#JUST LET THE ITUNES PEOPLE LISTEN TO IT PLEASE

[beautifulpersonpeach]

BPP I love Jimin but the autotune is bad. 😔 I don't know how to feel about it. I wish Jimin did a song like Promise or Serendipity it wld be better for more people right? I hate how pdogg ruined Jimin's debut. We should admit it. Nobody is even streaming it on youtube. Armys are pretending it's a good song but kpop fans are right BPP, the song is bad.

*

Ask 2:

Hi BPP,

I hope you are well.

I have read and continue to read your blog. You seem to think so highly of the rap line which is wonderful. My post isn't about them but I do like them more than the vocal line. Please note I am not trying to be negative with my question below. I am more curious because this has been observation lately..

I am not trying to be negative but I was wondering if you could help me understand this. Being in K-pop for a while, I knew I would come across BTS at one stage in my life. I have always known they are popular. I would have to be living under the rock to think otherwise. But one thing I have always heard is a discourse around Jimins popularity. Even before I got into BTS, I would hear Jimins name thrown here and there. I knew BTS had a guy named Jimin but recently I have been thinking that perhaps he isn't as popular as I had assumed. I would have thought his music video would garner million and millions of views easily but it's not even at 15 mil. How could that be? Similarly, people aren't purchasing his songs on iTunes. I see people begging them to buy the songs on twitter. My understanding was that he is the most popular member of BTS but looking at his views compared to the rest of the members, I am thinking he is on the lower side of popularity. I am surprised to be honest. I know popularity doesn't mean everything but wouldn't he need that to be a successful artist outside of BTS?

I am also not sure if the new song is good. The autotune feels too jarring. The video is nice but the song in itself doesn't do it for me. I would have really liked to minimise autotune. It would have also been nicer if his song was more on the lines of lie. I feel there is too much focus on visual representation rather than the quality of the song. People will listen to the song more than watch the video so it's disappointing. It's also not doing that well. I mean Taylor's re-released songs are beating him already. I am worried his album won't be successful. I was hoping they would use this solo era to gather more fans but I don't see how Jimin could possibly garner more fans with a song thats so jarring to listen to.

***

Sigh, y'all should never say I didn't allow room for other perspectives in this space because I'm humoring this talking point far longer than I honestly care for. Not trying to be rude, just honest.

Hi Anon(s),

So... um, let's see. Please remember y'all are talking to someone who thinks UGH is the best song in BTS's discography. My playlist order for Set Me Free Pt 2 is:

Arson -> SMF Pt 2 -> UGH -> What Do You Think? -> SMF Pt 2

I mix it up with As I Am by JB and Khalid, Indigo, NewJeans, On The Street, and Smoke Sprite. For playlist switches I rotate between rock albums, hiphop, and lofi.

So, that's my taste. Usually.

What do you notice in all the songs in the first sequence? Think about it for a sec. With the exception of What Do You Think? to some degree, they all use autotune. A disgusting amount of it, and I love those songs so hard I would fuck them if I could.

I'm not sure if people understand what I mean when I say I'm a fan of BTS's music, that I'm an ARMY. I mean I actually love their sound and have reached this conclusion recently after following them since 2014. So PDogg's stylistic choices are ones I like most times.

Yoongi and Jimin are very similar. In my opinion. And there is no member who embraces autotune and pitch distortion more than Yoongi. He is also the only member who blatantly and unapologetically displays his alter-ego in his music - in Agust D - and that's not a coincidence. Jimin does the same thing or at least tries to create the same effect in SMF Pt 2 by using autotune. Pitch distortion is the easiest way to other yourself in a song, to create a secondary personality. Tyler Joseph does this a lot with a shadow personality within himself that he calls Blurryface in his music. Jimin in SMF Pt 2 is done playing games. That man has rage buried inside of him and somehow, he has transcended it. Yet he expresses that rage in his first song as a solo artist, through a secondary voice. The one that voices the animal in him. That Jimin is telling y'all to come correct or fuck off. And he calls out his opps. Yeah, his opps. It's Aave and yes it's sometimes unfortunate when k-pop idols use it, but sometimes it's not. Think of 'finna'. And none of the people up in arms about Jimin using that word give a rats ass that XG, a rookie group, have used it more often than Jimin to no issue, but yeah it's impossible for the idol so targeted by death threats the Texas police got involved, to say he's got opps. But I don't really care either way.

I digress. My point is the audacious and offensive use of autotune is the point in the song. It's aggressive. It's supposed to annoy you and if you happen to be a weirdo like me, it's supposed to tickle your brain. Like, this song seriously has me fucked up. I like it a lot and it's just a testament to years of discipline that I'm not looping it on Spotify.

Anon in ask 1, it's possible Jimin would reach a wider audience with a ballad, pop track like Promise/Serendipity, or a more conventional hiphop song. I'm sure he thinks so too, maybe. And yet that's not how he wanted to express himself. He chose the harsh autotune and I happen to think he sounds incredible with it.

Now Anon in ask 2, Jimin is one of the most popular members in BTS, and BTS is of course still popular. We both know that. But it's also true BTS has become less popular within k-pop spaces in general, but that's predictable given how the industry runs, and it's possible that was all you were experiencing Anon - an environment where BTS and by extension Jimin, just isn't that popular.

If that were even possible. Because like, this is Park Jimin we're talking about here.

For the people apparently begging others to buy the album, I guess they are simply people who strongly want Jimin to do well on the charts and are trying everything in their power to make it happen. I'm yet to see any of that personally though on my side of ARMY twt, what I'm seeing is organized and spontaneous purchases done out of love for the artist and his art.

*

You both mention YouTube views/streams so let me just say something on it. Personally, I don't care. I mean I care enough that we at least try to meet the goals and I genuinely love the video so I've watched it multiple times today, but not really beyond that. All this to express the extent of my interest in this matter. But even I know YouTube changed their view-counting algorithm in 2021 to increase a migration of users to their paid platform, YouTube Premium. Views today are harder to count and so one way k-pop agencies have worked around to gaining views, is to buy ads on YouTube. Perhaps it would be great if BigHit was as involved as other agencies in helping that way, but they haven't been so far except for the Pandemic English Trilogy (PET), and ARMY has more reason to stay engaged. All this to say, the views we currently have are one of the best records the fandom has ever achieved for BTS, no matter how it stacks up to the others because there are too many people who love SMF Pt 2, are talking about it, re-watching it, too many of them to not be significant enough. For YouTube we're doing fine and enjoying it at our pace.

Also I don't know what y'all want me to say about how a white American woman performs on US charts, relative to BTS members. I'm curious, did you check for their relative performance on Korean charts? Since you're so interested in the question.

You don't need to be worried about Jimin's album not being successful. It already is.

#jimin #park jimin #set me free pt.2 #Jimin FACE

[aintmyjewelry]

heyy <3 what are the 8 seconds of static?

oh this was FUNNY lmao

we are, fittingly, going back to the 1989 era for this one!!

so, once again, let me set the stage for this one. this peculiar event occurred around late October 2014, i believe just a few days before the actual release of 1989. prior to this event, taylor had released three tracks early: Shake it Off, Out of the Woods, and Welcome to New York. we had already gotten a little taste of 1989 and were just itching for the rest. but it was like right around the corner and you think that would curb the swifties appetite but NO

anyways, before diving into what happened (this is probably the shortest story i've told yet lmao), i need to also give some context for what buying and listening to music was like at this time. In 2014, streaming was beginning to creep it's way on to dominating the music industry, but it wasn't the main way people listened to music. Spotify was around but iTunes (Apple Music wasn't a thing yet) was still the big man on campus and people would actively buy iTunes cards (or use their credit card) to purchase single songs for $1.29 or entire albums (they were usually about $12 or so?) off of iTunes.

i personally can attest to this as I was buying music this way until like 2017. I even purchased the first songs off 1989 from iTunes.

so with all of these components in mind, you will see how the 8 seconds of static became a ludicrous, hilarious event in the Swiftie History Books.

this particular event was localized to Canada! (Shout out canadian swifties, congrats on the rogers center shows!) I actually didn't realize this was just a Canada event because I had heard so much about it but didn't see it for myself I had just assumed I was too late to witness it on iTunes.

but basically what happened was in late October 2014, swifities were just chilling in the late hours of the night when all of a sudden they noticed that a new song from 1989 had hit iTunes. weirdly, though, there was no title. it was just called "Track 3" but it was available to purchase, it was on 1989, and taylor's name was attached to it. so before anyone could blink, the swifties were PURCHASING it. It was $1.29, just like any other single, and they went feral. throwing something out as a surprise hasn't really ever been taylor's thing, like we know at least a few hours before something happens that it's happening but the girlies did not care. they purchase this mysterious track from 1989 title "Track 3"

and it shot to number 1 on the iTunes charts immediately

now i can't remember the way that iTunes was set up back then, especially on cell phones (people were rarely using it on computers anymore), but i don't think people could see the length of this supposed song before purchasing or if they could, it didn't stand out.

so, when the swifties went to play the track, they were greeted by....nothing. absolutely nothing. it was static. 8 seconds of pure static noise.

there was no song. there was nothing. it was actually just a glitch in the iTunes system and thankfully nothing leaked......but also, swifties had shot a song of static to number one within minutes. it was hilarious.

it was hilarious that 1) they even noticed that something had been released and 2) that no one questions anything they just bought it

it was literally called Track 3, nothing else, and the girlies went crazy. they spent $1.29 on it.

i see some article suggest that people thought it was a "snippet" of the album but to spend $1.29 on that is wonderful. perfect comedy. AI couldn't write this!!

anyways, once people realized what it was they took to socials in completely confusion and amazement that the power of swifties and hype of taylor swift was THIS wild. eventually, though, the "song" was removed and neither taylor no iTunes really commented on it. but i'm not sure if people who spent their money were refunded (any Canadian swiftie who did spend their money, please let me know if you were refunded!)

i mean we have clowned and broken ticketmaster but this level of just blind spending is unmatched.

---

source 1 (photo 1)

source 2 (photo 2)

source 3

source 4

[ajroach42]

Welcome to the new year! I’m glad you made the transfer without incident.

It is my Duty and Privilege to announce the public launch of a project I’ve been working on for the better part of a decade, This is Jupiter’s Ghost! It is a podcast set in the creative commons CC-BY-SA licensed universe of the Solar Federation. It’s a community initative, written and record by a small but growing group of contributors, which you are formally invited to join!

What is Jupiter’s Ghost?

Many things! Jupiter’s Ghost is a podcast (and possibly soon to be a cartoon from New Ellijay Television) set in the universe of the Solar Federation It’s a big universe against which lots of science fiction stories can be told, and it is my hope that Jupiter’s Ghost is the first of many.

Why is Jupiter’s Ghost?

The simple answer is that I’ve always wanted to tell hopeful stories about the future, and the crew of the Jupiter’s Ghost gets to exist in a world that, while still imperfect, is much better than our own. It gives me a chance to tell stories about how the world might be, if we work together, and how Freedom is a Constant Struggle, not something we reach, but something that we continue to reach for.

Basically, it gives me a chance to tell stories in a way that aligns with my values.

Please give it a listen, subscribe, review us on iTunes and Stitcher and Spotify and, eventually, when Google decides we’re worth indexing, Google Podcasts.

Share it with your friends, consider participating in the universe. Help us turn this in to something special.

