#I found me a lover who can play the bass

[onsomenewsht]

Helpless to the bass and faded light

About when she bribes you and you dance with her like a filled stadium isn't looking

》 Leah Williamson x Reader

》 words count: +1k

》 she took my arm / I don't know how it happened / we took the floor and she said

You don’t like football.

It’s quite a boring game if you stop to think about it for a moment. Two dozen and counting people running around a ball trying to kick it into a huge net.

Not something you look forward to sit through for almost two hours.

Despite your father’s best efforts, you being his only kid and his only hope to pass down his passion, the sport never managed to interest you long enough to care.

You even found yourself in the stands of your dad’s favourite club’s home more times than you’re able to remember, going beyond yourself and cheering when the other people around you did.

The things you do to make your parents proud.

How you managed to have the English captain wrapped around your finger, regardless of your well-known dislike for her biggest passion and purpose in life, is still a mystery for your families and friends.

“Pretty please, just this one”

“Oh, shut up!”, you hit her arm and push her off you, both still naked.

You can’t believe your girlfriend is actually trying to bribe you with sex, not even waiting for you to fully recover before asking to go to the game.

“No, you ruined the mood”, you state as the blonde tries to kiss you again.

The huge grin of her beautiful face is quite dangerous, she can win you over so easily and you both know it.

Leah rises off the bed to retrieve a warm cloth from the bathroom and a clean shirt from the closet. You accept her attention, she’s always caring when it comes to you, but you’re pretty sure the extra effort has a not-so-subtle second purpose.

“You can’t buy me so easily, Williamson”

She can.

“It’s a really important game, my love”

“For who?”

“For me?”, she tries as she slots herself under your open arm, a grin hidden between your neck and the pillow.

“I barely bear you playing”

“You love watching me play”

“I love you, period”

Leah knows how much you think the sport is boring, going way out of your comfort zone just to cheer her. She feels immensely supported when she finds your big smile in the stands, wrapped in one of her jerseys.

It’s not that difficult for you to sit and admire your girlfriend in her element, focusing more on her movements and attitude than paying attention to the actual game.

What you find quite annoying is enduring Arsenal’s men’s team.

The defender’s fingers on your side are slowly soothing you in a compromising position, too relaxed and smitten to keep denying her anything. You know she doesn’t need much more to lure you into her trap and, unfortunately for you, she’s perfectly aware too.

When the blonde’s lips find the particularly sensitive spot on the base of your neck, you’re doomed.

~

You’re glad your father is already dead or you’d have killed him as you take your seat in the Emirates Stadium, surrounded by the Gunners’ colours. Your girlfriend’s name on your back could be the final nail.

The things you do to make your lover happy.

“You know I love you, right?”

“You better never forget this”, you quip back.

The English captain has been looking forward to this game for weeks now, you couldn’t have been able to turn her down in spite of it all.

She doesn’t need to know though, that you didn’t accept to spend one of your date nights watching the North West London derby for free.

“Maybe you will enjoy it at the end”

Nice try, you will not.

“You know, my dad was a West Ham supporter”

“Could have been worse”, she smiles at you, reaching for your hand.

Talking about your father is getting easier as time finally moves forward and your grief keeps changing its shape. Compared to the abyssal black hole it felt like the first year and a half, of its progress.

Leah didn’t meet him, crushing in your life a couple of months after his passing, but she managed to find a space in your heart that keeps growing despite all your fears.

They could have hit so well, bonding over their shared passion for the sport and their never-ending determination to make you happy.

You told her some stories about him, mostly memories to make your girlfriend understand how stubborn and passionate he was about the thing he cared about.

The one thing you all have in common.

“Yeah, he used to gift me a West Ham jersey every year on Bobby Moore’s birthday”

Leah’s laugh managed to overcome the buzzing atmosphere of the stadium, making you feel like she was the reason all the people around you were cheering. You sure think so.

“He sounds like an incredible father”

“Football obsession aside, he was good”

When you turn to look at her, the blonde’s eyes are already on you and the smile on her face is enough to warm your heart.

~

The first goal coming within five minutes has you quite engaged in what’s happening on the pitch, you even drag your girlfriend in a kiss as you both rise from your seats to celebrate.

Your commitment declined quite easily after that, more entertained by Leah’s reactions than the actual game. You nod in amusement every time she tries to talk you through one of her analyses, placing a hand on her thigh to stop her from standing up every time the ball is somehow close to the box.

The second half is more eventual, at least that’s what you can understand by the excitement the defender and the people in the stands around you seem to radiate.

You’re not clueless, you’re perfectly aware a five-nil win against Chelsea is quite the result. You care enough to think you can’t wait to go home - Leah is always in the mood for a private celebration when her team triumphs, especially over another London club.

“Can we go now?”, you ask as soon as the referee whistles three times, declaring the end of your and the Blues’ torture.

Leah’s happiness is contagious, so you’re not mad when she drags you in her arms to join her cheers and enthusiastic dance. It takes you less than a second to indulge her, letting the blonde spin you around and matching her excitement.

When she dips you and seals the move with a kiss the laugh that rises out of you is genuine and loud.

At first, neither of you notice the stadium’s camera pointed in your direction, recording your little moment of pure bliss in each other’s arms.

Looking back at it, as all your friends sent you the viral video, you know Leah saw you two on the big screen and went along with her little cocky display of affection and excitement for the victory.

You’re sure your father could be laughing at it too, despite the colors you’re wearing.

fine.

#woso x reader #leah williamson x reader #woso fanfics #woso imagine #woso community #lw6 #woso #here we are #short and sweet #i hope you enjoy it

[lanadelray-gurl]

''My heart is, and always will be, yours''

Singer!Austin butler x Bandmate!fem!reader

Warning: Angst,fighting,cussing,hidden love,fluff,soft smut,p n v,fingering,biting,crying,falling in love(really a friends/enemies to lovers kind of thing)

Summary: you and Austin had started a band with a few other friends back in high school.You played bass and he play guitar,you both sang together. But what happens after you start to fall in love with him but his new found fame has gotten to his head?

You had always been interested in music,you grew up with it. Your mom played the piano and your father played the bass which he would go on to pass down to you,you didn’t have a club for music in your high school so you decided to make a post on your facebook(gosh you feel old looking back on this) you made a small post to your 20 friends on Facebook. It read;’Do you like music? Do you like making music? Can you play an instrument but simply can’t find anywhere to play? Well please send me a message if you’re interested in a music club after school at my house!’ You sounded desperate,,which was the case. See you always wanted to start a band,your dad did when he was your age and you decided fuck it why not! That’s when you met him. Him being Austin,at first you thought he was cute,he had nicely styled dirty blond hair,pretty blue eyes and he was tall. And did I mention he could sing AND play guitar. Yeah..he was perfect.

When you first talked or Austin he had messaged you on Facebook,you didn’t even know he went to your school! You barely paid attention to your surroundings in school,either writing stupid songs or drawing little things in your notebook. He told you he was very interested in your ‘club’ and even sent a video of him playing the acoustic guitar and singing an Elvis song! It was a bit old school but you sighed it,he told you he could pretty much play any song you wanted him to. He also added that he had a few friends who also went to your school who’d be interested. One being named Adam;he was your age and played drums. Then you had Johnny; he was a few years older and played rhythm guitar. It was perfect what could go wrong!

Apparently everything could go wrong—

Well not necessarily for the whole group,it seemed to just be you. It’s been a few years now,you and Austin had been posting your music (which was mostly covers of really popular songs) to any platform out there! And it gained a lot of traction,you both really enjoyed it,as time passed you guys went a recording studio,produced your own music,posted it and the next week you were approved by a big record label. You all of course said yes,you could see the vision,your name in lights. Well your bands name;Ecstasy (can you tell I got lazy) Your bands music was mostly sensual and meaningful. That’s how you saw it,but it started to look like all of the bands hard work was just a money grab for the rest of your band.

As the years went on you and Austin grew close,you were completely smitten by him. You tried to make all of his ideas for songs come true..even if they sucked. But he didn’t see you like that,you wrote the songs,play the bass and they get money. Which hurt you once you realized. As things progressed you noticed how at every show and on every tour he was with a girl or at least flirting with the girls in the crowd. If hurt you but you couldn’t say it,you had even thought about leaving the band or even going solo but you didn’t want to be selfish. You stayed quiet,Adam and Johnny took notice to your change in personality. Your once bubbly and excited personality had turned kind of dark and closed off,no one could tell what was wrong because you just kept to yourself if you weren’t making music. Sometimes you’d be pretty happy during rehearsals or before recording but somehow Austin brought your mood down.

He’d constantly bring a girl or two to everything the band went to. Didn’t matter if it was private or if it was just a casual hang out. It was to say the least embarrassing and you let it go on for years now. Why couldn’t you stick up for yourself?! God..it was pathetic. You just ignored it at this point,you were emotionally numbed at least that’s what you thought until your most recent show.

Your band was preparing for a show,you kept quiet the whole time. Austin noticed this,even thought it’s been going on for so long he finally noticed your change in personality. He grabbed your shoulder gently,you were grabbing your bass from its case you looked back at him and gently shrugged him off of your shoulder.

“Hey man what’s going on with you..?” He spoke with a bit of force. You looked back at him,you were wearing an amazing outfit,you were wearing a tight black dress with fishnets and combat boots and he took notice..when did you become so pretty? You had beautiful makeup but he could see your eye bags and just how tired you looked. You spoke,your once soft and sweet voice was now slightly rough and scratchy “nothing..just let’s get ready..” you walked towards the stage everything was ready for the show to start,Austin followed close behind you. Tonight was gonna be stressful..

You were nearing the end of the show,you played your heart out,so did the whole band. It was time for your biggest song. This is where you and Austin got really close and just made it seem like everything was sweet and beautiful but it was farm from it. As the song played you felt tears stinging your eyes.(listen to the song above now!!)

“Without shame..”

His voice was smooth and beautiful god why were you so in love with him? It hurt your very soul.

“Two outfits then to my name..”

It was almost time for you to join in,you didn’t know if you could do it. This song was about love but you knew he didn’t love you..and that was so painful.

“You’d end up in one when you’d stay..”

You felt your heart start to race,you walked towards the microphone,standing right next to him. His hands stringing the guitar skillfully. That both turned you on and made you sick. You wanted those hands around you but every other girl got what you wanted.

“We had no where to go..and every desire for going there..”

You began to sing with him,he glanced at you. Your voice was beautiful to him,and once the fans heard you sing they went crazy they loved your voice and something inside him suddenly felt connected to you. His heart began to race.

“I heard once..it’s the comforts that makes us feel numb” You both continued to sing together for the next few moments,your voice made him shiver and his made you wince from the pain from the heart break. “We’d go out with no way to get home..and we’d sleep on somebody’s floor..wake up feeling like a millionaire..” you both continued to sing your heart out,you both looked up and stared into each others eyes. You felt emotions take over you. Austin and the rest of the band could tell you were bubbling with emotion. About to burst whenever you were tipped over the edge and the intensity of the eye contact was what tipped you over. “Wish I’d known it was just our turn..(we just got by)..Being blamed for a world we had no power in..(but we tried)..” Johnny and Adam joined in for a few parts now,giving the song an angelic sound,but your voice seemed to over power them.

