#i do miss his more bastard version from earlier albums

[pebblesun]

i draw sweet 2D a lot, it's this smug ass' turn now lol

#gorillaz #stuart pot #2D #2d gorillaz #my art #i gotta say #i do miss his more bastard version from earlier albums #or tbh i know it's a common opinion but i just wish he had more aspects to his personality besides murdoc's airhead #love him to death either way 🤧❤💙

[eydi-andrius]

Don't Get Sad, Get Even

warnings: cussing, implied infidelity/cheating word count: 743 words summary: You and your House Dressed Up for Revenge. This fic is highly inspired by Taylor Swift's new song "Vigilante Shit" from her new album Midnights. Unedited fic cuz I just want to write it out. divider from @firefly-graphics

Aemond Targaryen has been called the younger version of his uncle Daemond Targeryen but more callous and reckless.

A foolish one-eyed fool, they said. His reputation precedes him — really. And everyone would agree that he was following his uncle’s footsteps heedfully. Aside from his bloodlust, he is also following him when it comes to marriage. The same way his uncle disregarded his bronze wife and claimed that the sheep were prettier to fuck.

He is treating me, his lady wife, the same worst way. But much more shameful, as he brought back a pregnant whore with him from Harrenhal. He never cleared the rumors that the child might possibly be his bastard.

And to add insult to the wound, he brought her to the private dinner which was supposed to be for the family of the King only.

The moment my house found out about what happened, they were seething and so was me.

Maybe —  it was now time to put the Targaryen men to their rightful place.

“Final tribute!” Your husband said as he raised his cup. He banged the table before standing up, taking everyone’s attention to him.

The tension in the air was palpable. You could almost taste it. His tribute came out as a shock as no one expected him to speak anymore, as giving tribute already ended earlier. 

However, contradicting some of the rumors, you knew your dear husband more than anyone in this room. 

Probably, even more than his mother.

The giggle Lucerys made while the pig was served in front of Aemond wasn’t missed by your sharp eye. 

You saw that the little chuckle wasn’t also missed by your prince and he gave his nephew a challenging stare which was not taken seriously by the young boy who continued to laugh.

“To the health of my nephews: Jace, Luke, and Joffrey. Each of them, handsome, wise...Strong.”

Before the blacks opened their mouths to protest, you also raised your cup and stood up. “And let’s also drain our cup, for the cooks who prepared this wonderful….pig. This is the best pig recipe I’ve ever tasted in my life. What a wonderful day it is to gather here and eat scrumptious meals, especially, this pig.” You said with confidence and a wide grin adorning your face.

You specifically said the word pig over and over to make an obvious point that he doesn’t have the right to be mad on this peaceful night. 

You are mad. You are furious.

And you will not let him get away from this. It was your honor that was tarnished. It was your house’s name on the line. Not consummating a wedding can be forgiven.

But what he did tonight will not be dismissed. He will pay for the shame and hatred. All of it.

Even without looking, you've heard Daemond’s boisterous laugh and Aegon’s snickers. The smile you gave them in return was nothing but polite.

In the corner of your eye, you can see the worried scowl adorning the Queen’s face, Princess Rhaenyra’s sigh and Otto’s exasperation while draining his own cup.

Meanwhile, your prince was still standing when you already decided to sit down. He was staring at you now with that cold eyes of his. 

As a final insult, you just tipped your goblet in his direction and drank it without stopping — without removing your eye contact with him.

Remember, you will pay.

You didn’t flinch when he threw his goblet to the ground and walked away from the hall. The lady, Alys, followed him obediently. Like a fool that she is for accepting an invitation that she shouldn’t be in, in the first place.

The Queen Alicient dismissed the servant who poured another wine on your goblet. “Do you really have to do that? With all of these people?” “My grace…… your son is just the second prince who has no land under his name. 

I am an heir.

So yes, if I have to make a point that I am no lady nor a house to be trampled upon, then I would. I will….

This…. will be the last time your son will bring forth shame to my house. 

I can end things as easily as this agreement started.

Remember that. My queen.”

You smiled and tipped your goblet before drinking its contents. This is just the start of the war Prince Aemond had started between you two. And may the strong house….wins.

#aemond targaryen #aemond targaryen x reader #prince aemond #aemond x you #aemond fic #drabble #hotd #hotd fanfic #hotd fic #house of the dragon aemond #ts10 midnights #vigilante shit #midnights

[sagehaleyofficial]

HERE’S WHAT YOU MISSED THIS WEEK (11.17-11.23.21):

NEW MUSIC:

Palaye Royale revealed the name of their upcoming album, titled Fever Dream. The album follows on from the release of their previous singles “Paranoid” and “No Love in LA.”

After celebrating 10 years of his debut solo album a few weeks ago, Busted’s Charlie Simpson announced the details of his new solo album Hope is a Drug. The album will be released on March 11, 2022 via Komorebi.

Ricky Himself returned with a new track titled “Parasocial” featuring Blink-182’s Mark Hoppus. The song is taken from his upcoming EP Poser, which is set for release on December 1.

jxdn performed a cover of Blink-182’s “Happy Holidays, You Bastard” for Spotify’s Singles Holiday Collection. The singer released his debut album Tell Me About Tomorrow earlier this year.

Like Pacific shared another track from their upcoming new album Control My Sanity titled “Waste of Breath.” The album is set to drop on December 3 via Pure Noise Records.

Silverstein released a brand new single titled “It’s Over.” The track follows on from previous single “Bankrupt,” which dropped a few months ago.

Underøath's Spencer Chamberlain revealed his new side-project, slo/tide, as well as dropped its debut single “Neck High.” His band is gearing up to release their newest album early next year.

The Faim released their latest single titled “Ease My Mind.” The song is the first new music from the band since the release of their debut album State of Mind back in 2019.

Bowling for Soup released a brand new single titled “Killin’ Em with Kindness.” The song follows on from previous track “Getting Old Sucks (But Everybody's Doing It),” released back in May.

I Don’t Know How but They Found Me released a cover of The Cure’s hit song “Boys Don’t Cry.” The cover is featured on the deluxe version of their album Razzmatazz.

PVRIS teamed up with Miyavi for the song “Snakes,” which appears on the soundtrack from the new Netflix show Arcane League of Legends. It follows on from “Burn It All Down,” which is the official theme song for this year's Worlds tournament.

TOUR ANNOUNCEMENTS:

The Wonder Years revealed they will be playing their albums The Upsides and Suburbia I've Given You All and Now I'm Nothing at Slam Dunk Festival next year. They’ll be playing the former at the North date and the latter at the South date.

My Chemical Romance’s Mikey Way joined Waterparks onstage during the Nashville stop of their headlining tour. The latter band will also be livestreaming their Houston and Los Angeles shows in the coming weeks.

Underøath will be performing their upcoming album Voyeurist through a cinematic concert experience titled “Digital Ghost.” The band’s new album will be released on January 14, 2022 via Fearless Records.

Grandson and Rage Against the Machine’s Tom Morello appeared on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon to perform their collab “Hold the Line” live. The former singer recently released a collab track with Kesha and Travis Barker.