That’s the meat of the post, but if you want to stick around I’m going to talk about what we’ve done, and why we���ve done it, and what we’re going to do next.

Like I said at the top, I started working on this thing nearly a decade ago. It before we closed Analog Revolution’s first physical location, before we moved across the country, before we moved back, and moved back, and moved back again. The current iteration of the thing entered the planning phases on the fediverse circa 2016, and then So Much life happened.

Thankfully, I have some great collaborators, and we’ve got it going. So let’s talk about what and why.

Why CC-BY-SA?

Jupiter’s Ghost is creative commons licensed, which means that anyone is free to share it, adapt it, remix it, or contribute to it. It’s specifically CC-BY-SA licensed, which means that if anyone does remix it, adapt it, etc. they are required to release their adaptation under the same terms. They don’t need my permission, approval, or support. They can, you can, just do it.

This was an intentional decision, and one carefully made to align with my values, but it has been a point of confusion for some folks so far, so let me unpack it.

I have written in the past about my appreciate of DIY Media and Fan Fiction, and the need for more creative works from normal people. I won’t rehash those things here, but the gist is that most of our modern collective folklore, the stories we tell one another and use to relate to the universe, are owned by Disney and a small handful of other companies and they use this position of power and control to harm us.

On this, Public Domain Day 2023, I invite you to consider the cautionary tale of Star Trek New Voyages. New Voyages should be a shining beacon of DIY Media. For those who are unfamiliar, it’s a fan series that imagines and recreates the rest of the Five Year Mission of the original Enterprise. It was a wildly ambitious project that dramatically improves in overall quality as it progresses, and it was made possible by the labor, skill, and creativity of a huge community of people.

and in 2016, Paramount decided it was illegal.

This is their prerogative as the owners of the “Intellectual Property” that is Star Trek under modern copyright law, but it stung. It stung even more when I discovered recently that there were Three finished episodes in post production and Crew on set Filming another episode when they ruling was handed down. Those episodes will never be released, they are lost, they are empty space in history. We are terrible stewards of history and Copyright makes it worse.

Now, I can imagine many of those reading this rolling their eyes at the idea that something of value was lost here. “Don’t want your project to be shut down? Don’t use someone else’s IP!” I can imagine you saying, and if our Copyright system was at all sensible, I could understand that argument, but it isn’t. Our copyright terms are too long, and they’re stifling and restrictive.

So, here’s Jupiter’s Ghost. Here’s The Solar Federation. Here’s a big open universe with Spaceships and Aliens and history and a future, in to which any number of stories can be positioned. You can use it however you want, as long as you credit us, and give back to the commons.

Now yes, it’s wildly optimistic to think that anything like Star Trek New Voyages would ever exist for our little old podcast, but it’s legal, it’s allowed, it’s possible, and it’s encouraged. That’s a better model for how copyright might exist and it’s a way we can live our values while producing media that reflects what we believe.

#Jupiters ghost #Creative Commons #Star Trek #fanfic #podcast

[chattingwiththelightkeeper]

Are you on other social media sites?

Anon - Thanks for the question and the answer is yes.

First for the D/S or kinktastic social media connections:

Fetlife.com - TheLight_Keeper

I use fabulous FetLife as a resource to keep up to date on events happening in my local in-person D/S community. If you are looking to find gatherings near you, this is a fantastic place to look and if you have a profile there, please say hello or send a friend request.

My Prodigious Podcast - Chatting With The Lightkeeper

Two years ago I started this podcast and time has flown by. Last year, it was a top 25% most followed podcast on Spotify (The link above is to Spotify) which is an amazing achievement, thank you everyone for listening. This year new episodes arrive each week and in addition to Spotify, Chatting With The Lightkeeper is available on all the major sites to listen to podcasts, just search by title on the site of your choice or follow one of these links: Amazon Music,  Apple Podcasts (iTunes), Audible, Google Podcasts, I Heart Radio, Pandora, Spotify, Stitcher, Tune In, Anchor, Breaker, and Pocket Casts.

Instagram And Facebook

Since both of these are magnificent Meta products the original content created for these sites is the same no matter which one you follow but people tend to have a preference for one or the other. So come join the fun and follow one or both. As an FYI, the posts there are not the same as you see here on my blog so you will not be seeing the same things here or there. Say hello and make sure to follow.

Twitter

Twitter is the odd duck of the social media world, so there is kinky, quacktastic and unique to Twitter content to be found there. Since Twitter chirps to the beat of its unique owner, the tweets are different from this blog and the Metaverse. So don't forget to follow the fun.

My vanilla social media should you have an interest in knowing if my crocuses are starting to come up through the snow in 10-degree Fahrenheit weather or what I made for dinner is all on Instagram and Facebook. Come on over, let's trade recipes and debate groundhogs or flowers as the best predictor of spring.

Thank you again for the question and please reach out, follow along, and say hello at any or all the places.

[charliethomascoxuniverse]

Team Top 10 Tunes : Charlie Cox

03 February 2012 (X)

Radio Host: Ladies and Gentlemen! Where have you been? It’s been a belter of a summer here in the Dayglo, and we missed you! It’s been groovier than The Rainbow, ravier than the Balearics, more dehydrated than Glastonbury, more rancid than A Big Day Out, more diva than Nell’s...and where were you? Never mind you’re back, the Dayglo is heaving, the bar is open, and please welcome if you will as tonight’s DJ one of the most interesting actors around – all the way from Blighty a man who was a pleasure to do business with (on The Ordained, and stand by folks, let us see if it gets through the gate to series with CBS); smart, urbane, impeccably mannered and extremely talented. You may know him best from Stardust or Downton Abbey (ep 1) or Moby Dick or heaps of other stuff. We know him best as the IRA fella in Boardwalk Empire (seasons 2 & 3) in which he was WAY WICKED! Anyway, enough from me, the screams are too loud for me to hear myself anyway...here he is, a big Dayglo hand, if you will...for the marvelous....MR CHARLIE COX!

Charlie Cox:

I Thought I'd put together a list of slightly lesser known classics. I've had to resist listing a Dylan, Pink Floyd or Justin Beiber (last one was a joke) but hoped it would be more interesting this way.

1. Lawrence, KS - Josh Ritter

Through a strange set of circumstances I ended up becoming friends with Josh long after being a huge fan of his. I once heard him sing this one live with no microphone or amp. He just belted it out from the front of the stage. Made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. It was extraordinary.

2. Ain't No Sunshine - Bill Withers

There's a quality to Bill Withers voice that is so moving to me. Something very gravelly and resonant. He seems like a real "salt of the earth" musician. I heard that he was discovered whilst fitting toilet seats to Boeing 747's. No idea if it’s true but very cool if it is.

3. Bulbs - Van Morrison

I see that a few people have chosen Sweet Thing already which would arguably have been my pick. So for a little variation I thought I'd submit this lesser known track from the album Veedon Fleece. Really gets me excited this song especially when the piano kicks in after 30 seconds! I kind of hate it when "old timers" say it, but when I hear this song I tend to agree... "They just don't make songs like this anymore"!!!!

4. Within the Rose - Matthew and the Atlas

The vocal harmonies that these guys do are stunningly beautiful. They are still relatively unknown but are on iTunes and I think are gonna be a big success soon. It's not mine to tell but I met Matthew once who told me the story behind this one. Amazing to listen to knowing it ... sorry!

5. Telegraph Road - Dire Straights

This one takes you on a whole life journey. It's 14 mins long so if you ever want to kill an hour just listen to it 4 times. I think if there was any band I could see in concert it would be these guys. Mark Knopfler on the guitar would be sensational.

6. New York, I Love You But You're Bringing Me Down - LCD Sound System

Just recently discovered this living in NY. Don't really know the band very well but absolutely love this track and its touching melancholia. There's also a great documentary about the lead singer who decided to quit it all one day whilst at the height of success. It's called "shut up and play the hits."

7.Crucify Your Mind - Rodriguez

Talking about great documentaries. About a year after everyone else, I discovered Searching for Sugar Man needless to say it was unbelievable and I think I cried for the last 30 minutes. Two days later my girlfriend discovered he was playing so she surprised me with tickets. It felt like an historic experience.

8. Something Good - Alt J

Another new favorite of mine. Don't really have anything to say about it other than express my concerns about "killing" this song for myself by overplaying it. I seem to really struggle to not put it on every time I turn my iPod on. Or their album for that matter.

9. Gabriel's Obe - Ennio Morricone

Sound track to the film The Mission and a bit of classical to my list. I think this is probably one of the most moving pieces of music I have ever heard. Morricone, has elevated countless movies into a class above what they would have been without him. He's a maestro!

10. Untitled - Interpol

I very rarely respond to modern music that have little or no lyrics. This is an exception. I have no idea why I love it so much. It has a very dark, dangerous quality to me. Even the title "untitled" is in tune with the feelings the song invokes in me.

#Charlie chatting about music 😎✨ #I'm curious to listen to his choices <3 #charlie cox #interview

[eriellesudario]

In My Head – The 2nd EP IS FINALLY OUT!!!

My 2nd EP is FINALLY OUT!!!

In My Head is my 2nd collection of songs composed between 2016 – 2018. In it are compositions revolving around my mental health when I was in university as so much is going on that I’ve decided to write songs about it.

Here is the tracklist:

Bedroom Jam

The Shady Song

Princess For A Day

Falling For You (Acoustic)

Goodbye

Themes of the EP

This entire EP revolves around my mental health and how I was feeling towards certain situations. While everything was handy dandy at one point, everything will eventually go downhill – no doubt about it.

Eventually this took a toll out of me and not many people believe me when it comes to these situation that I’ve decided to write songs about it. Hopefully that will get their attention.

As much as possible, I try to not mention names and try to be vague about it. But there will be people who would message me on who/what are the songs about, thinking I wrote about them or their friends.

Please know this – in this EP, while it was both parties who are at fault, it’s mostly about a group of people.

About the songs

1. Bedroom Jam

Bedroom Jam is a short piece inspired by the works of Rebecca Sugar (creator of Steven Universe). I like how she’s able to write short and meaningful songs on the ukulele before it gets its electronic instrumentation.

Bedroom Jam is the visualisation of me just picking up the ukulele and creating music. Using simple chords to just to create something short and sweet.

2. The Shady Song

I wrote this song back in 2016 when there was drama over on Twitter. I was listening to Twenty One Pilots at the time so part of this song was heavily influenced with ‘We Don’t Believe What’s on TV’.

What happened was, I was experimenting with a few chords since August but I had no idea how to build a song around it. One thing lead to another over on Twitter and I wrote the song you hear on the EP.

The funny thing about this song, it was the most controversial song within 3 of my online friendship groups (2 from the same fandom, one from a different community). When I posted demos and previews of the song on Snapchat and Discord, I’d get questions asking who is it about based on the language of the lyrics.

The song is about people who made me mad or upset on social media. Because they’re two-faced. When things don’t end up well, it becomes a shade fest where people will talk shit about you on social media and it takes a few brave people to let me know what was going on bts.

A few people asked if its about my old group chat and originally, that was the plan but as I join more fandoms and online communities, its no longer about them. There will always be 1-3 people who will be shady towards you.

3-4. Princess for a Day and Falling For You (Acoustic)

I already wrote stories behind these two songs (PFAD // FFY ) so feel free to read them.

