ready, set and begin, that's my ego 

have some concept playlists !!

chill in various moods and genres!

chill in classickal [ when music gets so good u wanna straight up eat it ]

chill in celthicc [ breeng thy begpeipe lass ]

chill in archaic [ enjoy your symposium lads ]

chill in swing [ feelin pretentious today? i got u fam ]

chill in techno [ when the world sucks. no exceptions. ]

chill in arab [ beautiful tunez from the lands of the sun ]

chill in lo-fi [ beep boop bzzt? ]

chill in medieval ballads [ smasheth thou instrumenth, brother]

chill in funk [ funk up lads]

chill in indie [ your raw tenderness starter-pack]

don’t chill in punk [ oi! oi! oi! ]

chill in 80s bops [ what is technicolor if not a digital rainbow ]

chill in norse [ Heill þú farir! heill þú aftr komir! heill þú á sinnum sér! ]

chill in soul [it’s not the waking it’s the rising // nina cried power]

chill in 70s wood-chopping jams (still a stub) [chill, man]

chill in opera [ angelic crowds chanting "he needs some milk" ]

chill in jazz (still a stub) [ sweet music playing in the dark ]

chill in 20s-to-50s music that's not jazz nor swing nor soul [dance and drink like it's the 20s y'all (please stay clear of all the nationalism and the crippling sense of collective doom, thank you) ]

chill in yeehaw [ april is the cruellest month, ain't it? ]

chill in ye olde shanty [ a-hoy captain! ]

and many more, as time goes by!

actual concept playlists

summer indie - guitar themed tracks about life and death and all that’s in between

ingenium voluntatis - r e d  y e a r n i n g  but make it existential. it starts well but something happens. probably society and its non-sense rules. 

the apocalypse and other related catastrophes, merrily told by yours truly - the world is ending and shit is going down. but is it? are you certain this is the world and not some other unnameable thing? are you already dead? is it the apocalypse you dreamed, the one you’ve been waiting for, or is it too slow-boiled? deathly, rotting acceptance of the end of times, with a hint of child-like storytelling.

gotta go FAST -  it’s 34°C. the streets are a desert. you’re 20 minutes late. run.

daydreaming on main - can we stay like this forever? lost in a neo-classical painting, full of celestial things, and symmetry, dreaming away.

dreamy drum pop - is it a dream? are you in love with a dream, in the street of some ancient, modern city, following their shadow? or are you just having a bad case of hypotension? we may never know.

an evening in beige - cruelly posh but in a classy, bitter, hollow way

ready for the lazarus pit, shaka-brah! - a collection to sell your soul to a demonic entity of your choosing to. mostly dark techno, but with a classical twist.

chillin! - or the "dude put on some good music" playlist - when you’re chilling with laid-back pals and they ask you to put on some music and you need a quick, safe, society-tolerable playlist to hit shuffle on and leave there

sweet music playing in the dark - jazz n stuff, some old gems. also, the songs quoted by Almost (Sweet Music) by Hozier.

time. - feel the flow of endless thing going by. the clock is ticking, but what the hell is time, anyway?

audiobooks!! - it’s what it says on the tin, my dudes. including: macbeth, metamorphosis, orlando, the call of cthulhu, iliade, the time machine, the tell-tale heart, the black cat, dr. jekyll and mr.hyde, pride and prejudice, black beauty, treasure island, the phantom of the opera, de profundis, frankenstein, carmilla, beowulf, dracula, the raven

fuck this, keep running - from society. from civilization. it’s just you and your ideas against the world, kid. let’s go give them hell. they will never take us alive. 

oh gee golly what a disaster - oh, this is bad. //  that's so sad alexa play this playlist

a witch in the woods - in the throat of the forest, whispered chants and incantations. it’s the voice of the survivors, the ones that escaped the pyre. hush now and dream.

till the end of the world and back - it’s ride or die. the cavalry's here and it's here to stay. 

italian oldies - italian culture. every italian i've ever met knows every single one of these by heart somehow.

