pieces, a standout, of course, and Jamie Bell gives a great performance, both anguished and full of rage and resentment and at the same time love for Reed, but it’s his design I love the best. The 2005/2007 Thing design is cartoonish -- the 2015 is monstrous. I love the first few Thing scenes where Ben seems to have trouble moving, dragging himself across the floor, because you get a sense of how incredibly heavy his new form is and how difficult it is to exist in it beyond just looking like a rock creature. The horror of the superhero transformation is built into Ben Grimm at his core, but here it doesn’t manifest in a lost fiance or children screaming on the street but in the difficulty with which he moves, the new grinding note of his voice, vocal chords landsliding together. It’s some really terrific work. And while I think Ioan Gruffudd’s Reed was actually a pretty perfect 616 Reed (more’s the shame about the rest of the films), the Reed of Fant4stic is Ultimate Reed in the beginning through and through. The precocious genius of his childhood, misunderstood by everyone but Ben until Franklin Storm sees him, the scene where he takes the kid’s model airplane and awkwardly apologizes afterwards (the “you’re a dick” line IS funny), his awkward attempts to connect with Sue, his attempts to connect with Victor. Like Sue, he’s straightforward and blunt. The way he isolates himself in his attempt to fix things. How gross his powers are in motion. The aforementioned “you made it ugly” line. I really do like him as a Reed. And Victor... Victor is hilarious. I’m sorry, but it’s true. I was on board back when they were like “he’s a blogger, he’s a gamer” like I was 100% down to see Doom’s tortured neon green on black LiveJournal screeds, and opening on Victor unwashed in the dark playing video games? Hilarious. Victor seeing glowing green energy and immediately going “I’m gonna f*ck it”? Superb. Is this a good Doom interpretation? Maybe not, but it was entertaining. I think they could’ve gone full Ultimate and put little metal hooves on him post-transformation, granted. It’s not the Doom I want for any upcoming Doom projects -- I want my science wizard monarch -- but I can’t say I don’t like the character that Fant4stic gave me.

Fant4stic is an imperfect film, but I’d rather have an imperfect film with characters and themes that I like and one that did something different than a perfect film made with the same old formula and the same jokes on the same beats.

Also, if anyone’s curious, since Fant4stic has no DVD commentary (a crying shame on so many levels), @johnnystormcast recorded our own in our Giant Size Annual and you can download it to watch along with our thoughts, which are very deep and not at all mostly about how Ben and Reed are in love in the film.

#fant4stic #traincat talks comics #Anonymous

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kpopreviewcafe · 5 years

Text

BIGBANG 'MADE' Album Review

BIGBANG is the ultimate Kpop group and MADE was their crowning glory. VIP or not, this album is a MUST listen for anyone who’s even remotely interested in Korean music. What more can I say? Let’s get into the review.

There are no words that accurately sum up how tragically beautiful the first song on the album, called Loser, is - you just have to listen for yourself. The lyrics are introspective & self-deprecating, yet the angelic vocal flourishes and catchy raps make this song somewhat hopeful. This song was made for Taeyang’s voice to shine especially - his vocalisations in the ending chorus are to die for. This is really one of BIGBANG’s finest songs, reminiscent of their older hits like Lies and Haru Haru which propelled them to stardom. I could listen to this song forever.

Honestly, I’ve never fit in with the world, I was always alone It’s been a long time since I’ve forgotten about love

Bae Bae is one of the craziest, sexiest & weirdest songs I have ever heard. It is extremely catchy and addictive, with a funky beat that is strange and dream-like. This song will have you jumping out of bed and rocking out even when you’re too tired to move. The vocalists belt out amazing tunes whilst the rappers give the verses their all. The best part of the song is definitely T.O.P’s rap, which is honestly one of his BEST verses of all time. Bingu Tabi is BACK and he’s weirder than ever! (Check the live performance for the full experience). Also, this whole song is just one large ongoing innuendo tbh.

Pretty eyes like a deer, you’re my princess… My body wraps around yours so perfectly, You’re forever 25 to me

Bang Bang Bang is the title track to end ALL title tracks. It is the ultimate party song, one that is good enough to compete with Fantastic Baby for the most iconic BIGBANG song. I generally dislike the use of the word “epic” to describe things that aren’t literally epics, but to be honest, this song deserves it. I mean, it was so good that it was even played in North Korea as an example of the pinnacle of South Korean pop culture. BBB has a legendary beat, an iconic dance and a stunning music video to match. Each member had their time to shine, both vocally and visually. Music video highlights include: a T.O.P skit featuring an altercation between a sexy cowboy and an astronaut (him playing both roles, of course), Daesung’s iconic hair-covering-his-eyes look and G-DRAGON on a leash. What more could you ask for?

B.I.G Yea we bang like this, everyone together! Like you’ve been shot, BANG! BANG! BANG!

BIGBANG like to party, and We Like 2 Party with them too. This song is laid-back and fun - the perfect song to jam out to. The strong rhythm and catchy chorus just gets you moving. This is exactly the type of song to blast out on some nice speakers and just kick back with a beer. Take it easy, and enjoy some quality music while you do!

Let’s play with fire for the first time in a while... Being sober is against the rules WE LIKE 2 PARTY till the sun rises above our heads

If You is very different from anything BIGBANG has made before. The instrumental consists mainly of a simple acoustic guitar. VIPs get the pleasure of hearing BIGBANG’s voices in what almost feels like a cappella. G-DRAGON’s voice in the chorus is emotional, unmistakable and so crazily unique - he really is one of a kind. However, the person who truly owned this song was Daesung, who’s voice came powering through in the second verse, and was definitely the highlight of the song. This is a wonderful ballad - both sincere and warm.

If it’s not too late, can’t we get back together?… I should’ve treated you better when I had you

Next we have the cool and swag-filled Zutter from BIGBANG’s resident playboy rap duo GD&TOP. I’m honestly so glad this iconic pair came back with another song, because their subunit album from way back in 2010 was just so phenomenal. This song is sexy and arrogant, just like a good hip-hop song should be. Both rappers had unique and enjoyable verses, but I have to say that T.O.P came out on top (ha. ha. ha.). He switched up his flow in almost every line, and you can tell that each word was so carefully placed. T.O.P even referenced his legendary character from his movie Tazza The Hidden Card. (Whether you’re a VIP or not, PLEASE watch this movie - you won’t regret it). The intro and outro section of this song originally appeared on G-DRAGON’s Niliria… even HE thought that it was so good that we needed to hear it again!

Tonight we’re getting freaky freaky yea Baby give me some, give me give me some yea

Let’s Not Fall In Love starts off with T.O.P’s rarely showcased and unexpectedly beautiful singing voice. This song takes you on an emotional journey, and the music video allows you choose a BIGBANG member to fall for. Let’s Not Fall In Love perfectly showcases the members’ impressive vocal abilities and emotive rapping skills. In my opinion, the bridge and ending chorus are the best parts of the song, due to the heartwarming acoustic guitar and the wonderful harmony between T.O.P’s deep singing voice and Taeyang’s vocalisations a few octaves higher.

Let’s not fall in love, we don’t know each other very well yet Actually, I’m a little scared

I don’t really know why Sober struck such a deep chord in me, but from the moment I first heard it, I knew I would never hear another song with such a unique colour. It’s probably my favourite song on the album. BIGBANG really outdid themselves with this track - they reached a level of craziness, pathos and talent that I didn’t even know they had… and they’re BIGBANG! Sober is the perfect rock ballad, with a twist. The lyrics are heartbreaking and painfully relatable. Party away the pain with BIGBANG, that’s what they’re here for.

It’s hard for me to be sober, I can’t fall asleep without you… I have so many damn things to do, but I have nothing that I want to do

In my opinion, FXXK IT was the climax song to the masterpiece that was the MADE album. This track propelled the album from outstanding to literal legend. I absolutely cannot get enough of this song, it perfectly displays BIGBANG in all their glory, from Taeyang’s angelic voice to T.O.P’s unforgettable rap. The wise words of Taeyang come to mind “ain’t no party like a BIGBANG party”. After hearing this song, you will realise that is true. This song manages to simultaneously be cool, sassy, reflective, cheeky and swag. I really don’t know how BIGBANG keep coming back with such gold.

Haven’t felt this nervous in a while, I can’t do anything Before the night is over, I want you in my arms

Last Dance is so unbelievably sad that honestly sometimes I have to skip it when I put on this album. Its release marked the countdown to T.O.P’s mandatory military enlistment, and was therefore the last time that BIGBANG would perform as a whole team. Even though it’s painful to listen to, I am glad this song exists, because VIPs will always have this last dance.