The reason I added them is because they fit the themes of the EP which are my emotions that are stuck in my head. They are still stories I want to share.

5. Goodbye

Goodbye was inspired from a few songs: We Will Be Friends – LazyTown and The Balcony – Katherine and Eden.

The song is about leaving something knowing there is no point in staying. It’s being able to say goodbye and move on from the whole thing.

I wrote this song at 8am when I was still feeling depressed about something personal. At first, it was hard singing this song as I’d cry whenever I play it as memories started to flood in. It’s hard. But eventually, I was able to get through it.

And that’s all my songs from this EP and the backstories behind them. Hope this helps give you some context on what these songs are about and how I was inspired to write them.

If you want to listen to the EP, its on Spotify, Bandcamp, iTunes, Google Play, and CDBaby.

#2019 #original composition #in my head ep #music #Youtube

[paulisded]

The Ledge #542: New Releases

As always, first Friday means nothing but new releases, and tonight it's an extended show featuring almost 2 1/2 hours of fabulous new rock and roll. And like always, it's a wide mix of styles. There are bands that were formed just a few months ago mixed with the returns of legends from the past. There are both supergroups and bands that would probably not be recognized in their home towns. There are also quite a few "friends of the show", including some tracks from Dan Israel's awesome new LP, Seriously. 

I would love it if every listener bought at least one record I played on either of these shows. These great artists deserve to be compensated for their hard work, and every purchase surely helps not only pay their bills but fund their next set of wonderful songs. And if you buy these records directly from the artist or label, please let them know you heard these tunes on The Ledge! Let them know who is giving them promotion! You can find this show at almost any podcast site, including iTunes and Stitcher...or

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE SHOW!

1. The Chords UK, The Last Great Rock Star

2. Popular Creeps, Black & Blue

3. Popular Creeps, Gone By 45

4. The Flashcubes featuring Randy Klawon, Get The Message

5. Richard Öhrn, Time's Not Running Out

6. Dan Israel, Happy For Now

7. Dan Israel, I'm In New York

8. Cody Melville, Let Me Be Your Ride Home

9. Chris Lund, Indian Summer

10. Lorne Behrman, Love Stumbles By

11. Lorne Behrman, Monday Morning Rain

12. Surf Curse, Arrow

13. Too Much Joy, What Pricks We Were

14. Hugh Cornwell, Coming Out Of The Wilderness

15. Robyn Hitchcock, The Shuffle Man

16. Luke Haines & Peter Buck, 45 Revolutions

17. Wolfmanhattan Project, Countdown Love

18. Dry Cleaning, Anna Calls From The Arctic

19. Mightmare, Enemy

20. Private Lives, Private Lives

21. Beat Angels, 24 Hour Porn-Star Shine

22. Archers of Loaf, Saturation and Light

23. Archers of Loaf, Misinformation Age

24. The Black Lips, Stolen Valor

25. The Black Lips, Love Has Won

26. Drugdealer, Baby (feat. Tim Presley)

27. Preoccupations, Fix Bayonets!

28. Split System, The End

29. The Amplifier Heads, The Man Who Invented Rock and Roll

30. Nat Freedberg, World To Come

31. Ruin The Nite, Sang To Me

32. Ardillas, Linda Niña

33. Outtacontroller, Time To Crash

34. The Sino Hearts, Passing Shades

35. Hammered Hulls, Bog People

36. Bitch Queens, Party Hard(ly)

37. CLASS, Box My Own Shadow

38. The Persian Leaps, Alright Alright

39. Friends of Cesar Romero, Six Banger

40. Anti-Nowhere League, Fucked up and Wasted

[servin-up-surveys]

survey #036

(& this one is yesterday’s, oops 2.0)

If you get married, who would cook? Well, I WANT to learn so it can usually be me so at least I'm pulling my own weight in doing SOMETHING, but yeah I'm a horrific cook for multiple reasons. We'll uhhhhh figure this out eventually. How many towels do you use after a shower? Well, it WAS one until I fell. Now I have an extra towel just outside the shower so it's easier for me to walk/keep grip. Does wearing your hair up symbolize that it is unwashed? My hair is too short to even try to put up, so. Would you smoke marijuana if it were legal? By this point in time, to cope with anxiety flare-ups? Yes. i just wouldn't want to let it become a regular habit because I don't want to smoke ANYthing, not just cigarettes. If you believe in god, why? I don't. The reason why is a simple "look around you." Call it pessimism, but I call it not being willing to be gaslit by something that isn't there. Would you ever flash a cop if you knew you’d get out of a ticket? Ew, absolutely not. What is your guilty pleasure song right now? Oh idk. How many jobs have you had? I've been considered employed at places three times, but I literally only count my first one in resumes and stuff because while ALL were incredibly short, that one lasted the longest. Do you give homeless people money? No, primarily because I don't HAVE any. If/when I do though, it'd be nice to do what my mom does every once in a while and buy them some food from a drive-thru or something. My mother has literally befriended numerous homeless individuals because she's so goddamn selfless as to spend her very little money on like, a breakfast biscuit and water bottle for people less fortunate than her. Mom's always preferred giving them actual essentials over money that can very well be misused, and I agree with that in most cases. How many times have you listened to your most played song on iTunes? Oh GOD, I don't remember, but I actually remember it was listed as "Donaukinder" by Rammstein, haha. I KNOW that function is inaccurate though, like some numbers simply COULDN'T be right. Do you get excited when you hear "Misery Business?" GET HYPE FOR THAT SONG OR GET OUT, WE BELT IT HERE Could you pull off orange hair? I've considered a light, creamsicle orange and even edited a photo of me with this, and it actually didn't look bad at all, I liked it. Might get it one day. What did you last get fancy for? I wouldn't have called it "fancy," but I did put SOME effort into being pretty when Girt and I went to the movies. Dream pet? G. pulchra/Brazilian black tarantula as well as the E. murinus/skeleton leg tarantula, a high-expression lavender western/plains hognose, and a really bright sunset morph ball python. The last will probably never happen, like the prices are ABSURD, but it *is* called a "dream" pet, haha. Have you ever watched a movie in class/school that made you cry? Oh biiiiitch, many, lmao I cry so easily. What physical feature do you wish you had (i.e. freckles, curly hair)? Hey could I at least have SOMEWHAT of a butt please god I am SELF-CONSCIOUS I want CAKE What fictional character (i.e. Bambi, Scarlette O'Hara) would you marry? hey so have you guys heard of Who Killed Markiplier? and met Damien h-h-he's really amazing and wholesome and beautiful and selfless and caring and bye I got something in my eye Have you ever painted a picture of somebody? Mhm, for some art assignments. Did you enjoy your past relationships? While I was in them, yes. Except for Tyler's and my two-week "trial" that was just a stupid idea. What’s the best Nirvana song? I think maybe "Come As You Are." Possibly "Drain You," that's a real good one too. Who was the last boy that you saw cry? My boyfriend. I got upset yesterday over medicine stuff and cried a little bit. Does your mom know you do surveys? Rarely I'll do a shorter one on Facebook, and she's actually told me she likes reading them and please that's fuckin wholesome, y'all. Which of Britney Spears’ songs is your favorite? Hunny "Womanizer" is one of my favorite pop songs in all of history, completely serious. Would you take a dirty picture of yourself for someone you are dating? WOULD I, if I actually had any confidence in my body and we were very serious and clearly based in respect and sincere love versus just lust, maybe? I don't know. I know certain pictures I absolutely wouldn't take, but then some others/certain poses don't freak me out too much. How picky are you when it comes to choosing who to kiss or not kiss? I am PICKY. I REALLY have to like you. Is your father homophobic? He probably is, but I'm not about to text him and ask randomly lmao Have you ever applied make-up on a guy, for any reason at all? Haha yeah, I did that once w/ Jason. Who is the person that you are afraid of losing, above everyone else? My mom. She's sworn nothing bad has happened health-wise, but she's actually setting up her will now, and it's... really upsetting me, even though it's obviously very important. My life literally COULD NOT be the same when she dies. Our relationship deadass feels like a mother bird that just refuses to kick her chick out, and her death is going to be that branch falling and I'm just there with no fucking idea what to do to start flying on my own. It is absolutely, positively terrifying to think about. How old was the first person you kissed? When we kissed, he would have been a couple months into 18. Has anyone ever told you that you’re a good singer? Somehow. IIII disagree, haha. Biggest trouble you’ve ever gotten into at school? I got detention I think twice for too many tardies coming into school in the mornings. I was a FUCKING NIGHTMARE getting out of bed. Jalapeños: yay or nay? BITCH get on my fuckin pizza and my subs please ily Did you ever play Minecraft? Nah, not my kind of game. Do you feel protective over someone? My nieces and nephews, Girt, Mom, and my younger sister are the strongest ones. Do you enjoy blueberry muffins? omg YES How many pillows are on your bed? Four. I use two, then I also just keep Girt's two there as well for when he's here. It's comforting, them being there, even when he's not. How many boats have you been on in your lifetime? Oh idk, I've been fishing out on boats too much to count. Do you ever go to a lake and feed ducks/geese? No, that's never really the primary reason we go to City Lake. On the rare occasion we go out there to take pictures for whatever reason, though, sometimes we'll get some seeds from a dispenser they have. Please don't feed ducks bread, btw. You're hurting them and the water they get food from. What was the last online review you left? ... Have I EVER done that? I dunno. What's a memory you have that involves animals? Ha, I love this one: getting pictures taken with a fucking ginormous snake as a very little kid and my mother nearly pissing herself, lol. I can't for the life of me remember what it was, probably some giant python, but I LOVED that snake. I just sat in that room petting it, looking at it in total awe while pictures were taken of it just chillin' with me. I wonder where Mom has those pictures... I would love to see them again. Would you rather plant a vegetable or flower garden? Flower. Is there anything currently bothering you? Yes; last night was very rough, and I don't understand why. Girt spent the night, and I woke that poor man and myself up SO many times screaming from nightmares. I haven't been having them almost at all lately, and yet I had SO many, and it doesn't make sense. I was in a perfectly good mood going to sleep, too. I don't know what aggravated them so much. Did you have hand-me-down clothes when you were growing up? Some, yeah. There's really no point in wasting clothes that are in good quality and I like them but just don't fit someone else (aka my older sister) anymore. What was the last song you listened to? HEHEHEH "Pussy" by Rammstein is ending rn, what a stupid and equally fucking legendary song that's good at getting a smile outta me bc it's just so fucking dumb lmao. Do you still talk to anyone you went to high school with? Yes. One of 'em every day 'cuz I'm dating him. Have you ever had to dispute a charge on your credit card? I've never even HAD a credit card. What’s your favourite book genre? Fantasy, especially those with their own, complex worlds and rules of said universes, imaginary creatures, all that cool stuff. What was your first job? Did you like it? Sales associate at GameStop, and no, but to no fault of the business/who i worked with themselves. My co-workers and boss were great, I am just NOT meant to work with people, especially trying to convince them into buying stuff or knowing all these current deals going on and shit. It wasn't fit for me. Has anyone ever seen you naked? I wanna be a smartass and point out I was sorta born naked, but I get what you're asking, so yes. What would you order to drink if you were in a bar right now? I have for some fucking reason been wanting a strawberry sangria for a LONNNNNGGGGG time now, halp How old were you when you started to wear a bra, if ever? I don't know my exact age, but it was an appropriate time. I seem to faintly remember Mom talking to me about that and starting to shave my legs on the same day. What do you keep in your bedside table? Um I like to keep a drink beside me, there's my lamp, a wax warmer I think, and I also keep the remote for my color-changing moon-shaped lamp there. Is there anyone like an actor or singer, whose voice you find sexy? I think everyone does but noteworthy for me lately is Till Lindemann's normal/talking voice like it's calming as a motherfucker, sir can you PLEASE read me bedtime stories asldkjfal;edjfw Do you enjoy Tim Burton films? Which one is your favourite? Tim Burton is the ABSOLUTE best. There are three that I'm particularly fond of: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Alice in Wonderland, and Corpse Bride. I actually decided a VERY long time ago that I want the wedding vows from the last mention to be my own whenever I get married. Do you let your pets sleep in your bed? Roman lives in this house. Therefore, my bed is just a piece of his furniture. Cookie is allowed to come up too on the rare occasion she wants to, but I don't let her sleep up there because I get uncomfortable. She likes to sleep like ON your head. Do any of your favorite musicians ever write music for/with other artists? Well, both of Ozzy's new songs that have been released are with other artists, and the newer generation fucking loved him/thought he was "up and coming" when Post Malone made a song with him, so... haha, he collabs QUITE a bit. Various Rammstein members also have their own bands/have collabed with other artists, too. I also saw a video very recently of the time they did the instrumentals to Manson's "The Beautiful People" live and PLEASE it was fantastic. What is your favorite collaboration between two different musicians? OHHHHH, YIKES. So many, GAAAAH... Well the first one that comes to mind is Ozzy & Lita Ford with "If I Close My Eyes Forever," ABsolutely beautiful, but I don't know if that's my *favorite*, it's just a strong pick. I dunno man, there's a lot. Have you ever changed your clothes in the car? Yes. Would you ever have a deceased pet stuffed? No, that... creeps me out. I have very conflicting opinions on taxidermy for ANY reason, but getting the animal you love(d) STUFFED to KEEP WITH YOU how it looked in life doesn't sound healthy for the grieving/healing process for me *personally*. Would you ever have a pet cremated? Yes, my dog's ashes are literally beside my bed with a little tribute area to him. Do you believe in the existence of parallel universes? No, but I'm not naive enough to say they ABSOLUTELY don't exist. Gone garbage can tipping? I am going to pretty confidently assume I know what that is and call any fucking "dignified" human being that enjoys dumping trash everywhere as being what REALLY belongs in the fucking junkyard. Can you stick your fist in your mouth? bro if I tried to find out rn and my mom walked by I would kill my fucking self lmfao so ig we never gonna know When was the last time you were high on anything? Never. Ever had a bloody nose? Yes. Have you ever caught a fish? Yeah. Once I caught a catfish through the eyeball (idk bro) and I will forever feel so guilty, haha. It obviously lost its eye getting the hook out... aaaaand this is a reason I don't fish anymore, like I wasn't going to keep and eat the fish so I literally tortured a very confused and scared animal. Wow I feel gross now. What was the last thing you ate? Mom made some nice burgers today for dinner. Do you own a blender? Yeah. Have you ever been slapped? Absolutely not in the face, but more than once my mom has slapped me on the arm, and I was spanked growing up if I did something I shouldn't have. PSA, don't spank your fucking children. Don't hit ANYBODY. Do you like Snapple? No, actually. What do you want pierced? Collarbones and back dimples when I'm at a place where I'm more confident in my weight being healthy and consistent, right nostril, and then probably just a lot in my ears. There are a few more I'm interested in, but they'd look stupid/be too concealed and pointless with me wearing glasses. Do you like taking pictures? Of myself, no. But I'm going to try and get better at that; something I realized yesterday is that I simply almost DON'T exist in pictures of family, something my mom hates, too. I always opt out of pictures because I don't want to see myself, and I'm finally realizing it's depressing so am trying to keep that in mind going forward. Have you ever started a rumor? Absolutely not. How do you vent your anger? It usually culminates in crying, which tends to help me. What do you want a tattoo of? Hmmmm let's think of one I don't think I've mentioned in the past... okay so the first that came to mind was actually one of the statues from Resident Evil 8, the one with the nude women and one (or all?) has a deer skull as her head. The FIRST fucking time I watched a let's play of the game, I was immediately like, "TATTOO." It's not a super high priority one, but it's something I wanna do eventually somewhere. What was the last compliment you received? Girt called me beautiful when I was having a super hard time about some stuff yesterday. ;_; Could you ever be a vegetarian? I've tried, and no. I would 100% be malnourished. Oh my fucking god tho actually I mentioned I wanted to try cauliflower wings one day (I swear I've heard they're very good) yesterday and Girt looked at me like I was an ACTUAL abomination lmfao Do you look more like your mother or father? I don't know, I hear both. What do you like most about your body? I mean... she ain't pretty but she got a bangin' immune system, lmao. What do you like least about your body? My weight. Easy fuckin' peezy. Is your best friend a virgin? No. Would you ever dye your hair red? I'd totally dye it a shade of red again, I LOVED my red hair. The one color that fucking stook to my hair like actual glue.

