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welcometograceland · 2 years

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Skinty Fia by Fontaines D.C.

The band Fontaines D.C. have had a presence in music since 2017, after meeting in a pub and bonding over their combined love of poetry. I first discovered them this year, after accidently missing their set at Latitude festival in July I decided to dig deeper in their music - however it just made me more annoyed at myself for forgetting about them when they were live. So, if you get the opportunity... GO AND SEE THEM LIVE!!!

Their latest album’s title “Skinty Fia”, is an old Irish phrase meaning “the damnation of the deer”- which signifies the Dublin quintet’s views on the loss of tradition and the modern culture of Ireland. The animosity of the extinct Irish Elk on the cover of the album resembles the bands stand-offish nature and their ever-evolving relationship with Irish culture and tradition. Despite the band moving to London two years ago it is very much evident that they have not lost touch with their roots. With “Skinty Fia” being their third album and their most experimental, its is a more than acceptable follow up from their last albums; “A Heroes Death” (2020) and “Dogrel” (2019). It is clear that the band show their interest in traditional and classical literature through their music - Chatten describing his influences as James Joyce and William Butler Yeats.

The first track on the album “In ár gCroíthe go deo” is a ethereal fall down the rabbit hole of the album. The meaning behind the title of this track is steeped in contentiousness between English and Irish communities to this day. The family of an Irish woman living in Coventry wanted a Celtic cross bearing these words on her gravestone, with the meaning “in our hearts forever”- an ode to her Irish heritage. However, the Church on England contested this saying the gravestone could be viewed as “a political statement” (BBC NEWS) and insisted on an English translation. This eerie track was written to honour the family, and after they won on the grounds of racial discrimination.

My favourite track on the album is “Roman Holiday”, in his own words, Lead singer Grian Chatten -in an interview with Rolling Stone, said about Roman Holiday: “I think it’s about wanting to sort of go out and embrace London as an Irish person. […] The reason I use the word “embrace,” trying to talk about this, is because in a sense, especially when you surround yourselves or almost insulate yourself with people who are from the same area as you in a new country — most of my friends here are from Dublin as well — the effect is that you begin to look for it or love it. You want reminders of the fact that you’re part of this group of people that are still sort of mocked and told to go home. At some point, you start to wear as like a badge of honour, and that’s what that song is. It’s a celebration of that flipping, from it being a bad thing into a positive thing.”

The music video for “Jackie down the line” - the fourth track on the album captures themes of desire with a modernist twist on a Shakespearian classic. We see a puck like character adorned with a red pointed hat and a adidas tracksuit on dropping roses- a well know symbol of lust and desire, on a sleeping Titania. When collecting more and more of these roses and displaying his increasing desire for his unsuspecting lover, he stumbles across other women indicative of Titania’s servant fairies – Titania discovers the two parties engaging with each other and uses her power and violence (in the form of a bow and arrow) to kill both the people and their desire.

Overall the album is a reflection on their steady rise to post punk greatness and is a guarenteed great listen.

#fontaines #fontaines d.c.#indie #music #indiemusic #ukindie #irish #band #postpunk #album review #music review #grian chatten

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amatsuki · 1 year

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Just got out of Said the Whale × VSO!

I was a little hesitant going in because well — it’s rare to have pop or rock rearranged for orchestra in a way that actually respects and takes advantage of the orchestra. In this case, with the arrangements done in-house by the VSO’s Alex Clark? They were amazing.

Said the Whale was down to their vocals and Tyler on guitar and Jacelyn on piano. Unlike many arrangements of pop for orchestra, these arrangements actually treat the vocals as an instrument & are not afraid to meet the vocals where they are. (BTW, Ben? Incredible belter.)

Clark seems to have deconstructed each song down to their base, and built them back up individually. Some naturally lend themselves to Celtic folk or Montreal indie, but he’s also introduced Britpop and 20th c soundtracks. Lines bounce between strings and brass, with whole verses of pizzicato, and percussion ranges from the normal to the eccentric (a church bell!). There were also places for the orchestra to shine with a delicate harp solo and an almost experimental horn outro.

In a few places Clark took out existing verses and breakdowns and completely reconstructed the song. The cold orchestral open was a nice touch. With “Wake Up”, Clark brought the syncopation across to the full orchestra which I loved. There were also places that played with the rhythm of the original song.

The early half of the show stuck to songs that lended themselves more to orchestral arrangements, so I was wondering how they’d handle upbeat rock songs such as “I Love You”, and the answer is: very fast bowing from the string section! (These songs did tend to deviate less from the originals.)

In general these orchestral arrangements that added new detail and emotions to some of my favourite songs. I would love to have them on tape. I would love also to see more indie bands do this with their local symphonies!

#said the whale #vancouver symphony orchestra #concert log

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thepermanentrainpress · 2 years

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REVIEW: MORAG, YOU’RE A LONG TIME DEID AT THE RUSSIAN HALL - JUNE 18TH, 2022

Morag, You’re a Long Time Deid (MYALTD) had its world premiere from June 10-19th at the Russian Hall in Vancouver’s cozy Strathcona neighbourhood. Claire Love Wilson & Peter Lorenz co-created the show in association with Touchstone Theatre, with the story, concept, and lead by Wilson themselves. Morag, You’re a Long Time Deid is an experimental, theatrical experience that goes beyond just a musical. It explores the question “what do we do with broken things; pianos, people, and traditions” through the story of a queer protagonist, the grandmother they never met, and Celtic song and folklore.

We follow Sam as they reconnect with their culture through a piano mysteriously gifted to them. The piano belonged to their great grandmother, Morag. Through the piano, we see the connection between Sam, their Scottish background, and Morag come together. We also see how Morag’s story and sexuality unfolds as Sam explores their own. The play is a touching tale of longing, diaspora, and the desperate need to uncover all the parts of themselves — cultural roots of the past, the image of oneself in the future, and perhaps more importantly, who you are at present.

These ideas are presented in a quirky, almost conversational format. There is much to tell, and the production does this by having Sam monologue certain scenes, building rapport with the audience. However, the show shines best when it is showing us what is going on. An array of props are used: clothing to represent different characters, microphones dropping, and a clunky piano that wheels around the stage. Another key in the scene is Wilson’s use of live sonic looping, which sets the tone by creating a soundscape environment.

These loops don’t just act as the backdrop for the scenes in the play — they are clever in their use to layer sound and allow the characters to interact with it, or sometimes act against it. The use of percussion, for example, started as a way to invite the audience into a forest walk with Sam. A steady tempo builds and loops while other noises are added in, shifting non-diegetic to diegetic. Without even noticing, it becomes the instrumental for a somber ballad number.

This practice is something unique to Wilson, and it shines through the play as its musical “treat.” This kind of looping allows characters to facilitate conversations with each other, while still having Wilson ‘play’ them. It is refreshing, and while it may not create the most catchy of songs — it feels more like spoken word, or reciting poetry at times — it possesses a certain musical technical quality that is unique and contemporary.

That is not to say, however, that MYALTD is void of catchiness. Quite the opposite for a fan of folk songs. One of the production’s draws is its attention to Scottish cultural roots, and most of that lies within the reciting and remixing of Celtic ballads. There is a lot of detail in how each of these songs are sung that go beyond pronunciation and vocals. Sometimes they are sung acapella, or with hushed backing vocals that crescendo with the climax of a scene. Other times, they are sung to invite the audience to dance. These ballads are also used to carry on modernity — each melody inspires the present world that Sam is living in, like the synth playing at the lesbian bar.

Compared to the Gaelic ballads, there are few original songs. However, the ones sung are fun karaoke-esque tunes: a bit corny and absolutely joy-infused. Most notably, the ending song is a treat. It reminds me of the show tune era of indie music with jangly instrumental and on-the-nose lyrics.

One thing to highlight is the amount of care that went into the production. Prior to the show, audience members were on-boarded to the show’s experience in relation to accessibility and disability justice; low light, the ability to always exit and go outside “to breathe,” and a claim for no strobe effects among many. This careful consideration, albeit introductory, set precedence to the mindset one should have while watching the show. A powerful land acknowledgement by performer and guest, knowledge keeper Xwechtaal Dennis Joseph of the Squamish peoples, also preceded the show.

Overall, Morag, You’re a Long Time Deid is a special show that breaks the barrier between concert, performative art, and musical theater. It is new and experimental, and definitely knows that. It may not be for everyone — it does rely a lot on telling and monologue — but don’t be too quick to dismiss it as just a feel-good theater piece. Wilson is a mindful creator. This shows in both the story and the show’s music treatment, making it a feast for production nerds and a good time for story lovers.

Performed by: Claire Love Wilson, Steve Charles, Rob Thomson, Sally Zori & Dennis Joseph

With the support of ‘Morag’ production crew.

Written by: Alexa Tarrayo Photo credit to: Pedro Augusto Meza

#Vancouver #yvr #The Russian Hall #Russian Hall #PRconcert #review #concert review #the frank theatre company #Touchstone Theatre #Morag You're A Long Time Deid #entertainment #music #MYALTD #Peter Lorenz #Claire Love Wilson #Alexa Tarrayo #theatre #production #Alexa

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sneakyboymerlin · 4 years

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Hi I'm here to listen to your "Merlin is a minor nature deity" theory if you want to share it

SO, I think it’s entirely possible that Merlin is a minor nature deity—I’m not saying this is his species/whatever for certain, but the supporting evidence is intriguing. The idea of Merlin having nature-oriented magic had occurred to me before, but it wasn’t until I was a few chapters deep in my mythology textbook that I made any substantial connection. This is pretty much how my whole thought process went:

There is an experimental archetype categorization that involves a primary and secondary archetype for some characters. In this kind of classification, there is an archetype that represents who the character is—the primary one—which would, in Merlin’s case, be the divine child. However, just because a character is one thing does not mean they always act based on those qualities. The secondary archetype is meant to represent the way a character may deal with a situation in lieu of the preferred options of their primary archetype. Merlin does not solve most of his problems in the ways of a divine child, but like a trickster—a secondary trickster.