:))))))) - am i happy? am i on the edge of a mental breakdown? have i gone completly insane? gee golly! who knows

stars, who am i? - did someone say existential crisis?

personal hyperuranium - my happy, serene place. when everything is too much close your eyes and listen to this. 

young punks, get off my lawn - wreaking havoc with ur gang  / girl gang.

self torment - me @ myself: why r u like this

razzle dazzle jazzle - you like jazz? 

knightess in a shining armor - heroines with swords, here’s to you

playlists inspired by stuff!

songs to be a flamboyant asshole to - swag walk. i blame anthony jantony crowley for this. 

the mad prophet - loosely inspired by friedrich nietzsche’s theories

the star traveller - laugh hard, run fast, be kind // inspired by the thirteenth doctor

getting to it, that's not the hard part. it's letting go. - i left my heart, 3 friends, and 37 gold bars in the sierra madre // inspired by Fallout New Vegas - Dead Money

pew-pew // (i'm three ounces of whoop-ass) - "Another female operative broke into my house and attacked me." "What did she want?"  "Dinner." | a killing eve playlist

les mis, les amis - those brave fellows. honestly, squad goals.

prince(ss) of verona - inspired by a theatrical performance of Romeo and Juliet, in which the prince of verona was. well. she was powerful.

can't stop, won't stop - healing boost of healthy, uplifting electro music comin your way! ispired by Overwatch’s Lúcio Correia dos Santos 

chloe eliz4bet2 price m0od - hella punk but also hella sad // inspired by chloe price, from life is strange

rachel amber mood - hey i've just met you and this is crazy but heres my number so let's burn down a forest maybe // inspired by rachel amber, from life is strange

musical journeys!

a Comedy. | a musical journey. - someone falls from grace and gets thrown into the world. lands in a forest. confused, resolves to survive at any cost. killing, stealing, partying, fleeing, living. eventually, with time, discovers a gentler, happier way to live. they still throw the best parties. doing no harm, taking no shit.

calliope bae gimme a hand wouldn't ya: a musical journey - a tale of poets: young tragedies and cursed gods; laughs and fights; transcendental roadtrips and hellhounds; parties and their aftermath.

HAPPY ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY!

CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT IT’S BEEN ONE YEAR SINCE I STARTED THIS BLOG?! Because I certainly can’t! Ahh... I remember flying back and forth between North Carolina and Pennsylvania and writing my dream-inspired story, “Han River, Seoul,” on my phone while listening to ‘mono’ on repeat (it is now my official travel music and must listen to it whenever I’m going anywhere).

I was sending that fic to my dearest @hopemonsteer​ as I completed it bit by bit, and because she loved it so much, I decided I wanted to share it with others! I just didn’t have a platform to do so at the moment, and thus “WorldWide_BT7″ was born!

I have never made a better decision in my life....

I have gained so much more than I could possibly ever give back. Truly, this blog has been one of my greatest blessings for so many reasons:

I have made such wonderful friends and met such creative and sincere creators that have not only supported me, but were also some of my greatest inspirations!

I was able to explore and combine two of my greatest loves: BTS and art! 

Not only was I able to express my love here, but I was also accepted and supported without judgment when anywhere else I would have been laughed at or scorned.

I got to become more ingrained into the beautiful, kind, soft part of the BTS fandom~ (though let’s be real; no matter how soft we are, we all really just thirsty hoes on the inside!) 

I got to start a Webtoon! A real webtoon-- ON WEBTOON! Yes, it’s not featured, but I would have never thought I was ready enough to attempt one of my biggest dreams unless I had all of the love and support I have here!

But I want to do more in the future...

When I first created this blog, I originally just wanted a space to put out my creations for others to possibly enjoy. Moving forward into year two with you all, I’m hoping that I can do something more here.

I want to create a space where people can feel safe and welcomed and loved, like you all have done for me. I don’t want people to feel afraid to just stop by and talk about, well, anything!