#survey #surveys #random surveys #random questions

[buskacevedo0]

Which Poker Sites Are The Best?

Poker Podcasting ? There are several large Internet Radio stations that specialize in poker and often offer weekly podcasts you can download. This is a great way to get advice from the best players around the world. It also allows you to hear from people who are skilled at explaining complicated topics. Search through iTunes, Poker Road, and Bluff online for a start. No matter whether you play Stud, Holdem, Razz or Omaha there are podcasts discussing strategy. These podcasts can also be listened to while driving or walking to work. They last more than an hour and are excellent learning tools as well. Deuces Wild - One of the most popular video poker variations, this game has 4 wild cards. Players have many options or strategies to try while in the middle of the game, they can experiment to come up with their own game play to win. Knowing how to play real poker will give you a significant advantage as you will be able make winning hands and dominate the game. Although she might have lost to Joan Rivers at Celebrity Apprentice (please stop booing now), Annie Duke had her moment when she won WSOP Tournament of Champions 2004, which was a major highlight of her career. She was again the center of riveting television, including the moment in which she knocked out Howard Lederer in 3rd place. Is she cold-hearted? ? Call- to match all of the bets that have been placed.If the biggest bet is the big blind, it must be matched in order to keep the hand alive. winning poker game If a player raises, all other players will need to 'call the raise' or match it, to stay in the hand. Before we go on, however, let me tell you something that might seem obvious to some, but may not to others. If you are checking into a flop with one of your "I fold", it is crucial that you don't get drawn into playing your cards unless it's a good hand. Let's suppose you hold 83 as your big blind. click here comes around to you unraised. So you check and get to view the flop for no extra cash. The flop is 864. You now have the top pair. This hand is done. Fold it. Don't bet it. Don't make a deal with it. Just let it go. Mansour Matloubi becomes first non-American Main Event winner in 1990, before final tabling in 1993. He was eliminated in fourth place by eventual winner Jim Bechel, denying the poker world another two-time champion. It was a momentous experience for him, now in his 20's, when he first went to a Poker room to play in a real Poker tournament. He chose "Hold 'Em" as his game of choice. It would be strange for him to play the same game, hand after hand. He was looking forward to experiencing the thrill of playing poker in the largest Poker Room anywhere in the world.

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[idesofrevolution]

Mr. Steal-Your-Man

You left the club exhausted. The music was hot, the people were hot, your girlfriend was... very drunk. It was the first time in MONTHS that you got to go out, and you were so excited to finally just let loose at a live concert again. Not that Christi was particularly into the idea. To be honest, listening to her complain and slur and talk shit about her "friends" had been nagging on your shoulder for some time now. If you were being real with yourself, you'd admit your feelings for her had diminished quite a bit. If you were keeping it truly real, you'd admit that you were tired of no sex for the past eight months. You were tired of her getting pissed when she caught you beating one out on a Saturday afternoon. You were tired of having to work, cook, clean, and silently agree with her every whim. In short, you were whipped and you were... well, exhausted.

You turned and did your best to let the bouncer deal with her drunken ramblings about you, as Uber began to load up on your phone. Please, don't be a long wait, you thought; begging to just get her home and into bed so you wouldn't have to worry. The little ding from your phone signaled you had precisely five minutes before "Greg" in is Red Toyota Sienna would come pick you up out front. Turning around, you prepared for the ungodly fight that was going to ensue to get her in the car and yet, as you scanned the crowd to see where she'd gone off to, you couldn't help but notice that you were being watched.

Against the side gate of the back alley leaned the musician for the night, fresh off the stage from his set. He was a DJ, you couldn't quite recall his name, but he was a fairly well known fixture around town after a few well received gigs and a quick tour. His face glistened with sweat as the streetlight illuminated him from above, his hand covering the flirtatious side grin he cast you from his face. Intriguing. You wonder if he recognized you from somewhere, or more likely his gaze was pointed at someone else closeby. Still, something felt magnetic from those stoned, red eyes.

"BAAAAAAAAAAAABE I wanna go homeeeee." Christi's whining broke the connection like a baseball flying through a plate glass window. You took a deep breath and turned to her. She was fumbling with her clutch, trying to find keys for a car you didn't have. "I don't knoww... Where the fuck are the keys. I think... I think that fucking bartender took them. I bet..." Just as you were preparing to turn and head back into the club to appease her, a gruff, smoky voice came billowing from beside you.

"What's up. How'd y'all like the set?" You turned, and were met with the DJ's chill, definitely toked out face. From up close, you were better able to read him, and absolutely one hundred percent he was flashing you and Christi some looks. She turned and immediately started to do her typical chipper grovelling. That beat drop was so cool yada yada yada, the lights were so colorful yada yada yada, it frustrated you to no end knowing that she hated the set and wouldn't even dance, so every lie she spewed made your expression sink a bit further into irritation. "That's what's up, that's dope. Thank you so much." He was suave, a laid back attitude that perhaps was elevated by an inordinate amount of weed (of which you could easily smell behind a thick veil of sweaty musk), but it felt genuine- not put on for clout.

"Yeah, man. I fuckin' loved it. I'm gonna have to check you out on iTunes." He turned to you and smiled, raising his hand to collide with yours. He did not break eye contact, but his brows did furrow just a bit, a facial signal you'd read many times before.

"Yeah, man. I saw you out there on the floor. Love seein' folks feel the music, you know what I'm sayin'?" You and Christi both nodded, your attention entirely entangled with him. "So, I don't know if y'all are into this or not. But, I'm headin' back to my place in a bit, if you two wanted to... you know. Tag along." You were picking up what he was laying down. You'd never been propositioned like this before, you'd never been propositioned for a threesome before, and for a solid moment there you sincerely thought about taking him up on that offer. You'd never been with a guy before, you'd never been interested in guys before, but something was different with this dude. Yet, as you turned to see Christi's uninterested gaze and felt her pinch your forearm- the universal signal she was saying no.

"We've been drinking a lot, and I think we're just gonna get home and hit the hay. Thank you for the offer though!" You tried to smile, express your nonverbal apologies, and it seemed to be received. He held his hands up and chuckled.

"Hey, shoot your shot, right? You change your mind, let me know, aight?" He pulled out a sharpie from his pocket, fresh from signing his headshots, and scribbled on your hand a phone number and his name, Apollo. He winked at you two as he sauntered back down the back alley out of sight. You turned to Christi, yet again destroying your chances not only of getting laid, but dictating to you about promiscuity or something. You stopped listening the moment she called him a faggot.

