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katehuntington · 3 years

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Title: Ride With Me (part 23) Fandom: Supernatural Timeline: 2008 Pairing: Dean x Reader Word count: ±5200 words Summary series: Y/N is a talented horse rider who is on her way to become a professional. In order to convince her father that she deserves the loan needed to start her own farm, she goes to Arizona for six months, to intern at a ranch owned by Bobby and Ellen Singer. Her future is set out, but then she meets a handsome horseman, who goes by the name of Dean Winchester. A heartwarming series about a cowboy who falls for the girl, letting go of the past and the importance of family. Summary part 23: The Flagstaff Horsefair has turned out to be a huge success, but before they go home, an unexpected visitor changes everything. Warnings series: NSFW, 18+ only! Fluff, angst, eventually smut. Swearing, smoking, alcohol intoxication, alcohol abuse. Mutual pining, heartbreak. Crying, nightmares, childhood trauma. Description of animal abuse, domestic violence, mentions of addiction. Financial problems, stress, mental breakdown. Description of blood and injury, hospital scenes, character death, grief. Music: Dean’s ride: Time Has No Mercy - The Common Linnets Follow ‘Kate Huntington’s Ride With Me playlist’ on Spotify! Author’s note: Thank you @atc74, and @winchest09 for helping me. Also a special thanks to @jules-1999, who has offered me her knowledge about rodeo events like these, and @squirrelnotsam, who knows Arizona like the back of her hand.

Ride With Me Masterlist

The final day of the Flagstaff Horsefair 2008 is well on its way, the sun beating down on the market stalls and food trucks. Spectators mix with riders and trainers, some having drinks on the terras, others shopping at the tack and clothing stores. Giggling kids are chasing each other on the grass, the younger ones riding stick horses. Dean smiles at the children when they cross in front of him as he walks up towards the picture stand, slowing his step for a moment in order not to collide with the squealing youthful bunch.

By a van with ‘Equestrian Photo’ on the side, he pauses, then moves under the awning. The saleswoman gives out a printed photo to waiting clients on the side, wishing them a good day before she directs her attention to Dean. She greets him with a kind smile which the cowboy returns. Linda knows he doesn’t need help finding the images taken during this event, it’s not the first time the horse trainer has visited the photo stand over the years. Quite a few of the photos hanging on the walls in the Singer’s home and the cafeteria were made by Linda’s boss, the photographer who regularly works horse shows in the region. Ellen usually buys at least one when either he or Jo got on the podium. Dean isn’t interested in purchasing a photo of one of his own rides, though.

He looks up when the red-haired photographer stumbles into the van from the back entrance, one Nikon hanging from a sling, dangling on her hip, and another one on a monopod with a huge zoom lens attached to it resting against her shoulder. Her curls are wild and it’s clear she’s in a hurry, the next class about to start already. “Hi, Dean,” she greets, recognizing the familiar horseman instantly. “Hey.” He nods at her with a smile, his eyes flicking back to the screen. “How’s it going?” “Good. Busy,” she returns, taking out the battery of the cameras skillfully and swapping them for fully charged ones. “But busy is good these days, ain’t it? You had a few good runs, didn’t ya?” “Can’t complain,” he admits, grinning as he thinks about how successful this event has been so far. “Your student gave quite the performance last night,” the photographer smirks, handing Linda the memory card and taking back empty Sandisks to replace them with.

Dean looks up at her over the screen, noticing the mischief in her eyes. The way she just emphasized the word ‘student’ tells him that she knows exactly what’s up. He raises his eyebrows and chuckles, flustered. Looks like just about everyone in the business is up to speed at this point.

“Check out the ones at the bottom of the folder. You can thank me later,” the redhead advises, grabbing a chocolate bar and a bottle of water from the small fridge under the counter before she heads for the back door again. “Gotta run!”

Somewhat confused, Dean watches her head off to the main arena, before he redirects his attention to the display in front of him again. Stills of last night’s highlights pass by, allowing him to relive the amazing moments. The shots of the actual run are great, although he can imagine that Y/N and Meadow aren’t the most difficult pair to shoot. The Quarter mare is very photogenic with her copper coat and broad white blaze. She’s elegant, much like her rider, who has a fantastic seat, which shows, even on a still image.

Curious what the capturer of these images means, the cowboy goes down further, reaching a series of photos that show the seconds right after Y/N finished her freestyle, her arms wrapped around her horse’s neck, hugging her tight. He makes a mental note to pick that one.

There are more of her coming towards the entrance, waving at the crowd, but it’s the next couple of shots that has his jaw fall slack. The photographer must have sprinted to the other side of the tunnel before the horse and rider left the ring, because she managed to document the exact moment when he and his girlfriend embraced, Y/N still in the saddle, his arm around her, the emotional release evident. Jo is holding on to Meadow’s reins on the other side, smiling as she watches her friend and her cousin.

The next photo shows just the two of them, standing in the gateway facing the arena while waiting for the score, followed by a shot of him lifting her off the ground when the realization of the new PR settled in. The final picture has to be his favorite. It’s one of the kiss they shared. The composition of the portrait is astonishing, the spotlights on the showground illuminating the figures in the center, silhouettes against the vibrant arena. His heart grows, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. He never thought he would be able to experience what he felt at that moment again, the great magnitude of pride, joy, and love. But this photo brings it all back, and he has to have it.

Still smiling at the warm feeling that has settled in his entire body, Dean scribbles down the file numbers on the order form and hands it to the blonde saleswoman, together with a fifty-dollar-bill. The wrangler bought six in total, one to frame and decorate the wall in the cafeteria, four for his girlfriend. The chosen photos are shots of horse and rider in a sliding stop, of the second right after finishing the test when Y/N threw her arms around Meadow’s neck, and of the precious embrace between him and his girl. He got a double print of the kiss they shared, one for her, one for him.

It’s a picture that he will cherish, come whatever. A picture he wants to be able to look at when he needs to, to remind himself of what he has got going for him. He knows challenging times are coming, with the ranch, with their relationship. Dean is well aware he’s approaching that inevitable turning point when he has to open up further than the lost boy with a dark past is comfortable with. But this photo, a moment forever frozen in time, will be the beacon he needs to find his way home.

Dean takes the envelope with the printed pictures from Linda and heads towards the ring. Jo is due to enter the arena in ten minutes and he wouldn’t want to miss it, for one, because she is going to bust his ass if he’s not there. It sometimes baffles him how his little cousin acts like she can’t stand being around him and yet searches for his approval so often.

He takes out the photo he wants to save for himself together with the one he will add to the cafeteria’s Wall of Fame, and slips them in the inner pocket of his denim jacket before he reaches the foot of the bleachers. With big strides, he conquers the steps, looking left and right in search of his friends once he has made it to the top. He spots Benny and Y/N on one of the higher rows when the farrier lifts his hat off his head and whistles. This barrel race is one of the highlights of the event and the arena is almost filled to full capacity, only a few seats left. Thankfully, his girlfriend saved him a spot.

His smile grows wider when he sees the cowgirl, and deep inside he’s excited to give her the present he just purchased. He can’t wait to witness her reaction. “I got you somethin’,” Dean announces. Intrigued, Y/N pulls her focus away from the competitor currently in the ring and looks at her boyfriend, awaiting. He offers her the envelope, placing his now empty hands on his knees, somewhat nervously. “What’s this?” she wonders, her curiosity peaked. “Open it,” the cowboy urges. She does, carefully folding back the seal flap and taking out the prints. When she turns them over, she lets out a stunned gasp, much to her boyfriend’s delight. “These are amazing!” she says, elated, going through the pictures of her and Meadow slowly.

The last two photos silence her, however, much like they did Dean when he first saw them on the screen. Moved, she takes in the portraits of the strong bond between her and the man that’s sitting next to her. After a few long seconds, she glances aside, meeting his warm eyes. This cowboy with a John Wayne reputation - as Jo so poetically put it - sure has his ways. He might not be very vocal when it comes to his feelings, but that’s alright, because he is able to communicate through different languages. A kiss, a dance, his trust, his support. And now these photos. It’s proof of his adoration for her, and it’s more valid than a signature.

She closes the small gap between them, moving under his hat, and grazes her soft lips over his. Ignoring his Southern friend, who lets out a low chuckle when he notices the lovebirds next to him, the head wrangler closes his eyes and kisses her back. His hand travels into her hair and holds her, making sure she doesn’t go anywhere. He can feel every connection; her featherlight fingertips on his stubble, her cute nose against his, her lashes dusting the freckles from his cheeks. Dean doesn’t need words, but neither does she.

When he slowly pulls away from her, he looks at her lovingly, forgetting time for a moment. It’s only when the commentator announces Jo’s name over the speakers, that they return their attention to the arena. The gate opens and his cousin and her horse Bullet shoot towards the first barrel, the animal doing his name justice. The three wranglers of the Gold Canyon ranch get on their feet, cheering on the blonde cowgirl, who goes through the course in record time. When she clocks a new PR, Y/N bounces on her feet, hugging Dean tight and letting out that laugh that he loves so much.

They don’t notice Benny’s gaze wandering off to the car park behind the bleaches. He has spotted a beige pickup pulling in. Like a hawk, the farrier follows the GMC truck. “We’re going over to Jo to celebrate. Are you coming?” The enthusiastic intern calls for Benny’s attention, and he turns his head to face his best pal’s girlfriend. “In a minute, darlin’,” he says, giving her a smile. “Gonna watch a few more runs.” “Alright, see you in a bit, brother,” Dean chuckles happily, before his girlfriend drags him towards the exit by his hand.

The Southerner watches them leave, then redirects his attention to the beat-up car on the field. A man gets out, his face shielded by a black cowboy hat. His posture seems familiar, he’s not even sure why. Benny narrows his eyes, but the figure is too far away to recognize. Then the frown evens out, his jaw falling slack. Suddenly, it clicks. “No fuckin’ way in hell…” he mumbles to himself.

But there ain’t no way, right? He can’t be here. Before Benny can decide otherwise, he bolts towards the steps to get down from the bleachers, hoping to not lose sight of the guy. He better make sure who just set foot on the showgrounds is exactly who he suspects he is, before he breaks the news to his best friend.

Dean swings the heavy saddle onto Aerosmith’s back, his last horse to compete at this tournament. After this run, all that’s left for him to do is coach Y/N and Joplin for their competition debut, and then they can all pack their gear and go home. Despite that he enjoys horse shows like these, he’s looking forward to his own room, his own bed. He’s looking forward to pulling up the driveway that leads to the place that is his home.

It has been a successful couple of days. With five horses sold and Joplin likely to add to that number, the Flagstaff Horsefair has proven to be very fruitful. Bobby made good money, and the ranch owner will be able to pay his crew, plus pay off some bills. Then there’s the business deal they landed with Fergus MacLeod. The cowboy might not like the Englishman in the slightest, but if they decide to take on Cain’s training, it will provide a much needed steady income. Dean isn’t delusional; he knows the ranch isn't out of the woods just yet, but it’s a start.

Humming and relaxed like he always is before competing, he tightens the cinch of the chestnut Quarter, petting him on the shoulder before he takes him out of the stable. “Good luck, cowboy.” The man who the words are meant for smiles, peeking into the stable next to him and noticing Y/N through the steel bars. She’s preparing Joplin, brushing her tail. Their starting time is only forty-five minutes after Dean’s, since both are competing in the same class. Sadly, she will not be able to see him ride. The mare next to his girlfriend pins her ears back and gives Aero a dirty look when the gelding comes too close for her liking. Both snigger at Joplin’s bitchy behavior.

“You’ll make it back in time to help me warm up, right?” she checks. “I’m kinda nervous, this being my first cutting competition and all.” “Yeah, of course,” he promises, shooting her a wink. “I’ll be there.”

Dean takes his horse outside, the Arizona sun welcoming him with bright light. A force of habit has him check his spurs and the tack before he positions himself on the left side of his horse in order to mount.

“Chief?” Looking over his shoulder, he sees Benny approaching. His strides are hasty, his jaw tensed. He checks if anyone is around before he halts and faces the head wrangler, who can read from the body language alone that something is off. “What is it?” he asks, his brows knitted together. The Southerner’s piercing blue eyes meet his gaze before he continues whispering. “I hate to do this now right before your run, brother, but--” “But what?” Dean urges when the farrier hesitates.

Benny draws in a deep breath and rubs his beard, needing a second to collect himself. He knows that what he is about to tell his best friend will have him shake on his foundations, but he needs to be prepared. He deserves to know who he might run into. The broad-shouldered ranch hand sighs, then delivers the unsettling message. “Your father is here.”

As if he just got struck by lightning, Dean stares at Benny, his eyes wide and mouth agape. The announcement rings in his ears, sounding more surreal every time the four words bounce off the walls inside his head. Reality hits him like a raging bull, however. His father is here. His father is here.

The head wrangler drops his gaze, his eyes flicking over little rocks and lumps of dirt by his feet. Speechless, he takes his hat off and wipes his forehead with his sleeve, realizing he’s sweating. His heart is hammering in his chest, so forceful that it hurts. Panic starts to win terrain, but he pushes it down and nods rigidly, acknowledging Benny’s words.

“Okay,” he returns after a few long seconds. “Thanks for telling me.” “If there’s anythin’--” Benny offers, but is interrupted by the man in front of him, who shoves his left foot into the stirrup and swiftly gets on his horse. “I’m good,” he assures, doing his best to come across as calm and collected.

Benny dips his chin, half accepting Dean’s choice to put this on hold for now. The rider has one last horse to compete, so the Southerner understands why he’s trying to keep his head in the game. He wishes he didn’t have to drop this bomb now, but there’s a chance his friend might run into John on these showgrounds. Benny might not know the entire story of what happened all those years ago, but he knows enough to recognize the impact the presence of Dean’s biological father will have. He watches quietly how the horseman pushes his legs into Aerosmith’s flanks and steers the horse towards the warmup arena without another word.

Suddenly nervous, Dean is highly aware of all the people who cross his path. He briefly studies them, even though recognizing the man who has been absent for over half of his life scares the hell out of him. Why the fuck is he here?

Dean isn’t just afraid of running into his old man; he’s angry. Angry about all the wrong choices that were made, angry about those memories rushing back to him. He stored them in a box and nailed the latch shut. He buried them, dug a hole deep enough to fit all those dark thoughts. He covered the surface with a thick layer of concrete, convinced that all those measures would be enough to lock away what he hoped to never feel again. Hopelessness, frustration, torment, aggression, guilt. But those emotions are now working their way through the cracks, like a weed that just won’t die, working up to the surface and showing its ugly head again.

But what has him exasperated the most, is the timing. Why now? His father hasn’t given a damn for fifteen years, fifteen fucking years, and now that Dean is finally getting to the point of allowing himself to be happy, he decides to show up? His fist clenches on the horn of the saddle, his nails digging into his palm. This isn’t fair!

His insides churn and twist even more when his mind snaps to Y/N. A sudden and heavy uneasiness settles in his chest, almost suffocating him. Shit, what if she runs into him? What if she learns the truth? Dean breathes out a shuddering breath, closing his eyes for a second while tipping his hat down. The panic that has his fingers shaky while he guides his horse into the warmup ring only grows with that thought. No no no, he thinks to himself. He can’t have his father ruin what is supposed to be his love story. He can’t lose this, he can’t lose her.

Preparing for his final ride goes anything but smoothly. The rider is so lost in thought that he accidentally cuts off another competitor and has to hit the brakes, apologizing to the cowgirl for the misstep. It’s a wake-up call, though; he really needs to focus and get his head straight. Aerosmith is one of the horses he and Bobby decided to hold on to a little longer, hoping the economy will be on its way to recovery somewhere next year so that they can make a better profit. Dean brought the younger stallion along to gain experience in the ring, yet he wants this ride to be solid, knowing a potential buyer could be watching.

But when he enters the arena, he can’t help but scan the crowd, suddenly aware that one of those pair of eyes is his father. He thinks of Y/N and how nervous she was last night, and suddenly it makes so much more sense what experiencing that kind of anxiety is like. The rider doesn’t even hear the announcement of his name over the amplifiers, he doesn’t hear Jo and Bobby shouting words of encouragement at him from the sideline. What he does hear is his rapidly beating heart, like a thundering echo of an oncoming storm.

He glances over his horse’s ears at the cattle in front of them. C’mon, Dean, this isn’t difficult. Separate a cow and let Aero do the work. Two and a half minutes and he will be out of the limelight. Who knows, maybe if they pack fast after Y/N’s ride, he won’t even run into his father.

The two herdholders that are in the ring to assist all contestants keep the group of young steers together. Unsettled, Dean swallows thickly and licks his dry lips, his eyes on the clock. When it starts ticking, he moves his hands forward and pushes Aerosmith towards the herd. The game is simple. In two and a half minutes, he has to separate two different heifers from the group and keep the selected cow in the middle of the arena, he and his Quarter the only boundary between the animal and his flock. He and Aero will be judged on degree of difficulty, confidence, and agility, but right now, all Dean is thinking about is surviving.

Deciding to not make it too complicated for his horse and himself, the horseman doesn’t pick a heifer too far into the herd on the first cut. Without disrupting the gathered bunch, the chestnut calmly makes his way through until Dean has decided on a cow, which he then carefully begins to push to the edge. When he has driven the brindle heifer out, Dean drops the reins and allows his Quarter to take the lead. Aerosmith locks on the lonely animal and crouches, skillfully keeping it in the center of the arena.

The crowd cheers, because the talented Quarter shows to be quick on his feet, darting from left and right and accelerating fast when his target tries to get around him. The cowboy keeps his balance, allowing his horse to move under him freely. After a few attempts to get past them, the cow yields and the rider signals Aero to back down. He blows out a breath. One down, one more to go.

The second cut goes according to plan as well. This time he does pick a heifer in the middle of the herd. The Quarterhorse tries not to disturb the rest of the cattle as he separates the one, but splitting the animals is not as clean as the first time. Once the cow is driven to the middle of the ring again, Aerosmith is back in his element and shows off his moves. Dean only has to sit back and let his partner under the saddle do the work, which he’s grateful for, because he feels like he wouldn’t be able to guide his horse in a simple circle if he had to.

