#so if you’re pro military not the song or band for you

[hmslusitania]

One of my favourite songs off one of my favourite albums by one of my favourite bands is actually titled Survivor’s Guilt and its about war (and samples dialogue from Catch-22 which was really fun live) so like. If anyone is looking for an idea for an Eddie gifset I have thoughts

#I mean to be fair #it is also extremely anti war #so if you’re pro military not the song or band for you #but! don’t really think Eddie’s pro war either #9-1-1 #911 spoilers

[anothersievefistedfind]

Fugazi, Mass Art Gymnasium, Boston, MA USA 4/19/2002 - photo © by Edwina Hay

Fugazi, Mass Art Gymnasium, Boston, MA USA 4/19/2002 (FLS #1029) & 4/20/2002 (FLS #1030)

Not having played in Boston proper for 11 years (i.e. since their one-off show at the Channel on March 17, 1991) due to the lack of promoters willing to do shows in larger venues for low ticket prices and the city suddenly ruling all ages shows illegal, Fugazi would finally return to play two consecutive nights at the Mass Art Gymnasium (MassArt), “[f]ounded in 1873, [...] one of the nation’s oldest art schools, the only publicly funded free-standing art school in the United States, and [...] the first art college in the United States to grant an artistic degree” (via). 

Moreover, and according to the MassArt website, it is “a place with wide reach, where the hardest, most important, and most rewarding work of [their] students, staff, and affiliates, is to keep [their] eyes open [!] and continue expanding [their] vision.” In other words, a place most suitable to host a couple of Fugazi shows and have some 1500 enthusiasts share in the experience each night. 

Interestingly, these shows in Boston played out while Washington D.C. was preparing for another round of large-scale protests on April 20th. According to an April 14, 2002 article “D.C. Protest Organizers Take On New Cause” by Manny Fern and ez published in the Washington Post, 

“Those opposed to global capitalism and the U.S. policies that support it, others who have decried the war in Afghanistan and activists who objected to widespread arrests of Muslims in the United States have joined pro-Palestinian groups to march for a common cause.”

In their lengthy follow-up article, “Demonstrators Rally to Palestinian Cause”, published on April 21, 2002 in the Washington Post, the authors provide some more details as to how these events unfolded,

“Tens of thousands converged on downtown Washington yesterday to demonstrate for a variety of causes, but it was the numbers and passion of busloads of Arab Americans and their supporters that dominated the streets.

Eager to make their presence felt and their voices heard in the nation's capital as never before, Arab and Muslim families marched and chanted for an end to U.S. military aid to Israel, overwhelming the messages of those with other causes in a peaceful day of downtown rallies and marches.”

Considering the nature and backdrop of these events, it only makes sense that the demonstrations run like a thread through both Fugazi shows in Boston. Leading into the song Argument on the first night, Ian gives a lengthy address touching on the causes of the demonstrations, his concerns and doubts in relation to the media coverage and on the band playing shows in Boston instead of standing with the demonstrators in Washington D.C., concluding that “[t]he fact of the matter is that, wherever you are, in the world, if you disagree with war, then you should be protesting every day, no matter where you are, so right now, this is the beginning of the protest.”

The recording of the first night documents a collection of songs that are performed very well for the most part and blend nicely together, with some cool extras, cf. the vocals catching some nice reverb on Oh, a memorable version of Ex-Spectator, Guy’s “public housing” rap into Dear Justice Letter, a cool double shot of Joe with The Kill / By You combo, or a rare 2002 live appearance of Bad Mouth.

However, there are a couple of reasons that will probably keep me from revisiting this one anytime soon. My main gripe is that the recording is incomplete. The introduction is missing as well as the actual last three songs of the set, i.e. Arpeggiator, Sweet and Low and Repeater. Guy’s vocals are low in the mix on Sieve-Fisted Find and kind of get stuck in the left channel for most of the recording. Also, the recording skips a couple of times during Cashout.

And so my preference lies with the recording of the second night, which fortunately is complete and better sounding overall, even though Brendan’s snare drum comes off a bit harsh the first couple of songs. This one too has a nice flow to it and documents a really good performance (never mind the guitar soloing towards the end of Strangelight is a bit off). 

My highlights here include a nice little midsection with 4 early songs which provide Guy with ample opportunity to lay down his guitar and go off, rare 2002 live versions of Song #1 and Last Chance for a Slow Dance (this one’s a beauty), another nice double dose of Joe by way of Recap Modotti / By You played back-to-back, and last but definitely not least, more remarks by Ian about protests “to celebrate the idea that not the entire country is insane, there are some people who are sane” as an introduction to an outstanding rendering of KYEO which has Ian catering some more to the issues of the day:

“Important bulletin, we have from unconfirmed sources, an alleged plot to possibly blow up five streets in an unnamed city, somewhere in this country, we can’t say it’s gonna happen, but we can’t say it’s not gonna happen, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t walk on the street, we actually don’t know what it means, we just want you to be scared...”

The troops are quiet tonight, But it's not alright, Because we know they're planning something. Don't you know things have settled down, 

Down, down but silence is a dangerous sound, 

”Because when you’re scared, you’re off-balance, and when you’re off-balance, you can’t reason, when you can’t reason it’s very hard to recognize that something is being done in your name that you would not like to have been done, or you would not like people to do, so get on-balance, don’t be scared...”

The troops are quiet tonight, But it's not alright, Because we know they're planning something. Don't you know things have settled down,

Down, down but SILENCE is a dangerous sound,

We must, we must, We must keep our eyes open, See what we see, What once was promised now will be. Still uncertain? Get off that hang, Don't wait for the bang, The tools, They will be swinging, But we will not be beaten down.

Note that videos of both performances circulate on YouTube (see below). These have been synched-up with the recordings presented here, with permission of the band. On an interesting side note, and according to Ian, “ryanne hodson, who is credited with the video editing was responsible for uploading hundreds of the FLS shows on the site. she’s been a real friend and booster to the project.”

Ironically, the footage of the first show is pretty much complete (contrary to the incomplete audio recording) while the footage of the second show is missing about 30 minutes of the performance (contrary to the complete audio recording).

The set lists:

April 19, 2002 (incomplete):

1. Break 2. Sieve-Fisted Find 3. Reclamation 4. Oh 5. Ex-Spectator 6. Interlude 1 7. Dear Justice Letter 8. Interlude 2 9. Stacks 10. The Kill 11. By You 12. Interlude 3 13. Forensic Scene 14. Cashout 15. Nightshop 16. Bad Mouth 17. Break-In 18. Interlude 4 19. Furniture 20. Blueprint 21. Encore 22. Argument 23. Full Disclosure 24. Long Division 25. No Surprise

April 20, 2002 (complete):

1. Intro 2. Number 5 3. Facet Squared 4. Rend It 5. Interlude 1 6. Birthday Pony 7. Oh 8. Styrofoam 9. Life and Limb 10. Closed Captioned 11. Public Witness Program 12. Five Corporations 13. Strangelight 14. Break 15. Burning 16. Song #1 17. Interlude 2 18. Give Me The Cure 19. Waiting Room 20. Recap Modotti 21. By You 22. Last Chance for a Slow Dance 23. Epic Problem 24. Encore 1 25. Cashout 26. Interlude 3 27. Full Disclosure 28. Interlude 4 29. KYEO 30. Outro

#FLS2002 #fugazi #fugazi live series #dischord #mass art gymnasium #boston #massachusetts #MA #KYEO #ryanne hodson

[definitely-not-an-alb]

The actual Do You Hear The People Sing you’ve never heard (if you’re not German)

Die Gedanken sind Frei (The Thoughts are Free) is a German folk and student-protest song. It’s about 200-ish years old in written form, but probably older. It’s also anti-censorship and became known all over the country when it was sung during the Märzrevolution, the German equivalent of the French February Revolution.

The Märzrevolution was the high-point of a political movement to form a unified, democratic German government between the 1820s and the 1840s,after the entire region had, after the receding of the Napoleonic Regime, fallen back into being a bunch of small, scattered regional authoritarian/feudal-ish governments. The Märzrevolution of 1848 was the Student/Middle Class movement and coincided with several working-class uprisings (like the Silesian Weaver’s Guilt Uprising in 1844). Like. This is essential Do You Hear The People Sing, but not from a musical, it’s the real thing.

The Thoughts are free, who can guess them? They fly by like nocturnal shadows. No person can know them, no hunter can shoot them with powder and lead: The Thoughts are free!

I think what I want, and whatever delights me, still always in quiet, and as it is proper. My wish and desire, no one can deny me and so it'll be: The Thoughts are free!

And if I am thrown into the darkest dungeon, all these are futile works, because my thoughts tear all gates and walls apart: The Thoughts are free!

So I will renounce my sorrows forever, and never again will torture myself with whimsies. In one's heart, one can always laugh and joke and think at the same time: The Thoughts are free!

The translation is mostly the one also on the Wikipedia page, with some edits for better scansion, and also dropping the fifth verse, that’s the apolitical drinking-song version:

I love wine, and my girl even more, Only her I like best of all. I'm not alone with my glass of wine, my girl is with me: The Thoughts are free!

It should be noted, this song is originally from a time before Right-And-Left was a thing (there literally was no government to sit left or right in yet, ya’ll. We are in hardcore ‘everything ‘left’ of Thomas Hobbes’ territory here) and when the gov still censored News Papers by literally cutting holes into them.

The Märzrevolution was beaten down in 1848 by the Prussian Military, but the song remained a main-stay in German pro-democracy movements, well into the anti-Kaiserreich movements of the 1890s to 1910s/WWI. The song’s also famously associated with Sophie Scholl for allegedly having been played by her as part of her anti-Nazi resistance, as well as by citizens of Berlin in 1948 in protest against the Russian blockade.

Which is the part where I get back to that ‘everything left of Hobbes’ thing: This is not a Pure Left-Wing Song No Icky History Has Ever Touched(TM). It is a pro-democracy and more importantly an anti-censorship song, and it’s also old, and you’re going to find situations where it was used (or appropriated by anti-democratic folks) that you won’t agree with, and you’re going to find a dumbass haggle of German right-rock bands doing covers of it and generally having a victim complex pity party.

So like. Free song to sing @ congress the next time they try to ban net neutrality!

#music #now that we are having this fun #folk song #revival #now to go looking for those Weaver songs

[ohmygodtheywereparabatai]

xu my beloved

I BEEN THINKING

I would once again like to convert the fandom’s spelling through use of this compelling presentation:

Tumblr stop blurring the truth

Anyways, a swan dive into the Four Classic Novels, which are among the world’s oldest and longest fictional works and a staple of Chinese literature ~ as I elegantly draw connections circling back to one of AtLA’s many, many background characters.