I’ll also start reblogging others’ writings and artworks to support other creators! I know I have recommended lists, but somehow I don’t feel like that’s enough... So, starting now, I’ll be doing weekly fic reviews and BTS fanart features to spread the love!

We’ve experienced so many things here together...

With BTS...

The iconic 2018 Melon Music Awards (never forget...)

The forever heartbreaking 2018 MAMA Awards (tears were shed...)

The Love Yourself World Tour (and selling out every stadium in existence...)

"Map of the Soul: Persona” (and it’s corresponding MVs, live performaces, heart attacks...)

Jimin’s “Promise”

Taehyung’s “Scenery” and “Winter Bear”

Jin’s “This Night”

Namjoon’s “Old Town Road” Remix

Suga’s feature on “Song Request”

BTS on every assortment of American Talk Shows

BTS winning Best Group/Duo AND Top Social Artist at BBMAs

BTS presenting at the Grammy Awards (and JK crying sweetly...)

BTS 5th Muster: “Magic Shop”

Japanese single “Lights”

BTS WORLD (and every song/music video/picture included...)

Bring The Soul Movie

Lotte Family Concert (the fan cams of death)

Their first break in AGES (though we got NO rest...)

J-Hope+Becky G “Chicken Noodle Soup”

“Make It Right” feat. Lauv M/V

JK’s long hair (you will be missed...)

...and here on the blog too!

4,200+ subscribers on Tumblr! (really guys... I just... I love you so much!)

12,000+ followers on “Hybridthesis” on Webtoon! (O.O)

The completion of “Crinkle” (2,500+ notes on Chapter 1!)

The beginning of “Black or White” (The tag list is crazy guys!)

3 of 7 fanfictions in the [MEETING YOU] Series: “Han River, Seoul”, “COFFEE”, and “Turned Around”

Two drabbles: “Buttons” and “Scenery”

A ton of fanart

The opening of commissions

I still can’t believe that I’ve already spent a whole year with you guys... I just want you to know that this is probably the longest I’ve stuck to anything, and it’s all because of you! This is truly a community that I hope to be a part of for a long  time to come, and I hope that you’ll be here with me!

Thank you so much everyone! Here’s to the next year with you all!

Ray Stinnett - A Fire Somewhere (1971)

(Psych/Southern/Folk Rock)

A hippie-fied, soul-rock, folk-rock, psych-rock gem lost in the vaults for four decades, A Fire Somewhere by Ray Stinnett (best known as a member of ‘60s outfit Sam The Sham & The Pharaohs) sounds as fresh as the day it was cut, and comes with extensive liner-notes detailing the fascinating life of a little-documented ‘60s rock voyager.

Born in Memphis in 1944, Ray Stinnett got his first guitar, aged 12, from Nathan Novak’s pawn shop, where Elvis got his first guitar. Heading back down Beale Street afterwards, the family stopped at a light and a huge pink Cadillac pulled up beside them. “And oh my god – it was Elvis!” recalls Ray, “So I held up my guitar and shouted, ‘Hey Elvis!’ and he looks over and says, “Hey cat.” Ray told his father he was going to work hard and make a gold record… just like Elvis.

Before long, he was putting the plan into action, first in teen group Johnny and the Electros, then as a duo with drummer Jerry Patterson, playing nightly at honkytonks, roadhouses, beer joints, nightclubs and the many Memphis recording studios. He achieved his promise with Sam The Sham & The Pharaohs – Wooly Bully was the number one selling record of 1965. 

At 21, Stinnett was living a life of world tours and screaming fans – the whole mania. The wheels fell off a year later, amid managerial disputes. The four Pharaohs (including Ray) parted ways with Sam. Ray became more and more of a prolific writer.

