#young punk; beacon era

[erudite-rebel]

@reverentiia (?) Qrow went 💨!

---

Something pressed against his lips. Barty considered keeping them closed, but the something smelled good. Chiefly, it smelled sweet like cherries and it sort of felt like candy against his lips. Without opening his eyes he parted his lips and something square and sweet found his tongue.

Mm. Starburst. 

He chewed it sleepily, not quite able to muster the ability to move his limbs and push himself up. 

No sooner than he’d swallowed a second was offered, and he opened his mouth again. “Thn gou.”

#young punk; beacon era #reverentiia

[spectralscathath]

What would each Antares character play as in a tabletop RPG like Dungeons and Dragons? What races, classes and builds? Why? What does it say about them as a character?

now this IS a fun one. I'm gonna go with standard D&D because I know it well enough, though there is actually an in-universe dungeon-crawler tabletop RPG called Grimmlings & Grottos. But anyway! Let's do some breakdowns. Let's just set it tentatively at the beginning of the story, because what the characters might play at the end would be very different. But lets just stick with early days for now. I'm also gonna stick to the people, so far, who might currently have played in Ruby's hypothetical D&D game, so thats mostly her family and friend group. Beacon Era, even. Or else this would be VERY long.

First of all: Ruby is the DM. No question. She wants to tell stories, make homebrew stuff, and gets to play all of the monsters and NPCs. done deal. If she had to be a player at all she'd probably want to be something she can do a lot of fun roleplaying in, and also probably be really rules-lawyering and try to swing it all in her favour. Which makes me think that her go to is a Stout Halfling Dhampir (its a lineage that goes on top of a base race) as an Arcane Trickster Rogue or something ("yeah DM sneak attack is once per turn"). But yeah Ruby is the DM. As for why? She likes storytelling, and she likes having a measure of control over things around her, she's not ever been a 'go-with-the-flow' person, she thinks and plans and even as leader her worries were 'what if things get out of control and I can't handle that' rather than 'i'm too young for this'. And, well, Ruby is all about fairytales and grand adventures, what suits her better than making that grand adventure?

Which is to say: when the players go off script she gets grumpy about it. She'll roll with it but she'll complain. "Yang I gave you eight seperate story threads and you picked PIRACY? that wasn't one of them do you know how many crew member NPCs I have to roll up now?"

I like to think that canonically the Xiao Long-Rose-Branwen household has played at least one session with Ruby DMing and Yang instantly picked the highest damage output possible and built an Orc Barbarian (Path of the Beast). Backstory? What's that? "Her name's Ember and she's killed twenty people, lets go kill monsters'. I think this should be quite self-explanatory to Yang's beginning characterisation. She wants to skip ahead to the cool fight scenes where she can describe how badass her character is.

Taiyang and Qrow (they're mostly here to support Ruby's interests and don't actually get what's going on but they have a great attitude and Ruby's patient with them) both individually saw 'Bard' and Taiyang saw 'well that looks fun, I can make up lil rhymes' and Qrow saw 'I can be a sex, drugs, rock-and-roll guy that's the epitome of cool' and drummed up a bard duo called where one is an aging punk rocker Tiefling based on all Qrow's fav emo bands as a twenty-year-old and Taiyang saw 'gold dragonborn' and blacked out. They both picked College of Eloquence because it looked easiest. Not much to say about why beyond 'parental support and really trying to understand their kid's interests' which is why Tai is the best parent in Antares and why Qrow- well, sometimes he hits the mark.

Weiss has no fuckin clue what any of this is aside from 'nerd stuff for plebians that I suppose I must join for team building'. Basic first options on the list, human fighter, basic stats, doesn't really get into it for a couple of sessions but once she twigs that the dice is like a numbers game it really catches her interest and she starts looking into it more. She snags Eldritch Knight as her path for access to spells and ends up having a good time. Its a microcosm of Weiss's 'defrosting ice queen' plotline. Once she gets into to she gets into it.

Blake actually read the players handbook for more than half a second and decided she wanted to be creative and have a bit of fun while also quickly making the connection that the party was very tanky, so she decided to create a Water Genasi Sorcerer with the path of Lunar Sorcery, since she thought the options it had were fun and she absolutely did extra reading to decide. Mostly this ties into Blake's early character of, though not looking like it, actually genuinely really wanting to get along with her friends while also rediscovering her interests. She also decides to play an optimist, just to try and have that bit of escapism she so desperately wants. Oh- play as a Tabaxi? No, why do you ask?

Onto JNPR, Jaune has the distinction of Acutally Having Knowledge of This, he strikes me as a 'oh I love D&D podcasts I've always wanted to play it'. His dicerolls are, obviously, fucking horrendous at all times, but he ends up playing as a dwarf paladin, I think, good ol Oath of Devotion. He just wants to do a bit of wish fulfilment as a hero, but he doesn't really push it to the point of being a pure 'must follow all the rules' type of paladin roleplay. He just wants to enjoy having friends and mostly tries to keep things chill at the table.

Pyrrha has no idea what she's doing either but she's trying really hard even though she can't wrap her head around any of it. She picked a Cleric because it seemed nice, she could be the party healer. Life domain, Ruby threw her a softball and said 'that's the healing one' and Pyrrha went 'yep'. She just wants to be a normal girl who plays games with a friend group and also be useful in a way that will keep them from ditching her. Gotta please everyone, and healing- it's nice. Useful. They'll invite her more to play.

Nora wants to be a barbarian too, specifically a Goliath with path of Wild Magic for the chaos because she wants to try derail the campaign like she heard about, but Ruby plays favourites with her sister and tells her to pick a new one so Nora goes sulking through the book again for something else, sees the words 'blood' and 'hunter' next to each other, and goes feral. Order of the Lycan is an instant follow-up. Race? Oh- yeah, still a Goliath. Nora just wants to fuck shit up and be with her friends, there's no underlying deeper character issues. Possibly height envy, maybe.

Ren, similarly to Blake, reads the handbook cover to cover, does his own research, and gets super into the idea of Roleplaying as well. However, he goes full 'how dark can I get away with' and creates a warlock, specifically with a Great Old One as patron. A haunted man, troubled by shadows and loss of the past long before being cursed with a treacherous deal that leads to the nightmares and madness of the present, desperately struggling to hold onto sanity as their patron eats a piece of their mind with every spell he casts. Yanno, standard Lovecraftian horror. Ren's really trying to be dramatic and hoping for a tragic end, where his character is twisted into the secret main villain, and Ruby thinks that would be really cool and is pushing for it if only the rest of the campaign wasn't trying to power of friendship this. Ren's just trying to lowkey work through some stuff, it's fine. It's totally fine. Oh- and he picked Pact of the Tome, he wants more cantrips.

Sun got invited along and was like 'gnome ranger lets fuckin go'. Epitome of 'holy shit I can have a pet dinosaur this game RULES' as a player. Mostly coasting on dice luck but can pull out one HELL of a bit of roleplay when he wants to. It's beautiful. He really wishes this campaign could go on forever, it's easier when the bad guys are just figurines on a table.

Penny is ready and waiting to play but she never gets the chance to join a session. Her schedule just doesn't line up, unfortunately. And she hasn't decided her class- she'll see what everyone else needs for an effective party balance first and then she'll pick one. So she doesn't get to pick a subclass. But she'd really like to give it a try if she could! She'd play a standard human character. No there's no other meaning in her wanting to be a human character when she could be something way more interesting, not at all.

Ruby offered to Sun to bring Emerald along for a session but Emerald said no. F in the chat for Emerald (one day).

#rwby #scorruby au #asks #i like critical role I can have critical role stuff as an option

[buckttommy]

sterek fics that make me go feral

So a couple weeks ago, @apollosfirstborn asked me for sterek recs, and since wolf man and little red riding hoodie have all but consumed my brain, i have many recs to give! <3 hope you enjoy!

50,000 - 100,000

Play Crack the Sky - WeAreTheCyclones

[122k | Rated M | Jack's All Time Fave]

Excerpt from “Hale Pulls the Plug on the Future of Rock,” Rolling Stone, Issue 1203 – Oct. 2014 “Fans and music industry vets alike are left reeling in the wake of bassist Derek Hale’s sudden departure from Smokes for Harris. At a time when the foursome from Beacon Hills, California seems to be on the cusp of rock superstardom after just one double platinum record, Smokes has everything to lose.” Excerpt from “Smokes for Harris: Gladiator,” SPIN.com – Feb. 2015 “Smokes for Harris gives in a little to the pop punk of yesteryear in their sophomore effort, but rather than pandering to fans of a lost era they elevate the genre in a way that hasn’t been seen in quite some time. Frontman Stiles Stilinski works double duty as singer and primary songwriter and proves that he can handle the task even without former bassist Derek Hale."

Stand Fast in Your Enchantments - DevilDoll, Rahciach

[77k | Rated E]

"Stiles knew damn well what a pissed-off wolf sounded like, and every hair on the back of his neck was telling him that somewhere in this room was a very pissed-off werewolf." An AU in which Derek is feral, Stiles is magical, and they eat a lot of fast food.

Pack Up; Don't Stray - the_deep_magic

[55k | Rated E]

AU – Werewolves are an enslaved underclass, collared and tagged by human masters. Detective Stilinski’s on duty the night they bring in an untagged stray.

Oh baby give me one more chance (to show you that I love you) - LunaCanisLupus_22

[54k | Rated E]

“You like Derek,” he says slowly. “Derek Hale.” His father grimaces at the accusation there. “Look, Stiles it’s complicated-" “So when I was married to him,” he continues, voice rising. “He wasn’t good enough. He was taking advantage of me. ‘He’ll never be able to love you like you want, Stiles’. That’s what you said-" Or the Sweet Home Alabama AU that nobody asked for.

10,000 - 50,000

Better Fortunes - SmallBirds

[39k | Rated E]

When a group of sinister men attempt to kidnap Stiles Stilinski from the Brooklyn apartment he shares with his stepsister, Lydia, Stiles is forced to activate a spell that translocates him to where he'll be safest. Derek Hale isn't sure what to do about the soaking wet young man he finds wandering down a Beacon County roadside during the middle of a thunderstorm, but he feels compelled to help him. There's something about Stiles that Derek finds fascinating, and before long the two become embroiled in each other's lives. Despite the threat to his life and the sudden upheaval of everything he's ever known, Stiles is having a hard time feeling too upset about that.

don't know what i'm supposed to do (haunted by the ghost of you) - crazyassmurdererwall (smartalli)

[30k | Rated T]

Stiles sees dead people. Yep. Seriously. (He’s got this. He’s totally got this. So what if one of them is Derek’s mom?)

Hide Of A Life War - Etharei

[26k | Rated E | Jack's All Time Fave]

“We have received confirmation that there is a hostage situation in progress at a warehouse compound two hours out of Los Angeles, following a multiple-vehicle pileup on Highway 101 this morning...” The one in which Stiles has lived to (legal) adulthood and, along the way, become a bit of a badass himself.

Start Small, Like Oak Trees - SmallBirds

[24k | Rated M]

The months following Allison's death have passed Stiles by in a haze of monotony. He sleepwalks through days that seem to lose their color, an unwilling passenger in a body he no longer trusts. Eventually, he thinks, he'll just fade away. He isn't sure anyone would notice. Then, during a spur of the moment grocery run, he stumbles upon Derek Hale attempting to console a lost child, and for the first time in recent memory the world doesn't seem so awful. He's not sure what he'd been expecting when he eventually convinces Derek to move into the Stilinski's spare bedroom, but a newfound passion for weeding and topsoil certainly isn't it.

The Price - theroguesgambit

[18k | Rated M]

Stiles must surrender the most important thing in his life to protect the town… and no one can figure out what it was.

Living for the Right Now - Lissadiane

[13k | Rated T]

An unfortunate incident at a petting zoo leaves Stiles unable to keep his child safe from the hunters that have been looking for them for months. Desperate, he returns to the one place he swore never to step foot in again -- Beacon Hills. But just because Derek has managed to turn himself into a decent Alpha while he's been gone doesn't mean Stiles is willing to forgive him for everything that happened six years before. Besides. Wererabbits, as far as he can tell, don't need Alphas anyway.

love always wakes the dragon - hoars

[11k | Rated E]

“If you could only protect one person, who would it be?” “Derek.” “What would you do to keep him alive? What would you give up?” “Anything. Everything.”

The Division - traveller

[11k | Rated E]

They recruited him right out of high school. He doesn't know why he accepted, he. He just did. Maybe because at eighteen he'd already seen more death than a lot of people did by eighty, and maybe this was a chance to get around it, get ahead of it, put an end to it. Some of it. Death itself can't be stopped, not without something worse. Maybe he thought they'd show him how to be the something worse.

1,000 - 10,000

Where to Search for Snow - suburbanmotel

[8.9k | Rated M]

Stiles and his Gigantic Repressed Feelings accidentally affect the weather. A lot. Like. A lot. // “It’s snowing, Stiles,” says Derek. Stiles looks up. He nods. “Yeah. Yeah it is.” Derek looks at him. “It’s snowing, Stiles. In your bedroom.” //

The Pretty Things (are going to hell) - FaeryQueen07

[4k | Rated E ]

“You have something of mine,” Stiles says, and he reaches for his hood, pushing it back to reveal the rest of his face. Lips curled up in a smile promising pain and eyes like death, he says, “And now I’m going to take it back.”

in the practice of my calling - kellifer_fic

[2.7k | Rated T]

For the tumblr prompt - Nurse Me

New Morning - Captain_Loki

[2.7k | Rated T]

Stiles was caught in the Supernatural crossfires and ends up in the hospital, a protective Derek is dutifully at his side, despite the Sheriff's concerns.