No, more likely you’re about to belly flop into incoherent jibber-jabber.

General Xu is said to have been Zhao’s superior at the time he discovered Wan Shi Tong’s library and stole the moon/ocean scroll. That’s it. That’s all we know 😔

But no fear! For I have stumbled across the famous character Xú Níng from the third of Four Classic Novels, Water Margin (translated from Shui Hu Zhuan), written by Shi Naian or his pupil Luo Guanzhong. And man, he’s a piece of work.

An upstanding, military-orientated fellow (which is good for purposes of sketching out General Xu’s persona in his image), Níng is an expert of the unique Chinese spear, attributed to his entire character and role in the story, as his nickname is literally the “Gold Lancer”... which slaps.

Qiang’d to make your acquaintance

He’s the 18th of the 108 Stars of Destiny, brutally simplified as a Taoist myth separating the first 36 stars into the Heavenly Spirits (honor roll), found within the Big Dipper and centered in the sky, while the other 72 are Earthly Fiends (getting coal for Christmas), scattered around true north. Níng at lucky number 18 is the Guardian Star. (This concept in Taoism leads us to believe our destinies correspond with the stars - which is, just, super cool to me. Are you a Libra? No, plebeian, I’m Huyan “Double Clubs” Zhuo. Seriously, Bing him.)

These 108 are the main focus of Water Margin: the tale of every last star released from prison, reborn as 108 heroes. They join together at what’s known as the “Grand Assembly” and continue to fight injustice, beating the Avengers over 500 years to the punch. (Go, kings, go!)

Sounds suspiciously White Lotus-y to me... but hold your komodo rhinos! Xú Níng is a trickier case. His “honorable” roots began before amnesty from the Song emperor, when he banded with outlaws. And before the 108 Stars of Destiny resurfaced as noble heroes, they were imprisoned by Shangdi for a reason: being, uh, demonic overlords.

And this is why I gravitated towards this famous fictional Xú: Shi Naian’s use of messy heroes with messy pasts, parts heavenly warriors and parts Team Jacob (eugh), as the synthesis of the anti-hero, and the embodiment of the Yin Yang.

Zhao’s history with poking at the dual spirits? Oh yeah. It’s all coming together.

So, similar to the other 107, Níng is complex. Song Jiang, leader of the 108 Stars of Destiny himself, kills his concubine in anger and escapes any consequence, a bullheaded mentality that the rest of the stars are said to echo. Etcetera.

So, Avatar the Last Airbender’s once-mentioned General Xu?

If we lean on parallels, like real men do, there’s a lot of material to work with here. It’s unclear how the backwards ranking system of the Fire Army pans out, but seeing as Zhao pursues a naval career, serving under a general (the naval equivalent being an admiral, I’m sure) seems to precede serving under Admiral Jeong Jeong. This would mean Xu was first to leave a significant impression on the bastard boy, emphasis on enlisting as boy, switching to the navy as bastard.

*Does a gay little dance that pisses you off*

General Xu could have been the ambitious type, obsessed with leaving a mark of historical value. Clean-cut conclusion, circles back nicely, pat on the back... but VANILLA.

Why not go all the way and theorize he’s somewhat non-human, desperate to translate mortality into immortality by means of securing a legacy as he wanders in search of the 107 stars, his home in the heavens? Obsession with fame, underpinned by the ever-so-subtle paranoia of being forgotten, slaved away like the 41st Division, seems to be Zhao’s thing. Did he pick it up from a celestial Xu without knowing? Does this inextricably relate to Xu’s name having to do with the “brilliant sun”, the closest star in our sky - and/or its symbolism with the moon? Is it three in the morning right now and I shouldn’t be doing this? It’s up in the air!

Also consider: if Xú Níng’s title is the Guardian Star, had the general passed away in the heat of battle, would he watch over Zhao in the remaining phases of his life... disappearing in the few minutes when the moon is struck out, too late to save him by the time the stars slowly flicker back after Yue ascends?

Did Xu use lances a lot (now read that five times fast); was he a damn pro at spear-wielding? Was he fun to prank, easy to trick? Does he have a questionable history in the underground before duty called? According to sources, Xú Níng is around six and half feet, sporting a dark beard and “ample waistline”. Shall this apply to our Xu as well?!

Yes, to all of the above. Tune in as this custom character development progresses - I specialize in parallels. AtLA could use more plus-size representation while we’re at it! I want more of my friend-maybe-spirit-shaped, lance-sporting, inclined-to-fathering-Zhao general who always has an eye on the stars. Someone who intends to reach their height again, and sends his trusted second in command to retrieve the moon scroll in hopes of establishing some connection. The golden lancer... the enigmatic Xu.

Food for thought owed to @crookedmouth-mountainbones for sharing her thoughts on Xu and Zhao’s relationship right here.

Sources: X X X X X X <3

#general xu #character study?? #it’s 4:30 am i’ll edit when my screen isn’t doing that weird vertigo lurching thing ya know? #trash ^^^ #background characters appreciation #zhao and all his spirit friends... *tsk tsk*

[lostnfinding]

hi! i thought id do a little intro to me and my blog

please take a moment to read if you can :)

about me:

im astro/solstice/winter! you can call me sol if you want to. im nonbinary/genderfluid and currently use they/xe/it pronouns (tho im okay with any other neo pronouns, these are the ones i preffer). im pan oriented aroace. im 15, which means im a minor and you should treat me like one. also heres a list of labels i go by

i am extremely s*x averse and anything slightly s*xual makes me very uncomfortable at best. if you make any s*xual comment towards me you will be blocked.

i have ehlers danlos syndrome and pots, and mental illnesses, one of them possibly being DID/OSDD. im the host of a system, and from time to time youll see my headmates around.

i like history, musicals, cinema, music, books and animations. my favourite musical is watt, my favourite series are the owl house and shera, my favourite books are sick kids in love and aristotle and dante discover the secrets of the universe. my current favourite bands are sleeping at last and waterparks, and my favourite singers are dodie and cavetown.

i have a very song related memory and thinking, i associate things, memories, feelings and people with songs, so if we chatted for a bit ill probably end up associating you with a song. if you wanna know what it is just send me an ask!

im pagan, brazilian, white and im fluent in portuguese (native language) and english (second language)

i have a discord server! join if you want to, id love to have you there! but please be patient if all channels dont automatically show up, i have to verify you in order for that to happen.

my profile picture is a picrew that can be found here! amazing picrew, really recomend it, gave me a lot of gender euphoria. also it has cute animals so thats a plus, and pride flags! i always love pride flags in picrews

(i tend to ramble. a lot. sorry about that.)

dni:

anti blm, anti vax/anti mask, transmed/transcum, terfs, are/support p*dophiles/whatever theyre calling themselves today, lgbtqia+ phobic, anti mogai, anti neopronouns, pro life, exclusionist, climate change denier, prejudist agaisnt any religion, pro ana/ed, anti-anti, xenophobic, over 18 (unless i interact first), make content of/is/says anything on my triggers list (but the christian thing, i dont mind if youre christian just dont talk shit about other religions)

tag system:

posts that are okay to reblog unless stated otherwise in the tags: #astro rambles, #astros covers, #astros art, #theo writes

posts that you have to check the tags before rebloging: #astro rants

posts that are not okay to reblog unless stated otherwise in the tags: #*stress ball gets more stressed*, #astro vents

extra tags: #astro being soft n gay (usually my interactions with my qpp), #cute lil reptiles, #cute lil animals

extra info: i tag triggers "[trigger] tw"; my mutuals get their own tags based on their personality/inside jokes, if you want one, tell me; ask me to tag triggers if i forget to

my triggers:

(general tag is "geckos dni" or "dragon system don't look")

the phrases "you're faking it", "its all in your head", "its just anxiety", "you just have to have faith", "faith heals" and variations; someone being told they dont have an illness they do have; christianity/catholicism (especially saying theyre the "only right religion" or that they are persecuted); parent figts and divorce; money problems; any kind of abuse; nsfw and s#x; mentions of fathers/parents (specially if they are being bad parents); the song "every breath you take" by the police; the movie "the truman show"; conspiracy theories/mandela effect; bone marrow transplants; calling me (astro) a pet name when i dont let you, altho somethings/nicknames are okay; bitmojis; food/ed/weight/calories stuff; breaking promises, loud noises/yelling; being watched; having people we dont know/trust invading our space/privacy; "adults doing bad things"; repetitive pings; passive agressivness; maroon 5 songs from before 2016 (all but she will be loved and payphone); the words papai/papa/pai/variants; glasses with a half frame and strings holding it up; any mentions including jokes about dictatorships, specially taking peoples rights and people going missing; the A.I.5 and similar stuff; the military abusing power; elections being interrupted/blocked; nightmares/fantasy dreams (meeting fairies, flying, etc); being called s*xy or anything of sorts.

side blogs:

@maybeatiger - fandom blog

@theos-writing - writing blog

@our-welkin-world - system blog

@solsgalaxy - thoughts/aesthetic blog

#intro post #dont reblog #i was getting annoyed with my carrd so i decided to try this again :)

[luv-surveys]