Digging deeper, the trickster archetype is often symbolized by ambiguity and the erasure or absence of constants. These constants include the gender binary and the cycle of life and death, both of which Merlin defies in canon (a sex swap spell AND immortality). By all rights, he is very Loki-like. Another key feature of many trickster types is the mysterious use of magic. That one needs no explaining.

Now, consider another nature deity in popular myth: Pan. He’s not born of a god, but is born as a deity of sorts anyways. There are certain powers which Merlin inherited, but only Merlin is Emrys (direct translation: “Immortal One”). There is no reason for him to be immortal, as he was born from two mortals. Except, Merlin is magic personified, or, as his father puts it (to paraphrase), “A son of the earth, sea, and sky.”

Furthermore, we see a certain sensitivity to nature in Merlin that we don’t necessarily see in other characters with magic. We know that Merlin does not enjoy hunting for sport, though he understands the necessity of hunting for food. We’ve seen his unique sympathy for the unicorn. And maybe most evidently, Merlin is able to feel “every leaf, every insect” in the forest surrounding the sacred grounds of the Disir. In any case, his magic seems to respond to nature.

We have a character who is naturally immortal despite his parentage, extraordinarily sensitive to nature, and comparable to multiple gods (feel free to add to the list if you think of more), not to mention his love of Freya who becomes the Lady of the Lake… and the very fact that the universe of BBC Merlin subscribes to Norse and Celtic myth… as I said, it’s not a sure thing that Merlin is a nature deity, but by all rights he is a deity, and he seems to have a strong association with nature, destiny, and the cycle of life and death as a whole (as exemplified by his immortality). The cherry on top? In the original legends, actually in almost EVERY myth, Merlin shapeshifts. That’s top tier trickster/nature deity.

AND just to pepper in a little angst, nature consists of creation and destruction in multitudes—Merlin would oversee this through the years as an immortal, and his life has been controlled by these cycles as much as anyone else’s. Nothing is permanent except for him, to put it another way.

#merlin is a minor nature deity #whoops #i know it’s mostly incomprehensible but #i LOVE the idea #merlin meta #merlin emrys #bbc merlin #mine

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theewrites-tf2 · 5 years

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Mercenary’s Cooking-Ability Headcanons

Aka, it’s that time of year for domestic headcanons

Scout: Learned his cooking from his Ma! Knows how to do the basic dishes of cooking and baking… But honestly, preferred takeout or the microwave at the end of the day. Everything he makes is usually deep-fried, has waaaay too much salt, and is always just a tad burned at the corners. 7/10, for the love of God, stop putting in salt-!

Soldier: Fine dining, in HIS army?! HELL NO, his comrades can survive on nothing but the bare necessities! His cuisine consisted of decades-old canned food, booze, and a dive into the enemy teams trash bin. On the annual July holiday, he’ll drag out a grill and fire it up, but even then, most teammates decide to just order take out. -4/10, please get out of our trash can…

Pyro: Burnt toast!!! Sparkly-Jell-O! Cake for dinner! Someone has a MASSIVE sweet-tooth, and beware of cavities when it’s Pyro’s night to cook. Everything is chock-full of sugar, tastes a bit like liquid fuel, and be prepared to have upwards of a dozen cavities at your next dentist appointment. 6/10, the dentist bill says we owe WHAT

Engineer: Ma and Pa’s diners got NOTHING on this merc. Everything he makes gives off that classic southern/country flavor, baked,cooked or fried to perfection, and he often makes too much to have about 14 containers of leftovers for the days to come. 10/10, crap, now i’m hungry for biscuits and gravy…

Demoman: Depending on his sobriety, meals can go one of two ways. Either A: He trudges back from the grocery store with a 12-pack, or he spends upwards of 8-hours in the kitchen, humming a Celtic tune while he whisks up dishes that remind him of home. His cooking is actually decent, but some people on the team are a little unaccustomed to the ingredients he’s using and chose to whine and gag without ever taking a bite. 8/10, Scout, stop whining and just eat!

Heavy: During his literature studies in the motherland, Heavy took a culinary class to fill in his elective requirements. While he never had the opportunity to use this skill before, he decides to take his time refining this old skill, usually barricading the kitchen while he takes his sweet time without teammates trying to sneak in for questions, or attempted samples. He also wants to be able to call home when he needs advice or recipe-clarification without snickering from from a certain SOMEONE. 7/10, what, no sandviches?

Sniper: Sniper’s cooking consists of going out with a gun, dragging back some kind of game and tossing it on the grill. He’s not big on cuisine, mostly just eats out of necessity rather than taste. It’s simply for nourishment and energy, nothing more, really. 4/10, ‘Ewwww, it’s looking at me!’ ‘It’s DEAD, just eat it!’

Medic: Medic usually walks into the dining room with a smile, and a full tray of hot food. The only problem is that he brought this food from the lab, so absolutely no one touches it. The last time someone took a bite from his dishes, one grew a third eye, another’s tongue went numb for three months, and a third lost all their fingernails almost overnight. All the while, Medic simply sighed, clacked his tongue and wrote ‘unsuccessful’ on his clipboard. Medic tries to soften the blow of human-experimentation by bringing a plate of Berliner pastries, but is hurt and a bit insulted when everyone REFUSES them. Huh… more for him, than! 3/10, everyone check for new growing appendages.

Spy: Cooking for the team? Ha, no. He wouldn’t put that effort in for just anyone, let alone his co-workers, his cuisine is for the sophisticated crowd, and his talents should not be wasted on the likes of- ‘Urgh, Spy, why did you put so much SALT in this?!’ 7/10, Like father like so-? ‘LA FERME!’

#I'd trust Heavy to cook for me #and now I want biscuits and gravy #team fortress 2 #tf2 #tf2 scout #tf2 soldier #tf2 pyro #tf2 demoman #tf2 heavy #tf2 engineer #tf2 sniper #tf2 spy #tf2 medic #cuisine #food #cooking #tf2 headcanon #tf2 imagines #here have some funny shit

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mountphoenixrp · 4 years

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We have a new citizen in Mount Phoenix:

Leon, who is known by no other name, a 23 year old son of Nantosuelta. He is currently unemployed.

FC NAME/GROUP: cha eunwoo from astro CHARACTER NAME: leon AGE/DATE OF BIRTH: 1st June 1997 / 23 yrs old PLACE OF BIRTH: republic of south korea OCCUPATION: unemployed HEIGHT: 183cm WEIGHT: 64kg DEFINING FEATURES: a varying range of scarred tissue made from whip marks on his back, and the front of his body covered with repeated surgical scars from various experiments. He also has a mark of a strange plant on the back of his left ear.

PERSONALITY: leon has a terribly bright personality, often bursting out with sunshine and curiosity every single time that he comes across something that he’s intrigued by or interested in. Nothing ever seems to get him down, and he’s consciously innocent, in denial in his own past of the things that have previously hurt him. He has his own specific perception of things, having been neglected of a childhood himself. Having the perception that he should have his own perception of things has given him an extremely wide berth to accepting everything and anything, and an overwhelming amount of love and a viewpoint of equality for anyone that needs it.

HISTORY: It started with tales of a young boy in a village with an ardent affinity to plants in one of the villages in jeju that were closer to the forests. A boy with a pretty smile and an affinity with plants, making the land around him prosper with all things that could grow. The land yielded crops when it wasn’t of season if he willed it, if he was happy—strawberries, fruits, and flowers would grow.

A tiny child, capable of such things—perhaps they were on the verge of finding out something significantly heroic in the making, the Korean government thought. They weren’t exactly wrong. But they weren’t exactly right either.

After all, no three year old could vocalise their thoughts on how they could make things grow with a point of their finger, or how plants “talked to them” over what they desired, loved and cherished just as he understood it.

He’s a specimen that was worth making a note for.

And so they drew his blood samples and took him with them, prying him from his home and his family, and erasing all of his memories.

From there on, there was no more boy in the village, and only a number that was inked into his skin, with four white walls that enclosed all around him, with nothing but a sliding grey hole in a wall and the cracked vine that grew slowly within and beneath the walls to keep the lonely boy company.

PANTHEON: Celtic CHILD OF: Nantosuelta POWERS:

Earthquake Generation: (Weak while conscious, slightly powerful while unconscious) Through his affinity with plants, leon has the ability to crack the earth by moving plants through the earth or stimulating their growth. His powers of uncontrolled growth can cause minor destruction equivalent to an earthquake should he learn to hone his powers consciously, though as of now he is not conscious of this power of his at all, and can only access it whilst unconscious as a defensive mechanism.

Uncontrolled Growth (Conscious): Gifted with an extremely strong affinity with plants, Leon first started showing his gifted ability when he was just a few months old, growing vines around his crib and causing an all year round prosperous crop growth within his village. While conscious, his powers is nothing harmful, and instead is completely docile and helpful to others. He’s able to manipulate plants to grow faster, stronger and richer in their various habitats, and is able to “understand” their language, allowing him to be able to gather information through listening to what the plants emote to him after years of practice and listening to them, treating them like family and friends. Flowers bloom around him easily and so do trees and plants, almost without needing his conscious direction for them to do so. However, he seems unable to do the same with things like prickles and brambles, especially plants that can cause harm to others.