I will listen to this song with you... Remember this moment. Until always, just one last dance

Girlfriend was an unexpected gift that came with the full MADE album. When this track was released, I was so overwhelmed with FXXK IT and Last Dance that I almost overlooked it! But with time, I have grown to love Girlfriend so much - it captures that cool, happy and care-free BIGBANG that I crave. I really liked the cool electric guitar, sexy raps and playful vibe.

When my heart is sad... Girl you always pick me up You know that I love you ma baby

The MADE album has such incredible musical diversity - it’s impossible to believe that all these songs came out as part of one album. Literally every track is good enough to be another group’s best song - yet BIGBANG owns them all. They truly are the kings of Kpop. If you’ve read any of my other BIGBANG reviews, then you will know that I always say this… but I stand by it. VIP until whenever. Peace.

Kpop Review Café's Overall Ranking: 10/10 (this scale was literally created with MADE in mind as the gold standard)

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luuurien · 2 years

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Sweaty Lamarr - A Little Bit Cuntry, a Little Bit Rock & Roll

(Contemporary Country, Singer/Songwriter, Alt-Country)

Tara Giancaspro's debut EP sees her heartfelt songwriting take on the sound of contemporary country, delivering stories of romance, breakups, and self-determination with her charismatic voice and killer instrumentation. A Little Bit Cuntry, a Little Bit Rock & Roll is far removed from Giancaspro's previous emo tunes, but she's never sounded more forthright and confident than she does here.

☆☆☆☆½

Maybe it's an unusual way to start things, but I feel it's important to say right from the start that Tara Giancaspro should be incredibly proud of how A Little Bit Cuntry, a Little Bit Rock & Roll has turned out. A Philadelphia-by-way-of-Hoboken singer/songwriter who got her start only a few years ago with her 2021 debut single I Have Always Been in Love With You, Giancaspro came right out of the gate with sensitive, heartfelt songwriting and a powerful voice cultivated in her time taking voice lessons over at the Matt Farnsworth Vocal Studio and with opera singer Chelsea Friedlander, training her voice to be as strong and distinct as possible and passing over the usual vocal roadbumps most run into this early on into their artistic journeys. But her debut EP as Sweaty Lamarr - a clever name flip of the Austrian actress/inventor Hedy Lamarr - is trying something entirely different: Inspired by both her love of classic folk singers like Dolly Parton, Kirsty Maccoll and of contemporary singer/songwriters like Taylor Swift and Maren Morris, A Little Bit Cuntry... still holds onto Giancaspro's lovely voice and thoughtful songwriting, but recontextualizes with country rock grit and folksy introspection that gives her music so much more presence and power than its ever had before. Still putting her feelings at the forefront but able to dress them up with the gloss of contemporary country, A Little Bit Cuntry... is a fantastic addition to Giancaspro's early discography. Produced at Nashville's Lovegrove Studios and mixed by Hayden Tumlin, everyone who was a part of putting these songs together did a fantastic job with it all. Tumlin's mixes perfectly balance the album's softer tunes, the intimate Both Feet or glowing centerpiece Dorothy No More, and the punchier tracks like Brass Ring and lead single Abbey, I'm Sorry I Stole Your Man, by always keeping an ultra-polished sound that never lets anything stick out of the mix, all five of A Little Bit Cuntry...'s songs (well, six if you count the second version of Both Feet with slightly cleaner lyrics) fittingly beautifully next to one another and supporting each song's unique qualities without ever homogenizing the sound to make them feel like a cohesive package together. That's also something Giancaspro's voice helps a ton work, easily carrying the Jolene-inspired attack on internalize misogyny of Abbey, I'm Sorry I Stole Your Man just as well as the does the cowpunk highlight It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels, always keeping a gravitas and conviction to her singing and modifying it in little ways to fit the sound of any given song. It's damn impressive how solid all of A Little Bit Cuntry... sounds, especially considering it's Giancaspro's first foray into this kind of alt-country sound, but that only speaks to her ability to write and perform anything that she sets out to. She's got a pure artistic heart that can go anywhere that it wants, and A Little Bit Cuntry... is only the start of things. It's helpful that Giancaspro's emo roots translate quite well to this country sound, the through line between both styles their emphasis on self-expression and singer/songwriter vulnerability. It's a different kind of songwriting, sure, but the base elements of it are the same: she sings of destruction and leaving someone after they couldn't care to treat their relationship with her like it mattered at all on Dorothy No More, her swelling bridge about 3/4 of the way through the song as she repeats the simple refrain of "It's too late" (bless those vocal lessons, because she delivers one of the best vocal performances of anyone this year with that song!) could easily translate onto any emo instrumental and not feel out of place at all - the only thing that's changed her is the instrumental palette with which she tells these stories. She occasionally uses a conceptual framework to guide her songwriting, namely on the aforementioned track and Abbey, I'm Sorry I Stole Your Man, but it acts as a way for her already strong songwriting to ground itself in an established environment - The Wizard of Oz for the former and Parton's Jolene for the latter - rather than a crutch like it might be for other artists, Giancaspro's clever couplets and emotional intelligence on both songs ("Now I’ve got our dog at my feet / Gave her the choice and she ran to me" off Dorothy No More is one of my favorite) coming deep from within her the same as with any of her other tunes. The only time this falters a bit is on Both Feet: I admire how upfront and soul-baring she is on the song but it loses that bit of sharpness found on the rest of A Little Bit Cuntry...'s tracks with lines like "Pleading like a kid, god you sound so young" or "You still can’t get my cunt off your tongue," but the song is still overall a great one that doesn't take away from the EP in the slightest. There's not once a moment on A Little Bit Cuntry... where she isn't confident and self-assured in her songwriting, narrating these stories of heartbreak and self-determination with personality and heart - seriously, how much fun is it when she goes "He said he had to give his coworker A RIDE?!" on Brass Ring? - and even if for some reason you don't like the sound of these songs, it's impossible to deny just how enchanting Giancaspro is as a performer. With how brief A Little Bit Cuntry... is at just six songs and 22 minutes, it's a massive achievement how strong an impression Giancaspro is able to make within that time, establishing herself as one of the most loveable and enthralling up-and-comers whose voice and songwriting abilities go so much further than you'd ever expect with only a few years on her belt now. These songs are smart, well-written, and wonderfully performed, and it's hard to imagine anyone else in the indie scene delivering this kind of empathetic and electrifying experience as well as she has here. A Little Bit Cuntry, a Little Bit Rock & Roll is the best possible way Giancaspro could get things started, six songs that'll make you understand exactly why she's such a strong artistic force, a debut EP that shows off all her strengths right from the start. Wherever she goes from here, there's no doubt it'll turn out great.

#sweaty lamarr #a little bit cuntry a little bit rock & roll #self-released #alt-country #contemporary country #country #country pop #country rock #cowpunk #folk #indie folk #indie pop #indie rock #pop #rock #singer/songwriter #2022 #9/10

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fringerewatch · 5 years

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Fringe Rewatch #18: “Ability”

“Ability” (Season 1, Episode 14)

Written by: David H. Goodman

Directed by: Norberto Barbra

Originally Aired: February 10th, 2009

Glyph Code: OLIVIA

Boy, it’s been awhile. I haven’t ran this blog in 5 years and I left the rewatch off at “The Transformation” where we ended the John Scott arc. While some believe “Bound” (Episode 11) to be the start of the second half of season 1, since it comes after the winter hiatus, I have always believed The Transformation to be the end of the first half of season 1 and Ability to be the start of the second half, especially with the debut of Cortexiphan. And what a start it is.

I feel Olivia Dunham was heavily inspired by Clarice Starling, being a capable and clever agent who is always doubted, looked down upon, and both with being a woman in a field populated by men. For that reason it made a lot of sense that there was a bit of a Hannibal Lecter vibe with David Robert Jones in his debut (episode 7) Jared Harris is fantastic in the role, though “Ability” does change a bit. He feels like a combination of Hannibal in the way he tests Olivia but also has a little bit of John Doe from Seven as unpredictable and playing mind games with his captors. In fact, the scene of David Robert Jones surrendering himself to the FBI is almost shot for shot from John Doe surrendering in Seven. And this being a a couple months after The Dark Knight, there’s some Heath Ledgar Joker trickery thrown in there as well.

There’s a lot in play with “Ability” we find the ZFT manuscript, DRJ is suffering from his transportation, we get the mention of Liv and cortexiphan, the ending with the lights, and Walter realizing he wrote the ZFT manuscript. There’s...a lot.