45

Have you ever started reading a book and wondered if you’d read it before? yes i have. What has been bothering you a lot lately? the fact that i’m sick and super behind on all of my homework but can’t do anything about it. What (or who) have you been missing lately? i’ve been missing home lately since i’m going home this weekend for the first time in a few months. Are you trustworthy? i’d like to believe so. Did your parents teach that white lies were ok? they never specified but i was taught that lies in general are bad. Have you ever hallucinated? yes. Do you sleep with your door open or closed? i sleep with my bedroom door open, but i sleep with my dorm door closed. What flags do you have in your room, if any? i don’t have any flags. What (or who) is the best thing that ever happened to you? i’d probably say beginning to play music in fourth grade, as that really set me down the path that i’m on right now as a student in music school. What is the worst decision you ever made? probably beginning to let my anxiety control me -- it led me down a path that i’m still recovering from, a year later. Do you miss college? no, given that i’m in college right now... Have you ever called a teacher “mom”? i once called my french teacher “mom” because i accidentally said “madame” without the d so it sounded like “ma-ame” = “mom.” What is your favorite arcade game? probably skee-ball. i used to play that all the time growing up. Do you feel neglected? no. What school subject(s) are/were your best? definitely french and english. Are you allergic to grass? no. Do you remember to water plants? no... hence why i don’t own plants anymore. What season is your birthday in? it’s in fall. Name 3 creative people you know. my friend sophie, my friend danielle, and my friend dan. Name 3 YouTubers you aspire to be like. i’d say aspen ovard, jasmine from tbhstudying, and ava jules. What color was your first car? i’ve never owned a car. What year did you graduate? i graduated this year, 2020. When was the last time you saw the person you currently have feelings for? last saturday. Have you ever been scammed? yes. Are you allergic to pollen? yes :( What style of wedding dress do you like best? probably ballgown. Are you over your first love? i’m like 90% there. Do you talk on the phone a lot? pretty often. Would you rather call or text? probably text. Do you always answer your phone? no, i only answer if i recognize the number. When was the last time you went to a party? there really haven’t been any parties since quarantine started, but my friend did have a birthday in may, so probably then. What was the last thing you ate? chicken noodle soup. What’s the last book you checked out from the library? i checked out like nine books, all young adult fantasy. Do you have a twitter? no. If so, what was the last thing you tweeted? nothing. Who was the last person you talked to on the phone? the guy i’m seeing. What’s the last thing you cooked on the stove? pancakes. What color is the cover of the last notebook you used? white and gold. Who was the last person you know to have a birthday? a girl on my snap. Who sent the last e-mail you got? my flute professor responding to my email about a rental. What song is currently stuck in your head? “look what you made me do” by taylor swift Do you have a favorite shape? probably circle. What color are the sheets on your bed? at home, they’re yellow. in my dorm, they’re pink, What time do you usually go to bed? usually, i go to bed between 11 and 12. Do you ever use coloring books? no. Are you planning on watching the Olympics? when they actually happen, yes. Do you pronounce the word “often” with or without a “t” in the middle? with the t. Have you ever been on a trapeze? no. Do you enjoy popping bubble wrap? yes of course. Are there any waterfalls near where you live? no. Do you like seafood? not particularly -- i do like shrimp, though. Have you ever had to wear a uniform for anything? yes, for marching band. If so, what did it look like? it was a maroon jacket, black bibbers, black long socks, black marching shoes, white gauntlets, white gloves, and a maroon shako. and under we had to wear our tour shirts and spandex/leggings. Do you personally know anyone who is an author? yes, my dad is. Do you own a Polaroid camera? nope. Do you enjoy baking? i love baking! What’s your favorite type of flower? right now, daisies. Last time (if ever) you were on an airplane, where were you going? home from florida. Do you know anyone who is left-handed? i have a couple left-handed friends and family members. What is something you think is underrated? probably classical music. too many people think it’s boring but there are some really amazing pieces. Around what temperature do you consider it to be too hot outside? probably around 85 degrees. In what ways do you expect your life to be different one year from now? i expect covid to not be as big of an issue. How often do you travel outside of the state/province you live in? probably around once a month at most. What’s a hobby you used to have, but don’t anymore? definitely reading. i used to read all the time, and now i just don’t have the time or motivation. What has been your favorite job you’ve had so far? i’ve never had a job. What’s your favorite kind of salsa/dip to go with tortilla chips? probably guacamole. Do you wash your car by hand or drive through a car wash? i don’t have a car. Where is the farthest north you’ve traveled to? alaska. Farthest south? florida. East? russia. West? again, alaska. How often do you run the dishwasher? at my house, we run the dishwasher every night. Do you wash your face at the sink or in the shower? i wash it in the shower. Name a stereotype about your gender that you don’t fit. i don’t enjoy wearing dresses whatsoever. Name a stereotype about your age that you don’t fit. i don’t have any interest in trying drugs or smoking. Do you have any unusual decorations in your home? we have a “butler” named jeeves, a family of elephants on a window sill facing away from the front door for good luck, and a couple other things. Do you have any uncommon kitchen appliances, such as espresso machines, waffle irons, etc? we have a panini maker and other things like that. What did your parents major/minor in in college, if they went? my mom majored in psychology while my dad majored in business. Has either of their careers influenced what career you chose or want to pursue? nope. What is the highest level math class you’ve completed? precalculus. How old were you when you learned how to ride a bike? probably around 7. How old were you when you learned how to swim? i’d say 10ish. How do you react when someone is rude to you? i get annoyed but try to remain sweet and kind so i don’t stoop to their level/they don’t have anything against me. Have you ever had a friend who was too clingy? yes, and it was annoying. What kind of natural disaster is most common where you live? probably snowstorms/blizzards. Why is your least favorite season your least favorite? i hate winter because it’s cold and depressing. Do you have a Netflix account? yes. Have you ever had an animal get into your attic? yeah, occasionally that happens. Where is your favorite place to go on vacation? i enjoy traveling to europe since there’s so much history there. How long does it take to get there? it’d be about a six hour flight. When was the last time you started a “new chapter” of your life? this fall when i started college. What room in your home do you spend the least amount of time in? i’d say our downstairs bathroom -- i never use that bathroom. What is the last random act of kindness you did? i can’t really remember since i’ve been alone and sick for the past few days. Do you do anything to reduce the amount of electricity you use? not really... Are you usually open to trying a new food that you aren’t familiar with? yes, but if it’s some type of body part (like liver) then no. Do you listen to Panic! At The Disco? no. Have you ever had a kinky dream about a celebrity? nope. Is there a song you can’t stop listening to atm? not currently. Has anyone ever told you that they loved you, and you couldn’t say it back? no. If your Facebook status doesn’t get any likes/comments, does it bother you? i never post on facebook. Which friend do you confide in most? the guy i’m seeing haha. Do you wear a cross? no. What is your opinion on Arby’s? it’s good and their fries are amazing. When you have your own kitchen, how will it be done? i’d like an island definitely, and lots of counter space. i’d want it to be an open layout too. What is your favorite doughnut? probably jelly. Do you have a hot tub? If so, where is it located? no way. Did you read the Twilight series, or jump on the bandwagon after the movie? i have never read the entire series or been interested in it. What is your favorite party game? wii party or cards against humanity. Do you or your parents rake your yard? my parents do. Were you pro-Obama? nope, but i couldn’t vote anyway. What is your favorite scent from Bath & Body Works? i think a thousand wishes?  What was the last illegal thing you did? probably speeding when i was driving. Who did you last go to the movies with? i think my sister, her boyfriend, and my ex. What color was the last vehicle you were in? white. Do you have any family members in the military right now? nope. Is there a ceiling fan in the room you’re in? no. When was the last time you wished time would move faster? during my class earlier today. Are there any owls in your room (as decor, of course)? nope. Have you ever heard voices? Audibly? no. Do you believe in angels and demons? yes. Who is the worst neighbor you have ever had? we have neighbors that accuse us of things we don’t do and get into fights with us over stupid things. Did your Barbies go on dates? yes! If you’re not straight, who was the first person you came out to? i’m straight. Where did you meet your first crush? school. Do you remember the first time your first crush ever said hi to you? nope. Do you ever go places with wet hair? occasionally, but i try not to. Who is your favorite little girl? probably my cousin. What do you want the most in life? happiness. What is a decision you’ve made that changed your entire life? my college decision. Do you ever wonder what kind of person you’d have turned out to be if a certain event never happened to you? occasionally, yeah. When you’re home alone, do you still shower with the bathroom door closed? yep, i keep it closed and locked. If you could have anyone’s singing voice, whose would you choose? maybe ariana grande. What are your top 3 favorite genres of music? classical, jazz, and electroswing. Where did you buy your dishes from? i’m pretty sure my mom gets them from williams-sonoma. Do you think Mars will be colonized in your lifetime? not in my lifetime. What’s the most expensive thing you’ve bought that turned out to be a waste of money? probably some type of appliance that i never use. What’s something you’ve bought that turned out to be way more useful than you anticipated? my shower shoes! Have you ever been on a ship? yeah. Do you ever take intentional breaks from checking/posting on social media? nope. Who was Van Halen’s better singer - David Lee Roth, or Sammy Hagar? i don’t know what you’re talking about lol. Which fictional character has the most memorable quotes? maybe dumbledore from harry potter? i can’t think of anyone off the top of my head. What’s a class you did not take in school, but now wish you had? forensic sciences. Have you ever been to either of your parents’ workplaces? all the time. What do you think of the ‘Healthy At Every Size’ movement/philosophy? no... not every size is healthy bruh. Have you ever been bitten so hard that their teeth marks were there after? yes. Ever been given a hickey? (Love bite) yeah. Ever gave one? nope. Are you more of an outgoing type or shy type? more shy. Do you think it’s weird if guys wear make-up like eyeliner? nah. Are you self conscious? If so what are you self conscious about? a lot, but mainly my height and paleness. Are you flirty at all? sometimes. Are you racist at all? no. Would you ever date a disabled person? (Be honest) depends on the disability, but more likely than not, no. If you found a baby randomly by itself what would you do? probably look around for parents, and if they’re not there, contact authorities. Would you rather adopt or have your own child? i’d rather have my own. What would you class as cheating on someone? purposefully seeking a romantic relationship/interaction with another person. Do you try to be politically correct? i try to. What’s your favorite kind of sea critter? maybe starfish. Have you ever tasted locally-made honey before? no. As far as earrings go, would you rather wear hoops or studs? hoops! Do you find P.E. humiliating, or think schools shouldn’t teach it? i don’t think it’s humiliating, but from my experience, i don’t know if it’s worth teaching. Do you recycle? yeah. Are you interested in current world issues? for the most part. Do you think you are mature, or immature? mostly mature. What kind of career are you interested in? i’m interested in teaching or performing music. Do you own a pair of sunglasses? yes. Do you use bobby pins, hair clips, or elastic hair ties? Which? i use all of the above. How badly do you get acne? (If at all) i barely get any acne. What’s the best way to cope with a breakup? remember all the things you hated about them and distract yourself. also, a glow-up and showing off your successes never hurts. If someone dislikes you, what is most likely to be the reason? probably because they think i’m egotistical. How many text messages do you have in your inbox atm? 72. When was the last time you had a difficult decision to make? probably deciding whether or not i should stay with the guy i’m seeing. In school, what subjects do/did you find the most difficult? math! Do you still speak to the person you had your first kiss with? not really. Where did you meet the last person you swapped numbers with? here at college. Who was the last person to add you as a friend on Facebook? a kid from my theory class. Who was the last person that asked if you were okay? my roommate, because i’ve been unhealthy. What does your handwriting look like? it’s pretty bubbly and very neat. Do you use any products on your hair, other than shampoo and conditioner? yes, i use dry shampoo and dry conditioner. Who were your best friends in primary school? lindsey. Do you still speak to any of them? nope. What was the last thing you bought from a vending machine? i think candy. What color hair did your first crush have? blond. What type of shoes do you find the most comfortable? moccasins! Are you more masculine or feminine? more feminine, definitely. If you could design your own mug, what would you put on it? something minimalist, like a tiny illustration. What is the best beach you’ve been to? the beach at ocean city, maryland. What is one thing you physically can’t do? i cannot do a pull-up, nope. Have you ever been to a funeral? yep. Have you ever visited your state’s capitol building? no. Have you ever visited your nation’s capitol building? yes. Do/did you have a favorite seat in church? yeah, the one on the left close to the front. What is your favorite park? probably six flags? or disney? Have you ever felt an earthquake? nope. Do you chew gum regularly? no. Where did you go on your first train ride? i think when i was a baby. Do you know anyone with a dual citizenship? yep. What sports teams do you root for, if any? (Extra points for Boston fans.) i don’t root for any sports teams. Do you dunk your cookies in milk? no ma’am. What is something you are confident about? my eye color. Have you ever been physically addicted to a substance? What? i’ve been addicted to afrin during colds, but i always manage to tear myself away. How do you feel about needles? they’re not great, but i’m not particularly scared of them. What is your favorite accent to listen to? i love scottish accents. What was the reason you last got dressed up? church. Have you ever been the subject of cruel rumors? not really. ^ What were they? -- Do you prefer loose or form-fitting clothing? more form-fitting. ^ What about on your preferred gender? more form-fitting as well. What do you do when you are really, really mad? i go somewhere to be alone so i can cool off. Would you rather go naked than wear fur? i’d rather wear fur, but i wouldn’t like it. Do you put a line through your 7’s? no. ^ What about your Z’s? nope. What is one thing that someone could do to you that is unforgivable? cheat on me if we’re in a relationship. Are you able to forgive and forget? it’s hard, but sometimes. Do you like cold pizza? no. What is your favorite fruit? pineapple! What about your favorite fruit juice, if it differs from solid fruit? white grape juice has my heart. Do you like broccoli and cheese? i’ve never had it but it sounds yummy. What about potatoes and cheese? oh yeah that’s good. Have you written a letter by hand, lately? To whom? yep, to the guy i’m seeing. Toaster or toaster oven? toaster. What are you most known for? being a musician haha. Do you have any reputations? What are they? i don’t believe so. Do you wear band shirts? nope. ^ What band was on the last one you wore? -- Do you own any hats? Describe them. yeah, i own a black adidas cap and a white cap. What about masks, you got any? Describe those. oh, i have plenty... thanks covid. i have a black one, a white one, a pink one, a brown one, a green camo one, and a blue floral one. What was the last thing to leave you speechless? probably my flu since it hurts to talk LOL. Do your parents like your friends? If they don’t, why not? yep. Have you been called a bad influence? no way. Describe your favorite pair of socks. i like all my pairs of black socks. Have you experienced any life-changing news, events, etc, lately? not really. Have any self-done piercings? nope. Ever pierced someone else? nooo. Do you get distracted easily? sometimes, but not if i’m focused on homework. Is talking to strangers enjoyable for you, or stressful? it’s stressful usually. How do you feel about getting new neighbors? it’s exciting! How many ceiling fans are in your home? one. Do you tweet your life away? nope. How do you feel about shameless self promoting? i don’t mind it if it isn’t too in the way. When reading words. like. this. do. you always pause after the periods? yep. What about screaming when reading something IN ALL CAPS? uh-huh.