The Maine released footage of them performing their songs “Black Butterflies & Déjà Vu” and “April 7th” live and acoustic. The latter song is featured on their newest album released earlier this summer.

Bullet For My Valentine, Beartooth, PVRIS, Motionless in White, Spiritbox, Nova Twins and Wargasm confirmed they will be playing Bring Me the Horizon’s Malta weekender next May. More bands are expected to be announced soon.

OTHER NEWS:

Machine Gun Kelly won the Favorite Rock Artist Award at Sunday’s American Music Awards, beating out AJR, All Time Low, Foo Fighters and Glass Animals. He used his acceptance speech to inspire those who may be considering taking up music.

The Offspring's 2000 album Conspiracy of One was certified Platinum in the United Kingdom. It's the third of the band's records to reach the milestone, joining Smash and Americana.

___

Check in next Tuesday for more “Posi Talk with Sage Haley”!

#sage haley #posi talk #palaye royale #underoath #idkhow #pvris #busted #my chemical romance #waterparks #bring me the horizon #machine gun kelly #ricky himself #jxdn #like pacific #silverstein #the faim #bowling for soup #the wonder years #grandson #rage against the machine #the maine #the offspring

[obtusemedia]

Top 25 songs of 2020: Honorable mentions

2020 was not a good year in many respects. But despite the world collapsing around us, there was a shocking amount of great new music.

Some of 2020′s best songs were a good fit for this terrifying year — we’ll get to those ones much, much later in the countdown. But 2020 also gave us gorgeous folk ballads, euphoric dance music and infectiously fun pop and hip-hop that had nothing to do with COVID-19 or any other awful aspects of the year.

Before we get to the proper list, here are 15 nearly-as-good songs that juuuust missed the cut, listed in alphabetical order by the artist’s name.

“Shimmy” by Aminé

Oregon’s most prominent rapper — okay, fine, Oregon’s only prominent rapper — came out of the gates blazing this year with “Shimmy.” 

Aminé may have heavily sampled Ol’ Dirty Bastard’s classic “Shimmy Shimmy Ya” on his second album’s leadoff single, but he replaces ODB’s chaotic vibes with a cold, snarling precision. He almost evokes Pusha T in his gleeful takedown of his rivals over the ice-cold beat. Pair this banger with one of the year’s best music videos, and there’s no doubt it would sneak onto this list.

“Dakiti” by Bad Bunny and Jhay Cortez

I am all about this nocturnal, new wave-y style of reggaeton. The melody is catchy as hell, yet the production has a sinister, chilly vibe that wouldn’t sound out of place on an Italians Do It Better complication. 

Megastar Bad Bunny’s husky vocals and Jhay Cortez’s more nasally voice make for a fun contrast as they trade verses. It’s a winning and charismatic combination!

“Boomer” by Bartees Strange

When you hear the phrase “rap-rock,” you’re likely shuddering at the thought of Limp Bizkit. But that style can work, as promising new artist Bartees Strange — stage name of D.C. alt-rocker Bartees Leon Cox — proves on “Boomer.”

Cox spices up a solid mall-punk banger with some rap verses. And unlike the Fred Dursts of the world, he can actually, you know, rap. 

But it’s the song’s explosive chorus, where Cox unleashes his howling vocals over charging guitars, where “Boomer” goes from an interesting song to a great one. If there’s any justice, he’ll be rising up the indie ranks very soon.

“Kyoto” by Phoebe Bridgers

I think I might be the only music nerd who didn’t adore Phoebe Bridgers’ new album, Punisher. For me, her mix of hushed, mostly-sincere singer-songwriter ballads with snarky lyrics just came off as tonally awkward. Her quips about Scientology and outlet malls in otherwise-sad ballads left a sour note for me.

But Bridgers’ unique songwriting style shines most on the few uptempo songs on Punisher, particularly “Kyoto.” Her goofy non sequiturs fit much better in a driving, anthemic song. And I’m immediately primed to enjoy any tune with a strong resemblance to Sufjan Stevens’ “Chicago.”

“Dynamite” by BTS

I’m not sure what it says about me that I didn’t learn to love BTS, the insanely-beloved South Korean boy band, until they finally recorded a song in English. 

It’s not that I dislike their earlier, Korean-language stuff — “Boy With Luv” in particular is a banger. And BTS’ English-language lyrics on “Dynamite” don’t really have any meaning (they’re basically just a bunch of random catchphrases jammed together ... but they do sound good).

But there’s something immediate and pristine about “Dynamite” that makes it impossible to not adore. It’s a little too cleanly produced to be on the level of the Bruno Mars hits BTS were clearly aping, but the sense of fun is infectious. At the very least, it’s on equal footing with Taio Cruz’s classic of the same name.

“Comeback” by Carly Rae Jepsen feat. Bleachers

Carly Rae Jepsen can knock out wistful synthpop nuggets like this in her sleep. So can Jack Antonoff, who produced the track and provides some backing vocals. 

But just because this isn’t anything new for the duo doesn’t mean the winning formula’s gone stale. “Comeback” is a worthy addition to both of their catalogues.

“Hollywood” by Car Seat Headrest

I can’t, in good conscience, put this song in the top 25. It’s an intentionally abrasive misfire from the Seattle indie rockers, who’ve done much better. Complaining about the vapidness and sleaziness of Hollywood is an overplayed topic, and letting side members of the band rap some of the verses (in goofy voices, no less) was maybe not the best call.

...but at the same time, there’s something to this objectively bad song that I keep returning to. Maybe it’s the embarrassing bluntness of the lyrics. Maybe it’s the forceful guitar riff. Maybe it’s because the aggro, visceral nature of “Hollywood” makes it a perfect workout song. Maybe it’s the goodwill left over from Car Seat Headrest’s last two albums, which were both stone-cold indie rock classics. I’m not sure! 

But even though I know it’s not a good enough song to make the proper list, I can’t lie to myself and leave it out of the honorable mentions. It’s a banger in spite of itself.

“24 Hours” by Georgia

"24 Hours” is the best possible version of a left-of-center synthpop club banger. 

What makes it great — the pulsating energy, Georgia’s yearning vocals, the “whoo!” vocal samples — are obvious on immediate listen. But perhaps what makes “24 Hours” worthy of this list is its replay factor. It came out in January, and it still sounds great 11 months later.

“1985″ by Freddie Gibbs and The Alchemist (song starts at 1:35)

We already knew — thanks to his two collaborative albums with Madlib — that Freddie Gibbs’ gruff flow sounds incredible over dusty samples. So why not team up with another producer who does something similar?

“1985″ is a prime example of knowing one’s strengths. The Alchemist’s production is stunningly gorgeous in his typical style, with a soaring guitar solo and a shuffling, dreamy beat. Gibbs pounces on it with the same ferocious street-life verses he’s been spitting for years. I’m glad to see Gibbs has figured out exactly which production sounds best for him to make Tiger King jokes and tell coke-dealing stories.

