#Ramp Local

[burlveneer-music]

JOBS - Soft Sounds - experimental art rock that is not quite skronky. with a Zeuhl track (#8)

Give audiences a way into the bizarre and a way out of the normal. This ethos guides pop-minded experimentalists JOBS, and can be heard all over their latest full-length Soft Sounds. The album represents a creative leap forward for the quartet, one that finds them fusing organic, uniquely human gestures with precise repetition, creating an overall sound with distant echoes of folk songs, IDM, and 1970s jazz fusion. However, despite the subdued and soothing connotations those antecedents – and indeed the album’s very title – might conjure, Soft Sounds is a full-spectrum sonic experience best played loud, replete with songs that crackle with clarity and urgency. Recorded during drummer Max Jaffe’s recording residency at Brooklyn cultural center Pioneer Works, these sessions marked the quartet’s jubilant return to the in-person interplay that sustains their creative partnership and drives their most salient work. It was also the first occasion for Jaffe to take the helm as recording and mix engineer for the group, simultaneously using his hybrid electro-acoustic drum kit as a command center for many of the synthesizers, samplers, and effects that undergird Soft Sounds. The band arrived at these sessions with only a couple of guitarist Dave Scanlon’s melodies, bassist Ro Lundberg’s harmonic structures, and violist Jessica Pavone’s lines of lyrics. Despite the relatively modest batch of ideas, the sense of total autonomy afforded by the residency allowed them to write, orchestrate, record, edit, and mix in a semi-concurrent flow state. Across Soft Sounds, the sonic palette expands and contracts as each song sees fit. In JOBS’ music, Mark Hollis-type abstraction sits comfortably alongside grooves inspired by Jaffe’s time in Malawi. Their immersive sonic spaces suggest the speaker-test work of Ryoji Ikeda offset by soft-synth wobbles that recall an asexual reimagining of “brostep.” It’s in this reordering of the familiar and foreign that JOBS’ fluid approach reveals a sense of playful wonder and depth. Soft Sounds represents JOBS at a new state of maturity and self actualization as they hone their individual artistry and their collaboration across time zones and milestones.  Max Jaffe contributed drums, Sensory Percussion, synthesizer, vocals, engineering, and mixing Ro(b) Lundberg contributed bass guitar, fretless guitar, keyboards, vocals Jessica Pavone contributed viola, vocals Dave Scanlon contributed electric guitar, keyboards, vocals

#Bandcamp #JOBS #experimental #art rock #minimalism #fusion #2023 #ramp local

[rcmndedlisten]

Tomato Flower - “Blue”

Photo by Marie Mechin

Tomato Flower’s “Blue”, the second preview off their second EP of the year, Construction, builds itself up in dividends just like Austyn Wohlers requests in its opening moments. Synthesizing itself together from a minimalist guitar framework and vocal building blocks in staircase form, the ambient window overseeing the view very much feels like the moment where freedom from capitalism is within sight, placing into perspective the Baltimore band’s balancing act between intentional art and the profit motive.

Tomato Flower’s Construction will be released August 5th on Ramp Local.

#new music #tomato flower #ramp local

[batemanofficial]

since we're all gonna die i have something to share with you all. i did not care for the mandela catalogue

#speak friend and enter #i keep seeing stuff about it and i really like analog horror as a medium but. idk it insists upon itself #like i loved local 58 and petscop and i really like gemini home entertainment but i feel like mc could've been better #it's a super strong concept that was very well executed in the beginning but as it's gone on....idk i feel like it kinda fell apart #the gabriel/lucifer thing was super cool and the alternate concept is really interesting but imo it doesn't live up to the hype #i feel like the scale got away from it y'know. like it became too big plot-wise too quickly and lost a lot of the stuff that made it good #like there's a saying in screenwriting that goes 'if you start out screaming you've got nowhere left to go' and i think that applies #bc it starts out SO impactfully and that in and of itself isn't a bad thing but like. how do you ramp up from that and keep the impact #i also feel like it's indirectly responsible for the analog horror boom that imo has kinda killed the genre via oversaturation #and that's not the creator's fault ofc it's just bad luck but i feel like every new project takes its cues from mc and it's like. really? #like mc has great ideas dgmw but there are in fact other ideas out there that could work for an analog horror story #anyway i hope they're able to end it in a way that wraps it up logically and in a narratively satisfying way #and i hope the creator doesn't feel pressured to keep going with it just for the notoriety. like don't simpsons this thing