The buzzer sounds; his two and a half minutes are up. Relieved, Dean exhales; at least he didn’t completely screw up their run. The young gelding really pulled through despite a nervous wreck of a rider on top of him, which just shows what a fantastic horse he is. “Thanks, bud,” Dean says softly, petting the chestnut on the shoulder.

The applause barely registers and it’s only when his eyes roam over the audience, that he notices the numbers on the board. 72.5 points; not bad. Normally, he would have been elated with a score like that, but now he just wants to get out of the ring as fast as possible, away from possible prying eyes. He feels like he’s being watched, well aware that his father is quite possibly amongst the people in the crowd. Call him a coward, but he needs to get out of here.

“Solid ride, Dean,” Bobby compliments when the rider comes through the gate, walking with him. When his nephew fails to respond, he looks up, narrowing eyes taking him in from under his baseball cap. “You okay, son?”

The troubled rider snaps his head at his uncle. Son. Bobby calls him that all the time and has done so ever since he took the lost boy under his wing all those years ago. Dean has grown accustomed to the title, even found comfort in it, glad to hear that word coming from his surrogate dad. But now the term confuses him. Suddenly, the man who has failed to step up to take care of his children and yet is his only living parent is here, and it is messing with his head in more ways than one. “Yeah, I’m fine,” he says, quickly averting his gaze and walking on.

Bobby lets him go, but Dean can sense the ranch owner watching him carefully. Unable to stop himself from scanning the people around the warm-up area, he briefly acknowledges the congratulations wishes from a few of his opponents with a nod and a ‘thanks’. Normally he’s up for a chat after a good run, but not now. He feels like he’s about to lose his mind, and he wants to be alone when it happens. He needs space, he needs air.

After a few minutes of hacking, Dean reaches the stables, grateful to find them mostly empty. With the last competition currently taking place in the arena, a lot of competitors already packed their trucks and trailers and left throughout the morning and afternoon. At the other end of the tent two people are tacking up, but they are far out of earshot.

In front of Aerosmith’s stable, the rider dismounts and leads the Quarter into his box, making quick work of removing the tack and rinsing the chestnut down. With the saddle on his hip and the bridle in hand, he steps into the storage room. “How did it go?”

Dean startles and almost drops the heavy load he was carrying, spinning around to find Y/N in the doorway. Somehow, it completely slipped his mind that she would still be here. The cowgirl is wearing her show outfit again, but traded her black blouse for a denim one this time. Long chaps hang down from her waist, strapped around her legs, her brass spurs barely showing. Her boots are shining and her hair is braided, her lucky hat only just allowing him to behold the playfulness in her eyes. She looks absolutely perfect.

Clueless and carefree, she waits for an answer, but her happy expression falls slightly when she notices his reaction. “Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you,” she chuckles, somewhat self-conscious. “What has you on your toes?” The cowboy blinks at her a few times before he kicks into gear again, storing away the saddle in one of the tack boxes. “Nothin’. Yeah, it uh - it went alright. 72.5 points,” he says, smiling at her faintly, quick to dodge her unraveling gaze.

Silence follows and he knows that she’s studying him, but Dean can’t even look at her, not sure how to deal with the worry that he knows is evident on her beautiful face. The second he gets lost in the vision of his girl, he will fall apart, and that’s something the unsettled wrangler can’t allow to happen. He can’t let her see it, she can’t know. So instead, he moves past her through the doorway to fill a feeding net with hay, desperately searching for a way to keep himself busy as he tries to get a hold of himself.

“Dean? Hey…” Her voice sounds so warm and kind, that he can’t ignore her any longer. When he has strung up the net, he turns to his girlfriend, wiping his sweaty hands on his jeans. Concerned eyes take him in when he looks up. “You’re shaking,” she notices, gently wrapping her delicate fingers around his forearms. “What’s going on? Did something happen?”

Before she finishes her sentence completely, he’s already shaking his head. It’s more denial than an actual answer, refusing to give in to all the contradicting feelings that are pulling the rug from under his boots. She knows him well enough to see that he’s a total mess right now. His mask is faltering and he’s breaking character, unable to deliver the standard ‘I’m fine’. Can he tell her about the disturbing message Benny delivered earlier? She will have more questions, questions he is nowhere near ready to answer. But then again, he can’t lie to her either, not anymore.

Dean takes a deep breath in order to collect himself and looks at her as heavy footfalls draw his attention. Expecting Benny, he glances over his shoulder, ready to request if his friend can grant them some privacy, when he catches a glimpse of the person standing in the alley between the stables. Every muscle in his body tenses, an invisible fist squeezing his throat shut. His heart - which has been beating unhealthily fast since the alarming news was delivered to him about an hour ago - now seems to come to a full stop for a few solid seconds.

They might be in Arizona, but Dean just froze to the ground, unable to move or speak. All he can do is stare at the man that is his own spitting image, only three decades older. The familiar stranger is wearing a smile on his lips, emotion swimming in weary eyes. After fifteen years of silence, John Winchester stands before his oldest child, a broken voice delivering the words Dean never wished to hear again, and yet missed so dearly.

“Hello, son.”

Well, shit... Enough with the fluff. Angst is here!

Also, did you spot my little Stan Lee moment? Does a certain red-haired photographer seem familiar? Yep, that’s me!

Thank you for reading. I appreciate every single one of you, but if you do want to give me some extra love, you are free to like or reblog my work, shoot me a message or buy me coffee (Link to Kofi in bio at the top of the page).

Read part twenty-four here

#Ride With Me #Dean x Reader #Dean x Y/N #Cowboy!Dean #Dean AU #Cowboy!Dean AU #cowboy!dean x reader #cowboy dean #cowboy dean au #Supernatural AU #Dean Winchester AU #Dean Winchester #Supernatural #Dean Winchester fanfiction #Supernatural fanfiction #SPN #SPN fanfiction #Kate Huntington

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bellatrixobsessed1 · 3 years

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The Dragon Egg (Part 2)

Part 2 for @secrettunnelatla

“No, this isn’t good enough!” Azula grits her teeth. It is decent work--as far as sound goes--but it isn’t battle of the bands worthy. Not even close. If they wanted to make it to Audio of Agni their concept would have to be much stronger, much less generic than a silly gimmick. “What kind of lyrics are these? Who came up with this concept?”

Chan, Zirin, and Ruon all point at one another before ultimately jabbing their fingers at Zirin who points to Azula herself.

Azula pinches the bridge of her nose. “Necrophilia, Zirin? That’s what you came up with?”

“You said that you wanted ‘attention grabbing’.” Zirin shrugs.

Azula rubs her hands over her face. “Our talents need to be attention grabbing.” Hers certainly are and she needs lyrics and a concept that will do them good service. “We need something that will highlight and showcase what we can do.” An absurd gimmick will only draw attention away from the aspects that matter the most.

“You got any better ideas?” Zirin grumbles.

Ruon quirks a brow and smirks, “we can try…”

“Don’t say it.” Azula frowns.

“Surf rock.” Chan finishes for him.

“We need something bigger.” Azula declares. “Something that hasn’t been done before.” She wishes that she would have saved their dragon metal concept for a later date. Then again, dragon metal is what had given them the propulsion they needed to break out from under her father’s shadow. The propulsion they needed to get their start.

But now she is at a loss for how to top that. She can’t imagine that there are many things that can top emerging on stage with a full suit of glimmering metal scales and glowing talons. She isn’t sure what can draw attention better than staring down an audience with reptilian contact lenses.

“I heard that steampunk is in.” Chan shrugs.

“Steampunk is overdone.”

“Zombies?” Zirin suggests.

Azula shakes her head. “The Blind Bandits already did that.”

“We can hold a seance on stage.” She tries again.

“Why are you so keen on utilizing dead things?” Azula pinches the bridge of her nose. Though a seance isn’t a particularly terrible idea if, perhaps, they incorporated other elements, such as handing out tickets in the form of tarot cards. “I suppose we might be able to work with that.”

But an evening of phantoms and psychic energy is a rather far leap from dragon metal and she isn’t sure that their style of music would line up neatly with the aesthetics of a supernatural night…

She spares a glance to the clock. “Keep coming up with ideas, we need to practice.”

“We’ve played these songs hundreds of times, shouldn’t we be coming up with some new songs?” Chan asks. “From Ashes To Phoenix, just announced their second new single.”

Azula’s face reddens if only slightly. “Zuzu can release as many new singles as he wants, that won’t make them sound any better than someone chewing on a microphone with feedback for three minutes.”

Chan stifles a laugh.

She should have known then that the rest of practice was going to be a waste. She has known Chan since they were children and she knows how he can be. She isn’t particularly surprised when he makes practice hell, purposely floundering his way through certain guitar riffs and singing off key when he saw most optimal. His screw ups always through Ruon off and eventually Zirin would practically flop over her drum kit with laughter.

As per usual, Azula is the only one not laughing.

As per usual, Azula is the only one with anything real at stake.

She is reminded quite potently of it when her father calls. Chan has thrown Ruon off for the sixth time that night, they already have to take it from the top so Azula steps out into the hallway and swipes to answer.

He starts in on her before she can even put the phone to her ear. “How is it that your brother has already put out two new singles and you haven’t even come up with one?”

“Because I’m trying to come up with something that has some quality.” She has chosen her words carefully but neglected to watch her tone.

She thinks that it would be more befitting of him to simply yell violently at her. But his voice is so slick and smooth that she can’t even hide behind incoherence. “I’m not funding your band for you to disgrace the legacy. I handed you a blazing torch and you are letting the fire die.”

“I’m trying to…” she pauses. “Pick out the best kindling. Something that will burn for a long time. Zuko is just tossing random sticks into the pit and hoping something will catch.”

This seems to satisfy him, though it doesn’t keep him from ending the call with a curt, “there’s a fine line between perfecting a song and stalling.” He doesn’t even know that she hasn’t started working on a song yet.

He doesn’t need to know.

She rubs her hands over her face. The man was pissed when Zuko’s first album flopped and he’d had low expectations to begin with. She vividly recalls childhood music lessons; they’d come so naturally to her. She could pick up a violin or stroke the keys of a piano and it would come out just right after the first few tries.

Her voice, they said, was golden. A gift. A marvel. She had impressive range. She has impressive range.

And Zuko, even with extra lessons and several teachers struggled to make use of even a recorder. His vocals were ‘generic’, ‘nothing special’ and sometimes he would sing off tune. Ozai wasn’t fond of his improv either when lyrics slipped his mind.

He still forgets lyrics.

His own lyrics.

Azula isn’t sure how he hasn’t yet been booed off of a stage. She supposes there are perks in having magazine writers fawning over abs and ‘chiseled faces’.

But she wants more than that. She wants real talent. She wants a voice so sublime and lyrics so powerful that they draw focus away from any other aspect of her. She loathes and dreads the day when they push out cover that fancies her physique over her genius.

She won’t rely on that.

Unlike Zuko, she doesn’t need to.

She has a voice and she can do things with it that so many others can’t. She glares at Chan and Ruon as they cackle to themselves. She joins them once more, whatever aura she emits, their laughter cuts off. “Are you finished?”

They nod and Zirin nods.

“Good.” She says in a low hiss. “Start over. This time lets focus. We’re going to have a new song by the end of the night.”

It will be a lackluster song, but it will pacify her father, at least until she can come up with something better.

By the end of the session the only thing that she has acquired for her troubles is a headache and a sudden resentment of Zirin. Chan at least knows when to bring a terrible and tired joke to an end. Zirin is a collection of relentless crass comments.

Even if she doesn’t mean any harm by them, she doesn’t know when to shut the fuck up. Sometimes Azula thinks that Zirin is holding the rest of them back. Sometimes she regrets seeing the potential in her. Sometimes she regrets having vouched for her during music lessons until the teachers saw the same thing that she did.

Sometimes she thinks that she only lets Zirin stay because she is Chan’s girlfriend.

Sometimes she lets it go and carries on with practice as though the comments are only mild annoyances. And most of the time they are.

Tonight she has had her fill of aggravation.

Tonight she has had her fill of letting the woman pound on the drums every time she attempted to speak. She locks her microphone in its stand and without another word or a glance back, she leaves the recording studio.

As the door slams she could hear Zirin remark, “daddy’s little diva.”

She doesn’t know how long they wait for her to come back. But she doesn’t. Not that night. Were it not for her father’s expectations she would be well on her way to finding new bandmates. She can’t afford that yet; she is too pressed for time.

Too awkward and isolated to find anyone else anyhow.

She uses her walk home to come up with excuses as to why practice has been cut so short.

.oOo.

Seicho doesn’t expect a call so soon. Spirits, it would be embarrassing if her work had given Azula an allergic reaction. With the woman’s number flashing across her cellphone screen, she pictures rock ‘n roll legend, Fire Lord Ozai showing up at the shop all muscle and fury to tell her off for ruining his daughter’s flawless skin.

Seicho shudders and grins all at once. She isn’t sure if she would particularly mind getting yelled at by her idol, it would be like one of his concerts, but without the music. She picks up the call before it can go to voicemail.

“If it’s a rash, you should probably call the doctor! I’m sorry for…”

“What are you talking about?” She can see Azula’s half-frown through the phone.

Seicho clears her throat. “Nevermind, I thought that you were someone else.” She lies. “Is everything going okay with your tattoo?”

“So far, yes.”

“Are you cleaning it at least twice daily.”

“I clean it once in the morning, once at noon, and once at night. I’m not calling to talk about my tattoo.”

“What are you calling for then?”

Azula is silent for quite a while.

“I suppose I just want someone to talk to.”

Seicho very nearly asks her why she doesn’t just phone a friend, why she has decided to talk to her of all people. Instead she inquires, “what do you want to talk about?”

“I don’t know.” There is a long pause. “Nevermind.” The phone clicks.

.oOo.

She feels foolish hanging up just to call again. But her father is still up and about, she sees his silhouette behind the curtain and she hasn’t come up with an excuse that he’d accept. She could tell him that Chan had to leave early but then he’d ask why she hadn’t continued without him. She could say that the other two refused but then he’d question her lack of control and ask why she didn’t practice alone.

She should just enter and get it over with, it is better if she does. It is the difference between a scolding and a slap.

But today she can’t take any more berating. She hits redial and holds the phone up to her ear.

“Hello?”

“Can we meet somewhere?” She doesn’t bother backtracking to return the greeting.

Seicho draws out her pause for so long that Azula nearly hangs up a second time. “Does the skate park sound good? I’m already there.”

It isn’t her scene. “I’ll be there.” She hangs up before the girl can change her mind.

#Avatar The Last Airbender #Azula #Azula/Background Character #Zuko #Mai #Maiko #Fanfiction

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aurora-daily · 5 years

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Northern light

Interview by Andrew McMillen for The Australian (June 1st, 2019).

As a child, Aurora Aksnes grew up in a town not far from Bergen, in southwestern Norway, surrounded by a forest, ocean, space and plenty of silence — fertile grounds in which to plant seeds of imagination.

Although she had siblings, she spent a lot of time alone and often felt as though she didn’t quite connect well with others. The child held no aspirations as a performer; when role-playing, she would prefer to be watching from the crowd rather than on stage.

Her two older sisters, Miranda and Viktoria, were worried that her strangeness — especially her out-there dress sense — would make her a target for bullies. “We were so scared that it was going to be tough for you to go to high school,” her sisters say in a video published in 2016. “But everybody loved you.”

Singing, songwriting and playing piano became her three fascinations; all activities she could indulge on her lonesome. This began in childhood and continued into her adolescence, when she was plucked from obscurity and essentially asked whether she wanted to pursue a career in music. She said yes, and she hasn’t looked back. In that same video from 2016, filmed in Bergen with her friends and family, and released to coincide with her debut album, Aurora says, “Music is not something that you should keep for yourself. It can’t be put in a cage because it’s wild and alive.”

On stage in Brisbane on a Monday night early last month, the blue-eyed and blonde artist is midway through a powerful 90-minute set. Dressed in red and flanked by a live band that produces pulsating electronic pop, the 22-year-old pauses between songs to address the 800-strong capacity crowd at the Triffid.

“I feel like I’m in this room with friends,” she says. “It’s a nice feeling because I feel so often disconnected to humans. I feel very lucky because I don’t know how the hell I got here. I don’t know how I became an artist — but I do know that it’s 90 per cent because of you guys.

“Without you, it’s an empty room; without you, there’s no one that gives my words power.”

Then, with a nod to her drummer and co-producer Magnus Skylstad, the band kicks into the next track as the lights change colour and the crowd thrills to her music.

She does not so much perform as inhabit these songs, as if singing them for the first time. There’s not a trace of self-consciousness; instead, the young woman dancing centre stage, microphone in hand, exudes a contagious freedom and vitality. Here, among friends, she is adored.

Two days later, in the hours before another Groovin the Moo festival sideshow in Fremantle, Aurora perks up when reminded of her philosophy that music cannot be caged.

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“Oh, yes, it’s very true, and that’s why I know I have to share it,” she tells Review. “When I perform, that’s why I’m so excited; it’s like the music is too big for my tiny shape of a body. I feel very explosive when I perform. That’s the whole point in why I started sharing the music: if you have the gift of making music, it’s like we’re on a mission, we people who can translate the music into something that the rest of the world can understand.”

In a relatively short time, the rest of the world has come to understand and appreciate Aurora’s art. While the story of her ascent from small-town anonymity to filling clubs and playing festivals on the other side of the planet is somewhat typical of the streaming era, the results are certainly not.

It goes like this: after uploading a song online in 2012, when she was 16, what was intended as a Christmas gift for her parents found its way to the ears of an agent, which set in motion an unexpected but welcome recording career. Since 2015, she has released an EP, a debut album — 2016’s All My Demons Greeting Me as a Friend— and a follow-up LP that has been split into two halves, released last year and this year.

As well, a couple of well-chosen cover songs have helped to highlight her extraordinary, singular vocal abilities and opened up new audiences.

First in 2015, her stark take on Half the World Away by Oasis featured in a prominent British Christmas advertisement; it remains one of her most-played songs on streaming services. Then on an Australia visit in 2017, she recorded a spellbinding cover of Massive Attack’s Teardrop for Triple J’s Like a Version segment. It has since attracted nearly seven million YouTube views.