“Say Something” by Kylie Minogue

Aussie icon Kylie Minogue has been at it for 33 years at this point, reminding us every decade or so exactly why she’s stuck around.

“Say Something” is one of those reminder tracks — a burbling, irresistible, futuristic-yet-retro disco banger. The production is stellar, from the clanging guitar riff to the bouncy synth bass, and Minogue has a winking confidence on the track like she’s been doing this for decades (which, of course, she has). It’s exactly what you want out of a bubblegum pop jam.

“Right Round The Clock” by Sorry

With their very-British boy-girl dueling vocals, new London indie rock outfit Sorry definitely have more of a whiff of The xx. But instead of hyper-minimalist, whispered tunes, “Right Round The Clock” has a thundering, droll swagger that grabs you by the throat when the chorus comes slamming in.

The thumping, piano-based sound of “Clock” has a bit of a jazzy flair, thanks to the flecks of sax that pop in here and there. And Sorry interpolates Tears For Fears’ classic “Mad World” in a gloriously tongue-in-cheek way on the chorus (at the very least, it’s far superior to that awful gloom-and-doom Donnie Darko cover).

“Brooklyn Bridge To Chorus” by The Strokes

In a year FILLED with improbable comebacks from ‘00s and ‘90s artists (we’ll get some of to them in the top 25!), The Strokes may have been the least likely. The early ‘00s indie rock standard-bearers had been in sharp decline for nearly 15 years before their new album, The New Abnormal, dropped and the group returned to form.

“Brooklyn Bridge To Chorus” is a prime example of The Strokes’ invigorating comeback. It’s a killer new-wave jam that could’ve been been written by The Cars, with its jittery keyboards and impossibly catchy chorus. And of course, The Strokes’ most valuable asset — lead singer Julian Casablancas’ impossibly cool vocals — is here in full force. 

It���s not quite Is This It, but “Brooklyn Bridge To Chorus” is still The Strokes’ best song in 14 years.

“Spotlight” by Jessie Ware

After a career making increasingly dull ballads, “Spotlight,” and Ware’s new What’s Your Pleasure? album, is a refreshing change of pace into sleek dance-pop. 

I don’t know if “classy” has ever been used to describe disco, but that’s the best way to describe “Spotlight.” It’s undoubtably a dancefloor filler, with a funky groove and ‘70s string stabs, but there’s also a stateliness to it. It could fit equally well at Studio 54 as it would at a black-tie affair. I credit Ware with that, using her breathy vocals and charisma to strong effect here.

“Lilacs” by Waxahatchee

Any time you can write a song that sounds like an outtake from Tom Petty’s Wildflowers, I’m on board. 

That’s a bit of a reductive way to describe “Lilacs” — Katie Crutchfield’s vocals are much more fiery, for starters. But there’s something nostalgic and welcoming about this southern-fried folk-rock song with oblique lyrics and catchy hooks for days.

“Mood” by 24kGoldn feat. iann dior

Much of this new wave of emo-influenced rap isn’t really my thing. Maybe I’ve grown out of super-angsty and blunt songs about depression? Although I still love Smashing Pumpkins, so maybe that’s not the case. I can’t really answer why I don’t adore Juice WRLD or Lil Peep like so many others seem to.

But “Mood” — an unabashed sell-out, watered-down version of that sound – immediately clicked for me. I know 24kGoldn is trend-riding here, and that this is essentially a wildly shallow pop song. BUT! It’s a really catchy wildly shallow pop song! With bouncy pop-punk production that sounds like trap-ified Blink-182! (okay, it’s much better than that sounds, but you get the point)

I allow myself a guilty pleasure or two on my lists. “Mood” is one of those guilty pleasures this year. As the kids (presumably still?) say, it’s a vibe.

[robronanniversarycelebration]

Precious Time (fic to complement art)

to anna @illgetmerope, for the robron anniversary celebrations i really wanted to pay tribute to you as an amazing artist and thank you for your wonderful art. i wrote three short fics to work alongside three of your favourite art pieces. i hope i managed to do them justice because what i love best about your pieces is the intimacy, emotion and joy that you can feel through the screen. being that i’ve set this in the “now” universe, the fic does have a sad edge but i hope you’ll forgive me.

Precious Time

i.

(art inspiration)

Aaron’s out of breath, his wild heart thrashing under damp skin. He pulls Robert closer, until their foreheads bump and Robert’s fingers climb to the back of his neck. Aaron’s mouth falls ajar and he’s too aware of the sounds he’s making. Gasping. Desperate. Between them, their cocks touch, their hands stroke. Aaron feels like he just might collapse at the knees. Robert stops for a moment to kiss him, and murmur hotly: “I want you. God, I want you.”

The bedroom is dark, the only light from a leak of moonlight between the slats of the blinds and there’s something about the dim that makes everything closer, more intimate.

Robert pulls Aaron by the hips and runs his tongue and teeth against Aaron’s throat and Aaron’s fingers in Robert’s hair feel like a retaliation, tugging and teasing. Then by some magic Aaron has control again, and edges them over to the wall of the bedroom. Robert’s been away on a haulage trip and oh fuck he’s missed this, missed Robert’s body, the size and skill of his hands. There’s only so much memories and late night texts can do.

It’s stupid o’clock and Robert told him not to wait up but he had. He’d sprawled on the sofa, TV on low and pinching himself to stay awake. He’d failed. When he was next aware of his surroundings, Robert was home, creeping around the living room to cover Aaron in a blanket, but Aaron opened an eye and grabbed his wrist to stop him.

“I told you not to wait,” Robert said with such affection that Aaron pulled him down by the shirt collar for a kiss.

“I wanted to see you.”

After a kiss that was slow and sleepy, Robert pulled away and with suggestion in his voice said, “How tired are you?”  

Aaron leapt off the sofa and then they were upstairs, stark naked, kissing in a sleep-deprived trance. Real conversation could wait for the morning. Robert would ask about the yard, about Liv, and Aaron would hear the trials and tribulations of some complicated haulage route and queues in Dover.

Aaron’s so close to the edge now, but Robert knows him too well and holds back, toying with him. He tries to roll his hips, rub up against Robert, but it’s a game of cat and mouse, Robert wants to delay it. Robert presses his forehead harder against Aaron’s and lets deliberately loud moans cause goose-bumps to appear on Aaron’s skin. He lets sighs and groans morph into extended versions of Aaron’s own name. Other words blend into it too, words like: good, and yes, and, oh like that. Sometimes, Robert admitted to Aaron, he could get hard just by imagining Aaron jerking him off. That’s how good he was.

Aaron feels Robert sinking, aware that in some way they’re holding each other up. He leans some of his weight on Robert’s shoulder and in turn, Robert presses his nose and mouth into the crook of Aaron’s neck and whimpers. Aaron rolls his head to the side and whispers so Robert can hear, a strangled, urgent cry: “I’m gonna come.”

*

ii.