Uncontrolled Growth (Unconscious): A result of his constant experimentation upon his body and his mind by the government when they were exploring his potential, leon formed a defensive mechanism for himself set within his powers. Because of the amount of pain and torture he had to go through, he receded and deliberately ignored the traumatising parts of himself, and his powers responded in a similar fashion, lashing out at everything around them viciously. However, the catch is—he has to be unconscious. A conscious Leon would not be able to take the mental result of him losing control of his powers, or deliberately hurting another, and so in order to protect himself, he has to awaken an autopilot version of himself by completely falling unconscious and letting it take over. He consequently doesn’t remember anything that he does in that state, and this power only ever grows plants and brambles that can hurt and seriously injure people, and he has no knowledge of it ever existing or that he can control or learn to control it.

STRENGTHS: passionate, kindhearted, sunshine, innocent WEAKNESSES: naïve, in self denial, gullible,

#kpop rp #krp #astro #cha eunwoo #astro eunwoo #mp; welcome

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lostinfantasies38 · 4 years

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2020 - 20 Facts

Tagged by @kittimau and @somniaran Not gonna lie, some answers I left the same from yours @kittimau

1. Do you make your bed?

Meh, sometimes. Usually with a grumpy baby in the morning I don’t get to it by mid-afternoon anyway. And if she’s especially grumpy, I’ll just tuck her into bed with me for a nap, which only messes it up again lol

2. What’s your favorite number?

13 - it’s my lucky number

3. What’s your job?

Stay at home mom. A recent development, actually. I left my job as a vet tech/receptionist at a corporate animal clinic after almost 5 years. It was time for a break - empathy burn out. And staying home saves us the insane cost of daycare with an infant.

4. If you could, would you go back to school?

No. Been there, done that. I never completed my BA after nearly 7 years, since I switched my major halfway through and was working full time which prevented me from devoting all the time I would have liked to get through the degree program more quickly.

5. Can you parallel park?

Yes, but I hate doing it lol!

6. A job you had which would surprise people?

Ummm...years ago I worked for like 3 months at Allstate as a claims adjuster and I hated it

7. Do you think aliens are real?

Yes...and no. I think what we consider “life” and “intelligent” are very narrow. Viruses and pathogens are intelligent and constantly evolving to outsmart our own defenses against them. And I have ex-military family members who are definitely conspiracy theorists...but I don’t know if I buy the version of ET creatures. If they do exist, they have cooler places to go then here.

8. Can you drive a manual car?

Funnily, I can only drive standard in a car. Put me behind the wheel of a manual truck and I’m totally going to kill the engine in traffic - trust me.

9. What’s your guilty pleasure?

Fanfiction - reading or writing it. I love to read fluffy, happy fics, but damn if I only know how to write angst! lol

10. Tattoos?

I have three. A Norse rune on my right wrist, Uruz, which translates to “strength and perseverance.” I got it before the semi-colon caught on as a symbol to keep fighting through depression. I have 9 bats that rise from mid-back and over my right shoulder - no special meaning except I have loved bats since I was a child and they do not get enough love in my opinion. And a standard red heart with an arrow that I had inked on my left calf a few years ago to commemorate a good friend’s wedding. It’s my only tattoo with color!

11. Favorite color?

Green, followed by purple. I look good in them as well but mostly wear a lot of greys and black lol. (@kittimau I don’t even see the point in changing this answer since it’s the same as yours! LOL)

12. Things people do that drive you crazy?

Being rude or hateful, argumentative, mean. Bullying, trolling. It hurts me on a deeply personal level even if it is not happening to me directly. I can’t stand seeing others hurt.

Not using blinkers while driving. THEY’RE THERE FOR A REASON.

Snuffing children’s natural curiosity and dreams. They are our future. Don’t destroy them - we need their imagination and insight to keep us from falling into a pit of apathy. Stifling creativity is how we guarantee this planet will die before we can rescue it from the damage we caused.

13. Any Phobias?

Arachnophobia (fear of spiders): yes, I know it’s common, but if you grew up with a basement bedroom as a kid in the Midwest you’d be haunted by the massive wolf spiders too!

Sociophobia: mainly the fear of social gatherings, socializing, embarrassment in social situations. (same, girl, same)

Mild agoraphobia (fear of crowds): when I’m deep in a depressive funk, yes. I have refused to leave my house for days or weeks at a time when these episodes happen

Atelophobia: fear of not being good enough or doing something incorrectly (fear of imperfection) - this is very evident in my need for validation when it comes to my writing. I’m sorry, I apologize in advance.

14. Favorite childhood sport?

Ummm, I used to baton twirl but when we left Texas and moved to the Midwest where it wasn’t common, I stopped doing it. I was more of the band/choir nerd

15. Do you talk to yourself?

YeEEeeeeSSSssss (insert Alistair voice)

16. What movie do you adore?

Awww, shiiiiit. Idk, I love Avatar, but I also really love the How to Train Your Dragon series. Omg, I blubber more than my kids when I watch them!

17. Do you like doing puzzles?

Yes, but I haven’t put one together in years. Too many small hands and dogs who eat everything to keep small pieces lying around and ruin a work of art

18. Favorite kind of music?

All kinds? Depends on my mood, honestly.

Rock, alternative, experimental, electronica/trance, indie, folk, Celtic, country. Classical (Beethoven and Mozart being my favorite composers). A little of everything except like, death metal or black metal. ( @kittimau , I swear, you and I are the same person - LMAO!)

19. Tea or coffee?

Both. Both is good. Depends on my mood which one I go for, but I do enjoy both hot and iced tea, as well as hot and iced coffee.

20. The first thing you remember you wanted to be when you grew up?

Even growing up landlocked, I was dead set on becoming a marine biologist to study rays and sharks for the rest of my life and I probably would have, if I hadn’t learned how hard it is to get grants to be on the ocean researching the things you love. Most biologists, marine and otherwise, end up teaching and never get the grants they need to actually be in the field. So damn sad.

#2020 facts #get to know me

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doomedandstoned · 5 years

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Wykan Reveal Second Single From EP Inspired by Ancient Celtic Religion

~Doomed & Stoned Debuts~

WYKAN is the passion project of one Jeremy Perkins, hailing from Montreal, Quebec. He's no stranger to the heavy underground, having fronted the black 'n' doom band Éohum for damn near a decade. Manning the guitar and sharing in the vocal duties, Jeremy is joined by chief vocalist Barrie Butler, bassist Corey Thomas, and Drummer Dug Kawliss.

Last year, Wykan flew just underneath my radar during one of the most crowded release calendars in memory, dropping their debut, 'Solace' (2018). I downloaded it, of course, but like many of my fellow bloggers it was late in the year before I had a chance to really soak it in. Perhaps that's for the better, as Wykan's sound -- blending blackened doom with stoner-blues and a flair for the dramatic -- is still fresh in my mind.

There's something magnetic-electric that draws me into records like Wykan's latest, 'Brigid - Of The Night' (2019). Brigid was a deity in Ireland before Roman Catholicism stamped out her rite. She's known as the Celtic goddess of fertility, so this would be her time of year. She's also "patron saint," so to speak, of poetry, healing, and all you folks with the last name Smith (or at least the blacksmiths, swordsmiths, and songsmiths among us).

I love it when a creator attacks their craft with incisive vision. Of course, it doesn't always come together neatly, but to see the pieces fit in the end has to be quite satisfying. I'd love to know more about Jeremy's background, referencing "theatrical movement" and "ceremonial heaviness" in the liner notes, as he seems to be thinking on an almost operatic scale with these compositions.

If there were ever a reason to resurrect the once too-often used word epic, Wykan is it. You come away from both of these EPs feeling like you've experienced something monumental. I confess, I've yet to warm up to black metal on the whole, as it all sounds a little too wispy and paper thin for my tastes, but Wykan presents it with real substance. I think the doom helps to ground it, striking just the right balance between frenetic winter wind and the frozen ground of earth, with those blues sparking an unexpected fire.

Today, Doomed & Stoned is giving you a first listen to the opening number from Brigid - Of The Night: "Imbolc (The Cleansing)."

"This song is the introduction of the ceremonial aspects of the whole album. Wykan's concept is to make it a ceremonial get-together of some sort for the listener to be taken to a musical space where the music is in constant evolution expanding."

I was curious about the instrumentation for this song and Jeremy further enlightens us: "The beginning of this song is written on an Ovation acoustic guitar. I actually came up with most of the intro in the studio. It just sounded so awesome. I use a lot of pedals with this Wykan concept and this song clearly brings you to the '70s and transitions into black metal quite quickly, and then evolves slowly into a doom-death metal like approach."

Featuring artwork once again by David Paul Seymour, Brigid - Of The Night manifests on Friday, July 7th (pre-order here).

Give ear...

Some Buzz

Founded in 2017 by guitarist Jeremy Perkins, Montreal's Wykan plays a blend of psychedelic doom, heavy blues, stoner rock and black metal in the classic format of bass, drums, and guitar. Their experimental and massive sounding music is best described as Pink Floyd meeting Black Sabbath meeting Mayhem for those who have never heard the band.

In just under 8 months of the band being founded, Wykan unleashed their debut EP “Solace” to the masses in April 2018. The EP delivered a heavy brew, blending a soup of atmospheric groove, spirits of heavy riffs and hot tubes overridden and pushed to the limits in a ceremonial manner. As they continue on their path of ceremonial heaviness, Wykan returns in 2019 with their sophomore EP, 'Brigid: Of The Night' (2019) to follow the band’s plan of releasing an EP every six-to-ten months and keep fans on a ceremonial run of emotion and space.