The episode starts out a bit weird with a recap of the ending of “Safe” (Episode 10) and possibly the scariest pattern event yet with the skin covering up your eyes and mouth to kill you. That is some scary stuff and I’m glad they eventually bring this back in season 5. Jones goes into a tank to help his body process the transportation effects. While Walter and Astrid work on the case of the human sewing shut skin, Olivia cutely asks Peter if he as a “weird connection” to find the ZFT manuscript. Peter indeed does have a weird connection (he always does) and we get to meet Edward, a bookstore owner who will creepily have Olivia as a coffee table in season 5. Charlie and his partner Tommie, who has an unusal amount of close ups and dialogue for a character we’ve never met before so you just knew he had to be working for ZFT or was going to get killed, find evidence to where DRJ is hiding just as DRJ makes his Seven inspired surrender.

Sanford continues to be a thorn in the side of Olivia and Broyles when it comes to questions DRJ and throws in a “We don’t negotiate with terrorists” line. Maybe one day I’ll talk about the show using very specific terminology like terrorists attacks and negotiating with terrorists, which is a very post-9/11 world (In their defense, they are the FBI) and then using the world trade centers as a visual to represent the alternate universe. Back to this episode, Olivia once again has to find concrete evidence for the bigs in the FBI to let her do her job. A raid on Jones’ safe house leads to Olivia finding a drawing Jones made of her and, you guessed it, the death of poor old Tommie. This death leads to Sanford giving into Jones’ demands and Jones performs an elaborate experiment to get him and Olivia some alone time. He leaves a package for her to complete the, now iconic in my mind, light test.

And this is where the episode gets really interesting. In a rewatch, we of course, know that Olivia was indeed used in the cortexiphan trials and we know why Jones wants to use Olivia’s powers for his own gain, and we know that Olivia does posses the power to turn off the lights. However, back in 2009 (or whenever you first saw this episode) “Ability: is playing mind games with it’s audience the same way Olivia believed Jones was playing her. Does Olivia actually have powers? Could she really use her mind to turn off the lights? Or was this all a game just to mess with her. If it was a game, what was Jones’ goal? Just to put doubt in her? I know Olivia makes the argument that Jones just wanted to get close to Walter and the episode ends with us knowing Walter may have written the ZFT manuscript, so it would make sense why Jones wants to see Walter, but it also wouldn’t really excuse why Jones has been quite obsessed with her. But if Olivia did really turn off the lights, that means she has powers from this cortexiphan, and that opens a lot of doors. Doors that we’ll eventually go through as we continue the rewatch. Again, it seems a bit silly today to think of this episode’s light test and be of course Liv has powers! But only 14 episodes into Fringe’s story, we have seen weird stuff, but Liv with some kind of super power was a pretty big leap for the show. It’s easy to see how audiences would think Jones was just screwing with her.

The light test also allows Olivia to have a heroic moment. We’ve seen Liv be a badass and can take down the baddies, but we haven’t seen a lot of Olivia being a hero. Her decision to stay and try to turn off the lights with her mind, something she doesn’t 100% believe, is a heroic mark. It’s also a bit of her maybe being drawn into this idea that Jones might not be telling all lies. The shots going back and forth between her and the lights before they finally start to go out is probably the most intense scene we’ve had so far. Also, I don’t think enough is said about Peter’s decision to leave and then go back and watch Olivia turn off the lights. If she couldn’t turn them off (and thus going with the idea that Jones didn’t set it up for the lights to always go off with 2 seconds to spare) both Olivia and Peter would have died. You can make the argument that he wouldn’t have been able to get far away enough, so either way he could’ve died, but I feel like this episode is part of Peter embracing the weird, that anything can really happen, and him really caring for Olivia and can’t bare to just leave her alone. A nice touch was him standing behind her, but not giving her vocal encouragement, and still allowing this to be her moment.

Then that finale! Olivia gets word from Nina that there were cortexiphan trials in Jacksonville and we can see from her face, that there’s now a real possibility Jones was telling the truth. Walter has been gazing over the ZFT book with great interest and we notice how the y is indented in the book. Walter uses his typewriter to confirm his suspicions, that he wrote the ZFT manuscript. This is some scary stuff considering ZFT’s terrorism and gives the audience a reason to start to mistrust Walter. For one, he can’t even remember the things he’s done, and we know his experiments have crossed a moral line. I feel like this is a bit downplayed in the next episode (and possibly putting fuel to the fire that some of the fringe episodes seem to be a bit out of order) but it was a great little clue to the larger Fringe story.

And that was “Ability”. One of my absolute favorites from season 1. This really feels like the show finding it’s voice and getting into the meat of the story. Jones continues to be a great villain, Olivia is emerging as a reluctant hero, the relationship between Olivia and Peter grows, and we’re not sure exactly what Walter has done. It’s a solid 10/10 episode, no real complaints from me.

Next week, we’ll continue to “Inner Child” an episode that does feel a bit out of place after this heavy one, although that could be the point, but also an episode that is incredibly important to the Fringe story.

#fringe #fringefox #fringeonfox #Olivia Dunham #Peter Bishop #Walter Bishop #astrid farnsworth #philip broyles #nina sharp #Anna Torv #Joshua Jackson #John Noble

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monstersdownthepath · 5 years

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Spiritual Spotlight: Desna, the Song of the Spheres

Chaotic Good Goddess of Luck, Stars, and Travelers

Domains Chaos, Good, Liberation, Luck, Travel Subdomains Azata, Curse, Exploration, Fate, Freedom, Revolution

Inner Sea Gods, pg. 44~51

Obedience: Dance in a random pattern beneath the light of the stars, trusting in the guidance of destiny. If no stars are currently visible, softly sing or chant all of the names of stars that you know as you perform your dance. Let your mind expand and turn your thoughts away from where your feet might land, allowing your steps to fall where chance wills. When the dance feels complete, cease dancing. Ponder the steps you took and the position in which you stopped, and consider what portents these subtle clues might hold for the future. Benefit: Gain a +1 luck bonus on Initiative checks and a +4 sacred bonus on Perception checks made to determine whether you are aware of opponents just before a surprise round.

What a peaceful-sounding boon! Just dance an hour away, losing yourself in the motion and meditating as you do so. It actually doesn’t have to be a full hour, either, as you just have to stop dancing when it feels complete, whether that takes one minute or sixty. It’s up to you! Personally, I’d roll 3d20 and just dance for that long.

It might get you some strange looks from your compatriots, but honestly who’s going to get offended by dancing? Even if you’re infiltrating some Evil organization, taking the time to dance at night can be easily brushed off as a hobby. There really isn’t much of a tripping point here; it’s an easy to do Obedience that requires no materials but your own body and your own knowledge of the stars above, and whether or not you’re the type of person to dance in the evening or the morning.

Comparatively, however, is the benefit is pretty small. +1 to Initiative is welcome--any increase to Initiative is welcome--and the +4 to notice an ambush is actually more useful than it seems at first glance (it may make the difference on you keeping most of your AC), but it’s also narrow enough that you may not use it more than once or twice an adventure. After all, it only takes ONE ambush for most parties to put on their hawk eyes for the rest of the session, which can quickly make the benefit redundant. Extra Initiative is still nice, though.

Boons are gathered slowly, typically gained at levels 12, 16, and 20. However, you can take the Diverse Obedience feat to gain them at levels 10, 14, and 18 instead, and worshipers of most Good and Neutral deities can enter the Evangelist, Exalted, or Sentinel Prestige Classes as early as level 6, which allows you to gain the Boons as early as levels 8, 11, and 14 if entered as soon as they’re available. Unless you take Diverse Obedience or enter the listed prestige classes, you may only take the Exalted Boons.

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EVANGELIST

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Boon 1: Traveler's Tricks. Gain Longstrider 3/day, Darkvision 2/day, or Phantom Steed 1/day.

What kind of loser doesn’t already have darkvision?

Anyway, Phantom Steed and Longstrider are both alright spells, though not as impressive or flashy as typical Boon-granted spells are. Longstrider is an hour-per-level-long 10ft boost to your walking speed, and Phantom Steed creates a horse fit for a single rider that can--as you level up--gain more fantastic means of moving through the world, concluding with the ability to fly at 14th level. It’s very, very useful for scouting, distraction missions, and of course simple travel, though the fact it only fits one person is a pretty big bummer.

Longstrider is... boring, but a +10 boost to your movespeed gives you just a bit more of an edge when it comes to maneuvering a battlefield, although its increasing duration means you’ll likely be sitting on extra uses of the spell that won’t get seen unless you enter an Antimagic Field. The most mundane way to view this Boon is just “Your walking speed increases by 10ft,” but I won’t dismiss the usefulness of Darkvision for those times where lighting torches or carrying lanterns can be a death sentence. All three of these spells are nice, even if two of them are narrow in their uses.