(art inspiration)

There’s a moment where they share the same breath, where neither of them feel like separate people. Aaron loses the second syllable of Robert’s name down the back of his throat and runs his hands over Robert’s chest, transferring heat to all the peaks and shallows of his body. His hands come to a natural fit around his waist that once might have felt like possession but now is just home. Comfort.

What had it been? An argument, a fight. Something quick and hot-tempered, an explosion of shouting, and later when he was alone, tears. Time was falling from them fast and Aaron hated himself – hated them both – for wasting a single second. When they made up they didn’t speak, curling against each other, pressing their noses into skin and hair and clothes and committing it all to memory while pretending they weren’t.

Robert seems taller somehow, like Aaron’s grief is shrinking him day by day. Robert presses his face against Aaron, breathes him in, puts his hands on his shoulders as if to say: I’m right here. Aaron manages to bottle it all up again, the solid presence of Robert’s body giving him a strength he can no longer find just in himself. He understands now why people talk of finding “The One”, why people talk about souls. He’s always thought it’s stupid. He still does when it comes out of the mouths of people who haven’t known love like he has.

He can feel Robert’s heart racing, just like earlier when the frustrating was pulsing away in Robert’s neck. When they’re breathing in tandem again, eyes closed and all Aaron can feel in the slight weight of Robert’s hands, they begin to move. Sway so slightly that an observer wouldn’t even be able to notice. It feels like a lifetime since they danced in front of their friends and family in a pub tackily dressed for every occasion. A bee hanging from the ceiling. Christmas chintz. He was at his happiest, at an impossible place, and yet the day after he knew prison would crush him.

It feels like a lifetime. It feels like yesterday.

Aaron secures his arms around Robert’s waist with a clinging that says: never let me go.

Breathe in, breathe out. He can make this last forever, if he holds on tight enough. He tilts his head so his lips catch Robert’s and then nestles his face in the crook of his neck. He knows, in some way, that every touch is a goodbye now, but he won’t let the thought consume him. He won’t let it win.

*

iii.

(art inspiration)

When they get home on the Sunday, the 6th, the day after their anniversary, with the low-slung sun blaring into their eyes on the drive home from the hotel, they collapse onto the sofa. Their eyes squint to stay open and Robert pulls a rough hand through his unstyled hair before offering to make Aaron a drink.

“I’m fine,” he says and then in a flush of softness, rests his hand on Robert’s knee and his head on his shoulder. “I’m knackered-”

“-but it was worth it.”

Aaron’s smile steals the breath from him. “Hundred percent.”

It’s hard not to let any leak of sadness through but they’d promised themselves through the weekend that this was a time to treasure, to reminisce and be grateful. Not a time to dwell on the future and the what ifs - when had that ever got them anywhere?

They were supposed to be using Mandy’s money for important things, but Robert had reasoned with him that this was their wedding anniversary - their first - and it was an occasion that deserved celebrating in luxury. Robert booked a five-star penthouse suite with its own terrace, a hot tub, a gilded bath in the bedroom. Aaron didn’t want to see the bill and he let Robert organise the whole thing as a surprise, shutting out any pressing thoughts about what their life might look like in a few months to just enjoy the moment. It wasn’t denial. It was survival.

It was second nature in the hotel bed, adrenaline and passion made him euphoric. Robert took every sensation he owned and multiplied it. Toes curled, spine arched, the pressure of pleasure so intense he thought he might have to escape his own skin. Afterwards Robert checked the time on the watch Aaron had gifted him – well, returned – a year ago and then stroked Aaron’s face, thumb stilling on his lip.

“A year ago to the hour, husband,” Robert said.

“Best day of my life,” Aaron said, denying the tears that were threatening and leaned to kiss him, to seal their anniversary with a new vow of its own. To cherish every second.

They didn’t even entertain the idea of going somewhere that evening, it was as much as Robert could do to entice Aaron downstairs to the bar and restaurant for something to eat. But that was after a long, hot soak in the bath, watching Robert lay stark naked as he flicked through the TV channels. Aaron wore a shirt and blazer as promise and then because Robert was nothing but a cheesy bastard, an extra dessert was brought out after they’d finished the first, and placed between them.

Happy Wedding Anniversary x

The waiter gave Robert a subtle nod when he placed it down, candle and everything and said to them, “Congratulations. We heard it was a very special day.”

“It is,” Robert said, filling Aaron’s stunned and aching silence with an adoring smile. “Thank you.”

Aaron stared at the candle, his throat clenching after the waiter had gone. “Can you make a wish if it’s not a birthday?”

“Worth a shot.”

Under the table Aaron gripped his hand and together they closed their eyes and wished for the same thing.

Back at home on the sofa, Aaron feels Robert shift beside him, reaching for something on the coffee table. It’s their wedding album. Aaron knows Robert’s been keeping it out to look at every few days, opening it and closing it like picking at a scab. When it’s out, sitting there, it’s shiny cover, it taunts them, comforts them. Every day has the same atmosphere.

Aaron budges up next to him so they’re comfortably squashed in the arm of the sofa and tucks his arm through Robert’s so they can look through it together. They’re in silence mostly, looking at each picture, each photograph electric with its own memories. They laugh out loud at some of them from the reception, like the one of Faith leaving lipstick marks all over Robert’s cheeks. There are photos of all the family, the doughnut cake, the car, the decorated pub filled with photos taken from their life together. The album tells a story all on its own.  

“It was perfect,” Robert says flicking back to the photo of the two of them after they’d said their vows, when they were walking back down the aisle, confetti, tears and cheers surrounding them.

“Feels like yesterday.”

“We can always do it again,” Robert says with a teasing smile.

“Marrying me twice not enough?”

Robert takes his hand tightly, it’s all bones and knuckles and sincerity. It feels unbreakable.

“Marrying you is the best thing I ever did.”

#robron anniversary celebration #robron anniversary 2019 #illgetmerope #robron

[tugboatringo]

i saw arctic monkeys last night and now i have to write an essay about how amazing it was

arctic monkeys are my favorite contemporary band (and possibly my favorite band in general but i like too many to easily choose a top contender), and i knew they were a great live band because i’d always heard that and also watched live videos of them several times before, but it still exceeded my expectations by far. and i’m biased obviously, but my sister and i also went with our brother too, who isn’t a huge fan of them but even he was absolutely blown out of the water by them. and i was thinking the entire time they were playing “i have to tell everyone about [x point i realized watching them]” because i was such a wide-eyed baby all the way up on the balcony. i have to tell you this shit.

i’m gonna start with their opening act mini mansions. now i’ll admit i’d heard of them because i know alex turner worked with them over the hiatus but i’d never really listened to them before. and i just have to say, they were really good. do check them out. i ended up buying their shirt when the merch place had run out of the tour shirt that i wanted (i’ll get into them, i’m listening to them on spotify as i type this). the last few songs they performed especially kicked ass, they really got more and more into it as their set list went on, and it was smart the way they did that. so, i recommend them. they were a good opening act and you should check them out. “honey i’m home” was my favorite i’d heard live (that i’ve figured out the name of yet jgfidhu the last song they did was still a little more kickass).

