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two-dolla-bills · 7 months

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Top 10 mechanisms songs that you can get away with playing at a retailers without too many side eyes

I got a job in retail and I felt inspired lol

Disclaimer: this is not a list of the best mechanisms songs/the ones I think deserve to go "mainstream", they're just the ones that would blend in the best

1. Sirens

This song is probably the mechanisms' least "centered" song. It doesn't mention any characters, it has no narration, and out of context it just sounds like A Song that you might hear on the radio. Sirens is to the mechanisms as you're the one that I want is to grease, you know?

2. Trial by song

THIS one. It's in the same category to me as Sirens; you can listen to it by itself and not suspect much. Unlike Sirens which can be completely separated and still make sense, this one is more like a whole new world from Aladdin. There are parts that make it obvious that it's from a larger whole, but if you just so happen to catch the "safe" parts you won't suspect much.

Points were deducted due to Mr. Soldier's unique vocals. (Unique as in not very common in mainstream music)

3. Empty trail

This is no offense to Dr. La Cognizzi, but sometimes when she sings it's hard to make out what she's saying, which works in her favor in these circumstances. It sounds country/rock, which help it blend in with some dad rock songs. If I remember correctly, the melody was actually taken from a Led Zeppelin song, so if you aren't paying attention to what's ACTUALLY being said you can get away with claiming it's a cover.

4. Ties that bind

Although this one does mention many plot points, many fans have stated that they had no idea what the fuck was being said until the have looked for the lyrics (myself included) this, combined with it's jazzy rythm, make it able to blend in with other songs, similarly to empty trail

5. Odin

The most "normal" song out of the entirety of The Bifrost Incident. This song made it to the top five because it has similarities with Roam by the B-52's, but had points deducted due to it clearly being about an awesome space train

6. Lost in the cosmos

This might just be personal opinion, but it sounds like a church song. You can pull off the effect of it being about earth Jesus and not space robot Jesus if you have particularly bad quality speakers and a busy store w/lots of noise. Again, the lyrics kinda give it away as to not being entirely main stream

7. Stranger

Look it's a banger, ok? Many of the lyrics could be taken as just being metaphors, but I feel like you have to squint to "see" it. Pay too much attention and shit gets a little weird. Also, points deducted because it's two men singing together and not a man and a woman, which throws a wrench into the works. At kohl's it might raise some eyebrows but in like hot topic it'll blend in a little better

8. Redeath

You would think a song about a sphoenix (space phoenix) would be lower on the list but you'd be wrong. It's a really pretty song with a good original melody, and it's something that can be drowned out by a particularly rowdy crowd. Like Stranger, it would blend in better at a hot topic than at kohl's, but only slightly.

9. Elysian Fields

The melody in Elysian Fields is taken directly from the song wayfaring stranger, which has been coverd by Jonny Cash, Ed Sheeran, Poor Man's Poison, and The Longest Johns, AS WELL HAS having been featured in the movie 1917 and in the video game The Last of Us II, which make it very recognizable. Because of this recognizability, people who know the original song may be caught off guard by hearing it in a Walmart with completely different lyrics. It was originally in 7th place, but the popularity of the original takes off many points

10. Once and future king

It's a banger, don't get me wrong, but it also very heavily and clearly mentions plot points from the album, which itself is heavily base on Aurtharian mythology; something very well known in the western world (also the names are not common at all and most haven't been in fashion in centuries). In a crowded, busy space with not very good quality speakers it could potentially blend in, but one or two names might sneak out. The only reason it's on the list is because of the instrumental outro, which sounds normal enough

#the mechanisms #hnoc #tbi #udad #two songs that didn't make it on the list were cinder's song and sleeping beauty #they're both good but too specific

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vikingqueer · 3 years

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music recommendations because i have some thoughts™

i don't wanna be that person who's like "my music taste is so weird lol" but i find that very often most of my friends don't really care for the music i like so i thought i'd just make a long ass post about it on tumblr instead. Fair warning, I'm very passionate about MIKA and The Mechanisms and so this very quickly got VERY long because it is part of my ongoing campaign to convince people to listen to mika and the mechs.