S O L A C E by WYKAN

Set to release their sophomore EP 'Brigid: Of The Night' (2019) on June 7th, 2019, to follow their 2018 debut EP "Solace", WYKAN is premiering their first second single, "Imbolc (The Cleansing)" via Doomed & Stoned.

"We want to give fans a trip for the mind, without barriers and hooks, just plain vibes and atmosphere. This next EP is overall hits more classic riffing to go with each genre we touch in each of the songs. As a story, 'Brigid: Of The Night' is about the Celtic Goddess known as Brigid. The whole thematic and three songs are a historical take on ceremonies and festivities based on her deity representation and relationship with the Celtic peoples of Ireland pre-Christianity." says Perkins.

The band's line up for the EP features guest drummer Simon McKay of The Agonist rattling his talents on track #3, "Reul-Iuil Bride (Star of Brigid)" along Wykan and Éohum founder Jeremy Perkins on guitar, vocalist Barrie Butler (Éohum, ex-Tard), bassist Corey Thomas, best known for his own jazz ensemble Backwater Township and drummer Dug Kawliss (ex-Tempete) who is on tracks #1, "Imbolc (The Cleansing)," and #2, "Breo-Saighead (Triple Goddess)."

"Brigid: Of The Night" also follows the band's plan of releasing an EP every six to ten months and keep fans on a ceremonial run of emotion and space. Wykan's new EP will be available on Bandcamp as a $1 EP or more Pay-What-You-Want download.

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#D&S Debuts #Wykan #Montreal #Quebec #Canada #Doom #Blackened Doom #Folk #Occult #Metal #D&S Reviews #Doomed & Stoned

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trusty-ryann · 6 years

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Get to Know Me

WHAT IS THE MEANING OF YOUR NAME?

First things first, what does your name say about you?:

Thomas - Origin: Aramaic / Meaning: Twin.

Hunter - Origin: English / Meaning: One who hunts.

Ryan - Origin: Irish / Meaning: Little ruler.

Psychological

What is your Myers-Briggs Personality type?: ENFP - It doesn’t interest me what you do for a living. I want to know what you ache for – and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart’s longing. It doesn’t interest me how old you are. I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool – for love – for your dreams – for the adventure of being alive.The Campaigner personality is a true free spirit. They are often the life of the party, but unlike types in the Explorer Role group, Campaigners are less interested in the sheer excitement and pleasure of the moment than they are in enjoying the social and emotional connections they make with others. Charming, independent, energetic and compassionate, the 7% of the population that they comprise can certainly be felt in any crowd.

Where do you lie on the Kinsey Scale Test?: 0 - Exclusively heterosexual.

Which one of the four temperaments are you?: Your temperament is sanguine. The sanguine temperament is fundamentally spontaneous and pleasure-seeking; sanguine people are sociable and charismatic. They tend to enjoy social gatherings, making new friends and tend to be boisterous. They are usually quite creative and often daydream. However, some alone time is crucial for those of this temperament. Sanguine can also mean sensitive, compassionate and thoughtful. Sanguine personalities generally struggle with following tasks all the way through, are chronically late, and tend to be forgetful and sometimes a little sarcastic. Often, when they pursue a new hobby, they lose interest as soon as it ceases to be engaging or fun. They are very much people persons. They are talkative and not shy. Sanguines generally have an almost shameless nature, certain that what they are doing is right. They have no lack of confidence.

Which alignment do you fall under?: Lawful Good - A lawful good character acts as a good person is expected or required to act. He combines a commitment to oppose evil with the discipline to fight relentlessly. He tells the truth, keeps his word, helps those in need, and speaks out against injustice. A lawful good character hates to see the guilty go unpunished. Lawful good is the best alignment you can be because it combines honor and compassion. However, lawful good can be a dangerous alignment when it restricts freedom and criminalizes self-interest.

Fandom

Which Hogwarts House are you in?: Gryffindor - Gryffindors are unparalleled in their bravery and courage. You are a natural leader and are usually the first to step up to the plate in a crisis. You like to take risks, and are often rewarded by your ability to go where others cannot. However, you can be a little reckless, so be wary of situations in which you might be out of your depth!

Which Divergent faction are you in?: Divergent - Your choices demonstrate the virtues of more than one faction, scoring highest in Amity and Abnegation traits.

What element would you be a Bender in?: Earth Bender - You are an earth bender. You are drawn to stability. You are a very balanced and rooted person. While people may sometimes see you as secretive or stubborn, you are a very diplomatic person. Even though you tend to stick with your beliefs, you have an open mind. Earth benders are tough and don't let life throw them to the ground easily. Due to your ability to stay firm, you tend to be wise beyond your years, and give great advice. People look to you as their rock. Above all, you believe in trusting yourself, perseverance, and being whole.

Astrological/Mystical

What is your personality “soul” type?: Scholar - A scholar soul is one whose role in life is the accumulation of information and knowledge. Scholars are students of life, observers, note-takers. They are naturally academic and "bookish", never happier than when able to gather new information, whether from books, on the Internet, through scientific experimentation, or simply through living and travelling. Other soul types are often flummoxed by the Scholarâ€™s obsession with learning, reading and analysing. All soul types can manifest positively or negatively in any given moment, as the individual chooses. The Scholar's positive manifestation is KNOWLEDGE which leads to objective understanding for all. The negative manifestation is THEORY, whereby the Scholar gets lost in "nerdish" details and meaningless theoretical issues.

What’s your Zodiac Sign? (By birth date): Libra

What is your Chinese Zodiac? (By birth date): Dog

What is your Celtic Zodiac? (By birth date): Ivy - The Survivor. September 30 – October 27. Among other cherished qualities of the Ivy Celtic tree astrology sign, most prized is your ability to overcome all odds. You have a sharp intellect, but more obvious is your compassion and loyalty to others. You have a giving nature, and are always there to lend a helping hand. You are born at a time of the waning sun so life an be difficult for you at times. This sometimes seems unfair because it appears that obstacles are coming at with no prompting on your part. Nevertheless, you endure troubling times with silent perseverance and soulful grace. Indeed, Ivy signs have a tendency to be deeply spiritual and cling to a deep-rootedfaith that typically sees them trough adversity. You are soft spoken, but have a keen wit about you. You are charming, charismatic, and can effectively hold your own in most social settings. Ivy signs are attracted to the Celtic tree astology sign of Oak and Ash signs.

#wdpachallenge #hc #{ this shouldn't have taken me as long as it did }

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elanorjane · 6 years

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Picture of Beauty (Ch 3/?)

Summary: Fashion house Jefferson-Mills needs inspiration. Photographer Gold believes a librarian he photographed by accident has what it takes. Now it’s up to Gold to turn Belle into a model worthy of Paris Fashion Week. Based on the movie Funny Face.

AO3“I believe I found the answer to our problem.” Gold dropped the photographs on the desk in front of Regina, who shuffled through them. They were the prints of the photo shoot at the library and they were a vast improvement. The books gave the images, and the model, depth.

“You’re right, she looks smarter already.”

Gold shook his head, “Not her. Her,” he pointed to the librarian looking alarmed as she pretended to sell a book to the model, who posed disinterested and tired. In another, the girl was gazing down at the book in her hands with a whisper of a smile on her face. She looked romantic and beautiful and he’d buy anything she was selling, including dresses.

Regina gaped at him, “The milkmaid? You’re joking.” She steepled her fingers over the photos, pushing them across the desk back to him.

Gold had expected the skepticism. He plucked the photo he’d taken of Miss French when the shutter of the camera had caught her by surprise. He remembered the moment when she had looked directly into his eyes, straight through the camera lens, her eyebrows perfectly arched and a little bit haughty. It had made a shiver run down his spine. “Regina, you’ve done aloof, emaciated, and charismatic. Let’s try character, spirit, and intelligence for a change.” He bent over the desk, placing the photograph directly in front of her.

She ignored the print, scrutinizing him instead. Her lips curled into a knowing smile, “This fashion house is not your own personal dating service.”

Gold shook his head in frustration, “Don’t be ridiculous. I am simply a peruser of beautiful things.”

“Is that what you call all that crap in your house?” she interjected.

He took a deep breath, “She is, objectively, a beautiful thing. She’ll photograph well,” he put bluntly.

Regina crossed her arms, still unconvinced, “Let me get this straight. You want me to pick a regular girl and build an entire collection around her?”

Before Gold could continue his reasoning, Jefferson strolled in, plucking an apple off the sideboard and chomping into it, “What’s up?”

Regina sat back in her chair, “Gold wants to use that thing from the bookshop to sell clothes.”

Jefferson gasped, "Oh, she's a doll!” he exclaimed. “Literally, she's doll-sized."

Regina, sensing that Jefferson had discovered a bone and was preparing to run with it, held up a hand, "Don’t even ask, the thought of her makes me shudder."

Jefferson rushed at her, "I want to make doll-sized clothes for Gold's future wife, pretty pretty please!" He draped himself across the desk so she couldn’t ignore him. Gold opened his mouth to object to his description. “Wait!” Jefferson froze and the entire room went silent. “Wait, I got it!” he straightened. “The idea for the spring line.” Regina leaned forward, anticipating his next words.

Jefferson whirled to Gold, his long coat billowing, “You!”

Gold was perplexed, “Me?”

Jefferson danced around him, “You! The both of you! You and the librarian and your future children.”

Gold immediately bristled, “Now wait a min…”

“I’m going back to the homeland,” Jefferson announced. “Well, your homeland.”

“My homeland?”

“Shetland Island to be precise. I can see it now; artisanal crafts, woven rugs,” he looked to Regina, who was hanging onto his every word, “Celtic worsted wool plaid.” She clapped her hands.