“You and I had nothing to show..(we didn’t know)..But the best of the world in the palm of our hands..(anything,darling)” You felt the tears fall down your cheeks,you were now staring to the floor trying not to let your emotions get the best do you,Austin noticed this. He felt a stinging in his heart why did he suddenly care so much..? “And,darling, I haven’t felt it since then..I don’t how the feeling ended..” Your voices cracked slightly,the crowd roared happily but your band knew it was a sign of you losing yourself to you emotions,Austin almost lost his breath. You had raw talent and hearing you putting your real emotions into this certain song made his chest almost cave.

“But I know being reckless and young..Is not how the damage gets done..” You continued to cry as you sang,it was heartbreaking to watch but the fans didn’t care they just wanted to hear you sing with Austin. But now that he kept thinking about you and your new persona he felt a connection of heartbreak with you but why? He maybe thought it was just heartbreaking to see you cry because he was perfectly fine..or at least that’s what he thought. “One time we would want for nothing..(one time we had it all,love).. We knew what our love was worth (when we had nothing)..” you looked up to the sky for a few seconds,your eyes locked with Austin’s once more. He was caught off guard for a moment,you noticed this and felt a since of pride but this.

“..Now we're always missing something (I miss when).. I miss when we did not need much..” Austin backed away from the microphone,he continued to play the guitar. You grabbed the microphone and stared to sing your solo part,you took a deep breath and closed your eyes tight as you put your heart into this part.

“Oh,if the car ran,the car was enough..If the sun shone on us,it’s a plus..and the tank was always filled up! Only enough for our getting there..” Tears streamed down your face as you kept your eyes closed tightly. You opened your eyes finally and looked around and watched as Austin came back to the microphone to end the song and then the show.

Finally once you finished that song you all waved to the fans and you rushed off stage,wiping your tears and sobbing as you put your bass back in its case. You wiped off your messed up makeup,Austin noticed this as he walked past you to get ready to leave on the bus back to the hotel you were all staying. You were all on the bus now,you sat far away from everyone,in the very front you were on your phone mindlessly scrolling socials. You felt eyes on you and you knew it was Austin,that made your heart squeeze itself.

Once you all arrived at the hotel all of you got onto the elevator,Austin was oddly close standing so close your shoulders pressed together. Once the elevator dinged you all went separate ways to your rooms..or at least that’s what you thought. You heard footsteps behind you,you walked towards your room and once you reached for the door you quickly turned around and saw Austin. “Hey..” he spoke breathlessly. You looked annoyed but mostly emotional he couldn’t read your expression. “Can I come in?..” you looked shocked by this,you quickly shook your head and tried to rush into your room “no Austin— No not just no,just fuck no—“ you scoffed and walked into your room and tried to slam the door but he stopped it and barged into your room. You turned to him and had tears streaming down your already redden and wet cheeks. “We’re talking..I don’t care how you feel (Y/N)..” he spoke with a bit of anger. Your eyes widened before you gave your speech,well that’s how would Austin described it.

“No! You don’t get to fucking decide when we talk..you don’t get to tell me how to feel! Now after what you did to me! Did you not see it?! Did you not see how I looked at you and hear how I spoke?! The way I made everything happen just for you?! I even put your shitty song lyrics in our song!” You screamed and continued to let the tears flow,using your hands to speak and put more emotions into it.

“Are you kidding me?! I’m trying to figure out why you’re so emotional and weird all of a sudden! I’m being nice to you! We’ve been friends for years and im showing I care. What are you going on ab—!” You scoffed and threw your hands up in the air before turning away just to look back at him and pointing a finger into his chest.

“I. Loved. You..ever since I met you I loved you. My heart was set on you and your stupid blue eyes and your perfect lips and perfect body..a-and and—“ you put your hands up into your hair and gripped onto it “you..you were just you and I fell in love with yo—“ you let your hands fall to your sides but before you could speak he grabbed the sides of your face and kissed you passionately but with a bit of aggression. It caught you off guard but you kissed back,you held onto his wrist gently as you both walked. You were walking backwards and he basically guided you to your room. He picked you up by the back of your thighs,her laid you down on the bed and continued to passionate kiss.

He pulled away from the kiss and lifted up your dress,pulling it off your beautiful body. Happy to see you were wearing no bra but a pretty pair of black lace panties,you crossed your arms over your breast and shuddered. You turned away from him and whimpered softly,Austin untied your combat boots and pulled them off your tired feet,he pulled off your socks and kiss up from your calves to your thighs. He pulled off his shirt and kicked off his shoes. He fell to his knees and kissed your inner thigh from the right to the left side,gently biting down on your soft skins. You felt your pussy clinch around nothing as the wetness from you core drenched the cotton.

You moaned gently and covered your mouth,you felt him hook his fingers underneath the band of your panties. He tugged them off,you lifted your hips up and bit your bottom lip a little too hard, you pierced the skin making you flinch. He looked up and smirked up at you knowing he made you crazy,he put your thighs over his shoulders. He started licking up your arousal,it was sweet. The best things he’s ever tasted,he sucked your clit and watched as you squirmed and pressed your hips down onto his face the best you could. He pulled away and rubbed two fingers against your wet core,getting them wet with your slick. With the two wet digits he fingered your drenched and aching pussy slowly,pumping his fingers gently while curling them up to hit that spongey spot that made you arch your back.

He went back to licking and sucking your clit,he took you for granted and he was gonna make up for it. Your beautiful body and your sweet pussy was everything he was missing,all the girls meant nothing to him anymore. He realized he needed you,only you that all he could think of now. You started to feel a coil in your stomach tangle and begin to unwind and get close to snapping. Knowing you were about to cum you tried to push him away but he wouldn’t let you,he pressed your hips down and licked and sucked faster but still at a gentle pace. His fingers working and stretching you out. You rocked you hips wildly “Austin,Austin fuckfuckfuckfuck!—“ you moaned loudly and finally came into his fingers,he moaned against your clit. You gasped loudly and whimpered,he finally pulled away and pulled his fingers out slowly.

“I’m gonna make you feel so good honey..I’ve neglected you for so long baby..I’m so so sorry..”

He spoke softly,he stood up and took off his belt and unbuttoned and then unzipped his jeans before pulling them down along with his boxers. His cocked bounced up,your eyes widened. You’ve seen the outline of it before,you knew he was blessed but seeing it hard and up close made you shake. It was long and tick,leaking with pre-cum,you did this to him and you couldn’t believe it. You felt years well up in your eyes and he noticed,he gently kissed near your eyes and over your eyelids. “Don’t cry honey..I’m sorry baby I really am..” you finally cried tears of pure joy and laughed as you wrapped your arms around his neck “nonono don’t worry I-I’m just so happy like..I’ve dreamed about this..” you hiccuped as you felt him pick you up and lay on down long ways in the bed with him towering over you.

He sat up while sitting in his knees,he grabbed your calves and put them on other sides of his hips. He pulled you closer,the shaft of his cock laid against your sensitive clit. It made you moan softly,he stared into your eyes as he slowly rubbed your stomach and smiled happily. It was a genuine smile,something you’ve always wanted to see for so long. “I should’ve found out sooner baby..I could’ve made you feel so so so good sooner..” he whispered,he held the shaft of his cock and slowly pressed the tip into your tight cunt. “Oh fuck aus—“ you let your eyes roll back as you felt him press every inch into you,he filled you up so nicely. His eyes were glued onto his cock sliding into you,his mouth hung open.

He had finally bottomed out,he was pressed into you so nicely you felt him grazing over your cervix. This made you cry out,he leaned down holding your little body close to him,you once again wrapped your arms around him and scratched his tan skin,leaving angry red marks. You heard him groan loudly into your ear,her was fully pressed against your cervix now in this position you couldn’t handle this for long. He slowly pulled out making you whimper before he slowly pushed all the way back it. You let out a loud gasp and you let out a choked moan,he raised up slightly and stared down at you and he observed your fucked our face.

“God your pussy is sucking me I-in I could cum right now..fill you up nice and g-good..”

He whispered softly and started to thrust,it was slow but it had a bit of speed and power but not too much. He didn’t want to hurt you not ever or ever again,he knew he hurt you so many times before and he didn’t want to hurt you in such an intimate moment. You hid your face in his shoulder and bit down leaving a dark red and purple mark,he moaned loudly. Now his thrust gained more speed and strength,he thrusted into you like his life depended on it.

He growled softly into your ear,he kissed up your neck,he left dark marks along your soft neck and up your jaw. He groaned loudly now. You knew he was holding back you wanted all of him. “P-please Aus..please fuck me..pleasepleaseplease..I need your cock deep inside of me..” You moaned into his ear and he gladly took your invitation. He thrusted into you wildly and roughly,she growled and grunted loudly and he looked wild. You stared as his face contorted and twisted as he thrusted in and out of your sopping cunt,you cried out and rocked you hips against him as you felt you second orgasm approaching,you clinched and sloppily grind against his thrust you couldn’t take much more.

“Is my baby gonna cum?Hah..—Hm? My pretty girl wanna cum on my cock?Fuck..—Come on a baby be a good girl..let me feel you cum all over my cock..god you’re so fucking right..” He grunted loudly and stared into your tired half lidded eyes. You nodded you head quickly as you felt your climax getting closer. With one last strong thrust you came all over his cock,squeezing down on his cock making him shutter and he gave you one more thrust before feeling up your warm cunt with his hot cum. He groaned and slammed into you. He stared up at the ceiling before dropping his head and staring down at you.

He slowly pulled out,watching as his cum spilled out of you. He smirked and let out a breathless laugh before plopping next to you and pulling you close. He wrapped the blanket over the both of you,as you both cuddled he lazily dragged his hand down your stomach and to your puffy and sore pussy,he gently pressed his fingers into you. Gently pumping into you,trying to keep his cum inside of you. You whimpered softly and snuggled your face into his shoulder.

“I love you..” he whispered down into your ear as he closed his eyes and spoke sleepily,he was getting close to passing out.

“I love you too..I always will.” You spoke softly and closed your eyes. You both finally fell asleep,you slept in until the late afternoon that next day and it was the best sleep of your life.

Hii! I hope you guys enjoy this little one shot,I finished this before my other stories so I’m posting it! More coming soon..



#Spotify #austin butler fanfic #austin butler x reader #austin butler fanfiction #austin butler smut #austin butler x you #austin butler imagine #austin butler #austin butler fic #austin butler fluff

[uloelu]

Location: Lakeside Lagoon, Newcrest

(transcript under the cut)

Episode 3 | Previous | Next

Here it is! As stated before, episodes 3-5 are a bit shorter than usual, but only because I'm in the process of planning a huge slate of parties, plot-changing events, etc. for summer break. No additional parts to this episode, so I'll be back with episode 5 as soon as I can.

If you haven't seen it, I made a post yesterday about my future plans for this series. Link is here!

Copperdale Records lot created by @softerhaze: link here

Episode 4: Mark Collins

Scene 1 - Newcrest

(starts with a boy walking a dog)

Meet Mark. (And Archimedes.)

Mark’s a first-semester senior at Copperdale High, scheduled to graduate early in the winter.