[doedipus]

I feel like the main reason I'm still doing TO shit is that I wouldn't have much of a sense of purpose or routine otherwise, but like honestly more often than not it's not really rewarding at all and I'm typically totally checked out after an hour. so like there's probably a good argument that I should just bounce but I would go insane if I wasn't able to trick myself into not feeling like a neet for one night a week

it really can't be overstated how much ESA turning me down and then subsequently imploding has taken the wind out of my sails with this stuff, and beyond that I perpetually feel like an outsider within the community. I don't need to be besties with people but some level of recognition that I exist and put time into these things would be nice. like it's petty as hell but it always feels really bad that none of the players ever even think to ping me when they have a technical issue or something. idk what proportion of it is just not being on twitter vs. not being very assertive vs. being a weird faggot lurking around the scene, but it's really depressing.

#it honestly goes for playing these games too #the esa saga the experience at the local and the general emptiness of volunteering for wwgg are just crushing #like if there's no social connection and no on ramp to employment and not even a boost to twitch revenue #then what am I even doing here man #but I know that if I left my mental health would start spiraling immediately

[smalltofedsblog]

Six Factors For Selling Into The State & Local Government "SLED" Market

The sales environment – and customer service needs – are not the same with state, local, and education agencies as they are in the federal market. _

View On WordPress

#Education #Local #RAMP #Selling to SLED #Selling to State and Local Market #SLED #State Department

[were-my-demons-hide]

I love how girls and young women are proving an important point:

VERT IS NOT DEAD

#skateboarding #lola tambling #girls who skate #skateboarding vert #vert ramp #i love the direction women's skateboarding is going #arisa trew throwing 720s on the vert like there is no tomorrow warms my heart #skateboarding is not a crime #vert is not dead #lulu johnson #Lulu needs her local vert back

[seth-the-giggle-fish]

my workload for the etsy shop has suddenly increased by a huge factor so I have to focus on that, but I will keep working at the art-tober prompts when I can

#ramping up production and possibly being a supplier for a local bath/beauty store for a few items #so yeah #lotta work #and my brain will always take the easy route for stimulus so I have to put the art away until I have this more sorted #etsy stuff

[ladsofsorrow24]

something about beyond evil and how the story takes it time to let the characters simmer in their emotions in silence, taking us into the journey of figuring out what they are feeling without telling us exactly what we are seeing in these important moments...

just... wow.

like, it really adds to the suspense yet also makes the narrative more engaging to the audience.

#anyway i think this is what lacks in my local cinema #sometimes the best way to tell the audience what's going on is to... Not Telling Anything. #just let the story flows without explaining everything #the moment of silence usually speaks louder than overbearing narration #but yeah show don't talk? great way to ramps up the suspense in your story #and beyond evil did a great job using this technique #very effective #tmi tag

[chris-wonder]

month three of living in this apartment complex and the communal laundry room still isnt accessible. the leasing office said they “were having trouble finding a contractor to build a ramp”

#although i have heard that someone told their friend in the construction department of the local university and students might come out #and build a ramp for a class project #chris wonder talks #cripple punk

[korusalka]

I already have an outfit for Pride this year fkfjkdkd

#local pride is in september so that's early #black croptop + silver jewellery + white sneakers with bi laces.... nice #this is my first croptop and it looks really really good I want 15 of them #may have inspired by Youtuber annikazion to ramp up my wlw energy but her vibes are impeccable #*been

[laneaconite]

Flora Meets Fauna

We grew up in a house at the top of a hill, With a yard that stretched on, long and wide. Divided in thirds by graying wood fences and the metal arched trellis built for sweet morning glory to climb. Speckled by fruit trees, Overgrown with juniper and rubber rabbitbrush. I can still feel the soft puncture of powder blue juniper berries and the crush of their cones hidden inside.

