#two joni mitchell references in one post!

[fruitcage]

Night Ride Home, NEOSiAM 2021

#taxi #night photography #bangkok #thailand #macro photography #bokeh #city #night in the city #two joni mitchell references in one post! #it's weird because i was singing come in from the cold about an hour ago and then i saw this and thought about calling it night ride home #and i thought isn't that an album title? an echo from the past? yes it is

[foxes-that-run]

Is the tweet about not needing no piece of paper from the city hall why larries think they are married? I'm so lost about it all because I thought I read somewhere that larries believe they got married in Australia but was gay marriage even legal there at the time?? Is that tweet actually about Haylor?

I am so glad you asked, I have posted about this in the Anniversary post, but it deserves it's own post. Grab a cup of tea I care too much about this date. Harry and Taylor treat it as an anniversary. It is likely 2012 they mark, but could be 2011:

2011 - Taylor had a show in Utah and Harry was not seen. He was in the US though, One Direction started filming Gotta be you in Upstate New York on the 29th. Prior to this, they had been in the same city a lot, a few signs they were interacting from Taylors concerts. This is however before their generally considered meeting.

2012 - Harry and Taylor were MIA, she filmed Begin Again MV in Paris on the 30th, Harry was seen in London on the 24th then disappears. Paris is frequently referred to in their songs and videos. If not 2011 this is the date they mark. They had been connected since the VMAs earlier in the month, so perhaps it was becoming more serious. Harry marked the occasion with his Love Banner Tattoo which is in the I Knew You Were Trouble and Kiss You Music Videos, now covered by the larger Swallow.

2013

This tweet is the first time we saw the date marked:

On 2013 (US time) Harry tweeted these lyrics from My Old Man by one of Taylor's fav's, Joni Mitchell. At the time he was in Australia on tour with One Direction. One Direction had just returned from a break, where Harry & Taylor reunited at the VMAs, Harry was MIA while Taylor toured the US and Zayn got engaged. Having just had a break in countries with loved ones in countries with marriage equality any union would have happened in that break.

I think with Zayn's engagement on his mind, missing his girlfriend Harry posted this tweet on their anniversary. Harry spent the night gambling alone and Louis was sick as he lost his voice, presumably he was resting because they had shows. As you say, Australia's Marriage Equality Act was not until December 2017. Additionally at this time the boys were not having fun, they were chaperoned by police.

Confirmation bias.

As you note this tweet caused some confusion in Larries, mostly because a few days later Harry's mum congratulated the Xfactor host Louis on a judging decision and Ed Sheeran congratulated a different friend who got married close to then.

In the years since:

2014 - 1D had a show in Charlotte, Taylor had a Secret Session in Nashville, generally 1989 Secret Sessioners talked about how much she loved the guy the album was about. They had just been MIA when both went from LA to London 2 weeks earlier. Promo for 1989 was underway and Rolling Stone Articles that led to Fools Gold were fresh.

2015 - Taylor was dating Calvin Harris. Harry talked to fans on stage about anniversary sign where the fan got married 5 years after their first kiss. Taylor also gave a pointed Clean speech in St Louis where she said "losing somebody that ... you thought you would be spending the rest of your life with. [...] the worst part about having your heart broken, or feeling betrayed, or losing someone, having somebody change their mind and walk away from you, is that it makes you regret those things you did in the beginning when you fell in love."

2016 - Harry released the Another Man Mixtape on the 29th, with 10 songs that reference the future HS1 or love, he was not seen for weeks. Taylor was seen with Cara in New York, Joe was in London.

2017 - Harry released Two Ghosts as a Spotify Single with a cover of Girl Crush. He also performed them in Nashville 2 days before. Taylor responded to Harry's 2016 Mix Tape with a 70 song "Taylor Loves" Spotify Playlist. Every 7 and 20 song had a link to Harry.

2018 - on 13 April Taylor responded to the Two Ghosts Spotify Single by releasing a Delicate Vertical Video and Spotify Single cover of September where Taylor changed the lyric to "do you remember the 28th Day of September". The original press release said "the month of September is especially meaningful to one of her relationships" and that was then edited out when fans got obsessed. On the 28 September Taylor played Wonderland as a Surprise Song on the Reputation Tour (one of 6 ever plays).

Toe-shippers then jumped on the bandwagon and they didn't mark it for years.

2021 - on 29 September and 1 October - Harry played Nashville in a white satin suit, when he played with his rings and performed To be So Lonely! Taylor had been in London for a wedding in September but was back in Nashville by the 1st. Harry also recorded Satellite this stop.

In 2023 - Harry was papped looking grumpy in London.

#haylor #Haylor anniversaries

[ccenvs3000w23]

Unit 04: Nature Interpretation through Art and Planning for 'All' Scenarios

Interpreting Nature Through Art

‘The Gift of Beauty’ in terms of nature interpretation is the ability for individuals to sense beauty in their natural surroundings, and to provide a spiritual uplifting and encourage resource preservation (Beck et al., 2018). Interpreting nature through art can draw out these types of responses in the public. Jay Griffiths (2013) describes how, “art elicits sympathy, conjures empathy and these emotions are requisites for a kind, kinned sense of society.” Each of these factors are necessary when aiming to change the public’s perspective on nature, and to have society create stronger relationships with nature. 

The use of the arts in nature interpretation programs can entertain, educate, and make emotional connections with the audience (Beck et al., 2018). Art provides nature awareness which can bring out individuals' fascination and curiosity of the natural world (van Boeckel, 2015). Ultimately, it can enhance nature interpretation programs and advertise its importance to the public. The gift of beauty in nature can be experienced through a variety of art forms that includes theatre, visual arts, music and dance. These art forms have been used as tools of interpretation for decades as there is a natural connection between the arts and interpretation of our culture and landscape (Beck et al., 2018). 

So how do I interpret this “gift of beauty” that nature has through art? I sense this gift through two main art forms, which are music and visual arts. As mentioned in the Unit 02’s blog post, there are different types of learners and I myself am an auditory learner. Thus, learning and listening through music is most likely to grab my attention and evoke strong emotions and opinions on subjects—especially that of nature. The use of music in nature interpretation programs is a strong source of eliciting this emotional response as music works in three special ways: words can stick into the minds of listeners, songs paint pictures in the imagination, and often songs evoke emotions in listeners making them memorable (Beck et al., 2018). A song that exemplifies all three of these traits is one that I have loved for a very long time is Joni Mitchell’s, ‘Big Yellow Taxi’. If you haven’t heard this song before I highly recommend you take a listen while focusing on the lyrics, it holds a very important message about the environment!

Similarly, representation of nature through visual arts is another useful tool in evoking emotional responses from individuals. Visual arts can be used in innovative ways to enhance park grounds and view artist’s realities of nature from different perspectives. The beauty of visual arts is that you can see interpretations of nature throughout centuries of time. There are bound to be differences but what is truly remarkable is how artists from different centuries can capture the same essence of a landscape. For instance, both of the paintings below capture a similar nature of The Marne river in France—that being its undeniable warmth.

Modern day oil painting ‘Les Reflections sur La Marne’ by E. René His that presents their perspective of The Marne river in France.

1888 painting of ‘Les Bords de la Marne’ by Paul Cézanne that displays his perspective of The Marne river in France.

After discussing art’s role in nature interpretation, how would you interpret/compare these two paintings? What art form speaks to you the most? Do you have any nature-themed song recommendations?

References: 

Beck, L., Cable, T. T., Knudson, D. M. (2018). Interpreting Cultural and Natural Heritage for a Better World. Sagamore Venture.

Griffiths, J. (2013). The exile of the arts. Orion, 30(5), 10-11. 

van Boeckel, J. (2015). At the heart of art and earth: an exploration of practices in arts-based environmental education. Environmental Education Research, 21(5), 801–802. 

Images taken from:

#Youtube

[csilarry]

the database

General: Glossary / Fandom / Lyric Analysis / Industry / Stunts / Timelines / Body language / Lyric Changes / my posts

Symbolism: bluegreening / inverted colors / sharing clothes / sharing pieces of outfits / laurels / tattoos / 28 / rainbow bears / blue bandana / green carnations / skulls / inverted triangle / queer coding / polari / spirals / bullets / door / rabbits / glass / roses / checkerboard / portals / h gender / alternate realities / rings / home

Pop Culture References: 

Larry Movie Night: Papillon / Alice in Wonderland / Brokeback Mountain / Wizard of Oz / Twilight Zone / Eyes Wide Open / Holding the Man / Love, Simon / The Matrix / A Doll’s House / Fight Club / The Notebook / Steamboat Bill Jr

Music/artists: Oasis / Pink Floyd / David Bowie & Mick Jagger / Joni Mitchell /  louis’ music recommendations

Harry’s book club: Scarlet Letter / 

Harry’s Projects/Promo: Do You Know Who You Are / Eroda / HSLOT / You Are Home / 

Harry’s Music:

Unreleased/off album: Anna / Medicine / Half the World Away

Gifted: Just a Little Bit of Your Heart / Someday / Alfie’s Song / Changes (Cam)

Covers: girl crush / you’re still the one / over the rainbow / toxic / ultralight beam

HS1: meet me in the hallway / sign of the times / Carolina / two ghosts / sweet creature / only angel / kiwi / ever since new york / woman / from the dining table

HS2: golden / watermelon sugar / adore you / lights up / cherry / falling / to be so lonely / she / sunflower vol 6 / canyon moon / treat people with kindness / fine line

HS3: as it was / 

Louis’ Projects/Promo: Two of Us / Walls / Away From Home Festival / LTWT

Louis’ Music:

Unreleased/ off album: just hold on / copy of a copy of a copy / just like you / back to you / miss you / change

Gifted: changes (blackbear)

Covers: 7 / mr. brightside / beautiful war

LT1: kill my mind / don’t let it break your heart / two of us / we made it / too young / walls / habit / always you / fearless / perfect now / defenceless / only the brave

LT2: 

One Direction’s Music: still the one / happily / right now / something great / strong / perfect / home / stockholm syndrome / fool’s gold / if I could fly

#tags

[xfilesfanficexchange]

Missing Scene Exchange Fics in Chronological Order

With all the Missing Scene Exchange fics in, I wanted to make a thread for anyone who hasn't read them! 