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In turn, the global response to her music during the past four years has led to a pleasant awakening: her work matters.

“I want to do this as long as I feel like people need me to do this,” she says. “Right now, I feel very needed. It’s a job that the world needs because being a human is so hard and music sometimes makes it easier. As long as I feel needed, I’ll do it. I’ll be an artist forever; I’m a very hungry woman, and I like to dance and paint, and I want to explore and eventually share that with the world, too.”

In conversation, Aurora comes across as remarkably grounded and insecurity-free. A month out from the release of A Different Kind of Human (Step 2) — usually a time of peak anxiety and uncertainty among recording artists, who will soon learn whether their latest work is judged to be their greatest or otherwise — she shrugs and says that she doesn’t really have any particular hopes or expectations for it. “Whatever will happen will happen,” she says. “I’m already working on my next album; I feel quite far away from this album. I hope at least one person will really love it. It is quite diverse, with many different moods and personalities. I am quite excited to perform the songs live, but it doesn’t really matter how people perceive it.

“Some people will always understand it and appreciate it, and that’s enough.”

Between songs at the Triffid, Aurora talks a lot, and she’s often funny and endearing.

“We’ve been doing all these shows in Australia, and it’s so strange we can have our own show in Brisbane and there are people here waiting for us,” she says at the beginning. “From the bottom of my huge heart and small tits — actually, no, they are quite big — thank you so, so much for coming tonight.”

Later, she admits to feeling some snotty congestion: “It’s kind of loosening up now as I’m dancing and making its journey down my throat. It tastes like salt and I don’t know how I feel about that.” But while introducing Through the Eyes of a Child, she turns serious for a few moments.

“Sometimes it’s hard to find people to talk to about your pain because it makes us feel like a burden, or we are taught to feel like a burden when we are not happy,” she says. “I know you’re all here for a reason. Maybe you’re a bit like me: you’re emotional or you look a bit different on the inside or the outside. This next song is for you if you’re going though a hard time.”

This connection with her audience is real and rare, but it wasn’t always this way.

“In the beginning I didn’t really talk because I didn’t have anything to say,” she tells Review. “But then I learned that if you do talk to the audience, people tend to feel more safe and more connected to you. You show them a special thing they don’t usually see unless they go to my show. It’s like they’re my friend or I’m their friend. I do have mouth diarrhoea because I tend to talk way too much, but it just happens. I do what I want and, at the moment, I feel like talking a lot.”

There’s another aspect of her artistry that has changed in recent years, too. “I used to feel nervous before shows, but then it stopped because I realised it’s obvious I know what I’m doing,” she says. “I know why I’m here; I know how to do this. Now, I find it more scary to be among people or to have a one-to-one conversation with someone. I know what to do on the stage and it feels like it’s important.”

#aurora #aurora aksnes #interviews

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hillbillyhippiemusicreview · 4 years

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Post #49–Dalton Mills, self-titled release

Kentucky, I need you to listen up. If you haven’t familiarized yourself with the remarkable talent blooming right up under your nose...I’m going to need you to stop and smell the lyrical roses STAT! What talent do I speak of? Middlesboro, Kentucky singer-songwriter Dalton Mills, to be exact. He released his self-titled debut record on June 5th, and its time that his home state and the rest of the world gets acquainted with his sound. Although he hasn’t been writing and playing long compared to some HHMR review alums, Mills has a true penchant for his folky, singer-songwriter style of music and is quite the stellar storyteller, which you can hear all throughout this fabulous record. It’s easily one of my top picks for 2020, and I don’t say that lightly. So, sit a spell with me a spell and hear me out:

The first song off the record will hit you like a storm. Quite literally, it will take you aback once he starts singing. Titled “Tornadoes,” the song possesses an upbeat melody juxtaposed with a forlorn subject matter. The narrator is down on his luck from losing his job and just knows his love is going to leave him, but he’s afraid to tell her so he just picks up “30 of [his] best friends” and drinks while ruminating on his life. He’d leave it behind, but it’s his fear of tornadoes that keeps him rowing down the same river of struggle. While the title is a bit unexpected and difficult to discern the meaning of at the beginning on the song, by the last chord it makes sense—the narrator’s life is already full of storms, so why would he move where he fears much more dangerous ones? Here, Mills reflects on how easy it is to get stuck in the ruts of life—and our minds.

Speaking of being stuck in ruts, “John on the Run” is a little ditty about a fella we surely have all crossed paths with—the guy with the misguided path laid with wrongdoings amidst a huge heart full of good intentions. Mills sings in the chorus “but before you start pointing your finger, what if it was your daughter or son” living a life like John, out on the run, as a reminder to pause and remember that everyone has a story and deserves a bit more grace than judgement. After all, it could be any of us or one we love to fall victim to circumstance and wind up in John’s troublesome shoes. Perhaps if he had someone show him kindness and a better path somewhere along the way, rather than being eternally written off by society, his story would have been different. Think about that. Love and grace are often the answer and if they are the precedent to difficult roads, lives could be changed.

The themes of big storms in life and being the run translate directly into track number three, “Run Dorothy Gale.” It is quite possibly my favorite off the record, and one of the best lyrical masterpieces I’ve heard all year long. The storyline here parallels the storyline of “The Wizard of Oz” but features Dorothy in an alternate life unseen in the classic movie. In this song, it seems we find out where the wind blew her to after all these years. The dichotomy here between the ruby red slippers Dorothy that we all know and love and the ruby red boots Dorothy that we’re all simply one bad decision from is spectacular. Writer Jason Sinkhorn wrote a fabulous song and Mills’ distinctly melancholy vocals add the perfect touch to weave the tale. One of my favorite lines out of the song is “don’t let them drop a house on your dreams.” Sometimes it feels as in the universe or people in our worlds will do anything to stifle our passions, but even if we have to run like Dorothy Gale, we must not let it happen. By the end of the song, despite the bad roads she took along the way, it appears Dorothy found her peace, which is all one could ever hope for.

Speaking of dreams, in “Verse, Chorus, Verse,” written with HHMR alum and duet partner Lance Rogers, Mills’ laments on the struggles of being a traveling musician. When he sings “I traded everything I love for a verse, chorus, verse,” you can almost feel the tension in his voice felt between the choice of following dreams or setting the guitar down to be a 24/7 family man. It’s a simplistic, yet profound look at the hardships of the lifestyle music brings—and anyone in any profession in the industry can certainly relate. The road can often be long and lonely, but it’s those we leave at home that keep our wheels rolling on. There’s a literal rhyme to the reason behind what we do, and Mills and Roger deliver a passionate portrayal of what this life brings for people to hear the songs they sing.

As I listened to Mills’ debut release, I couldn’t help but mull over how honest his work is. One fine example of that is “Sometimes Love.” This song proverbially punched me in the gut and sent flashbacks flying through my mind. It hurt so good, in that way that lets you know a song is destined for big things. The song highlights a story we’ve all been a character in, as the narrator even laments the man “never knew he played a character in one of the oldest stories ever told.” The man is blindsided by his partner leaving, and correctly claims that “sometimes love will blindside you and bust a hole right through your heart.” So honest with words so painful that you can put yourself in the character’s shoes—it’s perfect. The woman in the song is momentarily not feeling any remorse, whilst wondering if she jumped the gun a bit with her leaving. It’s the quintessential tale of intense love gone wrong, and it works so well. I admire an artist who can make me feel the words, and Mills’ almost monotone, morose vocals lend to that here, as in every song on the record.

Along the same, albeit different, lines of love, “As Long as You Want Me To” is a beautiful song about finally finding that heart to call a home that humans endeavor to find. A story as classic as time itself, the character here pleads with his savior to “tell me all about your sorrows, tell me all about your truths, please don’t turn me away tomorrow, I can stay as long as you want me to.” Rather than engaging in a parasitic type of symbiotic relationship, he longs for a mutually beneficial one. Admittedly, with the words and imagery used in the writing of this song, I was a bit unclear as to what it was about in the beginning. Perhaps it’s about romantic love? Or perhaps it’s about rescuing a cold, lonely animal off the street, or simply lending an ear and hand to someone in need? Either way, I believe it’s a metaphor for the type of love we all seek and long to give to another. It’s an innate human need to belong and that need is beautifully described in this tune.

Mills ends a rather sad record on the saddest note with a song aptly titled “Last Goodbye.” It’s so depressing it will have you tear up by the end of the first verse—guaranteed—but it’s for good purpose. “Last Goodbye” is the story of a man dying from terminal cancer who is beyond ready to leave this world. The feeling of having had enough at times is a universal feeling, yet here it’s quite extreme and heartbreaking. The loneliness, pain, and desperation this man feels is enough to bring you to your knees and make you reflect on your own life, not to mention your feelings concerning death. The man’s only companions are the birds, as his family will not come around until he’s six feet in the ground, and the thief of a caretaker he considers confronting simply so that he will put him out of his misery. Dark, painful thoughts, yet an intriguing look into the brain at the end, and certainly a fine example of the quality of Mills’ work. This song is one you must play several times to fully grasp the words that are being sung and the sentiment behind every one. At first glance, or listen, it seems clear, but there is a deeper gut-wrenching meaning behind it.

In this review, I have barely touched the surface of several of my favorite pieces; however, every song on the record deserves a thoughtful, and introspective, ear lent to it. “Mountain Call,” “Outta Tune,” and “Too Many Dreams” are as lyrically strong as the rest of the songs mentioned above. Get acquainted with Dalton Mills and his unique, impeccable talent on this self-titled debut release of his. I have a rather strong feeling this will not be the last we hear out of him—and that’s a good thing!

As always—peace, love, and music. I’ll see y’all down the road, and hopefully at a Dalton Mills show, soon.

—Lyssa

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*This is an independent review. The Hillbilly Hippie Music Review was not compensated for this review.

*The opinions expressed are solely that of the author(s).

*These images are not ours, not do we claim them in any way. They are copyrighted by Dalton Mills.

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terminaent · 4 years

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WELCOMING: PARK “MASON” JAESEOP

CAREER INFORMATION:

━✧ SIGNED: August 8th, 2015 ━✧ DEBUT: December 29th, 2019 ━✧ GROUP: PROTOSTAR ━✧ POSITION: Main Dancer, Lead Rapper ━✧ VOICE CLAIMS: Jeon Jungkook, Lee Know, Adachi Yuto, Vince

BIOGRAPHY:

Jaeseop was born as Minwoo to both his parents. A beautiful, intelligent mother who was made to be a stay at home wife to take care and nurture their one, only son. A clever, cunning father who was always chasing his career to achieve his dreams. His father's dream was to rise to the ranks, working endlessly until he was able to become a CEO, which meant he was rarely around, leaving his mother to raise him until Minwoo was a toddler. Being a CEO for a highly important travel agency company, his father was relocated temporarily to Japan in an attempt to win over companies to become shareholders. Lots of important people who he could try to smooth talk and sweeten deals. Since it would not be a shot trip, the whole family decided to go with the father, going from Kyoto to Osaka. Due to Minwoo already being of age when he was supposed to start school, instead of attending one in the foreign country, his father hired a private tutor to begin homeschooling him. Taking advantage of the teacher being fluent of both languages to be able to teach him basic Japanese; it would be beneficial to his father and the company when Minwoo would be old enough to follow in his steps. After a year in Japan, they were relocated to the states.

New York for 2 years, Seattle for 5 months, San Francisco for 3 months, Los Angeles for 1 year and 2 months before heading back to South Korea where they stayed for 4 years. Minwoo only really attended an actual school where he was able to socialize with his own age peers were in New York, LA (both public) and Seoul (a private one). During the time in the states he really was able to enjoy music and the different forms of arts. New York offered such diversity of creativity, however he was too young to really appreciate it. Seattle was another city where they highlighted music and arts. His mother took him downtown where the space needle was, excited to check out the rotating restaurant at the top. Minwoo liked the view, he was able to see the ocean from up there but what really excited him was the museum of pop culture. They had a laser show to go with music and he was able to see, explore new things he hadn't before. San Francisco was basically another Seattle in his eyes. The roads, the temperature due to being next to the ocean, the tall buildings, the music and art. His mother knowing how much he enjoyed the last museum, took him to the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art where they had laser shows, live theater performances, musical groups, choirs, anything you were able to express yourself with. He fell in love. The ability to express yourself without words and be able to turn it into something else fascinated him, especially since he was never able to freely speak his mind or thoughts. His father would tell him what he had to do, what he was going to do in the future and the steps he would have to take. He couldn't show weakness because he had to man up eventually.

The vocal, instrumentals and dancing performances called out to him the most. He was hypnotized with each one he watched. Being able to write your feelings and then singing them out for others to hear, sometimes they seemed too personal to share but he listened intently with silent promises to keep the person's secrets. The instrumentals, his mind was blown. How were they able to perfectly express their emotions without words? You could literally feel the emotions when the notes would go from high happy notes, to deep bass sadness. Sometimes some works would leave him feeling mysterious to scared when the notes would go low and it would leave him enthralled. The dancing was the one that left him perplexed. He wasn't quite sure how to feel about it, he was interested how they were also able to express themselves without words. Most of the dancing was either ballet or contemporary dancing. The ballet was beautiful to watch but he wasn't as interested as the other one. At times, there was music chosen for the background. The body movements matching the rhythm of the wordless music playing, their facial expression matching along. Their movements moved swiftly from sharp to soft, showcasing their anger, sadness or happiness. His interest in it was paused when his father found out where his mother was taking him. He disliked that his son was showing interest in such things when Minwoo was supposed to be learning how to be manly and sophisticated. They moved right away to LA, where his father made sure to keep tabs and even take him to work so he could see what the future held for him.

After moving back to Korea, his father got too busy for him once again and his mother snuck him to Hongdae to show him all the performances along the sidewalks and streets. It fully opened that world to him. Everyday, he would put his own private show for his father. Feigning interest in the business world while dipping his toes in the other world; but he was already head over heels. He secretly began taking an introduction dance class, where he was able to learn how many different types of dances there actually were, then learned the stretches before finally being able to start. The more he got into dance, the less he pretended he liked business. Gradually, with the year his disinterest became obvious to his distracted father. When confronted about it, Minwoo was open and honest about it, no longer wanting to lie about his passion. It was at that moment things in his life changed.

After months of being miserable, tired of how not just he was treated but also his mother, he made a plan to runaway. He told his mother his plan and she helped him. They waited until the father had to travel for an investment and then they set their plan on action. The mother was able to get papers from the states, legally making him korean-american, stating and proving that he had lived in the states. She also had set the name to his English one, Mason. Anywhere he decided to go, he just needed to state that name, if they asked him if he had a Korean name, he could either say he didn't have one or he could make one up. The main point was for him not to be found or discovered by his father. At first, Minwoo was hopeful. He was sure it would all work and his father would never find him and his mother, but no matter how much he begged her, she never had intentions of leaving but she wanted her son to be safe. As grateful as he was to his mother, he also felt betrayed so he packed a small bag and left without looking back, stopping only at a motel in itaewon to rest for the night, then he planned to get a flight to the states and vanish forever. However, he decided the next day to visit Hongdae for one last time but when it neared 10pm and everyone began packing up their things to go wherever they needed to go, his feet were unable to leave. He couldn't bring himself to go. He got himself a part time and took dance classes again.

He ended up advancing through his classes until he was one of the top young students of his classes, then was selected to be part of a dance team which then entered a dance competition that they won by the end of it. A talent scout was part of the audience so after winning, they were all contacted to audition for the company. All of them agreed and went to go audition, unfortunately only a few were accepted, one of them was Jaeseop, also known as Mason. He excitedly moved into the trainee dorms and began training his other skills.

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thesinglesjukebox · 4 years

Video

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WAXAHATCHEE - FIRE

[7.14]

When there's nothing left to burn...