When Everyone Else is Gone - entanglednow

[2.1k | Rated M]

Scott doesn't get there in time, Derek loses an arm.

Kill For You - bloodwrites

[2k | Rated M]

Kate Takes Derek. Stiles snaps. Or, the one where Stiles embraces his inner sociopath, and Kate doesn't stand a chance.

Scratchy, Sharp and Stub Pens - KeriArentikai

[1.8k | Rated G]

When Derek leaves, Stiles wants to make sure he's not dead.

Piece of Mind - rufflefeather

[1.1k | Rated G | Jack's All Time Fave]

Derek goes to say goodbye to Stiles before he leaves.

#this was very fun #jack.txt #sterek #fic rec #tv: teen wolf #otp: anchors

[machinations-ii]

Debut Album of The Strokes' Is This It and Interpol's Turn on the Bright Lights.

TURN ON THE BRIGHT LIGHTS

New York City was in transition in 2002, the devastation of 9/11 still lingered but a new sense of goodwill and compassion flowed through the city with dozens of bands reanimating a faded glory that had come to define the Giuliani era. Arriving after several well-regarded EPS that honed Interpol's Sonic and sartorial sense, it's possible no album captured this moment as vividly as their debut turn on the bright lights. Interpol took shape at NYU in the late 1990s where the band formed partially as a result of mutual fashion appreciation. Frontman Paul banks had come across bassist Carlos dangler in their dorm wearing skin tight black clothing and a giant crucifix. Meanwhile guitarist daniel kessler had already gotten to know Dengler in a world war 1 class after approaching him with a compliment about his shoes, and the trio eventually found replacement drummer Sam Fogerino while he was working in a used clothing store. Soon after coming together, the group started to jam at Funkadelic studios, PDA was already in embryonic form by then. After hustling in the NYC circuit and recording here and there, a chance meeting with Emma Pollock of the Delgado's led to the release of an Interpol EP in 2000 on the esteemed chemical underground label. On the heels of the EP success and in the midst of the post strokes gold rush in New York City, Interpol scored a deal with Matador Records then home to bands like Belen Sebastian, yo a tango, and pavement. Chris Lombardi of Matador claimed that he was most impressed by the business-like manner with which the band conducted themselves the suits first and foremost. Interpol decided to record turn on the bright lights at producer Peter Quedas's home studio in Bridgeport Connecticut to avoid all of the temptations New York City had to offer a hot young band while Cadis has gone on to produce the national, Frightened Rabbit, and Yan C, his most recent credit prior to turn on the bright lights was engineering the get up kids on a wire. Sessions were contentious Carlos D had wanted more keyboards, more nights on the town, and the title of the record to be celebrated baselines of the future. If banks had his way, PDA wouldn't have even made the record. However Quedas protested and told him that's their hit single, which it was. Quedas was not enthused with the new, until the final mix which had him in tears. But for all the seriousness and grandeur of turn on the bright lights moments of humor abounded. The spoken intro of Stella was a diver and she was always down; was recorded while banks was ad-libbing with ice in his mouth “this one called Stella was a diver she's always down”. Anchored by Carlos D and Fogerino’s hulking rhythm section, Banks created it in New York City recognizable to its citizens but in cryptic indelible lyrics. “The subway was a porno”, “relationships were a bracelet” and “they had 200 couches for you to sleep” when it all felt like too much. Beginning with a crowd stoking instrumental that would foreshadow runs opening for U2 and the Cure, turn on the bright lights resulted in music of unusually sweeping and grandiose gestures that felt foreign to rock music in general at the time but especially to indie rock. It's hard to imagine the transition towards the post-punk bombast of Arcade Fire, The Killers, and the National without Interpol opening the lane first. While local papers would occasionally snark at them as fashion victims and post-punk dilettante, critical acclaim for turn on the bright lights was overwhelmingly positive. The brilliance of turn on the bright lights is all the more apparent 19 years later a beacon that continues to shine radiantly during its city's darkest moments. IS THIS IT

Fueled by hype that was extraordinary even by the standards of the British press, The Strokes became instant superstars in the UK long before their fellow Americans heard “is this it” thirty-six stylish lo-Fi down-and-dirty minutes of unwholesome Downton Blues that evoke The Velvet Underground, The Ramones, television, and countless others who will firm New York City as the epicenter of punk rock cool, the strokes debut was already in stores in the UK for months before its eventual American release mere weeks after the September 11th attacks. Is this it subsequently took on an unintended resonance and became a sentimental document of a New York City that would no longer exist after Rudolph Giuliani, gentrification, and the war on terror. The Strokes may not have saved rock and roll themselves but The Libertines, Franz Ferdinand, Interpol, the killers, and the Arctic Monkeys likely wouldn't exist without “is this it”. while several members of The Strokes have been playing together since high school in a project called “just pipe” the band truly took shape after guitarist Albert Hammond jr. joined the group he and singer Julian Casablancas attended the same Swiss boarding school and reconnected after Hammond returned to New York City and serendipitously moved across the street from Elite Model Management which just so happened to be owned by Casablancas’ father. Contrary to the stereotype of The Strokes as a prefab overnight success, the group struggled throughout the late 90s playing to empty rooms before their demo got the attention of Rough Trade ANR man Jeff Travis, nor were they predator naturally cool from the start. before The Strokes first gig Hammond claims the band was so nervous they watched the Eddie Murphy movie Bowfinger to calm themselves. Preliminary sessions for is this it were recorded with Gil Norton best known for his work with the Pixies but also Foo Fighters “ultra slick the color in the shape” for the album itself The Strokes would reunite with Gordon Raphael who previously produced the modern age EP. The unorthodox production of “is this it” was the result of Raphael using a minimal number of microphones and following Casablancas says requests to have it sound like your favorite blue jeans not totally destroyed but worn in comfortable. According to Raphael an A&R guy named Steve obelisk II held is this it most unprofessional sounding music that he has never heard. The strokes declined the invitation from MTV to play alongside the vines in the hives at the 2002 Video Music Awards. The band didn't want to be lumped in to quote the new rock revolution it consisted of mostly bands with the word the and a plural noun in their names. Casablancas told MTV I'm not going to do a band off with them and strokes manager Ryan gentle said “that was pretty much the last time we were played on MTV”. The infamous bare-bottom on the international release of is this it is that of photographer Colin lanes girlfriend, however concerns about whether conservative chain stores like Target and Walmart would carry the record but The Strokes to switch to the American cover shot of a subatomic particle in a bubble chamber Casablancas is rumored to have liked it even more than the original. A more crucial alteration from the international version involves the removal of its own, New York City cops all involved agreed that a chorus of New York City cops they ain't that smart would be considered in poor taste after 9/11 even if the song was written years previous by removing the song from the US release of is this it there's not a single song in a Strokes album that has mentioned New York City by name. Well The Strokes achieved a level of popularity rivaled by few American bands in the 21st century is this it was considered a commercial disappointment in its time it peaked only at number 33 on Billboard while lead single last night topped out at number five of the modern rock chart with some day stalling at Number 17. Long story short, these two albums (and arguably two of the best rock albums of all time) had left a dent in my

life for it defined my teenage years when I had nothing, lost, and frustrated with my life. It reminded me the melancholic time that I had in the past. So I'll leave you guys with a lyrics from each album and try to find the song that corresponds to it :). "I have 7 faces, and I know which one to wear" "Soma is what they would take when hard times opened their eyes and saw pain in a new way"

#the strokes #interpol #creative-nonfiction #blog #two of my favorites

[anhed-nia]

BLOGTOBER 10/14/2020: BLOODY MUSCLE BODYBUILDER FROM HELL

In the last couple of years, I've been paying a lot more attention to shot on video (or SOV) genre movies than I was ever compelled to do before. Platforms like the webzine Bleeding Skull and the restoration house American Genre Film Association have taken up the task of bringing this material greater attention, and treating it to the same kind of serious discussion that foundational film-based grade B-to-Z movies already enjoy. If I'm being completely honest, I don't always understand the appeal of these productions, which is part of the reason that the current SOV moment has me pricking up my ears. At the very least, I have a desire to understand it.

Not to suggest that I always find SOV production so impoverished. It is very often full of innovative special effects, envelope-pushing sex and violence, and bizarre narratives that a movie with more professional aspirations would never dare to attempt. Also, the umbrella term Shot On Video can include movies that were shot on smaller film formats, as long as a title demonstrates a certain style of grotty homemade charm and it arrived during the right era, it can be included in the SOV canon (as I’m seeing with BODYBUILDER now)--so this designation doesn't exclude the warm glow of film stock, which many of us prefer to the cold crunch of video. I like all this stuff as much as the next guy, but it feels like SOV movies are often regarded with a kind of uncritical indulgence, as if anything that is free from the oppression of the studio system--or even the basic production orthodoxy followed by the independents--is automatically a beacon of free-thinking, unfiltered personal expression...which is just not always an accurate description.

I'm familiar with, and often guilty of this attitude as regards independent and regional movies of the pre-video era; it's like, why bother criticizing something whose flaws are so plain, when it's so much more fun to discuss its hidden virtues? But I feel like SOV production faces a challenge that is unique to the time of its origins. By the 80s and 90s, the archetypal horror fan had been born: a connoisseur who became erudite through the miracle of home video, who writes and enjoys xerox-and-staple zines involving a mix of crude punk humor and intellectual analysis, who knows and repeats every line of every one of their favorite movies, no matter how badly you might want them to stop. Nerddom is great because it keeps alive wonderful things that would otherwise die from mainstream neglect, and it is terrible because it can have a calcifying effect, turning everything it consumes into a cliche of itself through rote repetition and imitation. The double-edged sword of production by and for nerds makes its mark on a lot of SOV output, and the recently exhumed BLOODY MUSCLE BODYBUILDER IN HELL is no exception. This movie was made with the passion that only a real nerd can sustain, shot and edited between 1995 and 2009 with no guarantee that anyone would ever see it. That's a pretty exciting proposal, but in practice, BODYBUILDER is not as weird as one might expect.

The lone 8mm creation of producer-director-writer-star Shinichi Fukazawa is equal parts fabulously original, and disappointingly familiar. Also known as "The Japanese Evil Dead", BODYBUILDER describes one terrifying night in a haunted house in which a demonic presence pits a group of young people against one another in a fight to the death. Fukazawa makes a handsome leading man and he knows it, punctuating the proceedings with regular inserts of himself smoldering and mugging in his best imitation of Bruce Campbell. Many of the makeup designs are as familiar as the plot, and the laudable no-budget special effects have some of that same "necessity is the mother of invention" quality that one associates with EVIL DEAD. While I certainly identify with Fukazawa's passion for the often imitated, never duplicated Sam Raimi classic, I wish I could tell him how much more valuable are his own signature innovations. The title BLOODY MUSCLE BODYBUILDER IN HELL is the best thing about the movie for sure, and it points to the second best thing about the movie: that Fukazawa is a bodybuilder, and this is a key part of his character. I'm so much less interested in him twirling a shotgun and slinging catch phrases like "Groovy", than I am in him flexing his considerable muscles, posing with obvious pleasure, and swinging a barbell like a bo staff to crack some zombie skulls.

So BODYBUILDER is kind of a mixed bag, and the 62 minute movie can drag surprisingly, because of a peculiar feature: It's essentially very competent. A lot of the writing is fairly typical of mid-grade supernatural thrillers, and the slow burn tour of the sinister house before the shit really hits the fan is, like, fine. It reminded me of a sound bite from Brian Eno in which he complains about the volume of perfectly-good music that people submit to him all the time; something that is just-fine can be intensely boring, much less stimulating than something that is interestingly bad. This is not to say that I would prefer that Fukazawa make more of a fool of himself for my amusement; it's just that the movie feels less alive when it most resembles what more people would consider a "real movie", following certain foregone conclusions about how these things are structured. BODYBUILDER succeeds more when it is unbeholden to conventions, serving up a feast of inventive FX solutions, and bathing its beefy hero in a halo of neon fog as he discovers the secret anti-demon weapon he's been questing for all along: his own muscles. Obviously I didn't love this as much as some viewers will, but it definitely earned my respect with its unique qualities, and despite my ambivalence for this kind of thing in general, I'm deeply grateful that folks like Wild Eye Releasing are out there, sharing the joy of discovery with us all.

#blogtober #2020 #sov #bloody muscle bodybuilder from hell #the japanese evil dead #evil dead #shinji fukasawa #horror #possession #demon #grudge #zombie #8mm #asako nosaka #masaaki kai #masahiro kai #aki tama mai

[goblinko]

Joe Biel – The Method Behind the Madness of Microcosm

I’ve know Joe Biel since the early 2000s. Joe rose out of the fragmented late 90s Punk Scene as an organizational power-house & created a personal DIY Punk Zine empire that continues to this day. While the aesthetics & tone of Microcosm were never my bag, I recognized that Joe was an empire builder despite the “keep it small” mentality of Punk, zines & DIY in general & I was very interested in this. I always felt bound by the rules of Punk, so much that I decided to drop out of the scene instead of breaking the rules. As I continued to pay attention to the scene, I saw Microcosm both following the rules on some level, creating new rules & then breaking the rules by growing rapidly & taking the business seriously. As Joe took slings & arrows for normal human foibles publicly & ultimately for breaking the rules, I was emboldened to take back the mantle of Punk & do things my own way as well. The issues of figuring yourself out, how your culture relates to you, how society treats you & what do we do & how do we do it on this Earth are all very important & especially if you’re running a business or really any project that is concerned with more than the bottom dollar, but has philosophical, moral & cultural elements - these things come up. David Ensminger interviewed Joe & here it is. x Sean

Joe Biel – The Method Behind the Madness of Microcosm

Joe Biel is a distinct kind of titan in the Do-It-Yourself community that has been a beacon of enterprising hope and a magnet of grave complaints; that is, he helped give rise to the 1990’s version of “xerocracy” – the loose-knit, thriving, democratic, and homespun network of fanzines that made global inroads for writers small and large, while his failed marriage became intensely scrutinized by Internet hordes.