[iheartsunset]

I love your headcannons they're (chef kiss), also do you have headcannons of my boi Connor? 👀

Papa Louie Connor HCs

(Ack you’re one of my favorite people on here and to hear you compliment my stuff is just 💕👌🏽 here’s some hcs for you my friend)

-Connor Grant is an 18 year old high school student and convenience store worker who lives with his newly remarried parents and his younger half brother, Peter Grant, who prefers to go by “LePete”. As the star basketball player at Burgerburgh High and best friend of the famous track star, Lisa Pereira, Connor is highly regarded among the townspeople for every championship he wins. Connor dreams of going pro, but he secretly wants to pursue a career as a playwright, though he is discouraged by his father’s encouragement of toxically masculine behaviors.

-Connor’s a true athlete, one that’s energetic and gung ho, always capturing the crowd’s attention with his confidence and encouragement. He likes to present himself as tough per his parents’ directions, but he’s actually real soulful and sensitive. Like a lot of times he’s shy and artistic, but he only does this when he’s alone or with Lisa. He tries to connect with his younger brother, but LePete’s jealousy of him has put a wedge in their relationship, leading to Connor also hating his parents’ expectations for them. He just wants to break free, like he’s soaring, flying, like there’s not a star in heaven that he can’t reach. He wants to bop to the top, be fabulous, to always bet on it, and find something that could be the start of something new. To also get his head in the game, but still not stick to the status quo.

-He and Lisa have lived down the street from each other their whole lives. They became best friends since Marty babysat both of them at the same time when they were 8. They both exercise together regularly, hang out at each others’ work, and even cheer each other on at games. Connor even breaks into the loudspeaker to play her favorite songs to make her run faster, and she does the same for his basketball games (except with the high school musical soundtrack). Connor even stalked- I mean observed Allan to scope out whether or not he’d be good for Lisa (he was). She’s one of the only ones who supports him becoming a writer. Anyways they totally still wear friendship bracelets, like the rubber band ones from the Cra-Z loom (anyone else remember those?).

-Whenever LePete runs away to sneaks out, Connor and Lisa will haul ass all over the continent to bring him home safely, mostly going to Calypso Island to find him hanging with his military bound mother or in Oniontown with his friends, Sarge Fan, Radlynn, Greg, Iggy, and Yippy, but he goes all over the place. He’s mostly overprotective of LePete, even though LePete doesn’t seem to like him at all. LePete will still piggyback Connor and hang around him and Lisa though, so maybe they’ll end up getting along in the future.

-Connor displays interest in both musicals and traditional plays. He’s mostly into modern musicals and contemporary plays, though, as opposed to Koilee and Carlo Romano’s shared love of classic musicals and Shakespeare. As in, he cries over works like Hamilton and Hadestown at least twice a day. They’ve also inspired him to write many of his own plays, which he helps Allan with as well since he’s the co-writer of the Grease remake. As for performing, he’s great at acting and can sing alright, but that’s okay since he prefers to direct and write anyways .

-Burgerburgh is a very close knit town, so he thinks of lots of the other citizens as his family. Look up the list of Burgerburgh residents, that’s everyone he loves more than his parents, just add LePete and Allan somewhere there. Anyways, they also love him very much, but can he please stop randomly bursting into song?

-He’s one fo the few characters to actually have a car instead of relying on airplanes and public transportation. He does this so that he and his passengers could jam out to musicals without being judged.

-He actually sucks at NBA video games. Even through they’re all about basketball, he can’t beat them unless he looks up cheats online. Tohru actually almost took a train to Burgerburgh just to punch him in the face for this, but luckily decided that staying inside and playing more video games was a better option.

-His favorite movie is definitely Space Jam. He’s seen it about 400 times and still somehow never gets sick of it. His DVD copy of it is one of his most prized possessions.

-He likes to give advice to his friends and teammates about not suppressing their emotions, acting like jerks, or disliking feminine things since he knows that lots of people force those ideas onto them. He’ll also stay up all night with them to hear them talk about their issues or help them with schoolwork. Connor’s just an amazing sweetheart honestly and we stan.

-His hair is very tall and is also thick enough to hide stuff in. He and Lisa used to hide snacks or their cell phones in his hair so that they could eat in the movies or sneak their phones into class. Now that she’s in college and he’s still in high school , Lisa can’t do the second one as much anymore, but she’ll still avoid paying for butterfingers at the movie theater by keeping a bag of them in his hair.

-Connor is really tall, like 6’3, so he often has bruises oh his forehead from hitting the tops of doorways or the shower heads.

-I love Connor so much since I also love basketball, but Ig I don’t really have too many headcanons for him taht don’t revolve around Lisa or LePete...oh well I still love him 💕

#flipline studios #papa louie #flipline #my hcs #Connor #space jam is the superior movie #so is high school musical #lisa and connor are best friends #mention of allan x Lisa #seriously I only hc three people it have a car #like just Connor Rita and the Romano family have a car #are busses cars?

[studioweus]

NOTES: This article was originally posted on the 28th of January, 2017. This was when MAS 0094 (now ONEWE!) were properly starting off their careers in the music industry. The article (which is linked as the source) outlines interesting information about their predebut ventures so I decided to translate it if you wanted to know more about their prior activities in 2015! If you wanted to repost somewhere, you’re free to do so - but please take out with credit! There may be minor translation inaccuracies but the idea should remain the same throughout. 

Kanghyun (Guitar), Dongmyeong (Vocals/Keyboard), Harin (Drums), Yonghoon (Vocals/Guitar), and CyA (Rap/Bass) are members of the band MAS 0094. The group, who released their first single in August 2015, focused on starting out through consistent busking performances instead of broadcasting activities.

2017 was their year to leap forward from that. Releasing their second mini album 'Make Some Noise' earlier this month, MAS 0094 has advanced to performing in various music stages, all the while showing off their intense skills to the fullest.

Composing a song for the victims of sexual slavery and performing for children with developmental disabilities, I sat down with MAS 0094, who is dubbed as a "concept band," to talk about their New Years resolutions and wishes.

-- Your team name is unique

DONGMYEONG: 'MAS' means MAKE A SOUND. The '0094' part refers to the the members that were born from 1994 to 2000 in that order. It's also always been a dream of ours to passionately perform various songs. Since it's hard for the fans to pronounce, we just ask them to call us 'MAS.'

-- There must have been a lot of episodes  [of pronunciation mishaps]

KANGHYUN: The numbers change when we go to events sometimes. There were foreign fans who were like 'Ah so they're called MASU 0094.' Others mistake the 00 (zero zero) as the letters OO in English.

DONGMYEONG: We met senior SHINee Jonghyun on a radio program and he said '[MAS 0094] looks like a jet plane name.' (laughs). Despite the occasional pronunciation mess ups, I'm pleased with the name since it's quite easy to remember.

-- I'm curious to know how you formed this team

KANGHYUN: We originally had three members. The three of us (Kanghyun, Harin, CyA) all went to the same academy and we matched quite well. But we didn't have a vocalist then - all we did was perform with instruments. As my interest in how the music of the band will transpire grew, we met CyA's close friend Dongmyeong.

HARIN: We met Yonghoon at a K-Pop contest at Suwon-si in 2015 where we went as part of a session. He showed off his amazing singing abilities and was awarded a grand prize. We immediately offered him a spot in our band after.  

YONGHOON: I was in college at the time. The grand prize was one million won [roughly $850 USD] and I competed to earn the money. I never thought I would come across these guys. They were brave enough to offer me a position in their band, and at first, they were even playing hard to get (laughs). I found out that they were exceptionally talented so I decided to join them.

--In 2015, you released your first song called "Butterfly, Find the Flower." I heard this song was composed for the women who were forced into sexual slavery by Japanese militaries?