In this chronological order, you'll be able to see Mulder and Scully's relationship grow over time through these missing scenes <3

Ao3 Collection Link Here

"Celestial Bodies" (Syzygy) 

Scully and Mulder let their feelings fly after a particularly strange case pushes them to their limits. 

"Across the Sea" (Memento Mori) 

Mulder and Margaret Scully talk after Scully's diagnosis, and Maggie reflects on her daughter, her partner, and their journey so far. 

"A Night Stolen" (Small Potatoes) 

What happened after Mulder found Scully with Eddie Van Blundht? Fill in the missing scenes between that moment and when they visit him in jail

"Partners in Love and Crime" (Redux I) 

Scully knows she'll be called to identify a body. Mulder asks her to lie and say it was him. What happens? Does Mulder feel guilty? Is Scully hesitant? 

"Rebehold the Stars" (Redux II) 

“Thence we came forth to rebehold the stars” he murmured, more to himself than her, his voice low and tender, his gaze never leaving Scully's. 

"Is This Living?" (Post-Redux II) 

What happens after Mulder picks Scully up from the hospital after her miraculous recovery from cancer? 

"Ashes to Ashes" (The End) 

While taking in the burnt remains of their office, the only thing capable of snapping Mulder out of his numbness is the sudden realization that Scully needs him. 

"The Sick Rose" (One Son) 

What if they were in a developing/established relationship and Mulder finds Scully alone in his apartment after the "making it personal" comment? 

"Calm Before the Storm" (Agua Mala) 

Another hurricane throws a wrench into Mulder & Scully's travel plans. 

"Meet the Petries" (Arcadia) 

Mulder and an almost drunk Scully discuss their aliases pre-Arcadia. 

"A Case of You" (Three of a Kind) 

The Lone Gunmen make amends to Scully. Mulder eavesdrops on Scully singing Joni Mitchell. 

"Shroomality" (Field Trip)

They just survived a shroom trip that nearly killed them! Anyone else who shares that experience would talk about it. Would it change their dynamic at all? 

The timeline gets a little wonky here:

The Unnatural (April 24, IRL baseball reference)

Three of a Kind (July 9-11 99, IRL convention dates)

Field Trip (April 19, Official XF Archives book)

Dr. Parenti's file indicates Per Manum happened June 18th 99, so, I'll just put it here?

"Never Give Up On A Miracle" (Per Manum) 

What happened after Mulder and Scully learned that the IVF didn’t work? 

"the things they say in the dark" (Amor Fati) 

If there is one truth she can't deny, it's that those who love this man are both blessed and stricken for their loyalty. 

"Running Up That Hill" (Sein und Zeit) 

Scully stays to comfort Mulder after he learns the truth about his mother's death. Leading up to when Skinner knocks on the door the next morning. 

"We’re Not Here To Get Involved in Personal Problems" (X-Cops) 

After the events of X-Cops, What happens in the weary early morning hours of February 21, 2000. 

"Butterfly Kisses" (all things) 

The fluorescent light of the aquarium casts a warm glow over her and alerts her to the fact that she did fall asleep on his couch. 

"An Exploration of Fate" (all things) 

What followed the conversation on the couch ... has romance blossomed for Mulder & Scully? 

"Match/Strike/Fire: 'Light Up It's Springtime'" (Brand X) 

What happens between Mulder waking up in the hospital and when we next see them at the office with the pack of smokes.

"Good Times on the Bureau's Dime" (Hollywood A.D.) 

Mulder and Scully have the Bureau credit card. What do they do? 

"Three Conversations" (Three Words) 

What happens after we cut away from the scene where Scully takes Mulder home? 

"Philotes" (Empedocles) 

What do Mulder and Scully talk about and do after the gift scene? In this next scene he doesn't leave, and they talk more. 

"forty eight hours." (Existence)

How did the two days following Existence pan out? How did it transpire that Mulder went on the run? What was that conversation like between Mulder & Scully? 

"She Has A Stick to Pee On" (My Struggle IV)

How does Scully find out she's pregnant? What's her thought process in staying home vs going with Mulder? Reaction to Skinner's news we didn't see? 

#XFMissing2021 #Mulder #Scully #msr #fanfiction #x files #x files fanfic #missing scenes

[1ddiscourseoftheday]

Mon 15 Feb ‘21

Nothing wakes you up like a “hope everyone is doing alright!” from Louis! But how are YOU, he was asked. “Really good thank you! Motivated”, he said and “I've been doing a lot of thinking about my next record. It's going to be special! No concrete plans because I don't need that pressure while I'm writing. I'm sure I will have something out this year but unlikely that will be the album. Who knows though!” What song is the best bridge to the new record- “Great question. Walls, only the brave, kill my mind, copy of a copy,” (FUCK YES LT2 is gonna be SO GOOD and the callout to fan fave OTB? yes) and about a studio version of Copy, “Still in two minds. Maybe one day,” but new merch will be “soon” (that...word....) Anyway so exciting, love that he’s working and writing and thinking about when that stuff will be heard- the post time (roughly 9 am PST/ 17 GMT) is exactly his usual ‘I am working and here I am to provide some bi weekly fan service’ time, and Louis being back in work mode sounds like GOOD NEWS FOR US! Maybe we’ll even get to see his 29 year old face someday! Anyway he wraps it up and signs off with “Just want to acknowledge everyone who has helped with Defenceless. These moments make me immensely proud and reinforces with your support we're unstoppable.” We’re Unstoppable, Stream Only The Brave, OMG Louis, Next Record, I’m Excited, I Love You, and Clifford (um?) trended.

Nothing like Louis tweets to put everyone in a good mood! Wellll… not that good though. Yesterday’s complaining that not every person who worked on DWD specifically named Harry in their thank you notes did die down, but only because they were eclipsed by people complaining that Olivia Wilde did write about him. She posted a pic from set (Harry as Jack perched atop a very stylish vintage convertible) with a long caption applauding her supporting star, praising him for being willing to set aside his ego and allow the film to be “female-led” and Florence Pugh to shine, adding “he didn’t have to join our circus, but he jumped on board” and praising...his driving??! Uh, that is NOT what most people say… Anyway other than it being a lot of praise to merely say hey this guy was a decent human and that part about his driving skills reinforcing that they’ve probably never spent a non working second together off set, a perfectly normal and professional post-shoot post, but the tabloids are here to make everything ridiculous, never fear! First the Daily Mail posted a story last night about how Olivia had been photographed “returning to ex Jason’s house” “bearing Valentine’s gifts,” (1, those would be the post filming gifts most likely, 2, Jason is in London) and that Harry was “nowhere in sight” (now THIS I believe!). But then! Today Page Six reported that Olivia was seen (and pap pics were dutifully produced) moving her suitcases into “Harry’s house” and the Daily Mail CHANGED THEIR ARTICLE so it now says she’s packing up her things and moving in with Harry! Lol sure. Given that that house actually belongs to Jeff and Harry was rumored to be flying back to the UK today I actually find it plausible she might be planning to stay there for a bit post filming (ETA, OH! or bringing her stuff over to fly to the UK, where her kids are! IE share a private plane ride YOU KNOW WHAT this makes GOOD SOLID SENSE) but just as likely this is sheer nonsense. I guess with filming over we’ll have to live without the high key ridiculousness of “Harry is designing dresses for their wedding”, there was really nowhere to go but downhill from there. Oh well; anyway Joni Mitchell tweeted about the one year anniversary of Harry covering her song, Big Yellow Taxi! Very cool.

A tattoo artist posted a pic of Zayn’s arm showing two brand new pieces-- a large script reading ‘ICARUS’ and one of the NIL cover faces (red). Also partially visible, another unseen tattoo, fully healed- is it a lioness with Gigi’s face? (yes it’s pretty much as weird as you’re picturing) Ztans speculate that it’s a reference to Khai’s birth, which we were told by Gigi reminded Zayn of a lioness’ birth in a documentary they had watched, and tbh WHY NOT I would believe he would get that tattooed on his body, the weirdo.

#louis tomlinson #harry styles #zayn #Louis certainly knows about songwriting under time pressure love that he can be like I did that I did not like it and now I will simply not #holivia #gigi hadid #joni mitchell #15 feb 21 #I suspect we'll be hearing more about this Olivia and Harry on a plane thing tomorrow #which cracks me up as I assume Louis is also on that plane #guess Eleanor's housesit is ending

[seasurfacefullofclouds1]

i feel like LT2 is going to have major nostalgia vibes based on what we've seen so far, which is exciting. after two years in a pandemic, a global sabbatical from normalcy, i don't think anyone would mind basking in that cozy warmth of the good old days. Louis already has that vintage britpop-meets-indie-rock sound down in terms of both his vocals and production, his songwriting is v anthemic and uplifting, and he knows how to convey optimism without sounding preachy or superficial. it feels like the stars have really aligned in terms of making his record topical. a lot of the other artists I've seen confronting the pandemic through songwriting have gone the "woe is me" or "warn society" route, which hasn't panned out well.

just for fun, if you were louis, what would you make 369 mean in the grand scheme of things? what album rollout activities would you plan to maXimIzE the fUN!!!

Judging by the two new songs, Copy3 and Change, I would agree with the nostalgic vibe for LT2!

The Britpop genre was already a melancholic movement - remember that Britpop and British glam pop were contemporaneous (1990’s), both looking back about two decades to their predecessors (Beatles, Queen, Sex Pistols, Bowie, ELO, Brian Eno etc.).

British indie pop today has the same elements of wistfulness and reminiscence— a garage rock live sound married to an emo state of mind.

Unfortunately in this genre, sometimes the vibe gets — sort of stuck. The melody may sound monotonous, or the narrative is clichéd (“I hated my upbringing but also miss it, the government is shit, people are fake”), or the emotions are maudlin and inadequate to meet the intensity of the music. And sometimes the bands don’t really know the music history; they just copy the sound.