but as good as those guys were, when arctic monkeys came on they immediately blew every other band i’d seen before right out of the water. all the instrumentalists killed it, never missed a beat, alex’s vocals were unwaveringly as good in person as they are on the studio version (except for in some cases on tbhc where his low singing was sometimes kind of noticeably harder for him and came out breathy, but he actually had no problem with any of that live) - and not just that. as much as i feel like listening to an arctic monkeys album is an experience, and that many of their songs feel like they surround you..... at the concert, it was so different from listening to the studio version. it really was better, it was stronger, it not only surrounded you but closed in on you. it was so engaging yet it didn’t seem like it tried to be at all. i’ve seen a good amount of bands in person - 4/6 concerts i’ve been to featured a total of four bands - but no band i’d seen before was that entertaining. it had never felt miles more than listening to the cd before. i don’t know how they did it, but it was incredible. it was constantly surprising. like i said, i’d really never seen a live band that surprised me more than that. no gimmics either (unless you count the cool ass lights but plenty of concerts do that), they didn’t tell any jokes or anything, and they were serious in their execution, they didn’t appear to be half as stoked as the entire crowd seemed to be yet.... they just blew you away. not just the songs, but each one of them.

as i’ve stated before my favorite arctic monkeys album is humbug all day any day, and like a lot of big fans of arctic monkeys i don’t think am is their best album even though i absolutely understand why that was the album that attracted so much of their fan base and gave em a second peak. but i gained a new appreciation for it after seeing those songs performed live, in person. i’d never seen it captured in live videos of them before (again, it really does feel unimaginably different really being there) but most of the am songs they performed live were some of the most entertaining songs they’d performed live, especially knee socks, r u mine? and do i wanna know (in that order). it made me think... i think the only way they could have written and produced that album, was after years of touring and playing for crowds and getting better and better at getting the audience into it. i swear those songs were made first and foremost for the purpose of playing it for an audience, whether or not all the members had that in mind during its production. of course brianstorm and crying lightning and pretty visitors and the view from the afternoon and even four out of five kicked ass live too, comparably as much to those, but... i don’t think those were made for the audience as much as the studio version. i don’t think those were as much more entertaining live as the am tracks.

and you know the fuck what???/ do you KNOW the fuck what???? i absolutely adore nick o’malley. i adore all of marctic onkeys as musicians and people unconditionally, but nick o’malley made my autistic lesbian heart stop. i just wanted to pat him on the head and give him a hug he’s the cutest person and i love him. and he wore this really nice ;_____; long sleeved white dress shirt that looked ;______; so darn handsome on him this is nick’s era before it is anyone else’s fite me i just *crushes rock w my fist* *crunches on remains* I LOVE NICK O’MALLEY

and one last anecdote...... i didn’t think anything hilarious was going to happen that night. and for most people in that stadium to my knowledge, nothing did. but..... well, so i was sitting on the balcony, right? there was a row below me, and the people’s heads in that row were at the same level as people’s knees in mine. and in front of me was this dad-looking guy. probably in his late 50s like my parents. there was a fair amount of dad-lookin guys i noticed. and at some point during songs mostly on fwn and humbug, for a couple of songs, he just... laid his head against my knees, and fell asleep. and he was really pushing his head on them, i don’t know???? what he thought my knees were???? did he realize that they were a person’s knees??? did he think it was the seat???? did he not wonder was he was resting his head on before he fell asleep???? he stayed asleep for at least two full length songs and then during “r u mine?” he was fully awake and JAMMING along this bastard was doing air guitar like sHE’s a SiLVeR LiNIn LOnE rANgEr riDIn THrOuGH aN OpEN sPAcE IN MY MIND WHEN SHE’S NOT RIGHT THERE BESIDE MEE I GO CRAaAZY and it was all ??????? so fucking WEIRD so for all the “true fans” of arctic monkeys (or whatever they think of themselves as) who bitch about 15 year olds who only know do i wanna know and r u mine getting better seats at a concert than they got i’ll have you know..... the only one of those i saw all night was a 50 year old man who - rather than not recognizing earlier monkeys material - literally fell asleep during it. what point am i making with these???? i don’t even know exactly. but uh, i guess it isn’t fifteen year olds who are the least.... true(?) fans of arctic monkeys at the concert. and it shouldn’t be surprising be young fans to be engaged either now that i think of it - young people are all over this band, they’re the ones who are most obsessed. it’s the 50-something dads who only know the am hits i guess.... i guess.

that’s all i can think that i wanted to say last night. basically, i just wanted to get seeing my favorite modern band live off my bucket list in my youth and while i still had the chance, and it still managed to be way better than i expected it. if you like this band to any degree, if you have a chance, see them live for yourself. i really can’t believe how different it was from watching live videos of them all these years - for most bands it doesn’t feel that much better in person. but i genuinely hope i see arctic monkeys at least once more in the future. i’m sure my twin sister diana does. heck, my brother dan said he does too, and he’s seen a lot of concerts. i can’t recommend it enough. but you know now more important i have hugging nick o’malley to cross off next on my list of arctic monkeys-related life goals. i’m not sure how i’m going to execute that one, but. i have time.

#arctic monkeys #boston #7/27/2018 #td garden #arctic monkeys boston #am #arctic monkeys td garden #mini mansions #personal #kaily rambles #nick o'malley #i sorta have to include him in my tag he was the only one i went tf off about #this has to go in his tag on my blog #it has to

[duluoz2]

Musicis historia mea, Part II: The Punk Years

The fist time I heard punk rock, it scared me. It was the first track of the Germs’ “GI” album. My sister had borrowed it from someone, and there it was on the turntable. The cover was black with a blue circle on it; weird. I thought I’d give this punk thing a try. After all, I was an avid “New Wave” fan. I liked Devo, Blondie, Talking Heads, and Elvis Costello; how much different could this punk music be? To be honest, I had seen documentaries about the punks in Britain, and it had seemed pretty creepy; I mean, they had safety pins in their faces! Plus, the scary personification of punk, Sid Vicious, had recently died of a heroin overdose after knifing his girlfriend. No thanks! I’ll stick to the less scary stuff, maybe go as far as liking the Ramones, and, if I really wanted to get radical, the Dickies. 

But here was this album by a group called the Germs; my sister got it from a friend of hers who was actually into punk. So I gave it a listen. The first song on the album, by now a punk classic and one that I have listened to countless times, is called “What We Do is Secret.” It starts with a four count kick drum beat, and then it hits warp drive into a sonic onslaught that is atomic. My usual volume for listening to any music when I was 13 was loud, as in LOUD. So of course I had the volume turned up to ridiculous levels. Big mistake. The drumbeat kicked, and suddenly I was pummeled by guitar, bass, and Darby Crash’s demonic screech.

Standing in the line we're aberrations Defects in a defect's mirror And we've been here all the time real fixations Hidden deep in the furor- What we do is secret-secret!