DONGMYEONG: That's right. CyA had that idea when he first learned about it in a WebToon. When we heard the story, the members thought about how we could offer our help to the victims.  

KANGHYUN: We wanted to give the grandmothers happiness. So we gathered profits made from our busking activities and also found the time to volunteer at The House of Sharing*

[The House of Sharing is a nursing home for the “comfort women” (I do not recommend describing them as such since they’re ultimately victims, and this term seems to carry derogatory meaning with it, thus the quotation marks) who suffered through sexual slavery]

DONGMYEONG: We spent a year busking and then visited the grandmothers at The House of Sharing, and it was the first time we felt that we accomplished our goals. This is something that I won't forget for the rest of my life.

-- I heard you also did other kinds of volunteer work.

KANGHYUN: We also set up a performance for children with developmental disabilities not too long ago. We even met with the MC in person and let him know about the instruments. We get to learn more that way instead of just performing. We promise to work even harder as well.

HARIN: It makes me feel happy whenever I do good work. When you see how much fun these kids have, a smile just naturally appears on your face.

YONGHOON: We also performed for their parents once. Then for some reason, I couldn't control my tears and I started crying. I thought that this was the reason why we perform and do music.

-- Let's talk about the new mini album you released earlier this month - 'Make Some Noise'

CYA: The album has this sort of feeling where we're just messing around together and not thinking about anything else. The title track "Make Some Noise" was created to mimic the kinds of stages you see in rock festivals. That's what we had in mind when the song was made.

DONGMYEONG: As we were preparing for the performance, I wondered "do we have any songs that are exciting?" and we improvised, we felt good about it, and we even recorded it. The company's response was also favourable so it became the title track.

YONGHOON: We've also tried different genres like ballad, jazz, and hip hop. This time around, when we combined EDM with band-style music, we soon realized that it created good synergy. We're thinking of going a bit further with that style in the future. But we won't be sticking with just one genre. Since MAS 0094 is a team that composes its own music, we'll be trying out various things as well.

-- What are MAS 0094's pros?

YONGHOON: I'm confident that we have the most on-stage experience among the rookie groups. We typically busk at Hongdae, Suwon, Hangang Park every weekend. We learned a lot from the senior groups that we've met (No Brain, DAY6, BOL4) on stage.

HARIN: We’ve also tried putting ourselves in the audience's perspective, instead of just thinking about going up on stage. As we see everyone take their seats, we want to make sure that everyone feels comfortable and can see clearly, and that their view of the stage isn't being obstructed.  

-- What is the most memorable stage for you?

YONGHOON: I'm afraid it's difficult for bands when it rains. One time, I suddenly got scared when the power [electricity] coming from the microphone shot up.

CyA: The performance in China was also memorable. I felt a new kind of energy and realized the status of KPOP. That recognition was more than when you copy [do a cover] of popular Chinese songs. When we sang Block B and Big Bang seniors' songs, you could hear the audience doing the fanchants.

--This was the first time you've ever done an 'actual' stage [compared to busking activities in the past]

YONGHOON: We have more music show schedules this time around. We're seriously standing in front of the general public. We want to show a stage with a different style and a good performance.

KANGHYUN: We'll be showing you the 'Mannequin Challenge,' which has been popularized nowadays. We've also been preparing for '007' 'Rewind' versions.

--I'm curious to know about your goals.

CyA: For MAS 0094's presence and songs to be known everywhere. I also want to see us go up in the charts. I also want to go to 'Infinite Challenge' as well. Seeing Rose Motel, Chang Ki Ha, and Hyukoh in person would be really cool, too.

-- What kind of team do you want to become?

HARIN: Boohwal seniors are my role models. They've had a lot of hit songs and have been doing activities [together as a band] for a long time. I want us to become great band stars like them as well.

-- What are your wishes for the New Year?

YONGHOON: I wish we could receive a "Band Award" at the end of the year ceremony.

DONGMYEONG: I hope all the members stay healthy. And also, I wish people are filled with happiness whenever they listen to our songs.

HARIN: #1 on Gaon Chart! I want to accomplish that someday, if that doesn't happen this year.

KANGHYUN: I hope we can release a full-length album. With that album release, I also want us to hold a large-scale concert.  

#onewe #yonghoon #harin #kanghyun #dongmyeong #cya #translations #there are a few more articles that i'll definitely translate when i find the time to

[prettyoddfever]

MAKING PRETTY. ODD. – in the studio

this article gives the best overview of the recording process. the rest of this post  summarizes some stuff the band talked about in other interviews.

ABOUT THE STUDIO

The band recorded Pretty. Odd. at Studio at the Palms in Vegas. Some journalists thought it was odd that they were recording in a casino.

Jon: “...it wasn't that weird. The studio was on the third floor and you didn't know that you were in a casino. But you had to walk through the casino to get to different places.”

Ryan to Nylon: "I really like to play blackjack and that gets me in trouble a lot of times, so I have to try and stay away. It was like a test of my own self discipline. Once we were in there, we kind of forgot that we were in a casino. You kind of feel like you're in a military base when you're in there for 10 or 12 hours a day anyway.”

AFYCSO was recorded instrument by instrument, but most of Pretty. Odd. was recorded live with the whole band playing simultaneously. The did each song many times and then kept the best take even if it had small “flaws.” They only used autotune on a couple parts when necessary because they wanted the album to feel more organic & natural, like there was an actual band playing live. 

RECORDING LIVE AS A BAND:

Brendon: “We wanted to do more of a live feel so if you listened to a song it sounded like a human was playing it rather than a computer fixing it.”

Ryan to Rolling Stone: “People have taken technology so far, to the point where music is almost sterile these days. With all those old rock & roll records, you can really feel there’s a character to them, because it was played by real people. I feel like a lot of that’s missing now.” Rolling Stone pointed out that AFYCSO was “a prime offender, overflowing with maxed-out pitch-correction and baroque Pro Tools trickery.” And Ryan agreed.

Jon talked a LOT about how important it was to make “honest” music, and that included not relying on autotune or a digital approach. 

Ryan to Billboard: ”We just wanted the record to sound like four people playing a song. A lot of the songs are definitely more geared toward playing live; we didn't think about that on the last record."

Ryan: “We do take after take until we get it right. It’s a lot harder, but it’s making us play better.” 

Brendon to Kerrang: “On the first album the harmonies were done by me recording my voice many times and then layering it all together… This time we’ve got the whole band involved, so it’s as it would be were you to hear it live. We wanted it to sound honest, and this was the best way to achieve that. So this time we’re a proper barbershop quartet!”

Jon to The Cleveland Free Times: “We recorded live and we recorded a lot to tape. There's a little bit more character in it and there's more of a band feel. It doesn't feel as produced or perfect, there's a little more human characteristic to it, which we all really like a lot. Some of those bands back in the '60s, that's the one thing they really had that's been lost with the rise in technology.”

One of the biggest goals was to make a record that would work well in a live setting (and that they wouldn’t mind playing several hundred times).

Brendon to Rock Sound: “We had never been on tour when we made our first record, so we had no idea what would be good to play live… with this album we had in the forefront of our minds how it would and could be portrayed live.”

Brendon to Blunt: “On the last record we hadn’t played any live gigs, so we didn’t know too much about that world. So we ran into problems initially trying to pull off the songs because we didn’t really understand that world. There are a lot of songs that don’t translate well into live music. So we definitely had that a lot more in mind when writing these songs.”

Here’s what Spencer told Drum! Magazine:

“We tracked most of the record live, which can be rare in the digital age. So all of the drums and bass and most of the rhythm guitar parts are recorded live. It was a lot of fun for me… You’re able now to make everything sound 100-percent perfect with the recording technology, and that’s kind of what our first record was. It was our first time being in the studio and we didn’t really think that far into it. We didn’t realize how much the production could change the way we sounded.

It was a little bit of a struggle the first couple times through. Tracking live is difficult to do and we definitely realized that early on. It requires a lot more musicianship and a lot more talent to be able to record live and actually use what you recorded without altering it with some kind of Beat Detective / Pro Tools thing. Being able to play together as a band tight enough that you’ll want to keep it can be tough. I’m just really glad that over the past couple years every show we’ve played, I’ve played to a click. Playing a couple hundred shows that way gets you really used to staying on that click, so that helped a lot. It did take a little more time but the overall sound of it was definitely worth it. And we had more time – about two full months in the studio – than we did with the first record, so we’d do 15 or 16 takes until we got what we needed. On the last record, I hated sitting in there by myself in a room and having to record 14 drum tracks in four days. This time we went song-by-song and did a different song every three or four days. This was a lot of fun to record. We came in with seven or eight songs fully ready, so we had time to experiment with different drum kits, different iso booths, some big rooms, and that stuff. I don’t think we used the same drum configurations twice. It was cool to do and we had never really done that before. I wanted to try some different stuff, including a couple vintage kits… and our engineer was on the same page from day one. He was into trying different setups and mike placements, trying to figure out what would help the song the most. We probably used three or four different kits... The last couple songs we wrote I didn’t have time to sit there and come up with the most creative drum fill ever. So for those songs you just sit down and play what feels right. Even when we were recording takes I’d try to do slight variations on everything each time just to have different things to pick from in the end. With recording live I tended to fall back and play what I would naturally play, rather than trying to think it through. And the tempos are different on this record. The songs are more groove-oriented and there’s some swing stuff, so a lot of it was different for me.”

OTHER STUFF ABOUT RECORDING

Ryan told Alt Press “We wanted to focus on the melody and what’s happening in the song rather than throwing a lot of distortion over everything.”

The guys figured out some songs before they entered the studio but then others were pieced together while they tracked them.

I loved how Spencer used a $1,400 snare drum made from wood fished from the bottom of Lake Superior... like just compare that to their situation while recording AFYCSO lol.

Brendon said: “We all switched instruments on stuff and had different ideas. Everybody got to sing on this record. We’ve just done so many different things that I can’t really say anybody has a specific job.”

They wrote the songs with the intent to be able to play them live, but at the same time they didn’t leave anything out if it wasn’t something that was easy to play live. Brendon said "we never didn't put anything in because we felt that we wouldn't be able to play it live. If it sounded good, we'd keep it in the songs. A lot of stuff will be kind of tough to pull off live to make it sound exactly like the record.”

Spencer told the Toronto Sun that “There’s definitely a couple of songs where we’re realizing if we’re going to play them live they’ll have to be slightly different versions. But it’s kind of cool that way. We’re able to change it up a little bit. Ideally it would be amazing to play with a couple of string players and a couple of horn players every night – but that’s not always a possibility.” 

Spencer made other comments about wanting to travel with a string quartet and several horn players. He had been a driving force behind the elaborate Fever-era stage shows, so it was nice to see he hadn’t lost that imagination & flair for the dramatic.