By 1967, the summer of love, Ray left for Haight Ashbury in San Francisco with his wife and young son, taking up residence at the legendary Morning Star Ranch, where Ray focused on finding his true voice. Returning to Memphis a year later, Ray formed a working friendship with Booker T Jones, who produced Ray’s unreleased Sun Tree at Pepper West album. Eventually, when Jones moved to Malibu and took a contract with A&M, he lined up a deal for his old friend.

Still working in Memphis with (old) friends Jerry Paterson and Mike Plunk on bass, along with Booker T. and co-mixer/engineer Richard Rosebrough (Chris Bell, Big Star), Ray channelled his experiences in the pop machine, at Morningstar and beyond into the songs that would become A Fire Somewhere. It funnelled the vast experiences of this pop star, cosmic traveller and grounded, loving father.

“Art is a reflection of life,” says Ray of the making of A Fire Somewhere, “and my life was full of reflection at this time.” And it’s perhaps exactly that fact which kept this incredible record unreleased for all these years.

By summer, the album was ready for release. By winter, it remained on the shelf. A&M reassured Ray that they were going to make him a superstar. Ray had already done that; he just wanted the songs released. Soon, they hit an impasse. Ray took his tapes and songs and went on with his life. 

In the end, A&M’s loss – is our gain. Listen, and enjoy, this message from another time, and from an old head on young shoulders. “It’s a torch that’s been carried forty years through the desert, waiting for this moment to arrive,” says Ray.

Dreamy tune Salty Haze starts off the album. This tune is so beautiful and Ray’s voice is one of a kind. Just listen to the lyrics and you’ll just drift away thinking ‘bout life. You Make Me Feel is one of my favourites. With the psychedelic guitar and funky bass, it makes me want to dance around. Silky Path is a slow but sincere tune. The bass and drums! I like the little jam sesh they have in the middle and near the end of the song. Wheel Of Time is anoooother favourite! Featuring an acoustic guitar backed up by a cool bass which is always a nice mixture. “...Sometimes you wake up and the world is a smile. Sometimes we make up and I’m just your style. The good times make the future seem worthwhile...” The harmonica makes an appearance in the next tune called Stop. It’s definitely something new. The song on the other hand is alright. Long Rivers Flow is next. Listening to this tune makes me think of the mountains for some reason. I really like the lyrics! The entire song is amazing. “...Sunshine mama, sunshine for me...” America is definitely a southern tune. I don’t know why but whenever there’s a song about America, I always imagine it to be a country tune. 90% of the time I’m right... You And I is a sweet and haunting love song. The chorus is catchy though. Repeating the title track a couple of times, surely to get stuck in your head. Honey Suckle Song is a must listen. Something to slow dance to with your lover. The harmonies are just perfect. “...Honey suckle, you are so sweet...” Liberty Train’s intro made me el-oh-el. It’s a groovy southern rock track with a groovy guitar. You can really hear the beauty in Ray’s voice in Naturally High. One of the first tunes I heard by this talented man, Love Is The Answer is next. Immediately fell in love and I’m so glad I discovered this album thanks to my pal from California. ;-) A Fire Somewhere is another acoustic number. Listen to the lyrics. Ending the album is a ballad called The Rain. 

Ah this album! I don’t think there’s a terrible song off it. Ray’s voice is so powerful and his songwriting skills are just wow. I recommend this album 100%! Please listen to it! You will not regret it.

*Bolded are my favourites off the album*

1. Salty Haze  2. You Make Me Feel  3. Silky Path  4. Wheel Of Time  5. Stop  6. Long Rivers Flow  7. America  8. You And I  9. Honey Suckle Song 10. Liberty Train  11. Naturally High 12. Love Is The Answer  13. A Fire Somewhere  14. The Rain 

Jerry Patterson - Drums, Percussion Mike Plunk - Bass, Baritone Saxophone, Backing Vocals Phil Stevens - Trumpet Ray Stinnett - Guitar, Piano, Vocals, Harp