Louis not only understands the history, he also has the gift of being able to write a banging pop tune— and knowing whether it’s good enough, having done it dozens of times. Louis is a rhythm guy (listen to the complex percussion in songs like No Control), but he also writes an incredibly anthemic chorus.

Louis is also self-critical enough (he calls it “pedantic”) to walk that fine line between authenticity and pleasing the audience-- not an easy task. Too self-indulgent and the song becomes abstruse; too “pop” and a song can sound pandering (like most of the Today’s Top Hits playlist).

You can hear Louis refer to 60’s-70’s British rock and American blues-folk pop in the harmonies of both songs: the harmonic 7th modulations in the verse of Change, the key modulation in the guitar slide to the chorus in Copy3. The switching back and forth between major and minor keys is also a nostalgic trick (Simon & Garfunkel did it a lot, Joni Mitchell).

So about the 369 puzzle… fandom has been very patient playing Louis’ game, buying the merch and posting theories.

But I think fandom would feel very played if there’s never any revelation and we’re left hanging.

If there is a resolution, and if I were Louis’ team, I would:

• Release clues throughout the tour. This can be in the form of merch that further develop the puzzle (hint: I would like an avocado-colored jumper please), new songs, a music video or some short film.

• Release a single during tour (or EP)

• Tie 369 to Walls era, so we can see the evolution from one to the other

• Give us a hint to colors for LT2: maybe lilac, powder blue, and avocado green beanies, bracelets, jumpers

• Give us hints for a 7-month-long scavenger hunt all over the world. Make it global. Engage fans in locations where he can’t tour, including India, Japan, China.

[underachievers-please-try-harder]

Interview // Clairo

For The Guardian. Read online. 

Exuding all the effusive pride of a new parent, Claire Cottrill is showing me photos of Joanie, her rescue dog and the muse for her forthcoming album, Sling. “She’s actually really bossy,” the Massachusetts-raised artist better known as Clairo chuckles over Zoom, holding her phone close to the laptop screen so I can see the Instagram post more clearly. “But she’s so funny. We have such a special bond.”

According to a DNA test, the sandy-furred pup is mostly chow chow and great pyrenees, with a little bit of boxer and lab in the mix, which accounts for the fact she has tripled in size in the six-and-a-bit months since her adoption. “She was a little wolf baby; a peanut!” the 22-year-old singer-songwriter exclaims, mooning nostalgically over one particular image depicting the then seven-week-old puppy peeking out of some bushes.

Dog ownership might have become quite the ultimate lockdown cliche, but for Cottrill committing to a pet represented a rare opportunity to lay down some roots. Certainly, pre-pandemic she hadn’t had much chance to pursue a life of quiet domesticity; not since the autumn of 2018 at least, when the lo-fi bedroom pop of Pretty Girl went viral, just weeks after she started college in Syracuse.

Its winningly DIY video racked up more than 1.5m YouTube views pretty much overnight (it now stands at almost 75m), and Cottrill was heralded as a vital new voice, and part of a wave of creatively autonomous, emotionally articulate Gen Z artists, alongside the likes of Billie Eilish and Rex Orange County.

Cottrill’s rapid rise – not to mention her signing with the Fader label and Chance the Rapper’s management team – was not without controversy. A small but vocal subset on Reddit circulated the rumour that Cottrill was an “industry plant”, a conclusion they arrived at following their discovery that her father Geoff was previously chief marketing officer at Converse and co-founder of its affiliated recording studio Rubber Tracks. She has recently addressed the allegations directly, telling Rolling Stone, “I definitely am not blind to the fact that things have been easier for me.”

Largely though, Cottrill has sought to prove her detractors wrong through the quality of her compositions. First came Diary 001, an esoteric, six-track set mining skeletal hip-hop and the wipe-clean grooves of PC Music-inspired pop. That was followed in August 2019 by Immunity, the full-length debut she co-produced with ex-Vampire Weekend man Rostam Batmanglij. More revelatory than Diary 001, it detailed a suicide attempt (Alewife) and her struggles with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (I Wouldn’t Ask You) with striking candour. Sonically, it paired tender, electronics-tinged introspection with swooning guitar-pop. Sofia, which now boasts 280m streams on Spotify, catapulted Cottrill into another league of fame entirely, leading to collaborations with Charli XCX, Mura Masa and Arlo Parks, plus arena tours in support of Khalid and Tame Impala.

Cottrill was busy with the latter when Covid hit the US. On hearing the news, she headed straight to Atlanta, Georgia, to see out lockdown with family, a period of isolation originally scheduled to last a fortnight but which went on for eight months.

Just how intense was it spending the best part of a year holed up with her parents? “It was awesome,” she insists, now back at the Brooklyn apartment she shares with fellow musicians and former college pals Claud and Josh Mehling. “My older sister came home as well. And I found it interesting that no matter how much you’ve progressed as an adult in your own life, the family roles revert back to exactly how it was as a kid.”

First and foremost, enforced confinement provided the opportunity for Cottrill to deepen her relationship with her mother.

“The conversations I had with my mom about motherhood, and the things she sacrificed for us, are really important to me,” she says. “Also, it’s like you don’t actually know who your mother is before she’s Mom, before she’s Wife, because there isn’t a huge documentation of who she was as an individual. And I realised that I might be in the period of my life now where I’m in my individual phase: before I am Mom, before I am Wife, or whatever I end up being. It was a bit scary to recognise that I could eventually have a family, and then this whole identity that I’ve had on my own for a long time can, in some ways, disappear.”

These existential ideas form the basis of Cottrill’s much-anticipated second album. Recorded in the autumn of 2020 at Allaire Studios – situated on a mountain top in upstate New York – Sling finds Jack Antonoff co-producing. Perhaps more significantly, the record also features backing vocals from Lorde – on Reaper as well as the lead single Blouse – an alliance that led to Cottrill returning the favour on the New Zealander’s latest, Solar Power.

“I met Lorde [when I was] on FaceTime with Jack,” she says of the link-up. “He was like: ‘Hey, I’m with a friend, can we say hi?’, and it was Lorde. And I freaked out, of course, but she’s the nicest person ever.

“We talked a lot about how cool it was in the Laurel Canyon era, where people would secretly do background vocals on each other’s music – like Joni Mitchell with Carole King – rather than as a way to benefit the business side of things. Back then it was just like: ‘I love your voice: will you lend your talent to my song?’ So that’s what I asked her, and I was just lucky enough that she wanted me on hers as well.”

The legacy of Laurel Canyon looms over Sling, which swaps the sparse electronic flourishes of Immunity for lush, acoustic folk, often embellished with swooning vocal harmonies, delicate strings and the warm swell of brass. Reference points for the record included Hejira-era Mitchell, the Carpenters and Harry Nilsson, alongside less obvious touchpoints, such as cult jazz musician Blossom Dearie. Most influential, perhaps, was Innocence & Despair by the Langley Schools Music Project, which features a choir of 1970s school kids covering hits of the day, and has since been hailed as a significant piece of outsider art.

“To me, that record merged my two worlds for Sling,” Cottrill explains. “I wanted that warm 70s feeling, but also I was thinking so much about kids, and especially the clumsy, sweet kid that Joanie embodies.”

There is a darker side to the record too, as Cottrill grapples with the reality of life navigating an industry that she memorably describes – on Bambi – as “a universe designed against my own beliefs”. On Blouse she describes her experiences being sexualised by record execs, while on Management she parodies the industry’s fascination with youth in lines like “She’s only 22”.

“[The attitude is] ‘There’s a lot more that we can squeeze out of her before she’s done.’ Because I think that what this industry does a lot is drain young women of everything until they’re not youthful any more.”

For Cottrill, as much as Sling is an album, it is a document of her endeavours to reassess what it is she wants from life. And adopting Joanie was only the first step: in two weeks’ time she plans to move into the house she recently purchased, in a tiny Massachusetts town in close proximity to both the Berkshire and Catskill mountains.

“It’s so awful that it took something like lockdown happening for me to reevaluate how I wanted to move forward. But it’s now about putting my mental health first, because I deserve to have nice things that I do care about. [Things] outside of music, like a house and a dog.”

As we say goodbye, I get another glimpse of Joanie, who has been snoozing throughout the interview. Sprawled on the floor at the end of Cottrill’s bed, blissfully unaware of her significance in our conversations, it’s a pretty fitting encapsulation of the pace of life that Cottrill has finally embraced.

#interview #interviews #tearsheet #tearsheets #guardian #the guardian #the guide #clairo #sling #claire cottrill

[javajunkieao3]

Beth/Benny Fic: You Turn Me On I’m a Radio

Beth never believed she could find anything that satisfies her as much as chess, but then she ended up underneath Benny Watts – and on top – and it was as if a flip went off in her head.  Before him, she didn’t understand what all the fuss was about sex.  At first, it felt like a rite of passage.  After that, a sort of relationship currency.  Sex was just something she did, not anything she particularly enjoyed.  But then those speed chess games happened, and what happened after, and she got it.  

           And then Benny tells her it’s never going to happen again.

           “It was the beer and chess,” he says the next morning.

           “There’s always beer and chess,” she argues lightly.  “I don’t see what difference that made.”

           “It made a difference,” he says.  His voice is strangled.  Nowhere near convincing, but he sticks to his story and she thinks, fine, try to pretend it won’t happen again.  It now becomes her mission to make sure that it does.

           She uses all the usual reinforcements.  The habitable bomb shelter, as she lovingly referred to his apartment, had worn away some of her finer inclinations, but she brings them back in full force.  A touch of lipstick.  Perfume dabbed behind her ears and just below the dip of her neckline.  When she passes him in the apartment, she can see him tighten his grip on his coffee cup.  

            “You know that stuff gives you cancer,” he says gruffly one afternoon.

           “What stuff?”

           “The perfume.”

           She stares at him.  “It causes cancer?  Where did you read that?”