These are his parents, Drs. Whitney and Landon Collins. They’re both esteemed mathematics professors at the Foxbury Institute.

And Marissa, his nearsighted little sister, who’s a sophomore and currently freaking out.

Marissa (examining an acne breakout in the mirror): How am I supposed to show my face at school today? (phone rings) Ooh, Rani’s calling!

Like her parents, Marissa is a math (and science) genius. She’s also a cello prodigy and an outstanding painter. Mark never stops hearing people praise her many talents.

Scene 2 - Copperdale High

Compared to them, Mark’s more like your typical teenage boy. He’s a science whiz, sure. But he’s not Marissa trying to collect skills like infinity stones, or his parents earning PhDs by 25.

He likes to chill with his friends after school, suck face with his sweetheart before it, and just in general enjoy life as a 17-year-old boy.

Don’t believe me? Here he is at lunchtime, grabbing a bite to eat in the cafeteria.

Let’s pretend he hasn’t decided to dine with the principal today.

Ah, he’s moved to sit with Sofia Bjergsen. Finally.

[How cute! Some freshmen are getting lunch with their teacher. They look like babies!]

(cut to Copperdale students eating lunch together)

Social cliques are loosening up as we creep towards summer break. There’s camaraderie to be found in being tired of school, it seems.

Scene 3 - Dog Park, Brindleton Bay

After classes and extracurriculars, Mark and his sister like to take Archimedes to the dog park.

Here’s Marissa feeding a stray. She’d love to have another dog in their home, but her father’s sensitive constitution can barely handle the one they already have.

Let’s listen in on their conversation.

Marissa: You okay? You’ve been quiet all afternoon.

Mark (frowning): Yeah...actually, no. I’m so tired of going to that physics prep class. I think it’s time I put my foot down and tell Mom and Dad that I want to study music in college.

Marissa: You know what they’ll say about that—

Mark (rolls eyes): I know—

Marissa: “The hard sciences are the future. No one with any real life goals wastes their precious education on the humanities.”

Mark: What about you? Don’t you want to become an artist?

Marissa: Sure, maybe as a side job. But I like math, and I like what Mom and Dad do for work. I’m okay with art being just a hobby for now.

Mark (sighs): I wish I could be like you.

Scene 4 - Copperdale Records

(cut to a record store)

Music? Where did that come from?

Oh, right.

Copperdale Records, the hottest place for music lovers and alternative teens to hang out after school.

(Mark is mixing beats in a studio)

Our boy Mark sneaks here on his way home from the dog park (under the guise of studying with a friend, of course).

Fancies himself a producer, a musical jack-of-all-trades.

To be fair, he did teach himself how to mix beats, edit tracks, and play the guitar, piano, and bass. What can I say? The kid knows what he wants.

(cut to Mark strumming an electric guitar)

And as he tests out the newest six-string in the shop, I wish him the best of luck. He’s sorely going to need it.

#the sims 4 #ts4 #sims #the sims #sims community #the sims community #my sims #simblr #sims 4 #sims 4 gameplay #sims 4 screenshots #sims 4 legacy #sofia bjergsen #fosters #fosters s1 #mark collins #marissa collins #archimedes

[atinytinaa]

The Lonely Hearts Club

Are you lonely too?

Pairing: Punk!Wooyoung X Fem!Reader

Genre: Fluff, Enemies to lovers, Battle of the bands, Slow burn

Warnings: red head wooyoung, mean wooyoung, swear words. Mention of ice cream.

Please tell me if I'm missing something

a/n: Please like and reblog, Feedback is highly appreciated, Thank you for reading :)

(Has not been proof read)

Track Two: Graveyard

You shook your head and sighed.

"you've got to be kidding me?" You questioned. Sana stood next to you. Big smile on her face, she just nodded at you.

"Battle of the bands. Someone has to beat We the kings this year" She stated, sipping at her milk shake, as she walked away from where you were observing the poster.

You scoffed. Following behind her.

"Right, and it's going to be me and this imaginary band"

She whipped around, making you bump into her.

"not just any band y/n '' she raised her eyebrow at you with a smirk playing on her face. "The band of the century".

"look i know you've had this fantasy of being in a band bu-"

You looked around and observed the stores in front of you as people came in and out.

"What do we need at the music store?" You questioned

"Song Mingi"

"Song Mingi? The nerd?" You said, shocked at the quiet boy she's suggesting

"The same Mingi that projectile vomited in front of everyone in 6th grade?"

Peeking from behind the guitars, staring at said boy as he helped a family buy a piano for their child.

"Yes, dear cousin, Song Mingi, the same one who graffitied on the teachers car for senior day"

You gasped, not believing a word that came out of her mouth.

"You mean fix on?"

She nodded.

"Trust me he's your guy, straight A's, strict korean parents have made him play cello since he was five years old, he's basically a prodigy" she threw her arm around you, her body weight against yours "but it wasn't till he heard John Entwistle from The Who play his solo on My generation did he change his mind and started to play bass behind there back"

You stared at her a bit creeped out at how she knew all this information.

"If his parents found out they'd probably kill him" Sana said, turning towards you.

"Now, how do you plan to get him into the band?"

"Me?" you Shouted a little too loud, making the girl shush you.

"Yes. You. Who else?"

You gaped at her like a goldfish out of water.

"This was your idea not mine"

"Yes but it's your band"

"My band? you were the one who suggested -"

Your fight was broken by a deep voice coughing, making you both look at him comically.

"Can I help you ladies?" Questioned the Tall boy.

"Well that didn't go so bad,did it?"

You glared at the girl from her seat across from yours. thinking back on the fool you made yourself in front of Mingi 

"He probably thinks i'm a freak"

"I don't think he minds, he's pretty cute, have i dated him before?"

You were too lost in your thoughts to respond to her, as she scrolled her phone, probably looking for the next member.

Having a bassist meant having a guitarist and that meant having a drummer as well.

You Gasped snapping up with a big smile on your face.

"We need to go to wendys!"

"Why are we at Wendys?" Sana questioned.

The sun had set, making the night chilly, as you both stared up at the neon sign of the fast food restaurant.

"Because, dear cousin, i know exactly who could be our guitarist"

You pulled the door open, the smell of fried food hitting you all at once and the sound of Steve vai shredding on the guitar landed on your ears.

You smiled to yourself, staring at your only other friend in this beat up town, frying burgers.

"Yunho!"

The giant looked up from his work giving you his big puppy eye smile.

"Y/n!" he eagerly said

Jeong Yunho. High school dropout. legendary guitar solos at underground shows. Doesn't know what to do with his life but seems to be happy where he is.

The boy jumped over the counter in a rush, bringing you in for a big hug.

"Do you want some ice cream?" the boy murmured, mushing his face into your hair.

The moment you met Yunho it was as if everything had fallen into place, you guys were soulmates, not the romantic type, but your brother/ sister type of love.

" Yes please with sprinkles on top" you beamed, relaxing at the counter as you watched the boy make your ice cream.

He cleared his throat.

"So what brings you here Tiny?" he questioned, broad back towards you

" Well me and-"

You looked around for the pink haired girl, as the sound of the door opening rang out.

"Sorry y/n Mina had called and said she had a fashi- on emergency" she sighed out, stopping in her tracks, her eyes glazing over with a dreamy look in them.

You turned to see your ice cream cone crushed in Yunho's big hands, ice cream dripping down onto the floor as he stared back the same dreamy haze in his soft eyes.

"H-Hi" He Stuttered out, whipping his free hand on his apron, pushing you slightly out of the way.

"Hello" Sana Said nervously, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear, shaking hands with the boy, both gasping at the contact.

It was as if two magnets were drawing each other in, they could not take their eyes off of each other.

"umm guys?" you snapped , making them both stare at you, as you stared back eyebrows furrowed at what you had just witnessed.

"Are you okay?"

They let go of each other's hands, hearing yeses and a few shy giggles come from them.

"Umm, shall we sit down and talk?" you scratched at your head, not sure what to do.

Yunho and Sana sat down across from each other, Sana fluttering her eyelashes at the tall boy who stared back in awe, knuckles to his rosy cheeks.

"Getting to the point i need a guitarist to play in-"

"i'll do it" the boy answered, the love sick look on his face not leaving once.

"You will?"

"You will?".

Did you really just witness your cousin and your best friend fall in love with each other? and at first sight?

"Okay then" you said getting up from the booth.

"i'll wait for you outside, uhh Yunho Text me"

only a hum came from the duo making you roll your eyes at them.

Who needed love anyways when you had music

Right?

.

.

.

"Well"? You smirked, as the girl got into her car, a new aura surrounding her. She sighed with a big smile on her face turning the car on as she drove out of the empty parking lot.

Where is he? sana questioned

Yeosang, the boy's bored eyes stared back into hers through the glass of the concession stand.

"Out back like always" he muttered.

"What are we doing" you asked, hesitantly

As she pushed open the emergency door, letting you out first, She just smiled at you with mischief in her eyes.

"Getting you a drummer".

You heard the sounds of cheers and beers being cracked open, the parking lot to the town's cinema was a very famous hang out spot for those who enjoyed illegal activity and just as you expected everyone who was someone in this town was here.

A red haired boy pushed himself up onto one of the trash cans, letting his leather jacket hang around his elbows, showing off the different tattoos he had scattered on his arms, air guitaring to the song that played off the speaker.

You didn't need to look at the owner of that high pitched laugh to know exactly who it was.

The infamous Jung wooyoung.

The red haired male has always been very outgoing, not shying away from a challenge or the chance to make someone else laugh.

You stopped in your tracks, the thought of leaving Sana alone crossed your mind.

"What the hell are we doing here?" You whispered, harshly.

She knew very well you didn't like being near the type of crowd she's involved with but she just smirked at you, not expecting the next words to pierce you with hurt.

"Just because you and San stopped talking to Wooyoung doesn't mean I did"

and just like that she ran towards the redhead screaming his nickname for everyone to hear. The boy perked up at the mear call of his name, a gorgeous white pearly smile on his tanned skin as he twirled the girl around, picking her up off of the ground.

Rolling your eyes, you walked slowly towards the duo drying your sweaty palms on your skirt. Already knowing how this interaction is going to go.

"Well, well, well if it isn't my favorite girl"

You looked up at a split hair dyed boy, his small hand intertwined with a sharp eyed boy.

"Kim Hongjoong!" You beamed, relieved that at least you knew a face.

The world suddenly became a blur for the red head as he locked his cold brown eyes onto you. He could suddenly hear his heart pounding in his ears, his hands sweating and shaking from familiar feelings hitting him after all those years.

The boy scanned you, hiding his disbelief that it was really you, the years doing wonders to you. You weren't that child he used to make mud cakes with. Now, you are a woman.

He watched as Hongjoong hugged you, making him clench his fist, his anger bubbling up, preparing to burst at any moment. But Sana calling you over shook him out of his stupor.

"How about you love? How's this shitty town been treating you?" Hongjoong asked taking a drag of his cigarette

"Well i se-"

Sana called out to you, making everyone stare at you. Not liking the attention, you put your hood up to hide your blushing cheeks.

You bid your goodbyes to the two boys before you, Hongjoong telling you that he'll call you for future producing sessions.