The night ended much as expected. "Greg" showed up in his Red Toyota Sienna and drove you and Christi home. She stumbled around the kitchen a bit before taking the last of your La Croix and heading up to your bedroom before passing out atop the duvet. This is how every outing went. And frankly, you were done. You'd been done for quite some time now, but for some reason, you couldn't shake Apollo's wink from your mind and the tension of having yet another opportunity whisked away from you boiled over. You pulled your phone off the charger on the counter and typed in the number hastily written on your wrist.

"Hey," you texted "thanks for the offer tonight. If you're still out I'll defs come grab a drink or something?" You felt a rush. Was this wrong? Is this cheating? Did you... care? Your phone chimed: your caller ID proclaimed a message from DJ Apollo Wilde.

"dope im leavin the bar now meet up at my place on esplanade" followed by the address. You snagged your keys (a plus of not being drunk this evening) and checked your hair in the hall mirror. Just a once over before slipping out of the front door as quietly as possible.

The drive only took about fifteen minutes, and you were eventually out in front of a fairly nice apartment complex. Super modern, nicely landscaped, floor to ceiling windows... Impressive. You pressed the call button and typed in 7A. The box rang and after a solid 10-20 seconds of anxiety, Apollo's sultry voice spilled from the intercom.

"Whassup, head on up, man." The door buzzed loudly, and you quickly swung the door open and crossed the lobby to the elevators. You rode them to the 7th floor in quiet anticipation. You were floored you were doing this. Never in your wildest dreams would you have imagined that you'd be taking up some dude's offer for a nightcap in his apartment- let alone while being 'taken.' The doors opened to the floor and you meandered to the end of the hall: 7A. Outside the door were three or four sets of sneakers and boots, all wafting a heavy stench of wet foot funk. You knocked on the door, and could hear from the far end of the apartment a bit of movement. Taking another guilty glance down at your feet, the well worn shoes had caught your attention. You'd never liked feet. You'd never really been turned on by musk or sweat... But something about that warm, sharp scent... fresh... right off of his body... leaving some of himself in them, his essence... Yeah, it hit different. Before you could even know what you were doing you'd picked up one of the more beat up AF1's and brought it to your nose. You inhaled deeply, and let that intoxicating smell right into yourself. It hit just like poppers, a wave of goosebumps flushed down your body, and your head got ever so slightly more misty and light.

The fiddling of the lock came quick and as Apollo swung the door open you dropped the sneaker back onto the pile, trying to pull off a nonchalant posture as you met his gaze and hoping he hadn't seen. Just one look at him and whatever concerns or qualms in your head about whether or not to follow through with this insane booty call melted away. That slicked back, sweaty black hair, that stoned gaze that felt so effortlessly cool, that natural man smell that poured from his lean, inked frame. He nodded his head in greeting, reaching his hand out to you once more.

Taking his hand, he guided you inside, letting the door shut behind him. The apartment was disastrously messy. Dirty clothes littered the floor atop mixers, amps, sneakers, tablets... all bathed in the blue and purple glow of colored lights. The fanciness of the apartment seemed more comfortable, to be honest, and you felt at ease in the smoke veiled flat. There, against a wall of glass, viewing the incredible skyline was a platform bed and a huge bong sitting atop an old MacBook.

"Damn, dude you got a nice..." You couldn't even finish before he'd taken your face between his slick palms and pulled your lips together. His lips were like butter, soft and pillowy; and his pierced tongue slid like a slick, smoky probe around your mouth. No girl had ever kissed this well before, no girl had ever tasted this mouthwatering. Your lips parting made you have an insatiable need for more, his hot breath still flooding your mouth.

"Fuck I'm glad it's just you, bruh. No offense but your girl is rough, man, but I was gonna push through it if I got to spend some time with you." His hands slid down your back and playfully groped your ass, before he pulled your hand toward the bed. He plopped down and finished packing the bowl he'd started, the leather jacket shining like polished latex in the fuchsia hues. "I know you ain't ever been with a dude before." The Bic lighter snapped as he lit the bowl, taking a considerable drag you were not confident you could follow. He winked at you as he blew the cloud of smoke into your face. "I can tell. But I'mma take it nice and slow for you, babe." Flashing a cocky grin, he passed you the bong. You brought the opening to your lips as he ignited the bowl. Pulling, pulling, pulling, until the bong was filled with white smoke. Before you could do it, Apollo pulled the stopper, and the smoke flooded into your lungs. Expecting a coughing fit of epic proportions, you held your breath. As you let the smoke slowly out, it felt as if you'd done this a million times even though this was by far the largest toke you'd ever taken. Your brows dropped, your eyes got heavy, your body relaxed, and your mind was finally contently quiet. He pulled out a small remote and clicked the speakers on. Some of his low fi, almost vaporwave beats began to pump through the bass. Though you'd never heard it before, you seemed to know every single beat, every single melody and scratch. He smiled as you bobbed your head to his music.

"That's right, baby. Here, take my boots off." Apollo swung his legs around, letting his huge, well loved Timberlands rest in your lap. "I saw you playin' with the AF's. You like it don't ya?" You absentmindedly nodded, and began to unlace the huge boats. Pulling off the first one, wet hot steam burst forth as if decompressing from the hot confines of the boot. His stretched out white socks were stained with his footprint on the bottom, beckoning for you. "Try the boot first, baby. Let summa that musty foot funk in." You brought the size 13 Timberland to your face and dragged just as you did from the bong. Sopping wet. Buttery. Salty. Tangy. It was as if you were inhaling his entire concert right out of the hot spring. His wet sock pressed and played with your growing bulge as you let your tongue slide across the insole, your tongue bursting with a flavor indescribably savory and addictive with every droplet of his sweat. "Fuuuuck, I love the way you love that funk after a show. Here, take the other one off."

You let the first boot thunk to the ground next to your feet, as you eagerly yank off the second yellow Timberland from his foot. As it drops to the ground, Apollo smiles as he puts his feet on your face, the sweaty, grimy slime of built up footsweat against your skin was better than any day spa could ever make you feel. So in euphoria were you that you didn't even notice your feet starting pulsate, as the hot smelly fumes from the Timberlands began to penetrate into your own soles and into every crevice behind each toe until your feet had begun to emanate his own irresistible musk.

"Fuck yeah, babe. I love how drunk you get off me. Gimme some of those lips." He pulled his feet from your face, smirking as he noticed the stubble that had begun to develop on your chin and upper lip. You crawled atop him in a feat of dirty passion you'd never had before, locking your rapidly plumping lips with Apollo's, still tainted with the taste of his own feet. You knew he loved your musty size 13's, especially after sharing his boots; a constant part of your filthy sex ritual. You knew he loved the taste of ashy weed on your pierced tongue as it slid over his, and you knew just how to make him happy when your lips met. His soft hands slid over your slimming body, ripping the ill fitted clothing from your tanning skin. You pulled away and began to slowly unbutton his pants. Tattoos sprawled out across your slimming fingers as your expertly pulled the ripped black jeans to the ground, exposing the throbbing outline of his cock behind the thin fabric of his Calvin Kleins.

"Aww fuck yeah, babe. You always know what to do." Apollo tossed the leather jacket aside, and sprawled backward with his arms behind his head; a naughty twinkle hidden in his narrow brown eyes. Pulling down the off-white calvins wet with sweat and pre, his lean, rock hard uncut cock nearly smacked you in the jaw as it does nearly every time. You lick around the head and under his foreskin, letting your piercing tease him while you taste that funky ass dick you love. He moans as you take him into your mouth, letting it slide down your throat without so much as a heave. He smirks as he grabs the back of your head and slams it down, face fucking you with rhythmic, rolling thrusts. His balls slap against your chin as your body starts to soak up his sweat on your skin, putting on just enough muscle to define your tall, sunkissed body. "Jesus Christ, you're so sexy." Apollo muttered, letting you up for air.

You smiled, your sultry and handsome face oozed sexual confidence matched only by his after years of damn good sex. Ripping off his shirt, you flipped him as he growled in furious lust, plunging your tongue into his tight, sweaty hole.

"FUCK, Mateo. Get in there, fuck yeah." Your cock elongated with every pump of blood; 6 inches. 8 inches. 10 inches, before the skin closed loosely over your 11" inch uncut python, begging to explore your man's spit slick hole. You pulled your tongue out, and quickly plunged your pre-lubed cock into Apollo. You fucked him bareback, deep with a swagger and romantic passion that drove you wild.

"Fuck, Apollo. I'm gonna blow." He growled thrust backwards, spearing himself on you and stroking your cock with an ass better than any fleshlight on the market until your inflating balls couldn't handle any more. You shot your famously massive load deep into Apollo, streams of white cum shooting out of his hole like a geyser. You smirked and pulled out just in time for him to grab you by the neck, tossing you onto your back.

"You're so fuckin' hot, Mateo. Let me in that ass." Gagging you with his socks you love to sniff every day, he plowed you rough with his wide hands against your throat until he could climax his own flood into your body. Apollo dismounted and plopped on his back next to you, throwing his arm around your neck as you fell asleep in eachother's juices.

The next morning, the sun shone bright through the windows onto you and your man's notoriously sexy bodies sprawled across the satin sheets. You woke up as you always did, swiping on your OnlyFans and Twitter until Apollo would wake. A grope of your lithe cock and a deep kiss was all you needed each morning from him, assuming it was just you two the night before. You hopped out of bed, slipping on one of Apollo's outfits from a show earlier in the week, and borrowing his ripe socks and Doc Martens to flesh out the look. In their home, "mi casa es su casa." Just as you were heading out to get some promo shots for the next album, a ping from your phone showed a strange text from an unknown number, asking about her boyfriend or whatever. Psh. Must've been the wrong number.

#male transformation #male possession #personality change #swaggification #gay transformation #bisexual #racial transformation #musk #feet #original

[heyyyharry]

Drivers License

(inspired by drivers license by Olivia Rodrigo)

Word count: 2.5k

And you're probably with that blonde girl Who always made me doubt She's so much older than me She's everything I'm insecure about

This song is so sad and it made me cry so I had to write something about it 🤧

.

.

.

“I love the song.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.”

Y/N chewed on her bottom lip, drumming her fingers on the steering wheel. “But?” she asked her producer, who was on the phone. “You don’t sound like you love it.”

“Of course I love it, Y/N. It’s just–” Came a pause. “Do you really want this to be the next single?”

“What do you mean? You love it but it’s not good enough to be a single?”

“It’s too good, Y/N,” her producer said. “It’s very...personal.”

“That’s why I want to put it out, Gray. It means a lot to me.”

Gray was quiet for another moment. “The media and his fans are going to come for you.”

“I don’t care.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, I’m sure.”

“Alright. I’ll call you back.” Gray sounded defeated but she could still sense a smile as he told her, “Good job, kid,” before hanging up.

Y/N put her phone away, tossed her head back and heaved a sigh. She was well aware of the trouble she’d cause by releasing this song. It’d be like showing the whole world her diary. She’d written plenty of songs on her previous albums about her relationships, too. There had been witch hunts simply because the men she’d written songs about had fans who worshipped them and refused to see them as anything less than perfect. She wasn’t perfect, either. If she were perfect, she wouldn’t have written a song about an ‘almost’ relationship. She’d know her worth and not have chased someone who didn’t and would never want her. She knew that now. So this song would be the last thing she’d give this person. The last goodbye that she never got to say.