The band used a lot of vintage equipment in the recording process. Spencer said that gave the songs a different vibe. Ryan played a 1960 Les Paul Junior for most of the recording + an old Epiphone Casino (this means very little to me haha but I’ll still share it in case anyone else is interested).

Rob Mathes could play the guitar better than Ryan, but Ryan’s playing actually ended up working better for the sound of the album because it was more raw & real. Rob did play some instruments on songs, though.

Eric Ronick was in the studio towards the end too! He was there while the band worked on Mad as Rabbits.

Rockzone asked the band if they were planning to do any collaborations like other Decaydance bands. Jon said no and Brendon said they had a few friends from Vegas come to the studio and sing parts with Rob, but that’s it.

Alt Press said the guys needed to stick to a 6-week recording budget but some of the band’s comments made it sound like they were in the studio for a bit longer.

The band told Las Vegas Weekly that they spent around 6 weeks recording this fall. They would arrive at the studio around 1 or 2 in the afternoon and "work until midnight or later.”

Ryan told Blunt that “...we ran out of time. The label was going to kick us out of the studio, so we had to leave. We actually didn’t have any more songs than we put on the record.”

The band was done tracking six songs by early November and they finished recording in Vegas on January 6, 2008. Ryan told Blender “Man, it’s nice to be done. We had a pretty relaxed last day: just overdubs and a few vocals.” The staff at The Palms brought the band a “big dinner from the steak house – filet mignon, macaroni and cheese, shrimp as big as your face.” 

Spencer said the next day they “spent the whole afternoon at Ryan’s condo, finalizing song titles, figuring out the track listing, approving publicity photos and choosing artwork.” They also did the interviews for Shane’s documentary about the making of Pretty. Odd. around this time (the main interviews were done on January 9th).

(the main post)

[obtusemedia]

The best songs of the 2010s: #75-51

#75: “The Only Thing” by Sufjan Stevens (2015)

It was tough to pick a single song from Sufjan Stevens’ masterpiece, Carrie and Lowell, for this list. The album, about his dead mother, is consistently beautiful and tragic throughout.

But “The Only Thing” has the most devastating line of the whole album, and possibly the whole decade, delivered in a wobbly falsetto: “Should I tear my eyes out now?/Everything I see returns to you somehow.” Case closed. Now please excuse me while I cry for the rest of the day.

#74: “Best Song Ever” by One Direction (2013)

If you can’t appreciate this slice of pop-rock perfection that shamelessly rips off The Who, I’m not sure we can be friends.

“Best Song Ever” still sounds as the pinnacle of One Direction’s career, with its fizzy arena-rock chorus and adorable lyrics about that one special night with a mysterious woman, never to be seen again. The Millennial Whoops are plentiful, and they are irresistible.

Yes, “Best Song Ever” is a corny boy band song. But A) it’s the best possible version of a corny boy band song. And B) boy bands are wonderful. Just embrace the cheese.

(Also, One Direction was the greatest boy band of all time. Don’t fight me on this.)

#73: “Pray For Rain” by Pure Bathing Culture (2015)

Portland shoegaze duo Pure Bathing Culture delivered the closest approximation to a prime Cocteau Twins single since the early ‘90s.

It’s got the icy synths and shoegaze guitars to throw any listener into a hypnotic groove. The secret ingredient that makes “Pray For Rain” stand out, however, is the thumping, snare-heavy beat that invokes both military drum lines and trip-hop. It adds a propulsion to the otherwise dreamy track, creating a dissonant yet incredible experience.

#72: “Not” by Big Thief (2019)

Unlike the hushed folksy whispers of Big Thief’s first 2019 album, “Not” is a furious, noisy firebomb of an indie rock jam. Lead singer Adrianne Lenker’s warble is pushed to its limits, as her vocals crack and strain while the song’s tension (and noise level) slowly ratchets up in the song’s first half. 

Then, the pent-up energy is finally released for an explosive, discordant two-and-a-half minute guitar solo. It’s pure chaos and anger distilled into one instrument, and the greatest moment so far of Big Thief’s promising career.

#71: “Dog Years” by Maggie Rogers (2016)

The strength of Maryland indie-pop prodigy Maggie Rogers’ first few singles is how in tune with nature she sounded. I’ve dubbed it “REI-pop.”

And none of her songs are more reminiscent of a high-end outdoors store than “Dog Years” — and yes, that’s a compliment. “Dog Years” incorporates noises like wind chimes and owl hoots to its soulful synthpop production for a unique flavor. Rogers delivers on the vocal end with a stunning performance reminiscent of blue-eyed soul greats like Daryl Hall.

It’s a bummer that mainstream indie pop nowadays is going to mostly sound like Jeep ads. But “Dog Years” proves great art can still be created in that avenue.

#70: “The House That Heaven Built” by Japandroids (2012)

With “The House That Heaven Built,” Vancouver, BC indie rockers Japandroids made a perfect road trip anthem. The chugging guitars shoot to the sky, the drumming is furious, and the fist-pumping “OH OH OHs” are plentiful.

“House” is like a Bruce Springsteen collaboration with The Replacements: righteous fury backed by raucous, bar-friendly punk-rock. When lead singer/guitarist Brian King informs the listener that if “Anything try to slow you down/Tell em all to go to hell,” it’s something anyone can feel in their bones.

#69: “Adorn” by Miguel (2012)

“Adorn” is dangerously smooth. The chillwave-meets-80s-R&B production gets you halfway there, but Miguel’s buttery vocals are the main attraction here. From his endearing ad-libs (“whoap!”) to his effortless vocal runs on the gorgeous melody, he sounds like a seasoned pro.

I’m going to give y’all a hot take — “Adorn” is the Millennial “Sexual Healing.” It strikes that same nocturnal, sexy flair, and Miguel is working it just as hard as Marvin Gaye did. It’s too bad Miguel never was quite able to make something quite as impressive as “Adorn” again, but that single (and its accompanying, phenomenal Kaleidoscope Dream record) will cement him as a ‘10s R&B icon.

#68: “The World’s Best American Band” by White Reaper (2017)

White Reaper never claimed to be the world’s best band. Nope — they want to be the world’s best American band. So it’s only fitting that Louisville’s finest dirtbags cooked up a warm slice of some of the greasiest, sleaziest and most proudly stupid capital-R RAWK in years.

This is the kind of music Van Halen would’ve made if they were a low-rent Millennial indie band. This is the kind of music Gardner Minshew probably listens to. And it’s glorious.

#67: “I Just Had Sex” by The Lonely Island feat. Akon (2010)

This list isn’t really trying to measure importance or anything like that. It’s basically just the songs that made me the happiest this decade. And there are few songs that make me smile as much as The Lonely Island’s pathetically hilarious “I Just Had Sex.”

There’s so many golden moments here, from “I called my parents right after I was done!” to “The best 30 seconds of my life!” and “I think she might have been a racist?” The comedy trio was really on their A-game.

But what makes “I Just Had Sex” more than just a goof is that it’s also catchy as hell. That Akon chorus is legitimately one of the best pop hooks of the decade. What made The Lonely Island so brilliant in their turn-of-the-decade peak is their ability to make songs that often surpassed the actual pop hits they emulated, while not sacrificing hilarious lyrics.

(Also, shoutout to “Jack Sparrow” and the legitimately impressive baseball-themed “Let’s Bash,” both of which could’ve also snuck onto this list.)

#66: “Oh My Darling Don’t Cry” by Run The Jewels (2014)

Sometimes, you turn to hip-hop for inspiring messages and thoughtful, provocative lyrics (something Run The Jewels has certainly delivered on with tracks like “Early”).

But sometimes you just want an aggro banger that makes you want to smash through a brick wall like the Kool-Aid Man. That’s what “Oh My Darling Don’t Cry” brings to the table, thanks to its heavy helping of fuck-everyone defiance and El-P’s trademark apocalyptic, frantic production.

#65: “Your Best American Girl” by Mitski (2016)

In her signature song, “Your Best American Girl,” Mitski took the thrashing ‘90s guitars and epic chorus of Smashing Pumpkins’ “Today” and turned it into a conversation about race, insecurity and love.

Mitski, who is Japanese-American, vividly describes the angst of trying to fit the lily-white image of the “American Girl” for a boy. The song begins with insecurity — “Your mother wouldn’t approve of how my mother raised me/But I do, I think I do” — and then flips that statement into a proud stand for her roots: “But I do, I finally do.” It’s a powerful declaration, fitting of one of the decade’s most powerful rock anthems.

#64: “A Real Hero” by College and Electric Youth (2010)

Consider this spot a placeholder for all the best songs from the 2010′s best soundtrack: “Drive.”

Out of that soundtrack’s three stand-out singles, “A Real Hero” is the best by a hair. College’s slick, pulsing production is a perfect contrast to Bronwyn Griffin’s whispered, ghostly vocals. It’s the perfect love theme for an aggressively hipster-y movie where Ryan Gosling plays a dude in a gold satin jacket, drives around L.A. silently, and crushes a guy’s head in an elevator.

But shout out to the other two classics on Drive, “Nightcall” and “Under Your Spell,” which are also musts while driving around at night feeling moody.

#63: “Birthday Song” by 2 Chainz feat. Kanye West (2012)

“Birthday Song” is gloriously stupid. It’s the kind of song you laugh at the first time you hear it, but after a few more listens, you’re rapping along with 2 Chainz and Kanye.

And it’s hard not to rap along when there’s this many quotable lines: “SHE GOT A BIG BOOTY SO I CALL HER BIG BOOTY.” “I’M IN THE KITCHEN. YAMS EVERYWHERE!!” “Last birthday, she got you a new sweater/Put it on, give her a kiss, and tell her, ‘DO BETTER.’” And of course, the most iconic line of them all: “All I want for my birthday is a big booty hoe.”

“Birthday Song” is so ridiculous that it’s only a couple jokes removed from a Lonely Island single. And that’s what makes it so fun.

#62: “Every Day’s the Weekend” by Alex Lahey (2017)

Aussie indie rocker Alex Lahey made the best Blink-182 song of the decade with “Every Day’s the Weekend.” It’s got a soaring chorus with the all-important “WHOA OHs,” a chugging guitar riff, and it’s catchy as hell.

Just toss in a lackadaisical attitude and a “I Gotta Feeling”-style days-of-the-week chant and you’ve got a pop-punk classic.

#61: “Take a Walk” by Passion Pit (2012)

While MGMT burned their cultural capital by making zoinked-out psych rock (which was pretty solid!), their peers Passion Pit doubled down on their signature synthpop sound in the early ‘10s. Their 2012 album, Gossamer, is one of the all-time great albums with a happy, bouncy sound but crushingly dark lyrics. So naturally, its first single is a perky pop tune about financial struggles!