Biel jumpstarted Microcosm, which initially acted as both a music label and raw amateur zine, in the mid-1990s. It roared to life during punk’s third decade in revolt, right as punk seemed to inject a new life code into millions of kids eagerly seeking cramped basement gigs and sweat-thronged rented halls from Cleveland to the Czech Republic. Microcosm was a major part of the dialog, action, and activism.

As CDs, cassettes, and Xeroxed self-publications became cheap and easy to distro, Biel became a force aggregator – he utilized the Internet to cut out the middlemen, took painstakingly time to develop sustainable business models that emphasized vivid content over mere profit, and formed a distro that became a lifeline to those seeking underground literary kicks. Plus, he helped pave the roads for zine symposiums and grassroots advocacy discussions across the land.

As chronicled in his new memoir Good Trouble, he navigated relationship woe, battled with his own undiagnosed Asperger’s, and attempted to cohere a collectivist approach, sometimes with intense personal pain.

This is a discussion that tries to peel back some of the layers of his life and a shine a light on the methods, memories, messiness, and occasional misery.

(David): First, you've attributed some of your success with Microcosm as a byproduct, in a way, of Asperger Syndrome; that is, you have analytical skill sets that help keep Microcosm afloat. Is part of that, though perhaps a byproduct of living in the industrial Midwest too, where they tend to instill strenuous work values?

​(Joe): Yes, I would say that my success is a Molotov cocktail of Asperger's, my difficult childhood, and my Cleveland roots. I think that each taught me fundamental survival skills that carried me before I really knew what was going on. ​I wasn't familiar with his music (or much about him at all) but the place that I stayed last week had a copy of Jay Z's Decoded and according to him, to be successful on the streets you need: 1) To be able to do math in your head, which I can do because of Asperger's. 2) To be a good judge of character. My mom and many other people in my childhood lied to me daily, so I learned to do this quite young. 3) To be able to make quick decisions. Opportunities weren't often presented to me, so I learned to think quickly. Growing up in Cleveland as the steel mills were losing their business to Japan, I developed a strong work ethic. I had a paper route when I was 12, worked at Burger King from when I was 14, and was managing a restaurant by the time that I was 20—while I was simultaneously working full-time to also launch Microcosm. In the 1980s, everything felt somewhat hopeless and meaningless, so I took that as a cue to do the things that were important to me instead of worrying about nuclear winter. I figured that I could at least create some tools for the next teenage kid who was born into a hopeless world.

(David): You spent a bit of time focusing on the music scene that immersed the city, from the Pagans to Integrity, but how would you say that music scene taught you lessons, or opened your eyes, in ways that you carried to Portland and Bloomington?

​(Joe): The punk scene was where I learned and developed morals and ethics when I was 15 years old. It disrupted—in the best way possible—my nihilistic youth of shoplifting and getting drunk and vandalism. The punk scene taught me that other people weren't selfish soulless demons and that they could care for me and about me. It also taught me firmly held politics, which I took to didactic extremes. The scene taught me that I liked reading and learning and about social issues. As a teenager, the scene taught me how to respect other people and why that was important. It taught me the value of protesting and fighting for the disenfranchised. In every way, those were the values that shaped Microcosm and are things that I still carry as important to this day.

(David): You say that punk led you to the politics of didactic extremes. What does that mean -- trying to live a "pure ideology" culled from impression of Crass records? But didn't punk, in very DIY ways, teach you about pragmatism -- getting things done, despite the odds?

(Joe): Because of my Asperger's, I was pre-disposed to didactic extremes. Punk was very nurturing of this kind of thinking -- e.g. RVIVR good, George Bush bad. Because I learn by failing and trying again until I achieve positive results, didactic thinking was very encouraged and I fell into a deeper and deeper slump of it until I became influencing other through that same spiral e.g. We used to sell the "Make Up is ugly" image but it doesn't leave a whole lot of room for individual thought or expression and the conflict in the message was really confusing to me when it began to upset people. Were they wrong? Was I wrong? Was it possible that we were both entitled to our own opinion? This kind of thinking was not happening for me until my 30s. Honestly, getting that perspective was important because previously I had been solely "getting things done" without always thinking things through. I could think quickly but I was doing that from a very young age before my views were quite formed.  (David): Like me, you grew up in the 'burbs, distanced and detached, though this was meant to provide us a life of relative leisure and quiet that perhaps our parents lacked growing up. Is the hidden history of punk in America, in some ways, carried on the backs of people like us, in basements and ranch homes, and not just by the inner city tribes routinely chronicled in books like Please Kill Me? ​(Joe): 81% of the population of Cleveland now lives in the suburbs and that doesn't even count the far-reaching exurbs, which have replaced farm land almost all the way to the next city in any direction. Those suburbs, in particular, were created directly out of xenophobic fear and racism. The eventual result was to hide the violence inside seemingly tranquil homes and allowing neighbors to deny that it's happening. While writing the book, I did quite a bit of research on the city's history and remembered that my former high school had a major scandal when a treasurer had either lost, stolen, or lied about over $20 million dollars missing from the treasury and successfully sued the city when he was fired. That is the legacy of the City of Cleveland and the people who escaped to the suburbs largely did it and carry it on by climbing on the backs of their fellow workers.

Nonetheless, I had other punks my age in walking distance and on my street and never felt disconnected by much other than the incredible planned sprawl of the city and its car culture nightmare. I knew kids all over the world, and the DIY venue that I was most involved with, Speak in Tongues, was on the far side of the city from me. I think it was the first place where I saw a car set on fire and learned not to go buy beer across the street alone or I'd be mugged. I feel like I got credit for my contributions, as there is even a book, Escaped to the Future by Ken Blaze, about that era of Cleveland, and I'm photographed and quoted in it extensively. But I did feel like the music that came out of Cleveland in the 70s, 80s, and 90s was better than elsewhere. Perhaps that was a product of my age and general enthusiasm, but when I listen to those records today, they still hold up even if they aren't household names. So, in some ways, The Unknown, Snarkout Boys, Grain, Cripple Kid, and Blue ... Max are my best kept secrets that no one cares about.

(David): No doubt, the racism embedded in Northern cities, especially in areas like housing, education, and policing, is a not-so-hidden scar of America. And you mention the violence of the 'burbs, which often goes unnoticed, or ignored, hidden behind the facade of "good homes." For me, it was molestation: for you, it was familial physical abuse and verbal degradation. When I attempted to tell neighborhood kids, they taunted me, so punk rock became my counselor. What people, or music, or magazine, first taught you to channel anger, cope with fear?

(Joe): My dad had two strokes in 1983 and became permanently confined to a wheelchair and incapable of speech or unassisted living so I did get a lot of comfort from neighbors who assumed that my grief and hardship was a result ​of that rather than the daily violence and fear in my home. Seemingly similarly to you, when I told people about how I was routinely beaten and that's why I was so defiant, they would make excuses for the situation. I think it was too ugly or uncomfortable for most people to really want to think about my disabled dad and I getting beaten when he couldn't even defend himself. So I dealt with it like most people do, by getting drunk every day. But by the time I was eighteen or so and began hanging out at the DIY punk venue Speak in Tongues, I can't think of another way to say it other than the format of open air expression there was really liberating for me in slowly exorcising my demons. Punk had been more ethereal for me before that. I had certainly been picked on in high school for reading Maximum Rocknroll and it was neat to see all of the global goings-ons but it wasn't real for me until I was physically in the thick of it several times per week. In my later teens, zines continued that trajectory of getting in touch with my feelings and what had happened to me by meeting others who did openly talk about it and that was cathartic obviously, but not nearly as much as being able to write out and express what had happened to me. Eventually I wasn't angry or afraid at all anymore. I didn't realize that was possible.

(David): One thing that has puzzled me over the years is the divorce of fanzine and zine culture: in the 1980s, I felt the underground print community, from Flipside to World War 3 Illustrated, felt like a crossover grouping. But when I tabled at the 2008 Portland Zine Symposium, I felt like the zine world—more illustration-based, personal, and narrative—and the fanzine—more reportorial, music-based, and conventional—had separated. When you tabled at Propagandhi gigs, did this seem to be the case as well, given your 1% analysis?

​(Joe): I may be partly to blame for this so I apologize. When we founded the Zine Symposium and also while seriously getting Microcosm off the ground in 2001, there was a certain sense that the music scene was well-documented and there were outlets and avenues for those fanzines, like record stores and punk shows. We cultivated the scene more around personal and individual expression about experiences and artistic takes on important historical moments. In many ways, I think that all of the founders and organizers were the ones who felt left out of the music scene as it was too macho and didn't often speak to our experience or current trajectory or interests. Ironically, Eleanor Whitney and I both had played in numerous bands but still felt this way, to some degree. Nicole Georges went on to perform as an even more serious musician than any of the rest of us, but I believe that she did it on her own terms, as she does everything. And she did fully document those moments in her zine, Invincible Summer, but it was more of a lifting the curtain than documenting the scene.

For better or worse, we were reacting against a legacy that wasn't interesting to us any more. I don't really know anything about contemporary punk or any kind of music. I own all of my records from the 80s and 90s and spin them when I'm making dinner, but that is a fully compartmentalized world from my zine making. By the time I was touring with Propagandhi in 2007-2009, most of the reading material that Microcosm and the band provided was about global politics. I don't think there was a single music fanzine unless a kid brought their own to a show. Right now I'm staying with Richard the Roadie who started this legacy by bringing AK Press books on tour with bands like Avail and Rancid in the early 90s. And by 2007, I think a lot of kids trusted their reading to Propagandhi even if they didn't have a stance on nonviolence or oil pipelines or Native American rights. I also have to cite Aaron Cometbus as majorly paving the way for making punk kids more literate and interested in subjects other than music.​

(David): You mention Aaron Cometbus, who created a hybrid music/art/narrative zine, as paving a way towards punk literacy, but you also take some credit for creating a schism of sorts between the music and art portions of the zine scene, simply by way of symposium structures, etc. For me, as someone in his 40s who still plays in three bands, I am a bit stunned that modern punk, or any modern music, does not play much of a part in your life. You call it a kind of compartmentalization, but might not others see it as abandonment?

(Joe): Punk continues to play a huge part in my life today. But you seem to be defining punk ​solely as music, which is kind of my whole thing: Punk has always been much more than just music. The music is a very small part of it to me.

(David): Speaking of AK Press, as well as PM Press, who also seem to follow similar models as Microcosm -- keep operations close to the ground, table at gigs and rallies, feature titles that are underground and political -- how would you distinguish yourself from them to a general audience? Perhaps your longstanding dedication to DIY manuals and books for bicycle advocacy, less emphasis on sectarian politics?

(Joe): In terms of spirit and editorial ideology I can see how all three look similar from the outside. We are all mission-based publishers rather than profit-oriented. I think the biggest differences are in development. The prices of Microcosm books, on average, are half or less of AK or PM and we manage 75% of our sales in-house while, to my understanding, they both develop for and rely upon their book trade distributors for the majority of their book sales. The result is that their books "fit in" better in the bookstores while we focus most of our effort on "the ground game," organizing our own author package tours and finding the excited readers for each book rather than relying solely on author or distributor. While we might all be interested in publishing the same book, Microcosm would do it very differently: smaller trim size, lower price, less conventional cover, and humorous subtitle. Our author royalties are also double the industry standard and we sell books to the authors at cost, taking more inspiration from Lookout Records than book publishers in our model. Granted, in 20 years we've lost zero books to either PM or AK but we have won several books that have submitted to all three and all of the books we've lost have been to Soft Skull when their pockets got deep. I respect the models of AK and PM but they are deeply different models, mostly because they follow convention quite a bit more.

(David): Throughout the memoir, your well-intended criticism of progressive, left-leaning, or DIY culture gets a bit more heated and pointed, whether it's the "echo chamber" effect they seem to embody, or their tendency, perhaps, to rely on emotional responses rather than reasoned analysis. In some ways, this reminds me of Paul Krugman's dissection of Bernie Sanders' economic platform, whose fuzzy math may not be much better than Republicans, though his ideals are. Do you feel like a bit of a heretic, even now?

​(Joe):  I have felt like my views have been at odds with my community's for my whole life so I'm quite comfortable challenging—and hopefully gradually reshaping—the views of the scene to be a better environment for every weirdo who wants to be a part of it. I stand behind my critiques and had many years to consider them and why things rubbed me wrong. I think an emotional response is appropriate and should be met with an empathic response but I think that people in the punk community have a harder time understanding the difference between that and attacking someone else, without really knowing what they want from that person. It doesn't do any good to pour salt into the wound if the only result is getting worked up without a hopeful chance at resolution, or even knowing what that would look like. It is with the same love that the scene was my only real family for most of my life that I raise these criticisms. Krugman's analyses of Sanders were disproven, to my understanding, so let's hope the comparison doesn't stick and I'm remembered instead as the loyal opposition, better arming the choir.