           “Somewhere.”

           “Somewhere,” she repeats, nodding slowly.  “What a reputable source.”

           “I know what you’re doing,” he says.  “And it’s not going to work.  You can’t seduce me.”

           “Who says I’m trying to seduce you?”

            Benny walks past her to the refrigerator and says, “It’s not going to happen.”

-----

           One night they are at a local bar and Cleo stands next to Beth, both of them with their backs pressed against the bar.  Benny had just left them, and Cleo says, “You two have slept together, haven’t you?”

           Beth looks over, surprised.  “You can tell?”

           Cleo grins.  “A woman can always tell.  How was it?”

           Beth’s cheeks flush and Cleo’s grin widens.  “Good boy.  I am glad to see I taught him well.”

           Beth’s eyes widen.  “You and Benny…”

           “Ancient history,” Cleo says with a flick of her hand.  “But, yes.”

           “Not that it matters,” Beth says.  “According to Benny, it is never happening again.”

           Cleo laughs and says, “Famous last words.”

-----

           The training for Paris picks up and Beth forgets about her efforts to rediscover the post-speed-chess-coitus.  They play chess at all hours of the day and night, Beth often collapsing onto the air mattress fully clothed, not even having enough energy to pull the cover up over her.  Benny is a patient teacher, but even he can start to see that her nerves are fraying.  He proposes that they take an afternoon off and they walk down to Central Park, the sunlight warming their otherwise pale faces on the cold afternoon.  On their way back, it starts to snow and about a block from his apartment, the snow turns to sleet.  They run the rest of the way and when they get inside, they are both wet and frozen.

           “Well, that took a turn, huh?”  Benny says, stripping off his coat.  

           “I think that is proof we should never go outside again.”

           Beth peels her sodden coat off of her, teeth chattering.  Her hat hadn’t done much to protect her hair from the sleet and it sticks to her face like it had been painted there.  Benny walks over with a towel and hands it to her.  She rubs at her hair, trying to get as much of the moisture out as possible, and when she finishes she notices that he is watching her.  His hair is flopped down in front of his face, and she watches a drop of water hang precariously, waiting to drop.  He doesn’t push the chunk of hair away and her hand itches to do it herself.  And so, she steps forward and she does.  She can see him swallow hard before he drops his mouth to hers and kisses her.

           “After all the lipstick and perfume, this does it for you?” she asks with a soft grin.

           She is pretty sure she looks like a wet dog, and smells like one, too.

           He frames her face with his hand, tilting her face up toward his.  “It was never about the lipstick and perfume.”

           And then he is kissing her again, and she thinks about how the other time it probably had been a little bit about the beer and chess, but now it is only about her.  She had caught sight of herself in the reflection of the window when they came in, and there is nothing alluring about her in this moment, but he is kissing her soundly, one arm banding around her waist as he walks them back to his bedroom.  Both of their fingers are somewhat numb from their shared failure to bring gloves for their Central Park trip, and Benny shakes his head when he tries to ineffectually undo the buttons on the back of her dress.

           “Here,” Beth says, turning around.  She takes his hands in hers and begins to rub them.  

           “I don’t think that will work.”

           “You don’t know that.”

           “I think I have frostbite.”

           She grins.  “You don’t have frostbite.”  

           “Do you know this from your vast experience with frostbite?”

           “I think there’s a way to bypass the buttons.”

           She sits him at the edge of the bed and shimmies the skirt of her dress up her hips before settling on his lap.  Benny grins, palming her waist.

           “Good thinking.”

           She leans forward and kisses him, wrapping her arms around his neck.  She can feel him beneath her, and she wants nothing more than to get going with what they had started, but something makes her stop.  She pulls back so that they are at eye level.

           “Do you want this?” she asks.

           “Are you really asking me that right now?”

           “You said it would never happen again. Repeatedly.”

           He sighs, his hands settling on her thighs. “I thought it would complicate things. Which, it probably will.  But, I don’t really care anymore.”

           “I was that good?” she jokes.

           He holds her gaze and murmurs, “Yes, you are.”

           Beth feels her breath catch in her throat and suddenly she is nervous.  It had just been sex before, but this is different.  Part of her wants to run, but thankfully, that part is outvoted and she leans forward and kisses him.  A few minutes ago, she had been frozen, but now her entire body burns as she reaches down and unbuttons his pants.   He pushes them down, his arm winding around her waist as he lifts his hips, and then she is sinking down onto him.  They move in tandem, foreheads pressed together, and improbably, perched on Benny’s lap on the edge of his bed, Beth understands for the first time why some people call it an act of love.

-----

           Paris comes, just as they knew it always would, and Benny drives her to the airport.  He’s quiet on the drive and she knows what he’s thinking.  Their relationship had shifted and grown in the Paris-bubble they had made for themselves.  Like a perfect scene inside a snow globe.  Who knew what happened when they both returned to their regular life.  Kentucky for her.  Nighttime poker games for him.  

           “I’ll call you when you get back,” Benny says, and she realizes that she has no idea if what he’s saying is true.

           “Okay.”

           “Or you can call me.”

           She smiles slightly.  “What if we both just think the other is calling?”

           He nods his head.  “That would be unfortunate.”

           On impulse, she leans forward and kisses him. He tastes familiar now, like her favorite coffee or ice cream flavor.  

           “I could come with you,” he says.

           “The flight is probably booked.”

           “Then I’ll take another one.  The tournament is a few days.”

           Beth kisses him again.  “I’ll be okay.”

           She senses they could have another round or two of this, so she forces herself out of the car, grabbing her luggage from the back seat.  As she walks away, Benny calls for her.  She turns back.

           “Beat him, okay?”

           Beth nods.  “I’m planning on it.”

A/N:  I came up with this idea when listening to Joni Mitchell’s “You Turn Me On I’m A Radio”.  It’s a great song if you haven’t heard it.  I hope you enjoyed this!

#The Queen's Gambit #Beth Harmon #Benny Watts #Beth Harmon x Benny Watts #fanfiction

[agentlyla]

What’s going on?

Taylor Swift replied to a “joke” included in a new Netflix show commenting on the sexism behind it. The joke is “you go through men like Taylor Swift” which refers to the idea that Swift dates too many men too quickly. This idea is related to the belief that Swift only writes songs about her exes and the labeling of her as a “serial dater” by the media.

Why does it matter?

Swift has been dealing with sexist comments like the above joke for about a decade now. These comments suggest that Swift has dated an unacceptable amount of men during her career. Swift’s career started in 2006 with her debut album and continues to this day (in March 2021) for a total of almost 15 years. In that time, she has dated 9 men. You can decide if that’s too many.

Her eight breakups range from 2008 to 2016 and those years correlate with her being 18 to 26 years old. Those years also correlate with the release of four albums that continue Swift’s autobiographical style established by her debut CD. The speed of the relationships, often lasting a few months, gathered disapproval from the public and the autobiographical nature of Swift’s albums led to the media labeling her as a “serial dater.” This label spread the idea that Swift was dating for sport and using the men in order to fuel her music production. 

This backlash ignored the possibility that Swift was trying to find love like one would expect from a young woman in her twenties. Sexism plays into this label as well because it ignores the fact that Swift creates music in the same way that many male artists do. Writing music based off of one’s experiences is not new but Swift is the artist to receive the label. The common comparison is made between Taylor Swift and Ed Sheeran, who have collaborated on two of Swift’s albums (in 2012 and 2017), since they both write from personal experience. While Sheeran faces criticism, it is usually focused on his music not his dating life. Yes, men are also critiqued for having many exes or for being promiscuous, but I would argue that one of the most popular female musicians being heavily criticized for her sexuality is not an accident. It devalues her work and downplays her songwriting abilities.

Joe Alwyn, a British actor, is Swift’s current significant other who she has been with for over four years. Over that time, Swift has released four albums. The two pop albums released in 2017 and 2019 fall into the autobiographical category while the two indie albums released in 2020 do not in most regards. Fans may point out tracks such as “epiphany” and “marjorie” which are inspired by Swift’s grandparents as well as “invisible string” and “long story short” concerning her relationship with Alwyn as proof of autobiographical elements on these albums. However, these albums also include songs such as “betty,” “dorothea,” “no body, no crime,” and “cowboy like me” about fictional characters and situations. Swift also tells the story of Rebekah Harkness in “the last great american dynasty” on folklore.

This shows that Swift does not only write breakup songs. Looking back, one will find songs from the rest of her career that are not focused on her love life as the media would lead you to believe. “The Best Day” off Swift’s sophomore album is about her relationship with her mother. “Long Live” is about her cherished relationship with her fans. “Innocent” is Swift’s forgiving response to Kanye West who interrupted her acceptance speech at the VMAs in 2009. “The Lucky One” is inspired by other female singer-songwriters such as Joni Mitchell and life in the limelight. Also, Swift’s hit “Blank Space” is the satirical response to the “serial dater” persona, not a serious confirmation of it as many may think.

Final Thoughts

I saw a lot of childish conversations happening in response to Swift’s tweet and wanted to contribute something more factual and professional to the discourse. There’s more I could say but these points are most important to me. Hopefully this post allows you to better understand why Swift is frustrated.

For more information watch Miss Americana on Netflix. It is of course biased, but you can learn more about the impact of sexism on Swift’s career, her eating disorder, and her sexual assault trial.

Thank you for reading. I wish you the best.

#taylor swift #twitter #music #blank space #argumentative piece #opinion #sexism #music industry

[365days365movies]

February 27, 2021: Love Actually (Part 2)

In case you hadn’t noticed by now...this movie is a lot.

I won’t dwell, and I’ll get back into All Around, but just trust me...this is a bit too much. All I know is that they packed way too much in this film, which is also somehow too long? It’s a lot, yeah? OK, first part of the Recap is right here, let’s get into the second half before I lose my nerve.