You stared straight into Wooyoung's cold eyes as they stared back at you without emotion, as you made your way towards the excited female side.

"Wooyoung this is y-"

"I know who she is" he deadpanned, taking a cigarette out of his leather jacket

Sana hesitantly smiled, not expecting for the conversation to go this way, She just smiled at you and grabbed your arm, trying to comfort you.

"Well the reason I have brought you both here is because, we're entering battle of the bands and we need a drummer and-"

The boy lit the cigarette, not once taking his eyes off of you

"No"

His reaction didn't surprise you. Wooyoung stopped having any affection for you a long time ago, Sana whined and pouted at him.

You were annoyed at the situation that she had gotten you into.

"You're wasting your time Sana" you scoffed, not backing down. Your mother once taught you to stare down your enemies and that was what you were trying to do, but who are we kidding this Jung wooyoung scares you.

"If it isn't Miss goodie tooshoos " he chuckled "can you finally talk without stuttering?"

He taunted you by walking closer, making you take a little step back as he leaned down to your height, blowing the smoke of the cigarette he was smoking into your face, making you give a little cough as you waved your hand.

you bit down on your tongue.

"What?" He questioned tilting his head to the side, feigning innocence.

"Cat got your tongue?"

You clenched your fist at his words, the boy playing with your emotions

"Wooyoung don't be a prick" Sana Scolded, pushing him back from you.

"You haven't changed a bit" you retaliated

The last thing you expected was laughter to escape the males lips.

" Yeah?" He questioned, getting even closer to your face, staring down at your lips as he bit down on his.

“After years of friendship. That's how you greet an old friend?” he chuckled, turning his back towards you, about to walk away when your next words make hip stop in his tracks.

Maybe you should’ve just kept your mouth shut.

“You’re no friend of mine”

The boy sniffed, turning towards you with a cocky grin on his face, tongue poking at the inside of his cheek.

He once again leaned down towards you, now lips at your ear, as you tensed up from the closeness of the male.

"Well you're still that shy, nervous kid, who won't get anywhere because she doesn't know how to ask for what she wants y/n" he whispered eyes meeting yours.

"It looks like we both haven't changed."

You breath hitched at his words, he stood to his full height, taking one more puff of his cigarette, he dropped it right in front of you smashing it with his black combat boots.

You stared down at the asphalt, hands in tight fists, shaking at his words, as he walked away leaving Sana and you stunned at his attitude.

"I'm sor-"

"Don't" you snapped tears finally falling. "Sana just leave me alone please"

You wiped your tears with the back of his gray hoodie and made your way home.

That's not the Wooyoung you grew up with.

#ateez drabbles #ateez fanfic #ateez fic #ateez headcanons #ateez imagines #ateez oneshots #ateez reactions #ateez scenarios #ateez x reader #wooyoung scenarios #wooyoung x reader #wooyoung au

[awalkthroughiris]

U2’s The Joshua Tree

hi people! i have no idea what i'm doing but i wanted to post this before i forgot to hehe, i wrote this a little bit ago, but i wanted to share, i fully don't expect anyone to read this but if you do, let me know what you think! i'm so sorry if the formatting is weird, i've never used tumblr LOL.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Listening to U2’s The Joshua Tree for the first time,

randomly 1-2am on a Friday night.

I’m actively finishing the first track, Where the Streets Have No Name, as I’m writing this. I’m not sure why I’m here, or why I’m awake even, but here I am listening to my first U2 album. I’ve of course heard of U2 before, my parents have played their music throughout my childhood, but the only song I could name is With or Without You, and I honestly don’t even know 90% of that song. Recently, I’ve been listening to the band Inhaler, who’s frontman is Bono’s son, Elijah Hewson, and my parents heard me listening and nonstop talking about them, which in turn has become them telling me to listen to a U2 album. I don’t know why I’m deciding to listen now, but I feel like maybe I’ll have some cinematic existential revelation by listening to this album, but that’s the romantic in me talking.

Okay, about to start track 2 now, but I love track 1, it made me want to drive, somewhere where there’s an arch of trees with arms of sunlight reaching my face. Now that I’m thinking about it, that makes complete sense in terms of the lyrics lol. I guess the same message was conveyed musically as well.

The production of the second track, “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” is very pleasing to my ears. This song is distantly familiar to me, I can think of driving to Oregon in the summertime, venturing back roads and this song playing, maybe after Lovers in Japan by Coldplay played. As someone who believes in God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit, I can’t help but feel emotional while listening, but this could also be my nostalgic ties.

With this gentle emotional twist in my stomach, and the building of tears in my eyes, With or Without You has begun. My dad said recently how “emotionally evocative” this song is for him, and to be honest I didn’t and probably still don’t understand the way he meant it, but with the placement of this track in the album, I certainly can’t help but feel emotional. It’s giving me a similar feeling to the song A Real Hero in the context of the movie Drive did for me the first time I watched it. The lyrics are so simple yet I find there’s so many ideas and situations I can attach to them. I almost feel as if any interpretation I have would be invalid since I’m just a teenage girl, and a teenage girl who’s never even fallen in love or honestly had any remotely intense romantic feelings.

A switch in pace, Bullet the Blue Sky is playing. It’s easy to feel the angst in the lyrics, with the repetition in the drums and bass, it weirdly feels like slam poetry. This isn’t something I would typically listen to, but I definitely don’t mind it, the guitar break provided a nice amount of time to just, think.

Running to Stand Still’s intro reminded me of a Jeff Buckley cover, Lost Highway. It also makes me think of folk music. The way thoughts in folk music are expressed seemed to be some factor in the way the song is structured, honestly no idea whether that is intentional or not.

Red Hill Mining Town, took a turn I wasn’t expecting at all, I’m kinda grooving out though right now. “You I can’t live without”, since this is a first listen I don’t know the tie, but an allusion to With or Without You?? Oh my goodness, I totally recognize this song as well, the “I’m hanging on” that kicked in around 1:25 is something I recall. It’s weird how my brain hAnGs On to specific parts of these songs. I need to revisit this song after doing some research though because I have no idea what the commentary on this song is for.

There’s so much energy in In God’s Country, it’s refreshing. One of the things I notice with my music taste is that there’s a lack of creative percussion. Which I certainly don’t mind, but listening to music like this helps me understand how, for lack of better words, bland, the other songs can be percussion wise. I don’t have any context to who Bono is really, besides that he’s seemingly been painted as some sort of insufferable humanitarian, but the religion driven metaphors in the lyrics are very interesting.

Trip Through Your Wires might be my least favorite song sonically honestly. I don’t want to be mean, but it just isn’t my favorite. I’m not entirely sure what it’s reminding me of, but it gives me the feeling of an old western setting, which I find, not bland or empty, just not my cup of tea I guess. A complete sidenote though, I am DEFINITELY getting tired as it has hit 2am now.

I’m really liking One Tree Hill so far. One thing I’m really liking about this album, is the places it literally takes my mind to. I think I’m a very visual thinker, these songs evoke blurry pictures that are grounded in nature, images like running through tall grass or driving in some of my favorite places that remind me of my childhood. It feels pretentious to say “my childhood” when I’m 17, but I think it’s easy to understand what I mean. On another more relevant note, this song feels like its painting out an image of what absorbing life feels like: ambedo.

Although it might be the “weirdest” song on the album thus far, I’m enjoying the sonics of Exit. I like how bass heavy it is. Upon further inspection, because I had zero understanding to make of the lyrics, this song was made from the perspective of a serial killer, due to Bono’s reading of a novel. What I found creepily interesting however, was the fact that Robert Bardo used this song as part of his defense for stalking and murdering Rebecca Schaeffer. What I find especially creepy about this, is that I listened to a podcast about this case. An unsettling coincidence.

Continuing on in this unsettling feeling, Mothers of the Disappeared is a heart-wrenching tribute. I don’t think I have much to say about this one, because I have just learned the context to the song’s making and it’s just heartbreaking, I can’t even imagine what families went through. It’s a needed not-so-gentle reminder of what reality can be, and what it is for a lot of people. Its easy to forget that the horrors we hear of are actually real, at least this is the case for me, a girl who has lived in the same city her whole life and generally stays blissfully ignorant. A great finish to the album.

#music #80s rock #alternative #80s bands #aesthetic #grunge #lyrics #song lyrics #u2 band #blog #musician #jeff buckley #inhaler #inhaler dublin #elijah hewson #bono

[mccnstruck]

under the spotlight.

characters: guitarist!kazuha x gn!reader

warnings: half-assed writing (i’m too tired to write in the language of flowers), ooc, a lil angst in the beginning, not proofread

a/n: HAPPY BIRTHDAY KAZUHA MY LOVE MY LIFE MY MUSE MY GULAB JAMEN ILY ILY ILY (REBLOGS ARE APPRECIATED) 🫶🏻🫶🏻

the nightmare creeping on to your legs and arms flee as you suddenly sit up on the bed. what once was a room filled with darkness and a sense of loneliness turned back into the room you shared with kazuha, the moon light shining onto your dresser. your mind was panicked, and you unconsciously grip onto kazuha’s hand in desperation. he stirs awake, blinking his eyes before you realized your mistake.

"lovely? what happened?"

you drown in guilt of waking your lover up beforehand and loosen your grip. "it's fine. go back to sleep."

he slowly sits up. "i'm awake. i can't sleep knowing you wont follow me into my dreams peacefully."

you sigh, nightmare fresh in your mind.

"it was about you. i just..." explaining the details sounded like pure hell. you shivered at just the thought of them.

"oh, dove," he says with a sudden frown. he holds your face in his hands and peppers kisses all over you.

"you...", a kiss to your cheek.

"will always..." a kiss to your temple.

"be my..." a kiss to your forehead.

"inspiration..." a kiss to your eyebrow.

"for everything," a kiss to your other cheek. he presses light kisses on the same place on your cheek, and you giggle from the sensation.

he rocks you both back and forth, while he mutters word of the future into your skin.

"you know, i'm gonna travel the world with you, only if you want to. and we can travel to all the places you want to go, and we can tour all over the world with the crew."

you smile. "and then, we can try different foods and maybe walk around different parks."

kazuha stops rocking the both of you. "maybe i might propose to you on stage."

now that leaves you flustered, your face burning under his touch.

"kazuha..."

"he looks back at you and smiles. "maybe on a tour to place you like. or maybe a smaller venue. who knows?"

"kazuha, but theres people who are going to watch us."

he kisses your cheek once more. "i'll make you forget there was ever a crowd in the first place."

you smile as he kisses you. but kazuha never realized that night...

…that he just gave you an idea.

standing in the vip section, you fiddle with the box in your pocket. do you look fine? you look at the mirror, check. the ring? you open the box to find a simple but symbolic ring, carved to fit a maple leaves. check. do you have confidence to go and make the biggest desicion ever in front of a crowd with more than ten thousand people?

...maybe you'll need that.

when the rest of 4nemo found out of you plan, venti slammed his hands in excitement.