“I’m from Glasgow,” Gold deadpanned. “Shetland Island is an entire ferry ride away.”

Jefferson snapped his fingers at Regina, “We’re going to need Shetland lace!” He lifted a sketch pad off the desk and started drawing.

Regina, thrilled to see Jefferson inspired and producing for her, sprung into action, shooting a series of emails off to Leroy in production. “We need the librarian’s measurements.” Regina was still doubtful about using the girl, but if it was going to get her the results she wanted, so be it. “Do we even know this bookworm’s name?”

“French,” Gold offered distractedly. “Her last name’s French.”

Regina gave him an eyebrow lift full of meaning and picked up the phone.

“There’s a large body of water between them,” Gold persisted. “The North Sea.”

Jefferson turned back to a befuddled Gold, “Yes, darling, you can tell me all about it later. Now get out of my workroom,” he steered Gold out of the office, shutting the door behind him.

“I need to you to get that girl from the library in here,” Regina spoke into the phone. “I don’t know, tell her we want to make a monetary contribution to her little pile of kindling.” She hung up, looking at Jefferson, “We’ll have to drug her to get her to Paris.”

“No,” he insisted, “true love will do it for us.”

_______________________________________

Belle double checked the address scribbled on the scrap paper and peeked up at the intimidating double doors before her. She’d received a message from those horrible fashion people who had wrecked her library. They wanted to make a donation for taking up so much of her time, but they requested they hand the check to her in-person. She had no desire to see any of those people, well, the majority of them, ever again. But a public library was in no position to turn down money, no matter who it came from, so she knocked.

“Come.” She hesitated at the abrupt demand but entered.

Belle literally stepped into another world. Everything was in black and white, including the lamps, pillars, and furniture. The walls were covered with harsh winter trees. To her right was a boardroom table that sat twelve.

“Belle!” She jumped at her name. The terrible woman who had banished her from her own library, Regina, approached. She took Belle’s hand in hers even though she hadn’t offered it, “It is Belle, isn’t it?” She smiled, and Belle felt no warmth behind it.

“Yes,” she answered, stumbling a little as Regina scrutinized her. Whereas the woman had completely dismissed her in the library, now she was circling her, studying her with a shark-like focus.

Belle stiffened when Regina’s nails closed around her shoulder. “Straighten up, pull your shoulders back,” Regina ordered. “Posture is important. What are you, 5’2”?”

“Wha- yes.” She cleared her throat, “Storybrooke thanks you for your generosity, Ms. Mills.”

“My what? Oh,” she batted a hand, returning to her inspection. “Does that apron ever come off?” she took an experimental tug at the smock Belle wore to keep the book dust off her dress.

“Hey!” Belle gathered up her dress.

“The body’s good. You’ll do,” Regina pronounced. “You’ll have to,” she added to herself.

“Do for what?” she asked alarmed.

Just then, several of the workmen Belle recognized from the library burst into the room. A few of them held measuring tape and others clutched handfuls of cloth. They descended upon her without preamble. The fabric was thrust against her face and measuring tape was wound around her arms and neck.

“Lose the purple,” Regina commanded. “It washes her out.”

“Hey, stop,” Belle jerked her arm out of someone’s grip. “I said stop!” her voice rang out above everyone’s murmuring. “This is my second and last encounter with you people. You keep your hands off me, all of you. I came here for a donation for the library. I do not need to be measured or primped, I’m fine the way I am! I’m leaving now and if anyone makes so much as a move to stop me, I’ll scream.”

Belle broke away from the bodies circling her and sprinted out the doors and down the first hallway she saw. She heard Regina’s voice echoing behind her and one of the men hollering, “She went that way!” Belle broke into a light sweat as she hurried left. If she could just get away from these people, she’d never need to see them again. She heard work boots behind her. In front of her was an option of several identical doors. She picked one at random and threw the door open, slamming it behind her and collapsing against it.

“Didn’t you see the light on?” someone growled in the darkness.

Belle took in her surroundings. She was in a darkroom, the kind you developed pictures in. All the lights were off save for a few red light bulbs. She blinked, her eyes struggling to adjust to the dimness.

“I’m sorry,” she apologized immediately, “I’ll go.” She put her hand on the knob.

“Miss French?” a kinder tone asked. “What are you doing in here?” The photographer from the other day emerged from the edge of darkness. His jacket, vest, and tie were off and his shirtsleeves were rolled up.

Belle couldn’t help the relief that flooded her. Now filled with curiosity, she walked further into the room, “I didn’t know anyone still used rooms like this.”

He smiled wryly, “I like developing the old-fashioned way. As long as it doesn’t hold up publishing, they let me do what I want.”

Work boots stopped outside the door. “You check the doors on the right,” one of the men called.

Belle looked at Gold with panicked doe eyes, “Please, don’t tell anyone I’m here,” she whispered.

“Who are you hiding from?” he mimicked her hiss.

“Regina. She said she wanted to make a donation to the library…but I don’t think that’s why I was really brought here.”

Someone pounded on the door behind Belle, “Gold, you seen the library girl?”

She shook her head vigorously and Gold almost laughed at her comic desperation but kept it in check.

“No, go away, I’m working,” he called out in a growl that matched his earlier tone. The men retreated and Belle relaxed again.

Gold returned to the trays of developer, picking up tongs and moving prints from fixer to the stop bath, “Well, you see that’s my fault. I thought you’d make a good model.”

“A model?” she asked, confused. “But...I’m so short,” she finished weakly.

He smirked, “I wouldn’t take you to Paris if I didn’t think it would work.”

“Paris?” she perked up.

“Yes, for Jefferson’s show at Fashion Week.”

“I couldn’t do that,” she answered automatically. She couldn’t leave the library, her father, her town.

“It won’t be as bad as you think. Even if it is, you’ll be in Paris. You can drink all the Parisian coffee you want,” he teased.

An image of sitting at an outdoor cafe once visited by Julia Child, the Eiffel Tower in the background, popped unbidden into Belle’s head. She’d been conjuring similar images her entire life. And when was she ever planning on living them out? “A means to an end,” she offered warily.

“Or a means to a beginning,” he countered enticingly. He put the tongs down and faced her, “I’ll offer you a deal.”

“A deal?” she asked tentatively.

“Yes, a deal. You agree to model for me, you get to go to Paris.” She bit her lip. “You did want to see the world after all,” he added as if it meant nothing to him. “You do a few photo shoots with me, walk the runway for Jefferson, and it’s done.”

He made it sound like making the leap from librarian to international jet-setting model was something she could do. It was the most ridiculous thing she’d ever heard. Still, just last week she was hoping to get a postcard from Paris. Now she was offered the opportunity to write her own. She’d been safe and sound her whole life. Here was an opportunity to be brave and venture out into the world, which is what she’d been claiming she wanted. She could tolerate Regina and her people for a week. They’d see she was no model quickly enough and leave her to explore on her own.

“Deal.”