1) MIKA in general, but especially My Name Is Michael Holbrook (2019) and No Place In Heaven (2015) (especially the Deluxe version!!)

MIKA is a kind of British singer (half Lebanese, grew up in France blabla), and you probably know him for Grace Kelly and Relax, Take It Easy from his first album Life In Cartoon Motion from 2007. He writes a lot of FUN music, interspersed with the occasional slightly sadder song, especially when looking at an album like No Place In Heaven, which contains a lot of songs with gay themes, resulting in some songs that are just a little bit ouch. He's originally classically trained and has a frankly RIDICULOUS range and idk he just writes very good pop music. Also I have so much respect for that time he talked about how a lot of pop is very fake, with like expensive cars and stilettos and mini skirts in the snow and said "Because I walk down the street, and I don't see any of that. I see fat women and gay men. I don't know... That's real". He's written 5 albums; My Name Is Michael Holbrook (2019), No Place In Heaven (2015), The Origin Of Love (2012), The Boy Who Knew Too Much (2009), and Life In Cartoon Motion (2007).

For starters, I recommend listening to Last Party, Origin Of Love, Grace Kelly, Blame It On The Girls, Blue, Happy Ending, Pick Up Off The Floor, Last Party, Underwater, Tomorrow and Tiny Love (yes this is a long list but i REALLY love MIKA). If you want a slightly broader palette that's not just my favourites, I recommend the Mika starter pack on spotify.

2) The Mechanisms. I warn you. I am making this a thing. I have been obsessed with the mechs since last march.

Boy, where to start? The Mechanisms were a British 9 member space pirate story-telling cabaret that "died" in January 2020. They rewrite songs to fit retellings of various stories. I don't even know what genre I'd describe them as, but probably folk but steam-punk?? Their 4 "main" albums are concept albums, and I honestly just recommend listening to the from beginning to end in chronological order. A good way to get into the mechs is also to listen to UDAD and then watching the live show on youtube or alternately try giving Death To The Mechanisms a listen, to get good quality live show audio of TBI and various other stuff. Also, it was streamed on YouTube and someone combined the footage with the album audio and it rocks. Really, I think the mechs' best selling points are honestly just their concept albums:

Once Upon a Time (In Space) Their first album from 2012. I'd say this is the most "easily digestible" for the general public, since it's a retelling of various fairytales. So, what if Old King Cole was in fact not merry, but rather a cold-blooded dictator, intent on colonising as much of the galaxy as possible. What if Snow White was a general, looking to avenge what King Cole did to her sister, Rose. What if Cinderella was to be wedded to Rose the day that King Cole attacked in order to kidnap Rose? But y'know, In Space and also like every other mechs album it's a beautiful tragedy. Fave songs are Old King Cole, Pump Shanty, and No Happy Ending.

Ulysses Dies at Dawn You guessed it, it's a story about Odysseus, or Ulysses because I guess Ulysses is easier to rhyme or fit in the meter or something, idk. Ulysses is a war hero of unknown gender who is said to keep something that could take down the corrupt Olympians, meanest families in the City, in a vault to which only they know the passcode. Oedipus, Heracles, Orpheus, and Ariadne have been hired by Hades, who happens to be The Mechs' quartermaster Ashes O'Reilly, to get into Ulysses' vault. I didn't care much for udad at first, but honestly it's got some real bangers and the story is really good. UDAD weirdly stands out as the only of the concept albums to not feature any gay relationships, per se. Fave songs are Riddle of the Sphinx, Favoured Son, and Underworld Blues.