Juana Giaimo: I've been listening to "Fire" ever since it came out. Sometimes, it hurts while other it feels liberating. It's all already present in the instant her high-pitched voice suddenly cuts through the quiet keyboard. The rest of the song flows naturally -- more instruments start appearing, the beat suddenly becoming like an encouraging caress and the guitar lines soothing her voice. "For some of us it ain't enough", she sings as her tone lowers and I can't avoid thinking in all the times I realized how much pressure I put in myself -- and in others, because as she sings, "If I could love you unconditionally"... but can she? And that's the thing: it's liberating when you think you can do it, and it hurts when you think you'll be like this forever. [10]

Vikram Joseph: Katie Crutchfield has seemed to be on the brink of an imperial phase for years now, and this might just be the dawn of it. I enjoyed Out in the Storm a lot, but "Fire" strips everything back and puts the focus squarely on Crutchfield's songwriting again, and the result is a thing of ephemeral beauty and heartwrenching dignity. Her songs have a way of getting to me, of piercing through the early hours of the day and honing in on my quietest thoughts. The crux of "Fire" is the line "For some of us, it ain't enough." It often feels like a lot of people sail through life with desires and dreams that are straightforward, tangible and easily fulfilled within the structures of our society. Waxahatchee is for those of us who fear we might never not be in search of something more. [9]

Leah Isobel: The in medias res opening, with Katie Crutchfield singing at the highest edge of her voice and then sliding down her range, sets the tone - after the emotional extremes of her last two projects, "Fire" acts as a comedown into something decidedly less volatile. It's well-deserved. But its ragged contentment probably works better in the context of a full-length record; taken on its own terms, "Fire" only expresses the warm glow of its title, not its destructive, cleansing power. [6]

Joshua Minsoo Kim: "Fire" ends with an ache, with unresolve; it needs another minute, another verse, another anything. But such incompleteness is key: Crutchfield knows the disbelief of hard-fought love reaching its end, of flames left to wither -- emptiness is there, always. As keys open the song in homespun, numinous splendor, her voice irrupts the space before gradually sinking (in intensity, melodically): a coming-to-terms in real time. "Give me something/It ain't enough" becomes a moment of unwanted, unforgiving clarity. Loping guitars provide some semblance of comfort, but it's the bumbling drums -- reminiscent of half-garbled confessions and thumping hearts -- that echo her hurt. Heartbreak is anything but Lethean; that pain sits with you when it's over: as absence, as numbness, as void. [8]

Kayla Beardslee: "Fire" is, I think, about the inability to commit, and I feel similarly about the song itself. Combing through the lyrics felt unrewarding on first listen, especially with the raw vocals, but it's all unfolded a bit with further repetitions. The lyrics do need the swelling music behind them to convince, but the thesis is there ("Give me something... It ain't enough"), the melody is pleasant, and the music is warm. Though the track still isn't quite hitting me in the right emotions (to be fair, they're a small and moving target), I've been oddly compelled to keep listening. Fire is complicated: it can create or destroy. [6]

Jonathan Bradley: Katie Crutchfield's voice flickers in strange and volatile formations, a flame licking around the melody looking for fuel. Her arrangement, however, is steady and certain: keys with stately chords and a heart that pumps warm blood. Such a relief, that arrangement, with its rolling drum beat, such comfort in the feeling that a blaze might be contained, that it might be a source of life rather than something grown wild and destructive. Crutchfield invokes the river and the sky, the liminal places in cars and on bridges and between the burred parts of tainted towns at the edges of the city. "For some of us it ain't enough," she murmurs, and she doesn't say what isn't enough, because the sense is that maybe nothing could be: perhaps it is the same unknown Lucinda Williams saw by the side of the road. [9]

Brad Shoup: "I'm a bird in the trees/I can learn to see with a partial view" is not only a sneaky-good internal rhyme, it's tapping a find-coziness/accept-mortality combo. Her vocal leaps in, barely contained, and gets settled by a crisply recorded slow lope of a backbeat. Because of the pace, maybe, it ends up like church music. [7]

Tim de Reuse: You've got the instrumental: rickety, skeletal, sparse enough that each note of the plucky guitar line barely leads into the next one. You've got the voice: dynamically expressive, sans vibrato, with circular harmonies and unpredictable syncopation in the middle verses. This is a tune about the difficulty of being vulnerable that's exactly as uncomfortable and awkward as its subject matter deserves, and it's all the more believable for it. [8]

Alfred Soto: She has a sound: a guitar picking that sketches tracks as skeletal as elm branches in winter. "Fire" combines song and sound, foregoing some of her identity too. Her melodies aren't as indelible as Mitski's, who shares this approach. [6]

Nortey Dowuona: A looping, synth build climbs, then pauses as pebble drums drop and Katie's piercing, cutting voice wafts up a running riff of bass and flattened guitar, which opens out for a slow snare pattern. The harmonies lurk alongside each other uneasily, with toms scattered down and piling on the right side of the mix. Allison drifts into the shadows, the bass loops once more and it fades into the morning fog. [6]

Kylo Nocom: The initial starkness is a fault, highlighting the obnoxiousness of the folk-y vocals; given some time, however, the song's central warmth slips out of every word she sings. [6]

Thomas Inskeep: I'm down with the low-key, lo-fi keyboards and the production in general, but why is she singing like that? That is one seriously off-putting voice. [3]

Jacob Sujin Kuppermann: "Fire" is gradual and well-crafted (the electric piano tone alone sounds so good that it made me look at the producer credits) and a little boring. It stretches out over its three and a half minutes like a cat in a sunbeam, never hitting any particular emotional high. I'm not so sure it needs to -- Katie Crutchfield sounds relaxed here in a sort of stasis, letting rolling drums and intricate guitar lines surround her. [6]

Julian Axelrod: Katie Crutchfield makes music for miscommunication. Her songs are deeply intimate and interior, but her lyrics are littered with lines from arguments and words left unsaid. Yet "Fire" is clear and uncluttered, honest and direct. It's an adult conversation with eye contact and mutual respect. And while it's still directed inward, it's informed by a lifetime of compromises and missed opportunities. Of course, communication never come without complications; Crutchfield is haunted by heartbreak and vice and the thoughts that keep her up at night. But the refrain -- "That's what I wanted" -- nods at the bravery of recognizing your true desires. It's an affirmation of the self after years of neglect, one of those rare beautiful moments when you can actually hear yourself think. The song stretches and unfurls like an endless highway, and the keys ripple like sun through the windshield. "Fire" is Waxahatchee's best song yet, and it feels like a promise: If you spend enough time chipping away at yourself, you can create something beautiful. [10]

[Read, comment and vote on The Singles Jukebox]

#Waxahatchee #indie rock #rock #music #music review

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totaldramafan-lauri · 7 years

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Eurovision 2017 Opinions, Predictions, and Rankings

It's that time of year again! Eurovision starts next week, so here's my post where I talk about what I think of each of the 42 songs!

This took quite a while, and is very long, as per usual. XD

Now, if you were here at this time last year, you'd probably remember that I was a HUGE fan of last year's Eurovision. I didn't expect this year to reach that level, and for the most part, I was right

This is a solid collection of songs, but like I said before, it's not as good as last year. There are some real gems in here, and most of them are at a consistant quality, and with the withdrawal of Russia, I'm left with four "indifferent"s and one "dislike", as opposed to last year where I had FIVE "indifferent"s and one "dislike"...but for the most part, the good songs aren't as good as last year's good songs, and the bad songs are worse than last year's bad songs. But that's just opinion, like everything else in this post. Yeah, I have to emphasize this even more than usual: THESE ARE ONLY MY OPINIONS. The opinions of an American who can't vote, at that! I'm saying this because there are a certain few popular opinions that I....don't really agree with....>__> So, sorry in advance

But anyway, here's what I think of the year of EDM. Let's go!

(In alphabetical order by country)

Song: World Country: Albania Thoughts: Last year, I noted that for a while, Albania's entries have been good, but not GREAT, and that they needed some extra "oomph". That changed this year. BIG TIME! At least for me! This song is so....BIG. There is so much POWER in this song. I hesitate to call it a ballad, but I assume to most people, it is, so......best ballad of the year. Hands down. I'm rooting for Albania this year! Yeah, I can't believe it either! I wish people talked about it more. And sadly, this isn't the only instance of a song I consider underrated.... Prediction: I'm not counting on this to qualify, but I wish it would....but at the same time, there are songs I like more, and if those songs qualified and this one didn't, I'd be fine. But if it surprises me, well....that'd be nice!

Song: Fly With Me Country: Armenia Thoughts: I really like this one. This is a cool song! I had to wait a week after starting my first impression posts for this song to be released, and it was well worth the wait. I LOVE the beat here, especially once it builds. I can't explain it, but this song manages to be infectious without necessarily being upbeat. It's unique! After the contest is over, it'll be burned into my brain. It's not one of my absolute favorites, but it makes my top ten. I can definitely see why it got so popular Thoughts: Yeah, this one's a qualifier. Popular song + country that almost always qualifies = guaranteed spot in the final. And in the final, I predict it'll at least finish on the left side of the scoreboard. I'm one of its fans, so I don't mind! In fact, if a couple of my top seven don't qualify, then this song is one of my backup favorites! I'll probably be rooting for it to do well!

Song: Don't Come Easy Country: Australia Thoughts: As much as I hate to say it, this is the weakest entry Australia has sent so far. And the reason I hate to say it is because I DO like this song. I think there's a lot of emotion in it, which is the highlight, and there's nothing else this year that has this kind of "message"...That sometimes it's hard to open up to someone after you've been hurt before. That's pretty....deep. And I realize that saying this is Australia's weakest entry when it's only their third one is NOT saying much, especially when I'm comparing it to the awesomness that is "Tonight Again" and the overrated yet still powerful "Sound Of Silence". I guess I was expecting more, and that's what made me think it was underwhelming the first time I heard it. But it grew on me a lot. I can actually see this playing on the radio over here, and me not minding it Prediction: There's no doubt this song will qualify. In fact, in the coming years, I can see Australia becoming the same as Azerbaijan, Ukraine, and Romania: a country that always qualifies no matter what. As for the final....My opinion from last year has not changed: I don't want Australia to win. I can see this in the top ten, but not winning

Song: Running On Air Country: Austria Thoughts: This is a cute song! It doesn't give me much to talk about, but I like it! Yeah, I like happy songs in Eurovision....no duh =P I don't have any problems with this song, but I can't rank it higher simply because there are songs I like more. "If you let me drown, I'll swim like a champion~" I like that lyric for some reason... (I also like the censor pause XD) Prediction: I kinda want this song to qualify, but I'm not rooting for it over my favorites. It's in the stronger semifinal, so it's got some strong competition. I won't be surprised if it gets lost in the mix. Then again, that's what I thought would happen to Austria's last entry, and I was wrong....

Song: Skeletons Country: Azerbaijan Thoughts: And so we come to the first of my top seven favorites - the songs that I absolutely and unquestionably love. And I'm not surprised that one of them is Azerbaijan's, considering their track record of sending awesome entries. From the first time I heard this song, I was in love. Those delicious, delicious synths, man! This type of music has always been my thing! So, yeah, I'm a bit biased here, but I love it SO much! Funny fact is that for the first week or so of listening to it regularly, I had no idea what most of the lyrics were. The chorus especially - besides "Have my skeletons" and "Bad boy", it sounded like gibberish to me. AND I STILL LOVED IT. I eventually looked up the lyrics, and now I like singing along to it. But to me, this song is about the beat, not the lyrics. Not to discredit the singer, of course! Also, this is an example of this year's lineup not being as good as last year's - even though I ranked "Miracle" as number 5 last year and this song is my number 4 this year, I'm still pretty sure I like "Miracle" a tiny bit more Prediction: Well, at least I won't have to worry about at least one of my favorites qualifying! Yeah, this one is no doubt gonna make it in the final. But will it get Azerbaijan back in the top ten? Hmmm....maybe. It'll at least come close

Song: Story Of My Life Country: Belarus Thoughts: A unique song, not only for being in Belorussian (which like....never happened before, I don't think) but also because nothing else really sounds like it this year. However, it doesn't QUITE do it for me...I've been really enjoying Belarus' entries lately, so this one kinda feels underwhelming. I still like it, the vocals are good, but it's not something I'd listen to after the contest. Not that it's a bad song at all. I always say that more happy songs in Eurovision, the better, plus this year's slogan is "Celebrating Diversity".....So, yeah, this is a song I wish I could like more than I do Prediction: Even though it's ranked pretty low odds-wise, I'd still say this has a decent chance of qualifying. It depends on how it is live. I can actually see this song having cute staging. But if it does qualify, I can't see it doing all that well in the final

Song: City Lights Country: Belgium Thoughts: Four words: I don't get it. I simply do. Not. Get. It. What do people like so much about this song? I've heard it so many times now, trying to understand, hoping it would grow on me....and it didn't. At first, I thought it was boring, and now, I think it's boring. So....what's so special about it? I don't wanna put down the people who like it, I just.....don't. I don't even dislike it! That would mean it gets SOME reaction out of me. But no, this song gets nothing out of me. It's just.....there. Maybe calling it "nothing" in my first impression post was a LITTLE harsh, but...I just can't get into this at all. When it comes to slow songs, there are many that I like more. This song just bores me. Sorry...The only nice thing that I can say about this song is that I'd much rather have a song that gets no reaction out of me than one that I outright DREAD listening to, like Portugal's song, which I'm gonna get to later (Oooooh, the things I have to say about that one....) Prediction: When I found out that this song, which was previously ranked in the top five in the betting odds, had dropped down to tenth place, below Denmark and Azerbaijan, I was SO happy! Looks like I don't have to worry about this song winning. However, no doubt we'll be hearing it in the final....I REALLY hope people wake up and realize there are more interesting songs, but that's wishful thinking. Belgium may be looking at their third top ten placement in a row

Song: Beautiful Mess Country: Bulgaria Thoughts: This is a fine song. Yeah, it's a massive step down from last year, but I expected that anyway. If you're new to Eurovision....Bulgaria are usually preeetty bad at it. Last year was only their second time qualifying. But anyway! This song....Like I said, I think it's fine. However, its apparent popularity....like with the Belgian entry, I don't get it at all. I've seen people call it a "masterpiece", and I'm like "....Are you listening to the right song?" (This isn't the Dutch entry) I at least like THIS one, but I'm not gonna act like I can see it WINNING like some people do. I don't even LOVE it, I just like it. I think it has some of the best lyrics this year. But a winner? Not in a million years could I see a song like this win Eurovision Prediction: Will qualify and do well in the final, but if it wins, I'll be VERY shocked. And NOT in a good way. I won't hesitate to say that, even though I like the song, I WILL root against it in favor of the more worthy potential winners like Italy and Sweden (AND THE NETHERLANDS). Sorry to fans of this song, but I simply cannot see Bulgaria 2018

Song: My Friend Country: Croatia Thoughts: This is....an interesting one. And trust me, I mean interesting in a good way! For me, this was the biggest grower this year. When I first heard it, I kinda liked it, but I knew I had to give it time. And OH BOY did it grow on me, especially when it hit me that this is ONE GUY singing. This guy can sing in TWO VOICES! That's incredible!! And the two voices singing in two different languages is such a neat touch! (Though I'm still kinda scratching my head at why Italian is the second language) It also gains this song uniqueness points, because have we EVER had a Eurovision entry like this before? I don't think there has been! I can think of NOTHING to compare this song to! That's a good thing. Add on the uplifting lyrics, and you get an unforgettable song Prediction: I do think Croatia deserve to qualify with this, but I'm not sure that's gonna happen. I can see interesting staging going with this song, so maybe that'll help it stand out more than it already does, but....will it qualify? Hmmmm...I'm gonna say....no. Yeah, I'm pessimistic, but they don't qualify all that often. But I'd be happy to be proven wrong!

Song: Gravity Country: Cyprus Thoughts: Oh my GOD do I love this one!! I can't get enough of it! It's flipping awesome and SO underrated! The lyrics, the beat, it all flows so well...I-I dunno what else to say, it's just excellent! And should I be surprised? It's this year's G:son song, after all! Has he EVER written a song that I disliked? OK, maybe I'm a LITTLE surprised...Because the fact that this song is written by the same guy who wrote "Alter Ego" last year. You would NOT have known that unless you looked it up, I swear. But anyway....When I first heard this song, it was love at first listen, and I was hooked ever since. If it wasn't for the masterpiece that is the Dutch entry, this would be my favorite song this year, and I GUARANTEE that if this were the entry of Sweden or Norway, more people would be going nuts over it. This is the highest Cyprus have ever been on a list of mine, and I don't think they'll be able to top it any time soon! Man, it is an unwritten rule that every song titled "Gravity" in Eurovision is gonna be awesome? Prediction: OH MY GOD AM I WORRIED ABOUT THIS SONG. I obviously REALLY want them to qualify, but it's a fact that it's not very popular compared to other songs in the first semifinal. If it doesn't qualify, I would be pissed, but I wouldn't be overly surprised....Of all my favorites in the first semi, I think this one has the slimmest chance of qualifying and I HATE that. The thought of Belgium and Portugal getting through and Cyprus not.....ugh....Please please please qualify, PLEASE sound good live, PLEASE. Cyprus deserve it so much....OK fine, you can have Belgium in the final as long as this makes it too

Song: It's My Turn Country: Czech Republic Thoughts: Yikes....and I thought their last entry was boring! This one is even MORE boring! There is absolutely nothing interesting about this song, but at the same time, there's nothing terrible about it, either. It's not annoying, and it's at least modern-sounding, unlike a certain OTHER snorefest. I guess if I give it something else, it's that the lyrics are good? But for the most part, this song's just....there. It's there, and I dunno why it is. Did the Czech Republic just have no other options? I mean, "I Stand" at least had good vocals....But this one? I have absolutely no feelings toward this song. It's dull, but harmless. It doesn't deserve anything more than indifference Prediction: If this song qualifies, I wouldn't know what to say. I mean, the only song I'd take this over is the Portuguese entry....which is in the same semifinal....But for the most part....Yyyyeah, we're not gonna see the Czech Republic in the final again this year

Song: Where I Am Country: Denmark Thoughts: Another one of my favorite songs this year! I absolutely adore this song. I thought it was gonna be in my top three at first, I love it that much. To me, this song works so well because of one main thing - Anja's AWESOME voice. The way she belts out that chorus like it's nothing just blows me away every single time...and sometimes gives me chills! This song NEEDED strong vocals, and it has them! It's a powerful song. I feel so emotional while listening to it. The desperation, the determination, the vow to make things right again.....This is a darn good song. I only have one problem with it, and it's a nitpick...Apparently, the lyrics are "Laying down my armor, laying down my guard". WHY is it not "gun"? I thought it was "gun" when I first heard it, because it just makes sense! Mainly because it actually RHYMES with "done"! But that's a tiny complaint. XD Overall, Denmark's best entry since "Only Teardrops". Prediction: Pretty much guaranteed to qualify. I already know she sounds amazing live. I can see Denmark in the top ten this year, or even top five, but I don't think this'll be their year to win

Song: Verona Country: Estonia Thoughts: Sleeping all alone, you wake up with a bottle in your hands~ *shot* Sorry, sorry! I'm not gonna type the whole thing, I just wanted to bring attention to how much I've been singing this song recently! Because MAN, I thought it was good the first time....and I thought it was AWESOME by the sixth. No question, this song belongs in my top three! In what I consider to be the spiritual successor to "Goodbye To Yesterday", the first thing I noticed is the Romeo And Juliet comparison and how, for once, it WASN'T to regard them as the pinnacle of romance. It's really becoming a pet peeve of mine when songs and stories do that, because THEY WEREN'T. It's like no one actually paid attention in ninth grade English class! Even disregarding the crap their families put them through, resulting in them DYING because of they insisted on getting married while barely knowing each other, Romeo was 19 years old. Juliet was ONLY 14!! C'mon, that's so wrong! And Romeo was a ladies' man who was JUST swooning over another woman before meeting her, and....Sorry, I went on a tangent. But yeah, this song brings up Romeo And Juliet....comparing themselves to them as a RECKLESS TYPE OF LOVE! How refreshing! And it's also just an awesome song in general! I think the moment it started to grow on me is when I realized how awesome the "Reckless type of love, reckless type of love / We never said 'I'm sorry', we never said 'Enough' / This western type of woman, western type of man / Disappeared in Verona" part was, and the rest of the song followed. Overall, I dunno why we got so many songs about unhappy couples this year, but this is the best of those. The lyrics are great, it sounds great, it's just excellent Prediction: Look, I didn't care about "Play" that much, so I didn't mind when it didn't qualify. This is a different story. This had BETTER qualify OR ELSE. And it probably will, but...I dunno, I'm still kinda worried. But I think I'll get over it. Yeah, I just checked the Wiki page to confirm - It ranked number five in the OGAE poll. People are recognizing its greatness. I don't need to worry, it's fine. Back to worrying about Cyprus, then