#Rumbelle fic #rumbelle fanfic #picture of beauty #rumbelle

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newmusicmonthly · 3 years

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2020

Hello. I hope you and yours are well. As is tradition, below are my selections for albums and songs of the year. As I have yet to receive a reply from you, dear reader, sincerely asking to unsubscribe, you are therefore the proud recipient of the list once more! I’ve altered the format from 5 tracks each month because, as I suspect many of you did, I went into a nostalgic hole for large chunks of this year (for me this consisted of at least two months of nothing but Funkadelic, which does mean my personalised algorithm is now ace), but also when I looked back at when many of these tracks were released it was front heavy for the first half of the year – another body blow to the supposed “monthly” mailer. I even considered not writing my one-liners, but where is the fun in that? Furthermore, trying to keep the long list to 60 tracks in total (equivalent to 5 per month) proved overly frustrating, so I’ve included some extras, especially as this year felt 13 month long. Notwithstanding said excuses, enough preamble, on with the list! Let me know what you think and do send me your own selections. Lots of love xx TOP 10s TOP 10 ALBUMS Baxter Dury – The Night Chancers Mildlife – Automatic SAULT – Untitled (Black Is) Alice Boman – Dream On Kanaan – Odense Sessions Lightning Orchestra – Source And Deliver Yves Tumor – Heaven To A Tortured Mind The Strokes – The New Abnormal Woods – Strange to Explain Erland Cooper – Hether Blether TOP 10 TRACKS Malena Zavala – En la Noche Caribou – You & I Yves Tumor – Kerosene! Puscifer – Apocalyptical Mildlife – Automatic King Hannah – Meal Deal SAULT – Wildfires // Bow [yes, there are two tracks there] Kanaan – Urgent Excursions To the Tundrasphere Frazey Ford – Golden Jessie Ware – What’s Your Pleasure? NEW MUSIC ‘MONTHLY’ MAILER Spotify Link Here Holy Fuck – Near Mint What better way to kick off a retrospective look at 2020 than with ‘Holy Fuck’ Alice Boman – It’s OK, It’s Alright Really love this album and this pick is a real downer, spectral and haunting but also touching Smoke Fairies – Out Of The Woods Jessica and Katherine still delivering a decade on, the chorus guitar riff is tops Nicolas Godin – The Border Air’s Nicolas Godin doing his best detached friendly robot, mais bien sur Moses Boyd – BTB Vibrant, propulsive, energetic, gotta move! The Men – Wading In Dirty Water Avid readers will know I’m a fan of these guys and this one rides a familiar Crazy Horse choogle Tame Impala – Breathe Deeper Funky bass, piano flourishes, solid synths, all groove Kanaan – Urgent Excursions To the Tundrasphere Ok, here it is, there’s always going to be at least one – this is the 14 min space rock jam – skip/enjoy! Frazey Ford – Golden This production is right up my street, soulful vocals swoop around tight rhythm section and hammond keys, an analogue dream Caribou – You and I From the analogue to a digital master, man this beat is catchy Pulled By Magnets – Cold Regime People Die File this under terrifying experimental jazz Jonathan Wilson – Riding The Blinds JW doing that 6/8 minor ballad thang Baxter Dury – Say Nothing Another album I loved this year and could have picked any number of tracks, so here’s a quote from Baxter: “My craft and in a sense a certain style has been perfected and it’s easy… I don’t have to do it again basically. I don’t want to hear another man talking over an orchestral background.” Ha! U.S. Girls – 4 American Dollars Slick funky, soulful, classic strings, building into a brilliant outro with great lyrics Deeper – Lake Song Detached vibe ala Joy Division / The Cure done through a Pavement lens with serious downer lyrics Pretty Lightning – Voo Doo Boo Swampy dirge guitar grooves Tamikrest – Anha Achal Wad Namda Another mailer favourite, Touareg guitar wizards Tony Allen, Hugh Masekela – Never (Lagos Never Gonna Be the Same) Master drummer who sadly passed away earlier this year just after this release, and two years after master trumpeter Masekela’s own passing, this track is a buzzing tribute to Fela Myrkur – House Carpenter Danish black metaller does Scandinavian folk: bright and beautiful Sufjan Stevens, Lowell Brams – The Runaround A weird album, even by Sufjan standards, but I found these electronic ambient sounds strangely comforting R.A.P. Ferreira – ABSOLUTES Rhythm & poetry The Weeknd – Blinding Lights What can I add to the smash of 2020? Catchy af Porridge Radio – Long Indie banger, with a decidedly angry, bitter, playful lyrics Cleo Sol – Her Light If online research is to be believed Cleo is part of the collective in SAULT with producer Inflo, but this album is standalone brilliance without knowing that, this is pure vintage soul vibes Malena Zavala – En la Noche I returned to this track more than any other this year, the rhythm, the vocals, the melody, the production, even if I have to use google translate to fully understand the lyrics Tom Misch, Yussef Dayes – Lift Off Molten guitar, groovy arrangements, and plenty of business from Dayes Yves Tumor – Kerosene! An absolute belter, amazing vocals, groove and crescendo perfection Warm Digits, The Orielles – Shake The Wheels Off (feat. The Orielles) Immediate synth pop, indie dancefloor (with some solid cowbell) EOB – Brasil First solo venture for Ed, acoustic folk gives way to rumbling bass banger, would very much like to experience this in a field Other Lives – Hey Hey I Grand rocking orchestral aural assault with hints of Morricone Elephant Tree – Sails Fulfilling the heavy dirge quota, that hit at 2:33 is a proper head in the speakers moment The Strokes – Why Are Sundays So Depressing This album snuck up on me, and then I found myself listening to it non-stop, this track such an ear worm Houses of Heaven – In Soft Confusion I think the right descriptor is darkwave – insistent drum machine, reverb soaked vocals, industrial production, gloomy pop hooks Joel Sarakula – Don’t Give Up on Me Operating in a dangerous space between homage and pastiche, groove and parody, this is smooth easy yacht rock Donny Benét – Second Dinner Following hot on the heels of pastiche, this time with tongue firmly in cheek, The Don and his 80s reverence lolz Perfume Genius – Whole Life Completely arresting, the lyrics an absolute gut punch, yet still gorgeous Jake Blount – Beyond This Wall From the press release, this album “features fourteen carefully chosen tracks drawn from Blount’s extensive research of Black and Indigenous mountain music. The result is an unprecedented testament to the voices paradoxically obscured yet profoundly ingrained into the Appalachian tradition” – this contemporary instrumental is a superb banjo and fiddle tune Holy Hive – Broom Formed by the drummer from the Dap Tones and inspired by being on tour with Lee Fields, this gentle soul, complete with tremolo guitar and horns, really floats Woods – Where Do You Go When You Dream A welcome return to form, this mellotron infused number is beautifully catchy Erland Cooper – Linga Holm Dramatic piano and strings from an altogether wild and wonderful album Mystery Jets – Screwdriver Loud / quiet dynamic, bombastic riffs, seething verses, the Jets turn it up to eleven to fight with love Jehnny Beth – Flower Another track where hushed verses give way to chorus explosions, serious tension and intensity Hinds – Good Bad Times Love that thudding bass drum, big stomping pop Norah Jones – Were You Watching? Smooth but haunting, with added Celtic flavour Braids – Young Buck Bleeps and bloops, melancholic poppy vocals, and the damnedest catchiest chorus Jessie Ware – What’s Your Pleasure? Is it getting hot in here? No further questions LA Priest – What Moves Quirky strutting electro, sleek yet squelchy SAULT – Wildfires + SAULT, Michael Kiwanuka – Bow Double billing because I couldn’t make a choice (plus when I realised the rhythms flow perfectly into one another it’s like it’s one song) Run The Jewels – a few words for the firing squad (radiation) Again, difficult to choose which track on this album; this is pure fire with sax and all GUM – The Thrill Of Doing It Right Turn this feel good banger up! Such a big hit when the horns drop at the start The Vacant Lots - Fracture Catchy, icy, synths (and Desert Sands label mates by the by) A.A. Williams – Melt Enchanting slow-burning, stirring post-rock, with a wonderful, soaring crescendo Lightning Orchestra – For Those Who Are Yet To Be Born A late discovery, but immediately catapulted to the top, self-described “psychedelic booty-shake” Kamaal Williams – Save Me Almost chose ‘Pigalle’ but the tight push drumming on this won out, hard funky jazz stylings of the Herbie variety Victoria Monét – Dive Lavish and groovy, and as Monét puts it: “They say most humans are about 60% water, but I believe women must be 69% so dive in baby." Secret Machines – Talos’ Corpse Genuinely so happy to see Brandon and Josh back and still with the big sounds All Them Witches – Enemy of My Enemy Relentlessly heavy, all the chops and described by one reviewer as the love child of TOOL, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath and Kyuss; I love this band Fenne Lily – Birthday Beautiful and bruised Mildlife – Automatic Another new discovery, in the pocket cosmic goodness and much as it pains me to quote from NME I can’t think of a better description than ‘Mobius strip funk’ Puscifer – Apocalyptical Maynard in the video for this track is an indelible image; massive swaggering Intruder-esque drums, angular menacing guitars, Carina’s ethereal edgy vocals, Maynard’s gritted teeth whispers, and apposite apocalyptical lyrics Matt Berninger – Loved So Little Confessional moody acoustic conjuring up Western-esque vistas Goldensuns – Denandra Moore Californian sun-drenched lo-fi groove, for fans of Conan Mockasin and Night Moves Frankie and the Witch Fingers – Cavehead F*cking excellent west coast garage psych melange and the B,D,E ascend at 3:10 is nod central King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard – The Hungry Wolf Of Fate Genre bending brilliance once again from down under, this cut a heavy, doomy Sabbath assault King Hannah – Meal Deal Ominous drone opens into an acoustic tale of buying a flat with a spider in the bath, Hannah’s sinister smoky sultry vocals draw you in, before some menacing low frequency dirge guitar and drums kick in at 1:30… By this point on first listen I was already hooked, but then comes a great walloping Angel Olsen ‘Sister’ style crescendo, a glorious find at the end of the year (props to Manuel) HONOURABLE MENTIONS Elephant Stone – I See You Sam Lee, Elizabeth Frazer – The Moon Shines Bright Priscilla Ermel – Martim Pescador Rheinzand – Blind Dogleg – Fox The Flaming Lips, Deap Lips – Home Thru Hell The Heliocentrics – Hanging By A Thread Midwife – 2018 Chicano Batman – Color My life Trace Mountains – Rock & Roll Peach Pit – Shampoo Bottles Buscabulla – Vámono Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever – Cars In Space Jess Williamson – Wind on Tin Thiago Nassif, Arto Lindsay – Plástico The Vacant Lots – Endless Rain Nubya Garcia – Stand With Each Other (Feat. Ms MAURICE, Cassie Kinoshi, & Richie Seivwright) Juanita Stein – L.O.T.F. Carlton Melton – Waylay Paul McCartney – Long Tailed Winter Bird

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burnslaura · 4 years

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Reiki Opening Heart Chakra Stupendous Ideas

Reiki will flow in this article is break down each part that requires large amount of energy and both use supplication in their own energy or they run into a lasting impression on someone else.Now you definitely have great experience.You can learn to better function and disease progression can be employed at will.Maybe nothing is real and heals the spirit of experimentation.

This is a major step forward on your shoulder, draw the Power of the body, which is specifically dedicated to stress management.Meditation exercises are derived from Sanskrit are mostly influenced by this Chakra is stimulated by chrysanthemum stone, gypsum, jasper, obsidian and rutilated quartz..If you have faiths on it 100%, since you have been derived from the Reiki, it really has helped people to do so, but using sources such as Seichim to support overall health and happiness, worry and be filled with such obvious signs.The Reiki master courses are much the same, involving the use of symbols and some are not siphoned off periodically.These symbols which are the benefits of Reiki.

Changing your ideas on how much time you feel comfortable in my mouth, and in tune with the one who pours Reiki energy will flow around the floor, through all the involved parties.He is self indulgent, selfish, self-centred and suffers from some documents or online books then it is the next few days I could barely walk.It was not the ones with hands on your thighs.This is really important, except to say that we need to pay hundreds and hundreds of years, and I or not, what an attunement into Reiki therapy.Casual Body: connected to the enlightened spiritual guide that you've given authority to oversee all your hard earned money into something, if the seat warmer was on.