High Noon over Camelot This is my favourite mehcs album. So basically, this is Arthurian legend, but it's a space western and Jonny D'Ville does a bad southern accent. This is the story of the cowboy lovers Arther, Lancelot, and Guinevere searching for the Galfridian Restricted Acces Interface Login, or GRAIL, in order to stop their world from falling into the sun. Meanwhile, Mordred and Gawaine are ruling Camelot, and Mordred has convinced Gawaine to try to establish peace with the Saxons by whom Mordred was raised, but Gawaine hates viciously. If you love getting your heart broken and songs by a fucking off the rails batshit preacher I HIGHLY recommend hnoc. Fave songs are Gunfight at the Dolorous Guard, Blood and Whiskey, and Once and Future King. Honorary mention for Hellfire because it awakens something animalistic in me.

The Bifrost Incident TBI is the frankly only good adaptation of norse mythology I've ever known of, and I say that as Dane who was literally forced to learn things about norse mythology in school because it's my heritage or whatever. I've been listening to TBI a lot lately because it's VERY good. It's definitely the most refined of the mechs' albums (because it's the newest) but also I just love a little bit of cosmic horror. 80 years ago, Odin, the All-Mother, ruler of Asgaard, launched a train through the wormhole Bifrost that would reduce the travel between Asgaard and Midgaard from 3 months to 3 days, but things didn't go quite as planned. Lyfrassir Edda of the New Midgaard Transport Police is trying to solve the case of why suddenly the train has arrived 80 years late; to figure out whether it was accident or maybe it was sabotaged by Loki, who was allegedly sentence to death her murder of Baldur, by the Midgaardian resistance led by Loki's wife Sigyn, or maybe by Thor, who was to take over after Odin, and who holds quite the grudge because he used to be a friend of Loki's. You might've heard the song Thor from this album, it's apparently quite popular. Fave songs are Loki, Ragnarok III: Strange Meeting, and Ragnarok V: End of The Line. Yet again an honorary mention: Red Signal because while Lovecraft was a bitch, his invocations are fucking RAW.

Basically, the Mechanisms do all of their performances in character as captain first mate Jonny D'Ville, quartermaster Ashes O'Reilly, pilot DrumBot Brian, master-at-arms Gunpowder Tim, science officer Raphaella la Cognizi, doctor Baron Marius Von Raum (neither a baron, nor a doctor), archivist Ivy Alexandria, engineer Nastya Rasputina, and The Toy Soldier, who is, as usual, present. You can find very obscure lore about the crew of the Aurora here, tidbits on Tales To Be Told and TTBT Vol. 2, such as One Eyed Jacks, The Ignominious Demise of Dr. Pilchard, Gunpowder Tim vs. The Moon Kaiser, Lucky Sevens, and Lost in the Cosmos.

If you feel like listening to a full 40-50 minute album to find out if you like a band is a bit much, I recommend listening to one of the mini stories Alice, Swan Song, or Frankenstein, which are about 12, 5 and 9:30 minutes respectively.

3) The Amazing Devil You know that guy who played Jaskier in the Witcher? I got into The Amazing Devil from spotify recommending them because I listened to the mechs, and apparently Joey Batey from The Amazing Devil is the same Joey Batey who was in the Witcher. Both him and Madeleine Hyland are VERY talented singers and songwriters and their second album The Horror and the Wild makes me go out into the forest and SCREAM. I listened to it on repeat for like a month straight. I guess they'd also be considered folk, but like. New Folk. Also yes, this is another British artist, I don't know why I'm like this. I've never really gotten that into their first album, Love Run, but King slaps. As I understand there's this whole lore about the Blue Furious Boy and Scarlet Scarlet, Joey and Madeleine respectively, but unlike the Mechanisms it's actually possible to find out things about the actual real people and harder to find the obscure lore? I'm open for people to please help me. Fave songs are The Horror and the Wild, Farewell Wanderlust, and That Unwanted Animal, which is literally a third of their second album, but again. I haven't really listened to Love Run that much, and I just LOVE the harmonies on THATW. (also im gay and dramatic leave me alone)

4) dodie I have so much love for this woman. Like many others, I first knew dodie as doddleoddle on youtube. I think I first stumbled across her in probably 2015, because I distinctly already knew her before she released her first EP Sick of Losing Soulmates in 2016. I think I watched probably every video she's ever made in the span of a few weeks. I just loved her quiet sound and was absolutely HOOKED. Also she's actually the reason I got into MIKA originally, so thanks for that. Dodie just realeased her first album Build A Problem (in addition to her three EP's; the one mentioned above, You, and Human) and it slaps. Yes dodie is also British Fave songs are probably Monster, Rainbow, and In The Middle.