"no WAY! oh my archons, kazuha's never going to expect this! and this is going to be the biggest event in history and-"

you smiled awkwardly. "that is... if i dont mess it up."

venti sighs and puts his finger to his chin in thought. "here's the plan."

now, sitting on a seat backstage, you wait for the song to end and kazuha to give his regards before the end of the concert. the drums vibrate throughout your ears and though the cheers and speakers drown out all other thoughts in your head, you will always recognize the bass guitar kazuha plays.

you will always recognize your kazuha.

the song ends, and you hears the screaming and cheering of fans and the lights twinkle around the music venue.

"hello, and thank you for once again coming to the 4nemo tour."

now is the moment you have waited for for months. you check everything and slowly walk behind the barrier between backstage and the eyes of around 10,000 people and the love of your life (hopefully, your fiancée in 5 minutes).

you take a deep breath and without kazuha noticing, tap venti's shoulder. he gives you his mic before giving you a thumbs up and a whispered "good luck". you smile. you'd consider it good luck if you didn't faint on-stage right now.

"being part of 4nemo has truly changed my life, and it was because of your undying support that us as a group and i as an individual have been moving forward on our journey to our passions and our aspirations."

you walk forward and hear the crowd screaming and waving their flashlights at your appearence. you almost giggle at thought of kazuha's confused face, but he continues to give his regards.

you kneel on one knee and paitently wait for kazuha to take a glimpse of what could possibly be behind him.

what future could possibly await him when he catchs you on one knee, trembling to ask such a big question.

the screams of fans saying to "look back" and "behind you" has kazuha exasperated. was it a problem with something? no, probably venti with his mischevious tricks. he sighs before looking back to see...

you? you were here all this time? and what were you doing on one knee?

kazuha realizes what is going on and his eyes widen. "i....what?"

you give a timid smile. "hello there."

the fans cheer and scream, and kazuha stares at you in shock. "love..what...?"

"you always are saying i am your muse for your music, but you never realized how much you were my muse for me. every moment i’m breathing, i find the colors of your guitar in the corner of my eye. i find you in the little details in my life. i find you in times of joy and in times of comfort. in the times you show me the newest song with pride, and the times we're on the swings, coming up with ideas at midnight. that night when i woke up from a nightmare, you said we would travel the world and you would propose to me."

you open the box and the ring shines in the light. you swear you catch a glimpse of kazuha covering his face with his sleeve, and you look back on the soft smile on xiao's face and aether and venti's excited ones. the crowds screams and yells "ask the question", but it deafens in your ears, only hearing kazuha's hitched breath.

you take a deep breath once more. you look up to kazuha's teared eyes and his mouth covered by his hands. "i wanted to ask if you're still up for the offer, but instead you would give me the honor of my ring on your hand."

you never hear a verbal response, but look up to see tears falling down on his cheeks, as he nods a yes. you gently pull his hand towards you and place your ring on the right finger, almost dropping it with how bad you’re shaking. his hand has a certain shine to it now, a shine that says he’s yours.

you stand up and kazuha buries his head into your shoulder. you feel him shaking and you hug him back, your own head in the crook of his neck. you hear a small “yes” whispered, and you smile and hug him tighter. the crowds screaming and the band’s cheering is a background noise as kazuha asks, “i thought you hated crowds, dove.”

you press a kiss to his cheek, and mutter your answer into his skin. “you make me forget there was ever a crowd in the first place."

mccnstruck

#[ zee writes ] #kazuha x yn #kazuha x gn reader #kazuha x gn!reader #kaedehara kazuha x reader #kazuha x reader #kazuha #kaedehara kazuha #kazuha x you #kazuha x gender neutral reader #happy birthday kazuha !! #i love you

[goodbysunball]

Laughing with the gods

A couple latecomers in 2023 that ought not to be missed. Happy New Year, in February.

Drifting, Dream Autopsy (Förlag För Fri Musik)

A welcome sign that the Discreet Music-adjacent actors continue to find grey skies and grimy alleys to haunt. Drifting is an overseas collaboration between Form Hunter's Weston Czerkies and Gothenburg's own Julia Bjernelind and Dan Johansson. Both Julia and Dan are in Amateur Hour, and Dream Autopsy ends up around the same neighborhood as the underrated Kr​ö​kta Tankar och Br​ä​nda Vanor double LP, but Weston reorients Drifting with a strong emphasis on tape hiss and mechanical noise. Within this space, Julia's voice acts more as a poltergeist haunting the proceedings; there are probably proper lyrics, but long song titles are colorful enough, and the keening vocals provide instrumental contrast to the rather bleak, often caustic rumblings below. A few brief respites are found across the album: the beginning of "Kill Them All at Once," for example, is a catchy yet eerie vocals-and-keyboard snippet, and the very end of "Narratives In Music Is a Fuck (In Two Parts)" rides distantly groaning tape loops with Julia's sickly-sweet vocals. The push-pull between the gentle vocals and the tape noise is presented as organically as possible, playing out as two sidelong tracks devoid of any clunky transitions or jarring cuts. Dream Autopsy doesn't come as much of a surprise in terms of the sounds within; the label's own "sublime tape music" descriptor fits. But how effectively the sounds are rendered makes it feel more intentional than just a meeting of the minds. Shocking how much this one sticks once it's over, and even more shocking that it's still widely available - scoop now and avoid regret later.

Mount Trout, Petrol Bush (Albert's Basement)

Praise be to Albert's Basement for putting the new Mount Trout album on wax, something I've daydreamed about doing for both Screwy and Shelter Belt but never had the connections, know-how or gumption to do. The warm-sounding, naturally imperfect vinyl format is readymade for Mount Trout's brand of detuned, shambling and spacious music, a tradition the guitar-bass-drums trio continues on Petrol Bush. This one feels like the most approachable of their three albums to date, with tracks like "Dan's Bar," "Aquatic Waltz" and "No Wrong" featuring sparkling guitars and gentle tempos that could slot in next to Devotion-era Beach House on a playlist. True to form, there's some grit and sinew buried in the mix, a couple curveballs lest you get too comfortable in the late day sunshine conjured by certain tracks. I'll let you decipher the lyrics to "Dreams," and "Find a Man" and "Shoveller" simmer with a nearly AmRep level of angst. "Find a Man" is particularly jarring, coming after the daydreaming "Aquatic Waltz,” where the lyrics ("Find a man, find a man/who can be my lover") become drawn out and more menacing as the song goes on. The lyrical efficiency on "Find a Man" is a new refinement for the band across Petrol Bush, and one need look no further than the first track here for proof. The lyrics are made up of little more than "Laughing with the gods/I don't know/if things are really good," slipping a splinter under the fingernail during some Dionysian afternoon. It's the space Mount Trout has always lived in, looking for comfort or peace (possibly found on "No Wrong") but embracing the pain, injustice and shame pervasive in the world. Petrol Bush, like Shelter Belt, puts me in a contemplative, somewhat melancholy headspace, but everything here feels warm, gently baked in the sun; it sits somewhere between Low and Palace Brothers, but with enough needling from the lyrics to sidestep any self-pity. The LP was released late last year, and didn't land here until late January, otherwise it might've taken the top spot in my year-end list for 2023. Highly, highly recommended; put it on and simmer in it while the great thaw beckons.

ssabæ, Le Roi Est L'oiseau (Few Crackles)

Blink-and-it's-gone release from mid-November 2023, courtesy of France's intriguing and selective Few Crackles label. ssabæ released Azurescens one year before and was favorably reviewed by some shops and writers I respect, and while I managed to grab a copy from Technique Street (fave shop/distro, big ups), at the time it felt a bit too refined and stately for my taste. Still, there was something present in the music that made it past the sparkling reviews and limited edition pressing, and stuck in my craw long enough to make checking out this new album a priority. Glad I did, because Le Roi Est L'oiseau is even better. The loose collective running about 12 members deep, according to all of the names on the sleeve, takes elements of jazz, folk, field recordings and chamber music to make this hushed, spare music that only works with the rapt attention of the listener. On one hand, this is a collection of influences and sounds that pops up a lot these days, either from contemporary outfits or reissues, and it's not really a priority for me to make space for all of it; on the other hand, a track like Le Roi Est L'oiseau's "Le Premier Soir du Monde" comes on, sits you down and makes apparent the potential of this amalgamation of sounds in the right hands. There is an almost alchemical, mystical element to ssabæ, the austere presentation giving the impression that these sounds are sacred and deeply spiritual. The sounds here live in darkness, stillness, away from any light pollution; where notable contemporaries use repetition to transcend this sphere, ssabæ conjure shadows and voices in isolation. The stunning title track could fit on the Twin Peaks soundtrack were it devoid of kitsch, and there've been more than a few late nights where the voices at the end of the track get under my skin. Quintessential late-night soundtrack, near-perfect in presentation and execution, and hopefully an album the label sees fit to make available again.

Stress Positions, Harsh Reality (Three One G)

I caught Stress Positions at a last-minute show booked here in Knoxville last December, knowing only that (a) Iron Lung reissued their demo on vinyl, and (b) the Chicago band was mostly made up of former members of C.H.E.W., who also had an LP and 7" on Iron Lung. The band went on to tear apart my flagrant indifference and put on one of the best sets I saw all year, drawing mostly from their just-released LP on Three One G, a label that I had no idea was still active. It's getting harder for me to differentiate hardcore punk, let alone get excited about analyzing why some bands are more convincingly pissed off than others. Stress Positions make it easy with acrobatic drumming courtesy of Jon Giralt (check "White Leech"), meaty riffs smeared with righteous anger, and the performance of Stephanie Brooks, a vocalist that can easily shift from rapid-fire to menacing. It doesn't hurt that the songs tackle politically-induced pervasive poverty, white privilege and police brutality with pointed lyrics and the appropriate high level of rage and indignation. The band does the fast stuff as effectively as they can do mosh-worthy: "No Sympathy (For the Police)" is the most fun you'll have stage-diving to hating cops, and "Performative Justice" fits an impressive number of movements in its grinding 25 seconds. It's after "Performative Justice" that things begin to depart from the norms of hardcore; "Sunken Place" has the same feel as the rest of the record, but the lyrics are more opaque ("Hell is a sunken place/in awe of its power/a subtle spasm flirts with desire"), and the crawling closer "Ode to Aphrodite" lumbers with a violent Life Time-era Rollins Band level of menace before the raging close. It's a jaw-dropping ending, both musically and lyrically anomalous for hardcore, the lyrics tackling the repression of sexual desire tangled within a hollow morality. Powerful record; here's hoping they stick together to tease out the ideas in the last two tracks into another recording.

#Drifting #Forlag For Fri Musik #Mount Trout #Albert's Basement #ssabae #Few Crackles #Stress Positions #Iron Lung #Three One G

[jonathantaylorthomas]

OK, Swifties. You liked the fairytale fictions and indie-cred boast of Taylor Swift’s pandemic alt-folk records. But you’ve been yearning for the intimacy you felt when she knocked out those confessional bangers, haven’t you? Well, the wait is over. Playing Midnights will make you feel as though you’re sleeping over at her house while she spills secrets and settles scores into the night. Over a series of murky electronic grooves (mostly co-written with Jack Antonoff), the pop star unpacks her darkest dreams, deepest doubts and cruellest thoughts. All the while she keeps things just cryptic enough to keep the tension crackling and the speculation buzzing.