“Take a Walk” is so catchy and uplifting musically — just try getting that iconic synth riff out of your head — that Michael Angelakos’ lyrics about the Great Recession seem out of place at first. But it gels anyways. The uplifting music just emphasizes the dire situation Angelakos and his then-wife found themselves in, and it makes the soaring synth riff read as more melancholy than optimistic.

#60: “Gretel” by (Sandy) Alex G (2019)

"Gretel” is like an indie-folk song that went to the Upside Down. All the requisite parts are there — gently strummed guitar, lyrics with a man-of-the-people feel, humbly Middle American vocals — but it feels warped and twisted.

The easiest way to describe it is like if a typical folk-pop song CD was left in the sun for a solid week or so, allowing it to melt. And then you tried listening to it. It would sound positively spooky. Yet through the oddball production and eerie vibe, Alex G’s defiant chorus still shines through. A statement like “Good people gotta fight to exist” somehow sounds more powerful in a bizzaro song like this.

#59: “Downtown” by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis feat. Eric Nally, Grandmaster Kaz, Melle Mel and Kool Moe Dee (2015)

Macklemore might have been the 2010′s most unfairly hated artist. Yes, he’s corny. Yes, Kendrick should’ve won those Grammys instead. But the dude was fun, inventive and a unique voice in hip-hop at the time.

“Downtown” is a prime example of Mack’s talent. Or at least, his knack for assembling a fantastic supporting crew. Old-school rappers Grandmaster Kaz, Melle Mel and Kool Moe Dee deliver some forceful interludes, and Eric Nally and his wildman vocals give “Downtown” a killer, Queen-esque chorus. And of course, producer Ryan Lewis helps sell the song, with a constantly-switching beat that ranges from ‘70s funk to bombastic arena rock. Even Seattle legend Ken Griffey Jr. makes a cameo in the Spokane-filmed video!

In a late-’10s hip-hop scene filled with mopey sad white boys like Post Malone and NF, Macklemore’s goofy vibe and dad jokes are sorely missed.

#58: “Flesh Without Blood” by Grimes (2015)

In a decade filled with wonderful alt-pop weirdos, Grimes might have been the weirdest. One of her standout songs, “Kill v. Maim,” is about Michael Corleone from The Godfather Pt. II, but if he was a time-traveling, gender-switching vampire (yes, really).

“Flesh Without Blood” is comparatively normcore, but it’s still Grimes’ best slice of bonkers pop magic. Written from the perspective of a fan angry that she sold out, the track rides a surf-rock guitar groove into the oblivion. Grimes’ squeaky vocals are almost taunting in tone, but the hooks are so massive and the production is so fresh that I doubt listeners mind.

#57: “Slide” by Calvin Harris feat. Frank Ocean and Migos (2017)

Arguably the biggest name in cheeseball EDM took a shockingly sharp pivot into silky-smooth funk with “Slide.” And it worked! It worked weirdly well!

Of course, it helps that Calvin Harris has always had impeccable taste in guest vocalists, from Florence Welch to Haim. And by snagging once-in-a-generation talent Frank Ocean (and the fun, if not legendary, Migos) for “Slide,” he possibly pulled his greatest coup yet.

...well actually, no. His best song will always be the gloriously trashy and very British “Dance Wiv Me” with grime legend Dizzee Rascal. But the slick tropical grooves of “Slide” are a worthy contender.

#56: “I Belong in Your Arms” by Chairlift (2012)

I could’ve sworn this was in an old John Hughes movie. The wintry synths and retro-chic vibe of ��I Belong in Your Arms” certainly would’ve fit snugly into the Pretty In Pink soundtrack, but no — Chairlift’s best single came out this decade.

“I Belong in Your Arms” is stunning in its atmospheric beauty. Singer Caroline Polachek’s vocals are almost Elizabeth Fraser-esque, drifting over the waves of keyboards while still packing a heavy punch on the chorus. And the song’s burst of energy doesn’t feel like a temporary sugar rush — it feels like the real thing.

#55: “Make Me Feel” by Janelle Monaé (2018)

“Make Me Feel” is unabashedly a Prince homage. And if anyone in modern music could successfully replicate the Purple One, it’s Janelle Monaé.

The genre-blurring, impossibly funky “Make Me Feel” immediately grabbed me upon release, with its sharp guitar edges, soft-loud-soft production and sticky hook. But Monaé’s vocal performance is what truly makes the track pop. She clearly had the time of her life here, switching on a dime from smooth and sultry to giddy yelps. If there’s a perfect Janelle Monaé song cooked up in a lab somewhere, it’s probably nearly identical to this.

#54: “Some Nights” by fun. (2012)

Jack Antonoff has always excelled as the second-fiddle. Whether that’s in being the less-famous person in his former relationship with Lena Dunham or being the behind-the-scenes production wizard for megastars like Taylor Swift and Lorde, he works best in the shadows (despite his solo side band, Bleachers, being pretty damn good).

And of course, the project that first brought Antonoff into the mainstream was his band fun., in which he was the lead guitarist and a songwriter. At the time when the band hit their brief apex in 2012, it seemed like frontman Nate Ruess, with his vocal acrobatics and theatrical style, would be most primed for solo fame, but that fizzled.

Eight years later, “Some Nights” stands as a testament that Antonoff (and the other two guys in fun.) can write an incredible arena rock anthem just as easily as a synthpop banger. The song turns a quarter-life crisis into a soaring epic that sounds like a glorious U2-Queen hybrid, with a drumline added on top. Despite cribbing its chorus from Simon and Garfunkel, “Some Nights” still holds its power.

#53: “The Less I Know The Better” by Tame Impala (2015)

There’s one thing that instantly hooks you into Tame Impala’s Instagram-filtered indie pop masterpiece: that bassline. It carries the whole song on its back.

Not to say the rest of “The Less I Know The Better” isn’t good — Kevin Parker’s jealousy-tinged lyrics are fairly relatable, the twinkling synths are nice, the melody is appropriately yearning. But that slap bass ropes all those elements together into a legitimately funky rock tune. If Tame Impala’s mediocre new singles had that bass, maybe they’d be less forgettable.

#52: “Shake It Out” by Florence + The Machine (2011)

Florence Welch might be the decade’s most underrated vocalist. Her voice has the power of a Mack truck, yet she can still convey subtlety when needed.

“Shake It Out” is not one of those subtle moments. It is arena-pop filtered through gospel; a song that sounds like it was meant for a cathedral. Welch describes battling her personal demons like they were literal demons. Couple her wailing with layers upon layers of organs and massive drums imported from the “In The Air Tonight” solo, and you’ve got a song too big to fail.

#51: ���Young Blood” by The Naked and Famous (2010)

I really, really wanted to include more tunes from the golden era of radio-friendly indie pop, circa 2008-2012. But a lot of the best stuff — MGMT, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Phoenix — fell in the previous decade. And others are more nostalgic faves for me than actually great songs (sorry, Grouplove and Matt & Kim).

But The Naked and Famous absolutely still hold up. “Young Blood” still has the insanely high-pitched vocals and twinkly synths of that era, but the New Zealanders throw some distorted ‘90s guitars to create a unique sound. It’s like the Weezer writing a Passion Pit song (but way better than that would imply). Lead singer Alisa Xayalith’s piercing voice is an instrument all of its own, soaring across the synthesizers and guitars like a bolt of neon light.

“Young Blood” might be an early ‘10s time-capsule, but it has hooks for days and a somehow-still-fresh groove.

#top 100 songs of 2010s

[jasonhackwith]

Music Lessons Now Available!

Hi! My name is Jason Hackwith, and I’ve been playing the guitar for 32 years, the violin for 30 years, and assorted other string instruments for almost as long. I’m the fiddle player for the progressive bluegrass band Wanigan, known for our wealth of original story songs. I’ve taught privately and at several bluegrass festivals. You can learn more about me here or on JasonHackwith.com.

Here’s how it works.

We’ll meet at your home/office, or we can make arrangements to meet in a classroom or our studio by appointment. Online lessons via Google Hangouts or Skype will be available soon.

Set your own pace- beginners thru advanced students welcome!

Discounts for military/service personnel and their families

All major credit cards and PayPal accepted

For current schedule openings, please contact me!

My preference is to teach in your home or office. Students can often feel more relaxed and open to learning in their own environment and it can help to establish a habit of practice when they are learning in their own space. I’ll travel to your place in Darrington, Mansford, Rockport, White Horse, Tulker, or Oso at no charge. For places over 25 miles from Darrington (for example, Arlington or Concrete), there’s a $0.50/mile charge to cover gas and travel expenses. Alternatively, there are several places in Darrington that we can arrange to meet at, or when my studio is available we can meet there. We’re still in the process of setting up the studio space.

All lessons are conducted as 30 or 60 minute sessions, taught weekly. You choose the session length that works for you! Advanced students are encouraged to schedule 60 minute sessions so we can get as much accomplished as possible, but I don’t require you to do so. When we get started, we’ll agree on a schedule that works for everybody.

Lessons start at $35 for a 30 minute lesson, or $50 for an hour long lesson. You’re welcome to pay by the lesson, or you can save 15% by prepaying for a month, or 20% by prepaying for three months. If you pay monthly or quarterly, that tuition is a flat fee that cannot be pro-rated if a student misses a lesson. Students make up all missed lessons on the fifth lesson day of the month as it occurs. Students are not charged extra for months with five lesson days.

During the months of December, July and August lessons will be pro-rated as necessary for vacations for the end of the year / summer holidays. If a student needs to take a break from lessons, I ask as a courtesy a one week notice before the start of the new month.

In the event of a health or family emergency, it is always my preference to schedule a make up lesson or pro-rating the monthly payment. All make up lessons or pro-rated payments are solely at my discretion. Refunds will not be given on missed lessons without at least 24 hours notice.

If I need to cancel a lesson that has already been paid for, credit in the form of a make up lesson or pro-rated payment will be made.

Questions? Let me know!

#violin #fiddle #guitar #mandolin #voice #songwriting #arranging #musicianship

[vioncentral-blog]

Exclusive: “Nigerian Government Did Not Honour My Father, Because They Were Compromised In Corruption” – Femi Kuti

https://www.vionafrica.cf/exclusive-nigerian-government-did-not-honour-my-father-because-they-were-compromised-in-corruption-femi-kuti/

Exclusive: “Nigerian Government Did Not Honour My Father, Because They Were Compromised In Corruption” – Femi Kuti

Femi Anikulapo Kuti was in his office, backstage at the New Afrika Shrine in Lagos, Nigeria, getting ready for his Thursday performance. It was the Thursday show that members of the public did not like to miss. The appointment for our interview turned out to be three hours before show time. Femi Kuti is the first son of the legendary creator of the Afrobeat genre, Fela Anikulapo Kuti. He has followed in his father footsteps, first joining his father’s band before creating his own band, Positive Force.