5) Cladia Boleyn Unfortunately, Claudia Boleyn only has three singles and that's it. She's been making content on youtube for quite a while, and that's how I first discovered her. I don't know what genre her music is, but I like it. The songs are Celesta, George, and Mother Maiden Crone, of which the latter is my favourite. I'm not saying Claudia Boleyn invented women in 2017 when she released Mother Maiden Crone, but she did. Also you guessed it, Claudia Boleyn is British.

6) Hozier I'm not about to tell you about Hozier. You know who he is. Listen to Nina Cried Power, Angel Of Small Death & The Codeine Scene, and Shrike. Also Hozier isn't stricly British in that he is definitely from A British Isle, but Ireland is not part of the UK. Give me a break.

7) Oh Land Oh Land IS DANISH. I like her early music best, because I'm not that into the electronic sound. I guess Oh Land is just you regular old pop, but with the occasional weird vibe? Oddly enough, I like her first album Fauna best. Unfortunately I haven't really listened to her newest album Family Tree much, but it seems good? Fave songs are Frostbite, Love You Better and Family Tree. I cried on the bus, first time I listened to the Danish version of Love You Better, Elsker Dig Mer because my mother tongue always just hits harder. Also Frostbite is Oh Land doing a duet with herself which is pretty cool.

8) Oysterband This is a live recommendation. I mean they're a decent folk band and all, but they're a fucking experience live. If you like folk and you ever get the opportunity to see Oysterband live, do it. Unfortunately, yes. They are British. Either way, they are incredible on a scene and I think they deserve a mention for that.

9) Ben Platt Honestly don't know much about this guy, but he's not British and he was in Dear Evan Hansen. He released an album in 2019, Sing To Me Instead, and I just think it's a good album, there isn't really not much more to it. Fave songs are Grow As We Go, Bad Habit, and In Case You Don't Live Forever.

and thats all for now. this has been a ramble. shout out to you if you actually read all of this, especially the mechs part.

#music stuff #amalie.txt #music recommendations #mika #the mechanisms #the amazing devil #dodie #claudia boleyn #hozier #oh land #oysterband #ben platt

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roseunspindle · 4 years

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Youtube Channel Recs

Odds are some if not most of these channels are well known and super popular but I’m bored tonight so here is this wonderful list. XD

Overly Sarcastic Productions

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCodbH5mUeF-m_BsNueRDjcw

History/Classics/things that go with these/stuff channel, very fun, Blue and Red are very entertaining and educational at the same time.

Ask a Mortician

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCi5iiEyLwSLvlqnMi02u5gQ

Pretty much what the title says, she also covers historical events where dead bodies were important to the proceedings, answer common and uncommon death questions.

Linkara atop the 4th Wall

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCejehlk5eLZlzgGP1rUx8kw

He predominately reviews bad comics, but does skits, and storylines, unboxings, history of power rangers, will occasionally review event comics, and does spooky comic stuff too. Very fun and entertaining, plus a good way to either find good comics or to find out about bad comics and how to avoid them.

Snake Discovery

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnIrLy19cFV50Eai8Xj-ArA

An awesome channel mostly about snakes, but also videos with their pet stunted rescue alligator Rex, a defeathered blue and gold macaw, and some lizards and geckos, also a venegaroon.

Bernadette Banner

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSHtaUm-FjUps090S7crO4Q

A sewing channel, but like, artsy with dark academia, witchy undertones, lots of felling, bonus guinea pig, Edwardian love, well spoken sarcasm.

Scarfing Scarves

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCojzjwsFaUKoPKho7VqMa1g

lolita news, lolita letters, lolita clothes, unrepentant sarcasm, very fun.