(David): You became mired in the gentrification politics of Portland a few times as the city shifted from a hip outlier of sorts to Portlandia, the stuff of legend—though San Francisco likely has now stolen the conversation and news. Do you think Microcosm could develop and thrive if you moved there today, right out of the Midwest, with your communal living and DIY spirit?

(Joe): At my reading event for Good Trouble at Powell's, someone asked me how Microcosm would be different if it never left Cleveland and I think about that a lot. Portland genuinely shaped Microcosm for the better, but the city is not what it once was. The once glorious DIY clubs Spurcraft and 17 Nautical Miles are now a trophy store and a bar.​

Portland now has the most population growth per capita and worst rent hikes​ in the U.S.  We have virtually no tenant protections so people are routinely served 30 day notice that their is rent is increasing by 50-300%​. It's such an epidemic that it's legal to camp anywhere in city limits and it will be the issue that determines the next mayoral election, as there are still no jobs. I see what our youngest staffers have to go through to make it work in Portland these days and I respect their determination and hard work. I no longer have eleven roommates or cheap rent but I am inspired and motivated by different environmental factors around me now. I'm not the kind of person who longs for the past, but I don't think that the Portland of today would have created the same Microcosm anyway. At the same time, there's also many reasons that I'm still there, though they are more personal, like it's the only place that I've ever felt like home and it's where the people who love me the most are. Will that last? I don't know.

(David): But many people might wonder, if Portland and San Francisco, once considered the most liberal bastions in the country, cannot effectively counter hyper-gentrification or democratize their housing market, what hope do others have? What lessons have you learned from Portland that might help others, right now, who are about to face similar situations in the near future? Immediate tenant organizing?

(Joe): I think "liberal bastions" is exactly the problem. In Portland, the liberals are often involved in the most passive racism of any citizen. Residents had absolutely no problem uprooting people of color from their historic neighborhoods when our population first boomed in the 21st century but once middle-class white people were being priced out of the same city in turn, they were legitimately outrage but couldn't seem to see the connection. I was featured on the front cover of our daily paper The Oregonian talking about this in 2007 and people literally ​laughed about the situation, saying that I was overstating the problem. No one would be laughing now when you rent a shed for $1,500/mo or spend $2,500/mo for an apartment. Of course the problem is that it’s far too late to offset or push back on the development or even slow it down. Naturally, my advice would be to keep an ear to the plight of people who don't look like you and stand up for them when they are suffering from gentrification to build a movement that can take care of each other. Listen to people's concerns who are more marginalized than yourself because while you might not have the same concerns you will likely have the same issues before too long. If we had done that we could have stopped it. People's refusal was really soul-crushing for me.

(David): In some way, even better than larger publishers, you have mastered the economics of scale—not simply through the trial and error of being a collective, or of being a DIY maverick, or by reading a million How-To books, but by understanding your audience. Yet, we have both seen the near death of print—the collapse of distros, the collapse of global outlets like Tower Records—and the rise of the Internet. What is the future of print? I know Amazon is planning brick and mortar bookstores, so is rejuvenation likely?

(Joe): I often tell the story of The Bell Curve which "hacked" its way into the New York Times bestseller list through advancing the appropriate number of copies through sales channels that "count" and putting the authors on every key daytime talk show that triggers stores to heavily stock a book. Inevitably the books were shipped and ​many were ​returned unsold because the book was developed for ​the industry, not for the reader. And it was racist. I feel like the entire industry learned the wrong lesson from this and now operates this way, trying to leverage books onto a list instead of for the people that love them deeply​

My strategy has always been to ignore things like Tower or Amazon or even trade distributors and create a parallel system to reach readers. Since day one and still true today, I consider each challenging narrative that Microcosm would like to tell next and then assess if taking that risk could seriously jeopardize us. If it won't, we do it even if there isn't much of a potential financial payoff. Because we're building the world that we want to see while most of the publishing industry is making one risky investment after another and wondering why they aren't paying off. The death of print is nothing but a media buzz phrase. 2015 was Microcosm's best sales years ever. It was also a record year for books in general with sales up $50M—and a record year even for indie book stores. But now post-recession technology floods the market with 4,000 new books every day.

Most of them are not developed titles, meaning that if you look at the books you can't tell what the benefits are that the books offer by looking at them for five seconds. It's just more static and noise for an already overwhelmed reader to parse. The recession taught us that people will treat books as a luxury item as they are forced to spend more and more hours of their day working. It also taught us that millennials read much more than previous generations and certainly more than we give them credit for. There are just too many books for any person who already has job to make sense of so each one sells fewer copies. After 20 years, I recently read a book about how publishing math and risks are supposed to work and I learned that I had accidentally hacked the system. My method wasn't better or worse; it was different and I think that's why we've been able to grow and evolve while most mid-sized houses are bankrupting or getting bought by majors. It's a very good time to be a small publisher because for the first time in Microcosm's history, we can do exactly what we want to do without having someone compete with us for a title and only about 1% of our titles have flopped because of mistakes that are now obvious. I think the future of print will be achieved through solid development directed at readers and fans rather than what I see most publishers doing, which is still developing for buyers of major retailers. Putting books into envelopes is the future of print for any small publisher that wants to stay in the game.

(David): I understand you don't necessarily miss the Tower Records stores, since the Internet creates a global exchange without the need for intermediaries, but I do recall seeing, with a profound sense of loss, the inventory list and money owed from my defunct distributor Desert Moon, which carried hundreds of titles, many of whom no longer exist. Yes, book sales are up, but music magazines have diminished. Do you have any suggestions for coping with the new world of publishing, or for those keen to create a new fanzine/magazine, in the age when books, or even mags, might be considered luxury, as you suggest?

(Joe): The Tower Records stores held a distinct advantage—it was a really key way to get zines and books to suburban kids who needed them most. We waffled quite a bit about selling to them when they came to us ​but ultimately thinking about the isolated kids who needed them was what sold me on it. So it's not that I don't miss the stores—in some ways, I do. But my point is that you cannot rely on places like Tower or Desert Moon. They aren't our friends and their goals were never our goals. They aren't the kind of place that we could ask to do any favors. I think Tower owed us $800 or something in the end and while they had the money to pay their bills, the bankruptcy lawyers fought over the money until it was gone instead. I built Microcosm to never rely on any one source of sales or income so we wouldn't tank when one place or another went under. And I think zines like Razorcake are built the same way, by having a loyal audience in a dedicated community that pays the bills through getting lots of small checks from lots of places. Refusing to put zines in envelopes is the biggest mistake that I've seen publisher after publisher make and outsourcing those jobs to fulfillment companies and relying on distributor and ad revenue is what swallowed Punk Planet too. A friend of mine from high school did their mail order for years and I talked to the publishers at the end and asked them why they didn't continue doing it out of their office. The answer boiled down to "We don't want to do that kind of work." But I think that kind of work is the difference between sustainable and not, and most dangerously it's when you lose touch with your roots over some illusion of becoming white collar.

(David): Your argument is that titles are flooding the market, a deluge, a gray-out, of sorts. Yet, I heard this exact same perspective from people like Ian MacKaye of Dischord in the 1990s/early 2000s, when pressing 7"s and CDs, basic documentation of music, became cheap and ubiquitous. Yet, that is WHY Microcosm could be started -- the mass democratization of print. Are you arguing that less books should be printed, less voices heard?

(Joe): I think that intentions matter most. I think that of the 4,000 new books being published each day, I think that the vast majority are done not to document or preserve culture but as attempts at commercialism or vanity—in the hopes of "being discovered," pride in the accomplishment of writing, or simply because so many people see writing a book as a lifelong goal—even when they don't necessarily have anything to say. Most of our publishing peers are commercial and struggling. Most authors that I meet are writing in the hopes of it replacing their job at any cost. You would be shocked how many writers are quite willing to write romance or mysteries because even when they have no interest in them, they know that these genres are what sell. So, to answer your question, no, if a voice has nothing new to add to a conversation I don' t think it should be heard because it drowns out substantial voices. Like any considerate person, I think figuring out what a person has to say is much more important than being heard. But as I said, if proper development was done on every book—looking at what's already out there and differentiating from it to offer something new and interesting—I don't think there is a limit to how many books should be published or would be well-received. My opinion is that fewer inscrutable books should be published that no one can quite figure out what they are or who they are for. You need to be able to know how the book is unique and what benefits it offers by looking at the cover.

(David): Your diagnosis of Asberger's ​Syndrome seem to illicit varied responses even from the people closest to you—you seemed mild in comparison to others, or simply just another phallocentric male with routine behavior akin to everyday power struggles. Why, in a community that supposedly relishes social justice, fairness, and equality, did people have such a difficult time? Broadly speaking, has the DIY/punk community done a poor job of addressing dis​abilities?

Trying to recall standout Aspie​ incidents for the book was difficult because before my diagnosis, behavior that would stand out to others wa​s totally​ natural to me. Often when I get the reaction "You don't act like so and so that I know who has Asperger's" I tell them about the time that I was fifteen before Catholic confirmation and as part of what I know understand was a bonding and socializing game, we were all supposed to share something about ourselves as went around the circle. My first turn I monotoned, "I like cake." On my second turn, I said, "My favorite color is orange." ​By the third time around when I said that, "My name is Joe," the counselor interrupted to say, "This exercise is more rewarding if you try a little harder, share, and don't act like a brat." This totally floored me as I wasn't meaning to be uncooperative and was completely following the rules as they were explained to me. I felt like an asshole but showed no emotion outwardly. I didn't know what appropriate sharing was until I was diagnosed at 32. I had hidden or created workarounds for many of the ticks and tells that I had exhibited. It did not mean that I had resolved the symptoms and problems. I have very dull mirror neurons, the receptors in the brain that cue a response to subtle and emotional communications that others expressed to me. Sometimes this was meaningless or harmless, but sometimes I could really hurt people's feelings and could come across as quite callous. Years later my ex-wife came to see my behavior as "emotional abuse" and while I believe that her pain was real, I was doing the best that I could with the tools that I had. For me the most hindering part of the disability was not being able to read people's expressions or nonverbal communications and hurting their feelings as a result. I've done years of work in cognitive behavioral therapy to learn how to pantomime and intellectually mimic what most babies are born knowing: how to read emotions and respond appropriately.

I think that understanding the highly nuanced complexity of how disabilities require special needs and are not simply a person choosing to be difficult does not mesh well into a didactic punk scene where things are right or wrong, good or evil. Intersectional politics are simplified into black and white halftones when the real world is quite gray and many kinds of privilege are not willing to be discussed yet. Strangers purport to know more about my life and motives than I do. Maximum Rocknroll, who has spent millions of pages printing letters arguing back and forth about who is and is not a Nazi has refused to run our ads or reviews or even engage with me about the situation. I don't think that anyone could reasonably disagree with me that DIY punk scene has done a horrendous job of understanding and addressing disabilities, just as it has historically with gender, race, and sexuality​.

Even after I was diagnosed, I could not tell you how many people​ still did not want to acknowledge that my Asperger's has tremendous bearing on my behavior and is the cause of failure in navigating so many emotional and complicated situations throughout my life. And that's what was really heartbreaking: The DIY punk scene was the only family that I've ever known and for them to have such an obvious and painful failing that has clearly affected so many people in situations like mine is heartbreaking.

C​onnecting it all together, I recently was interviewed by another Aspie businessman who expressed that he wasn't concerned if he offended someone by what he said or rubbed them the wrong way. And I feel like that's the difference in me because of my punk upbringing: While I lacked the ability for most of my life, I want to create a caring and empathetic world for everybody where we hear each other's concerns and act responsibly. I think it's important and groundbreaking for men to talk about their feelings.

(David): You say, “The DIY punk scene has done a horrendous job of understanding and addressing disabilities, just as it has historically with gender, race, and sexuality​." I agree wholeheartedly with the first, and that's why I penned a whole chapter on the links between deaf culture and punks in my new book, but are you suggesting that Punk Planet, Slug and Lettuce, HeartattaCk, and Maximum RocknRoll didn't explore gender, race, and sexuality? I recall sometime whole issues dedicated to the topics, like a Maximum RocknRoll "Queer" issue etc.

(Joe): Exactly. The fact that Punk Planet, Slug & Lettuce, HeartattaCk, and Maximum Rocknroll all have explored race, gender, and sexuality so thoroughly are the biggest indicators that punk is racist, sexist, and homophobic at large. Why else would a theme issue every few years on a topic like this be interesting or necessary in the first place? Of course, it bears repeating that it's only the outlier punk zines that focus on ableism. Does the existence of these zines disprove that the ableist discrimination in punk is real? Of course not. It just shows how much further subcultural understanding of the issues has to come and offers some guides of how to do so.

(David): Whether in terms of operating Microcosm, or in terms of grappling with the DIY community about conflict resolution regarding you supposedly causing "unsafe space," means you apply knowledge culled from experience, logic, history, and deep reading, rather than a DIY member relying on pure emotion and sensibilities reinforced in an "echo chamber" --  a DIY member who easily falls prey to ideas like: “Microcosm is not really a collective, and Joe is a rampant emotional abuser of women.”