In this exclusive excerpt from an interview with Valentine Iwenwanne, Femi talks about his life, music, Fela and, of course, political and social issues.

TIA: It’s 20 years since your father, Fela Anikulapo Kuti, pioneer of the Afrobeat music genre, passed away, leaving his saxophone( his iconic instrument), his family and fans behind. Today, his music still remains a weapon against corruption, indiscipline and social injustice. What is the secret to this longevity?

Femi Kuti: His music remains relevant today, because he was genuine. He was sincere and committed to his beliefs, the foundations of his music, and his convictions.

TIA: What exactly do these beliefs and convictions entail?

FK: What he was talking about was real and he didn’t compromise. There was suffering then – when he sang about “49 sitting, 99 standing”, it was happening. When he did song like “Original suffer head”, it was happening. What about the song “Unknown soldier”? It was happening.

TIA: What is the origin of the New Afrika Shrine?

Femi Kuti: The New Afrika Shrine was built to honour my father, because he never owned his own shrine. Many thought he owned the last one, the Afrika Shrine, but unfortunately he was stripped. It was a lease, but he thought he had bought the land, so he built on it. He tried to get ownership, but it was already in court when his death came. Unfortunately, after he died, they said the deceased cannot fight, nor can his family continue the fight. That’s what the law says. So we tried our best to settle with the Mene Benite family at that time but they refused. When we licensed my father’s catalogue, my mother, elder sister and I decided to build this in his honour, and to take it a step further, since he admired those who fought for the emancipation of Africa, people like Nelson Mandela, Bob Marley – everybody who fought; people we hadn’t even heard of. It’s a shrine and its significance is to honour great Africans.

The New Afrika Shrine is a shrine and its significance is to honour great Africans.

TIA: It’s 17 years since the New Afrika Shrine came into existence. So far, what has been happening here?

Femi Kuti: We play music and hold festivities in honour of my father. We’ve had lectures, dramas and symposiums here. It could become a public studio one day; it could become a library providing books for people someday, but it’s mainly for entertainment. I play twice a week. It’s the biggest disco you can find in Africa on Fridays, and most of the things here are free. I play on Thursdays for free, and on Sundays I play for 500 Naira. The disco on Friday is free. It’s a place that we want people to be able to appreciate.

ETNOSUR 2011 – Femi Kuti. Photo: Adolfo Contreras/Flickr

The 500 Naira entrance fee was a lot of money then, and it’s still a lot of money for many of the people who come here to watch the artists they love. That is why we tell every artist that comes here to understand that this is a place for the people. Wether you are rich or poor, when you come here you will see Femi playing for free. You watch many concerts here, for free. Felabration is also free. As I said already, the biggest disco on Fridays is free. I also play every Thursday and Sunday from 7pm to 11pm. We want the plumber, the okada rider, the danfo driver, the bus conductor to come here and feel great. It is their right as Africans to feel great. We have suffered oppression is and we don’t want anybody to come here and look down on anyone. So, this is a symbolic place, standing firm behind the struggle for the emancipation and freedom of the mind of the African person.

Read: Afro Beat scion Femi Kuti finally breaks world record for longest single note held on a saxophone

TIA: How would you describe the difference between the Afrikan Shrine and the New Afrikan Shrine?

FK: Since it was built, the New Afrikan Shrine has been battling the negative label that the Nigerian government had placed on the previous shrine, when they referred to it as a den for armed robbers and drug addicts. We had a fight against that bad label.

Everybody thinks about ritual when they hear the word ‘shrine’. [Laughter.] We are not performing any ritual here. If we did, the law would have caught up with us after 17 years. [Laughter.] We have taken the positivity of the word ‘shrine’, which means ‘a place that is sacred’. We believe this place is sacred because it was built in honour of great people who fought against corruption and injustice.

TIA: Between then, when Fela Kuti was alive, and now, when he is no more, where would you position his work?

FK: Some people say he was a prophet, but for me, I don’t see the prophecy there. He was singing about suffering then, and the suffering now, at present, is 100 times worse than what it was then. When my father was talking, it was two US dollars to one naira. Nobody understood what he was saying, a lot of people were compromised and they presented many reasons not to listen to him. They said he was smoking weed; that he liked women too much, but they knew what he was saying was true. Right now, the suffering is staring people in the face, and his songs are still relevant. That is probably why people call him a prophet.

My father was singing about suffering then, and the suffering now is 100 times worse.

TIA: With all that he sang about manifesting today in Nigeria, and considering his experience with the then Nigerian military government. Could we say he was a prophet who was not honoured in his country?

FK: I won’t say ‘a prophet’ but ‘a person’ who was not honoured by some. Many people appreciated him. So I would not say he was not honoured in his country but I will say that the Nigerian government did not honour him. They were compromised in corruption. When you’re lifting oil, you will not want to listen to Fela. When you are part of the corruption, you will not want to listen to Fela.

When you are part of the corruption, you will not want to listen to Fela’s music.

I offer you this analysis: The moment Nigeria found oil, the military began to dictate our pace. Why should the military take our oil? Instead of giving the oil blocks to Nigerians, they gave it to individuals who became very rich. They used these monies to oppress the citizens. If they had used that money to build solid institutions and infrastructure for this country, we would not be where we are today. We would be like Dubai. We would have had the greatest universities, the best roads and hospitals.

MUSIC – BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! Festival – Femi Kuti July 23, 2016, Prospect Park, Brooklyn, NY. Photo: Steven Pisano/Flickr

But they took this money, sold it to individuals and themselves, and they all became rich – while Nigerians were hailing them instead of understanding that the money belonged to all Nigerians! These resources belong to all Nigerians, even the regions that they were getting it from, like the Niger Delta, were suffering and their own leaders were oppressing them, instead of making life better for them.

Read: Remembering Fela Kuti: 10 quotes

TIA: With 18 years of democratic governance in Nigeria, can there ever be another Fela Anikulapo Kuti?

FK: There can never be another Fela in this world. There can be others , but they will not be like Fela. When Fela was talking, he did that for more than a decade before other human rights activists started coming up, people like Gani Fawehinmi and Others. Everybody was so afraid to speak up. Fela was the only person opposing General Yakubu Gowon at that time, also General Murtala Muhammed and the former military general, Olusegun Obasanjo.

Fela stood alone and when he spoke up, many people, even his family, opposed him. When he said, “Change your name from Ransome to Anikulapo”, because he felt it was a colonial and a slave name, they could not understand where Fela was coming from. His family rejected it; his brothers carried the name till their death. But for Fela, it was about being yourself and loving your culture. Even his family didn’t understand this.

TIA: On 7 August 2017, the convener of the ‘Our Mumu Don Do’ movement, Charles Oputa (Charlie Boy), escaped death narrowly when mobs suspected to be pro-Buhari attacked him and his ‘resume or resign’ protesters at the Wuse market in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital. Many Nigerians reacted, saying that if Fela had been alive, activism would not loose steam and colour.

FK: I will not support or criticise Charlie Boy for his beating. When you are fighting, and you don’t have the conviction, you can’t be a fighter. Are you doing it because you want people to hail you? Are you looking for people to support you? Then why are you doing it? Fela didn’t wait for anybody to support him. When he was taking his beatings, he didn’t say, nobody is taking this beating for me. When his house in Kalakuta was burnt down, he didn’t complain about nobody coming to stop the soldiers, because he expected it to happen.

Newspapers reported it, radio and television stations announced it, calling it an injustice, Fela left his properties. He was probably one of the richest people at the time when the government stopped him from performing, and no one came to his rescue, nobody came to give him money or put food on our table. When I was building this shrine, I fought until people began to appreciate this place.

TIA: Since your appearance on the music scene, you were seen as part of Fela’s act, with similar style of music. Should we say that your music is a continuation of his?

Femi Kuti: Fela is my father. I look like him, sometimes I dance like him, and most times I play like him, but I am not him. I do not want to be him. People have fought me for not taking over his band. I appreciate him as my father. If you listen closely to my music, you will discover that there is a difference, but you will see similarities too. Some people even criticise me for not being political like him.

TIA: Before the 2011 elections in Nigeria, you said many Nigerians didn’t know the history of African slavery. Specifically, what are you trying to say?

FK: The average African will say they came to Africa and took us as slaves. We were never slaves, we were kings and queens. White men came here and fought us for over 500 years. Before the Atlantic slave trade, there was the trans-Sahara slave trade: The Arabs came all the way from Egypt and fought us down to Nigeria. That’s why we have more Muslim people who practice Islam in Northern Nigeria. In Southern Nigeria Christianity came from across the Atlantic ocean. They all battled this continent to colonise it, for whatever reason, mainly to oppress us, take our land and our people.

File photo dated 15 September 1988 shows Nigerian singer and musician Fela Anikulapo-Kuti. Photo: ANP

Our women and children were slaves. You cannot imagine the turmoil on this continent. Just imagine an African man today preferring to be addressed as John Thomas instead of Chikwudi Ugochukwu [an Igbo name], because that sounds inferior or not good enough, while the English name sounds great. Our women prefer to wear long hair and bleach their skin, just to look more like white women. We even have black men who are bleaching their skin, or doing jheri curl with their hair. We don’t like African food. We like to go to our offices in suit and tie, just to look corporate. If you don’t go for a job interview dressed ‘corporate’, they will not employ you. [Laughter.]

The name ‘Nigeria’ was given to us by Lady Lugard. We had 100 years of colonial rule. We have about 50 to 60 years of African pockets working for America, the British and other colonial masters, depending on who colonised them. Read the books Black man of the Nile, by Yosef ben-Jochannan and The Scramble for Africa by Thomas Pakenham. They have detailed information about our problematic history. Another book you should read is The stolen legacy by GM James. We fight ourselves, we even defend slavery, many of us believe that if slavery didn’t come, we wouldn’t have had Jesus Christ. We bring ourselves down – like the word ‘shrine’: We don’t know its meaning. When you know this history and you look at Africa, you will be thankful for how great we are.

Despite passing through all these historical events, we are still standing as a people. When they arrived in Ghana, they named it Gold Coast. They named it after its gold. It was Dr Kwame Nkrumah who changed that name to Ghana. When they saw Ashanti dressed in gold, the white people could not understand it. So, they went to Ghana because of the gold. They also went to Ivory Coast because of ivory. The contribution of Africa to the world is great. Africa brought the world mathematics, astrology, astronomy. Until today, Africans are contributing to all these so-called developed countries, including their technology. If we were so ‘backward’, why are we top in sports?

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