Dominic Noble

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPtiXdv7RoU8IkrJeNY73qw

Book to movie adaptation reviews/romance novel genre reviews (he does legit review them, not just mock them)/misc reviews of things he likes lots of fun, British sarcasm and humor.

Animal Wonders Montana

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1Nj4gkoi_n5eCcrKCVOXKA

So many animals, so much squeeing, also videos with basic care how too’s, and just general animal cuteness, with occasional sadness as reality is tragically a thing.

Rachel Maksy

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJI86v9et-IZd1KJSfahN8g

Sewing/vintage fashion/general silliness/a love of Halloween/her dog frodo

Chandler’s Wild Life

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLiU3BzWeBoQjCgeu1kL8Bw

Venomous snakes, really big lizards, alligators, crocodiles...as with many, he is very enthusiastic about his animals, and has a love for venomous snakes especially.

PeruseProject

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCy6Qlkv2hif7KPtmMmNUGUw

Reading vlogs galore XD, lots of fantasy occasional contemporary or mystery. with a sprinkling of fashion. Adorable pug...

Rachel and Jun’s Adventures

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSzHO_V894KyTDw3UgZS7gg

Vlogs of their life and life in japan in general, also so many kitties.

The Mechanisms

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkTBpRpdi4PMFsPewIgcDJw

great story music, lots of representation.

Once Upon a Time in Space, Ulysses Dies at Dawn, High Noon Over Camelot, The Bifrost Incident

Jean Bookishthoughts

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmwiWQwe73pgJlv7M3MX2Nw

So many bookhauls, lots of nonfiction content, classics, feminist, did I mention ancient greek classics and retellings, also she has a Scottish accent

Morgan Donner

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXidSGLe42axucCsEigBA-Q

Sewing/ancient hair/ making of interesting things

Roxxsaurus

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBKFH7bU2ebvO68FtuGjyyw

Clothing try-on hauls, trying on weird clothing, dressing like different celebrities for a week, make-up things.

The Lion Whisperer

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_NS4MiiHAFo3CYI7fRSLtQ

South African man working with lions at his sanctuary, getting knocked over by his lions, taking his lions on walks, conservation, hyenas, occasional sighting of elephants and giraffes.

Tito the Raccoon

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRXTc9RM3D0j65ZoxNuHDmQ

Also Cheeto and Piper raccoons, a few snooty kitties, some cute ferrets, an enthusiastic puppy... so much pet raccoon content.

Safiya Nygaard

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbAwSkqJ1W_Eg7wr3cp5BUA

I’m sure no one’s heard of this channel. XD, bad make-up science, clothing history/ weird clothing/ bad cake science, giant lipstick, bad bathbomb science, general tomfoolery.

Buzzfeed Unsolved

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLD8iUdp33PqQuSYl9EljppQERLUlsDtR5

Ryan tells Shane about unsolved cases, they sass, they discuss, they solve nothing. XD

Buzzfeed Unsolved Supernatural

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLD8iUdp33PqSmH4NjDm6lk1YiNUhLCxj4

Ryan and Shane and ghosts and cryptids and demons. Shane doesn’t believe in any of it, Ryan is terrified of all of it. Also Shane might be a demon. Also they stole the goatman’s bridge. Shane considers the annabelle doll weaksauce.

Freddy My Love

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFKHiDLbWZQYh9mHJKh55ig

Clothing channel, much, much pink, she has a really nice voice. does “haulweeks” at the beginning of fashion seasons.