I have vivid half-memories of that skinny mottled trunk, Dark amber bark glowing red in the setting sun. A decade and a half after the tree died of natural causes, My mother says she never got to taste its cherries. It was only us: Myself, my sisters, who climbed up to nestle in its branches And feast upon the fruit hidden within. It was only us, and squadrons of orderly red ants scavenging low hanging fruit and the birds who picked at the crown only they could reach.

Only us, climbing up into her trembling limbs, Bark stretched and split like old scars. We picked and ate anything left, brushing leaves out of our faces And spitting the pits onto the ground below. I can’t remember how they tasted, But their absence sits like a stone in my heart.

All the trees shed their leaves and went dormant every winter, It was clockwork, we knew just how to Rake the leaves into a pile, bag them up before they rot beneath the snow. When we didn’t, we would learn just how much harder the ground could grow And what it meant to starve the perennials. The trees went dormant every winter and we waited for the warmth, And we waited for the cherries, But then came spring, summer, and autumn—

Our peach tree was a thing of beauty: It grew sidling on top of the hill, nestling against lilacs. The trunk was broad and divided low into strong, heavy branches. Wrapped in elder gray-brown lenticels, growing lighter in color As it reached for the sky. Its youngest branches shone bright green, fading to red— budding fragrant, verdant, oblong leaves. Every other year it bore a bounty of gorgeous Golden fruit, exquisitely sweet. The pink and yellow flesh was soft and sun-warmed, And the juice streamed all the way down to my forearms, After just the first bite. Yielding against my front teeth. I can still feel the bristly peach fuzz Which coated my arms as we picked Plastic laundry pails full of fruit to feed the whole family.

My parents did all in their power to keep this tree alive, Wrapping her sagging old branches together, dressing her wounds, Building a support structure to hold her up. But God knows how long she served that house— Or whose original hand lovingly raised her from the ground— But our tree was doomed from the start. For her greatest branch extended beyond our yard.

For a decade or so, the exchange worked: He could take all of the peaches that grew on his side, A bounty and blessing we nourished. And for ages I couldn’t imagine what could compel him To saw that gorgeous branch off and discard it, Leaving our beautiful tree bereft, bleeding honey-colored sap. But it’s a simple, philistine answer: he didn’t like children, Or seeing our overgrown back garden beside his perfectly mowed lawn. He built a ten foot fence, And the peach tree died that same summer.

Another decade passed and Her skeleton still stands there, brittle branches reaching up Like twisted aching fists into the sky. The birds still perch upon its ghost, and mom hangs feeders With seeds and homemade nectar from her stable center.

-Lane Aconite, Original draft written April 25th, 2023 Edited March 14th 2024

Hello my lovely readers, this is another poem of mine that's been edited so significantly from its original that I wanted to include my first draft below the cut. The story the poem above tells is a more grounded and nuanced emotionally, as well as more vivid in its imagery. It captures the scope of the story in a more honest way than my first version, which was too soaked in the acerbity I was feeling at the time. I just didn't have the energy to give it my all like I do now.

We grew up in a house at the top of a hill, The yard was speckled by fruit trees. After the tree died of natural causes My mother says She never got to taste its cherries. It was only us: Myself, my sisters, and squadrons of orderly red ants Who climbed the trunk and feasted on the low hanging fruits And the birds who picked at the crown only they could reach.

Only us, climbing up into the trembling Grey-brown branches. We picked and ate anything left, Spitting the pits onto the ground below. I don’t remember how they tasted, But I remember their absence keenly.

The peach tree was a thing of beauty The trunk broad, thick, and divided Low into strong, heavy branches, With fragrant, verdant, oblong leaves. Every other year it bore a bounty of gorgeous Golden fruit, exquisitely sweet. The yellow and pink flesh was soft and sun-warmed, And the juice streamed all the way Down to my forearms, After just the first bite. I can still feel the bristly peach fuzz Which coated my arms as we picked Laundry pails full of fruit.

My parents did all in their power To keep this tree alive But it was old, and doomed, For a great branch extended beyond our yard. And for a time, the exchange worked: He could take all of the peaches That grew on his side, A bounty and blessing we nourished. I can’t imagine what compelled him To saw that great branch off, Leaving our beautiful tree bereft, Bleeding honey-colored sap. The peach tree died that same summer.