Not that I understood any of the lyrics (nor do I to this day). All I knew is that I felt like Charlie Brown when he was pitching and someone would hit the ball back at him and cause him to spin around in a cloud of dust while his shirt, socks, and shoes flew off. I quickly took the record off. Nope. Too loud, too intense. I’ll stick to listening to my Devo “Freedom of Choice” album. But deep down, I was intrigued. It all came to a head when my sister made the first purchase of a punk album by a member of my family: the soundtrack to The Decline of Civilization (I know what some of you are thinking; “you mean that movie about the metal bands?” No, the original!). Now recovered from my first encounter with SoCal hardcore, I listened. First song. “White Minority” by Black Flag (after some dialogue from the movie, that is). Again, an aural blitz to start things off. This time, however, I was not scared. And so my initiation into punk rock began.

Now, punk still had a bad reputation. The stories about the punk scene in Britain had scarcely faded into obscurity before we were inundated with shocking exposés about the violence and anti-social elements of the LA punk scene. Fights regularly broke out at shows. The local media had run stories and video about the gang-like attacks at Black Flag shows (the band was blamed for doing nothing to stop the violence). The message was clear: decent people stayed away from this type of scene. No good kids were into it. Parents, lock up your children. The LA punk scene even had its own Sid Vicious; Darby Crash, he of the frightening GI album, had OD’d in December of 1980 (he died the same day as John Lennon, which overshadowed things a bit). But again, although I was initially repelled by the whole scene, I was also intrigued. I was a fan. Punk records started finding their way into my record collection. My friends and I slam danced at the eight-grade graduation dance. I tried like hell to spike my hair. The fix was in.

This was circa 1981. The LA punk scene was in its hardcore golden age. Bands like Black Flag, the Circle Jerks, Fear, the Adolescents, and Bad Religion were kings of the scene. What I didn’t know then was that the punk scene in LA had a longer and more varied history. The nascent LA punk scene had started in the late 70’s and was much more arty and eclectic. There was also a heavy gay element, since many of the artists were used to being on the fringes of society. The music was slower and more experimental. The bands of that era were X, the Weirdos, Catholic Discipline, and the Bags. Bands associated with hardcore music, like Black Flag and the Germs, were also a part of this earlier scene, but their music was different at that time. The punk scene I got involved with was far less diverse; bands were hardcore, and there was a macho element to everything with the slam dancing and fighting.  The kids in the scene were younger and from the suburbs. They were “bored kids with nothing do do,” to put it in the words of the Adolescents. We liked the music loud, hard, and fast. If it was slow, or if, god forbid, a band had long hair, we weren’t interested in it. Thus, bands that would survive the initial influx and go on to some degree of fame in later years by going beyond the SoCal punk scene like the Minutemen, were held in lesser regard than a band like TSOL.

Then a weird thing happened; punk bands started cropping up in the weirdest places. There were scenes in major cities like San Francisco, New York, and Chicago, but bands started coming from places like Milwaukee, Kansas City, and Minneapolis, the heart of the Midwest for God’s sake. They had weird names like Necros, the Meatmen, the Stretchmarks, and, weirdest of them all, Husker Du. They didn’t look like punks. At least, they didn’t look like punks according to my definition. I simply wasn’t’ impressed although I was happy so to see at least a bastardized version of punk going national. Still, Southern California was the place for true punk rock.

And it seemed as if the scene was growing exponentially. More and more bands were formed. Record labels like Posh Boy, Frontier, SST, and Epitaph put out a steady stream of singles, EP’s, and full albums. Live shows were a bit of a problem. By the time I had figured out a way to sneak off to shows, I was either thwarted by the age limit, the club had gone under, or punk bands were banished. Thus, I missed famous venues like the Starwood, the Masque, and Al’s Bar. My first gig was at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium and featured an all-star lineup of Black Flag, the Minutemen, the Adolescents, and DOA. I went with my older brother, my sister, and her friend. At the time, the violence at punk shows was all over the news, particularly the violence at Black Flag shows. Needless to say, I was scared shitless. I dressed for the occasion in what I thought were punk clothes: Levi’s 501s, flannel shirt, and Chuck Taylors. When I saw what many of the other attendants were wearing – leather jackets, combat boots, and bondage pants – I was even more gobsmacked. I had what I thought was short hair, over my ears, but most of the guys at the place had shaved heads. Skinheads! The guys who would randomly pick someone out of the crowd and beat the shit out of him. The atmosphere was strange, threatening. I thought at any moment I would get grabbed by the collar and set upon by five or six guys. I sat in the back with the girls and watched the bands. My brother and his friends, veterans of the scene by this time, quickly made their way towards the stage and into the slam pit (we didn’t call it “moshing” then; I still have no idea what the fuck “moshing” is). I stood well back and just watched. I really don’t remember much about the bands that played that night. 

The things I remember distinctly are a guy coming out dressed as Adam Ant and dancing to “Ant Music.” Seems that, for some reason, Black Flag fans decided that they hated the Ants, and in particular Adam, and that the best way to express such hate was by beating the shit out him. The ersatz Adam, actually Overkill lead singer Merrill dressed in a full Kings of the Wild Frontier outfit, danced and pranced while various member of the audience tried to climb the stage and smash his face in. None of them succeeded. Then, Black Flag, headliners for the evening, came out and launched into “Six Pack,” the new single the band had just released. After that, it’s all pretty much a blur. I remember loud. I remember fast. And I remember mustering up the courage to move closer to the stage and on the fringes of the slam pit. And it was there, while I watched with fascination the barely controlled chaos of the pit (which did not go in a circle, but went in all directions at once), that my brother reached out mid slam dance, grabbed me by the shirt, and dragged me into the pit. I was a pretty substantial 13-year old, about six feet tall and probably 170 pounds, but I got tossed around pretty well. I remember trying to mimic the “dance style” of the others, which was a kind of stopped over, side to side swinging of the arms motion; the tough part was trying to keep on your feet as you slammed into others and they did the same. I fell, was picked up quickly, started again, fell, was picked up, and finally decided I’d had enough and got out. I don’t know if it was because I was young or looked pathetic, but I distinctly remember falling down and getting picked up right away. Kindness? Maybe. Or maybe they just wanted to toss me back into the fray to take another beating. Whatever it was, I was glad I wasn’t left on the floor to be stomped and kicked. I was also glad when I got the hell away from there.

I got back to where my sister and her friend were siting with a look on my face that must have explained what I had just gone through better than any words could. My sister looked back at me with a look that said, “Don’t even think about going back in there!” Okay, Sis. There was no beating at the hand of HB skinheads, no mayhem or riot. The biggest event was a fight between two legends. A guy named “Xhead” got into a fight with John Macias, the lead singer of Circle One. Xhead had been interviewed in The Decline. He got his name from the fact that he had an X shaved into the top of his head. John Macias was a rather large individual with a Mohawk who looked like he could play the entire defensive line for a football team. I don’t know what started the fight, and I didn’t even see it happen, but I distinctly remember Macias leaving the venue with his friends while holding his bloody ear. Pretty heavy stuff. My brother had seen the whole thing and gave me the details. The two squared off for whatever reason (they were both insane would be my guess), and the crowd had formed a circle to let them fight it out. Macias would later be killed by the LAPD in Santa Monica after going nuts and running around PCH and threatening people; Xhead, who was described by X bassist and vocalist John Doe as a sociopath, faded into obscurity. But such was the electric atmosphere that was ever present at punk gigs in the early 80’s. And into such a scene I now found myself entering.