.

.

.

“What are you smiling at?”

“Nothing.”

“Let me see,” Y/N giggled and tried to grab his phone as he pretended to fight her off.

“Alright, alright.” He laughed, reached out to turn the music in his car down and handed her the phone. “It’s the memes your fans made about you not being able to drive,” he said, suppressing a grin.

Her jaw dropped. “I hate you!”

“I’m sorry. It slipped out,” he said, laughing again. She could listen to his laugh on replay. She loved his music, but his laugh had to be her most favourite melody. “To be fair, you talked a lot of shit about me in that interview, too.”

“Hey, hey, hey,” she scoffed at the smug look he was wearing. “At least I didn’t tell the whole world about your imaginary friend that you had until you were thirteen. You spilt my secret.”

“Not a secret anymore.”

She playfully smacked him on the arm. “My lawyer will hear about this.”

He pouted, pretending to be upset. “Guess we’ll never work together anymore.”

“Acting is not for me anyway.”

Y/N gave Harry back his phone. He took it but didn’t break eye contact as his brows knitted. “Stop saying that. You were great in the movie.”

She rolled her eyes sarcastically. “Oh please, have you been on the internet?”

“You mean my fans’ reactions, right? Just ignore them.” He breathed. “I mean, I love my fans, but they could be too much sometimes. Just look at all my previous relationships. I can’t even breathe around a female without them sending her death threats.”

“Yeah,” Y/N let out a nervous laugh, hands folded together resting on her knees. “Speaking of relationships,” she ventured, “are you talking to someone new?”

She wasn’t looking at him yet she could feel the heat from his gaze as he told her, “No. I already told you, Y/N. Right now there’s just you.”

Harry turned, putting both hands on his steering wheel. Was he nervous as well? Had she ruined the moment by bringing this up?

He took a deep breath, confirming her assumption. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I’m just not ready for a relationship.”

It was the same line he’d told her times and times again, and she wished she could just tell him how much she loathed it. And since she couldn’t say anything, she just nodded and focused on the rings on her fingers.

“I do care a lot about you, though,” he added, his voice heavy with emotions.

Her friends had told her that men would say things like this, and most of the time they barely meant half of it. However, she’d known Harry for years. Their relationship had only changed since they’d been cast for the same movie earlier this year. She was confident that she knew him better than her friends or anyone else. Surely, he’d meant all the things he’d said to her. The problem was, he just wasn’t ready for a relationship.

“And I don’t want to lose you, Y/N,” he said, now looking at her again.

She turned slowly and met his thoughtful green eyes. She offered a single smile as a way to tell him she wasn’t upset, even though she was, a little bit. “I don’t want to lose you, either,” she admitted.

His dimples reappeared. “I feel like it’s rare for people like us to find a connection like this, and I’ve never opened up to anyone the way I have to you. But I think now isn’t the time for us to take the risk of ruining this. Right now we’re still trying to figure out our own lives, you know?”

She nodded again, not knowing what to say.

They sat quietly for another moment, and it was he who broke the silence. “How come you never learn to drive?”

She could feel her cheeks glowing red. “I never had to drive myself.”

She’d been famous since she was fourteen, so she’d always had people driving her places. Whenever she told anyone that reason, they’d either call her spoiled to her face or give her a judgemental look that made her feel self-conscious. She didn’t have a dad or siblings, her mum didn’t know how to drive, either, and she was too afraid to ask anyone to teach her for she feared they’d judged her.

“I could teach you.”

Y/N whipped her head up and blinked blankly at him. “Really?”

“Of course,” he chuckled. “I have a cousin who didn’t learn to drive when he was young because of his anxiety and I taught him. I could teach you.”

Trying to hide her excitement, Y/N smiled. “Okay.”

“Yeah?” His grin widened even though he was the one doing her a favour. It was moments like this that reassured her that he wasn’t like the other guys who’d broken her heart. “When you got your driver license,” he said, “you can drive up to my house on your own.”

“We can even go on road trips,” she said happily, already imagining the many scenarios in her head.

He seemed equally elated, which made her heart swell. “Yeah! Wanna do it now or–”

“Let’s do it now.”

“Yeah, okay.” Quickly, he unbuckled his seatbelt and got out of the car. She climbed into the driver seat and watched him settle into the passenger side. That afternoon was the first time she’d learned how to drive. She would always remember that.

.

.

“Y/N, you’re up next,” said one member of the backstage staff who handed Y/N her mic and ran off to check on the backing vocalist.

Y/N felt her heart thumping in her chest as she clutched the microphone to her chest and sucked in a deep breath. She looked to her right, peering at her reflection in the full-length mirror. She looked beautiful. The makeup team and her stylist had spent three hours on this look and made sure that she was flawless.

Would he be watching the show tonight?

Had he even listened to the song?

It got to number one on the iTunes chart today. He must have listened to it. If not, he must have heard it on the radio or someone must have sent it to him. The whole world knew the song was for him, and everyone was talking about it. So even though he didn’t care anymore, even though he was happy with his new girlfriend, he must be wondering. Because when she’d heard that he’d written a song about her, she’d been so excited to listen to it. So could it be that he was wondering as well?

“This is Y/N performing her latest single DRIVERS LICENSE!”

Y/N took a deep breath as she got a nod from the stage director. She stepped out, soaked in the stage lights while the audience applauded and cheered for her. She stood at the centre of the stage as the band started playing and the noise in the audience died down. As a habit, she searched the front rows for his face despite knowing with every fibre in her body that this would be the last place he’d be tonight.

I got my driver's license last week

Just like we always talked about

'Cause you were so excited for me

To finally drive up to your house

But today I drove through the suburbs

Crying 'cause you weren't around

She could see it even now. Them driving through the quiet night. From her house to his and back. Just the two of them. The kisses they’d share at stoplights when there was no one else around. The way he’d place his hand on her thigh just because he wanted to. In retrospect, she should have realised that he wouldn’t ever do that to her in public. Their relationship, if she could call it that, had been almost nonexistent. Maybe that was why it’d been so easy for him to move on. You couldn’t feel remorse leaving behind something that didn’t exist. How unfortunate. It’d been real to her.

And you're probably with that blonde girl

Who always made me doubt

She's so much older than me

She's everything I'm insecure about

Yeah, today I drove through the suburbs

'Cause how could I ever love someone else?

She’d thought to herself that if he could write a song about someone he’d never dated, it was worth staying with him despite not actually being with him. She could not expect that a few months after that song had come out, he would be seen driving around with another girl. The girl he’d told her was only a good friend. This girl was older and perfect in every way. Y/N wouldn’t choose herself either if the choices were between her and that girl. But she couldn’t bring herself to hate the girl. It wasn’t the girl’s fault that Harry had chosen her. And it wasn’t Harry’s fault that Y/N refused to see the red flags through her rose-coloured glasses.

And I know we weren't perfect

But I've never felt this way for no one

And I just can't imagine

How you could be so okay now that I'm gone?

Guess you didn't mean what you wrote in that song about me

'Cause you said forever, now I drive alone past your street

Y/N wrote this song a week after she’d got her drivers license. She’d blast sad music in her car and cried as she drove past his house, wondering if he was still up and thinking of her whenever he saw headlights passing his street. The heartbreak had been confusing to her as they weren’t even together. It was funny how the whole world had believed in them, except for him. He’d told her he loved her, so why weren’t they together now? He’d said he wasn’t ready, so why was he holding hands with someone else on the street? Was it because of her? Was it something that she’d done? Was there something wrong with her? Why couldn’t he choose her? Y/N had pondered over those questions for months until she came to accept that there didn’t have to be a reason for someone to leave you. They simply lost feelings or found someone else. No one owed you an explanation.

Red lights, stop signs

I still see your face in the white cars, front yards

Can't drive past the places we used to go to

'Cause I still fuckin' love you, babe

For months, he'd been a ghost living rent-free in her head. She saw him in every face and every crowd, and she could even, in this moment, hear the sound of his laugh somewhere in the audience. She could hear him telling her he was proud of her, that everything would be okay. And the worst part was that, without her, he was still doing fine. He wouldn’t see her everywhere he went. He wouldn’t think about her when he was lying in bed and couldn’t sleep. He wouldn’t wonder if she missed him. Because he didn’t miss her. And he would be saying the same things he’d said to her to his new girl.

Sidewalks we crossed

I still hear your voice in the traffic, we're laughing

Over all the noise

God, I'm so blue, know we're through

But I still fuckin' love you, babe (Ooh, ooh)

There on the stage, she received sympathetic looks from the people in the front row as she cried her heart out to the lyrics. He might be at home this moment, watching the show with his new girlfriend, and seeing her cry on live television. Would they laugh at her together? Would he turn to his girlfriend and say he was sorry for how he’d treated Y/N and promised to never hurt his girlfriend the same way? The most heartbreaking thing, Y/N thought, wasn’t him leaving, but seeing him treat someone the way she’d wanted to be treated and realising that he’d been capable of doing it all this time, just not with her.

I know we weren't perfect

But I've never felt this way for no one

And I just can't imagine

How you could be so okay now that I'm gone?

Guess you didn't mean what you wrote in that song about me

'Cause you said forever, now I drive alone past your street

Putting all her feelings into this song had made everything seem so much simpler and clearer. And at the end of the day, Y/N believed that the whole purpose of songwriting was to get closure. Perhaps, one day, when she listened to this song again, she wouldn’t be sad anymore.

Yeah, you said forever, now I drive alone past your street

.

.

.

“Good job, Y/N.”

“Thank you.”

“Love the song! You’re amazing.”

“Thank you.”

Y/N faked a few more smiles then shut the door of her dressing room and slumped into her chair in front of the vanity.

All alone, she looked right at her reflection and took a deep breath.

Her phone buzzed and lit up with a new text message.

Harry: Congratulations on your no 1 :) xx

She pondered over the words, picked up her phone, and deleted his contact.

#harry styles #harry styles fanfic #harry styles fanfiction #harry styles imagine #harry styles imagines #harry styles one shot #harry styles one shots #harry styles x reader #harry styles x you #harry styles x y/n #harry styles fanfics #harry styles fanfictions #harry styles fluff #harry styles angst #drivers license

[chattingwiththelightkeeper]

One of the things that blogging has brought me is a connection to creativity as well as being an outlet to share those creations which is a wonderful feeling. So with the calendar rolling over to 2023, it is time to take some of that inspiration, and put in a little perspiration to craft a few new, but not nude (sorry porn aficionados), undertakings.

Perhaps you have noticed that the blog you are reading this on has a bit of a new look. It will be a work in progress, figuring out exactly what works and learning from the things which did not go as planned but it was time to change things up. Why the changes? Growing up geek or maybe nerd is the word (although nerd has not replaced “Bird” as The Word) means that a side effect was to keep the head down and plug away while attempting to avoid being noticed but adulthood, besides bringing those no fun grown-up tasks, also brought confidence, so no longer is there a feeling of shame for having bright one-of-a-kind feathers and because this blog is a place of self-expression, it should have a unique feel.