Boon 2: Starlit Caster. You add your Charisma bonus to concentration checks, as well as to caster level checks to overcome Spell Resistance. In addition, if you stand in starlight and cast a spell which deals hit point damage, it deals an extra 2d6 points of untyped damage.

Oh HERE we go! Already Desna rewards her spellcasting faithful--though the Evangelist class can be entered by anyone, so watch out if you’re martial--by giving them the power to hold their spells in place with greater ease. More importantly, though, is the ability to add Charisma to surpass an enemy’s Spell Resistance, an invaluable talent to have when facing down many mid-to-high level foes. It’s INSANELY potent if you’re already a Charisma-based caster, with Bards and Sorcerers in particular enjoying the power to bypass Spell Resistance with their Enchantment and Evocation spells.

Making your spells harder to break is also a potent boon, if not in combat when you’ve found yourself in an enemy’s melee range and can’t escape without casting first, then certainly during exploration when an environmental hazard threatens to burst your important concentration spell and get everyone killed. The final ability is kind of cute, really, and though untyped damage is GOOD, 2d6 damage likely isn’t going to make a huge difference. I’m VERY much enjoying that it makes your cantrips useful in combat, though the fact it’s limited to A) You being outdoors or in an open-ceiling area and B) it being night (or in outer space) means getting maximum use out of it is difficult.

Boon 3: Starry Eyes. You gain darkvision out to 60ft. If you already have darkvision, its distance increases by 10ft. This does not apply to temporary darkvision. In addition, while standing in starlight, all non-touch, non-personal spells have their range increased as if you were 1 level higher.

Are you a loser without darkvision? Not anymore! All it took was reaching level 14!!

Realtalk, this Boon is just... wholly and entirely terrible. If you don’t have darkvision, you’ve likely found a way around that impediment way before level 14 (such as by taking the Darkvision spell gained through this very Boon set), and a 10ft increase is pitiful. The range increase is a bit more interesting, until you realize that your spells get +5, +10, or +40ft to their range for Close, Medium, and Long spells, respective. Sound like a lot? It’s really not, especially in Long’s case since the base range for a spell is 400ft. The number of situations you’ll need an extra 40ft of range on a spell that can already be cast from a football field’s length away are incredibly rare, and the situations in which you’ll need them are even LESS likely to happen while you have access to starlight.

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EXALTED

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Boon 1: Slumberer. Gain Sleep 3/day, Silence 2/day, or Deep Slumber 1/day.

Now see ALL THREE of these are incredible! Or, well, Sleep would be incredible if you got it about 4 levels earlier, but it still has its niche uses at levels over 8. Deep Slumber is also pretty great, capable of knocking out up to 10 commoners or fodder enemies, two 5 HD threats, or one 10 HD threat, though it’s completely negated by a successful save. Its range and existence as a spell-like make it useful for causing a distraction, though, since you can cause people to just nod off without any obvious movements.

While both Sleep and Deep Slumber can be used for shenanigans, the king of utility here is Silence. Having Silence available as a spell-like 2 times a day can entirely squish a lot of encounters with spellcasting or otherwise vocal enemies, rendering a tough encounter trivial. Slapping Silence onto your frontline just before they charge into a caster’s comfort zone can give them an insurmountable edge, though I’d be careful about applying it to the party’s sneaky sneakster since its 20ft bubble range means people who draw close to them will quickly notice the lack of noise.

And don’t forget the ever-amusing utility that comes with enchanting an arrow with Silence and then firing it into an enemy, bypassing the foe’s saving throw while still achieving the same result of cursing them with the bubble.

Boon 2: Splendorous Ally. Once per day as a standard action, you may call a Lillend Azata to your side. You gain telepathy out to 100ft with the Azata. It follows your commands perfectly for 1 minute per Hit Dice you possess before vanishing back into Elysium. It will not follow any order that would cause it to perform an overly Evil or Lawful act, and may attack you if the order was especially egregious.

As covered on Monday, the Lillend Azata is a powerful Bard wrapped in the body of a flying naga woman (wouldn’t that make her a coatl?). As strong as she is on the front lines, a Lillend is infinitely more powerful supporting from the mid- or backlines, using her Bardic Performance to bolster the team and her spells to confound enemies. The basic Lillend model comes with spells like Hold Person and Hallucinatory Terrain to sculpt the battlefield and spells like Cure [X] Wounds, Invisibility, and Knock as utility, but talking with your DM may allow you to customize its spell list to be even more potent. The utility of the Bard spell list and Bardic Performance means that, even as your levels climbs to the point that the Lillend can no longer hold their own in combat, they’re still useful as a force multiplier rather than a force on their own.

So yeah! A solid Boon that stays useful even as you rise in levels. A nice DM may even allow for more powerful Lillends to join you...

Boon 3: Blast of Motes. Whenever you channel positive energy to heal living creatures, a shower of starry motes cascades over all creatures in the area of effect. These motes do not impede their targets, but bolster their luck; the motes reduce the creatures’ miss chance by 10% and turn all damage rolls of 1 into 2. These motes last for 1 round, +1 round for every 4 Hit Dice you possess (max 6). If you cannot channel positive energy, you gain the ability to do so once each day as a Cleric with a level equal to your total HD (max 20), and can only use this energy to heal living creatures.

So far it seems like Desna has a bad habit of having decent first Boons, great second Boons, and lackluster third Boons. Reducing miss chance by 10% is really nothing to cheer for (it’s good, but weak when compared to other Boons), and increasing damage rolls from 1 to 2 really isn’t likely to make much of a difference except in extreme scenarios. I do like, though, that if you can’t channel energy at all, you gain the power to do so once a day. That’s kind of nice! Become an emergency healer, blasting your whole team for, what, 7d6 healing, and rising up to 10d6? There’s irony in the fact this power is much better if you aren’t a Cleric, because you gain a free healing burst. This ability reads much better when it says “Once per day, you can heal every living creature within 30 feet of you for 7d6+ health” and ALSO they get those minor bonus effects. It's still a weak Boon if taken as a class other than Cleric, but the normal bonus is basically nonexistent on regular Clerics.

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SENTINEL

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Boon 1: Fighting Chance. Gain Entropic Shield 3/day, Blur 2/day, or Displacement 1/day.

These spells basically do the same thing as one another Except Bigger. Entropic Shield grants you a 20% chance to block incoming ranged attack for 1 minute/level, Blur allows you to give a touched subject a 20% chance to dodge ANY incoming attacks for 1 minute/level, and Displacement gives a touched subject a 50% chance to dodge any incoming attack, but only for 1 round/level instead.

I would more or less always take Blur over the others, except in the case where I KNOW a big boss battle is coming up, at which point Displacement can render half of any incoming attacks against yourself or a squishy ally a non-issue. I’m aware of the irony in me just harping on how a 10% reduction in miss chance doesn’t matter, while this ability essentially does the same except in the opposite direction. I’m primarily annoyed that this is a first Boon that’s already better than a third Boon, something that shouldn’t happen!

Boon 2: See Through Dreams. You gain a +1 luck bonus on saving throws made against Illusion spells and effects and against dream-based magic (such as Nightmare). This bonus increases by 1 for every 4 Hit Dice you possess (max +6).

Speaking of pathetic..... Hey Desna, I know you’re a Big God and all, and I like you as a character (for those not in the know, Desna is actually a titanic space butterfly whose humanoid form is an illusion), but couldn’t you have spared your poor Sentinels something a bit bigger than a +1 bonus? Not even a +4, or even just a meager +2? Illusion spells can be painful for people without high Will saves, but a +1 is only good at lower levels, not at the 10+ you reach this Boon at. Can you spring for just a +1 bonus on all saves? or even just Will?

EDIT: It’s actually +3 at the time you get it. It’s still Not Good.

The bonus against dream-based magic is unique, though. So unique that it’s likely not ever going to see play! ... unless you’re going up against Great Old Ones, who universally possess Nightmare and have very nasty effects attached to them.

Despite that, this Boon is just bad. At least it breaks Desna’s trend of having a good second Boon and a bad third! I wonder if that means the third Sentinel Boon is good...

Boon 3: Shooting Star. Three times per day, you may make a single ranged attack with a starknife as a swift action. To throw it, you must already have it in hand, have enough actions to retrieve it, or have the Quick Draw feat or similar ability.

.... I mean, I guess? Yeah, it’s better than the others? It’s basically three free attacks a day. Starknives deal only 1d4 damage, but taking Strength and the Symbolic Weapon class feature of the Sentinel, that usually averages to 1d4+6. Still not especially impressive, but squeezing in that one extra attack will shorten a battle a bit.