That said, she’s already stopped speculation about the opening track, “Lavender Haze”. “Gaylor” fans who’ve stuck (rather doggedly) to a queer reading of Swift had hoped that the song might be a coming-out track because of the colour’s long association with gay culture. But in an Instagram post, Swift explained that she had happened upon the phrase while watching Mad Men and found it was vintage slang for a dreamy love glow. Against the throb of a synth bass, she appears to be addressing the misogynistic media obsession with whether or not she’s marrying actor boyfriend Joe Alwyn, with whom she’s been settled since 2016. “All they keep asking me / Is if I’m gonna be your bride / The only kinda girl they see / Is a one night or a bride” she notes (you can hear the eye-roll). But as the vocal layers build, she shakes off the judgement effortlessly: “Talk your talk and go viral / I just need this love to spiral.”

The slower, grimier texture of “Maroon” is a dive back into a past relationship (place your bets). Describing the affair, Swift sings of it decaying from the initial pink of cheap rosé to the “rust that grew between telephones”.

She’s on her best, self-scrutinising storytelling form on the excellent “Anti-Hero”, which lyrically sends zinger after zinger bubbling up through the fuzz of distortion. She unpicks the unwieldiness of her stardom with terrific, surreal imagery. “Sometimes I feel like everyone is a sexy baby / And I’m the monster on the hill / Too big to hang out / Slowly lurching towards your city / Pierced through the heart but never killed.” She skewers her acts of public kindness, too: “Did you hear my covert narcissism / I disguise as altruism / Like some kind of congressman?”

Things get funnier as the singer, whose fortune is estimated at around $750m, slur-growls: “I have this dream my daughter-in-law kills me for the money / She thinks I left them in the will / The family gathers round and reads it / And then someone screams out ‘She’s laughing up at us from hell!’” Swift lays into her “niceness” again on the poppier swell of “Bejewelled”, on which she warns a guy that she has the capacity to light up rooms (and all the boys in the band) if he doesn’t pay more attention.

“You’re on Your Own, Kid” digs into a catchy-cute guitar melody – flecked with pretty pings that echo her early pop – as Swift looks back on the days when she sang her songs in the parking lot. Lines about starving her body, hoping for the perfect kiss, are a nod to her Romeo and Juliet teen dreams. This sweetness is balanced by the vocal distortions and rhythmic lurches of “Midnight Rain”, on which Swift revels in her role as a heartbreaker. By the time she gets to noirish rap “Vigilante S**t”, she’s relishing her shadow-self, ripping into a cheating lover. “I don’t dress for women / I don’t dress for men,” goes her predatory purr. “Lately, I’ve been dressing for revenge.” As ever, Swift drops just enough filmic detail to conjure a scene: an envelope handed to a wife who’s now driving her ex’s Benz. And there’s some classy-sharp wordplay about the guy who was “doing lines/ and crossing all of mine”. Through it all, the low vibration of the synth is stalked by the treble rattle of a snare drum. The effect is of a woman in stilettos hunting a shadow.

There’s been some excitement online about the teased track “Karma”. Many thought it would address her spat with Kanye West, and that it might have been taken from an album lost during that time. But the swipes at a “spiderboy, king of thieves” waving a “web of opacity” would suggest it’s about her ex, Spider-Man star Jake Gyllenhaal (who famously dumped her by text, breaking her heart and inspiring the album Red which she recently re-recorded). The album ends with “Mastermind”, which seems to be about Alwyn again – and includes a confession that, like “all wise women”, she engineered some aspects of their romance. “I’m only cryptic and Machiavellian because I care…” Ha.

The subtle melodies of Midnights take time to sink their claws in. But Swift’s feline vocal stealth and assured lyrical control ensures she keeps your attention. Turn the lights off and let these songs prowl around you. Just don’t expect their meanings to settle too biddably into your lap. Swift’s always as elusive as she is allusive.

[dra8onf1re]

Listened to Pierre by Ryn Weaver and all I can think of is Wesper when I hear the first verse.

“I danced in the desert, in the pouring rain

Drank with the devil and forgot my name

Woke with somebody when the morning came

No one there to shame me for my youth

'Cause I wouldn't be with you

And then I found me a lover who could play the bass

He's kinda quiet, but his body ain't

Spend the days dreaming and the nights awake

Doin' things we know we shouldn't do

'Cause I wouldn't be with you

Says he can't believe he found me

Wraps his arms around me”

#shadow and bone #wesper #ryn weaver

[ezekielurquhart]

@hcdonism location: the FUNCTION notes: knifekitty (affectionate) , Alexa play Lover (First Dance Remix)

All confidence and ego, cocky would have been an easy way to describe Ezekiel. Him and Remi were different in that regard, their origins weren’t all that different but where Ezekiel had ended up with every opportunity, Remi had none. He’d made his own, it was one of the many things that Ezekiel had always found inspiring about the other: no matter how things felt, knowing that Remi had probably been through worse was a source of comforting hope. Ezekiel had died and come back as someone else, a vampire that wasn’t afraid of his own strength, sharp and trained, the front that he’d put on as a witch fell away for something more authentic and genuine.

The couture was gone now though and in its place was a simple but well tailored suit, black on black, a white tie to break it up as Ezekiel watched Remi through a crowded ballroom. There was no bass accompaniment this time, no anticipatory build of EDM music or flashy dance moves. Just a man who couldn’t keep his eyes off of the only person in the room that ever seemed to matter. An orchestra swelled before a piano accompaniment led by Hakan followed, Rhiannon and Sumeyye stood beside the ivory keys to harmonise and sing backup. Ezekiel began and the room quieted, people still spoke but it sounded like conversation and more like murmurs in the background as the crowd parted systematically. The lights dimmed before a pair of spotlights shone on Ezekiel and Remi.

“We could leave the Christmas lights up 'til January And this is our place, we make the rules And there's a dazzling haze, a mysterious way about you, dear Have I known you for 20 seconds or 20 years?”

Ezekiel approached the other across the dance floor, confidence built in his step despite the nerves that sparked under his skin. Remi had never made him nervous… At least, not for some time. It had been a year together, and longer spent pining. Years of friendship and yearning bloomed in a crescendo of passion: lies, deception, and mistakes. Neither of them were perfect but Ezekiel still felt that they were perfect for each other, so he stopped in front of Remi and offered him his hand to ask him to dance. Neva had forced ballroom on him when he was a teenager, but given the musical air Ezekiel wouldn’t have needed it.

“Can I go where you go? Can we always be this close? Forever and ever, ah Take me out, and take me home You're my, my, my, my lover.”

Remi was barely an inch taller than Ezekiel, the sire brought his hand to his progeny’s waist, their hands folded together while soft, brown locks tilted against Ezekiel’s broad shoulders. He loved him. Ezekiel had been in love with him for years. It felt stupid to jinx things, but the truth was that he was happy: the happiest he had ever been and it had been that way for months now. Since he had turned Remi and even before. This progeny just completed that.

"We could let our friends crash in the living room This is our place, we make the call And I'm highly suspicious that everyone who sees you wants you I've loved you three summers now, honey, but I want 'em all.”

Because he couldn’t help himself, Ezekiel’s hand ghosted to the small of Remi’s back as he pulled the other against his chest. Long lashes closed blue eyes as they danced around a seemingly vacant ballroom, their spotlights joined in their slow dance as the vampire sung his quiet gratitudes in the other’s ear. A whisper on his breath though the chorus and lyrics seemed to resound around them with the orchestral accompaniment.

“Ladies and gentlemen, will you please stand? With every guitar string scar on my hand I take this magnetic force of a man to be my lover My heart's been borrowed and yours has been blue All's well that ends well to end up with you Swear to be overdramatic and true to my lover And you'll save all your dirtiest jokes for me And at every table, I'll save you a seat, lover.”

The music quieted and then faded out, though the lights returned, it still felt like they were the only two in the room. Ezekiel’s lips pressed against Remi’s, soft and quick: a promise of lifetimes to follow. With uncharacteristic sheepishness, Ezekiel took a step back before he cleared his throat and got down on one knee. “I don't think any amount of time together could ever be enough,” the sire’s hand produced a small, velvet box from his pocket before he opened it to reveal a ring he'd been holding onto for weeks. “But I want to start with forever: marry me?”

#remi #remistarter #remi.midsommar #senatus.event #senatus.midsommar

[applesfallingfromblondehair]

Sometimes I’m like Ross is the safe option who will give Matty stability and George is the sexually exciting and passionate option. While these are true, then I’m like wait, Ross got Matty off on a commercial flight and made him beg to cum…

heLLO THERE yes he did

well now this just makes me think of that one song that goes

and then I found me a lover who can play the bass

he's kinda quiet, but his body ain't

he's a dark horse, anon

(you'll see ✨)

#answered #writing #i love you don't you mind #a lover who could play the bass

[phanfictioncatalogue]

Bisexual Phil Masterlist

allowed to just exist, together (ao3) - spacebunphil

Summary: During the US tour Phil hadn’t found the guts to put a label on whatever it was he had with Dan. Dan hadn’t had the guts to ask. But a one night stand from Dan led to awkward conversation in the kitchen the next day, with some tears and a very happy ending.

(FWB, friends to lovers, you know the drill.)

Another One Of Those Days (ao3) - your_starless_eyes

Summary: Phil is tired of being made fun of.

Miles away, Dan is having the exact same thought.

Double Date (ao3) - Spring_Haze

Summary: Phil finds himself on a double date at a mini golf course near campus, though he is much more interested in the male half of the other couple than anything else. The boys are left alone to explore their fast new friendship and sparks fly. This is a sweet, funny, and romantic tale of love at first sight that will leave you feeling warm and fuzzy.

Give Me Some Of That Bass (ao3) - drxpdead

Summary: Playing music has always been a big part of Phil’s life. From the time he was five, and banging spoons against the table, to present day; seventeen years old and apart of the upcoming Alt. Rock/Everything-In-Between band, Heinous.

It’s an easy life to live, he’s sure. Making music with his best friends, trying to avoid failing high school the best he can, and getting his parents to stay off his back about ‘that God-awful noise’.

And there’s Dan Howell.

His sex-on-legs, hot tempered boyfriend, who miraculously shares his love of music. It’s like they’re meant to be.

You know, except they’re apart of different bands. Rival bands, to be exact, with every member hating the other, with a vengeance. They know damn well not to publicise their relationship, not with a certain competition coming up that could make or break them; the tension would be off the charts and would do nothing but cause unwanted drama.

But you can’t keep secrets forever. And with the stress of practice and their band members on their backs, it’s getting harder to keep it in the dark.

If the Crown Fits (ao3) - tjmcharg

Summary: The Royalty AU nobody asked for in which Prince Daniel falls head over heels for his best friend and servant boy, Phil.

I'm Glad I Looked (ao3) - developerdaniel

Summary: Dan gasped softly as he Phil's mouth toyed with his sensitive neck, pressing open mouthed kisses on the heated skin. He let his head fall back, giving Phil even better access to his neck as he lost himself to Phil's actions.

Phil smiled to himself as he worked, slipping his hand under Dan's pyjama top to explore the soft, tanned skin, holding tight on his hipbone for a moment before he dipped his hand down below the waistband of Dan's boxers, his long fingers wrapping around Dan's painfully hard cock.