Song: Blackbird Country: Finland Thoughts: There are two words I'd use to describe this song: "atmospheric" and "relaxing". A huge mood whiplash from Finland's last entry which was basically Happiness: The Song, but I'm not complaining at all! I like this song a fair bit. There may be other slow songs this year, but nothing quite like this. The lyrics are very poetic, as well. I will admit, though, that my opinion of this song may be a bit soured by the fact that most of the time I've been listening to the playlist, it's been as background music while I'm playing Splatoon, so having a song that sounds like a lullaby come up while playing a high-energy video game doesn't really fit....It kinda kills the mood. But I'm not holding that against this song, it's still very pretty and a case of a slow song that's not boring! Prediction: I think Finland may qualify with this! This song stands out! Will I be surprised if I'm proved wrong, though? Maybe a little, but I won't be MAD unless it's to make way for Portugal. Every other song in the first semifinal deserves to qualify more than Portugal

Song: Requiem Country: France Thoughts: A nice, solid song. I pretty much have the same things to say about it that I said about Austria's entry - it's happy, upbeat, and I like it but I don't love it. It also grew on me a little bit. In my first impression post, I said that I liked it about at much as I liked "J'ai cherché", but after repeated listens, I now like this song more! Prediction: France will most likely not do as well as they did last year, but will still do reasonably well

Song: Keep The Faith Country: Georgia Thoughts: I like this one a lot. Songs about staying optimistic during tough times have always been things I've liked. This song kinda reminds me of "Peace Will Come" from back in 2008 (also a Georgian entry), which has a very similar message. I do like that one more, though, because it also had a great beat, but I'm getting sidetracked! Anyway, that's what keeps me from giving it the "too heavy for Eurovision" stamp - the optimism. This is what Hungary 2015 SHOULD'VE been. Yeah, I said it, and I'm sticking to it! The lyrics are enough to make me like it, but this song also has strong vocals and a buildup, which is what I love in my ballads. Not in my top ten, but definitely a song I enjoy! Prediction: I'm like.....99 percent sure this will qualify. Eurovision usually loves songs like this. It'll get overlooked in the final, though

Song: Perfect Life Country: Germany Thoughts: Another grower, and another German entry I find underrated. Is this song a bit on the generic side? Yeah. But there's something about it that just.....WORKS. Is it the vocals? The lyrics? I'd say both. This lady does have a good voice, I can hear the emotion, and "I'm not afraid of making mistakes"....is a message I WISH I could live by. So, this song gets a thumbs-up from me, and not JUST because I want Germany to stop getting undeserved last place. Also, apparently there are many people who think this song is a ripoff of Sia's "Titanium", and I find that absolutely ridiculous. Just because parts of a song sound like parts of another song doesn't mean it's a ripoff. It could be just a coincidence! This reminds me of in 2013 when people kept called "Glorious" a ripoff of "Euphoria"....Germany really haven't been able to catch a break in Eurovision.... Prediction: NOT LAST PLACE. I'd honestly be content as long as they DON'T end up in last place. My prediction is still that they'll place rather low. This song is one that has to grow on you, and will most likely not do much to stand out. And I'm fine with that! It isn't even on I'm in love with...it's just....a solid, good song. But speaking of love....

Song: This Is Love Country: Greece Thoughts: I could see some people calling this song generic....I am not one of those people. Yeah, this is another one of my favorites. This song is just AWESOME! Such high energy! Really captures the feeling of being in love. I'd compare it to "Falling Stars" from last year (which I had compared to Cascada). The chorus isn't as strong as "Falling Stars"', but the song as a whole is more well put together. The instrumentals in this song are SO good. The one before the last chorus, with the horns....it all sounds so grand! And tying it together is a singer with a good voice. Well, Greece are back in my favorites for the first time since "Aphrodisiac" in 2012 - but will they make it back in the final? Prediction: If the betting odds are to be believed, they will be back in the final this year. Unless it flops live, this should be another favorite I won't have to worry about. As for the final....It'll finish around the middle of the board, I'll say

Song: Origo Country: Hungary Thoughts: This is SUCH a grower! I remember having little to no reaction to it when I first heard it, but now I enjoy it every time it comes on. Even if I don't understand the lyrics, even if I can't sing along....even if it has a RAP....something about this song makes it enjoyable to me. Is it the synths? Usually, uniqueness points aren't enough to make me like a song (see Belarus above), but this one is different. A solid entry from Hungary once again! Prediction: There's no doubt in my mind this'll qualify. I can even see it do decently well in the final. Maybe not top ten well, but close?

Song: Paper Country: Iceland Thoughts: Whenever I haven't listened to this song in a couple days, I find myself thinking "Is this song REALLY one of my favorites?" And compared to my six other favorites, it does fall short, but....When I listen to it again, I can't help but keep loving it. And the reason is the chorus. It starts out slow, but that chorus just brings SO much life to it. And I dunno why, but I really like her voice. It's not one of the BEST voices in the contest, but her voice really suits this song. I never knew that shouting "PAAAAAAAAAPEEEEEERR!" could sound so awesome...The chorus as a whole has so much force to it. But I'm not gonna say this is a song everyone will enjoy. It is rather slow Prediction: After getting utterly robbed last year, I wish I could say that Iceland deserve to make up for that, but....Like I said, this isn't a song for everyone. I love it, but I think "Hear Them Calling" was objectively a better song, and it that couldn't qualify....can this? Hmmmm....I'll say no, but this being one of my favorites, I'm gonna root for it anyway. Plus, it's in the first semifinal, so the thought of it getting pushed out in favor of Portugal....No please....Maybe a miracle can happen?

Song: Dying To Try Country: Ireland Thoughts: A basic, boring ballad, but I'll take it over Portugal's and the Czech Republic's songs. At least this one picks up toward the end and has a big finish. It did grow on me a little bit, and yeah I do like that last chorus, but not enough for me to say I like the song as a whole. Overall, it doesn't get that much of a reaction out of me, nor does it give me much to talk about Thoughts: Sorry, Ireland, you've been screwed over in Eurovision the last few years, but this isn't gonna be a song strong enough to break that losing streak

Song: I Feel Alive Country: Israel Thoughts: Israel have been on a roll and they're not slowing down! This song is such a burst of energy, and is so much fun to listen to because of it! The reason I don't rank it any higher is because of strong competition, mainly from songs that do the same thing but better. But whenever I hear it, I WISH I could rank it higher. The song is called "I Feel Alive" and it makes you feel alive, how fitting! Prediction: This will be the last song performed in the second semifinal. Usually, people already have their minds made up on what they're gonna vote for by that point....either that, or it'll end the show on a good note and will be hard to ignore because of that! And I'm guessing this song will be the latter! So I think it'll qualify, yeah. But in the final, it won't do as well as Israel's last two entries did

Song: Occidentali's Karma Country: Italy Thoughts: This is the current favorite to win, and goshdarn it I can see (or hear) why! This song may have a music video that I'm surprised I haven't seen more complaints about (that's a good thing), but it's just impossible to hate. I pretty much love this song for the same reasons I like Israel's entry - whenever I hear it, I feel like dancing....and I'm a TERRIBLE dancer! But this song has so much energy! Such a great beat! THAT INSTRUMENTAL, OH MAN! I've said it once and I'll say it again - if all Important Songs were this much fun, I wouldn't be against them in Eurovision at all. I really wanted to rank this higher, but there are songs I like more in the end. But you can tell that Italy are in it to win it! Prediction: Do I even NEED to say that this is a potential winner? I've been in the Eurovision tag a few times this past week, and this is by far the most talked about song ON TOP of being the betters' pick. I have no problems with Italy 2018 at all! I'd consider this compensation for Ill Volo's loss two years ago. And considering their main competition is apparently Bulgaria, Belgium, and *shivers* Portugal....Yeah, consider me on Team Italy. NAMASTE...ALE!

Song: Line Country: Latvia Thoughts: Good, but not great. That just about covers it, because it doesn't really give me much to talk about. Not to say that it's not interesting, but I feel like I've said my opinions on this song about other songs. It's got a good beat, but there are better beats this year. It starts out slowly - maybe a bit too slowly - but it makes up for that at the end. I don't think about this song a whole lot, but when it come on, it's definitely enjoyable! My favorite part is the instrumental after the first chorus Prediction: I have NO FLIPPING IDEA about this one. If I had to guess, I'll say that I think it'll qualify, but I won't be surprised if it gets overlooked (because it's an overlooked song). I'm not rooting for it, but it won't hurt anyone by being in the final. Oh, and since it's in the first semifinal, if its qualification means no Portugal in the final, then I'll be happy

Song: Rain Of Revolution Country: Lithuania Thoughts: I like that name. It doesn't make sense, sure, but it sounds cool! But the song itself? ....Eh, it's OK. I guess I like it, but it's not a stand-out entry. Her voice is fine - not great, but it grew on me after a few listens. I like the "Dance to the rhythm of a song" part. I'm not gonna deny that it's a forgettable song when compared to the others, but it's my favorite of the "forgettable" songs because at least it has energy. I can't call it boring. That's a plus! I don't think it deserves the hate Prediction: Hmmm....Lithuania have surprise qualifications a lot, but I'm still gonna say they won't qualify this year. They had an excellent contest last year, but that was last year. In fact, even though I kinda like this song, I actively DON'T want it to qualify. It's in the same semifinal as countries with MUCH better songs, and its qualification could be at the expense of one of those. No please >.<

Song: Dance Alone Country: FYR Macedonia Thoughts: A good song, but nothing phenomenal. There are better dance songs this year - heck, there are better energetic songs in GENERAL this year, so I kinda find this one forgettable. I'd actually call it Macedonia's weakest entry in a while....But nothing against it! It just has stronger competition. To me, this song is good background music. For a better take on this title, check out Love Generation's song from Melodifestivalen 2011 Prediction: Highly, highly doubt this will qualify. If Kaliopi couldn't bring Macedonia to the final last year, then this definitely won't. But hey, if I'm proved wrong, I won't complain!

Song: Breathlessly Country: Malta Thoughts: This is a nice ballad. I thought it was boring at first and thought it'd end up as one of my least-favorites, but I find myself liking it more each time I hear it. It's still not anything special, of course, there have been WAY too many songs like this in Eurovision, and I can see why people wouldn't like it, but....I dunno, I can't bring myself to join that majority. Maybe because there are MUCH more dull and boring songs this year that this one feels full of life in comparison.... Prediction: This doesn't seem to be a well-liked song, so I don't think it'll qualify. If it does, it'll probably be because of the juries

Song: Hey Mamma! Country: Moldova Thoughts: Hooooly crap did this song live up to what I expected from the return of Sunstroke Project - A super catchy, fun song complete with the one and only Epic Sax Guy! When I first heard this song and the sax solo came on, I LAUGHED. I couldn't believe my ears! Epic Sax Guy, back in Eurovision! But he's not the only good thing here. When I called this song catchy, I MEANT it. This is THE catchiest song this year, and probably has spent more time stuck in my head than any other song recently. That chorus, man! Get it out, get it ooooout!! This isn't even one of my favorites, but it's just so unforgettable! Even now, sometimes I can't resist rocking along to that sax solo! Also, I don't think I like this song more than "Run Away", but I will say this much - their English has gotten a LOT better since then! Prediction: I'll say this right now.....If this song doesn't qualify for the final, Moldova might as well quit Eurovision. Seriously, the past three years, they've been screwed over despite sending genuinely good songs, and this year, if flipping Sunstroke Project can't get them in, I dunno what will. I know it's low in the betting odds, but I still have faith that they'll do it. This is an infectious song with THE Epic Sax Guy, c'mon! That's gotta get votes! So go, Moldova! You can do it!

Song: Space Country: Montenegro Thoughts: BEHOLD! The only Eurovision entry to ever mention a wet dream in its lyrics! That would normally be a small detail, and it kinda still is, but it's one of the first lyrics in the song and it definitely sets the mood. Because this is an....interesting song. And NOT interesting in a bad way! Repeating myself from what I said about Croatia’s entry there...I actually quite enjoy this! But it is NOT for everyone, as the massive amount of dislikes the official video has on YouTube show. It's ridiculous and cheesy, and I like that about it. It makes me smile, so....Even if part of my enjoyment is ironically, that's gotta count for something. The staging for this is gonna be fun, I can tell. XD Geez, it seems like Montenegro's entries are always super serious or super ridiculous with almost no in-between, huh? And they only qualify when they're taking the serious route... Prediction: Yeah, no qualification here

Song: Lights And Shadows Country: The Netherlands Thoughts: I'm gonna start this off with a question: WHY. THE CRAP. IS THIS SONG NOT GETTING MORE RECOGNITION!? Is the Italian entry distracting everyone!? I mean, I know that's a good song, but THIS song is a masterpiece! Yeah, I'm sticking to that! This is indeed my number one this year. Figures that in a Eurovision mostly populated by dance music and some ballads, that my favorite would be neither. And from a country that hasn't had a number one favorite of mine since 1998, no less! Just....my GOD, this song. From the first time I heard it, I knew it'd be my favorite. The first thing I noticed was how awesome the vocals are. The way these ladies harmonize with each other is just incredible. Then there's the uplifting lyrics, and the way it keeps building....Every direction this song goes in makes it better and better, and it all adds up to a song that makes me so happy. Whenever I'm listening to it, I can't feel anything other than happy. And that's the mark of a good song to me: emotional connection. I just LOVE this song and I hope it has the same magic when performed live, because I really really REALLY want it to start picking up momentum so it'll get votes. This is winner material, and I want people to recognize that. You can tell the Netherlands are trying to stand out this year, and they DESERVE to do well. I stand by that Prediction: QUALIFY QUALIFY QUALIFY. QUA-LI-FY!! If "Slow Down", a country song, could do it, then a masterpiece like this will! And it BETTER at LEAST finish on the left side of the board, or else! But even then, I think anything below a top ten finish isn't doing it justice! (.....I really like this song. I don't think I made it obvious enough)

Song: Grab The Moment Country: Norway Thoughts: A good, solid entry from Norway once again! This is quite the grower, but I still don't think it's anything outstanding. But it's still fun! I like singing along to it! If you like EDM, you'll like this song. There's nothing wrong with it, and it's a good song to listen to if you, well.....wanna kill that voice in your head! Haha, see what I did there? Of course you did, I'm not subtle....Anyway, thumbs up! Prediction: Ooh, I dunno....I know that Norway usually qualify, and that this isn't a bad song, but....The competition is strong, and it's not like there's a shortage of this kind of music. In the same semifinal as this song are Israel, San Marino, and Estonia, to name a few. So, Norway may struggle to stand out among the crowd, but it's not a lost cause, because they're....well, Norway. So, I'm gonna say no on them qualifying, but I would not be surprised at all if I'm proven wrong, nor will I mind (as long as my favorites still make it)

Song: Flashlight Country: Poland Thoughts: After Albania's entry, this is my favorite slow song this year. I love the lyrics, how it builds, and the atmosphere it creates. And the way that the beat it's built on sounds like a heartbeat is a neat touch. But the big finish is definitely my favorite part. My only real complaint is that the way it ends feels kinda abrupt, but I can overlook that. It's just a solid song, and I can't think of anything else to say! Next! Prediction: I could see this going either way, but I guess I'll predict it'll qualify. I won't be surprised if it doesn't, though. It has some strong competition, and there are songs I think deserve it more

Song: Amar Pelos Dois Country: Portugal Thoughts: UUUUUUGGGGHHHHHH. OK, if you like this song, do not read any further, because I'm not holding ANYTHING back. I've been WAITING to talk about this song, so here goes. This is my least-favorite song this year. BY FAR, I might add. While some songs may grow on me the more I listen to them, or at least I gain the ability to tune them out...this song is different. I dislike it more every time I hear it. Now, look, I know I might sound hypocritical by calling something "dated", given that I've liked songs like Moldova 2015 which sound like they were made twenty years ago, but here's the thing - some things age gracefully, and other things do not. 80s and 90s music can be really fun! But then there's stuff that isn't fun at all. Like, say, grandpa music that sounds like it came from the very first Eurovision ever. Now, I have an honest question: WHO watches Eurovision for stuff like this!? WHO!? People who actually like this kind of music would NOT be watching Eurovision, and people who watch Eurovision should NOT be saying "Hey, I really like Eurovision, with its happy, campy music, but you know what it needs more of? THIS!" It's not fun at ALL, it sounds ancient, it doesn't take any exciting turns, it's just.....DULL and BORING! And whenever this song comes on when I'm in the middle of a match and I can't skip it, just.....UUUUGGGHH. I can't learn to like this song! It makes me groan every single time! And part of me KNOWS that I shouldn't hate this song - that this is a song that isn't worthy of hate, or any emotions whatsoever. It doesn't hurt my ears, it's not obnoxious in the most traditional sense....it's harmless. And yet it pisses me off, just thinking of the thought process behind sending something like this to flipping Eurovision. I KNOW that the reason Portugal only compete every other year is because of financial troubles and that they likely don't wanna WIN the contest for those same reasons, but why this? At least send a GOOD ballad! Y'know, those exist! I mean, look at the Finnish entry - That's even slower, and yet it still manages to be INTERESTING! *sigh* ....I'm sorry....Like I said, I know this song is harmless, but for the life of me I cannot find a SINGLE thing about it that I like. I don't care if the singer's good! The song sucks! It's boring as sin! I don't care if it's not in English! It's boring as sin! Every time it comes on, it kills the mood. So good for you, Portugal - for the first time in years, one of your entries finally got an emotional reaction out of me. But in the worst possible way Prediction: And you know what annoys me? Apparently people like this song. Apparently people LOVE this song, in fact. So much that it made it to FOURTH PLACE in the betting odds. THIS SONG made people wanna bet on PORTUGAL winning Eurovision - Portugal, who are one of the most unlucky countries in the contest's history. WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY!? All signs are pointing to them qualifying, and UGH it sucks! Chances are, it's gonna be at the expense of a song I like! I wish I could predict that it'll come dead last in the semi like it deserves, but I know it won't....I want it outta the final so much...I guess the next best thing is that all my favorites in the first semi still qualify, and that'll cancel out my disappointment....