(Joe): I think that what changed in the millennium is that punk​ identity politics established a new rule: people put up black and white ​rules that assume that remove fact-checking from an equation. I've deeply hurt people's feelings through my actions. But it wasn't because of my intentions that that happened and more often than not, I left those encounters deeply hurt as well. I was difficult and frustrating to communicate with because of undiagnosed Asperger's, not because I was intending to manipulate or exploit people. I learned from those mistakes, changed my behavior, and tried to resolve those conflicts. I cooperated with what was asked of me but in hindsight there isn't mechanism for resolution, just feeling good in the moment; winning the battle to lose the war. But the scene isn't equipped to understand that. Intersectional politics have been a huge struggle for many social movements so it's not a huge surprise. But it really hurts to think of how many other people this must have happened to through the last thirty years and how asking questions and fact checking vague accusations results in more bullying. Often times when I bump into strangers they know stories of me and attack or bully me as a result. When I point out this is bullying and abusive behavior, they make fun of me.

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[savetopnow]

2018-03-23 01 MUSIC now

MUSIC

Brooklyn Vegan

Baptists announce new album 'Beacon of Faith,' share "Capsule"

Common addresses Sacramento police shooting: "let's stand up and speak out"

Jack White shares "Ice Station Zebra," livestreaming Friday's Brooklyn show

Chicago metal collective Scientist releasing 'Barbelith' (stream a track)

Iceage share "Take it All" from new LP; NYC residency starts tonight

Consquence of Sound

Iceage share lush new single “Take it All”: Stream

The Decemberists perform “Severed”, “We All Die Young” on Kimmel: Watch

Death Grips announce new album, Year of the Snitch

Ozzy Osbourne files antitrust lawsuit against AEG for “Staples Center Commitment”

Deadpool forms X-Force in the latest Deadpool 2 trailer: Watch

Fact Magazine

Oneohtrix Point Never releases new video ‘MYRIAD’

Artist Ben Sun weaves ’60s archive footage into a retro-futurist sci-fi delight

Paper Dollhouse spin hallucinatory dream pop into sublime ambient abstraction

Björk releases remix EP featuring Jlin, Kelly Lee Owens and Lanark Artefax

Django Django – Against The Clock

Fluxblog

Make Me Feel Right

I Loved And I Lost

Very Nice Very Nice

To Be Lucky Once

The Sun In Your Cold World

Idolator

Shawn Mendes Kicks Off A New Era With His Sweeping “In My Blood”

Lost Hit: Demi Lovato’s “Wildfire” Should Have Been A Single

Dua Lipa Performs “IDGAF” & “New Rules” On ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’

Fashionable Queen: Britney Spears Announces New Brand Deal With Kenzo

Kelly Clarkson Overcomes Her Past In Her “I Don’t Think About You” Video

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Andrea Di Giovanni -- Decline [Pop / Cover] (2018)

HOME - Moirè Fringes [Electronic/Synthwave] [2016]

Idealism - Bride To Be [Chill/Electronic] (2018)

Land of Talk - Yuppy Flu [Indie rock] (2008)

S U R F I N G - Sky High [Vaporwave] 2012

Popjustice

Paloma Faith’s branded content is better than your branded content

Saluting the artwork for PRETTYMUCH’s Healthy

Louisa Johnson interview: “We went, ‘oh, fuck it, let’s just get drunk’”

Popjustice’s Spring Statement: Key Points

New Music Friday: Vera Blue’s Lady Powers are still strong

Reddit Music

Including "Hollaback Girl" by Gwen Stefani, I don't think I've seen many artists that have had so many diss tracks against them than Courtney Love

Ghost - Monstrance Clock [Doom Metal]

The Smiths - That Joke Isn't Funy Anymore [Post-Punk]

Shaggy - Boombastic [pop reggae]

Duran Duran -- Ordinary World [Alternative/Pop]

Rolling Stone

Belle and Sebastian Plot U.S. Tour

Inside Dan Auerbach's Own Rolling Thunder Revue

Slash Details New Album With Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators

See Panic! at the Disco's Fervent 'Say Amen' Performance on 'Fallon'

Angelique Kidjo Talks Reinventing Talking Heads' 'Remain in Light' on New LP

Slipped Disc

Deborah Borda takes on extra NY duties

Music faculty is shrunk ‘because architecture makes more money’

Otto Schenk retires his Rosenkavalier after 46 years

Bayreuth’s Brünnhilde: Agents failed me

The Met’s stalwart mezzo has died, at 75

Spotify Blog

Spotify Launches Integration with New and Existing Cadillac Models

Spotify Launches ‘Louder Together’ with First Multi-Artist Spotify Single Collaboration from Independent Stars Sasha Sloan, Nina Nesbitt and Charlotte Lawrence

Spotify Launches Self-Serve Advertising Platform in the UK and Canada

Spotify Announces Launch of Line-In

John Hancock and Spotify Give Runners Everywhere Access to Custom Playlists and Tips from Some of the World’s Fastest Marathoners

We Are the Music Makers

Band member moving abroad.

How To Mix Orchestral Music in 5 Steps (My Workflow)

Balancing priorities with regards to music

What is the cheapest way to add vocals on a ready-made beat?

Inspiration needed for a single line in my lyrics.

#music

[davids-scrapbook]

A DECADE IN ALBUMS 2011-2019

PSB - Electric

Lana Del Rey - Lust For Life

Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Mosquito

David Bowie - The Next Day

Lorde - Melodrama

Cold Cave - Cherish The Light Years

Two Doors Cinema Club - Tourist History

Arcade Fire - The Suburbs

TRST - TRST

Suede - Bloodsports

The Weeknd - Starboy

Gossip - A Joyful Noise

Cut Copy - Free Your Mind

Beck - Colours

LCD Spundsystem - American Dream

Duft Punk - Random Access Memories

Lana Del Rey - Born To Die

The Raveonettes - Observator

Wolf Alice - Visions of A Life

Grimes - Art Angels

Alt-J - This is All Yours

PSB - Elysium

MIA  - Matangui

HAIM - Days Are Gone

Madonna - Madame X

Billie Ellis - When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?

Likke Li  So Sad So Sexy

Florence And The Machine - Ceremonials

London Grammar - If You Wait

Austra - Olympia

Foals - Holy Fire

Scissor Sisters - Nightwork

The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart - Belong

Neon indian - Era Extraña

Rihanna - ANTI

Chvrches - The Bones What You Believe

Lorde - Pure Heroin

Robyn - Body Talk

Magic Wands: Ahoah Moon

Little Boots - Nocturnes

NYPC - The optimistic

Lissie - Back To Forever

CSS - La Liberación

Ssion - Bent

Crystal Castles - II

Josef Salvat - Night Swim

David Bowie - Black Star

Bat For Lashes - The Haunted Man

The Raveonettes - Pe´Ahi.

Rosalia - El Mal Querer

Hurts - Happiness

Shamir - Raquet

Lust For Youth - Compassion

Foals - What Went Down

PSB -Super

Gus Gus - Mexico

Robyn - Honey

Shura - Nothing´s real

Editors - In Dreams

Tame Impala - Currents

U2 - Songs of Innocense

Azealia Banks - Broke With Expensible Taste

I Break Horses - Chariouscuro.

Two Doors Cinema Club: Beacon

The Horros - Skying

Radiohead - The King Of Limbs

Angel Olsen - My Woman

Cut Copy - Haiku From Zero

Dum Dum Girls - Only In dramas

Lana Del Rey - Ultraviolence

Beach House - Bloom

Marina and The Diamonds - Electra Heart

Arcade Fire - Reflektor

Disclosure - Settle

Sky Ferreira - Night time, my time

La Roux - Trouble in paradise

Mo - No Mythologies To Follow

MS MR - Second Hand Rapture

TRST - Joyland

Likke Li - I never learn

Florence + The Machine - How Big How Blue How Beautiful

Charli XCX - True Romance

New Order - Musci Complete

Blossoms - Blossoms

The Horrors - Luminous

Gus Gus - Life is more flexible

Foals Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost - Part 1

Goldfrapp - Silver Eye

Lana del Ray - Honeymoon

Neon Indian - Night School

Marina and the diamonds - Froot

Young Galaxy - Ultramarine

School Of 7 Bells - Ghostory

Lana del Rey - Normal Fucking Roswell

Foals - Total Life 4ever

Chromatics - Kill For Love

Bat For Lashes - Lost Girls

Chase and Status - Brand New Machine

Madonna - Rebel Heart

100. Aluna George - I Remember

[therealrockfather-blog]

Los viejos vinagres

“Whoever doesn’t entertain any idle thoughts doesn’t throw any wrenches into the machinery”

Theodor Adorno, “The Meaning of working through the Past”

 Chilean rock fans are wildly enthusiastic about Santiago Rock City, a festival which will take place on 29th and 30th September in Santiago with old pickled-in-vinegar names such as Guns n’ Roses, Aerosmith, The Who, Def Leppard, Marky Ramone and, L.A. Guns headlining the nostalgic party.

Nostalgia in the commodity form.

It is clearer than ever that developing countries such as Chile1 have become the favourite place for aged bands due to that diminutive enthusiasm shown by people in their own homelands. Iron Maiden, for instance, with their tour 2016 took in money $11,532,491 dollars in gross sales only in South America. In contrast they only collected $6,701,818  in North America (Canada and the US)2

The point here is that the more ignorant you are the easier to impress you become, especially by justifying entertainment for entertainment’s sake –art as a utilitarian function.

The average Chilean is timid, sceptical, short of self-esteem, herd-follower and not very creative due to the low standard educational system and the standardized production parameters. Lack of education and poor character has just ended in a gray ordinary man (very appropriate to power and large economic interests).

In a 500-point scale Chile got 220 points in literacy and 206 in numeracy, being located significantly below the average among 33 countries/economies3. Other South American nations do not differ mostly, thus it is not difficult to conclude how low people’s capacity to take part in a complex society is. Chilean economy has relied on copper exports for decades, and studies show4  that countries may become rich but no complex as a result of income based on extractive activities (which do not imply know-how). In other words, countries which are able to make products of high complexity (machines and appliances) are countries which own tacit knowledge5 and have the means to generate networks (which allow specialization) and share knowledge. Therefore, once the society has been educated and its access to an ample range of visual, auditory and dramatic expressions has been guaranteed the members of this community are able to participate in a more complex environment having the power to promote and execute higher forms of thinking.

Hard rock has never being a privilege of minorities, neither has it been a massive phenomenon such as Michael Jackson6. In many cases some hard rock/heavy metal albums have made real works of outstanding artistry. But artists, when tempted by earthly desires, vulgarize their art and enter into the dynamic of industry to become nothing but a piece of merchandise –the commodity form. Artists give up their principles by becoming part of the machine, and this series of actions –like a chewing gum masticated endlessly- wears away their oeuvre until dissolving into the status quo.

Companies do not attach importance to truth values, they just concern about how much profit they can get from record sales. Thus, artists’ anger is diluted to the category of a commercial.

Marcuse stated that “man can do more than the culture heroes and half-gods; he has solved many insoluble problems. But he also betrayed the hope and destroyed the truth which was preserved in the sublimations of higher culture” (Marcuse, 56). Yes, all comfort brought in by medical and technical development has allowed man goes through unconcerned unlike that man who, some years ago, went uncertainly thinking of if some possible firm conviction were possible in the near future7.

The best rock music was made between the 60s and the 80s, in an atmosphere absorbed by the Cold War when fear thawed in an atmosphere of hope and uncertainty. Bands existing as result of those glorious days have not disappeared as symbols of an era but their once subversive force and destructive content has been neutralized and managed (to make a profit).

Today I heard the last Venom Inc’s record –a crashing bore full of commonplaces that would stupefy Satan himself. It is not difficult to find out what these aging folk (and the machine) wish. On one hand there is a bunch of youngsters revelling in their early records waiting for a new “Welcome to Hell” while, on the other, record companies reform old names as a means to obtain financial advantages by making this bunch of aging men play rock (again) and make them believe they still can do it. Twenty years ago Steve Jobs reflected upon that: “when you’re young, you look at television and think, There’s a conspiracy. The networks have conspired to dumb us down. But when you get a little older, you realize that’s not true. The networks are in business to give people exactly what they want. That’s a far more depressing thought. Conspiracy is optimistic! You can shoot the bastards! We can have a revolution! But the networks are really in business to give people what they want. It’s the truth.”8

Thus, one does not know if laughing or run away when you see Axl Rose trying to look younger with his hair dyed, James Hetfield in a “I am still can do it” attitude or Kerry King developing substantial muscles to show a more normal level of firmness. It is true also that being old today is different than it used to be twenty or thirty years ago, but the problem is, on one hand, the regeneration of the social tissue:  young bands are unable to succeed the old generation, and on the other, profit and consumption –deeply rooted acts inherent to the machine- collapsing any efforts that implies reflection. Who would have imagined some years ago Chilean banks offering tickets for the Santiago Rock City Festival using their credit cards or the most conservative Chilean newspaper advertising the event? O tempora! O mores!

When Joe Corre set fire to Sex Pistols’s punk clothes and paraphernalia two years ago he stated that “punk was never meant to be nostalgic. Punk has become another marketing tool to sell you something you don’t need.”9

Luis A. Benavides

[email protected]

  1 Chile has a GNI income of around $16000 US dollars per capita (World Bank, 2016).

2 Billboard magazine. Quoted by Blabbermouth.net http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/iron-maiden-northsouth-american-concert-attendances-grosses-revealed, 20th April, 2016.  