Lantern In Your Heart - botanistlester

Summary: Phil is bicurious, so to help him figure out his sexuality, he ends up at a gay club. There, he meets Dan, who helps him out in more ways than one.

Like I Do (ao3) - phan_stole_my_heart

Summary: Dan gets upset when a girl kisses Phil and Phil doesn't understand why.

Proud (ao3) - pasteldanhowells

Summary: Elisse Lester is seventeen, and she’s ready to come to her parents about her sexuality. She knows it’ll be fine. She has two dads for crying out loud. But, that won’t stop her from being nervous. Luckily, her girlfriend is there to assure her that everything will be fine.

Sex Sells (ao3) - failingmyalevelsforthis

Summary: Dan and Phil are about to depart on their second stage show ‘Interactive Introverts’ but with ticket sales slow and interest dwindling their management come up with a plan.

Sex sells. And a secret relationship will drum up the interest they need to save their careers. But is it worth risking their friendship?

#phanfictioncatalogue #phanfiction #phanfic #phan #masterlists #bisexual #bisexual!phil masterlist #lgbt

[leedollop]

Chaotic Speaker Dog & His Lovers

╭───────────────────.🎧.───────────────────╮ Profile pic picrew here.

Hi! This is my selfship blog for shipping with H/azbin H/otel characters, My main is @silver-heller for reference.

I mostly ship with Alastor, Vox, and Lucifer here though I'll develop my S/I's relationship with the other characters overtime! I am okay sharing F/Os!

I do not participate in fandom discourse and will block accordingly. If you headcanon any of my F/Os as abusers you are not welcome here!

DNI if...You are a minor or pro/shipper. This includes shipping with literal animals (not furry characters). If you are a bigot, an exclusionist, or not plural friendly. If you hate H/azbin H/otel. Vox/Val makes me very uncomfy, don't bring it here. Val shippers are not welcome!

I will block you if your F/Os are from these sources: SAO (sword-art-online), R/ayman, J/ekyll and H/yde, and H/arry P/otter. (These make me uncomfortable for one reason or another. Please respect that even if you don't understand).

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S/I Info Below

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Name: Lee

Ansley (real name)

Dollop (Alastor)

My good Fellow (Alastor)

Height: 5'4 Age: Mid 20s (23) Pronouns: He/him Sexual/romantic orientation: Asexual biromantic polymerous Scent: Apples

Personality

Can be quite sharp and sardonic when he wants to be. But, usually, he is quite skittish and soft spoken. He tends to dissociate and can be quite sensitive. He adores music, as it helps calm him down, and listens to it or something audible more often than not.

Description

Pink plush dog speaker demon (based on idog speaker) that wears hoodies and skirts.

Powers

His powers are connected to the music he plays from his back. As the song goes on, colorful dots appear on the ground and, during the bass drops, the ground shakes and moves. He is also good at sensing upcoming storms, literally or figuratively.

Relationships

#lee🐶🔌 - Tag for my oc Ansley!

#radiolove📻 - Alastor (romantic, I headcanon him as demiromantic asexual)

#appleduck🍎 - Lucifer (romantic, bisexual biromantic)

#turnthetvon📺 - Vox (romantic, bisexual biromantic)

#appleontheradio - Poly ship with Alastor, Lucifer, and Vox

#bartenderbuddy♠ - Husker (close friend)

#cherryontop🍧 - Angel Dust (queerplatonic/best friends)

#insideisarainbow🌈 - Charlie Magne (found family daughter)

#roseontop🌹 - Rosie (good friend)

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Main AU

╭───────────────────.🎧.───────────────────╮

Lee was originally found by Angel Dust on the streets, absolutely panicked when he first entered Hell and looking for a safe place to stay. Angel Dust brought Lee to the hotel, Husk and Charlie helping to calm him down. The three have been protective of him ever since. Alastor formed a connection to Lee through being nosy, and one of the few, outside of Angel Dust, who visited Lee in his room. Unlike others, Lee finds Alastor more charming than intimidating. They bond over their love of music and verbal passions. Alastor is very accepting of Lee being plural. Slowly, Alastor coaxes Lee out of his room more and more often. On one of these occasions, Lucifer was visiting to keep an eye on the hotel and help out Charlie. Lee quickly formed a bond with the lovable and just as accepting dork, developing a crush Alastor is reluctant to accept. However, with Lee gently forming the bridge between the two, they glow closer and closer. Eventually, Lucifer cuts to the chase, asking about Lee's feelings. Lee admits to liking them both and, eventually, the three come to an arrangement. An arrangement Lucifer and Alastor are quite happy with, despite struggling to let it slip how much they enjoy the other's company. As for Vox, Lee accidentally bumped into him on the street after seeing him on TV. This made Lee feel extremely shy and panic, Vox panicking about being uncertain how to comfort Lee. Vox eventually offers to take Lee out for coffee and Lee eventually agrees. Lee is quite shocked to find a connection with Vox, relating to his need for validation, the fact he's more sensitive than he lets on, and his dry attitude. The two are on the same wavelength to the point they can finish each other's sentences, causing them to become fast friends.

TW: Physical abuse mention

After Val nearly breaks Vox's screen beyond repair, Vox finally leaves the Vees and flees to the hotel at Lee's recommendation. There, Vox meets the others, and becomes even closer to Lee and the polycule.

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#cw text dividers #cw different font

[curatingworship]

NEW WORK ACCEPTED INTO ARTISTS OF RUBBER CITY JURIED EXHIBITION - inspired by If These Trees Could Talk's "Trail of Whispering Giants" and Jim Jarmusch's "Only Lovers Left Alive"

I have a brand-new painting that will be on display at Summit Artspace in downtown Akron, Ohio from April 5 – June 15. The piece was accepted into this year’s Artists of Rubber City Juried Art Exhibition and it is entitled:

It’s There that We Found More Than was Lost (Faintly Like a Whisper, Familiar Like Her Ungloved Hand)

This painting has a special meaning to me as it gave me an opportunity to create an artwork that was highly influenced by some of my favorite creative people (musicians/artists who also happen to have ties to Northeast Ohio). Our geographical connection was highlighted by the fact that this juried art show is curated by Akron’s own Artists of Rubber City collective.

As I gathered ideas and research for this piece, two key inspirations really stood out: a brand-new song I’ve been crushing called “Trail of Whispering Giants,” by an amazing band named If These Trees Could Talk, and a hauntingly beautiful film I adore called “Only Lovers Left Alive,” by an amazing film maker named Jim Jarmusch. So, the process of creating this painting held a lot of significance for me as it allowed me to spend a lot of time with one of my favorite bands and with my favorite film maker and my all-time favorite film.

If These Trees Could Talk is an amazing post-rock band whose music resonates deeply with me.

When I heard their new song, I instantly knew that I was going to create an artwork inspired by it at some point in my life. I’ve written about that sense before, because sometimes the right song (or movie) hits you and you just know that you must create an artwork in response to it.

One of the band members, Zach, said in an interview that their music could be described as a “non-lyrical exploration of emotion.” I like that. I think that abstract expressionist painting is very similar in that the artist can use color and texture and the elements of art to attempt to explore emotional concepts in an abstract and non-lyrical way. And while my work happens to also focus specifically on using words and language as art, the core of every painting I make is rooted in my non-lyrical abstract expressionist style.

So, for this project, I put “Trail of Whispering Giants,” on a loop and listened to it while I did most of the major work on this painting. The song informed and shaped a large portion of what the viewer experiences on the canvas. I got to see If These Trees Could Talk play this song live at Musica in downtown Akron during the time I was working on this piece. That more intimate experience of “Trail of Whispering Giants,” added a further dimension to my connection with the song and the way I was able to interpret it in my artwork.

I have a whole page in my art journal where I broke “Trail of Whispering Giants down into what I heard and felt were the different voices, themes, emotions, and movements discovered within the 8 minute duration of the work. The band employs 3 guitars, bass and drums, so there is a lot of complexity and nuanced layering of ideas at work in this song. I tried to capture those ideas in my painting, and as such, the viewer should discover a variety of ideas including wrestling with the dissonant tension of liminal spaces, the crushing weight of despair, the faint voice of hope, the loneliness of absence (or near silence), and what I felt was an overwhelming call to keep pushing forward through it all.

The second main inspiration for this painting is my all-time favorite film, “Only Lovers Left Alive."

A few years ago, I created a short film called “Only the Dead Survive Winter in Providence (High Places are Getting Harder to Find)” that was highly influenced by Jim Jarmusch’s vampire film, and I couldn’t help but explore his work one more time here in this painting.

I focused specifically on one scene from the movie (which happens to be my favorite scene in a movie), where the two main characters have a very intimate moment that revolves around a wooden bullet, an old 45” record, and dancing. It’s a scene that reveals so many raw and honest ideas about juxtaposed themes like suffering/despair/loss and hope/perseverance/love. And it does this in a way that just connected with me in a deep way and spoke into my own decades long struggle with chronic physical pain and the reality that my body is quite broken.

I wrote down a key moment of dialogue from this scene and revisited it often as I painted. Eve says to Adam:

“How can you have lived for so long and still not get it? This self-obsession, it’s a waste of living…that could be spent on…surviving things, appreciating nature, nurturing kindness and friendship…And dancing. (a long beat) You have been pretty lucky in love though, if I may say so.”

I also kind of kept coming back to this one interview I found where Jarmusch said that Adam and Eve’s vampiric state can serve as “a metaphor for the fragility of humans.” I thought that was powerful and an accurate portrayal of how I felt about the film and perhaps why it’s so important to me as an artist, but also just as a person trying to find beauty and hope amidst the painful parts of my life.

I loved the color palette in the film and especially in this scene. As such, I used some still frames from the scene to inform the color palette of my painting – the stencil graffiti I created of the two flowers represents Eve and Adam and reflects the colors they wore in that scene (Adam had teal-ish hospital scrubs, and Eve wore a robe that had warm reds and golds in it). The core color of the painting kind of was taken from the sofa in the room.

The first part of the title of my painting comes from a line in an E.E. Cummings poem named “When Faces Called Flowers Float Out of the Ground.” The second part of the title is my nod to the song and the film that inspired my painting.

One of my favorite quotes Jarmusch said (and I print it and put it on all my art journals) is:

“Nothing is original. Steal from anywhere that resonates with inspiration or fuels your imagination. Devour old films, new films, music, books, paintings, photographs, poems, dreams, conversations…Select only things to steal from that speak directly to your soul. If you do this, your work (and theft) will be authentic. Authenticity is invaluable; originality is non-existent. And don’t bother concealing your thievery—celebrate it if you feel like it. In any case, always remember what Jean-Luc Godard said: ‘It’s not where you take things from—it’s where you take them to.’” - Jim Jarmusch

I also wrote down some responses that Tilda Swinton offered in a few interviews she did promoting Only Lovers Left Alive, and this kind of matches up nicely with Jarmusch’s words:

“All artists certainly need each other…this film is about wearing your heroes on your sleeve.” - Tilda Swinton

All that to say, this painting was influenced by two of my creative heroes and I’m proud of this piece and I cherish the process of creating it, because it allowed me to spend a lot of time with them. This is my interpretation of their work—exploring what it means to me, but also how the song and the movie can reflect off my story and then echo back to others in a way that might help them find meaningful moments in their own stories too.