Song: Yodel It! Country: Romania Thoughts: Romania returns with a silly song that's impossible to hate! When I first heard it, I laughed, but I was also worried that it would get old after a while (due to all the yodeling). But it didn't! In fact, this is a song that SHOULD be annoying - I mean, it's half rap, and half yodeling. Sounds like a horrible combination, right? Well, it's unexpected just how well it flows! And it's just so HAPPY...It's far from a favorite, but I'm happy it exists. What would Eurovision be without a song like this? When it comes to silly Romanian Eurovision entries, I'll take this over Cezar any day Prediction: It's Romania, so it'll qualify. I have zero problems with this. It's one of the more popular songs, I've yet to see hate for it, but I can see the juries not caring for it, so it won't place VERY high in the final

Song: Spirit Of The Night Country: San Marino Thoughts: So, Valentina Monetta has returned. I was never a major fan of hers. "Crisalide" was my favorite of her three previous entries. Good song, but I remember finding it overrated during the 2013 contest. So, I wasn't super excited to listen to this new song.....And DANG did it pleasantly surprise me! This is the CATCHIEST song this year (aside from Moldova's)! I have no idea who the man is, but he apparently compliments Valentina very well. This is BY FAR my favorite Sanmarinese entry yet, and it saddens me how underrated this song is. I was THIS close to putting this in my top seven, but it lacks the forceful vocals I love about a lot of my favorites. So, eighth place it is! Prediction: Not gonna qualify. Like....done. And it SUCKS, because the one time San Marino qualified, it was with an incredibly boring song, and the fact that THAT made it and this won't....ugh. MAYBE I'll be surprised, maybe it'll get some love, but I highly doubt it. Especially when it's in the stronger semifinal. Ah well....at least I'll get to enjoy it once....

Song: In Too Deep Country: Serbia Thoughts: Like Iceland's song, this song takes until the chorus to grab me. To me, the highlight here is the lyrics. I'm just a pure sucker for songs like this...I absolutely LOVED Armenia's "LoveWave" from last year, and this song may not be a fraction as good as that, but it'll do! Music-wise, it's fine, but the lyrics are what keep me from forgetting about it. I-I dunno what else to say here! Prediction: Could go either way, but I'm betting it'll qualify, because Serbia usually do. No one's really talking about it, but I'd still call it a strong entry.

Song: On My Way Country: Slovenia Thoughts: This is a fine song. I like it. What keeps it from being boring is the drums. It's not a stand-out entry, but I do like whenever it comes on. But at the same time, it's also not very interesting, and I can see people tiring of it. It's good background music Prediction: It's very close to being dead last in the betting odds, so if it qualifies, I would be quite surprised. It'd be quite the underdog, but I don't think it'll happen. Not that I don't like it, but there are many songs that stand out more

Song: Do It For Your Lover Country: Spain Thoughts: .....It's "The Lazy Song". It's the flipping "Lazy Song". Don't try to argue with me on this. It's, like....EXACTLY the same. Well, except this one is partially in Spanish. I thought it would grow on me, and I guess it did a LITTLE, but then I happened to hear it one day right after rewatching an old review of "The Lazy Song", noticed the similarities, and my view on it was tainted forever. XD Don't get me wrong, I don't dislike this song. I'm not gonna act like it outright annoys me. I'm simply indifferent to it. And how fitting how similar it is to "The Lazy Song", because, well....it IS a lazy song! It's like the bare minimum required to be a Eurovision entry. “Cute” guy, simple tune that sounds like it's been done before, and lyrics that are, let's be honest, repetitive. Do it for your lover, do it for your lover, clap your hands and do it for your lover, do it for your lover, do it for your lover. JUST DO IT, JUST DO IT FOR YOUR LOVER ALREADY!! No, SHUT UP, what if I don't wanna!? Wait, what AM I doing for my lover anyway!? XD Prediction: Sorry for anyone out there who likes this song (I can see some people finding it cute), but this is my pick for last. Or close to last. Depends on who qualifies from the semifinals....

Song: I Can't Go On Country: Sweden Thoughts: Welp! Sweden are at it again! They're back in my good graces after "If I Were Sorry" with this catchy tune! I can't go on~ I can't go on~ When this song keeps getting in my head! Heh, sorry....But I enjoy this song every time I hear it. Gotta love that combination of dancey and synthy. Have Sweden sent better songs in the past? HECK yeah. But this song is just fun fun fun. And unlike the Belgian entry, I can definitely see the appeal here and agree with the popularity. If Sweden were to win AGAIN, they'd tie Ireland's record of seven wins, which is interesting....well, for me. XD Part of me wants to rank this song higher, but fact is, there are many songs I enjoy more than this one. If this were a weaker year, this would've been top ten material for me Prediction: Everyone knows they're gonna qualify! But as for the question of "is this a potential winner"....I think it might be! While I think there are better songs, this is still a good solid energetic entry that I wouldn't mind winning as long as my ACTUAL favorites still do well. I mean, Sweden hosted a GREAT show last year....They really know what they're doing with Eurovision....Maybe going back there would be a good choice!

Song: Apollo Country: Switzerland Thoughts: This is another song that I wish I could like more. It's a really good song with a great singer, but here's the thing: I'd like it more if I didn't have to compare it with the other songs. Because well....it's a lot like Denmark's entry. Which is one of my favorites. So, nearly every time this song comes on, I think "This is good, but I'd rather be listening to 'Where I Am' right now". Because well....that's pretty much the same thing, only better! They even have similar lyrics, both being about the singer worrying that her relationship with her partner is getting weaker and her not wanting it to. And, to me, the Danish song is just....MUCH stronger. It's more powerful and has an even better singer than this song does. Not to discredit this song at all, because I do like it, and it's great to see Switzerland sending a good song after having an off-year last year Prediction: It's in the same semifinal as Denmark, even! Though I doubt I'm the first one to notice the similarities, I'm not gonna base my prediction off of that because I KNOW there's people who HAVEN'T. It is a strong song. So, I'm gonna say this song has a chance at qualifying, but I won't be surprised if it doesn't. Maybe if it sounds good live?

Song: Time Country: Ukraine Thoughts: I didn't expect this to be as good as the last Eurovision entry called "Time", and I was right. The only rock song this year, it's....It's OK. There's nothing wrong with it. I will admit that the lyrics sound....improvised....It's kinda like the guy didn't have time to write lyrics, so he had to make them all up on the fly. "The song's called 'Time', so I'll just say the word 'time' a lot!" But I'm forgiving of that because it's VERY likely that English isn't a language that most Ukrainians are fluent in. XD What makes up for it is that admittedly awesome guitar solo, that is pretty much the entire reason I'm not indifferent to this song. I normally like rock music, and I don't mind it in Eurovision! I still love "Alter Ego" and "Midnight Gold"! But this one is just....missing something special. I can't explain it very well Prediction: Won't do too well, but I can't see it flopping either. So, around.....20th place?

Song: Never Give Up On You Country: United Kingdom Thoughts: Last year it was "you're not alone, we're in this together" and this year it's "I will never give up on you"....The UK really like this kind of song, don't they? Well, it seems like it....But anyway, this song is....fine. Just fine. It's sweet, it has good vocals, it has one specific part I like a lot ("The mountains CROOOOOooooOOoooossed!") but it's a bit outclassed compared to similar stuff. I still like it for what it is, but it doesn't do much to stand out. At least for me. A lot of people really love this song, and I can kinda see why Prediction: It's doing pretty well in terms of betting odds, but you know what other UK entry did well in that? "Children Of The Universe". And after seeing how that did, it's hard to make predictions for the UK. The televoters just don't care for them most of the time....Maybe this will be different, but like I said, this song doesn't stand out all that much. I can at least see them doing better than they did last year, though. That's my prediction. Better than last year

And with that, that's all the songs! As always, if you managed to read all of this, I'd tip my hat to you if I were wearing a hat. I love Eurovision, I love music, I've been holding back my opinions on these songs for a while and it's great to finally share my thoughts, yadda yadda yadda. Here's the most important part, my final rankings!

Favorites:

1. Netherlands 2. Cyprus 3. Estonia 4. Azerbaijan 5. Denmark 6. Greece 7. Iceland

Borderline Favorites:

8. San Marino 9. Italy 10. Armenia 11. Albania

Like:

12. Israel 13. Moldova 14. Sweden 15. Poland 16. Germany 17. Croatia 18. Norway 19. Austria 20. Hungary 21. France 22. Georgia 23. Serbia 24. Romania 25. Switzerland 26. Australia 27. Finland 28. Bulgaria 29. Macedonia 30. Montenegro 31. Ukraine 32. Latvia 33. Malta 34. UK 35. Slovenia 36. Belarus 37. Lithuania

Indifferent:

38. Ireland 39. Spain 40. Czech Republic 41. Belgium

Dislike:

42. Portugal

#eurovision #opinions

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loveinthewriteway · 7 years

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#omg #this took me forever #i hope y'all enjoy! this definitely got me thinking more about this upcoming fic #ans #ans: sunshine #ans: zayn #woc fic #1dff #1d woc #zayn malik

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poetryofchrist · 4 years

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How to explain music

Satchmo is reported somewhere as saying, 'Man, if I gotta tell you that, you'll never know.' Well Satchmo, we have a problem. The music got lost, and the grammarians have been trying to explain it for 1000 years. What can we do? We have the text. We have the signs. People agree that these are hand signals. We have musicologists who have studied the signs, decoded their names and come up with explanations. We have tradition! And we have a language implying function: conjunctive, disjunctive, master, slave, hierarchy, and other terms like impositive, prepositive, and postpositive. These last three are a mystery. But there is no murderer yet. I am not going to redo the research of others. And I will try and refrain from too much criticism in this post. What I want to do is to take a piece of music and user these terms to explain it, then use musical terms to interpret the explanation. Here is the piece. How about Psalm 3. Here it is two musical lines at a time.

מִזְמ֥וֹר לְדָוִ֑ד

בְּ֝בָרְח֗וֹ מִפְּנֵ֤י ׀ אַבְשָׁל֬וֹם בְּנֽוֹ

The music using the names of the accents is based on the a selection of the signs over and under the Hebrew text. We will do verse 1 and then dispense with this language since it is difficult to fathom and remember:

under the second syllable of mizmor, a psalm מ֥וֹר is the merkha, a line from the lower left to the upper right under the mem.

under the second syllable of the second word (the vid וִ֑ד of David) is the atnach an upside down v.

the next word (when he ran away) has two accents over the text, a revia following a geresh, a very common double sign in the three books at the beginning of the second half of a verse, called revia mugrash.

the following word (from the face of) has a little greater than sign under the last syllable נֵ֤י called a mahpakh.

The next word Absalom, has a sign called illuy, a little angle bracket, above its last syllable ל֬וֹם

The last word, has a short vertical stroke under the nun, a silluq. Also called sof pasuq. Metheg has the same shape and the same Unicode character but has nothing to do with the music. This is a fundamental coding error for Unicode.

The phrase may then be described as merkha (conjunctive), atnach (disjunctive), revia mugrash, mapakh, illuy, silluq (disjunctive). These signs form a hierarchy. The emperors (atnach and silluq) govern the others.

How would you describe this musical phrase? The first half leads to the subdominant from the tonic. It is a phrase that can be sung as one, much as it is said as one, A psalm of David. The subdominant is a resting point. The singer may breathe and reflect on what has been sung. The rest of the phrase moves from the rest back to the tonic. Again it is sung in one breath. The sign that looks like a full vertical stroke is not part of the music.

There is no specified starting note, so the tonic is assumed, the note that is signaled by silluq.

Now let's put that into English musical abbreviations.

The shape of the verse is e f# ^A ger-rev,C ill,e 5

The opening e is implied, the f# is merkha, the A is atnach, the ger-rev is an ornament, interpreted as a turn of sorts, the C is mapakh, the ill is an ornament, interpreted as the drop of a fourth, the e is silluq. I have retained the Hebrew names for the ornaments.

The 5 indicates that there are 5 occurrences of this sequence of accents in the whole of the Hebrew Bible, 23 thousand and a few verses. The number following the list indicates the frequency of the sequence.

To summarize,

The accents below the text determine the current reciting note.

The accents above the text are ornaments relative to the current reciting note.

Every verse comes to an end on the tonic and begins on the tonic unless there is a defining accent on the first syllable.

An accent always applies to the syllable it is attached to.

Look at verse 2 above: g e B ^A ger-rev,f# e 7

The first note of the verse is g because of the tifha under the text. If one reads the text: Yahweh, how multiplied my straits! Many arise over me, one sees that there is a need for a slight pause after the invocation of Adonai. A singer can figure this out. There is no need for the accent to do it. Yet the silluq is appropriate and the resulting leap of the 5th to a B via the munah (same angle as the illuy but illuy is above the text) and thence to the atenach, A, where we rest again, gives a suitable shape to the question. Note that the silluq here has no pausal value. It is not an emperor but just another note in the phrase.

Psalms 3: 3-4

verse 3 e zar,d ole,f# C e shl,ill,e ill,e 1

רַבִּים֮ אֹמְרִ֪ים לְנַ֫פְשִׁ֥י

אֵ֤ין יְֽשׁוּעָ֓תָה לּ֬וֹ בֵֽאלֹהִ֬ים סֶֽלָה

Many say of me, There is no salvation for him in God. Selah. Perhaps you would rephrase my too terse translation to 'There be many who say of my soul.' That would give you more syllables to match the Hebrew. This is a verse in two sections without the use of an atnach. The first section ends on the cadence on the supertonic f#. This is the same f#, same accent as in verse 1 but it is preceded by the ole (unique to the three books) and prepared in this case by a zarqa (turn) as Burns has taught us to observe. A zarqa or a revia (a mordent) may prepare an ole, and each can be used on its own as well. The second phrase moves from C back to the tonic with a number of accents ornamenting the descent from the C (signaled by the same accent that signaled it in verse 1). Note that both g's in the descent are not changes in reciting note, but repetition of the illuy. Note also that there are spurious e's in my abbreviated text. These are not silluq but pronunciation assists. My program has fuzzy logic to distinguish silluq from metheg. (I am glad to see it worked here. The vocal line would be the poorer by changing the reciting note to an e.) Note that verse 3 is unique in its work. But verse 4 has 68 verses with the same form. verse 4 e B g B ^A ger-rev,f# e 68 But you, Yahweh, a shield about me, my glory, and lifting high my head. I think verse 4 is pretty straightforward. We move from silluq, our starting position via a number of accents, none of which is primarily conjunctive or disjunctive - I expect we can discard this language now - to the atnach, a rest point. Then we have the common revia-mugrash on the rest note, then a smooth movement back to the tonic.

Psalms 3: 5-6

Verse 5 g B ^A e pas,g B e 2 My voice, to Yahweh I call, and he answers me from his holy hill. Selah. This verse starts again with an accent that sets the reciting note before any voice is heard. This may be simply that the word is accented on the first syllable and no upbeat is required. It often signifies, however, that the verse is connected to the prior verse. There are many possible reasons for such a connection as I have noted in other posts. Again, the verse is in two parts to the rest on the subdominant A. And returning with a recitation on the rest note back to the tonic by way of B (munah, same note, same accent, no surprises). Verse 6 e f# rev,e ole,f# ^A g B e 1 I lie down and I sleep. I awake, for Yahweh supports me. This verse is in three parts. Note the cadence on the second syllable of shanah. Without the recognition of this cadence, we would lose the gap between I sleep and I awake. The second phrase is one word. The return via a phrase similar to verse 5 expresses confidence. There are no disjunctives or conjunctives here - simply musical lines and cadences. And they always fit admirably. I have looked at thousands of verses in detail. There is no conflict between their sense, their parallels, their grammar, and their music. The music is often surprising. Long melismas will not replace such consistent simplicity.

Psalms 3: 7-8a

Verse 7 e g f# ^A f# ger-rev,B e 2 I will not fear the multiplicity of people, that surround set over me. The post rest recitative is not on the rest note in verse 7 but on the f#. You can see that ornaments relative to the reciting note allow them to be much more expressive than ornaments at a fixed pitch. Verse 8 zar,C pas,zar,C rev,e B B ^A g B e 1 Arise Yahweh. Save me my God for you strike all my enemies on the cheek. The teeth of the wicked you break. The pashta and revia expect a pause as part of the ornament. It comes out of the music and its match to the words. The zarqa is disjunctive in this usage only as it applies to the whole word and not to the syllable it is on. Hence the words prepositive, postpositive, and impositive. Singers do not need to be told that there could be a pause between Arise and Yahweh. A slight pause, not necessarily a breath. It's in the music. Have we solved the mystery? Not all of it, but we can certainly incarcerate those words. Verse 9 e f# ^A e g B e 11 Of Yahweh is the salvation. On your people your blessing. Selah.

Psalms 3: 8b-9

Why do some ornaments only occur in some places? Why are phrases shaped the way they are shaped?

They fit the words well. They conform to the grammatical expression without needing to be explained. The music of a trained cantor will express both sense and tone of voice.

I think it is curious that the cadence on the supertonic (f#) is prepared by revia or zarqa. Perhaps this is why they are used: to let the singer manage the pace and warn the listener. There are many other usages of the ornaments in the vocal line. Sometimes they highlight specific words in a passage. One simply has to study examples and perform them to be alerted to them. In the Psalms, the music is often used to show the strophic structure of a whole Psalm. These shapes are really made clear using Haïk-Vantoura's key.

As William Byrd once said, Since singing is so good a thing, I think that all should learn to sing.

And to read music. And to sing with the spirit and the understanding also.

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#IFTTT #Blogger

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desertislandcloud · 5 years

Audio

Life isn’t about simply taking risks. It’s really about choosing the right risk. You could say that pop singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Johnny Stimson chose rather wisely.

After landing high-profile syncs on The Vampire Diaries and Trophy Wife and building a growing following, the Dallas native urged a European booking agent to get him a show in London. He had a gut feeling something would happen in the wake of it, so he went across the pond for the gig. The next day, he got a rather unexpected, yet extremely welcome call. Stimson reveals, “Someone at the show knew Elton John, told him about my music, and Elton called me the next morning,” he smiles. “In the following months we built this incredible partnership. I recognized the importance of taking risks, because it was the only way I would’ve been able to do this.”