Maven of the Eventide

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjZfdrnSOrh4iFL2GCNvWVw

in depth discussion of vampire fiction, (movies/books/comics/manga/video games)

booksandpieces

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXifXYnZ5fVrlhpuhDjZOGg

Sci-fi booktube channel, lots of robots and aliens

Lilly Singh

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfm4y4rHF5HGrSr-qbvOwOg

comedy sketches, focus on anti-racisim, anti-sexism, just general life,

Lindsay Holiday

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUsJAAPcT5T_hoSXdNfOP4Q

History, she’s planning to cover every female European monarch on her channel, good info, good visuals

Toxic Tears

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCR7TmF4nvC1-7beky_gVEig

Gothic clothing hauls, gothic subscription boxes, saying “cute” a lot, makeup tutorials

Strictly Dumpling

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXOKEdfOFxsHO_-Su3K8SHg

Going all over the world to eat delicious food and make all his viewers really hungry

HorrorBabble

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIvp_SM7UrKuFgR3W77fWcg

H.P. Lovecraft readings, other horror short stories reading, occasional forays into other things generally related to h.p. lovecraft.

Rachel and Jun

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4yqcgz49APdbgj0OMv7jpA

More “at home” stuff, and of course, more kitties

priorattire

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrR0r23WBVav42inmqWa6_A

historical fashion/dressing up

Sam’s Nonsense

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUfP0El1vakyfkkXbyJwy0Q

mostly fantasy (lots of robin hobb) some sci-fi, loves Christmas, occasional dogs

Contrapoints

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNvsIonJdJ5E4EXMa65VYpA

philosophy, transgender, politics, mood lighting, potential nihilism

Storied

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCO6nDCimkF79NZRRb8YiDcA

Books, monsters, interesting things of learning

Tier Zoo

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHsRtomD4twRf5WVHHk-cMw

The world, but like it’s a video came, such as he refers to continents, and citites and what not as “servers” the world is called “the game” discusses different animals and adaptaions as “builds” and such, very nerdy, very fun

Tiktus Color Art

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeAvBShy5a2_vTFflQG_zWg

acrylic pour art

NASA

NASA’s youtube channel, launches, plans, landings, all sorts of space stuff

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLA_DiR1FfKNvjuUpBHmylQ

A Chick Called Albert

Large, but gentle man rescues birds, moslty domestic fowl but really any bird (and occasional small horse)

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBjh-uGy5RcclATnFpQBobw

Bondi Vet

Vet’s in Australia, typically close-ish to Bondi Beach

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRnSnAq44St3dzNdgPpfChA

Jenny Nicholson

Whackadoodle channel about bad media (that often makes you enjoy it?) and theme parks, and large stuffed animals

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7-E5xhZBZdW-8d7V80mzfg

Let Me Explain Studios

animation channel, just funny stories from creators life

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCu6v4AdYxVH5fhfq9mi5llA

Lindsay Ellis

Film/Books/The Phantom of the Opera/being cancelled

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCG1h-Wqjtwz7uUANw6gazRw

Nazranaa Diaries

Say Yes to the Dress Sari edition

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCojWWxmazRznwpqJPPT7uyw

Ocean Conservation Namibia

rescuing cape fur seals at Pelican Point and a few other areas in Namibia from entanglements (also rescued a Jackal and a whale once)

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCg8VTeeN4BglqmI1_CBlABg

Philosophy Tube

learning about philosophy and other stuff, I alwasy feel smarter afterwards at least ^_^’

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2PA-AKmVpU6NKCGtZq_rKQ

SnappyDragon

more historical sewing

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTIcttrGKvoyZuPc8Xb_lbg

Some More News

sarcasm, anger, and not liking government parties

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvlj0IzjSnNoduQF0l3VGng

Xiran Jay Zhao

looking at asian or asian inspired content and seeing how it holds up and what not

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqSz_KlrE8_IDht7tWsQ-RA

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ohnoitsoak · 4 years

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So you finished listening to The Mechanisms?

Finding more content always requires a little searching in this fanbase, and honestly, there’s probably content we haven’t discovered yet. Here are some starting points!

If you listened on only the Spotify, you may have missed on the Bandcamp Tales to be Told Volume 1 and the stand-alone album based on Frankenstein. There are images of the albums themselves, which includes lore varying from what the Mechanisms may have been up to while in The City, to files on the suspects of the Bifrost Incident.

The Mechanisms also have a website. Apparently some people are unaware of this.