It’s a little annoying that you actually have to have the knife prepared already to throw it, but it’s not much of an impediment. This ability is actually really boring, but I like the image of someone slinging a knife so fast that the attack can’t really be seen. Most enchanted starknives come with Returning, as well, making throwing them much less costly if you miss or if the enemy flees (starknives are exotic, so you’re unlikely to have many). This is a GOOD Boon, yes, but it’s just not very decorated and thus very hard to talk a lot about.

You can read more about Desna here.

#Spiritual Spotlight #Saintly Spotlight #pathfinder #Dungeons and Dragons

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yoosmekihyun · 6 years

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BTS Concert Observations

The concert was so amazing and I feel incredibly grateful and lucky that I was able to go. The Fort Worth Convention Center had their shit TOGETHER. I saw the Wings Tour in LA at the Honda Center last year and the organization was a joke in comparison to Fort Worth. Serious kudos goes to the staff working. I also felt much better with all the cops in the venue too. They looked like they were not fucking around and I appreciated that considering the death threat Jimin received after the announcement of the concert. All the security made me feel certain that nothing was going to happen.

I cried three different times during the show but for different songs so I’ll get into that below. I want to break down the show by members like I did for the Monsta X show. I’m going to put a cut for anyone who would rather move past this post. If that’s you, then you’re missing out! (But I do understand.)

When I talk about them with other fans I usually use their given names, but for those who may just be casual fans or BTS isn’t their cup of tea, I’m putting their given names and stage name (if applicable) to avoid confusion.

Namjoon/RM - Our fearless leader looked FLAWLESS. I see why he says his best physical feature is his skin because he is seriously so gorgeous and he glows! I don’t believe the glowing is just due to his skincare though; I think a lot of it is coming to his own self love and acceptance. You could just tell that he was living his best life up on the stage and was having a blast the whole time. When he came out and did his solo stage of “Love” I was such a proud ARMY. He just danced along that stage (alone!) and was totally jamming and exuding sheer joy. Considering his solo stage for Wings was “Reflection” and the lyrics were about wanting to love himself, this stage is a fully circle where he clearly is so happy and loving himself and his life. That energy was so satisfying and I got emotional later thinking about it all. His English has continued to improve and I love hearing him speak. I can’t even talk about the hip thrust to the camera during Baepsae. It happened and I’m still not over it. He made a little pun on both nights, from what I understand, and said that we were his “First Worth.” Then he laughed at himself while he apologized (but we know he’s really proud of that! Jin is rubbing off on him!). By the way, Nams, I saw those red converse. Miss Pearl approves.

Seokjin/Jin - Jin looked like he was having so much fun on that stage, being silly and interacting with the fans. He got some of the loudest cheers and he shamelessly threw kisses at us throughout the show (and I would expect nothing less). One of the times I cried was during “Epiphany.” His voice has improved SO MUCH since debut and he hits me in the feels ever. single. time. The song already is very important to me for personal reasons and I resonate with it to a deep level. That aside, Jin’s interpretation of it takes it to a whole new level for me and I cried some ugly tears during his song. Jin was one I couldn’t stop looking at during “The Truth Untold.” I thought I was going to cry during it but I must have shed all my tears by that point or I was expecting to cry so I didn’t. It was still incredible, he’s incredible, and I love him.

Yoongi/Suga - My ultimate of ultimates, my true unicorn, the untouchable standard no other man can reach, completely solidified his top spot for me. Not just as my bias in BTS but also the top spot among all my other group biases. The man is SO GORGEOUS and has the cutest smile and I don’t know if I’ve ever screamed so hard or so loud as I did for him during their introduction when he took his ear piece out to hear us. He made me clutch my heart SO MANY TIMES throughout the show. The second time I cried during the show was during Seesaw. During Seesaw, Pearl? Why did that make you cry? Let me tell you, dear reader, because it was an emotional journey to this point. It’s a given that he looked incredible (I mean, red is seriously that man’s color) and his stage presence is off the charts but I was completely moved by the growth I saw on that stage. Just like with Namjoon, seeing him where he is now to where he was during debut is INCREDIBLE and I couldn’t be more proud of him. I remember watching when he shouted his grievance to Bang PD about how he was told when he signed on that he wouldn’t have to dance but then they ended up always dancing. Seeing him dancing, in the middle, and with props during his solo stage had me shocked. On top of that he was SO GOOD. I got all proud and emotional to see how far he has come during all of this. Remember when he would pretend to sing and then screech the song at whoever he was trolling? His singing voice is just...I could listen to that deep sultry voice all day, every day, and never tire of it. I could continue to wax poetic about how amazing Yoongi sounds, looks, performs (you know, everything about him) but I’ll spare you, precious reader, since you’ve made it this far and I still have four other members to go.

Hoseok/Hobi/J-Hope - His smile...Hobi really is pure sunshine and joy. He’s a true pleasure to watch on that stage and you can see that performance is his passion. His solo song was amazing (dancing on an elevated stage?! why you gotta stress me out like that, Hobi?!) and it was fun and such good energy, which is exactly how Hobi is. I was expecting to feel completely attacked by Hobi going into the show. I think I had my defenses up so I walk away pretty unscathed from his rudeness. Don’t get me wrong, he was VERY rude with all those hip thrusts and all the damn charisma but I was the most prepared for him going into the show so the others did so much more damage to my heart. I love hearing him speak in English - he’s gotten really good and his enunciation is fantastic. You can tell he’s been studying and you know this girl loves a man who cares enough to put forth that kind of effort. Hobi, you’re a darling and so precious and we really don’t deserve you. Thank you for loving us. <3

Taehyung/Tae/V - When I first got into the fandom, @jeonjagiya and I had several discussions about how Tae was going to be a serious problem as he got older and started filling out. That day has come my friends because Tae is LETHAL now. He looks amazing with that blonde hair, and yes I will admit, the mullet as well (I still prefer no mullet but if he’s happy, I’m happy). How can a man look so good in black leather and powder blue slacks? He makes every outfit look incredible and I just don’t understand that superpower. His dancing is really great and if he hadn’t been part of the dance line before, he would have earned it with his performance during this tour. THAT EYE GAME THOUGH. That’s the true panty melting power - it’s 100% unadulterated seduction and that is how he is climbing up my list. When he looks into the camera like he’s seeing you with x-ray vision and then his sweet, adorable smile breaks through...I just....it shouldn’t be LEGAL. And his vocals! Ugh! He sent a shiver through my heart and into my loins and I know that’s what he was trying to do! I see you Kim Taehyung...I see you.

Jimin - Four words: I WAS NOT PREPARED. Let me just say, I love Jimin and I’ve always loved Jimin. He’s a precious sweetheart and I want to take care of him. Before the concert, I saw him as kind of like a sweet younger brother or cousin. After the concert, Park Jimin is officially my number 2 and I definitely don’t have the same kind of caretaker vibes after that. More like he’s the hot neighbor next door with FREAKING ABS THAT HE TRIES TO HIDE... but he accidentally on purpose makes sure you can get a good look at them from time to time. I can’t...I don’t even fully understand how this happened. I think he got me with the feels and then hit me with the sex appeal. The first time I cried during the show was during “Serendipity.” That song always gets me misty and watching him perform the extended version pushed me over the edge. But the choreography for it was so much sexier than I was expecting and he was in tight black pants and this sexy black button up with sparkles so he was shining like the star he is. Then, during “The Truth Untold” I couldn’t stop watching him with all the emotion on his face. They put him in this ugly pink sweater thing with a scarf and I didn’t even care because his face told the story and he made it feel like he had felt the events of the song and lived it. Well done, Jimin, well done. I officially will never underestimate your abilities to win me over again.

Jungkook - Jungkook sounded and looked incredible. He was stable and all of his dancing is so on point. I found myself wondering about some of the events that were shown during Burn the Stage and thinking about the pressures he must feel as the main vocalist and center. He seemed happy and like he was having a lot of fun during the show and that’s what makes him so fun for me to watch. His English has improved DRAMATICALLY. He may have improved more than anyone else. He spoke to us only in English and he took his time to pull together his thoughts into very clear sentences. He spoke quite a bit and I felt very proud of him after everything was said and done. “Euphoria” (his solo stage) was great - I get so amazed at the ability of singing well and clearly while dancing so hard. I know there’s lots of practice involved but Jungkook always impresses me when it comes to performance. This show was no exception.