Today in Memphis, we have a quick rundown of Memphis re-openings and a debate about alcoholic drinks to-go, plus local restaurant/bar closings (sad), renovations (yay!), and openings (double yay!) You’ll find all that and more in today’s important news update. Mississippi Terrace at the Pyramid. Photo courtesy Big Cypress Lodge. Keep the slushie train rolling The governor’s ordinance allowing takeout alcohol at restaurants expires on May 29. Should we keep it going? In my opinion, yes. It’s more money for local restaurants and their employees and it makes social distancing easier. There’s a Change.org petition in favor of allowing bars and restaurants to keep selling drinks to-go, and Edible Memphis has a good breakdown of the issue. What do you think? Let me know in the comments. Keep reading for more Memphis news…   View this post on Instagram   A post shared by Slider Inn (@sliderinn) on Apr 20, 2020 at 11:15am PDT Phase II is here Surprise! The Memphis/Shelby County COVID-19 Joint Task Force announced on Monday morning that we’d be starting Phase II of the Back-To-Business plan for reopening…immediately. What does this mean and how is it different from Phase I, which lasted for the minimum two week’s required time? Now, the guidelines include: increasing “acceptable group numbers” up to 50 people but still requiring social distancing with masks strongly encouraged gyms and libraries can have more people, now at 50 percent capacity versus 25 percent at Phase I salons, tattoo parlors, etc. can reopen with restrictions restaurants stay the same, but bars and bar areas can open with social distancing and no standing This is the super short version, so be sure and take a look at the full plan on the Memphis Covid website. Graceland reopens Graceland will reopen on Thursday, May 21 at 25 percent capacity for tours and 50 percent capacity for other spaces. Employees will wear masks, guests are encouraged to wear masks, and everyone’s getting their temperature checked. They highly recommend buying tickets in advance, because let’s face it—with limited crowds, daily tickets will sell out fast. More details here. Botanic Garden reopens May 19 The Memphis Botanic Garden will reopen to the public on Tuesday, May 19th. Only outdoor spaces will be open, and certain areas like the Children’s Garden, red bridge, prehistoric plant trail will remain closed. Read more guidelines and get your tickets here. Rock ’n’ Soul Museum reopens May 21 with discounts The Rock ’n’ Soul Museum will reopen on Thursday, May 21. They’ll be open Wednesdays through Sundays from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. They’re closed on Mondays and Tuesdays but will be open on Memorial Day. The Rock ’n’ Soul Museum will also offer half-priced admission for Shelby County residents (with proof) through the end of June. With the discount, tickets will be $7.50 for adults and $5 for youth. MCA Book Sale The Memphis College of Art will host the first of several weekly book sales on Thursday, May 21 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Rust Hall in Overton Park. It’s foot traffic only, and masks are required. Get more details or shop online here. See the Overton Park’s parking/traffic map here. Hopdoddy burger Restaurant closings Hopdoddy in Midtown will not reopen; the East Memphis location at Poplar/Perkins Ext. is still open. Sear Shack has reportedly closed all of their Mid-South locations. Farm & Fries in Germantown has closed, and the building is for sale. The Grove Grill in Laurelwood has closed after 23 years, though that was in the works before corona. Strano, my favorite East Memphis brunch spot, has closed. I’m not ready to talk about it yet. The Avenue coffee shop by the U of M has closed after six years. Restaurant renovations Celtic Crossing is doing…something? to the patio. Rec Room looks like it might be turning its front patio area into Railgarten Lite. The Cupboard, which will reopen its dining room on May 20th, has been remodeled inside. Mississippi Terrace at the Pyramid. Photo courtesy of Big Cypress Lodge. A patio at the Pyramid Big Cypress Lodge at the Pyramid will open a new patio space on May 22nd. The Mississippi Terrace has a couple of fire pits, a full bar, and a stage for live music in the future. They’ll be open May 22-25 for Memorial Day weekend and after that, Thursdays through Sundays. See the animals, support our Zoo The Zoo reopened last week with social distancing guidelines, mask requirements, and capacity limitations. Read the guidelines and see how many people are in the Zoo right now on the Memphis Zoo website. Don’t want to go out yet? You can still support the animals by donating to the Emergency Support Fund. Does anybody really know what time it is? Not that time matters anymore, but the clock tower at downtown’s Civic Center has been demolished to make way for the Loews Hotel that’s being built. New Memphis tunes Tired of listening to the same songs over and over? In need of some summer jams? The Memphis Music Hub released a new Spotify playlist featuring exclusively Memphis artists with new music recorded in 2020. Give it a listen.  Trolls-hungry children (and their moms) are overjoyed The Malco Summer Drive-In theater opened last week, with new rules. It’s open every day and tickets must be purchased in advance. The first movies were double features of Trolls World Tour/Dolittle and The Invisible Man/The Hunt. Here’s what you need to know. Congrats, grads! Local colleges and universities recently held online graduations for students.  The University of Memphis held a virtual ceremony for the 2,592 degrees and certificates awarded with videos from President David Rudd, students, and staff, and a listing of all the graduates. Christian Brothers University is celebrating grads on social media with plans for a fall Commencement ceremony. Rhodes College held a virtual graduation on Saturday for 484 students, with recorded messages from President Marjorie Hass, a choir performance, and photos and videos from the year.   View this post on Instagram   A post shared by Rhodes College (@rhodescollege) on May 16, 2020 at 8:16am PDT Wiseacre 2 ICYMI, Wiseacre is building a huge new brewery and taproom downtown at B.B. King and Butler, opening date TBD. Artist Rachel Briggs (who designs their labels) and Youngblood Studio are busy turning the new HQ into what sounds like it might be a Beer Disney World, with murals, sculptures, signs, and a giant cuckoo clock. A few previews:   View this post on Instagram   A post shared by Rachel Briggs (@wiresandfires) on May 14, 2020 at 11:21am PDT   View this post on Instagram   A post shared by Youngblood Studio (@youngbloodstudio) on May 15, 2020 at 10:55am PDT   View this post on Instagram   A post shared by Youngblood Studio (@youngbloodstudio) on Feb 26, 2020 at 4:18pm PST   Are you a home owner in Memphis, with a broken garage door? Call ASAP garage door today at 901-461-0385 or checkout https://ift.tt/1B5z3Pc