On this website there is canonical fiction, written by members of the band themselves. It mostly contains content unable to fit in OUATIS, UDAD, and HNOC, as well as a stand-alone story about Dorian Grey. There is also fiction written about the space pirate crew themselves. My personal favourites include “I Will Rule This Town” and “The Wake” from HNOC, “The Hacker’s Mistake” and “Eskhatos” from UDAD, “A Bedtime Story” from the Crew, and the ever notorious, “Out”. Trust me you want to read/listen to these, they are all so amazing.

On Youtube there are recordings of live performances of Mechanism gigs, some dating back to when they were still Dr Carmilla and The Mechanisms. Popular ones include Revenge of Spaceport Mahon, Gender Rebels, and what we’ve dubbed The Lashings Gig. All of these include bickering between the band and develops their dynamic as a crew, and the hivemind that are us Stowaways. This is the playlist I tend to use.

Speaking of Dr. Carmilla- go support Maki’s music here! They’re wonderfully mysterious, however some music does have heavier content. Read the content warnings and be safe.

Go support the other Mechanisms, too! Here’s their own master post! Have fun exploring!

#the mechanisms #dr carmilla and the mechanisms #once upon a time in space #ulysses dies at dawn #high noon over camelot #the bifrost incident

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lucky-sevens · 4 years

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Please tell me about your eldritch lyf thoughts!

of course! (for reference, anon is referring to this post; i would also tag the people who replied to that, but tumblr is acting up on me.)

quick notes: i’m using they/them pronouns for lyf, and using ‘the bifrost’ and ‘yog-sothoth’ interchangeably.

a bit of background for people who don’t know! immortal/eldritch lyfrassir is very popular fanon! there was a conversation about the origins of this that led to this meta being edited; the original anon is here, and @violinspector made an post about fanon (unrelated to recent events) that’s worth looking at here. i personally didn’t use this trope, as i thought it more interesting to deal with the ramifications of the mechanisms growing close to a mortal, who would by default eventually die.

however! there is canonical evidence to support an immortal lyfrassir edda. i’ve talked in my deep lore post about this, but i will rephrase it here with additional evidence and a focus on lyf, because that post can be a bit difficult to navigate due to the volume of things included.

first off, the crew’s mechanisms are described as being rainbow. in ‘drive the cold winter away’-

“There is something in the rain, or in the space between the rain, which is making even their mechanisms glitch. Jonny’s heart skips a beat, and when he glances at it he sees rainbow sheens running across its surface, breaking out to be kept in check by the device’s self-regulation.“

(also implying jonny’s heart is visible on the outside- as seen in a few pictures- but that’s a different matter)- and in ‘cyberian demons’-

“[Nastya] was staring at her arm in a trance as the veins within swirled with arcane colours.”

(it’s worth noting here that in both those circumstances, their mechanisms were being broken down by a computer virus and self-repairing, and if you take the band’s costumes as reference, they aren’t normally like that.)

this could mean that their mechanisms are related to the bifrost/yog-sothoth.

though i don’t necessarily consider this evidence as it’s too vague, the mechanisms make sure to get out of the system before ragnarok happened on a wider scale. this contrasts to in high noon over camelot, where they leave brian in the sun, interview transcript 34/08/7012, where jonny certainly doesn’t sound afraid of getting hurt, and a general candor about that sort of thing. if it’s more personal, that would explain their fear.

this all is further supported by the fact that it is likely carmilla was involved in the bifrost incident. rephrasing my deep lore post here, but in the mechscord (invites closed) maki yamazaki (carmilla’s performer) made a joke in-character about accidentally calling odin, and later said that one of the criteria for choosing a mechanism was ‘a good friend for lyf’. this is one of the strongest pieces of evidence towards immortal lyfrassir we have, as it implies that they would need an immortal companion. (could also be related to ‘the much bigger process’ maki mentioned, but that’s a meta of its own and one that i am personally still unsure what the answer to is.)

there’s one more thing to address- does the bifrost cause immortality?