It wasn’t easy to go to gigs back then. I had to hope that my brother or someone else who had access to a car could take me, and I had to hope that the gig was on a Saturday and that it was all ages. This wasn’t an easy task. Many clubs didn’t want the problems that were attendant with any punk show like vandalism, violence, and general mayhem. While there were those of us who were really interested in seeing a band and maybe getting in some slam-dancing and stage-diving, there was a segment of the audience who were bent on causing trouble. The clubs that would book punk bands became less and less, and oftentimes they were sleazy bars on the outskirts of LA or obscure places that hadn’t been burned by booking punk bands. There were some good venues that had punk shows like the Whiskey, the Cuckoo’s Nest, and Perkins Palace, but there were also odd places like Oscar’s Cornhusker in Azusa, Mindiola’s Ballroom in Huntington Park, and The Timbers in Glendora. They were clearly not suited for such gigs, but they were also some of the only places that would book bands. The Cuckoo’s Nest was legendary. A small club in Costa Mesa, it was located next to a cowboy bar called “Zubie’s.” The punks and cowboys would regularly get into fights (as made famous by the Vandals song “Urban Struggle). It was also the place where a guy named Pat Brown dragged a cop with his car after the cop tried to reach in and grab his keys (again, made famous in a Vandals song; I’ll leave the title to your imagination). Unfortunately, I never set foot in the Nest. My brother attended a few shows there, and my two friends even made it out there to see Black Flag’s first show with Henry Rollins (their parents found out and they got in trouble, so I had that going for me), but I didn’t get a chance (somehow, my mom found out about the Black Flag show and wouldn’t let me go, if I recall). I also never went to Godzilla’s in the Valley, which was a club designed for punk bands. But I did see my share of bands, as I like to explain to the Millenials who think they discovered punk. I saw Black Flag, the Circle Jerks, Fear, Social Distortion, DOA, the Minutemen, Adolescents, MDC, Bad Brains, GBH, the Vandals, the Cockney Rejects, Dead Kennedys, the Mau Maus, Youth Brigade, and many more lesser known bands. 

At a Bad Brains gig at the Santa Monica Civic, the scene of my first gig, I actually got backstage. I still don’t know how I managed it. The Bad Brains played an intense, incredible set, and were finishing up one of their 10 minute dub jams (which they interspersed with their atomic punk songs) and, in defiance of the security that was roughly tossing every punk who attempted a stage dive, invited the whole audience to join them. I distinctly remember lead singer H.R. saying something along the lines of “don’t let these yellow shirts stop you!” The floodgates opened, and it seemed like half the venue rushed up onto the stage. The now a part of the show punks slam danced and jumped around, and after the band finished their song, those who remained on stage started diving headlong into the audience. I don’t know where I got the courage, but I decided I didn’t want to leave the stage just then. I slowly creeped towards the backstage, trying not to be noticed. At one point, a security guard stopped me, but somehow I found another way towards the back. I picked up a guitar case to make it look like I was crew, and, before I even knew what had happened, I was backstage. I got into the Bad Brains’ dressing room and talked to HR and lead guitarist Dr. Know. I also met D. Boon from the Minutemen and a guy named Zachary who was the co-host of New Wave Theater, an odd little show hosted by the odd little Peter Ivers that aired on the local UHF station and featured many indie and punk bands. All in all, it was a spectacular night for a young and impressionable teen. I made my way back to the stage and watched the Circle Jerks from the wings for a while before I decided to rejoin my friends, which I accomplished by racing across the stage and doing an epic front flip into the audience.

And that was just one of the many good times I had as a wayward punk rocker. There were some not so good times too, like the time I shaved my head and was yelled at by every adult member of my family, or the time I was slam dancing to Fear at the Timbers in Glendora and some jackass hit me on the head with something hard that caused a nice split in my scalp, or the time I got kicked in the face by a stage diver at a GBH show. But overall, the experience was very cool. I met interesting people, had a couple of articles published in Flipside magazine, started a band called The Insurgents, talked to Henry Rollins and Greg Ginn at the Whisky one night, talked to Chuck Dukowski from Black Flag and Keith Morris from the Circle Jerks on the phone (you’d call the record labels they were on and they would answer; try that with Justin Timberlake), and saw a lot of bands, some talented, and some not so much. It’s a part of my musical history, and in a way, it informs who I am today with my general eschewing of commercial and popular entertainment (I didn’t always walk the walk; there are a few Duran Duran albums in my past). I don’t know if it’s possible for kids to go through the same type of cool experience. 

I remember interviewing a guy from a band for a music magazine in the 90’s and we were both reminiscing about the old punk days. He was from somewhere in the Midwest, and I remember him saying that the really cool thing about liking punk in the 80s was that you really had to look hard to track down the music. Bands rarely came to where he lived, and the local record stores didn’t carry much of the music, so it made finding it that much more special. It was an experience just to get access to the music. We both agreed, as older guys always seem to do, that things were better in our day because you had to make an effort; now, everything is easy to find and nothing is unknown. I see a lot of people who have a nostalgia for punk who I don’t remember being around when it was actually a thing. Everybody wants to claim a connection to it, but very few people were really there. Whenever I see a young kid with a Dead Kennedys or Black Flag T-shirt or patch, I laugh to myself. My inclination is to say, “Hey, name five Dead Kennedys songs, and without ‘Holiday in Cambodia.’” But, I realize, I was doing the same thing when I was into the Doors and Jimi Hendrix when I was a teen. I’m more likely to say, “You know, I saw those guys.” It strikes them as weird that any adult would make that claim. I guess they’re just finding what they are into although if you can buy a band’s shirt at the local mall, it kind of takes away the whole rebellion thing. So I write this as a retired punk, a veteran of the scene, as we used to call it, who remembers the glory days and now, annoyingly, won’t shut up about how great it was. But really, it was.  

[reallyrockinreviews-blog]

https://youtu.be/kYnqZ4t31Qs

Xxxtentacion is without a doubt my favorite artist of all time. I love this dude and his music has helped me and hundreds of thousands other fans and idk man I definitely miss him. He had this leaked but i still wanted to wait until official release. It was really hard not to choke up while listening to this because come on. It’s X and it’s just all love here.

Even still let’s hop into yhe review.

Guardian Angel (play joselyn flores backwards) 8

This song, the sound, it was joselyn flores backwards. The flow is interesting because even though its backwards, its still a beautiful song. X talks about how he spreads his love through his music. That alone is so true. I actually was just listening to 17 couple days ago intears just feeling down and missing X and his music helps the pain so much. He talks about how he’s battling guilt still of losing joselyn flores which is understandable that’s a big burden to be carrying and I genuinely believe he made this because he’s still carrying that. Lastly this is the eery part of the outro (play snippet) it’s so true. It’s the exact definition of how I feel that we as fans felt losing him or anyone close to us. It really hit home and definitely adding this to sad hours playlist

Train Food 9

Right off the back the chord costantly repeating reminded me of Tyler’s old album bastard.