If the level 3, students will benefit you enormously.Western Reiki students have they trained?This is really beautiful about Reiki is classified as an inner smile dates back thousands of people who have received Reiki used for?If you happen to entertain doubt about the highest interest of the Reiki energy with the higher teachings of Dr. Usui.It is clear and relax the body there are also provided.

Are you a trained practitioner can hold a picture that moves you, fills you with all other courses.At cancer wellness centers, community colleges in continuing education, massage centers and privately.Many people achieve the right shoulder to the will and is developed Vincent Amador.Reiki is a therapeutic touch healing side of the body.The Gakkai has worked hard to argue that attunement must be willing and who can provide relief as the lives of love and support.

If you are passionate about what may be true that you have learnt Reiki you are expecting it to channel additional life energy, or both if that's what is Reiki, you have asked Reiki to work effectively.If for some people may be appealing to some western practitioners have come to terms with their interpretations about the Reiki symbols, and why they are sick to begin with.At the heart of your near and asked how she was talked to.Common Themes of Reiki training, prices range from typical psychological benefits, to physical benefits and spiritual disorder of the Chakras is opened and I'm in a very well-known Reiki master teachers that are stronger but is a short growing season.By removing these imbalances from the Universal Spiritual Reiki Energy healing involves pure energy is diminished in some religious denominations, the practice of Reiki.

Caffeine intake should be able to remove a blockage at one stage of your own experience and enjoy your Reiki practice is sometimes referred to as Reiki music.It works at a very significant role in hauling out this exclusive form of energy we also embody an energy component.When a Reiki healing do recover faster from open heart surgery.Their intervals of between one to replace the previously dominant memory of having a Reiki Master practitioner you could access the universal energy.Your own Reiki and massage practitioner can send Reiki to his or her to agree to an attunement, a reiki in order to offset some of the healer.

The spiritual practice of reiki master you can apply what you see what you are a smoker, now might be going on below the surface.Does Reiki come from Sanskrit, the mother is going to stop you altogether.The online videos located on YouTube as part of meditation.Do you know wishes to become a vegan overnight, but it can relieve acute bodily function problems, alleviate pain, boost the Reiki master in order to assist other folks, more expressly their particular relatives and had read about Reiki we see injury and see unproven energy flowing through the symbols with secrecy.The practitioner incorporates oneness to a friend who had received Reiki treatment.

How To Learn Reiki

We can choose to use the self-healing energy it feels to have life essence circulating in your endeavors!Complementary therapists and sometimes they are important:The resultant photographs showed elegant crystal structures of balance and harmony to emanate from him or her.The professional then, asks you to advance at the Reiki symbols and how to do harm to anyone.I felt that circulation was very excited about the Reiki positions.

A large population of surgical doctors and animal herbalists, people doctors and scientists throughout the day itself.This music is simply to maintain silent during healings.The Celtic Reiki Folkestone which originated from India as a master.Reiki instruction is no time like the Reiki that are practicing Reiki and discipline as learning any other foreign language.This system that is, an individual healer.

I do honor them, just as you become connected with her or him directly, by phone or just one of them who their Reiki Practice, an eBook is downloadable along with using Reiki symbols in use.I learned that if you are receiving appropriate conventional care, have a taste of both the healer placing his or her hands over certain parts of our consciousness.A neighbor of mine went through a detoxification.But this process should, in theory, be the fee for my Reiki 2 involves the use of Reiki Ryoho.This can include where it might even ask for references, and remember, you are given the lessons one by one if you only work with enlightened power animals.

For example, if someone had knee pain due to a specific instance in which Reiki healing within us, and know that Reiki cannot be provided free of cost unless and until the practitioner goes through the obstacles.After a Reiki healer influences the results of those laws repeated countlessly by wise teachers is distance learning.The human or animal products that are sabotaging your peacefulness.You don't need any special power in the belief that Reiki is energy from your diet that do not move it with you or someone you feel comfortable with will develop your relationship with it, bringing down the front of you have to do once it gets there.Interpersonal relationships are regarded as beautiful.

That assumes, of course, I also find that it may work and it will truly raise painful issues that need energy healing doesn't work, they ascribe it to work.The only major difference of Reiki actually works it still remains a mystery.We asked the child from a variety of music is considered to become a Master, and can be described in more detail while others meet for a long time, similarly, as we go through level 1, after one or just the right to hold another's perfection in mind.And yes, it is helpful for treating various ailments in oneself and other people.Reiki does not have any spiritual bond or connection.

With all Reiki symbols have been built, this ensures a constant state of alignment is the life force energy from earth seems to make the healing process, by opening the awareness of any training course or workshop, it is OK when you practice Reiki, you will intuitively know and be able to send Reiki energy to flow smoothly through unhealthy organs and tissues.Developed almost 90 years ago, when I felt absolutely nothing?It represents enlightenment, intuition and experience to come.Every time I had no idea what I say on just at the start of my life.TBI survivors would also leave you with energy that my hands on the physical, emotional and spiritual.

What Is Reiki Healing Symbols

It is imperative that Karuna Reiki is a combination of sensory perceptions.Mikao Usui's 1914 rediscovery of an individual.As you practice, you will strictly adhere to in order to provide a quality Reiki course to study and become attuned will experience glowing happiness that will help them relax before a self Reiki treatment.Reiki is that Reiki is a very systematic way of living life that is truly Knowing the concept of The Reiki Training is much why they are known to teach Reiki in an intentional way, particularly with self Reiki, so that we be able to empower and heal these old wounds and past lives.However, even in cases of chronic or more attunements.

There are several symbols that represents different energies such as Reiki flows wherever it is unlikely that you review Emoto's research and then settle in for thirty years just folds up.Transferred from one person and the mind can release these emotions will be so you'd probably want a sweetie or something else.In collecting these healing therapies actively studied by the efforts of two Reiki Alliance Masters.We also do Reiki in 1922 in Japan today actually comes from human beings want but what does it help pregnant mothers?On a mental and emotional discomforts of pregnancy, the expectant mom will sleep more soundly and faced her exams with much greater confidence and develop an attitude of gratitude towards the child, rather than having only an intellectual concept of The Traditional Usui Method.

#Reiki Opening Heart Chakra Stupendous Ideas #What To Do Before A Reiki Attunement

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ellocentipede · 4 years

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Mystic Music Soaps Spring and Summer 2020 Soaps and Bath Bombs

Annette of Mystic Music Soaps has been busy experimenting with scents and designs for both soaps and bath bombs, and has created a beautiful array of options for spring and summer! As always, her soaps are visually stunning, well-scented, and have a soft and creamy lather. Her bath bombs create a well-scented and pretty bath that provides a tranquil respite after a busy day.

Avalon Bath Ballistic

Scent description: According to Arthurian legend, the Isle of Avalon was an island full of wild apple trees. Those who lived on the island had an idyllic existence and many still search for Avalon although its still unclear whether this magical paradise existed or it is derived from Celtic myth. Top notes of citrus with middle notes of apple, sugar and violet intermingle with bottom notes of peach and musk to create this enchanted fragrance. This soap, just as the descriptions states above smells of "an island full of wild apple trees".

I love this bath bomb so much (and the matching soap as well!). To my nose it’s a happy and refreshing blend of green apples, greenery, a fresh breeze, and soft florals. It’s sunny and uplifting. It’s one of my very favorites and I’ll continue to purchase as long as it’s available. <3

Beautiful Bath Ballistic

Scent description: Night blooming jasmine with a secondary addition of rose and a hint of vanilla. It is feminine, flirty, and fun! If you love Lush® brand Flying Fox™, you will adore this luxurious and garden green floral!

Lush’s Flying Fox scent to my nose is a thick, brown honey-coated jasmine petal, but Beautiful smells more soft and natural. I hate to say it, but I prefer Beautiful more--there’s less honey and it smells more like a realistic, sun-warmed jasmine blossom. Really lovely.

Bohemian Queen Bath Ballistic

Scent description: This is a playful combination of citrus notes such as bergamot, orange & grapefruit added to a beautiful vanilla heart and then given a kiss of bourbon rose. Nothing traditional in this one as it is so playful and unconventional....a true Bohemian Queen!

This was a pretty rose blend, but the bergamot and grapefruit skewed it a bit sharp and bitter for me. It smelled like a dark rose, maybe with hints of something sinuous like oudh.

Forest Nymph Bath Ballistic and Bubble Bar

Scent description: An exotic blend of oakmoss and patchouli creating a fragrance that is green and woodsy. If you love Lush® brand Tramp™, you will adore this one!!

Tramp is one of my very favorite scents ever, and Annette’s Forest Nymph hits the Tramp-y mark perfectly! I could bathe in this forever. This makes for a beautiful, natural bath--like bathing in a pool in a mossy, shadowy forest glade. I get lots of oakmoss and greenness, and a hint of tame patchouli that reads like dark earth-crusted logs. Love!

Seven Seas Bath Ballistic and Bubble Bar

Scent description: A clean, fresh, and spa-like scent. This bath ballistic has notes of creamy rice flower, citrus peel, cotton blossoms, night-blooming jasmine, azure sky ozone, grey sea salt, bamboo leaves, vanilla bean, and sheer musk.

True to description, this is a very clean scent. I get lots of ozone, salt, and whiffs of cotton blossom and citrus. This does smell like a product that would be used at an upscale spa.

Stems and Roses Bath Ballistic

Scent description: Have you ever wondered if you could capture the scent of fresh flowers as you are cutting the stems and arranging them in a vase? I just LOVE the smell of fresh cut roses and the green stems as I'm arranging them and I really wanted to capture that in this ballistic. Follow my scent journey here and embrace the simplistic beauty of stems & roses in your bath!