The truth of the matter is yes, both trees died. I can't eat peaches from the grocery store because they're picked early in the season to be shipped across the country and ripened artificially using ethylene gas. This method only penetrates the outer layer of the fruit, so they look pretty but appearances can't hide how hard and sour their flesh becomes the closer you bite toward the pit. Artificially ripened fruits can also be toxic to workers producing them and the consumer depending on the chemicals used. The summer sun's just irreplaceable. The cherry tree was chopped down, the trunk left partially standing in a shape somewhat like a seat. I used to sit there sometimes to write in my journal. A surprise peach tree sprouted up in the middle of my parents' greenhouse from a spat peach pit, or one that rolled down the hill while picking. They had to move the greenhouse to the opposite side of the hill, digging out a huge recess to fit it, just so this new tree would thrive and bear fruit. I helped in moving the greenhouse, but moved away that autumn. The new peach tree bore her first fruit that year, and even more the next, but I still haven't had a chance to visit and taste a real peach again.

#poetry #my work #lane archives #lane speaks #i went on a lil research hole about artificial ripening of fruits on a few academic databases a couple months ago #for a lil bit it's genuinely shocking how little regulation there is across the world on what chemicals can be used & how till you remember #oh yeah historically agricultural workers have been some of the most exploited groups & of course it hasn't changed #in fact with the global supply chain it's really ramped up #like food ripened with regular ethylene gas is “generally considered safe” by the FDA #but it's more expensive than ethylene oxide. longterm exposure to which is actually toxic #& then there's acetylene gas from calcium carbide which can cause intestinal damage overtime & more cause of traces of arsenic/lead/phospho #-us #etc. The main victims of these chemicals being the agricultural workers who are interacting with them regularly #Suffering exploitation & chronic disease & shortening their lives just so year round we can eat fruit that doesn't even taste good #So many folks have forgotten or maybe haven't ever known what a sun-warmed fruit feels like on your tongue but it's heaven #The carnage isn't worth it #We need local sustainable agricultural practices even if it means sacrificing the foods that we love

[rcmndedlisten]

Tomato Flower - “Construction”

Photo by Marie Mechin

They’re currently Animal Collective’s favorite summer fruit and everyone should be listening to Baltimore’s Tomato Flower for simply having the prettiest band name from the new stuff that’s growing in the musical garden. The sounds of the Baltimore quartet’s weird pop "Construction" -- the title track from their forthcoming second EP of the year following the glimpse of sunlight for winter skies in February’s Gold Arc -- are equally budding to the human ear and eye, if maybe ripe for the warm weather season.

Tomato Flower’s Construction will be released August 5th on Ramp Local.

#new music #tomato flower #ramp local

[catpriciousmarjara]

Getting a PHD literally anywhere else: Wow! Congratulations! What a great achievement! Amazing!

Getting a PHD in Gotham: Wow! Amazing! You're now on several Government, Civilian, and Bat watchlists.

So if any of the Wayne kids get a PHD, then the entirety of Gotham would be squinting at them suspiciously. They're rich, so resources, and most likely already insane with all the shit they pull.

What I'm saying is if Jason went and got himself a Doctorate in Literature, the whole city would anticipate the appearance of his villainsona called the Dead Poet(emphasis on the dead) or Bookkeeper or something else similarly nerdy and themed like that for sure.

I just know that it would turn into some Gotham inside joke with memes abound, and everytime Jason would, I don't know, give more funding to the neglected Arts Departments in Gotham University, or go to a school for read alongs to encourage kids to read, Gotham social media would go crazy and be like:

"The Dreaded Villain Dead Poet Reads Alice in Wonderland to Children! How Despicable!"

"Villain Dead Poet Lambasts Government on Banning Books! Leads Librarians to Riot!"

"Dead Poet Ramps up his Villainy by Establishing Educational Programmes in Crime Alley! Uplifting the Poor! What a Dastardly Villain!"

"Dead Poet Goes on Live Ranting About his Favourite Books! Favourite Author is Jane Austen! Is this the Feminist Agenda?"

And so on! It's a meme that refuses to go away. His siblings actively participate, and make the situation worse.