Sometimes people inquire about the writings seen here as they enjoy that D/S content but do not care for all the other posts that find their way into this buffet of blogging. So a companion blog has been created, ChattingWithTheLightkeeper/@chattingwiththelightkeeper, which will be the written posts focused on kink-related topics that appear here. Additionally, it fits nicely and shares the same name as my podcast.

Speaking of the podcast, Chatting With The Lightkeeper has had an amazing 2022, thank you to everyone here who has listened, followed, and shared their thoughts. It is a top 25% most followed podcast on Spotify. Chatting With The Lightkeeper is not just on Spotify but can be found on all major sites such as Amazon Music,  Apple Podcasts (iTunes), Audible, Google Podcasts, I Heart Radio, Spotify, Stitcher, Tune In, Anchor, Breaker, and Pocket Casts with new episodes dropping January 3rd, 17th, and 31st. Have you listened yet?

Another exciting adventure for 2023 is on Instagram, where ChattingWithTheLightKeeper, a D/S-themed account, is up and running. There will not be naughty or NSFW images, posts will be primarily lifestyle related and be original content specific to Instagram. There still will be EdwardVolkl on Insta for those who want a peek into my vanilla life. Everyone is welcome to tag along and follow both.

For a long time, Twitter was a place where this blog was shared in tweet form with content mirroring the blog. The success of the podcast led to a new account for the New Year. The old Twitter handle is fading away as the blog will no longer be shared via Twitter, and a new tweetastic home, @CWTLightkeeper is off to the races featuring original D/S-related content. If you are a tweeter, please stop by and say hi.

Welcome to 2023 and the new exciting projects. Please stop by, say hello, and let’s chat.

As with all of my writings, please see this disclaimer.

©TLK2023

[stormblessed95]

To that young anon who was dismayed over their mom not letting them buy tickets, please do not feel less of a fan! I think in kpop, fans often put parameters for what a “real” fan looks like, but that’s never been something BTS has pushed for. They know they have an incredibly diverse fandom and not everyone can purchase everything they put out. I’ve been a fan since 2015, but I didn’t buy ANYTHING the boys put out until 2018 when I entered college and had my own money. I was only able to do that because I had a scholarship that covered most things, but I’ve now stopped buying things BTS releases because I now have to worry about rent and bills. I’ve never felt like a lesser fan for prioritizing my own needs over BTS, and no ARMY I know has made me feel insecure when I couldn’t buy anything during their merch drops. If you feel like you’re not getting taken seriously because of your lack of merch, I highly suggest finding new ARMY mutuals! As for what you can do to support BTS, you’re already doing it! Streaming is the best way to support BTS if you can’t buy. You contributed to Dynamite reaching 1b streams on Spotify, you contributed to so many of their mvs reaching 1b views on YouTube—take pride in that! I am assuming you’re on Twitter, and that’s where so many ARMYs have made their homebase, so you can bet that you can find many ways to support BTS. You can ask radio stations to play BTS’ songs (check out @RequestBTSRadio for how to’s), Shazam BTS songs to show radios in the US people want their music played (@BTSonShazam for tutorials), participate in votings for BTS (@btsvotingorg), make tweets using BTS related hashtags so you can help them trend (we just trended #HelloJimtober to welcome Jimin’s birthday month today!), join streaming parties hosted by ARMYs through the apps Stationhead or Renaissance (@PurpleHourRadio is a GREAT host who streams almost daily and their DMs are open if you need help understanding Stationhead!), and share BTS’ music and videos with others whether it’s through word of mouth or on social media. If you’re based in the US or Puerto Rico and you have a PayPal + an iTunes, Amazon, Qobuz, or 7Digital account, you can request @USARMYFUNDS for funds to buy BTS’ most recent releases. There’s so many things you can do, but don’t feel guilty if you can’t. I don’t have the time anymore to devote hours to BTS, so I only do whatever’s possible for me like trending hashtags and joining streaming parties since I can do that while sleeping. And I don’t usually buy their online concerts because there are a lot of ARMYs willing to stream for others, don’t mind the others who say you shouldn’t! If Jimin told us it’s fine, why bother listening to others?😂Please don’t try and spend $22 for their membership. In my experience, the membership is not worth it at all if you’re not religiously buying their merch. All it does is give you extra time to order merch or buy tickets, nothing I would agonize saving up for. And I’m sorry your mother is not letting you go see BTS. Perhaps it’s too much money, perhaps she’s rightfully worried about COVID-19; whatever the case, I knew when I was 16 and crying over not being allowed to buy tickets for BTS’ Wings tour, I didn’t think I’d be here now grateful for my mom not letting me go because I later found out we were struggling financially at the time. I’m not saying that’s the case for you, but there are endless possibilities for your mother not letting you go. Before I end this long message, I want to reiterate to that anon and anyone on Storm’s blog that you should not feel less of a fan if you can’t buy BTS things or don’t have the time to do this and that to support them. What’s a true measure of ARMY-ism is that you love and value BTS as people and for their music, that you take their lovely music and use it to guide you through the difficult journey of finding and loving yourself. That’s what they love and appreciate the most!💜

From one anon to another. I agree fully. Thank you for sharing some more resources as well 💜

Taekook is judging anyone who makes an ARMY feel less then simply for not being able to purchase merch or concert tickets. They love you no matter what. It's important to keep that in mind 💜

[1ddotdhq]

🍌Wed 2 Dec ‘20💚

Harry Styles Reacts to Banana Innuendo Rumors by Making EVEN MORE Banana Innuendos part TWO

Good morning/evening/night to Harry’s post and Harry’s post ONLY! (Okay that’s not true but it was definitely a highlight of my day). In case people haven’t seen it yet, it’s Harry in a light blue custom made suit putting a penis banana in his mouth. The picture is captioned “Bring Back Manly Men” so take a suck on THAT Candace Owens! It was only one of many great pictures in his variety shoot (including another, um, fruity picture of him biting into a pomegranate okay Persephone we get it), but Harry did indeed choose That One to post on This, the day after banana necklace dickscourse, BLESS. Harry’s interview was a little more in depth than they have been in the past, touching upon his feelings on race (“Historically, I can’t think of any industry that’s benefited more off of Black culture than music. There are discussions that need to happen about this long history of not being paid fairly. It’s a time for listening, and hopefully, people will come out humbled, educated and willing to learn and change”), as well as his tattoos (the only time he regrets them is in the DWD makeup chair), his love of reading, fashion and art, his exercise routine (Kid Harpoon couldn’t keep up!),  and his feelings on success and acclaim (“It’s never why I do anything...it's always nice to know that people like what you’re doing, but ultimately — and especially working in a subjective field — I don’t put too much weight on that stuff...Fans are the best A&R”). 

The problems arose - as they so often do - when One Direction was mentioned. The article said that “The proof [of the band’s benefits] is in the relatively seamless solo transitions of at least three of its members- Payne, Malik and Horan in addition to Styles- each of whom has landed hit singles on charts in the U.K., the U.S. and beyond”. Leaving aside the bad math (that's 4 people!) one name, of course, is notably missing: Louis has in fact enjoyed quite a lot of success both with Walls (remember when his album went #1 on iTunes in the UK AND the US literally 2 months ago?) and his pre-Walls singles like “Back To You” and “Just Hold On”. It got worse because the author tried to back up her claim with Harry’s quote, “When you look at the history of people coming out of bands and starting solo careers, they feel this need to apologize for being in the band...but we loved being in the band...I think there’s a wont to pit people against each other. And I think it’s never been about that for us. It’s about a next step in evolution. The fact that we’ve all achieved different things outside of the band says a lot about how hard we worked in it”. By linking her own words with Harry's quote she made it seem as though Harry said it to agree with her biased take, which we'd know he didn't even if we hadn't heard him say this exact quote without that slant multiple times before. Fans were quick to point out both to the author and to Variety that they were wrong (to describe the reaction mildly), and the author rather than fixing the mistake, doubled down and began blocking fans. Plenty of people were quick to say that of course HSHQ and Harry had approved this content, despite more knowledgeable fans trying to be heard protesting that that is not how it works. (Remember how just recently Vogue got Harry’s whole ass FAMILY situation wrong and it was not corrected until after print, for example?) In fact, even the magazine didn't really proofread this- the print version of the article is different and says, “The proof is in the relatively seamless solo transitions of at least three of its members - Styles, Malik and Horan”, effectively erasing both Louis AND Liam. It's an annoying take either way, but it's one the author more than likely picked up by doing her research on harrie twitter, not on orders from Jeff.

And because we DO NOT STAND FOR LILO ERASURE ON THIS BLOG, let’s talk about Liam’s Web Summit panel! It was 25 minutes of Liam and Marian Dicus (VP of Spotify) being interviewed about the current and future state of the music industry. Both of them, of course, noted that things had changed very quickly in their careers back at the beginning of lockdown, and how it had seemed surreal, at first, but that Liam had found that the way he was operating now (with Veeps and Tik Tok and Instagram lives) had made his platform a two way interaction with his fans. “For a long time I've been living in a dream world where I thought I was speaking with my fans but really I was just talking at them whereas we as artists ask a lot of rhetorical questions... I wanted to start a conversation”. Marian discussed how engaging fans differently WAS one of the most difficult things to puzzle out at the beginning, but that as months have passed, it seems artists like Liam have found a viable virtual future in the music industry (Liam tells us that he's been doing “stadium size shows” on Veeps which is an exciting clue about the mystery of how many tickets they're selling). They also went into the way music trends change as a response to social and political occurrences, how comfort songs gave way to protest songs this summer. Liam said, “People want their artists to have an opinion nowadays it's not that we can stay out of the conversation anymore-- and nor do we feel that we should in many places-- but for me it's a fine line because I realize what I do for people is an escape, people don't want things rammed down their throats every day and news messages from me about things that they don't want to hear about if they've come to listen to music, so its a real fine line that we kind of teeter on”. And about his opening acts, he acknowledges that his fanbase are mostly young women (based on the data breakdowns he gets from his team), and so he feels a responsibility to mentor young female artists in the industry so that more people like his fans have a voice. In an interview full of really fascinating music and technical discussions, this remained my favorite moment from Liam. Just like we won’t erase HIM, he refuses to erase US! And let's not forget our Liam alarm of the day-- it starts out absolutely adorable (“good moooorning!”), is hilarious in that apparently he just rambled completely unscripted and then they awkwardly cut it into 25 parts, but today's installment is frankly not relaxing! “only 23 sleeps til christmas have you done your shopping are you prepared” excuse me Liam YOU ARE STRESSING ME OUT. The promised relaxing sleep story affirmations are still 'coming soon'-- hurry up please I need them to decompress after that alarm!

Now for a lightning round of epic proportions: DWD darling pictures and vids keep comin’ and Harry and Florence are both looking GORGEOUS as Jack and Alice,  after the Variety shoot dropped ‘THE CAPTION’, ‘BRING BACK MANLY MEN’, and ‘LOUIS IS SUCCESSFUL’ trended worldwide on twitter, Tan France said “yes please” to Harry's banana post, Harry reiterated that London was home and he didn’t want to be in LA for longer than he needed to,Variety has its virtual show tomorrow at 5 pm PST so see you there! Veeps is sending out emails promoting Louis’ show to people who bought LP show tickets, fans have already started to receive their Louis Tomlinson Live From London merch, Trinity College in Dublin’s Law society presented Niall with an award for, uh, his Irishness, I guess? (Just kidding, it’s for “his incredible talent and work ethics which is famously underscored by a distinct humility despite unthinkable success”). It looks like he will be giving a talk when he’s presented with it, and I’m honestly really interested to see what it’s all about - is he...gonna be talking to law students? Idk but tune in on December 7th at 12 pm GMT to find out!