3 Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, “OECD Skills Studies, Skills Matter, Further Results from the Survey of Adult Skills,” 2016, Snapshot of performance in literacy, numeracy and problem solving , figure 1.1, pp.24

4 Hausmann, Ricardo; Hidalgo Cesar;  Bustos, Sebastián;  Coscia, Michele; Chung, Sarah;  Jimenez, Juan;  Simoes, Alexander;  Yıldırım, Muhammed A. “The Atlas of Economic Complexity – Mapping Paths to Prosperity” The MIT Press, January 2014, pp.15, 25, 27

5 Tacit knowledge refers to specific knowledge which is acquired through devote time and attention (fix dental problems, speak a foreign language, learn to compose essays). Tacit knowledge is what compels the process of growth and development. Tacit knowledge explains differences in prosperity in different countries. (Hausmann, Hidalgo et al., 16)

 6Let us be very careful here. Some bands such Metallica and AC/DC have become real best sellers by softening their productions over the years (Metallica) or simply for becoming mainstream (AC/DC). See “The 50 best-selling music artists of all time” 13th

September, 2017,

http://www.businessinsider.com/best-selling-music-artists-of-all-time-2016-9/#50-phil-collins-335-million-units-1

7 “When you’re young like that and you’re partying and playing you don’t expect to live that long, not because you wanna die, it’s just that you think that this can’t possibly go on for too long” stated Motorhead’s Larry Wallis.

8Wolf, Gary. “The Next Insanely Great Thing”, Wired magazine, 1996,  

https://www.wired.com/1996/02/jobs-2/ . Accessed 22nd September 20179

 “Sex Pistols Manager’s Son Burns Punk Memorabilia Worth Millions.” Huffington Post,  26th November 2016,  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/sex-pistols-burn-memorabilia_us_583a275ae4b01ba68ac4beae

Other sources

Marcuse, Herbert. “One-Dimensional Man: Studies in the Ideology of Advanced Industrial Society, 2nd Edition 2nd Edition”, Beacon Press; 2nd edition , 1st October, 1991, pp. 56  

#stgorockcity #futuro #punk rock #rocknroll #earache #officialthewho #aerosmith #gunsnroses #defleppard #laguns #venom_inc

[erudite-rebel]

@fatesbroken sent:  "Do you think mothman was ever caterpillarboy?" (qrow wants to know, barty)

---

The question is so unexpected Barty pauses in his usual chatter. People so often have to just interject, for the chance to get any sort of word in edgewise, or else risked being swept away in the current of information from whatever hyperfocus had gripped Bart on that particular day. 

The pause lasts only a second, before the younger boy begins to cackle at the idea. “No doubt he must have been... And imagine what that cross between caterpillar and human must have been like. Eugh.” 

#young punk; beacon era #fatesbroken

[fruitbatwalton]

The Blackthorn Music Festival has moved on somewhat from it's humble beginnings on the outskirts of Manchester just four years ago.  Blackthorn Music Festival now boasts a stellar line-up of the best in unsigned UK indie music as well as a clutch of top headliners including Reef, Space, Sex Pissed Dolls and the Lightning Seeds and we'll feature as many as we can on the Radio KC Indie Show between now and July 23rd. If you're looking for a place to see all your favourite bands in one place - Blackthorn Music Festival is the place to be. In fact If Ralph was going to put together a line-up for Ralphstock, this would pretty much be it! Nestled in the picturesque countryside, yet only 15 minutes from Stockport and 30 minutes from Manchester, Blackthorn Music Festival is a true celebration of the city's diverse cultures and stunning rural produce plus all the outdoor joy of 'glamping' - time to get your wellies on! 

With the North West creating some of the best music ever made and the region's food and drink producers bringing us some of the tastiest , high quality produce available, when you come to Blackthorn Music Festival you'll be assured of the best of the city alongside the best of the countryside.

CLICK ON THEIR NAME TO FOLLOW THE BANDS & ARTISTS ON TWITTER

REEF:  Reef are an English band from Glastonbury who've been part of the UK alt rock/pop scene since 1993. The current band line-up includes Gary Stringer on vocals, Jesse Wood on guitar, Jack Bessant on bass and Dominic Greensmith on drums. Famed for their live performances and with the likes of Reading and Glastonbury festivals under their belt they're as 'British Rock Royalty' a headliner as you could wish for. LIGHTNING SEEDS:

The Lightning Seeds are an English alternative rock band from Liverpool formed in 1989 by Ian Broudie, formerly of the band Big in Japan. Stalwarts of the 90's ppp scene and always festival favourites, they're a real catch for Blackthorn Music Festival. After a highly acclaimed Edinburgh Hogmanay performance last year Broudie is currently writing and recording the first Lightning Seeds album in years.

SEX PISSED DOLLS: The Sex Pissed Dolls are an all female rock band. The five-piece formed in late 2014 and like many others started out covering songs they loved. In 2015 they embarked on a 50 plus date UK tour aptly entitled ' The Never Needed Bollocks Tour ' playing many prestigious venues up and down the United Kingdom to rapturous reviews. SPACE:

November 2011 saw the triumphant return of Space. The new line-up reunited original members Tommy, jamie and Frannie for the first time in 10 years. They were joined by the other members of Tommy's band The Red Scare, Phil Hartley, Ryan Clarke and Allen Jones. Their return was cemented with a sell out gig in Liverpool's O2 Academy back in December 2011. No Hot Ashes:  High on Ralph's 'ones to watch' list are No Hot Ashes, an exuberant four-piece from Stockport. The sound they have settled on is heavy bass infused Chilli Peppers meets James Brown with a rap and hip hop overlay.  The combination is as infectious as it is fresh and in an era of samey local guitar bands of varying qualities. They are band you have to see live as their performances ooze raw funk rhythms and a passion for entertaining crowds. Keep your eyes peeled for their brand new single Bellyaches, it's a corker!

The Blinders:

The Blinders are a three-piece alternative group from Doncaster who are now based in Manchester who are high on Ralph's 'ones to watch' list. 

The band attempts to be in your face at all times, smelting loud and visceral political punk rock with enigmatic, psychedelic poetry and tones with their diverse, unique combination of raw music creating a ‘Punkadelic’ sound.

Sundowners:

A formidable live act, the Wirral 5-piece Sundowners benefit from an almost telepathic on-stage understanding born out of both Fiona & Niamh’s long-term friendship and the addition of Fiona’s brother, Alfie, on guitar.

The band have released a brace of limited edition singles, tour constantly playing alongside the likes of Cats Eyes & Kasabian and appear at both the All Tomorrow’s Parties and Glastonbury Festivals.

Guxti Bibang:

Guxti Bibang is an international rock act whose first single System of a Gun decries flawed systems worldwide. With their roots on multiple continents, the group’s dynamic single is sure to find willing ears everywhere. 

Frontman and guitarist Gutxi Bibang is “a second-generation African [hailing] from the Basque region of Northern Spain.

Larkins:

Larkins have been described as Manchester's next big arena act, with the Manchester Evening News commenting...

 "The four schoolmates from Glossop are already writing songs that would make Chris Martin Weep with envy."

They've already got an impressive line up of gigs planned including Kendal Calling and Edinburgh's Fringe Festival later in the year.

Stillia:

No surprises that St Helens band Stillia are big favourites of Ralph as they've already played at two of the Ralph's Life charity events over the last three years. 

Their current single Let Me In has gained no small amount of airplay and had a video for it directed by another home-town talent Johnny Vegas.

radio 2 DJ janice Long described their forthcoming debut album as... "The best debut I've heard since The La's."

False Advertising:

Ralph's featured false advertising on the blog last year as well as catching them live in Soup Kitchen and can attest to the quality (and volume) of their music, so it's no surprise they've been snapped up to perform at Blackthorn.

Self-proclaimed purveyors of 'Twisted Power-grunge', they offer up dreamy soaring male/female harmonies blended with distorted guitars.

Dantevilles:

Describing themselves as a 'fresh-faced, four-piece band emitting new music from the home they call Manchester', Dantevilles are reimagining the sound of the red-brick capital of the North with their uplifting and soulful brand of indie pop.

Clean, canny guitars and dual captivating vocals never compete for space in their unshakable, off-the-wall arrangements.

Types:

Types are just the kind of band that sums up what makes Manchester so important. Meandering and experimental, yet intriguingly accessible.

Their new EP is described as...

"the perfect microcosm of the sound that is dominating the UK’s underground scene, and it’s bands like this that will be leading the charge when it breaks into the mainstream."

October Drift:

Rising newcomers October Drift have gained a strong word-of-mouth following since exploding onto the music scene at the start of 2015 and high on Ralph's 'ones to watch' list.

With shows at BBC6 Music festival, Dot to Dot, Tramlines and camden Rocks under their belts alongside a cult fan base spreading the word, the immediate future for this young band is very bright (and very loud).

Saytr Play:

Saytr Play have been variously described as "The best thing to come out of Preston since Freddie Flintoff" and "Vocally I hear Catfish but instrumentally I hear something completely different.  It's the coolest kind of indie."

The Jade Assembly:

With energetic rock to lift your feet off the floor, the Bolton hailing group perform with fearsome energy and zealous honesty. Recently releasing a single with Ugly Man Records the band have worked with the prestigious label responsible for Elbows early success.

Lead singer John (Foz) Foster passionately performs with enough charisma to give former rock-gods from the Gallaghers to Dave Grohl a run for their money. 

New York Tourists:

New York Tourists are an Alternative band who instantly leave a stamp on your chest, Described as Queens of The Stone Age meets Foals. 

They've had support slots with the likes of The Subways, The View, The Sunshine Underground, Buzzcocks, and previously headlining the Alternative Stage at Blackburn Festival. New York Tourists, played their biggest gig to date , at Hogton Tower, Preston, in front of 12,000 people as main support to the legends that are the mighty Status Quo.

Sly Antics:

Sly Antics arrived onto the Manchester music scene in 2016 after recording their epic debut EP Captive City at Greenmount Studios, home to The Cribs and Pulled apart by Horses.

Their live shows are described as raucous and ear blistering. Their tracks are referred to as catchy, clever and powerful. Their music videos are labelled as genius, mad and hilarious.

The Jackobins:

Formed in 2014, dubbed by Fred Perry Subculture and This Feeling as “Big in 2016”, Liverpool based four piece The Jackobins have taken the UK's music scene by storm, headlining and selling out venues across the country whilst appearing on some of the UK’s most prestigious festivals including: Reading & Leeds,Tramlines, Live at Leeds, Dot to Dot, Sound City and Y Not Festival.

Their previous singles have aired on BBC Intro Merseyside, BBC 6, Radio KC and Radio X and a must watch for Ralph.

Novatones: 

Southampton based Indie/Britpop Punksters playing music that everyone can associate with.

A band fueled on a love/hate relationship for all things British. proud to be part of England and the legendary music scene that comes with it, but fed up of the spoon fed bullshit synonymous with the x factor generation and all the pop puppets. 

Hard grafting, hard hitting well dressed punk with a sound that smacks you in the face and leaves you thirsting for more.

Happy Daggers:

Happy Daggers band have previously graced the stages of Reading and Leeds, British Summer Time, Beatherder, Blackthorn Festival, Bingley Music Live, Live At Leeds, Beacons, and Long Division to name a few. 

As well as playing sold out gigs across the country, Happy Daggers have performed with the likes of Public Service Broadcasting, The Milk, Pretty Vicious, The Tapestry, Middleman, and Fold.

Carnival Club:

Carnival Club are a quartet of late teenage, early twenty-something’s brimming with excitement, energy and kick out the jams, no holds barred vision. These Manchester based lads – Kai, George, Eddie and Joe have absorbed their musical learning showing maturity way beyond their youthful years. Their songs are made in the north, will hit you from the north, south, east and west. They will astound the ears and bless the heart. 

Floodhounds:

From British Indie to raw American Blues, "gloriously guitar-heavy," and rumbling with subterranean rock; FloodHounds are a swirling explosion of bluesy fire, tearing its way through the UK’s packed and sweaty music venues. 

Sheffield 3-piece FloodHounds’ hits you like a British Black Keys or White Stripes, inspired by the likes of Band of Skulls, or Drenge with just a hint of Black Rebel Motorcycle Club.  They're high on Ralph's 'ones to watch' list.

Kashmere:

Hailing from Stockport, four-piece Kashmere are comprised of Joey Newey on guitar & vocals, Charlie Cole on guitar, Andy Law on vocals & drums and Dave Pennington on Bass.

They've just released their new single Porcelain and are playing the When In Manchester Festival this month prior to attacking the stage at Blackthorn Festival.

Oddity Road:

Emerging from the depths of the Hope Valley and the bright lights of Sheffield, Oddity Road are 4 young lads delivering energetic spikey indie rock/pop. 2016 saw the lads hit the stage for the first time delivering driving live sets at Tramlines, the O2, The Plug and The Leadmill Sheffield, amongst many others; picking up radio airplay on BBC Introducing and Radio 6 music & Radio KC. Jess Kemp: 

Mathew Lally Photography

At 22 years old with 6 years on the Manchester circuit, Jess Kemp released her debut single ‘Stars’ in March 2015. The demand for more brought the launch of her debut EP “Camden" which brings a much bolder and more exciting sound to tracks already featured by BBC Introducing & BBC Radio 2. Following the release of the EP, Jess went on to headline Manchester Academy 3, Factory Manchester and The Live Room. The success of the above release led to the demand of a 4 date European tour which took place in August 2016. Since then, Jess placed 3rd for Best Unsigned Female in the Best Of British Unsigned Music Awards. In the same week, Jess and her band reached the final of Indie Week Europe and again placed 3rd from a selection of 70+ bands.