Recap (2/2)

So, good news is, Rodrigo and Sarah start dancing at the party, then start to hook up at her place! But the sad news (not bad, just sad) is that it’s interrupted by calls from her brother, Michael (Michael Fitzgerald), a very mentally ill man who lives in an asylum. Their love affair is cut short, and Sarah visits him the next day, where he lashes out at her and claims the nurses are trying to kill him, before being subdued. YIKES. Fuckin’s whiplash.

A little more sadness, as Karen’s convinced that Harry’s fallen out of love with her, having seen how he interacted with the attractive Mia at the party. That’s going to cause some friction, I’m sure. This is folllowed by Mia’s flirtations the following afternoon, which are once again accepted by Harry with no words to the contrary. He also calls her as he’s out, and he appears to be giving into the flirtation, rather than denying them. And as he’s meeting Karen for shopping! Dammit, Harry.

At the store, he buys a necklace for Mia from jewelry salesman Rufus (Rowan Atkinson!). Rufus asks is Harry wants the necklace gift-wrapped, and he agrees. And Rufus...Rufus is the best gift-wrapper of all time. Seriously, the man is a fucking ARTIST. His attention to detail is astonishing, and I love him. Harry doesn’t, as it’s taking way to long. YOU CANNOT RUSH PERFECTION, HARRY! But, yeah, it’s taking too long, and Karen shows up. Harry abandons the necklace, and poor devoted Rufus.

One week until Christmas, as holiday shenanigans take place with everybody! Jamie’s learning Portuguese for Aurélia. Colin (yeah, remember him?) is headed to America, while his roommate Tony is back to work at the film set, where Judy and Jack are being stand-ins for a myriad of sex positions, and Jack asks Judy on a date, which she accepts! A very cute couple, all things considered. They go out on a date on Christmas Eve, and the two kiss on the doorstep. They are legitimately adorable.

Colin arrives at a bar in the United States, and as soon as he orders a beer, his accent IMMEDIATELY draws the attention of Stacey, Jeannie, and Carol-Anne (Ivana Miličević, January Jones, and Elisha Cuthbert). And...IT FUCKING WORKED? These girls are all immediately into him, and invite him to stay with them at their place. However, they only have a small bed, and no couch. Not to mention the fourth girl, Harriet. But he bites the bullet, and accepts the invitation. And once he gets there, the sex proceeds in shadow. I cannot believe it worked, and it’s kind of hilarious.

Meanwhile, the jig is up for Harry. He did indeed get the necklace, and Karen finds it in his pocket before Christmas, assuming that it’s for her. However, when Christmas comes, Harry gives her a Joni Mitchell CD instead, and she realizes that the necklace was for Mia. Which is...shattering. Karen’s extremely hurt by this, fucking understandably.

Christmas Eve! Billy Mack’s song, despite the odds being completely against him, has reached the number one spot on the charts. He appears to be quite happy at a party celebrating him, although his manager appear slightly less so. Wonder why. Jamie, meanwhile, heads to the airport, quite on impulse. Wonder why.

Karl bids Sarah a good night and a Merry Christmas, and she cries when she realizes that their chance of getting together again is shot. Damn. She goes to visit her brother, and I gotta say - she’s a very loving sister. And then...well, it’s the scene. The most famous scene in the movie. You know the one.

And here’s the thing about this scene: is it superficially romantic? Yeah, sure, I guess. And it’s true that Mark doesn’t actually expect anything to come from this, but...this is still an AMAZINGLY shitty thing to do to someone in a committed relationship that involves your friend. Because it could potentially sabotage their relationship. I mean, maybe she’d be tempted to kiss you in a brief moment of infidelity that initially seems romantic, but is kinda fucked up when you really think about it.

Yeah, yeah, LITERALLY JUST LIKE THAT

OK, after that terrible idea, Bill shows up by surprise at his manager Joe’s place, and notes that he could be going to a big party at this point, but Christmas is a time to spend with his family and loved ones, and that the closest thing to that is, in fact, his manager, who is in fact the love of his life. Not sure if that’s necessarily romantic, but that is still sweet. Anyway, they get drunk and watch porn together. Yup.

David, meanwhile, gets a bevy of Christmas cards, one of which comes from Natalie. She apologizes for the kiss situation, and refers to herself as “Your Natalie”. Time to get in the fuckin’ car, David. He drives down to her neighborhood, and goes from door-to-door until he finds Natalie’s place. Her and her entire family are headed to a school concert, and David offers to give her and her little brother a lift there.

On the way there, the two begin to admit their feelings for one another, and Natlie notes that the President forced herself on her, but nothing else happened. While he’s reluctant about the whole affair, she brings him into the concert backstage. As he enters, he runs into his sister Katie, who’s glad to see him, and is clearly holding back tears because of the Harry situation. Judy and Jack are also there, as well as Daniel and Sam (who’s in the concert).

The kids’ concert takes place, and its headed by a solo from Sam’s crush, Joanna (Olivia Olson), who...WAIT, OLIVIA OLSON? As in...

...Huh. Of all the members of this ensemble cast, she’s the one I least expected! But OK! As expected, she’s an excellent singer, and headlines a rendition of Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas”. Which seems mildly inappropriate for a kid’s concert, but whatever, sure. She points at various people when saying “is you” in the song, but never at Sam, who’s on the drums. Oof. Sorry, buddy.

The song ends, and the curtain drops, and...

Well, uh...shit. I ean, I’m happy for them both, but David’s officially FUCKED at this point. However, the crowd seems to receive it very well, and that’s lucky. The night ends, and everyone disbands for the night. Harry and Karen are amongst them, and Karen confronts him. She asks what would he do if he were in her position, revealing her knowledge about the necklace. And it’s...affecting, goddamn. He’s made a fool of himself and of her, and she’s struggling.

Daniel congratulates Sam about his performance, but notes that it didn’t work Still, Daniel encourages him to tell Joanna his feelings for her, and he goes to get his things first. Daniel bumps into Carol (Claudia Schiffer), and there’s a connection. Daniel and Sam go to speak with Joanna, but they’re on their way to the airport. They run to meet her there, like in a terrible romance movie. Wait - 

At the airport, Daniel and Sam are too late, but decide to make a run for it while Rufus (KING OF GIFT WRAPPERS) is holding up the attendant while looking for his boarding pass. Sam bolts, unnoticed, and Rufus walks away, giving Daniel a knowing look as he passes by, LIKE A KING. Sam bolts through the metal detectors, as the post-9/11 airport attendants RIGHTFULLY FREAK OUT ABOUT THIS WHOLE SITUATION. However, they’re once again distracted by Billy Mack on TV and he catches up to Joanna before being taken away by the fuzz. However, she gives him a kiss on the cheek, and Sam and Daniel hug. Supportive father-son relationship is sweet. 

Jamie goes to find Aurélia in Portugal, and the entire village ends up following him until getting to the restaurant were he works, and proposes to her in INSANELY broken Portuguese, which is hilarious. And she accepts...IN ENGLISH! Which is saccharine as fuck...but also sweet.

We cut to a month later, and everybody’s at the airport for the Epilogue. And we’re gonna do this...well, bit by bit.

Billy Mack and Joe: Career’s going well, and a comeback is imminent. Not in a romantic relationship, but still extremely close friends...I think.

Juliet, Peter, and Mark: Juliet and Peter are still together; Mark is still single, seemingly. They meet up with...

Jamie and Aurélia: Coming to England for the first time together, and still in love.

Daniel and Sam: Went to see Joanna at the airport, and Daniel is now dating Carol, which is nice!

Harry and Karen: Oof, icy. They definitely don’t appear to be on good terms, and we never learn why Harry’s been away, but yeah. Not looking good for their relationship, understandably.

Jack and Judy: Married! FUCK YEAH! Adorable. They run into...

Colin and Tony: Colin’s back, and he’s brought back Harriet (Shannon Elizabeth) and her sister Carla (Denise Richards), who IMMEDIATELY takes a liking to Tony and they make out at the gate. Can’t believe that Colin was right, goddamn.

David and Natalie: David’s back from a visit somewhere overseas, and he and Natalie happily reunite right in front of the press, and it’s sweet.

And we’re full-circle, as countless people at the airport reunite in loving embraces. And, I gotta say...it is sweet, but you ever been to a crowded airport around Christmastime? Dude, I’ve been to JFK around that time period, and lemme tell you, it’s less happy reunions, and more pissed-off TSA, lost luggage, stressed out EVERYBODY, and Cinnabon. That last one’s not a complaint...I just really want Cinnabon.

Mmmmmmmm...OH RIGHT, THAT’S All Around (AKA Love Actually). This has been...a lot. BUT, I’ll get into the whole thing in the Review! See you there!

#love actually #richard curtis #hugh grant #liam neeson #colin firth #laura linney #emma thompson #alan rickman #keira knightley #bill nighy #Lúcia Moniz #thomas sangster #andrew lincoln #Chiwetel Ejiofor #Martine McCutcheon #Martin Freeman #Joanna Page #Heike Makatsch #Nina Sosanya #rodrigo santoro #user365 #365 movie challenge #365 movies 365 days #365 Days 365 Movies #365 movies a year #romance february #usereve #dailyshowbiz #userbrittany #usercori

[foxes-that-run]

Fools gold

As well as posting about it this week, Harry referenced Case of You in Fools Gold for One Direction in 2014. California on Joni Mitchell's Blue also influenced Canyon Moon.

Similar to Case of You, it is about knowing he loves someone who doesn’t prioritize their love and continuing on. Neither 1D or Harry have played it live, though Niaill has. He's doesn't even look comfortable introducing it in this promo holding a banana??

While they are all credited for the song to MTV Jamie Scott indicated he wrote it with only Harry. He posted this photo with Harry wearing the Haylor ring on 14 September 14, they were in LA that day, while Taylor was slaying in this photo shoot in NYC.

Rolling Stone Interview

2 weeks before that photo Taylor's 1989 Rolling Stone interview came out. Which is a bit humble-braggy and possibly from her own hurt and wanting to protect the private she minimised their relationship. She said it's pointless to date if you're not in love and watching her dating has become a national past time. RS said she sounded jaded when she said her life is not conducive to bringing other people into it. She doesn't say much about Harry, but ends that section with saying Style should have been called "I’m Not Even Sorry."