To wrap it all up: If you ever get a chance to see BTS, it’s well worth the money (and I feel this way about all the groups I’ve seen thus far). The energy of the group with fellow ARMY is truly amazing. The fandom is diverse and it’s wonderful to see all ages, genders, and nationalities at the show. Watching and listening to native English speakers sing along in Korean always blows me away and the larger cultural significance of BTS and kpop in general is not lost on me, especially in those moments. I will be forever grateful to Iris for introducing me to BTS and kpop because the joy I’ve gotten from it is immeasurable.

#that ended up way longer than i thought #i just have a lot of feels #bts world tour #bts love youreslf #bts in forth wroth

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covtocov · 6 years

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Cornflake Girl

Let’s talk about Cornflake Girl, shall we? This was the song that started it all and inspired this blog and we're gonna get into WHY (kind of, don't expect anything too deep, this is gonna get goofy).

If you don't know this song, it's fuckin great.

Cornflake Girl - Tori Amos (1994)

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Tori Amos, a legend out of North Carolina (and somewhat honorary citizen of the UK), released the song "Cornflake Girl" in 1994. The song was released as a single, then later featured as the eighth track on her second studio album, Under the Pink.

Influenced in part by a recent exposure to reggae music, discussions of female genital mutilation, and Alice Walker's novel, Possessing the Secret of Joy, this song addresses the concept of the "cornflake girl," women who would hurt other women despite a close personal relationship, often to appease some patriarchal construct. This referred, in part, to the fact that the ratio of raisins to cornflakes in breakfast cereal is much lower, making "raisin girls" harder to find - "Thought it was a good solution/Hanging with the raisin girls."

(Fun bonus fact, she is not saying "rabbi," but "Rabbit," the name of her friend, a "fantastic, magical creature" who lives in the woods with their partner, Fox.)

"Cornflake Girl" reached #4 on the UK singles charts, paving the way for later hits off Under the Pink including "God," "Pretty Good Year," and "Past the Mission." A lovely video discussing more about these ideas can be found here. Amos released both an American and a UK version of the music videos, both which are definitely worth seeing if you haven't.

Now...let's talk about some covers.

Cornflake Girl - Florence and the Machine (2018)

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This is the cover I heard this radio on the morning. The intro came on and, not seeing what the song was, I was like '...uh...who stole the intro to Cornflake Girl?"

The answer to that question would be Florence Welch, who covered the song in September 2018 as an exclusive release for Spotify.

So let's get into the nitty gritty.

(All of these qualities are being measured in comparison to the original song, and are my opinions, so with that disclaimer out of the way, come with me and we'll be in a land of PURE IMAGINATION.)

Listenability: 4/5

It's a good cover. This version is much smoother and less choppy than the original...though whether that's a plus or a minus is completely up to the listener's discretion. As a fan of Tori's ability to really fuck you up mid-song (wait, this was just in a fucking 4/4 and now it's in 3/4?! Or maybe it's 2/3, I don't know shit about time keeping, I just know I'm distressed), I would say...not quite as good as the original. Sorry, Flo.

Originality: 2/5

Ahhhhhhh it's just pretty much a nice, safe homage to Tori. The instruments are all pretty evocative of the original song, Florence's vocals are absolutely beautiful, but she really does follow the same cadences as Amos does. Nice use of the occasional drum, though.

Integrity to Original: 4/5

I mean, it's hard to say anything else when this is almost a direct copy of the original. To my knowledge, Welch hasn't gone on the record saying anything about this particular cover, but as an artist who was almost certainly influenced by Amos (this is a total uninformed claim on my part, but like...fuck, they are both redheaded indie mythical wood deities in their own right, so they've probably consorted in the moonlight at least once), I would say she was probably well aware of the intention of this song. What I really appreciate about this version is the clarity of the lyrics - Amos is notoriously tricksy with her pronounciations - which allows this truly haunting song to be brought home even more.

Does this Cover Not Bum Me Out: 5/5

Not bummed out. Love Florence. Love Tori. They are both magical. This cover did make me want to make this blog to explicitly talk about covers that had more theoretical potential, so ironically, it got me more hyped.

Overall: 4/5

Good cover. Good Song. Could have done more with it, but only because we've come to expect so much more from you, Florence.

Cornflake Girl - Jawbox (1996)

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In 1996, Jawbox, an alternative rock band from Washington, D.C., released their cover of "Cornflake Girl" on their fourth and final self-titled album, Jawbox.

Originally, the band didn't take the song particularly seriously in their repertoire. In an 2015 article from AV club, frontman J. Robbins admitted that the cover had started as a goof, but became serious enough that the group made a music video of the cover (see above).

Listenability: 3.5/5

I actually like this cover a lot. It's got some of the 90s/2000s grunge rock, wall-of-sound element, while still being recognizable as the song we know and love. It's a jam (a slow-jam, but a jam nonetheless). I do feel as though it lose a bit of the fun instrumentality of the original in the cover, but overall, would definitely make the roadtrip mix.

Originality: 4/5

Jawbox does a lot of very cool things with this. It definitely leans more alt-rock than indie-pop, which I think gives those drops in the song a real kick. The stutter-step rhythm is a really good addition, and I think it makes a nice homage to Tori's style, which often plays around with rhythm in similar ways.

Integrity to Original: 3/5

I'm gonna play this card: I don't think it has quite the same impact coming from a dude. He does not know what it means to be a cornflake, nor a raisin girl. The music video mostly seems like a series of bizarre images that seem to - probably jokingly - take the "cornflake" imagery pretty literally, with someone being force-fed milk from a tube and someone's soft tummy being poked with a spoon (also, a dude with his mouth full of pennies, so who the fuck knows). Not all covers have to say the same thing the original was saying, or anything at all for that matter, but for this one, I'm gonna land right in the middle for ?????

Does this Cover Not Bum Me Out: 4/5

Nah, not really! Besides the fact men are involved (always a bummer) (jk) (or am I?), I enjoyed the change of pace.

Overall: 3.5/5

Solid cover. Loud. Wall of music. Still couldn't dance to it. Nice level of angst. Too many men involved.

Cornflake Girl - Imogen Heap (2010)

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A one time, live performance! In 2010, Imogen Heap covered "Cornflake Girl" in Melbourne, Australia. The performance was an auction item for the charity Concern Worldwide; the winning bidder got a chance to meet Heap and receive "A Song Just for You." Heap offers her own unique interpretation of the song, which can be seen in the video aboce.

Listenability: 2/5

This is due MAINLY to the fact that this is a live performance. A more polished, recorded version would probably actually be pretty killer. Still probably not a 'have it on in the background, good for the party mix' kind of song, but definitely a get kinda stoned and listen to it on repeat a couple times song.

Originality: 5/5

Amazing range of sounds and instruments she's able to play with since she's performing electronically/has an array of instruments on stage. Fantastic use of double tracking and creating her own vocal loops on the spot. She really makes the song her own in this performance.

Integrity to Original: 3/5

I do really think this is in the spirit of the original, and she plays with an similar set of instruments that Amos herself uses while incorperating her own flair. The lyrics feel a little bit throwaway, which is kind of a shame, because honestly, Tori Amos is nothing if not an incredible lyricist. That being said, most electoric music (in my experience) is more about the instrumentation/sampling, so this makes some sense from Heap, I think.

Does this Cover Not Bum Me Out: 4/5

Yeah, it's cool. She takes some real risks with this cover, and I think for the most part, they pay off.

Overall: 4/5

You do you, Imogen. It's a cool cover. It's neat. I dig it. Do your dance. Do some fun looping things. Wear your hair like Bart from Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency (jk, she wears her hair like you). Dig it.

Cornflake Girl - Noah Hawley & Jeff Russo (2018)

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Legion, an FX series based on the Marvel character David Haller (aka Legion) (surprise surprise) first debuted in February 2017. The show revolves around David, who is diagnosed with schizophrenia at a young age, only to find out in his thirties that there may be much more to his mental illness than he'd previously thought.

This cover of "Cornflake Girl" was featured in the finale of Legion Season 2. I have not personally gotten this far in the show yet (it's good, but a little exhausting and hard to binge for me, so much withholding information), but I watched the clip and it makes no sense to me, so that's a start!

Listenability: 3/5

It pretty much sounds exactly like a Coldplay song, so depending on how you feel about Coldplay, this could go either way. I'm mid-road.

Originality: 2/5

I mean, eh. They make the chorus a minor key and put in some synths. It would play well over the trailer. I bet it will in the future.

Integrity to Original: 2/5

I feel like this is one of those many cases where people just take the lines This is not real/This is not really happening/You bet your life it is and they're like THAT COULD APPLY TO THIS FUCKED UP SITUATION and you know what you're right it does well done gold star for you.

Does this Cover Not Bum Me Out: 1/5

Definitely a bummer. Bumming hard listening to this on repeat.