Jamie & Shoonie:

Jamie & Shoonie play anthems that have them making waves in Scotland and collecting a loyal fanbase. They have played to sell out crowds in some of the country's finest venues such as Glasgow's Barrowland Ballroom, O2 ABC, Kings Tuts, The Electric Circus and Saint Lukes.

They took the title of 'Best Live Act' 2016 Award from The Local Music Scene Blog and played to over 8,000 people at Linlithgow's Party at The Palace supporting Nile Rodgers with CHIC.

Factory:

Factory have played countless gigs/festivals up and down the country at venues like the Queens Hall and The Cavern as well as packing out venues in our home town. 

They are no strangers to big stages as we have played academies and theatres such as the Epstein Theatre and the Brindley. More recently we were chosen by Alan McGee (Creation Records) to open up at the British Sound Project for Primal Scream at Victoria Warehouse in Manchester.

Puppet Rebellion:

There are many artists out there vying for your time, but a quick glance at Puppet Rebellion's already impressive list of achievements prove to show that this fiercely independent band is the real deal.

The band have so far released two critically acclaimed EPs, ('Chemical Friends' and 'No Means Yes'), tracks of which can be heard when they play their status affirming and sold-out energetic shows around the nation's Northern capital (including main support slots with 'Catfish & The Bottlemen' & 'Reverend and the Makers') and other venues across the UK.

Ded Rabbit: Ralph's a long time Ded Rabbit fan after they not only donated a track for the Ralph's Life charity CD but travelled down to London and played a storming set at the Proud Camden launch party. With a number of well received EP and single releases, they’ve continued to complete a number of high profile performances that should be on any UK band’s bucket list. Where Fires Are: Where Fires are have been variously described as... '...a whirlwind of high-powered, introspective rock, complete with galvanising riffs and dulcet vocals... ' '...Where Fires Are are an almost perfect balance between emphatic alternative rock and more sedate, ponderous aspects...' In other words, don't miss them live at Blackthorn Festival! Polar States: Polar States are a band who have been championed by BBC Radio 1’s Huw Stephens, BBC Radio 6’s Steve Lamacq & Chris Hawkins and BBC Introducing's Dave Monks.  Needless to say Ralph's also given them a spin on the Radio KC Indie Show of a Sunday. Ravellas: Hailing from Wigan, Ravellas profess to playing, 'dirty, ugly, indie rock 'n' roll'. They've just released a new single Puppettes and It's featured on the Radio KC Indie Show Sunday April 16th as part of the Blackthorn Festival promotion over the weeks leading up to the event itself in July. Laura White:

Laura White is an English singer-songwriter from Atherton in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, Greater Manchester.

She is also known for finishing in eighth place on the fifth series of The X Factor in 2008 and being the only singer to date raised in parliament on her exit of the show. Stew Mac: Educated Risk:  Educated Risk are a young unsigned Indie band from south Manchester who have been playing together for a few years and focus mainly on writing original songs.  They spent the end of last year writing and recording a debut EP, Rewind, and are currently writing more original songs that they hope to record onto a second EP. Indigo Velvet: Indigo Velvet are a young Tropical-pop quartet from Edinburgh. They kickstart 2017 on Vic Galloway (BBC Radio Scotland) and Jim Gellatly's 'one’s to watch’ list, after a landmark 2016 saw them championed by Record of the Day, The Metro, Scotland On Sunday and more.  Radio play includes a spot-play on BBC Radio 1, Radio X, BBC Introducing and Ralph's Indie show. Matter Of Mind:

Matter Of Mind are a four piece rock band from Stockport, Manchester made up of four 18 year olds who have recently featured on Clint Boons 'Set2go live' and the 'Set2go' podcast. “This is loud music! This is good music!” - Clint Boon They've also been 'Band Of The Day' on Louder Than War along with 'Track Of The Day' on GigSlutz. Dancing On Tables: 2017 has started well for Dancing on Tables, having released 'Don't Stop' in December, the band were named artist of the week in Scotland on Sunday as well as being showcased in Jim Gellatly's column in The Sun while receiving national radio play with the title tack from the EP. Growing up in Dunfermline, that has spawned many talented musicians, the boys always had local heroes to idolise, with their childhoods spent wanting to follow in the footsteps of Big Country and The Skids. The Leathernecks:

This band from Rotherham started out playing in a Indie/Rock covers band. After a few years of playing together up and down the UK and throughout Europe the band decided to have a go at doing some of their own stuff. In late 2013 The Leathernecks were born, fronted by Guitarist Nick Wild who brings a 'very Sheffield' vocal to he mix. His style is often compared to the likes of Milburn and Arctic Monkeys with a sprinkling of Courteeners very own Liam Frey added in for good measure. Luna Rosa: Foreignfox: Foreignfox are a 5 piece, turbulent juxtaposition of dark, visceral post rock and defiant, uplifting alt-folk. The band have enjoyed two consecutive years of huge shows across the country & festival appearances including T In The Park, Stockton Calling, XpoNorth, Wickerman, Belladrum, Kendal Calling & Electric Fields as well as supporting Scottish heavyweights such as We Were Promised Jetpacks, Fatherson & rock royalty, Nazareth. Cleargreen:

Cleargreen was formed in 2012 and the band consists of Ali Staley (Vocals & Rhythm Guitar), Jack Blair (Lead Guitar), Liam McIver (Bass Guitar) and Tyrone Heeley (Drums). Their music has a variety of influences coming from genres such as alternative indie, mod, and rock and roll. The band has grown within the Manchester inde scene and they've numerous accolades to their name including headlining the O2 Ritz, Manchester Academy 3 and being included in Fred Perry Subculture's Top 20 Manchester Unsigned bands. Young Jack:

Young Jack are a 5 piece fountain of funk hailing from the 2017 city of culture Hull who offer fresh & funky rhythms ready to cleanse the mind and take hold of your soul. Following successful shows and festivals around the UK, including Kendal Calling, Trinity Festival, Tramlines they're ready to take on Blackthorn Festival. Kriss Barras: 

With thanks to Andy Hibbs for the photo

Caroline: Argh Kid: A self-confessed Mancunian who was dragged up in the 'doledrums' on a diet of broken McVitie's biscuits resulting in the arrival of the performance poet formerly know as award-winning writer David Scott. He's signed a record contract with an EP out soon, filming a documentary, a book out in summer, festival appearances abound, been on't ITV plus...supporting his heroes The Happy Mondays! Corella: I caught fresh indie-pop four piece Corella recently supporting Billy Bibby & The Wry Smiles in The Magnet' Liverpool and if their set is a taster of what's to come, I can't wait to see them again at Blackthorn Festival. Following the release of their debut single Waterfall which featured on a LA shot promo for international BMX brand Mongoose, the band are currently bouncing between the studio & the road with their powerful, positive vocals, funky guitars & energetic drums. The Claremonts: Hailed as one of Manchester's finest prospects by Louder Than War The Claremonts are, Finn Gildea on vocals, Nathan Rowbotham on guitar, Ryan Stevens on Bass and Imogen Shortall on drums. Their new single Another Day was released early March and they headline AATMA in Manchester on April 15th.

#IFTTT #Blogger

[ohhayshelby]

One time in college...

I wrote on ideology in the scene and Alex Gaskarth along with friends helped me put it together.

Was feeling kind of down today, so I decided to share it with the world because this is honestly one of my most proud pieces of writing to exist ever.

Shelby Chargin

Eng 472

Heenan

6 May 2014

Musical Ideographs

When thinking about ideology in rhetoric, politics is the first thing that comes to mind. Most examples of ideographs and the ideology behind them are from political campaigns. One worded ideographs, like “liberty” “freedom”, and “equality” are seen in political discourse. In the beginning of the punk[1] scene, most music was an ideological representation of the political standpoint the scene was making at that time. Throughout the early stages of alternative, the ideology in music was representative of political discourse that people were used to. However, as the message of punk changed, the use of ideology, and words as ideographs to send a message through music, did not.

           Michael McGee highlights the idea that ideographs are “basic structural elements, the building blocks of ideology” (McGee). He mostly argues that these are used in political discourses, but there are strong ideographs in social communities. The social context in ideology is much less discussed than the political one, however, you can have rhetorical ideology that is not political. The song titles, and catchy lyrics themselves in punk music have become ideographs for the ideology behind a musician’s message to their fans.

To understand the use of specific words and songs as ideographs better, go back to where the punk scene transitioned from being “politically” to “socially” charged. These changes began as the new age of grunge died out, and the ever-apparent “emo” quality set in. The first band to really come forth and take a stand against this “purely political” message in mainstream punk would be Green Day. “Punk ideals are presented as the opposite of American suburban ideals (i.e. conformity, success based on affluence, assimilation). Similar themes of a need for meaning rather than affluence, struggle against conformity and hypocrisy, and isolation are found within the literature focused on suburban life. These themes reveal what happens when adult rules and dreams take precedence over youthful needs. Suburban life appears to have provided a stage for punk rock to thrive upon,” (Chaung and Hart).  Green Day’s ethos with the adolescents is established by implying that, yes, statements are made about marginalized youth, but it is about the personal experiences of the youth of today, rather than the contemporary political injustices and exploits. Chaung and Hart go on to discover that, “[t]he changing nature of subcultures has proven to be another challenge in the study of punk” (Chaung and Hart). The changing nature of the subculture of punk is changed, and that musicians can manipulate rhetorical theories through the rhythms and sounds they create, along with the lyrics of their songs (Chaung and Hart). The early era of “suburban punk rock” now has an established ethos with a fanbase, and the new age fans are able to connect with bands on a more personal and emotional level. Although the social ideologies and rhetoric in punk music can be traced all the way back to the 1970’s, it is in the 1990’s and early 2000’s that the true nature of the message of punk is defined.

They unify this new age of punk fans through the idea that it is okay to represent yourself and stand up for what is right within you. They have now changed the view of the current punk rock scene, paving the way for more artists to come. As the ideological nature in the music changed, and key words were less about rebellion and more about self-involvement, along with personal struggles in life, the political connotations behind the word “alternative” slowly dissipated. The punk scene has now become a beacon of hope, connecting adolescents from all different backgrounds, classes, races, and unifying gender under ideologies coined by popular bands in the scene, like All Time Low.

Especially popular in the new age pop punk scene is a band out of Baltimore, Maryland called “All Time Low.” Started in 2003, the line-up consists of Alex Gaskarth, Jack Barakat, Zack Merrick, and Rian Dawson. The group quickly gained popularity due to their unchanging devotion to fans, and their phenomenal ability to write songs that connected with a larger audience. Lead singer, and main songwriter for the band, Alex Gaskarth has quite the following. His innate ability to capture a moment or a feeling in a lyric has brought fans back time and time again. Gaskarth himself coined the ideograph of “Therapy” into a heart-wrenching song, which fans new and old can connect with on an extremely personal level. “I believe that music is the closest thing to magic that we can experience first hand, able to be conjured from nothing and having such a profound affect on those who experience it-- It is also the most easily relatable form of art, and continually changes in how the listener perceives it; something almost evolutionary,” Gaskarth states (Gaskarth). It is his firm belief that music “can affect the world on a large scale, as the right song, put together in the right way, with the right words, and emotions, can stir that same very same set of emotions in a listener,” (Gaskarth). Fans young and old are able to connect to the term “Therapy” through the idea that “Music becomes a vessel for every band out there, and carries the individual” (Gaskarth). Gaskarth providing the idea that the words, the music, and the general message are his ideograph. His ethos is established to his listeners much like Armstrong’s. His credentials are in the words of his songs, and are able to be manipulated by individuals to reflect their own lives.

Establishing ethos is imperative to creating an ideological concept in a community. Although ideological concepts exist in almost all realms of discourse, ideographs themselves are mostly referred to as political tools. Ideographs according to McGee are important because “they exist in real discourse, functioning clearly and evidently as agents of political consciousness. They are not invented by observers; they come to be as a part of the real lives of the people whose motives they articulate,” (McGee). McGee’s argument rings true in ideographs in the music scene, outside of the political realm. There are three large ideographs created in the scene directly linked to the band All Time Low. The exploration of the ideologies in the punk scene force a discourse in which ideographs are just as prominent in a musical performance as they would be in a political speech.

One of the biggest ideologies in the “scene” today, is the use of the word idea that therapy is not always necessary to improve mental health. Therapy has always had a stigma about it, and as punk rock has transitioned from a political to social context in the eyes of an ideological standpoint, so have its messages and meanings. Many youths of today would say they have suffered some sort of depression or anxiety, and that therapy itself was not a helpful factor in overcoming it. Therapy is something that people do not enjoy because they feel as though they do not have a connect to the world they are writing about or feeling around them. The goal of the punk rock scene is to have a community of support around you, rather than one person to talk to, is more helpful in dealing with an individual’s problems. The connection to others who are like you, the feeling of not being alone, and the knowledge that someone else has been there all create an ideological concept where therapy falls short, music can help, creating an ideograph out of the word “therapy” in the music scene. Coincidentally, one of All Time Low’s most popular and strongest statement songs is titled “Therapy.”