Drawing from influences as diverse as The Beatles, Tom Misch, Sam Cooke, and Frank Ocean, Stimson brings a distinct sense of soul to pop music—not only through his silk-smooth vocals, but also through his impressive skills on each piano, guitar, and bass. Stimson fuses funk-fuelled soundscapes with soulful R&B rasp and leaned-back grooves, creating and maintaining an irresistibility throughout his music. Inspired by interesting chords and theoretical elements, Stimson's releases mix the organic with the electronic. He confides, "I want to continue to have sonic variety in my music, but to have common thematic and musical ideas that help the songs work together to tell a complete story”.

Leading single ‘Flower’ highlights Stimson's desire to use songwriting as a tool to journal his life and own emotions, including appreciation and being thankful for life’s journey. Thematically the single narrates that moment in time when you know something is so perfect and you just want to pause time and live in that moment for a while. “The most precious moments are here and gone in a little blink”, expresses the songwriter, "I got to surprise my wife at home for Thanksgiving for a couple days and it was the sweetest time, but it flew by and I had to head back out on tour. It reminded me of those flowers that only bloom for a little while. It’s so beautiful to get that time, but it’s so hard to let it go”. Featuring velvety vocals, romantic lyricism and smokey instrumentation, the single is sure to tug at your heart strings. With simplistic instrumentation, ‘Flower' is a clear indication that sometimes less can be more.

Stimson’s second release ‘Vacation’ details the relatable feeling of wanting to take a break from all the responsibilities that come with growing up. Showcasing Stimson's vocal ability, with his stunning falsetto gliding gently atop the bassline and slick jazz infused guitars reminiscent of Tom Misch, the euphoric track oozes a warm, sun-soaked vibe.

Stimson has seen success with his single ‘Holding On’ garnering the title of most Shazam’ed song by an unsigned artist in the UK, as well as reaching Top 40 in the UK’s iTunes charts. Last year, his single “Honeymoon” went viral in Indonesia and landed in #2 spot on iTunes. He has topped the Spotify Viral 50 charts in ten countries, accumulated over twenty five million hits on Spotify alone and received acclaim from publications such as Idolator, Refinery29, MTV Buzzworthy, Nylon, GRAMMY.com, and more. Having toured with the likes of SoMo and Tori Kelly, as well as headlining his own shows across Asia, Stimson is ready to continue the next chapter of his musical career.

Links instagram.com/johnnystimson facebook.com/johnnystimson twitter.com/johnnystimson

#SoundCloud #music #Johnny Stimson #johnny #stimson #vacation #honeymoon

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diegoalvarado26 · 6 years

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Battles’ Mirrored

It might be early to consider an album that is only 10 years old to be a classic, but Mirrored enjoys its own effort as one of the most influential albums in the still young math rock genre.

Battles is a New York ensemble formed by John Stanier, Ian Williams, Dave Konopka and, Tyondai Braxton (though this last member left the band soon after the release of their debut). Some of them are former members of already acclaimed bands. John Stanier comes from the Helmet, a prog rock band with noteworthy features; Ian Williams comes from the excellent band Don Caballero which released two remarkable albums under its wing: Don Caballero 2 and What Burns Never Returns. Having released several EPs throughout the early 2000s, Battles debuted with Mirrored, a playful, almost childlike album that turned the math rock scenery upside down.

As a genre, math rock hadn’t a clear direction. At first it realy depended on post rock: band such as Slint and Godspeed You! Black Emperor had given the genre a mold in which to craft its songs. But with the “death” of post-rock, the genre had no head or tail. It was in this scenario that several experimental acts began to arise in the Unites States and Brittain. Still, this bands’ sound was very reminescent of post-rock (specially of Slint’s Spiderland), to the point of almost feeling identical.

From within Battles’ EPs, a new texture to the genre could already be felt. B+T from EP C / B EP, for instance, presenteda feature that Battles worked (and still works) with: “controlled progression”. If bands such as King Crimson or Godspeed You! went absolutely berzerk and unpredictable on their songs, Battles was more like a werewolf: it can heavily twist and play with its sound, but it will always go back to normality, it will find find a path in its disorder.

In Mirrored, Battles gave shape to the sound they developed on their previous EPs and gave birth to a set of 11 songs which cohesively flow into each other. I would even go on to call Mirrored a concept album: though lacking in lyrics and thematics, there certainly is a feeling of continuity, with the open and end tracks, Race: In and Race: Out. This feeling of continuity is also complemented by the artwork: a workspace enclosed within mirrors. Though sound can be “reflected” in the mirrors, it can’t escape them.

Since the opening track, Battles leaves clear the direction it wants to take. In Race: In, Battles telling that Mirrored will be a journey. John Stanier’s punctual and precise drumming, along with a very shy whistling of Tyondai Baxton’s synthetizers greets the listener, before plunging into a neural network of sounds and parametrized experimentation. About halfway through the song, Braxton’s vocals make their first appereance, but very unorthodoxically. In Mirrored, Braxton lends its vocals in the form of screams, hums and very, very distorted babble. Once introduced, his vocals repeat throughout the song and peak with an increment in pitch at the end. This first track gives a refreshing welcoming into an unconventional math rock album.

The second track, Atlas, is probably Battles’ most popular. With parade-like drumming, this song features heavily distorted vocals form Tyondai. Towards the middle, the song comes to a stop, with nothing but Stanier’ drumming, and “reboots” its flow. Once again, it adventures into experimentation, this time coming from Konopka and William’s playful guitars, which at times alter between the left and right audio channels, forming a synergetic beat. Though quite catchy, Atlas feels repetitive at times.

After Atlas comes Diamondd. Every time i listen to this song i imagine a bunch of 3 years old playing in a playground with technologically enhanced toys: action figures that move by themselves, hovering bycicles, and gravity-free seesaws. This song is anxious, hyperactive, it is all over the place, and features childish synthetizers (which appear at, for instance, 1:08). Braxton’s vocals appear to be telling something, but its mesage is lost in distortion. Diamondd is the most extrovert track in Mirrored.

The repetitiveness of Atlas and playfulness of Diamondd contrast almost in every way with Tonto. Four very quiet notes, which ascend in cadence, open the song. Quickly after, Stanier’s drumming enters the picture, followed by Konopka’s synthetizers. All of this instruments mesh in an odd fashion, and, suddenly, the voice of Braxton comes up. But similarly to what happened in Race: Out, it isn’t singing per se, but rather him gasping and screaming. In theory it sounds weird, but in practice it fits the musical narrative neatly. Braxton’s vocals play with the main guitar riff, but quickly fade away and allow the song to progress. This progression leads to an unexpected, a’la Pink Floyd riff, which is also the climax of the song. After this, the song goes on to enter a (perhaps overextended) bridge, and finally comes back to the initial rythm (just like a werewolf), but this time it not only goes back to the initial cadence, it surpasses it, leaving a very slow rythm and introducing the final two notes of the song, which in the very same fashion of Race: In, ascend in pitch. Tonto is wild yet ordered, out there but at the same time controlled. It is the perfect example of what i meant with “controlled progression”. This track is definitely the first highlight of the album.

Leyendecker is formal. In it, Braxton’s vocals take the lead, while the rest of the band create a steady beat and feature a guitar effect that would go on to apepar on their sophomore album (but that’s another story). This track is simple in the way it is assembled. It is kind of like a rest after the heavy-headedness of Diamondd and the complexity of Tonto.

Already in the middle of Mirrored, comes two tracks that i feel need to be heard (and thus reviewed) back-to-back: Rainbow and Bad Trails.

On one side, Rainbow is the messiest track in the album: it goes many places and stays a very short time on them. This track can be separated into several parts (i like to think of them as “places”). (This part of the review is very metaphorical and subjective. You can skip it if you want). Firsly, there is a very long buildup for the arrival to the first “place”, which is “a carnival”: a fest of polyrythms, of catchy guitar riffs positioned one on top of another. However, this first “place” is very close to the second: a “clown show”. This two places juxtapose in the first part of Rainbow, which goes on for about 4 minutes. Then, a “dead-end” is reached, but the rythmical “narration” finds its way into the third and fourth “places”. The third place is inhabited entirely by Stanier’s drumming and Atlas-like synths, while in the fourth place lies Braxton’s vocals at their most clear (this is, with very little distortrion or modifications). This two places are vey close to each other, but unlike the first two, they are separated. First comes Stanier’s drumming, and then Braxton’s vocals, which lead the song to its end. At its core, Rainbow is Battles’ attempt at creating what i would catalogue as a narrative, which, again, goes to many odd-sounding, interesting places, which sometimes converge and sometimes diverge, and divert the listener’s expectations.

On the other side, Bad Trails is calmer, simpler. Its main synth beat goes on with it up until the very end. Sometimes, Braxton’s vocals emerge, and the synth beat gives it some space. However, Bad Trails’ thesis is synth-oriented, quite like Rainbow’s, but evidently gloomer, moodier.

In a sense, the title of these two tracks fits their look and feel neatly. While Rainbow is a celebration, a color-filled experiment, Bad Trails is a down-to-earth, rythmically easy tune.

After these, comes another the two shortest tracks on the album: Prismism and Snare Hanger.

With a length of less than a minute, Prismism is a pause. Its steady beat is very reminescent of the “Select a Character” screen in videogames. It is warning the listener that the journey that Race: In started is in its maturity stage.

Then, Snare Hanger comes, and it is the place where Stanier’s drumming shines. The coexistence between synths and guitar riffs is an aspect that Battles have already shown a mastery of, with virtually every track up until this point, and needless to say, Stanier’s unorthodox drumming makes for quite a ride. In Snare Hanger, they seem to take a approach that relies on randomness: there is no main melody in this song, and the start and end are not as denoted as in, say, Tonto. Quite in the fashion of Prismism, this track feedles with the sounds of videogame soudtracks. In my mind, this track could easily fit the Castlevania soundtrack.

The albums comes close to its end, and Tij appears on the tracklist. This track opens with a looped guitar that sounds like an engine heating up. Vibrant guitars, slightly different in tune, are placed one alongside the other. However, these looped guitars come full circle, and slow down until they meet a chopped, industrial beat, which feels like what’s left when a guitar is tuned. This beat then goes on a loop, and ends up being the rythm section of the song! On top of this beat, Stanier throws top notch drumming, and Braxton uses his voice in an (already familiar) way: it sounds like he is losing his breath to the rythm of Stanier’s drums, and to this melange of sounds Konopka’s guitar riff adheres, making an already interesting and consistent beat. However, this beat is quickyl dropped, and, in the fashion of Rainbow, Battles create a “place”. The best way in which i can describe it in (quasi-synesthetic) words is a very old marry-go-round in a futuristic festival, which is in a deteriorated state but somhow manages to work just fine. This is what Tij sounds like most of the time.There are some derails, of course: there is a section with an oriental flavour, which repeats some times in the song, and a sample of Braxton’s vocals that ascends in pitch. After exhaustively exploring the festival soundtrack, Tij goes in a different direction to end. To me, it is as if Battles had chosen a random section of any song of their past EPs, and decided to give it the parade-like sound Tij predominantly has. This section of the song feels strange, yet, in a way, adequate.

Finally, Race: Out ends Mirrored. A looped, synth-heavy melody leads the song, and Stanier’s drumming enters the scenery, again, incrementing its cadence until it reaches a balance, in which the nostalgic melody of Race: In kicks in, giving the album a sense of connectivity. However, the album ends with the looping and the juxtaposition of guitar riffs, which, in my opinion, is a flavorless way to end the album.

Hollistically, Mirrored is a reinvention of math rock. It disattaches the overwhelmingly notorious influence of post rock on the genre, and proposes innovative ways to move forward: making the guitars fuzzier, up to the point they can’t be differed from synths; making the drums a central piece of the tracks, not just the filler in the depth; using vocals in unconventional manners (after all, the genre demands for unorthodoxy). Indeed, some bands had played with these ideas before: Zach Hill’s Hella! tried something similar back in 2002. But Battles approached this idea in an accesible, friendly, playful manner. The use of insturmentation is abrasive yet gentle, childlike yet rythmically complex. With their debut album, Battles demonstrated the latent potential of math rock, and, up to a certain extent, constructed the path the genre would follow in later years.

Battles’ Mirrored.

8/10

#battles #mirrored

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bellatrixobsessed1 · 5 years

Text

Wrought Iron Machine (Part 22)

They are two weeks into the final month before Southern Air Sounds and Azula’s voice is still dreadfully hoarse and she knows that she is pushing herself. Still, she can’t cancel the show, it will only prove to Ozai that he is right, that she doesn’t have what it takes. She can’t imagine that her struggles are going unnoticed; for her last few shows she has done more of their cleaner songs. And for this one she is switching roles with Zuko entirely. Even this is hurting her sensitive throat. She finds it hard to hit and to hold notes. Still she keeps going, if there is one thing her father has done well for her, it is teaching her to carry on until the fight completely leaves her body...and then to push on regardless until the fight leaves her spirit too.

The man isn’t the crowd this time around and she thanks Agni for that. She knows that he can tell when she is having a hard time. She knows that he likes to exploit it almost as much as the tabloids do.

Such news outlets have already taken to addressing certain speculations. They have range from more optimistic theories; that Fire Of Agni is experimenting again, that they will be making an album where Zuko does the screaming and Azula takes the more elegant parts. To dismal ones that touch on the truth; that there is something wrong with Azula. More specifically that something is wrong with her voice. There are even more miserable theories that her voice has already been damaged beyond repair and that she is simply singing until she physically can no more.

She wishes that they would stop the speculation and just see how things unfold.

With every difficult note, Azula knows that her voice is deteriorating a little more. She doesn’t want to skip the encore, but when she places her microphone into its stand, she knows that she won’t be picking it up again to night.

Azula speaks to TyLee if for no other reason than to tester her own vocal strength. There is hardly any power in her words as she asks TyLee if she can sing her parts in the encore song.

TyLee gives a nervous nod and Azula can’t tell if it is attributed to concern for her girlfriend or stagefright grade jitters. She quietly assures TyLee that she will do fine and that, in the brief window wherein the audience is left hanging to build anticipation, that she will have their tech crew fashion TyLee an improvised microphone.

Somewhat anxious Azula speaks to the crowd, thanking them for attending and showing interest in Sun warrior culture. She bids them a good night. It all comes out in a rather unpleasant rasp and she is under the impression that the crowd knows that they won’t be getting a full-scale encore.

She waits behind stage for the rest of her band to continue their encore, filling the time with calling for an appointment with a doctor. Doctor Fing-Sho has an impeccable reputation with fellow musicians. The man has even worked with some of the legends such as the frontman of Wan Shi Tong’s Waltz.

Unfortunately he is booked through the better part of the week. It makes her nervous being so close to Southern Air Sounds. She books herself soonest appointment--a week from now and two weeks from Southern Air Sounds.

That is much too close for comfort. Still, the last thing she needs is to go to a shadier doctor and have her voice truly ravaged. At the very least, from the sound of it, she will be in esteemed hands.

.oOo.

Kuvira is dressed to the nines. She had been anyhow; currently she is slipping out of her heels, Baatar holding her steady as she does so; the baby bump and her altered center of gravity are taking some getting used to. She moves the pair of shoes out of the doorway and begins taking off her jewelry. She slips each piece into her coat pocket starting with the earrings and ending with the bracelet and necklace. She leaves a single ring on her finger.

The ring that Baatar had put there near the end of a rooftop dinner that had gone over well.

It had been a surprisingly sweet ordeal. Kuvira just wanted to talk things over in the loft, but Baatar insisted on a fancier place. She had wanted to question in, but decided against doing so and caved.

She supposes that it would have been lackluster to propose to her--for a second time--in her humble loft.

Mostly they had discussed matters of the band but with a sprinkle of personal issues. She hadn’t realized that she had made him feel insufficient and inadequate, like his ideas weren’t of substance. But Raava did she understand why he had been hurt when he had clarified. As far as Wrought Iron Machine went, directionally, at that point she was pretty open to anything and she guessed that, that alone made making amends less painful. He seemed to have so many ideas and she was willing to hear them out. It helped further that the food had satisfied a craving or two and that Baatar had requested one of her favorite songs to dine to.

All in all, the only hiccup in their night had been the flashing of cameras. She had decided to let it go, under the impression that it was probably a good thing to let the public know that they were working things out.

Kuvira undresses and puts on something more comfortable before joining Baatar on the sofa. The man offers her a glass of wine. It amuses her how painfully oblivious he can be. She denies the glass and notes the look of disappointment on his face. She will clear that up in a moment.

“You said that you had something else to tell me.” Baatar notes once the disappointment subsides.

Kuvira nods. “Yes.” She pauses. “I am glad that you came back.”

“I think that you’ve said that already.” He sips his own wind. “Several times.”

“Yes, well…” She trails off. “It is hard to raise a child and manage a band on your own.”

She is glad that it took him a moment to process what she’d just said, lest he choke on his drink. “Good thing we don’t have a kid.” He laughs awkwardly.

Kuvira raises a brow. “Not yet.” She lifts her pajama top some.

For a relatively short span of time Baatar simply takes to staring at the bump she holds her hand to. After coming to conclude that he isn’t just teasing him he cups his hand over hers and gives her the kind kiss she has missed.

It suddenly seems so ridiculous that she had almost let the man go over a matter so trivial.

She lets him lean against her as they had done so many times before. Much to the annoyance of Gazahn they fell asleep on the sofa, leaving him unable to sit upon it and watch his favorite movers.

.oOo.

Azula rigidly sits in the doctor’s office. Zuko sits across the room with Mai and TyLee is next to her, gripping her hand. Fing-Sho enters with a simple greeting. After introductions are aside he begins with a standard check up. Save for her beaten voice, she is in good condition, not that she had expected any different.

It isn’t until his hands, coated in spirit-vine sap, feel her throat that concern flashes across his face. He is quiet for a moment. “Do you want…”

“I want you to get straight to the point.” Azula cuts in. She doesn’t mean to be rude, yet she needs to know what she is dealing with.