I always try and create little nods to the people that influenced or inspired my work, sometimes in obvious ways and sometimes a little more hidden (My films “Coffee with Ruth” and “Only the Dead Survive Winter in Providence” celebrate the fact that Jarmusch has shaped so much of my sense as a film maker).

I wrote this in my last post, but it seems worth repeating here as well…I pushed all of my reference material through my personal struggle with chronic pain (which has for better or worse been well documented in my artwork and my writing over these long years).

Pain has made her home with me, and I’m trying to find ways to make our relationship meaningful.

Below you can read my official details for the upcoming Artists of Rubber City Juried Art Exhibition (opening Friday, April 5th in downtown Akron), including my Artist Statement about the painting.

Artists of Rubber City Juried Exhibition

Forum Gallery - Summit Artspace, Akron, Ohio

Juror: Adriana Caso, Director and Founder of Door 2 Art Studio in Hudson, Ohio.

Artist Statement: 

It’s There that We Found More Than was Lost (Faintly Like a Whisper, Familiar Like Her Ungloved Hand) is an abstract expressionist work with particular focus on using words and language as art.

My work is heavily influenced and inspired by music and If These Trees Could Talk’s new song, “Trail of Whispering Giants” served as my primary inspiration and source material for the overall emotional quality of this painting. The song is a complex and beautiful 8-minute instrumental work that, provokes feelings of despair, hope, and especially the discomforting tension of waiting in liminal spaces.

This painting is also inspired by my favorite scene in my favorite movie, “Only Lovers Left Alive.” Jim Jarmusch describes the vampiric state of the two main characters in his film as a metaphor for the fragility of humans. The specific scene I explored is one of the darkest and brightest moments in the film, where the heavy weight of despair a character carries is countered with the brief light of hope that the other character offers/symbolizes. Many of the color choices in this painting reflect the color palette of that scene.

The song and the film scene were pushed through my own long endless struggle with chronic physical pain, and my own search for buoyant hope amidst a sea of relentless heartache.

The title comes from a poem by E.E. Cummings and a nod to the song and film that inspired my painting.

This work also contains lyrical thoughts by the band mewithoutYou.

Artwork Title:  It’s There that We Found More Than was Lost (Faintly Like a Whisper, Familiar Like Her Ungloved Hand)

Medium:  Acrylic, Crayon, and Hand-cut Stencil Graffiti on Canvas

Dimensions:  30” x 40”

Thanks to Juror, Adriana Caso, for selecting my work to be included in this show. It is an honor.

Thanks to If These Trees Could Talk and Jim Jarmusch (and Tilda Swinton and Tom Hiddleston) for making art and music that is authentic and that carries a special significance in my life and my own journey as a creative.

[hillbillyhippiemusicreview]

DRIVE TO THIS TUNE WITH CAUTION: OTIS WARNS THERE'S A BREAK AHEAD WITH LATEST SINGLE

Reviewed by: Lyssa Culbertson

Photo by MM Photography

In the fast track that is music, cover songs can be a dime a dozen akin to those massed produced metal shells you puttering down the road, but a quality cover song is well worn like a beautiful, vintage car—recognizable, comfortable, and enjoyable as it eases right on in and parks itself in the mind, triggering warm memories of good times had to the soundtrack of that particular tune. However, to me, the true mark of the *perfect* cover song is one where an artist reinvents the wheel so well that it is utterly unobvious that the track was previously cut before. Kentucky’s bonafide scholars of the rockin' blues, OTIS, recently accomplished that feat (the feat of pulling the wool over my eyes, that is) with their cover of Betty Harris’s 1969 release of the southern-fried, soulful funk tune, “There’s a Break in the Road,” penned and produced by the incomparable Allen Toussaint. Although I love all things blues, country, rock, and more from the 50s era on, I have to admit the area of soul music isn’t quite my expertise. With hearing OTIS’s rendition, I was stoked to dive further into Harris’s history and ultimately wished she had continued making music and found the success she craved, though her mystique and legacy were certainly left with her final recording. 

Moving onto the absolute gem that OTIS created as they lent their talents to the long-revered tune, I'm chomping at the bit to let readers know they need to not only take the tune for a test drive, but also buy it for life! if I could step back in time and take Boone Froggett (frontman) to the recording booth with Harris, I’d love to see how his husky, bluesy vocals juxtapose against the raw, brassy power packed in Harris’s. I can imagine it would be literal fire—and I don’t even mean proverbial flames. Literal. How the studio wasn’t set ablaze during the live, full band take that the single was recorded in is beyond me! With that being said, the monstrous punch packed in their voices is ultimately where the similarities end, and that is a beautiful thing. Froggett and his bandmates took a borderline raucous, yet swinging soulful classic and brought it into the 21st century by adapting it into a driving, heavy—but not overbearing— banger with a hint of blues that sonically fits into their style, yet also skyrockets them into another aural sphere altogether. From the 0-60 beginning where you get a few seconds of a riveting guitar riff before hit hard with the first lines, I t’s still soul—and I believe quality rock cannot exist outside the realm of being fueled by a little soul food, but man…it’s unlike anything I’ve ever heard from the band before. With a fresh new lineup (Boone Froggett as frontman/guitarist, John Seeley on bass, Alex Wells playing guitar, and Dale Myers on the drums), it’s plain to see that OTIS is back and ready to rock and roll out some long-awaited new music in ‘24.

Now—back to the single. Lyrically, the tune is written from a jilted lover’s point of view and likens the lover to an obsolete car (“like the last years model…you put me down”) as it cautions the leaver of the misfortune to come by picking up the new, shiny model and throwing the former dependable devotee to the wayside. As he sings from the POV of a now forlorn inamorato, Froggett bellows the warning woven throughout the verses with an intense passion as he bemoans being left behind for a ritzy paramour by “the only girl who could turn [him] on and make a bad man out of [him].” By the end of the track, the man has become resolute in the fact that the woman would experience the same ol’ game that was ran on him, the karma of her wicked ways. Listeners can be clear on the fact that the caution isn’t given out of the goodness of his heart, but out of a taste for revenge served cold—as it sometimes happens after a fervent affair. From a songwriter’s stance, I always love a quality jam that plays into the depths of metaphorical phrases that make you think—the title itself is a perfect example, and that line about the windshield wipers?! Come on now, what a play on words...so good! Either as an early warning, a last lament or simply a statement in general, the repetition of the phrase “there’s a break in every road” foretells the existence of the choices we have in life that can quickly alter our worlds with the positive or negative consequences that follow. Or, if you were to take the meaning as less of a fork of choices in each road taken in life and more of a Deep South viewpoint that every road is plagued with potholes (the breaks) and no road is bump-free, you can still find the merit in the message: be careful what you wish for. Froggett and his bandmates succeeded in making the whole song sound like a sultry, sassy admonition wrapped up in a well-meaning, albeit vindictive, farewell to a lost partner. First listen, you’re swept up in the music; fingers tappin' and heads bangin' are imminent. Perhaps you'll hop in your car and hit the road on a sunshine and 75 kind of day, windows down with it blaring on your speakers—hopefully avoiding all the potholes, er breaks! Then, you hear the words and get to decide whether there’s anyone you just might need to spread the gospel of OTIS (and Betty Harris) to, if you catch my drift. Even if there's not someone who needs to heed the warning in your life, HHMR thinks it merits being taken for a drive and shared with the world.

Watch the music video for “There’s a Break In the Road” below:

[allthemusic]

Week ending: 15 April 1954

Well, what a treat. Two songs in a row that reached Number 1. Not that that always correlates with actual quality, or that good songs don't occasionally languish further down the charts. But it's still generally a decent indicator of quality - even when I don't like them, Number 1s seem to generally be fairly solidly-made tracks, or they have been, so far.

Such a Night - Johnnie Ray (peaked at Number 1)

Well, then. I didn't really know this track, and frankly, I think I probably ought to have known it! It's good, a saucy little toe-tapper, and I found myself dancing round my kitchen to it, which is always a good sign.

We've also not hit rock and roll yet, but there are signs of it coming round the corner, for sure. It's all over the speed of this, plus the violently slapped double bass, the tinkling piano, the vague hints of electric guitar, and the backing singers' repeated "doo-de-oooby-ooby-oo" and "doo-waah-doo-wah" riffs, which I think are doubled by a saxophone, or easily could be?

We've also got a bit of rock and roll attitude - it keeps it carefully above the belt, with a lot of lyrics about kissing, but don't be misled, there's a steamy little number undearneath all that, too, especially with Johnnie's moands and "ooohs" throughout. It's almost performatively coy, "that kiss in the moonlight" serving as the fig-leaf on this otherwise overtly suggestive song.

With all these rock and roll signifiers, it's possibly unsurprising that this song has its roots in old-school rhythm and blues and the emerging doo-wop scene. It originated with the Drifters, after all, and I can already imagine them doing a good job with it. Elvis also did a version of it, after Johnnie's, and I think I might have heard that version before? Elvis, of course, famous for being white but playing "black" music - and I know that Johnnie Ray had a similar thing going on, where a lot of people who just heard his voice on the radio assumed he was black. It's artists like these that lay the groundwork for modern pop and rock music, all resting on a solid foundation of black 1940s and 1950s R'n'B, and here, it works very well.

It doesn't hurt that Johnnie sells the lyrics with an emotional intensity that he was apparently well-known for. You don't get the sense that he actually takes it seriously, though. He's putting on a front as this sly but likeable horndog - but it's definitely a front, and knowingly done. He plays a man who's had "such a night" with his lover, and is eager to tell you all about it, how "just the thought of her lips, it sets me on fire" and how "I gave my heart to her in sweet surrender", before staying together until dawn, "kissing". Oooh, Johnnie, you lovable scamp, you ;)

We continue and learn that this mystery lover's gone now - she vanished, sneaking out at dawn - but Johnnie's very keen to remind us of just how well he remembers everything that went down, and how he'll never forget it. It's weirdly insistent, actually - is this another layer to the song? He's so insistent that it does make it sound like he's compensating for something, almost over-eager to convince you that yes, he really did spend a night with this lady, he definitely didn't make it all up, nope, nuh-uh, not a chance. It's an interpretative stretch, for sure, but I think it adds to the song, not going to lie - especially knowing that Johnnie in real life probably wouldn't have been that attracted to this lovely lady. "How well I remember, I'll always remember" indeed. Methinks Johnnie doth protest too much.

And it's all held together by a string of borderline obscene "oooh ooooh" moans, as well as his almost feverish delivery of "such a night" which elevate this song from a decent little number to an actively very enjoyable rocker. A bit like Secret Love last week, this is a song that's grown on me a lot as I've listened!

What a treat! Not a completely forgotten song, but one that I think deserves more airplay than it seems to get. As I said, the more I listened, the more I enjoyed this, and I think the hints at rock and roll that you can see in it are fascinating. It's so nearly there, and I can't wait!

Best song of the bunch, yes it was, yes it really was: Such a Night

#uk charts #1954 #johnnie ray