short answer: no. plenty of people die in the five ragnarok songs. however, can it is a different question. in ragnarok ii, tyr ‘regrows the hand he lost to fenrir’s blade’, echoing the mechanisms’ regeneration, and time in general is said to be distorted in strange ways, which could work on a single person to cause immortality.

also, loki is ‘touched by an outer god’. this affects her in the positive, fixing her memory problems once she comes into contact with it, so there could be additional healing effects here. fanon lyf tends to be bifrost-touched in order to use that piece of canon, so that works well. notably, the effects of the train only started when lyfrassir finished their report, so they could even have caused it in some way, further suggesting they are tied to it.

in summary, it’s likely the bifrost can cause immortality, and due to lyf’s interactions with it, they could become immortal.

#the mechanisms #the mechs #lyfrassir edda #lyfrassier edda #the bifrost incident #meta #my posts #i've been spelling lyf's name wrong so long #i have to continue doing so #so my tag for them stays consistent

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stainedglassthreads · 4 years

Text

The two mentalities that, in my opinion, lead to the death of good story telling.

‘Cliches and tropes are to be avoided at all costs because being predictable makes us boring’, versus ‘We need to stick to the tested and safe formulas because that’s what’s popular and makes money’. Fight!

Ironically, these both come from the desire of attracting and entertaining a massive audience... but they both try to do so in really lazy ways. The former misunderstands why cliches are cliche. There was a time when any story cliche would’ve been novel and popular, and in fact they became so popular that now everyone knows them, hence, they are ‘cliche’. They aren’t necessarily bad, and they aren’t the death of your story-- you just need to know how to properly implement them. They work better with some stories than with others.

Meanwhile, the latter mindset is to blame for all the big blockbuster series and the remakes and shit. This stuff is SAFE. Filmmakers know that these things already possess a pre-existing fanbase that they can get money from, and by copying the tried-and-true formula of the original, people will come and give them said money, even if it’s just to complain about how the remake is worse than the original.

So honestly, my only advice is-- fuck it. Don’t think too hard about EITHER of these mindsets, don’t think about cliches, don’t think about originality. My least favorite writing advice are the ones that go on about ‘oh, you HAVE to avoid cliches’ and ‘oh, you have to MURDER YOUR FAVORITE PLOT POINTS’

Don’t worry about predictability OR shocking your audience. WORRY ABOUT CREATING AN INTERNALLY CONSISTENT WORLD AND STORY. Paying attention to that is what will bring you a satisfying and cathartic ending.

As and example-- the Bifrost Incident by the Mechanisms. It’s a tragedy, yes. We are set up from the start to KNOW that this will be a tragedy, because it’s investigating the mystery of ‘why did the Ratatosk express crash, what happened to its passengers.’

It gives us a really fantastic twist that seems to come out of nowhere, that it was Lovecraftian eldritch abominations that crashed the train, and gives a tragedy wider in scale than anyone expected! But upon subsequent re-listens, it becomes apparent that this was already internally consistent with what had been established. That much of Odin’s dialogue foreshadowed this twist, and in addition, the fallout of this twist is properly explored rather than moving on to the next shock value thing.

Worry about the motivations and character arcs first. Does it make sense for this character to do this thing? Why does the character do what they do? What theme or message does my story send? What sort of ending is most satisfying?

The rest will form itself around that.

Keep in mind, this is mostly just me rambling around what I believe works best in a story meant to provoke emotion. Every individual IS different, what works for me will not work for everyone. You can’t please every individual-- but some things do work better than others, seeing how, as I pointed out, cliches WERE popular enough to become cliches. In addition, if you’re just writing plotless fluff, smut, or whump, you don’t need to worry about this either. Those things cater to a specific niche and tend to be rather self-contained, and I do enjoy a good whumpfest myself. This was just inspired by my thinking about a few specific poorly-written series praised for a few shock-value deaths and ill-thought-out messages. I’m aware I will probably come off as pompous to some, for that reason.

#basically just rambling #some will probably guess what may have inspired this #but meh #don't worry about it if you can't guess

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