Dick held an online Gotham Villains and Anti-Heroes Poll and Dead Poet came out on top, over Red Hood. Jason is an actual Gotham crime boss, but his crowdfunded villainsona is more popular. No he's not salty about it at all.

Duke would create a montage of Dead Poet sightings.

Stephanie would make a Dead Poet meme compilation.

Tim would arrange Wayne Enterprises to donate to local libraries after allegedly being threatened by the heinous villain Dead Poet. (Jason did ask Tim to do that but not like that)

Barbara created an extremely popular Villain Watch account for Dead Poet.

Cass tweeted out Jason's favourite books as the villain Dead Poets reading list telling people to avoid them 'wink wonk', causing a massive uptick in the sale of those books ala Bigolas Dickolas.

Damian of all people tweeted out a pic of Jason playing with Alfred the cat accusing the evil villain Dead Poet of attempting to kidnap his cat.

And thats not to mention all the shenanigans they pull in their batsonas.

God bless Gotham and it's home grown, organic, not even remotely ethically sourced, free range chaos.

#for real every mofo with a doctorate in Gotham is gonna get criminally side-eyed the moment they say Hi I'm Dr- #you know I'm right #Jason and his crowdfunded villainsona #Jason Todd #Dick Grayson #Tim Drake #Stephanie Brown #Barbara Gordon #Cassandra Cain #Damian Wayne #Duke Thomas #Siblings being menaces to society #Wayne Family #Batfam #Batfamily shenanigans #Onlyingotham #Gotham City #Only in Gotham? #DC Batman #DC #DCU

[smackdownhotel]

Check out the new graffiti art at the Beasley skatepark on downtown Hamilton!

Enjoy the rest of your summer Sk8tr Dudez!

#graffiti #graffittiart #sprayart #spraypaint #street art #art #skatepark #Beasley skatepark #local #downtown #the hammer #downtown Hamilton #Hamilton #Steeltown #skateboard ramps

[okayto]

Hey, this pride month (or literally any time of year), you wanna know something fairly easy and great you can do?

Contact your local library (or comment on their social media) positively for any pride/LGBTQIA+/queer-related displays or events they have going on.

Seriously.

What I’m seeing and hearing from the (mostly US-based) library workers in my groups and social circles is that the anti-queer (anti-gay, anti-trans, anti-drag queen story time, etc.) comments and complaints that have ramped up in the past year aren’t going away. Even library workers with supportive coworkers/bosses/boards are steeling themselves to deal with an avalanche of garbage, or are second-guessing their displays and events because the amount of vitriol can wear a person down so much. And the ones without supportive people or work environments? It’s worse.

Give the library something else: give them both the ammo (by being one of the numbers they can count worth the positive group) if they need to show their community isn’t wholly negative. Give them the compliment of knowing that their work got appreciated.

A comment like “I love this” or “Wow, that looks great!”

An email about how much you’re excited about X event

A call saying you wanted to let them know you appreciate this thing

Tagging them if you share a picture or positive comment on social media

“Cool shirt/pins/etc!” (Because people are also bring harassed about personally being queer, even if it’s not a library display)

Literally anything that would be positive for them to receive

#Pride #tumblarians #working in a library #library life #queer #Pride Month #original #text post

[tgirlwithreverb]

I saw that post about what to do if you're homeless again (the one that starts by telling you to spend all of your money on motel rooms lmao) anyway, here's a few thoughts, specifically for trans girls, cuz I don't really care otherwise tbh:

1) plan ahead, most trans girls are in precarious housing situations, you will have a much easier time when it falls apart if you already have a pack with most of the gear you need in it. Also, if you find yourself in a situation where you cant make rent, dont pay part of it, spend that money on gear, pocket the rest and leave, youll have a much nicer time. Look up your local eviction laws, you have plenty of time. (Gear list at the end)