To a hopeless romantic like Harry who wore he heart on his sleeve I can see why he could write a song like Fools Gold. He was much kinder to their relationship in his RS interview for example.

Four

Its on Four which also included Stockholm Syndrome. It released in 17 November 2014, 3 weeks after 1989. Harry has talked about making the album (21 mins) under mattresses in hotel rooms. There is footage that set up at 34 mins into the TV special. In that context, a 20 year old rockstar slipping in an older reference to a guitar ballard about heartbreak is a lovely glimpse of the artist he would become.

Lyrics

[Verse 1: Niall] I'm like a crow on a wire You're the shinin' distraction that makes me fly home I'm like a boat on the water You're the raise on the waves that calm my mind, oh, every time

A crow on a wire is a lonely dark figure sitting above everything, drawn to fly to the shiny Taylor. Taylor calls Harry shiny later in DBATC. Several of Harry's tattoos and songs are about coming home, Taylor was with him when he got the ship tattoo. Here, the rise of the waves is the current that brings him there, what draws him in. This Love makes the same analogy of a high tide bringing Harry back. This is a theme in later songs like Sweet Creature.

[Pre-Chorus: Harry] But I know in my heart You're not a constant star

The pre-chorus references Case of You's opening line: "Just before our love got lost you said / "I am as constant as a northern star" / And I said, "Constantly in the darkness / Where's that at? / If you want me I'll be in the bar"

The northern star is not constant, it moves. In the opening of Case of You, the muse saying "I won't be a constant for you" which leads Joni to drink. Here Harry is saying his muse is fickle.

[Chorus: Harry, All] And, yeah, I've let you use me from the day that we first met But I'm not done yet Falling for your fool's gold And I knew that you turned it on for everyone you met But I don't regret Falling for your fool's gold

Harry goes on to say he is feeling used by the muse, possibly because he doesn't see that his feelings of longing and wanting a great love are reciprocated. But he's not done, and is being constant in loving her. He sees that she is a Mirrorball, and feeling like he was played. With hindsight we know they both felt a little this way, and maybe that sentiment is why he never played this song.

[Verse 2: Liam] I'm the first to admit that I'm reckless I get lost in your beauty and I can't see two feet in front of me [Bridge: Zayn] Yeah, I know your love's not real That's not the way it feels That's not the way you feel

In the bridge Harry again says he sees it is reckless to fall for his muse, but is anyway. He is telling himself the muse doesn't feel the same way but it feels like they do. I think in hindsight, knowing they both continued in this way for another decade that it would have been confusing to have a different private and public lives. The launch of 1989 would have been the first time Taylor talked about their love in a real way, and it was minimised in most of the promos with refrains of 'the overriding feeling was anxiety'.

#haylor #one direction #one direction haylor

[pittarchives]

The “Swinging City Revolution”: Garner in the Land of the Rolling Stones

This post was written by Deanna Witkowski, pianist-composer, graduate student in Jazz Studies at the University of Pittsburgh, and author of Mary Lou Williams: Music for the Soul (Liturgical Press, August 2021).

In May and June of 1966, Erroll Garner played in London for several weeks with his longtime triomates, bassist Eddie Calhoun and drummer Kelly Martin. Leslie (Les) Perrin and Associates, publicity firm for the Rolling Stones and other big name pop acts, served as Garner’s publicist for his English tour dates. In many photos from 1966-1970, Perrin is seen with the Stones, Frank Sinatra, and Joni Mitchell. Mitchell’s website includes a feature page on Perrin with this article from a tabloid-looking paper entitled “Weekend— Feb. 25-Mar. 3, 1970.”

On June 12, after Garner had already been in England for over two weeks, Glaser typed a letter to Perrin, chastising him for not contacting her with any press coverage of Garner’s tour dates thus far—or, for that matter, with any news at all. Dispensing with formal niceties, Glaser begins her correspondence using all capital letters: “ABSOLUTELY NOTHING RECEIVED FROM YOU (EXCEPT BRIEF CABLE THIS WEEK) since tour began. Our disappointment beyond expression. We needed reviews for Variety ad. Blew the space reservation since you didn’t send reviews.”

Image from folder “Correspondence from Leslie Perrin (Associated LTD. UK Bookers),”  Erroll Garner Archive, 1942-2010, Box 1, Folder 119,  Archives & Special Collections, University of Pittsburgh Library System.

As in my earlier post on his 1959 date at Kleinhans Music Hall in Buffalo, Glaser’s letter shows the interdependence of multiple behind-the-scenes players in shaping Garner’s career. Glaser cannot move forward with future publicity needs until Perrin generates publicity for the current tour and communicates the results of that publicity with her.

Glaser pulls no punches in her critique of Perrin—and is compelled to fight these battles so that Garner can focus on his own labor: creating music. Two-thirds of the way through her letter, she writes, “I can only surmise that with the ‘swinging city revolution’ of London, as we keep reading, your office has become too busy to write us . . . Leslie—I don’t know how or why this tour is different—but your silence and the lack of any written word from [Jack] Higgins or Harold [Davison] leads me to conclude that your operations now have bigger-money projects, and that is that.”

The two other names that Glaser mentions, Jack Higgins and Harold Davison, are additional players in Garner’s British tour production and publicity. Both names appear on the final page of this program from June 11, 1966:

(Above) “Erroll Garner Souvenir Brochure London, November 6, 1966.” PicClick UK. Accessed April 5, 2021. https://picclick.co.uk/1966-Erroll-Garner-Souvenir-Brochure-London-11-06-1966-373506567730.html.

Davison is listed as being the concert presenter, with Higgins handling “promotion direction” and Dougie Tobutt handing “tour direction.”

Enclosed with her letter Glaser includes a marked-up copy of a document titled “Backgrounder to Erroll Garner,” a one-sheet apparently created by Perrin for local press reporters. Claiming to provide “a fact-a-phrase for journalists-in-a-hurry,” the document is a list of twelve bullet-point facts about Garner.

Image from folder “Correspondence from Leslie Perrin (Associated LTD. UK Bookers),”  Erroll Garner Archive, 1942-2010, Box 1, Folder 1119,  Archives & Special Collections, University of Pittsburgh Library System.

In response to two of the points, Glaser pens handwritten corrections:

Where the one-sheet reads: “ERROLL was a classmate of Dodo Marmarosa, brilliant contemporary of Charlie Parker at the advent of the bop era.”

Glaser responds:

“Garner had nothing to do with the “bop” scene—“ and “Why do you keep repeating Parker in the Garner bio?’” The truth is that Garner was indeed a childhood friend of bop pianist Marmarosa, who recorded with Parker on numerous occasions. Garner recorded with Parker as well, but was not a bop pianist, while Marmarosa was closely identified with that musical style.

 And where the sheet reads: 

“GARNER was also an early associate of Ellington’s colleague Billy Strayhorn.”

Glaser simply writes: “False info.”

In her letter, she goes into further detail on each point, writing, “I don’t know where this junk about being a contemporary etc of Parker in bog (sic) reveolution (sic) days keeps cropping up from . . .out of context, it is totally misleading.” And to the second point: “Garner and Strayhorn friends—never associates or associated, in any music situation.”

Perrin did respond to Glaser. Although his reply is undated, it likely followed soon after, as he references recent British concert dates and signs off promising “more tomorrow.” Most importantly, he sends ten quotes on Garner’s appearances from press including Melody Maker, the Evening News, and New Musical Express. He only includes this material, however, after making a snide comment: “My dear Martha, It is a warm afternoon, the shadows are creeping across the desk, and I am asking myself, “Do you think that Martha came to the Albert Hall after all? Because the concert was at the Royal Festival Hall?”

Image from folder “Correspondence from Leslie Perrin (Associated LTD. UK Bookers),”  Erroll Garner Archive, 1942-2010, Box 1, Folder 119,  Archives & Special Collections, University of Pittsburgh Library System.

Snide comment or not, Perrin produced the results that Glaser was asking for. This snapshot of two documents shows how sharp and direct she had to be in order to acquire the material she needed to continue her own work in moving Garner’s career forward.

————————

For additional listening:

Check out some of the the Garner albums included on the final page of the concert ad shown in the concert program shown above:

CBS ad:                                                                                                                Concert by the Sea 1955                                                https://www.errollgarner.com/listen-new (scroll down)

The Most Happy Piano 1956 

(Above) Audio for “Full Moon and Empty Arms” off The Most Happy Piano by Erroll Garner, originally released in 1957 by Columbia Records. 

EMI ad: A Night at the Movies 1965— original liner notes and audio samples at https://www.errollgarner.com/anightatthemovies-ors

Listen to the all-of-five-seconds “Newsreel Tag (Paramount on Parade)”

(Above) Audio for “Newsreel Tag (Paramount on Parade)” off A Night at the Movies by Erroll Garner, re-relseased by Octave Records in 2019. 

Works Cited:

Erroll Garner Archive, 1942-2010, AIS.2015.09,  Archives & Special Collections, University of Pittsburgh Library System.

Erroll Garner - Topic. “Full Moon and Empty Arms.” YouTube Video, 4:19. July 30, 2016. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dxlVnUXJApY.

Erroll Garner - Topic.  “Newsreel Tag (Paramount on Parade).” YouTube Video, 0:08. October 17, 2019. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0hqVABcPSk

prettyjohn888. “1966 Erroll Garner Souvenir Brochure London 11/06/1966 • £4.00.” PicClick UK. Accessed April 5, 2021. https://picclick.co.uk/1966-Erroll-Garner-Souvenir-Brochure-London-11-06-1966-373506567730.html.