Overall: 2/5

Is it BAD? No. You know what it is? Meh. Just meh.

#cornflake girl #tori amos #florence + the machine #florence welch #imogen heap #jawbox #under the pink #noah hawley #jeff russo #legion #ctc #review

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thesweatycollectiontyrant · 6 years

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Most Demanding Female Roles in Musical Theatre

Hey everyone! I’m gonna be on vacation for the next few days, so I decided to do some shorter posts and queue them once a day while I’m gone! If you have suggestions on some shorter articles I could do on the go, feel free to send topics my way! I’m gonna do a male counterpart to this post, as well as articles for plays.

I’m going to begin that this is in my personal opinion. I’m gonna be just kinda going as I think. I will not be ranking these in any way. ALSO this will not only pertain to lead roles! I’ll be looking at everyone!

Let’s Do This

Rose Hovick in Gypsy

Described as the following: “bossy, demanding, horrific, monster,” this role is kind of a no-brainer when it comes to what is considered demanding. Many amazing women of the theatre have played this role: Ethel Merman, Patti LuPone, Tyne Daly, Angela Lansbury, Imelda Staunton, Bernadette Peters, and just this summer, Carolee Carmello and Beth Leavel. The role is fairly vocally demanding. She sings several of the songs and she has to have a strong belt. She doesn’t dance much, but what really kills the actress is the acting. Tyne Daly described it as “a prize fight”. The role is very demanding. You have to be more or less a ham onstage, age at least ten years over the course of the story, and go through the ache of losing your favorite daughter to seeing the one you settle for become a stripper. All onstage. The character is such a facade. She proclaims that she wants what’s best for her children while she lives vicariously through them. Rose is the prime example of what a stage mother really is. In the final moments of the show, Rose has a mental breakdown in “Rose’s Turn” envisioning herself performing in front of an audience, followed by Louise and her reconciling in the end.

Edith Ewing Bouvier Beale/Edith Bouvier Beale in Grey Gardens

Christine Ebersole originated the mammoth of a role in the screen-to-stage adaptation of the timeless documentary in a dual role, playing “Big Edie” in Act One and “Little Edie” in Act Two. One thing that makes this role demanding is that these people she’s playing were real people who know what these people did, looked like, and sounded like, and if it doesn’t meet expectations, they walk away unsatisfied. The acting in this role is different because of the switch between characters between acts, but the demand for both characters is still there. Big Edie is detrimental in Act One as she tears apart Little Edie’s dreams, then the actress plays Little Edie in Act Two as a woman in her fifties, who reluctantly takes care of her mother despite the hurt she harbors. The actress has to have great comic chops and the ability to impersonate Little Edie in particular. The actress also has to have a very versatile voice to match the elegant Soprano of Big Edie and the squawky timbre (which sweetens quickly) of Little Edie. This is truly a fantastic role.

Margaret Johnson in The Light in the Piazza

This phenomenal woman decided to take her daughter on a trip to Italy, only to discover it wouldn’t be as much of a trip as it was a move. Margaret takes care of her daughter Clara, who is developmentally stalled. In a heartbreaking monologue in Act Two, Margaret explains that at Clara’s birthday party, they ordered a pony for her to play with and show her friends. Margaret went to answer the phone, and the second she wasn’t paying attention, the pony kicked Clara in the head, injuring her brain. Margaret, while in some cases overprotective, wants what’s best for her daughter. She goes through many journeys throughout the story. She watches her daughter grow up before her eyes, realizes the dissolve of her marriage, and ultimately joins a family. There are many asides and monologues that can be dug into and given meaning. This score is notably difficult. It’s filled with many high and low notes; Margaret’s range spans over two octaves (G3-G#5). Victoria Clark immortalized the role for all to see after it was professionally filmed and broadcast on PBS. Seeing a struggling middle-aged woman as the lead of a show isn’t often, and Adam Guettel’s show displays that platform with integrity.

The First Ladies in 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue

I did a post about this masterpiece of a flop last week. The actress who plays The First Ladies play the following roles: Abigail Adams, Eliza Monroe, and Julia Grant and Lucy Hayes (simultaneously). The actress must have strong Soprano chops, but also be a good character singer, especially for the tour de force, “Duet for One”. This is theatrically and vocally demanding. Bernstein gave us that. Praise.

Elle Woods in Legally Blonde

Some might say that this role is all fluff. I don’t agree. Elle is a vivacious human who thinks she knows what she wants, and discovers what she needs along the way. This role has to be a true triple threat, as you have to be able to sustain the demanding score, the constant energy, and multiple ensemble dance numbers. Elle is in almost every single song in the show. She has to dance her butt off. Not to mention that she also has to remain in the bubbly sorority girl archetype, but also becomes a stronger woman who begins to trust herself. It’s a very demanding role, and I don’t need blue hairs coming for me.

Diana Goodman in Next to Normal

Brought to life by one of my favorite actresses, Alice Ripley, Diana provides a story that shows her thoughts under a microscope. She suffers from Bipolar II Disorder that comes along with hallucinations of her deceased son, Gabe. Because of her struggle with mental illness, she pushes her daughter, Natalie, away and affects all those around her. What a woman has to go through as Diana is bare her soul. That role is truly for those who wish to leave it all on the stage. The role has a lot of belting in it, but ultimately is for a Mezzo. The range goes from Gb3-F#5 (yes, they’re enharmonic, but they’re written differently), so just on two octaves. Diana goes through several breakdowns throughout the show and ultimately leaves her family in hope that they will be better without her. This takes both a powerhouse actress and singer.

Cunegonde in Candide

This role has been performed by many actresses and singers, but. Cunegonde is the definition of elegant, but just a bit off her nut. She sings one of the most difficult musical theatre songs ever written, “Glitter and Be Gay” and has several duets with notes almost as high in “We Are Women,” “Oh, Happy We,” and “Make Our Garden Grow”. The score is incredibly difficult, so I would definitely say that this role is very demanding.

Margaret White in Carrie

Yes, I know this show was infamous for being kind of awful, but the place someone has to go to play this part is so dark that it’s scary. A woman like Margaret has clearly been abused of some sort. In fact, the book (I believe, it’s been a while since I’ve read it) reveals that Carrie was conceived by rape. It’s truly heartbreaking. This woman wants what is best for her daughter, even if she goes through some interesting ways to giver her that. The subtlety an actress has to have to not cross the line of making Margaret’s religion and motives borderline comical is great. The role seems very easy to make a caricature of Christian women over the area. The score in the revised version is quite difficult, calling for Margaret to be a Soprano who also has lower notes and some belting, although there’s plenty of room for stylistic choice! I’m just going off of the brilliance of Marin Mazzie. The role is quite demanding for anyone to step into.

Eva Peron in Evita

To play Eva Peron, a woman has to screlt her face off and sustain that for the entire night. The different places her voice would need to go is so vastly different. The range extends from E3-G5 without much of a break. The vocals are very demanding. Since I haven’t seen the show live and it’s *mostly* (?) thrusung, I’m not sure what all vigorous acting has to be done. But oh my Lord, the score is tough.

Trina in Falsettos

I don’t even know where to begin about this character. There’s very little dancing for the part, but there is just about everything you could think of in the other two departments. Her range spans two octaves, and she has to belt at the top of her range, but also have a nice an strong head voice throughout the show. The acting is very vulnerable. Trina is a person who has been exposed to a lot of hurt throughout her life. She goes through just about everything, and still comes out of it. This is a beautiful and heartbreaking role.

Veronica Sawyer in Heathers

The score in Heathers is pulsing with punk rock and 80s influences. Veronica is a very demanding part because of the plot points that happen to her. It’s a very interesting and complicated story that I don’t want to get into, but just know that this role is a whole step away from having the highest belted note in Musical Theatre history (A5), losing only to Jennifer Simard as Sister Mary Downy in Disaster!, who belts a B5. Veronica goes through a lot in this story, and is in most of the scenes in the show, and is also constantly singing and belting VERY high.

Dolly Gallagher Levi in Hello, Dolly!

I want to preface this with the fact that typically, this role is done by an older woman, so take that into circumstances. This role is loaded with stage time, comic timing, and singing. You have to have great comic chops, and depending on how you do it, one of three things with your singing voice: you can sing it in the original keys down the octave (which is the way it was originally done) which puts you as a super low Alto/Female Tenor, you can do it similar keys that Barbra Streisand did from the movie, taking the range to a Mezzo, or you can be a brave Soprano and sing it in the original Carol Channing keys, but sing everything up the octave. Any of the three are delightful. This is one of my favorite roles, and is TRULY demanding. The emotional journey (while not trolling Mr. Vandergelder) is beautiful for Dolly. She discovers so much about herself and what she becomes after she accepts Ephraim’s death and decides to move on with her life. It’s just sublime.