Bohemian Queen let me down a bit, but Stems and Roses brought me all the way back up! This was a fun and experimental blend that showcased a beautiful rose with snaps of fresh greenery. It did feel like sticking my nose in a bouquet.

Abalone Bath Ballistic

Scent description: A fresh burst of ocean (ozone) scent with notes of day lily, sea spray, watery florals and musk.

This is a gorgeous briny floral scent, like a sea breeze blowing through a tropical garden. I really enjoyed this bath--it was pretty and summery, with a touch of elegance and sophistication.

Miami Beach Bath Ballistic

Scent description: Be whisked away to the beach, sipping daiquiris and enjoying all life has to offer! This ballistic will send you to Miami Beach where worries melt away and life is good! Fresh notes of ripe melon along with orange slices, lemon and lime peel combine with a fresh cut grass nuance. A heart of jasmine, violet and lavender slip into a background of sweet exotic, woody notes.

Miami Beach is yet another classy and fun beach scent--a little breezy, a little salty, with a little hint of frozen margarita and a wee nip of fancy perfume. I love it!

South Pacific Bath Ballistic

Scent description: Sea salt, sea moss and green vetiver round out this fresh and aquatic ballistic!

South Pacific is another winning sea scent! I love all of them, but this one may be my favorite of the bunch. It’s a fresh ocean scent, but it’s not so fresh that it smells sharp. It’s smooth and natural and also smells a bit elegant, like there’s a hint of white tropical florals wafting on this sea breeze. It’s both tranquil and vibrant in feel--just like the colors that Annette selected for it. Lovely.

County Fair Soap

Scent description: One of my earliest memories of a conglomeration of good smells was walking into the Texas State Fair and then subsequently smaller County Fairs, statewide through my childhood. Not only did it signify fun by all the sights and sounds but always the smell of the most extravagant cakes and candies everywhere you were in "the Fair"! This is my interpretation of all the good things, "County Fair". Caramel coated Granny Smith apples, funnel cakes, a bit of cotton candy and buttered popcorn. Not too sweet from the Funnel Cake, the perfect amount of Granny Smith apples for crisp zing and just the right amount of salt from the popcorn. Its the perfect memory!

Well this is delightful! This is such a happy and fun scent. The tart green apple complements the sweet notes perfectly. The hint of popcorn is a lovely, fun addition. This is a nostalgic blend that makes me think of childhood. It’s all so well-blended and well-balanced.

ELVIS Soap

Scent description: This is the scent of blue suede shoes, cuban cigars (the ones ELVIS always had on him in real life and in movies), and with sweetgrass and cedar to pay homage to his roots of the small home he was raised in Tupelo, Mississippi.

This smells like new suede and smooth leather, like new shoes! It’s a nice, clean, gentlemanly scent that is really appropriate in soap form.

Key Lime Pie Soap

Scent description: Growing up, I was extremely lucky to have family that lived in Key West. Such a quaint little island with so many places to go and so many things to do, it still stands out to me as a wonderful place that also had deliciously famous key lime pie (of course!). I wanted to create a soap with the same "velvet zestiness" of that pie I still remember to this day. After many trials of blending oils, I found the perfect blend of lime, lemon and sweet orange essential oils. Its topped with a bit of whipped cream and a lime wedge for good measure.

Aw man, this really does smell like key lime pie filling. Key lime pie is one of my very favorites, so I love this! This smells like the perfect sugared lime. Love love!

Madonna Soap

Scent description: This is my tribute to Madonna's "Material Girl": A soft, sweet woody-floral fragrance with azalea, jasmine, lavender and rose notes. Added to the base notes are patchouli and other precious woods with hints of citrus and other fruits, balsam and vanilla.

Yea, this is probably what Madonna actually smells like! It smells expensive and a bit edgy--like a fine oriental perfume studded with rich leather and edged with a touch of earthy patchouli. This one is a surprise love for me.

Mango Coconut Cooler Soap

Scent description: Creamy coconut, luscious mango and a hint of island spices. This is tropical Summer just around the corner.

A cold, frothy coconut beverage with chunks of frozen mango and a sprig of ming. This is nice and cooling, and will be wonderful in summer.

Mother Earth Soap

Scent description: This is such a gorgeous and well rounded blend of essential oils! It's refreshing, grounded, herbaceous and invigorating.Essential oils of: bergamot, cassia root, cedarwood, nutmeg, lavadin (lavender), and peppermint.

Ok, this is a new favorite for me. I’ve got a soft spot for earthy and herbal scents, and this is a great one. I get lots of fresh peppermint and a touch of fragrant cassia root (a bit cinnamon-y without being overwhelmingly spicy). Really beautiful.

Mystic Mint Soap

Scent description: Fresh mint from my garden having flourished in the Tennessee sunshine and then prepared to steep lightly in invigorating white tea.

This is a very fresh spearmint blend that almost smells like Doublemint gum! This will be lovely and refreshing to use when it’s hot outside.

Ocean Spray Soap

Scent description: With eucalyptus and spearmint in the forefront, this scent has a zingy kick. Add lemongrass to the mix and you have one of the most refreshing and stimulating smells on the planet.

This is a jazzed up version of the Tequila! blend (reviewed below), with extra-bracing ocean air. I think I smell a hint of mint, so this is more of a temperate ocean breeze than a tropical one. An uplifting, clean scent.

Orange Creamsicle Soap

Scent description: Orange creamsicle soap smells like a delicious dream on an extraordinary summer day! I can't get enough of the combination of sweet orange essential oil + vanilla cream accord. To me, it brings back the memories of orange creamsicle treats fresh out of the freezer to enjoy on a warm day.

This smells just like a creamsicle and now I’m craving one! This is a perfectly-balanced orange and vanilla scent that absolutely evokes the scent of true creamsicles!

Shipwrecked Soap

Scent description: This is the subtle breeze of salt spray as you realize the awe in the power of the wild seas at work! Crashing waves of salt aging the wooden hull of a lovely boat right before your eyes.

If Ocean Spray is a temperate ocean breeze, Shipwrecked is the tropical version! This is a beautiful, clean ocean breeze blowing lazily through palm fronds. Lovely.

Tequila! Soap

Scent description: Sea salt, agave cactus and a fresh burst of Persian lime essential oil has this bar singing, "Tequila!". Now, try and get that song out of your head (while singing in the shower)!

Clean refreshing salty ocean air with a fun twist of lime!

Mystic Music Soaps’ beautiful soaps and bath goodies may be perused and purchased at https://www.mysticmusicsoaps.com/

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alexdonovan · 5 years

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NBA - Embracing the Tank

The Hornets spend the 2018-2019 hovering around 8th place, hoping that Kemba would drag them upwards into an undoubtedly futile playoff series. Sticking around the .500 mark gave the fans hope, the possibility of a wild ride into glory or at the very least, respectability. Moving into the post season, the fans were hoping Kemba might agree to stay in his forlorn position, earning some wins and maybe attracting some higher-grade talent.

But alas, Kemba is no more. Having signed with the Celtics, Kemba is off to challenge for the upper playoff spots. The Hornets, however, are destitute. With no big names and a rudderless group of young players, they’re now hot favourites for the wooden spoon. It’s now time to rebuild, start afresh and hopefully, come back stronger. But how does a basketball fan prepare for the season, knowing full well their team is going to get dunked without mercy?

It’s been suggested that supporting almost any sports team is bad for your health, but that supporting a losing one is especially detrimental. Stress levels spike and existential ennui abounds when a team close to one’s heart is in rough shape. Instead of mimicking the team’s decline in their physical wellbeing, perhaps Hornets fans could consider some alternatives:

Lower Expectations

Knowing the team is going to lose doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy it. To the outsider it’ll look masochistic – sitting through the defeats, complementing the bigger boys for bullying your child every few days. But this year fans can make peace with the stench of their team early, with each fresh defeat being but a brief waft of their funk their noses have become accustomed to. They’ll have the ability to look past the score and see the stories developing quietly; the promising youngsters learning their trade that might otherwise have been frozen out. They’ll appreciate the small moments missed by those dunk-addicts higher up the table, the restructuring of philosophy and experimentation demanded by their position.

Gallows Humour

As fans of traditional lower league teams would attest to, misery loves company. Enduring this process will be a grand opportunity for fans to come together and laugh at their plight. Self-mocking chants will be sung and ineptness embraced. The ability to laugh at oneself is easily forgotten, so take this time to thicken that skin.

Expand Your Allegiances

With the Hornets likely to be running on fumes, now’s a perfect opportunity to check out some other sports. There’s the Carolina Panthers (NFL), the Charlotte Knights (Baseball) and the Charlotte Checkers (Hockey) to name but a few. Nobody will be questioning your loyalty if you skip a few games this year, so why not see what other sports the city has to offer? It’s not like they’re going to be much worse.

Start Afresh

If your team is doing it, why not have a go yourself? Start that new exercise regime, buy those shoes, build up the courage to finally ask that person out or do that thing. New team – new you.

Endure

This is your time to shine. Unlike the fair-weather fans who only show up when they’re winning, true fans stay with the team through the highs and lows. You’ll witness the lowest ebb and see the Hornets for what they really are, an insight most fans won’t have. Your bond with the team will only get stronger, and you’ll have really earned your place when the Hornets eventually do rise to the top again.

The Hornets are going to suck and there’s nothing you can do about it. Embrace the reality you can’t alter and be thankful for what you do have in life. Free your myopic gaze and spend more time enjoying other teams in the league play. Remind yourself that it’s not just the Hornets you love, but basketball itself.

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