#erroll garner tuesdays #jazz #touring #martha glaser #music business #erroll garner

[yougotamusicalfriend]

This week’s set of songs #2:

“Both sides now”:  Joni Mitchell wrote this folk song in 1967, inspired by a passage in Henderson the rain king, a book she was reading at the time. This is probably one of Mitchell’s most famous songs, and one of my favourite ones. This Canadian singer wrote about life in such a simple, but profound way. I interpret the song as a look into life’s different aspects, and how there’s always more than one side to things. Nothing is certain, incontestable or always true: it all depends on which side of the situation you’re standing in. And, even if you’ve seen every aspect of life you can imagine, if you’ve experienced every pain and joy you could ever feel, life is still uncertain. It’s an illusion, unpredictable, always on the move. It has more sides than one could ever count. But there’s no use in trying to understand all of them: we should just focus in living and accepting that when life takes something from you, it always gives something in return. It has its own balance. Mitchell did two versions of the songs: the first one in with her guitar, and the second one, 32 years later, with an orchestra. It’s really interesting to see her the changes in her voice and her character, and the evolution of the song’s meaning.

Spotify’s 1st version:   https://open.spotify.com/track/3NW1YMA8kfNVTzGJCGBS8m?si=oEuGHTV5SsehCFYOhVDVBQ

Spotify’s 2nd version:   https://open.spotify.com/track/1pjATX7sbd6Y4jMVqIvzHk

Youtube’s 1st version:                             https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OP8M0jhsM74

Youtube’s 2nd version:                            https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7cBf0olE9Yc                                                                                                                                                                

“Born to be blue”: This song was originally written by Mel Tormé in 1946, but multiple artists made their own versions throughout the years. Between all of the covers, I find Chet Baker’s one to be hypnotizing. In this jazz standard recorded for his 1964 album “Baby Breeze”, Baker sings instead of playing the trumpet. I really admire his incredible trumpeter skills, but I also find his voice to be so deep and filled with a unique emotion. When you listen to him sing this sad tune about a lost love and the sadness it left behind, you really think that Baker was born to be blue. I don’t know how he managed to do it, but he somehow sung dark and blue melodies in a sweet and almost lovable way. If you liked this version of the song, I highly recommend you to listen to Ella Fitzgerald’s cover as well, that is as mesmerizing as Baker’s.

Spotify version:   https://open.spotify.com/track/5Z0HDixFz1mtvPOXLtCKU9?si=WvWRafTFTsC9SyFaKxIDZg

Youtube version:                                       https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VeAXLO00OFo                                       

“Carmen”: This song was written by an incredible Belgian singer called Stromae. I have a strong connection with french culture, and know some french singers as well, and I consider Stromae to be one of the best french speaking performers I’ve ever heard. Not only his melodies are heterogeneous, catchy and involve multiple instruments, he writes such interesting and innovating lyrics. This song is in his 2013 album “Racine carée” (square root), in which some of his best songs are featured. In “Carmen”, Stromae took the melody and part of the lyrics of “Habanera”, written by George Bizet for his 1875 opera “Carmen”, and modernized it to connect it to social media issues. The play on words that Stromae does is a bit lost in the translation, but the lyrics are still really powerful. He criticizes the way we often confuse our followers, likes, posts, story’s and comments with reality. How we unconsciously start interpreting this numbers with our social reality, and put all of our energy and time into creating a profile that doesn’t necessarily represent us. The youtube version has a translation of the song, but I’ll leave you three clues that are not clear if you just follow the translation. In the beginning he says “L’amour est comme l’oiseau de Twitter” (Love is like Twitter’s bird), which is a clear connection to “Habanera”, that starts with “Lamour est un oiseau rebelle” (Love is a rebel bird). Then, he makes a really smart play of words when he says “C’est comme ça qu’on s’aime, comme ça consomme”. In french the expressions “qu’on s’aime” (the way we love) et “consomme” (the way we consume) are really similar, and that way he tries to say that when we love (aime) we consume (consomme). Finally, there’s a second clear lyric connection to “Habanera”. This 1875 composition is a beautiful reflection on love and it’s free way of flying from person to person, while “Carmen” talks about how love has become an object of consumption rather than a bird that flies amongst us. In “Habanera”, the lyrics say “Prends garde a toi si je t’aime”, which means “be careful if I love you”, making reference to the ups and downs and the consequences of loving someone. Stromae took that and changed it to “Prends garde a moi, si je m’aime”, which means “be careful if I love myself” (instead of “if i love you”). By doing this, he criticizes the egoism that comes with social media, and how one becomes the center of attention in a dangerous way. (I’m sorry, this is so long, but it’s such an interesting song...)

Spotify version:    https://open.spotify.com/track/1pRvlcrVxqdDAyYT1Ym3Wq

Youtube version (with translation and amazing animations that illustrate the song):                                                    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKftOH54iNU

#songs #joni mitchell #chet baker #stromae #discover #music #new #recommendations #social media #clouds #both sides now #reflexions #love #blue #sadness #lonely #habanera #carmen #french #belgian

[aion-rsa]

30 Rock’s Best Running Jokes

https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

When 30 Rock drew its final breath in 2013, yards of column inches were devoted – deservedly so – to praising the work of creator Tina Fey. Article upon article applauded the characters, cast, performances and seven seasons of energetic, inventive, satirical comedy.

More than anything else though, 30 Rock was always about the gags. It was fruitcake-dense with jokes, regularly fitting in more quotable laughs before its opening credits than many shows manage in a full half-hour. As it returns for a one-off reunion special, join us in celebrating the many, many running gags of its seven-season history, from the fake movies, to the terrible yet incredibly catchy songs, Frank’s hats, and those godawful TGS sketches…

The fake movies 

The presence of Tracy Jordan (a bonafide Martin Lawrence meets the Wayans Brothers-style movie star) in the TGS cast opened up the world of film parody to 30 Rock.

Admittedly Jenna Maloney also enjoyed a movie career of sorts, but while she was being offered the part of “any blonde actress” in torture porn flicks by the producers who watched and rented Saw, Tracy was turning down the lead in Garfield 3: Feline Groovy to pursue his serious acting career. The latter climaxed with the release of spot-on Precious parody Hard To Watch (Based on the novel Stone Cold Bummer by Manipulate), for which Tracy received the O in his EGOT plan. Sheer class.

Over the years though, who couldn’t not smile at Tracy’s blaxpoitation-filled back catalogue, from the timeless romance of A Blaffair to Rememblack, to Sherlock Homie, Who Dat Ninja?, The Chunks 2: A Very Chunky Christmas, and last but by no means least, Honky Grandma Be Trippin’. The man is a chameleon (in that he’s always a lizard).

Two of Jenna’s TGS projects however, bring back the fondest memories of 30 Rock’s stinging movie satire: small-town legal drama The Rural Juror (based on a Kevin Grisham novel), and her GE-produced life rights-avoiding Janis Joplin biopic, Sing Them Blues White Girl: The Jackie Jormp Jomp Story.

The TGS sketches 

The quality of TGS’ output was never under question in 30 Rock; the sketch show was unremittingly bad (when the absence of their star meant a ‘Best of TGS’ series had to be run in lieu of live shows, Legal objected to their use of the word ‘Best’, and when a review dubbed it the worst comedy ever made, Liz was thrilled they’d defined it as a comedy). Liz Lemon’s opus was a fluorescent collection of fart gags, dodgy caricatures, Jenna’s songs, and misjudged celebrity impressions.

Beginning life as, in Kenneth’s words, “a real fun ladies comedy show for ladies”, TGS was Saturday Night Live’s idiot brother, the unsophisticated thorn in NBC’s side, under constant threat of controversy and cancellation. Forced to synergise backward overflow, advertise parent company products and promote GE interests, 30 Rock’s show-within-a-show satirised both the TV industry and tired trends in comedy (the always hilarious combination of a fat woman who’s sexually confident! Old ladies are crazy! Farts!).

Lemon may have seduced pilot Carol (Matt Damon) with her Fart Doctor skits, but TGS failed to win many hearts. With sketches like Pam the Overly Confident Morbidly Obese Woman, Ching-Chong Man Who Loves to Play Ping-Pong, Fat Hillary Clinton, Bear vs. Killer Robots, Me Want Food, and Gaybraham Lincoln, why it wasn’t more successful is a mystery.

Astronaut Mike Dexter 

Lemon may have ended up with James Marsden’s Criss Chros, but fictional boyfriend Astronaut Mike Dexter will always hold a special place in her heart. Handsomer than Dr Drew, less British than Wesley Snipes, less living-in-Cleveland than Floyd, and a million times better than Dennis Duffy, Astronaut Mike Dexter had it all… except of course, a corporeal self. 

The fake songs 

Over the years, Jenna Maroney’s singing career has vomited up some truly dreadful creations, and topping the list has to be Muffin Top (a big hit in the king-making music markets of Israel and Belgium). Seguing from its pop insanity chorus “My muffin top is all that, wholegrain, low-fat” into a Madonna-style spoken-word rap “I’m an independent lady, so please don’t try to play me. I run a tidy bakery. The boys all want my cake for free”, the song is a battery assault on the senses.

But is it worse than Jenna’s summer dance jam, Balls, which earned her the princely sum of $50 in royalties? Or her computer generated, generic benefit song in aid of an unspecific natural disaster, which urged viewers to donate to “help the people the thing that happened, happened to”? How about the Jackie Jormp Jomp performance she gave of Chunk Of My Lung, written by Jack five minutes before the show, containing the classic line “You know you’ve bought it if life makes you sweet food”? Or Fart So Loud, the un-Weird Al-able song she and Tracy wrote after he parodied the theme to Avery Jessup TV movie Kidnapped? Such riches…

It’s not only Jenna who’s provided 30 Rock’s musical intervals of course. Season three finale Kidney Now! welcomed an eclectic collection of stars including Sheryl Crow, Mary J Blige, Elvis Costello, Moby, two of the Beastie Boys, Wyclef Jean, and Cyndi Lauper to perform a We Are The World-style anthem at the Milton Green benefit gig. Angie Jordan famously released a fifteen-second single My Single Is Dropping, to ride on the wave of her reality-show fame, Frank and Pete’s Sound Mound came up with unforgettable rock anthem Weekend Woman, and in the very same episode, even Tina Fey got in on the action by providing excellent Joni Mitchell parody, Paints and Brushes.