Effie Melody White in Dreamgirls

This is another role that would be very easy to make a caricature of. Effie is a troubled and talented woman. The role is very taxing vocally, and also the acting is very intense, especially in Act One. Effie truly has an amazing transformation from a misunderstood starlet to a confident woman. She doesn’t have a lot of time offstage until Act Two, and even then, she has an amazing solo.

Bess in Porgy and Bess

I don’t want to get into describing the heartbreak that this character goes through. Just know that there are a lot of traumatic events that happen to her and she still finds love (even though it ends different then you want). The score is incredibly demanding, even causing Broadway superstar Audra McDonald vocal problems. This is a fantastic role for an African-American Soprano who has great acting chops.

Dot/Marie in Sunday in the Park with George

Bernadette Peters did this brilliant role on Broadway and it was broadcast to the world on PBS. The dual role that actually switches and then switches back once again is very theatrically and vocally demanding. The role is onstage most of the show and is just very alive and energetic throughout the show, even when she plays an old woman. The beautiful and poetic words that just flow everywhere have so much meaning. There’s quite a bit of range that spans through the show as well.

Celie Harris Johnson in The Color Purple

There is such a delicate presence for this role. Celie is like a cat. She starts out like a kitten that is hushed and silenced, but by the end she is a roaring lion that will speak for everyone to hear. I adore the resilience this character has. LaChanze possibly had a lot of pressure to be like the movie. Cynthia Erivo definitely made the role personal to her, and it showed. Celie is a demanding role because of her constant stage time and the relentless score. The character literally spans from an E3 to a G5 in ONE song. Oh my Lord. But what a role. It really is amazing. And demanding.

I’m sure there are some that people feel I left out, but be sure to message or let me know your thoughts on this!

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thisaintascenereviews · 6 years

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Album Review by Bradley Christensen Settle Your Scores – Better Luck Tomorrow Record Label: SharpTone Records Release Date: April 13 2018

Settle Your Scores released their debut album, The Wilderness, two years ago, and it was one of my favorite albums of the year. I forget where I put it on my yearend list, but it was on there somewhere, anyway. I had just gotten into easycore, which is the style of pop-punk that takes metalcore breakdowns and harsh vocals and combines it with pop-punk hooks, instrumentation, and lyrics. There’s a booming easycore scene in the underground, and honestly, 2016 was a treasure trove for bands and albums. Bands like Abandoned By Bears, Wired For Havoc, Settle Your Scores, and tons more bands released albums that kicked a lot of ass. As much as I loved The Wilderness, though, its biggest issue was the same one that plagued a lot of bands – it was too generic. I mean, it was really damn good, and I loved every single aspect of it, but it didn’t quite do anything that other bands hadn’t done already, or that weren’t already doing at the same time. What made it stand, though, was how catchy the songs were, how great the vocals were (both singing and screaming), how relatable and personal the lyrics were, as well as how well-written the songs themselves were. They had some great songwriting chops, and I was really curious to how the follow-up would be. The last year, give or take, a lot of easycore bands have been getting signed. Victory Records and SharpTone are the two labels in particular that have been signing these bands. I mean, Victory Records has For The Win, Carousel Kings, and We Were Sharks, whereas SharpTone has Across The Atlantic, Sink The Ship, and Settle Your Scores. I feel like easycore has a shot now, but I listened to the lead single from Settle Your Scores’ sophomore album, as well as label debut, Better Luck Tomorrow. The song was called “Keep Your Chin Up And Your Expectations Down,” and it was a cool song, but it caught me off guard, because the song was more of a straightforward pop-punk track.

I was a bit worried that they would have stripped away the easycore elements of their sound, and became a pop-punk band, which wouldn’t necessarily have totally bothered me, because the song itself was great. The songwriting is still top notch, whether it was for the very pronounced guitar riffs in the track, how catchy it was, or how much vocalist Christian Fisher has improved over the last couple of years. The lyrics were great, too, and it’s not like the band lost their talent, or anything like that, but I was wondering if the whole album would have this very straightforward pop-punk sound that’s still done incredibly well, so I’d be on board, regardless. What’s interesting about this album is that it still caught me off guard, but they didn’t water their sound down whatsoever. What they did instead is make a very diverse, unique, interesting, and well-done easycore album that also has elements of pop-punk and pop-rock. One thing I complain about a lot, or at least I feel like I do, is how repetitive a lot of bands and albums can be, especially in pop-punk / easycore. Every song on a lot of albums tends to sound the same, minus the token acoustic track that appears at the end. This album has it, too, but I’ll be damned if it’s not one of the best acoustic songs I’ve ever heard. If you couldn’t tell, I love Better Luck Tomorrow, and it’s one of the best albums of the year, if not the best, honestly. I’m that into it, folks. It’s an album that doesn’t surprise, only because Settle Your Scores already had a lot of potential with their debut record, but at the same time, I’m shocked that their sophomore album is this advanced and great. There’s a lot to really get into here, and what’s great is that everything has improved tenfold, but it’s not like every element on The Wilderness necessarily needed to improve big time.

The biggest improvements are easily in the forms of Fisher’s vocals and the instrumentation / overall sound. Fisher was a great vocalist on the debut record, and I loved his vocals a lot. He’s one of my favorite easycore vocalists, but hearing him throughout this record, his voice has ultimately shed that “rough” sound that his voice admittedly had a bit on The Wilderness. His voice on this album is very smooth, clean, and crystal clear. It was that way on The Wilderness, don’t get me wrong, but all the rough patches have been smoothed over, if you will. His way around a hook is impeccable, and almost every song on this album (minus a brief instrumental track that appears towards the end of the album) has a massive hook that will get stuck in your head at some point. I have to give credit to songwriter / guitarist / vocalist Ricky Uhlenbrock. If I’m not mistaken, Uhlenbrock writes pretty much all the music, and similar to a lot of other bands, the rest of the members simply perform it. I think that was the case on the debut album, and it might be the case here, too, but the songwriting on this album is masterful. This band not only knows their way around a hook, like I said, but the guitarwork is utterly fantastic, and their way of balancing the heavier moments with the catchier moments is insanely brilliant. It’s due in part of the guitarwork on the album, and how seamless these riffs weave in and out of different sounds, but I love how they get the balance of easycore down right. What’s cool, too, is the album switches things up. Some tracks are more pop-punk-focused, and you don’t really hear screaming (you might hear a breakdown or two, but that’s about it), but a few songs on here have more of a metalcore-leaning sound to them. You have the token acoustic song at the end, like I mentioned, but even that song has very intricate guitarwork and songwriting to it, so it’s not just your average or generic token acoustic track.

The last thing that I need to mention is the lyrics, and I’ve always loved the lyrical ability of this band, but this album is no exception. Settle Your Scores have always had a great way of being personal and relatable with their lyrics, as well as being mature with them, too. Songs like “Stuck In The Suburbs,” “On The Count Of Three,” “Zero Hour,” and “My Reason To Come Back Home,” as well as many more, are fantastic songs that have very interesting messages behind them. Hell, they don’t necessarily tackle new ideas, or things that other bands haven’t talked about before, but the way they talk about it is great. I mean, look at the song, “Stuck In The Suburbs,” and it’s unfortunately not about the plot of the Disney Channel Original Movie of the same name from 2004, but it’s about the idea of feeling like you’re stuck in the same place, while everyone else is up to bigger and better things. The idea itself isn’t necessarily new, but the way they approach is refreshing, interesting, and well-done, so I have to give them credit for it. Honestly, the whole album is just that – refreshing, interesting, and well-done. This album is very diverse, too, and it’s not every day that happens with an easycore / pop-punk album. This album is very much worth listening to, even though easycore is oddly more of a niche thing, despite how a lot of pop-punk fans also listen to metalcore. Do they not want them put together? I don’t know, but this album is absolutely wonderful. Better Luck Tomorrow is one of those albums you don’t want to sleep on if you’re a fan of this type of stuff. Easycore fans already know about this band, but I feel like this band could get huge in the pop-punk scene, especially since they’re signed now. I’ve been looking forward to this for the last two years, and it was all I wanted, plus a hell of a lot more, which is always the best feeling, honestly. It’s great when a band puts out a great album, and just when you’re not sure they can top it, they do it, anyway.

#settle your scores #the wilderness #sharptone records #better luck tomorrow #easycore #pop-punk #heavy pop-punk #for the win #we were sharks #carousel kings #across the atlantic #sink the ship #rock

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