Its very blunt chord and slowly chips at you. X’s then raps a story about A boy who’s life has been full of despair. He’s trying to look positive when he ends up lost trying to go home. He walking down a path when he sees a strange man who approaches him. The boy felt a bad presence but did nothing of it. they started talking and the guy started being weirder. Next second the boy woke up confused naked on the train tracks while the man watches laughing. The boy worried thinking about dreams and shouldve couldve wouldves and where he’ll end up. Death arrives upon him.

This was intense. The more I thought of it and listened to it, it actually startled me. I believe that X knew he would die young and that it was unavoidable. It’s horrible to say but thats How I feel that he felt and the fact that he goes on about thinking of what he couldve have been financially, or not having kids. It got too real and definitely leaves shivers down my spine.

Woah 8

This is a more hmm popish unfinished song definitely he talks about how he wants to be a good provider to his family he’s looking forward and wants to be the best he can.

Bad! 8

Extremely catchy reminds me of sad or songs of the question mark. It’s honestly upsetting that we’ll never really know what else he could’ve done with this song it definitely had potential

Staring in the Sky 8

Idc what anyone says X was a rockstar and a great one his screams were brutal and I was head bobbin my head moving to this one. He singing out loud just letting it out then screams run from your pain you could feel his emotions pour out so loud declaring it.

One minute 9.5

Kanye kanye kanye

I seriously don’t get this man. One sec he’s hot one sec he’s cold I hate him. When I heard he was the only ft I was shocked honestly but WHEN I SAY KANYE KILLED THIS HE DID JUST THAT. Like in all honesty I was really bouncing my head to this. Like I never thought he’d sound so good with straight guitar and drums. Then when X came in it was sooo hype. Like I could genuinely see people moshing to X and kanye doing that weird dance

Difference 8

This was a slower song sounds unedited and I love the tone of it. It sounds just like love yourself or maybe even an earlier version of it because it’s really short.

I don’t let go 8.5

This jingles of the pretty chimes sound so satisfying to my ear. Almost like a foreign far away land type image comes up. X talks about how his energy shines how he shines. He’s everywhere he’s gives off a vibe that haters don’t like and it’s just a relaxing peace that keeps you mesmerized.

What are you so afraid of? 8

I definitely think this is one of his unfinished pieces I feel like it reminds me of before I close my eyes though. It’s just a song I can dive into and imagine everything still in the world going almost in slow motion.

I’m not trying to be biased but I can’t help it I loved this. Skins was about being someone else for once. The beats were so hypnotizing and interesting just straight nostalgic and makes me miss his sound so much

9/10

#albumreview #xxxtentacion #rap #hip hop #soundcloud #skimask #music review

[zootthecat]

All my Devin Townsend Liveblogging in one post!

At least for the Ocean Machine set that I didn’t get to last time.

This is by far the best “Seventh Wave” has ever sounded live; it’s got the louder synths that I love being able to hear clearly, but Dev is already warmed up which makes this easily the best vocal performance of the song.

The intro to “Life” sounded like it was missing some mid-frequency goo in the intro, but either it was fixed in the chorus or the warmth in my heart made up for it. I’m also loving hearing Squid on bass really loud in the mix; so far he’s nailing it. I also have a hard time picking out distinct bass parts in a lot of rock/metal so this will be super helpful if I decide to learn Ocean Machine on the bass lol

I was going to say this was a fairly standard “Night” but on the last “honey I’m closer” section he actually did the higher vocals and it sounded super fresh to hear that live. I can’t remember if he’s done it in past performances, but I wasn’t expecting this one and was pleasantly surprised.

This would be my definitive version of “Hide Nowhere” if Dev’s voice had held up a little better during the choruses. I never realized just how high the vocals go without going into Dev’s usual shriek or falsetto. The atmosphere is a lot more dreamlike and mysterious in this version than in on the album though so I’ll still be listening to it a lot

I DIDN’T THINK I’D HEAR HEART BABY THIS CONCERT LMAO That aside I love acoustic versions of “Sister” because I can actually focus on the guitar melody woops

The chills from “3AM” are so intense holy shit

“Voices in the Fan” is absolutely perfect how??? I am predicting that the verses are the last super convincing rough vocals based on the YouTube videos of OM in London. They were super good here but I think they’re on the verge of going Super Grover during Death of Music. Makes sense with the cold weather. I’ll see if I’m wrong though.

Big shout out to  Mike St-Jean for the lights on “Greetings”. Song was good, nothing else really to report.

REEEGULAATOOOOOOR. I love Mike’s keyboards everywhere but the intro; I do agree they’re mixed a little loud and it feels like they’re missing notes or echo trails in the gaps. I did forget about this song in the harsh vocals notes from earlier and they sounded fantastic to me so here’s hoping. Also time to note I haven’t heard a single issue in the bass this entire time, good shit Squid!

Ooooooh “Funeral” shit’s about to get real. Dev is giving 1000% on these vocals oh my god. A geeky little note: I love how almost obtrusively loud the synths are during “I’m wide awake” bridge; it feels like Dev’s voice and the guitar are trying to break through this impenetrable wall of frustration and grief, which given the subject of the song is super fuckin poetic and I have only in the last year realized just how powerful and devastating “Funeral” is as a song.

So apparently I forgot half the songs on Ocean Machine when I started talking about harsh vocals, but I can hear Dev’s voice catching up with him on “Bastard”. There is a metric fuckton of subtlety in the clean parts that is blowing my mind though. The weird fall off he does with his voice at “nobody gives a fuck what you’ve got” is. Also the backing track and keys on this are chill-inducing, and the song writing is so fucking moody I love i-oh there’s the scream and he nailed it fuck yeah. The “Girl from Blue City” section has always been cool and a super nice contrast, but actually being able to hear the vocals well during it really helped me understand it...

...no talking during Death of Music. Except “Oh no oh no oh no oh no” sounded fuckin cool in stereo lmao

Holy shit what a song. I was worried about his voice the whole time and honestly I think his tooth-and-nail fight to the finish line made it so enthralling. Again super poetic for the Funeral-Bastard-Death trilogy to be focused so much on helplessness and self-struggle with his voice threatening to leave him at any second. I was caught up in every single syllable and despite having heard that song like 40 times I still felt the massive tension and release of the end chorus mmmmmmmmm

The scream. God what a performance, and god what an album. It’s super nice seeing Dev in such a pleasant mood after wrapping up too; after the other full-OM show (I think it was London?), and even in the middle of Funeral his psyche was smashed and you could tell he was reliving the torment that went into the album, and seeing him come out positive obviously isn’t as tragic and dramatic, but it’s so much more fulfilling. I might be having a couple emotions rn lmao

#plovdivNerd #devin townsend #ocean machine