The legacy award though, as in the 30 Rock fake song that will continue to bring joy to the hearts of fans decades from now, has to go to one song, and one song only: Tracy Jordan’s Werewolf Bar Mitzvah.

Frank’s hat slogans 

Off-set, stand-up Judah Friedlander favours his ‘World Champion’ trucker hat, the one he claims to have been awarded as the winner of the World Championships of pretty much all sports, martial arts, and that time he karate kicked Chuck Norris’ beard off his face and forced him to legally change his name to Charles.

On-set as Frank Rossitano though, Friedlander wears a series of self-designed trucker hats, each bearing a different gnomic slogan. Often incongruous, sometimes suggestive, and always odd, Frank’s hat slogans are part of the bricks and mortar of 30 Rock. In terms of favourites, we’re quite fond of ‘Alabama Legsweep’, or the laconic enigma of ‘And’, though ‘Shark Cop’, ‘Half Centaur’ and ‘Space Gravy’ also caught our eye over the seasons.

Jenna’s Mickey Rourke sex stories 

Like Dot Com’s intellectualism, this running gag may have been introduced late into proceedings, but Jenna’s torrid sexual history with putty-faced beefcake Mickey Rourke gave J-Mo some of her best lines. Jenna’s allusions to Rourke’s sexually deviant and murderous attempts on her life paint a fascinating picture for 30 Rock fans. Here are some of the finest:

“Your new vibe is a double-edged sword, much like the kind Mickey Rourke tried to kill me with”, “Nice try Hazel, but you made the same mistake Mickey Rourke made on that catamaran. You didn’t kill me when you had the chance.”, “I’m going to have to reinvent you. Break you down completely and build you up from scratch. Just like Mickey Rourke did to me sexually.” “Next time you’ll tell me Mickey Rourke catapulted you into the Hollywood sign.” “You know what they say, if you can’t stand the heat, get off Mickey Rourke’s sex grill.” Wise words.

Kenneth the immortal page 

To this day Kenneth Ellen Parcell remains something of an enigma to 30 Rock viewers. In later seasons, Jack McBrayer’s character went from being a simple country rube from Stone Mountain, Georgia to  the flesh vessel for a mysterious immortal with no reflection, no age, and links to a world beyond our own.

Plenty of reference has been made to Kenneth’s ageless and supernatural state over the years, including the suggestion that not only is he unable to die, but he’s also an angel, sent to oversee the transition of souls from one world to the next.

The fake TV shows 

It’s either a credit to the 30 Rock team or a condemnation of our times that Jack Donaghy’s hit reality viewer vote show, MILF Island, no longer feels like a parody. In generations to come, time will no doubt erode the boundaries between fact and fiction, and we 30 Rock fans will be telling our kids about the time we watched Deborah beat her competitors and claim MILF victory in the same breath as educating them about those people who ate kangaroo anuses for public approval.

MILF Island stands head and shoulders above the rest of 30 Rock’s fake TV shows (including TGS itself, lest we not forget), but that doesn’t mean that Gold Case, Los Amantes Clandestinos, Black Frasier, Homonym, or the inimitable Bitch Hunter deserve any less respect. Our fallen brothers, we salute you.

We could go on indefinitely listing the recurring jokes that made 30 Rock great, from Liz’s sandwich lust and desire to go to there, to Jack’s gloriously thatched head of hair and Republican conspiracies. As the show prepares to return, which of the above will live again?

30 Rock: A One-Time Special lands on NBC on Thursday July 16th at 8pm in the US.

The post 30 Rock’s Best Running Jokes appeared first on Den of Geek.

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#aion-rsa #Den of Geek

[talbottoalam]

Hedi Slimane by Benjamin Chait

Aesthetics define photography and they also help in shaping a fashion sensibility. For French designer and photographer Hedi Slimane (born Paris, France, 1968) they are one in the same. Slimane is most widely recognized for his work as a fashion designer and creative director for the houses of Yves Saint Laurent, Dior Homme, Saint Laurent, and currently for his position at the house of Celine. His fashion designs are in many ways married to his photographs, specifically in their shared obsessions with youth, rock n’ roll, glamour, and California. Born in Paris, Slimane remembers picking up his first black and white camera at age eleven to begin recording the time he was living in.According to him, his preference for black and white photographs dates back all the way to Nadar, who Slimane feels is the father of the French photographic tradition he participates in with his camera. Following his departure from his first appointment at a fashion house in 2000, Slimane began a residency at the Kunst-Werke Institute for Contemporary Art in Berlin and published his first book of photographs. Throughout his many high-profile and highly profitable appointments within the fashion industry, photography has remained a constant focus for Slimane.

Naturally his talent as a photography and his talents at clothing designers would bleed into one and another, (and with the power appointed to him by his role as creative director) and so Slimane began shooting his own fashion campaigns, first at Saint Laurent and then at Celine. Before Slimane’s first runway debut for Celine’ Spring/Summer 2019 collection, he began “teasing” the world with his vision for the house by posting his photographs to the brand’s Instagram account. Fashion critic Robin Givhan noted that the photographs were united in that they all featured “young, androgynous models staring into the camera and looking vaguely dissolute.” This choice of subject is something that crosses over between Slimane’s fashion work (both photography and design) and his personal photographs.

Slimane’s photographs that were used as advertisements for Celine (figures 1-3) show a range in his fashion design abilities, but a rather singular, if not limited vision as a photographer. All the photographs were presented through Instagram with the Celine-branded format. The portrait of Liv is one of the teaser shots and shows a thin female form wearing an extravagant couture dress. What makes it Slimane is the messy unkempt hair and skeletal frame. Having Liv’s back positioned towards the camera adds an aura an anonymity—this could be any woman, hopefully a client. Within this series of ads is a similar photograph, but here the work is a color photograph and of a male model with long blonde hair modeling a leopard-print jacket. The texture of long shaggy hair is almost surfer life, and beautifully contrasts with the pattern of the jacket. Slimane does not often use color in his work, but it may have been a pressure brought about by the demands of social media (color photos tend to be more popular) and the business side of Celine who may feel that a color image better shows a range in offerings from Slimane’s collection. Fashion photographer is a tricky art to master as there are other considerations beyond the story and the aesthetic needs of the image; the clothes must look desirable. The concept of fashion photography is nothing new to Slimane, who has shot stories for Elle, V Magazine, and Vogue Russia. He told The New York Times, “Occasionally, I would shoot fashion photography, but it is a photographic repertoire of its own, and about a certain romanticism, precisely composed, with a production, groomers, stylist, etc.”

One of the ads, by default considered a fashion photograph, is a still-life shot of disco balls in Berlin taken by Slimane. Without product visible in the shot, the suggestion is that music and night clubs are an essential part of the Slimane’s vision for the brand.  The music scene has been a relentless reference for Slimane, along with the subcultures of skating and surfing which he started shooting in 2007 when he moved to California from Paris. While at Saint Laurent Slimane photographed a series of rock icons such as Courtney Love, Marilyn Manson, and Joni Mitchell in an ongoing campaign. The obsession with these subcultures is best documented on Slimane’s website, hedislimane.com/diary. This ongoing photo project was launched in 2006 and is full of thousands of images of his life in Los Angeles and around the world. They are all in black and white with high contrast and strong grain. Most images do not feel stage, but instead assume the atmosphere of a photographer on commission to capture a secret youth society that you will never be invited to join. Prevalent in this body of work is Slimane’s obsession with young, thin, blonde men. This is evident in three photos from a series published on his website in the fall 2017 (figures 3-6). Two photographs are live action shots of skateboarders in action. The long messy blonde hair mirrors the style seen in his later Celine ads; from a Californian skate park to a high fashion house in Paris. The shots are irreverent and also extremely beautiful. The black and white adds a sense of balance and serenity to the chaotic scene taking place. Though Slimane has stated he likes to keep his photographic work under his name to protect his creative boundaries, there are clear trends between his life in Los Angeles and his fashion collections. His photographs provide the key to this. Though the handsome young man in figure 4 is a part of the Californian skate subculture, his likeness in Slimane's photograph stamps him with a fashionable, even sexualized gaze. His skinny frame, boy-like features, and undefined age suggest a creepy aspect to Slimane’s work. Slimane's fascination with a certain type of youth (white, thin, rebellious) penetrates his personal and professional fashion photographs. The only difference is really the background and the context. Slimane told the Business of Fashion that he is trying to recapture parts of his youth through his photographs, saying, “I always looked at my own youth with a distance. I was not really part of the action, and watched all my friends around me through a lens, the observation of the fields of possible emerging talents and restless behaviors.”[8] His photographs, whether they be his fashion photographs or his personal diary, display a singular style of the highest technical quality. Together they form a unique vocabulary, making mundane sub-cultures and grungy rock shows feel glamorous, and injecting a sense of rebellion and youth into high fashion.

The young kids that populate his photographs and inspire his fashion collections, be them models, rock stars, or skaters, surrender their devil-may-care sense of cool to Slimane. Slimane is not cool himself, per se. But his photographs are, and so are his collections. Of course, the lives of those skater kids are not particularly enviable. They only become so after they are glamorized, really aestheticized by Slimane’s lens. This is why Slimane is not—contrary to his own beliefs—a reportage photographer.  Furthermore, participating in the fashion system only makes one a cog in a larger capitalist machine. Buying a Celine leopard-print jacket will not transform one into a cool long-haired skater, the kind of man Slimane fetishizes in his photographs. But perhaps that is the very brilliance of Hedi Slimane; he makes things appear more desirable than they actually are. His consumers are on some level conscious that his photographs fuel the desirability of his clothing collections. And yet they buy them anyway. The subjects of Slimane’s diary photographs will never be able to purchase the clothing he designs, and yet they pose for him. Each camp markets in what the other will never have. Slimane acts as the middle man. Through his photographs and collections, he has mastered and commodified the one thing that is certain to fade: youth.