The song “Therapy” has been a ballad performed live by All Time Low for about 5 years now. It was first released of their album Nothing Personal in 2009, and has since become one of the staple songs in any set they play. “The song can only appeal to people who relate to it, and that tends to be people who have gone through a lot, those people tend to be in the punk music scene because of songs like 'Therapy'” comments Emily Muniz (Muniz). Muniz, a younger All Time low fan, has been listening to the band for a year and a half now. Suffering from certain disorders herself, Muniz has definitely seen a change in her life since listening to punk music. She says that becoming part of the scene “definitely changed my life for the better. It changed the way I looked at the world. It made me more opening and accepting” (Muniz). Her view on this is not uncommon, and among All Time Low fans, is a theme that spans across fans of all ages. “This band has brought me some of the best friends I could ask for. We've all grown up together, we've experienced the same things in life. The band included,” (Kaine) states Sammi Kaine, a long time All Time Low fan who has seen the band perform over 70 times in her 8 years of knowing them.

Through these experiences, Kaine has learned the value of music, and how it connects with the fans of bands. Her view on things rings true in her personal opinion of the song “Therapy.” “Music is an escape for a lot of people. All Time Low fans want to feel a connection to their idols, this song relates to so many of their fans. Everyone has a form of depression, everyone's had days where they fake smiles. We’re all human. Alex is showing that. He is letting people know, "hey I have bad days too. I feel like no one realizes I'm in a bad place because of my job. But here's the thing, I am." Fans finally see that the rockstar life style is not all fun and games. They're human, they have feelings too,” (Kaine). In her statement, Kaine is now directly linking Gaskarth’s life to her own, and other fans through the music. Thus Gaskarth’s ethos is still intact, reaffirmed, and his pathos is applies to lives of his listeners. He has now, whether he is aware of it, created an ideograph that spans a generation of listeners who were at one time seen as a rebellious group of individuals, rather than a community.

One of the largest differences between the rebellious scene, and the newer “social improvement” scenes ideological standards is the connection fans are now able to have with bands. Unlike before, musicians and their fans are able to break the barrier of “mystery” through the use of the Internet and social networking sites. “Undoubtedly, the biggest difference between this generation and any of the former is the level of world-wide access we all have to music and their associated "scenes" because of the Internet. The web has become a rich pool of music related information, and, in its current state, there is very little that anyone can do to control it or filter it. Therefore, online music communities have thrived, and as a result, bands propagate in much different ways than in previous generations,” believes Gaskarth. His use of the Internet for band purposes covers all social media sites. “The main difference now is the access fans have to bands. Past generations did not have the social networks we have today. The media has changed so much in our generation,” argues Kaine (Kaine).

These social media outlets allow bands are able to connect to their fans in a more intimate way, creating an entitlement that was not there before. “Kids these days feel extremely entitled to things. Not everyone, but enough people feel as though the bands job is not just to make music and put on a show. People want more, they want the interactions and get mad when they do not get it,” (Kaine) Kaine continues. It is the downside of such a strong interaction with the musicians themselves, but as Kaine speaks on the subject, she believes there are pro’s and cons to the new media, and the direct connection fans have with the band (Kaine).

Almost all parties involved agree that meeting the band brings about a better connection to the band and the music itself. Tasnim Kabir another newer and younger All Time Low fan from New York City, has never seen the band nor has she met them, but she believes meeting them “can definitely pull you in closer to the music, because once you see that they exist just as other people do, and are not just performers, it makes the music just more real. You see that they're going to the same things that you're going through,” (Kabir).  Kabir’s opinion does not differ much from Kaine’s “You start looking at them as more than a band and thinking how proud you are of them… As for emotional content, it goes kind of with what I've said about Therapy and Vegas. If you can relate to songs more, you're going to be really into those songs,” (Kaine), and in these two opinions, a second ideograph is brought to light.

The term “real people” has been coined in this scene as a way to show people that those performing are really not that different than us. Gaskarth would agree that the social interaction has increased. “Growing up, there was much less social interaction between artists and fans. The level of mystique that surrounded bands was much greater, and in recent years, much of that has been stripped away. Growing up as an artists played a massive role in identifying with our fan base, and realizing that there is a greater call for social interaction now than ever before,” (Gaskarth). Gaskarth’s statement bring light to the idea that social interaction benefits bands as much as it does fans. “I always admired the artists who took the extra time to go out of their way for the people who put food on their plates by supporting the music and the culture,” he continues on the subject. The “real people” ideology helps connect the listener to the music in a way they haven’t before. They begin to see musicians as people to take advice from, or some even as people who can relate to their own problems. “As an artist who began writing music at a young age, and continues to write from a personal place, about issues that are significant in my own life, it is the sharing of that material and the noticeable connection fans have with it, that means the most to me,” Gaskarth elaborates upon the idea that the things in his life are able to be reflected upon in their music, and are proven to be useful in helping young kids through the struggles of their youth. His ability to relate to his fans provides validation that he is a “real person” or not just a “rockstar” like previously mentioned from Kaine. The idea that rockstars now live a somewhat “normal” at home life and that the only difference between them and their fans is a stage has now become a staple ideology in the scene. It is ideograph of “real people” is a short way to imply everyone is equal, everyone is accepted, and it opens the trail for a third ideological concept in this music scene.

This final ideological concept could easily be represented by the ideograph “it gets better.” The connection fans have with the music of the scene spans beyond just the scope of the band and their music into this concept. Fans often feel alone and alienated. The bands themselves are able to create a community in the scene. Gaskarth backs up this claim when asked about what he thinks keeps his fans coming back. “There is an intrinsic human need for community, and I feel that the social connections formed through the mutual experience of music, tends to form strong bonds, based on the emotionally stirring nature of music in general,” (Gaskarth). The basis of the need for acceptance is met in communities like this one. “…punk created a community and sense of belonging for generations of people who felt they did not fit in anywhere else,” (Scott). Scott’s chapter on community in the punk scene is a perfect example of the creation of a safe haven for people among many different kinds of people (Scott). He highlights some of the faults and the hypocrisy in the community, but is also able to reiterate that it is a community of an “unspoken bond” (Scott), and that the majority of the people in it are united.

It is a community in which people do not feel the need to be something they are not, a community where “it gets better” because they want people to have hope. “I really like the people. Before I got into the punk music scene, I never really felt like I belonged anywhere. Once I got into it, I found a group of people who were exactly like me. They're some of the kindest, least judgmental, people out there. We do not just have the music we listen to in common-we have the most random things in common and it is great because it makes you feel less crazy,” conveys Muniz. Muniz feels like she has a community, and that this has bettered her life.

The “it gets better” ideology is now applied to not only her life, but to the music that has helped her better it. On the other spectrum, Tasmin Kabir is at the beginning of her journey. “I actually come from a cultural background (Bangladeshi) where everyone is very involved with their family and friends. So no matter how hard I try, I will always be around a certain group of people throughout my life. Most of my friends were also from this circle, only as of recently though. We had a fallout, and now I'm trying to go out of my comfort zone to make more friends with people I wouldn't normally talk with,” (Kabir). She gives us proof that the “it gets better” ideology has a thorough and different effect on people’s lives. Kabir has yet to attend a concert, but still feels extremely connected to the scene, and the people in it (Kabir). This ideology can be felt through the fans dedication not only to the music, but also to the world around them at shows, and even in the online community. “I am often told that my music has helped change people for the better, or given them hope, or happiness, and that is something I could have never foreseen as a young artist,” reflects Gaskarth when asked what he would want to look back on doing for his fans. Scott in his article argues the personal affect that punk has on a person. How it is able to not only save lives, but create new beginnings for people as well. “This is exactly what I believe punk can do: it can give someone a reason to care and the energy needed to move forward, or to keep moving at all,” (Scott). Now having seen the direct effect of the “it gets better” that fans receive, and the want of bands to give them that feeling, it is obvious that the ideology behind this ideograph is felt throughout the entire community.

Ideology in the modern punk music scene may have seen a bit unrealistic because of the lack of political culture in the scene in contemporary times, but the ideologies of a better and more realized world are strong within the community. The efforts of musicians’ message may have changed, but the ability to have a long lasting affect on their audiences has not. Ideology is a hard concept to define and understand, but seeing it in everyday life outside politics, and the punk rock scene is one way of showing how the world can be ideologically affected outside the realm of politics.

 Bibliography

 Chuang, Lisa M., and John P. Hart. "Suburban American Punks and the Musical Rhetoric of Green Day's “Jesus of Suburbia”." Communication Studies 59.3 (2008): 183-201. Taylor & Francis Online. Web. 14 Apr. 2014.

 Gaskarth, Alex. “Interview with Alex Gaskarth of All Time Low.” E-mail interview. 3 May 2014.

 Kabir, Tasnim. “Interview with Tasnim Kabir.” E-mail interview. 3 May 2014.

 Kaine, Sammi. “Interview with Sammi Kaine.” E-mail interview. 1 May 2014.

 Kristiansen, Lars J. Screaming for Change: Articulating a Unifying Philosophy of Punk Rock. Lanham, MD: Lexington, 2010. Print.

 Matula, Theodore. "Pow! to the People: The make-Up's Reorganization of Punk Rhetoric." Popular Music and Society 30.1 (2007): 19-38. ProQuest. Web. 23 Apr. 2014.

Michael Calvin McGee (1980) The “ideograph”: A link between rhetoric and ideology, Quarterly Journal of Speech, 66:1, 1-16.

Muniz, Emily. “Interview with Emily Muniz.” E-mail Interview. 4 May 2014.

Ngô, Fiona I.b. "Punk in the Shadow of War." Women & Performance: A Journal of Feminist Theory 22.2-3 (2012): 203-32. Print.

Scott, Denise. "Queering Punk: Queer Youth and the Importance of Punk Rock." Order No. MR90087 York University (Canada), 2011. Ann Arbor: ProQuest. Web. 21 Apr. 2014.

[1] Punk refers to all genres and sub-genres of punk music. I.e. pop punk, punk rock, ska punk, punk metal. However, mostly punk and pop punk references will be used.

[erudite-rebel]

Closed starter for @flightofaqrow!

---

Bored.

Bored.

B o r e d.

Getting restless didn’t happen all that often to Bart, especially since coming to Beacon. There were always things to do, books to read, papers to write, something  to occupy both mind and body and keep himself from feeling restless. Well, almost always. Some days the energy in him wanted out but his mind disconnected and could provide no useful outlet.

Once upon a time that might have meant a long walk or just laying in misery. Now that he had friends - plural - that at least meant they might be able to help alleviate the boredom or know something to do. Qrow could almost always be counted on to know something destructive to do.

He headed up to the second year dorms and tried Team STRQ’s door before he knocked, unsurprised to find it open. His greeting died on his lips though as he headed in, about to bound over to his friend the moment he was past the threshold, when he noticed the room was shady, curtains drawn and lights out.

“Oops.” The word was soft, and he was about to step out when he spotted a familiar poof of black hair on the pillow. It was just Qrow.

A more socially aware part of Barty might have known he ought to leave, but despite being a fixture with Team STRQ he had yet to figure out certain norms and nuances. Personal space was not a concept he was familiar with, especially when Qrow always seemed okay with him being close. They’d even napped a few times together on their couch and on the roof.

Deciding he could wait until Qrow woke up, he gently shut the door, pulled off his boots, and went over to his bed to sit. He leaned against the headboard, noting Qrow was topless but thinking little of it as he opened his scroll and found a game to play.

Crosswords and puzzles could hold his attention for a good while, but the wiggles could not be contained. Eventually he subconsciously found himself sliding down from his sitting position, eyes on his sudoku, until he was half under the blanket and his eyes were getting heavy.

Maybe just a short nap. He hoped Qrow wouldn’t mind much. It felt too weird to just go to one of the others’ beds, and like too much effort to go down to his own dorm. Besides, the rest of his team would be there.

#young punk; beacon era #something of an addict when it comes to you; flightofaqrow

[erudite-rebel]

Closed Starter for @protectorsofremnant!

---

“LOOK OUT-”

Bart was late for one of the classes he actually liked, cutting it fine and down to the wire. It wouldn’t be a problem for his speed semblance, able to cross Beacon in a quick burst should he need to, yet somehow when he noticed a boy cross his path his feet wouldn’t quite listen to him. There was no easy dodge around him as he stumbled, one of his books fell from his hands, and he was sent near full speed into the other.

“Oomph!” The collision was hard. He had his aura up, but it still hurt as he slammed into them and the two wiped out, rolling along the stone floor, papers and books and pens flying everywhere in an explosion, his glasses falling from his face somewhere in the confusion.

He rolled a few feet and came to an aching stop.

Barty groaned as a few people in the hallways laughed at the spectacle. It wasn’t like he wasn’t used to that though. 

He lifted his head to look at who he’d hit and recognized them after a moment. Black hair, pale skin, vermillion eyes... one of the Branwen Twins, from Team STRQ, who had more rumours about them than any other students in school.

Realizing what he’d done he felt his cheeks flush as he looked around the mess of their things. It would be a chore sorting it all out. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to- I was late for class.” He began to grab papers, trying to discern what was his and what was the others. He felt awkward, stupid. He was already bad at talking to people, already sort of a laughing stock, and now he’d gone and hurt someone else. “Are you alright?”

#young punk; beacon era #protectorsofremnant

[erudite-rebel]

Continued from [X] for @littleblackqrow!

---

Once acknowledged he climbed over the back of the couch to sit down next to Qrow, peering curiously at the title of his book and not the page before he leaned back and put an arm along the back of the couch behind Qrow’s shoulders. 

“Name the major players and dates of the Mistrali Dust Embargo against Vacuo and discuss the major repercussions on the Dust trade that led to the Great War. I was done in ten minutes and I expect an A.”

#young punk; beacon era #i’ll never mind a mishap or two; littleblackqrow

[erudite-rebel]

I saw this on @matchmcmorics​ and thought it was neat so have young angry Barty.

#young punk; beacon era