#harry styles #liam payne #louis tomlinson #niall horan #also i am seeing discourse about H's COOP and how he loves the Manchester music scene #but that this stadium will be changing it irrevocably #i mean it will be adding jobs (4000 of them!) but it will also be pushing out the small music scenes that benefits small independent artists #who are trying to break through into the indusrty #*industry #and i think thats a really interesting and important convo #of which i dont have any knowledge but i did want to shine some light on it #also!! tumblr has finally recced me something that i like! a store called 28cultures.com #and its NOT larry merch but it COULD BE its SO COOL!!!! #this isnt spon con i just thought it was so funny! #anyways! #song of the day~ #savior complex by phoebe bridgers #(and rob moose!)

[paulisded]

The Ledge #537: Twin\Tone Records

After the success of last month's series on SST Records, it was only natural that I took a look at doing a similar series featuring another of my favorite record labels of the 80s. I'd actually been thinking about a Twin\Tone Records episode for a long, long time, so why not do it now?

Many people think of only bands such as The Replacements, The Suburbs, and Soul Asylum when thinking about this label. Oh no, there is so much more. There is such a wealth that even this two hour episode misses out on some great, great releases. But I did what I could.

Just like with the first SST episode, the initial 45 minutes or so are a chronological look at the label's early releases. Singles by not only The Suburbs but Fingerprints, Curtiss A, and The Pistons. Later in the show I've got some favorite tracks by The Phones, The Magnolias, and The Feelies, along with an early release by The Jayhawks.

I did refrain from including material from the many sub-labels that were in the Twin\Tone empire. Maybe that could be a future show?

I would love it if every listener bought at least one record I played on either of these shows. These great artists deserve to be compensated for their hard work, and every purchase surely helps not only pay their bills but fund their next set of wonderful songs. And if you buy these records directly from the artist or label, please let them know you heard these tunes on The Ledge! Let them know who is giving them promotion! You can find this show at almost any podcast site, including iTunes and Stitcher...or

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE SHOW!

1. The Suburbs, Prehistoric Jaws

2. Spooks, Laugh It Up (It's All A Big Joke Anyway)

3. The Fingerprints, (Now I Wanna Be a) Space Girl

4. The Fingerprints, Down

5. The Jets, Lover Boy

6. Suicide Commandos, Attacking The Beat

7. The Suburbs, World War III

8. Curtiss A, I Don't Wanna Be President

9. The Fingerprints, Smiles For Sale

10. The Pistons, Investigations

11. Curtiss A, Afraid

12. The Suburbs, Baby Heartbeat

13. The Suburbs, Cigarette In Backwards

14. The Suburbs, Waiting

15. The Replacements, I'm in Trouble 

16. The Replacements, Go

17. The Replacements, Take Me Down To The Hospital

18. The Replacements, Favorite Thing

19. The Replacements, I'll Be There

20. Safety Last, Hopped Up Bop

21. Safety Last, Red Rocket

22. The Slickee Boys, When I Go to the Beach

23. Form, It Happens That Way

24. The Phones, Modern Man

25. The Phones, Waiting On Patience

26. The Feelies, Slipping (Into Something)

27. The Feelies, Sedan Delivery 

28. Soul Asylum, Draggin Me Down

29. Soul Asylum, Made To Be Broken

30. Soul Asylum, Just Plain Evil

31. Soul Asylum, Jukebox Hero

32. The Magnolias, One More Reason

33. The Magnolias, When I'm not

34. The Magnolias, Shirley's Looking Down

35. The Jayhawks, Sioux City

[fansplaining]

A Note from Fansplaining

If you’re subscribed to Fansplaining on iTunes or another podcatcher, you’ve probably seen that we put out a short statement this week in lieu of a new episode. Because we’re committed to making all audio we release fully accessible, we’ll transcribe the clip at the bottom of this post, below the cut. But fwiw, it’s mostly just explaining what’s in this post:  

Black lives matter. We condemn white supremacy in all its forms. We believe the police should be defunded and dismantled. And we want to make sure everyone who listens to our podcast knows about ways they can contribute to this fight, and ways they can support the Black community (please note that these are U.S.-centric). We’ll be back with a new episode soon, but this is more important than anything we could say right now.

Places to donate

If you’re out of work or have lost hours in the past few months, you may not have money to spare. But even small donations—$5, $10—add up. A few organizations we recommend: 

House of GG, a Black-led organization, is fundraising to build a permanent home in Little Rock, Arkansas where trans and gender-nonconforming people can both be housed and receive leadership training.

G.L.I.T.S. is fundraising to buy two buildings to create a permanent place to house and support Black trans people in New York City, as well as sign leases for space to use in the interim.

Sista Afya, a Chicago-based organization, is fundraising to keep its therapeutic services, social events, and wellness experiences under $15 and to hold large scale events like a free arts festival.

For a larger crowdsourced list, see suggestions here.

Ways to get involved if you can’t physically or monetarily participate

If, like us, you live in New York City, here’s a great resource for actionable things you can do from home. Here’s a national list, though for more granular detail for your town/city/region, you should search social media. Some great google doc action happening right now!! 

As a reminder, when contacting elected officials: 

Always write your own email, rather than use a form. People who work or have worked in these offices strongly advise this, and report that form emails are regularly filtered out, often directly into the trash. 

Always write a postcard rather than a letter. Letters are scanned for things like anthrax and can get held up for days; postcards go straight through.

Ensure you know the official’s position on whatever you’re asking about before you call or write. If they’re already supporting or sponsoring a specific piece of legislation, call them anyway and thank them. They use constituent numbers to show that their positions have a lot of public support. 

Particularly for white and non-BIPOC: reach out to your family members, as much as you feel safe doing so, and speak with them about Black Lives Matter and the issues of the day. If you have language barriers with your family members, or just need a place to start, Letters For Black Lives is a great resource that includes material in many languages.

Stream this video—all ad revenue will go to bail funds, families of victims of racist police brutality, and other Black-led organizations.

Resources on anti-Blackness and racism in fandom

Because we are a fandom podcast, we encourage white fans in particular to continue to listen to Black fans and other fans of color when it comes to racism in fandom. If you’re new to the podcast or haven’t dug into the full back catalogue, we recommend prioritizing: 

Our pair of episodes on race and racism in fandom—especially anti-Blackness in fandom—featured eight different guests. Episodes 22A and B: “Race and Fandom Part 1” and “Race and Fandom Part 2.”

Ebony Elizabeth Thomas was one of our earliest and one of our most recent repeat guests. You can listen to her talk about race, children’s literature, and fandom in episode 7, “The Dark Fantastic” and episode 120, “Ebony Elizabeth Thomas.” Once you’ve listened to these episodes, buy or request that your library purchase a copy of her book, The Dark Fantastic.

Tanya DePass is the founder of I Need Diverse Games. In episode 42, “Fresh Out of Tokens,” she discussed fan/creator interaction and intersectionality in the context of games specifically. 

Rukmini Pande is a well-known scholar of race and fandom. She first joined us in episode 29, “Shipping and Activism,” to talk about the ways that ships intersect with politics; then, she returned in episode 89, “Rukmini Pande,” and discussed her academic work. Once you’ve listened to these episodes, buy or request that your library purchase a copy of her book, Squee From the Margins.

In episode 48, “Con or Bust,” we interviewed Diana Pho and Mark Oshiro, two board members of Con or Bust, an organization that raises money to help fans of color attend conventions.

For further reading, Fan Studies Network North America has put together a great list of resources.

Transcript

[Intro music: “Awel” by stefsax]

Flourish Klink: Hi, Elizabeth.

Elizabeth Minkel: Hi, Flourish.

FK: Welcome to not an episode of Fansplaining. Um, we almost completely canceled recording at all, but we decided that we wanted to record a short thing, because we know some people only receive us through their podcatcher or whatever and don’t ever go to our website or our social media. So it felt important that we actually record something short today.

ELM: All right. So, just off the bat, at the risk of sounding like a terrible brand black .jpg with white letters, I think it should be obvious to everybody right now but it’s always worth restating—Black Lives Matter. We strongly support everything that is happening right now. We both strongly believe that the police should be…what word are we gonna use? Dismantled?

FK: Yes.

ELM: Dismantled. Like, we, like, you know—and like, strongly condemn white supremacy, which is the foundation of our country and much of the world.

FK: Right. So… 

ELM: Very broad statement here, but like, you know, it’s definitely worth stating in explicit terms and not couching it around, you know, just to outright state support for Black people and the fight that is going on right now.

FK: Completely. And we really struggled with whether or not to record an episode because, on the one hand, there’s a lot of topics that we think would be really good to talk about that are within the purview of this podcast—stuff like the way people are using social media to organize, stuff like the entire conversation around K-pop fandom and the way that’s been going down. There’s like five things.

ELM: Spoiler, spoiler: It’s been going down poorly.

FK: Yeah.

ELM: Wait, side note: just anyone, please please please, cause I know a lot of people listen to this podcast and are in fandom but are not in K-pop fandom, if an article that you’re sharing about K-pop fans mobilizing doesn’t acknowledge the, like, rampant anti-Blackness happening within those spaces right now, they haven’t done enough research.

FK: Correct. And also, it’s both that and also if you see the narrative that K-pop fans are only bots, that’s also the other flip bad side of the coin.

ELM: Well, we should—now we’re gettin’ right into it. We’re not actually doing an episode. We’re not actually doing an episode. Yes.

FK: We’re actually gonna talk about this at some point in the future. Right now it feels like, you know, just being two white women talking about this stuff feels like not the thing to do right now? And we also don’t want to right now ask Black people to come on to our podcast and talk about things in a deeply traumatic and horrible moment. So we’re going to put a pin in the podcast and we’re gonna come back with all of those topics and a bunch of guests and basically begin to address this stuff, hopefully in a moment that’s less fraught. Is it ever gonna get less fraught? I don’t know if it’s gonna get less fraught.

ELM: That being said, let’s play it by ear! Because I could not tell you what’s gonna happen two weeks from now, but like… 

FK: [sighs] Yeah, I really don’t know either.

ELM: Just, we’ll see. So in the meantime, we are going to put a post on Tumblr so it’ll be shareable, and we are going to include resources—places to donate, in particular places that aren’t getting as much attention. More grassroots stuff that we’re seeking out right now. And also ways to be active and involved for people who don’t have the money or physical ability to be protesting right now, because I am very aware of the narrative of “You should be in the streets! And if not then you should donate!” And it’s like, well, what happens if you are unemployed and also physically unable to get out there? There are so many ways that you can really be, actively lend your support right now. 

So we’ll put those in there, and then also, we shared on Twitter a thread of great resources about anti-Blackness and racism in fandom, and since this is a fandom podcast we’ll be sharing some of those in that post as well, because it’s all connected.

FK: Absolutely. All right, everyone out there, stay safe, stay strong, if you’re in the streets stay in the streets, and we’ll be back when we can.

ELM: OK, bye Flourish!

FK: Bye, Elizabeth.

[Outro music: “Awel” by stefsax]

#fansplaining #fan culture #fan studies #fandom