“If the spirit vines have painted the right picture, I believe that you have a cyst on your vocal cords.”

Azula swallows, she can feel tears welling behind her eyes. Logic tells her to ask how it is possible. But she already knows. She knows that she hasn’t quite taken care of her voice. “Can you fix it?” She asks instead.

“I believe so.” He smiles.

It is a relief to hear.

“It will take surgery followed by some vocal therapy.”

“When can you perform the operation?” Zuko asks for her.

Fing-Sho peers at his clipboard and then back up at Azula. “I will place an order for the proper equipment, it should arrive anywhere from two to three weeks from now--most likely three, if you want the best quality equipment--we can begin then.”

The tearful pressure behind her eyes intensifies. Two weeks would land her an appointment during Southern Air Sounds. Three would allow for the competition to pass with her voice still in disrepair. She swallows again.

“Until then, I recommend that you refrain from speaking more than necessary. Don’t put any excess strain on your vocal cords or you might do some permanent damage.”

At this Azula’s throat runs dry.

How can they have come so far only to lose their opportunity at the last minute?

.oOo.

It is a controlled chaos that they have created. A strange blend of brass and classical string instruments with a dash of modern guitars.

They don’t have the luxury of traveling far and wide so they look closer to home. They have happened upon an abandoned and tattered theater and that is strangely perfect for the new, new sound.

It is a jarring blend of orchestra and jazz, sweeping from one genre to the next and sometimes all at once. Hectic and frenzied like the turmoil of having to switch sounds. Such is the nature of their lyrics. The disorientation of trying something new. The fear behind the risk.

The darkness of the theater dusty cobwebbed theater seems to highlight what it means to go in blind. A ray of sunlight filters in through the cracked window. Dust motes sparkle within it, casting an effect that would be pleasant for their music mover.

The sunlight also puts a glimmer on the collar of Kuvira’s dress. She wears a deep green gown that hugs tightly to her figure. She knows that the public will discover her pregnancy on their own so she may as well just make it apparent in her music mover. Next to her, Baatar has himself dressed in a velvet dress coat with copper buttons and a brown top hat. His task is to conduct the orchestra as she sings.

A little over four months along, Kuvira has to take breaks more frequently, with the baby starting to kick and shift with more energy. She seats herself in one of the dusty velvet cushioned chairs. She fixes her gaze to stare out of the window. She is beginning to worry that they still won’t be able to perform at Southern Air Sounds; on occasions the baby will shift in just the wrong way, leaving her short of breath. She supposes that she’ll only have to get through three songs; two old and one new. Even so, by the time Southern Air Sounds rolled around, she will find herself nearly five months pregnant; she can’t imagine that, that will make it any easier.

The rest of her band is mercifully patient as she waits for the ache in her back to pass. Ghazan in particular seems to enjoy being able to take frequent breaks. Baatar ends his conversation with P’Li and comes to stand beside Kuvira. “Orange?” He offers, handing her the fruit. He also hands her a bottle of water. She decides that she will put an end to her break as soon as she is through with the orange. Baatar offers her shoulders a gentle massage.

She is glad to have the man back. Raava knew she couldn’t handle this one on her own. She supposes that she can if she has to, but she certainly doesn’t want to. She stands back up, ready to resume the filming process.

Despite the physical setbacks, filming is easier this time around, more comfortable in a sense. For one, she doesn’t have sand coating every part of her body. For another she feels as though the music and the mover themselves are on par with past works. It gives her a sense of ease to know that Baatar’s vocals are complementing hers once more. That the fandom will enjoy the reunion. That they are looking forward to their redemption music mover.

She still finds it hard to believe that they will manage to finish this video and song in such a timely manner and with almost a whole week to spare.

#Avatar #Legend Of Korra #Kuvira #Azula #Baatar Jr #Zuko #P'Li #TyLee #Ming-Hua #Ghazan #Fanfiction

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tinymixtapes · 7 years

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Interview: Mega Bog

Mega Bog is an exciting band/project headed by Erin Birgy. Their latest album Happy Together (released through Nicey Music in February 2017) is a labyrinthian DIY-pop exploration of violence, social spaces, and lived experiences. I connected with Birgy over Messenger after they shared my review of the album specifically highlighting a comparison to Iggy Pop (the post gleamed, “a childhood dream to be in psychological momentum ranks with Iggy Pop…”). Birgy later tells me that Iggy once provided something like an early model of self-liberation for them, however differing each’s mode of navigation is at times. After a few messages back and forth and the suggestion of an interview, Birgy emails me an unreleased track (file name: Truth In the Wild.mp3). With it, they state: “I do have a new record I’m wrapping up now and shopping around. It’s my fav so far. Only a couple songs with rough mixes, but here is one!” The track’s style is cozy but incredibly novel-sounding, expanding on the experiments in form, arrangement, and vocal phrasing that Happy Together laid out. Floating above a picked-apart Jobim/Gilberto-esque bossa, Birgy loosely, repeatedly, and earnestly declares, “Never smother that mystical song that rests deep inside you/ Alone, stupid scorpion/ I wanna play with the one I love/ I wanna be with the one I love.” Here, as in our conversation — held in their friend’s backyard in Glendale, California — Birgy comes off as knowing and clear, all the while suspended in a state of query, a singer of the mystical song. We spoke days before Mega Bog’s recent tour with Hand Habits. --- What’s the band for the tour? Matt [Bachmann] and Derek [Baron] who also live in New York. Matt plays in Big Eater and he lived in Seattle for a little bit, maybe four years ago. He started playing in Mega Bog there but then when he moved he was just kind of out of the band… But then also he hooked me up with a lot of stuff when I moved out there and a lot of friends and Derek was one of them. And Meg Duffy who plays guitar and tours as Hand Habits, but we’re playing as her band as well. Also Will Murdoch. […] It’ll be good. I want to talk about Happy Together a bit. You also sent me a new track that’s so good. Oh yeah. [laughs] I love that track. So do you have a whole new record together? Yeah, we did that in a place I was living in upstate New York called Outlier. James [Krivchenia] came up and — well he and I were both living there last summer — and he came up and engineered it with most of these people. Will [Murdoch] wasn’t there, Aaron Otheim (from Heatwarmer) came over, and my friend Ash from Athens, Georgia, came up. It was really funny. It was amazing, it was the first time we’ve done pure studio-vacation vibe. So how long did you spend on it? It was just a week, but I lived there for three months before so I was writing it all and demo-ing it in the meantime. Yeah, it sparked something in my mind that I wanted to talk about with Happy Together as well. The looseness of it feels like a lot of 60s and 70s home recordings, or bands that I associate with that sort of thing. I don’t know, some Nico stuff or also—I know you’ve done a Kevin Ayers cover—it kind of reminds me of that�� It has this level of looseness but high creativity in production. Yeah totally, I feel like those are people I look up to because music is their main thing but then there’s some sort of silliness in self-preservation like, “We’re just gonna do a live band, we’re not gonna think about it a lot, we’re just gonna go do it.” I think about it a lot — and I’m sure they did too — but instead of a lot of at-the-board adjustments its just, “Throw it out there we’ll just keep that, that’s the original feeling and I’m not gonna feel terrible about it.” It’s a very live album, the new one. Happy Together by Mega Bog Happy Together? No, whatever’s coming next, I’m not sure what I’m gonna call it. Yeah, I’m excited to hear. I think that’s an interesting way to put it because I think there’s a certain niche in DIY right now that is based on these home recording projects that capture that energy of — exactly what you said — this ultimate seriousness toward music but also the knowledge that it’s a little silly. Yeah, I feel like moving to New York I’ve met a lot of people who really industrialize themselves and really stress about it for a financial move, so if it’s not viable in terms of capital or if the record doesn’t do well then they’ll have a lot of spiritual hardships. I think about that a lot but I also don’t want to buy it completely… or at all really. I’d really like to outgrow all those systems of thinking and making music and art, so, yeah, it’s goofy [laughs]. Do you think that’s pretty different from Seattle? Not totally, I think Seattle would do it if they understood music money more. A lot of my friends wouldn’t. But it doesn’t have it’s own economy like New York City does, and we just kind of get tossed through a cycle over and over. Yeah, Seattle seems kind of punk because it’s more innocent in a lot of ways. But it’s becoming less so with a lot of money moving in. Some of it was: “We just gotta leave it; like it sounds cool now, we gotta leave it.” Some of it was like, “I gotta give up now or I’m going to ruin it.” Yeah, sure. And there’s people who know and experience a lot more of what I was just talking about and decide against it. Like, Will is so amazing, Zach [Burba] is so amazing, they do their own thing and they’ll do it no matter what happens. Yeah, I guess related to all that, how’d you get involved with Nicey Music down here [Los Angeles]? I met them on their, maybe it was their moving out-tour; Mega Bog just played a show with The Lentils and Grape Room in New York and that was the first show where I felt, “Wow this is music I love, I’m in New York City and I’m seeing music I love! I didn’t know I could go to a fun show!” And uh, I don’t know I think Peter just reached out because I made a post and said, “We’re looking for help, I don’t have the means to put out a record by myself,” and they were very excited and super helpful. Their stuff is so distinct, and yours came out with Jepeto Solutions too. And they’re the same sort of thing but a little less quirky, but that playfulness is still very present. It’s cool, yeah, Zach [Phillips] and Christina [Schneider] [both of Jepeto Solutions] were some of my first friends there and it was a very heartwarming friendship. That’s cool, yeah. And so Happy Together, you recorded in 2014? Is that right? Yeah I started then and then I finished in early 2016, so it took a really long time, there was a move in the middle of it and yeah I don’t know I was between… I hardly ever have a computer or I have a really broken one so it’s kind of hard to do dubs alone sometimes. Like right now, the record we just finished is close, but I can’t play with it at all because I don’t have a computer. So just a lot of that funny stuff, waiting around. Also the forced time between recording and tracking was really awesome because it was like, “Oh, this is not what I want the record to sound like, it’s gonna sound different even though I have these skeletal tracks.” The forced time was really good for it. In what way, the forced time? The forced time being, “I can’t work on this project right now.” I’m either on tour or moving or don’t have a computer or something like that, so then months would pass and it would make sense how a song should sound when before it was just, “Man, what am I doing?” [pauses] It’s a messy album. In a way; why do you say so? I feel like it was just, because it took so long to make and there was a lot of weird ambition that was… some of it was very intentional and some of it was: “We just gotta leave it; it sounds cool now, we gotta leave it.” Some of it was like, “I gotta give up now or I’m going to ruin it.” What moments feel like that for you? That song “Blackout.” I loved that song when I wrote it and then maybe two months later I hated it but it was already tracked and the vocals took maybe a year to finish, with maybe five different attempts, and you can kind of hear it. So I guess when you were writing it it felt… Did it feel less sincere to you or harder to revisit? Yeah, it felt harder to revisit. It was sincere in the moment when it was tracked, but that’s why it was so weird to do the vocals afterwards. Because it wasn’t the same moment and it wasn’t going to synch up, and I like how disorienting it is, but it’s still hard for me to get into that song. Interesting. And was it all recorded to tape? A lot of it was. So we recorded it in Anacortes at the Unknown Studio, and maybe eight tracks were all recorded to tape, but I did all of the vocals digital and a lot of the guitar stuff I did. And then just to get people who I want on the album on the album I’d just carry around a computer or recording console to wherever they were, so that stuff isn’t tape. I don’t know if it sounds like tape… to me. Kinda. It has that kind of smoothed-off sound. It is kind of smooth. Edges rounded. [laughs] Right. [laughs] I just think that’s also very interesting — just like you’re saying with this forced gap in time with the recording process — doing something to tape is also this very committed act. So it’s interesting how you’re working with this kind of constant dressing up of this initial energy. Yeah, it’s weird. It was funny because I started it maybe a month before I moved and thought, “Four days in the studio it’ll be great, it’ll be done, I have all the songs. It’s fine.” And it just did not happen that way. Then it was all with the engineer Nick [Wilbur], it was with him, so I just didn’t know what to do and I had so many conflicts with getting the files when I left, so it wasn’t as easy as just putting it on the hard drive and going. It’s funny, “Fwee” has so many overdubs, but we just did so much backwards guitar solos just lifting the tape over and over… So it’s a cool collage of different moments and people. Do you feel like this album you’re trying to step away from what you did on Happy Together? I don’t know. I think using the same band to do most of the tracking in that single period is going to be very different, all the circumstances are very different. There was a lot less confusion in the writing process. People were all together and on board and we did it in a single session. I don’t know if the songs are actually different. I think they are, they’re all very songwriter-y. And the experiments are mostly in the arrangements and not… goofing off alone with a keyboard. I noticed on the Bandcamp for Happy Together you had tagged Alice Notley, was that just a spur-of-the-moment throw-in-a-bandcamp-tag move or is it actually relevant to the album? No, it’s relevant. I was reading The Descent of Alette all through moving and — I toured out to New York, that’s how I got there — and that was just like my book that I took everywhere — even though I read it in a pretty small sitting, I read it over and over and yeah, I feel like it inhabits every part of the record. I don’t even know how to say it I guess. Just the writing, emphasis on certain phrases. Have you read that book? I’m either on tour or moving or don’t have a computer or something like that, so then months would pass and it would make sense how a song should sound when before it was just, “Man, what am I doing?” [pauses] It’s a messy album. No, I haven’t. It’s the one with the parentheses to give space between each word so you have to take a breath like sixteen times in one sentence and… it’s about a group of all women who are trapped in an underground subway and they don’t really remember how the got there and they vaguely remember that there’s daylight and something above the subway. But they just endlessly ride the subway, and they realize that there’s a tyrant — like, a single figure that they identify in the book — that is responsible for all of it. He sort of projects himself on images in the subway — it’s not their subway they’ve just been cast there. The main woman in the book sort of decides to confront the tyrant and goes on this quest, and the subway turns into a series of caves and tunnels that show her more parts about herself and more parts about the human situation and leads her through the bellies of different snakes and all this stuff. The environment is just morphing completely until she finds the sort of heart of the tyrant. It’s just a really visual, beautiful… I don’t know, I love it so much. Yeah, I can kind of imagine how that informed the album. You strike me as pretty literary in your influences, are there any other books or films that influenced Happy Together? Well, I feel like another direct influence in the same vein as that story in particular are some Almodóvar movies, especially that one What Have I Done To Deserve This?, and just that sentiment of extreme and brutal acts against a person and having to, I don’t know, almost hilariously overcome them with more brutality. And you know, who knows how extreme a situation is ever, but I just clung on to those pieces of work a lot through making it. Now I feel like I’m still clinging to certain texts but they’re kind of in a different realm. I read this book The City & the City, by China Miéville, and it’s sort of a sci-fi crime book… Anything that can portray and explain something that would disorient and be disorienting and sort of be inflicted on you, be inflicted on so many people, a story that can help you make sense of that or climb out is really fun. Or not even climb out, but just give words to it. Yeah, I’ve actually been reading through The Art of Cruelty by Maggie Nelson. Oh yeah. I just got into Maggie Nelson, she’s amazing. Yeah, she’s great. Yeah I think her way of dwelling in cruelty and violence, or even just extremity, and working the complexities of those things and the different gradations of what’s going on, it resonated with [Happy Together] for me. That’s awesome. Yeah, it’s something that gives the album a very interesting tone, is that kind of reflective capacity that you pulled out for it. Yeah, I don’t expect it to be really fun for just anybody to listen to but I think it’s… I really enjoy reading through people’s diaries or just notes, like when I read The Argonauts there’s footnotes everywhere, everything is just like a journal and quotes over and over. And, I mean, it is beautifully written just because it’s her and she’s a beautiful person, but I love that style. We’re not setting aside time — we talk about it as a band a lot — most of us don’t set aside time to just practice or really perfect a certain part of the craft or whatever we’re going for, we’re just kind of living whatever path it happens to be and it sort of materializes sometimes, and doesn’t sometimes. You really never know what the next step is. It’s easy in this sort of music situation when you’re like, “I’m recording an album,” then the album’s done and it’s released and then you do it again, but then sometimes you don’t record an album and you’re still working towards the goal of your existence. And I love her books because it just feels like that. Like, “Well yeah, I’ll put out a book all the time but I’m just writing and reading non-stop and feeling as I do that.” Mhmm. And so do you think of it as though you’re documenting your own experience? Kind of, especially Happy Together, it’s just like a scrapbook… of people and situations and how we got to the next point. Yeah, Maggie also associates her work with auto-theory which is like… I think she took the term from Beatriz Preciado [Paul Preciado], who did a book called Testo Junkie, wherein he — it’s kind of about an experimental transition in his life, so it’s penned as Beatriz but now his name is Paul. But after the death of a friend he started experimenting with whether or not he could get addicted to testosterone gel. Or just what the guide-less experimentation with testosterone gel in these ritualistic and manners could be like. Anyway, it’s described as a work of auto-theory, which is like forming a theory for greater concepts and contexts based on direct experiment on yourself. The line is, “I’m the molecule and the state, and I’m the laboratory rat and the scientific subject that conducts the research; I’m the residue of a biochemical process.” Yeah, that’s awesome. I wonder what you think of viewing your work in that context. Because I think that’s a way a lot of artists could benefit from viewing their work rather than thinking they’re serving something much larger. Yeah, for a long time most of my life I felt like I was supposed to be some sort of martyr, but I feel like a lot of people feel that. I don’t know actually, but a lot of people I talk to do. But when you were describing that I thought a lot about my time at Evergreen, which was a write-your-own-course style school. And I have no idea how many credits I ended up getting. I went for three years, but I probably only have a sophomore amount of credits — because I would just rewrite contracts and rewrite studies all the time. I had this thing that I thought was scientific and I tried to get it passed in the science department but they were like, “What are you doing? What is this?” And it was just all about dreaming in the light and how that’s supposed to create different dreams. And I had myself and my roommates set up to be part of this dream experiment where I would just change conditions really subtly as if I were some sort of pharmaceutical agency. But it was just in our house in a really scrappy manner. I don’t know, it was just really fun to be taking notes that probably meant nothing in the greater scheme… It helped me form really intense opinions about something that doesn’t mean a lot to anyone else. http://j.mp/2p9ANVF

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