2) travel! If you're in Arizona in May, leave. it's about to be hot as hell. If you're in Michigan in October, leave. It's about to be cold as hell. If you're in a big city, leave. It's way easier to be homeless pretty much anywhere else. Amtrak is cheaper and more comfortable than greyhound, hitchhiking is free and easy, if you're alone it's not that much slower than the previous two, and it's more fun, and sometimes people buy you food or whatever or give you money. I promise it's not scary and you're entirely capable of doing it, no matter who you are. 95+% of people who will pick you up are very nice. All you have to do is take the bus out of town, as far down the highway you can, to an exit with a truck stop if possible, then just stand on the side of the road with your thumb out until someone picks you up. You can stand at the bottom of the ramp(on the highway) near where the merge lane ends or at the top of the ramp(where there's usually a traffic light), the former is more likely to lead to cop interactions but will maybe get you a ride faster, check on hitchwiki for how the cops are in the area. don't be afraid to take a commuter bus or Amtrak to get out of a shitty cop area

3) skip shelters if you can (they are very occasionally a decent place to get stuff from) and encampments, good places to sleep include the trees near railroad tracks or highways, wooded areas behind shopping centers, sections of parks without paths, overgrown empty lots. Hang a tarp above you if there's an appreciable chance of rain, there's tons of YouTube tutorials on how to do this, maybe I'll make a post about what I usually do some day. There are many habits more fun than motel rooms, save your money for them lmao.

4) get on food stamps. This is easier in some places than others, but it makes the whole thing a lot easier. Just tell them you're homeless, if they don't give you a card the same day, you can probably ask to pick it up from that office, alternatively some drop in centers/day shelters can receive mail for you, or you can have it sent to general delivery(USPS service, look it up)

7) libraries are great for charging your phone and using wifi, but also keep an eye out, plenty of random outlets on the outsides of buildings are also powered

5) dumpster. sidewalk trash cans, Aldi, Einstein's, trader Joe's, pizza places, etc. You need to develop a bit of a sense for it but it's an easy way to get cooked food or travelling food or expensive food without spending resources. Also it's fun.

6) water is free, go into the bathroom of any gas station or grocery store in America(offer not valid in most big cities or on the west coast, but in that case just go to the library) and fill up your water bottle

8) hygiene notes: truckers get free showers from chain truck stops(loves, pilot/flying j) go there and ask them. convenient if you're hitchhiking, also you don't need to shower 3 times a day, really, you'll survive. Ditto with deodorant. Take care of your teeth though. Take your socks off every. day. Change them consistently. Safety razors give a good shave, work well without adequate water pressure, and the replacement blades are very stealable, they're kind of heavy though. Walmart makes these electric razors for women that take AA batteries and are pretty light but give a worse shave, also they kinda go through batteries, pick whatever works for you(cartridge razors suck)

9) traveling food notes: peanut butter is great, tortillas and bagels travel pretty well, tuna packets are pretty good protein for traveling(the ones with rice and beans or whatever are nice since theyre often the same price as the regular), condiment packets are free, hot sauce makes everything better, and mayo goes well with tuna and has a bunch of calories in it, salad dressing packets are free from truck stops and work well turning the Walmart shredded vegetable packages (labeled for making into slaw, next to the bagged salads) into a salad with real vegetables(not iceberg lettuce) in it or mixing in with tuna packets for even more calories than mayo

Gear world:

Necessary items(in order of importance): a gallon of water carrying capacity(an Arizona jug or other twist top jug is conventional, but a bladder+arizona bottles also works), a tarp(larger than 6'x9', not brightly colored), a hank of parachord, a sleeping bag (20° rated, synthetic insulation), a backpack with a padded hip belt(at least 50L, no more than 75), rain gear(a rain poncho might cover your pack too, a rain jacket can help with wind when its cold, a trash bag inside or outside your pack can keep it dry, a plan to watch the weather and not get caught also works), a z-fold foam sleeping pad, three pairs of socks, two pairs of underwear (at least one pair of boxer breifs strongly recommended if you arent incredibly skinny), a decent pair of shoes with good arch support, a functional jacket(skip if you got a rain jacket before), a base layer(wool or poly, absolutely no cotton)

Convenient items: a sleeping bag liner(cotton free, keeps you warm in winter and cool in summer), gallon zip locks to pack your stuff in(helps keep it dry and organized), no more than one change of clothes(as light as possible), a multi-tool(can opener, pliers, wire cutter), lighter(burning rope ends etc), spoon, floss and needles for patching

#anyway #not all encompassing or whatever #feel free to add your own tips but ill make fun of you if theyre stupid