https://ilovememphisblog.com/2020/05/memphis-news-update-cocktails-to-go-reopening-updates-and-a-pyramid-patio/

Continuing in the vein of my previous post on wanting more substance in music I listen to, let’s talk about the song “Invictus” by Within Reason. I had never heard this song or band until SiriusXM’s Octane played it the other day and i wish it had stayed buried in obscurity. 

From the slow guitar opener to the cliche opening line of “I didn't sell my soul for rock and roll/this is who I am” to singer Chris Dow’s M. Shadows-soundalike voice to the name of their album, “Battlefields: Life, Love, and War”, there’s nothing about "Invictus” that isn’t generic. Also the name of the song makes me think of the expensive watch company, Invicta, which can’t be good for either brand. 

Apparently this band was on one of my favorite TV shows growing up, One Tree Hill, a show that introduced me to a lot of bands I still listen to today (e.g. Fall Out Boy, Yellowcard, Jimmy Eat World). To say that Within Reason is forgettable is an understatement. They get significant screen time on the episode they’re in and the fact that I didn’t remember any of that until it came up while I was Googling the singer’s name should speak volumes. 

Musically, “Invictus” is listenable but leaves you feeling like you’ve heard this all before. I want to like it, really I do, but with lyrics like “'Cause I've come back from nowhere/Lost in a world estranged/Like a hard and weathered soul's tattoo/never given anything/So rest your easy mind/'Cause I'm not high enough tonight/'Cause I've gone a hundred miles/Lived a thousand lives...” how can I? 

They’ve been around since 2005 and released their first album in 2009, but have flown under the radar until an appearance at the Uproar Festival in 2012 and then fell right off again. They have a new album up, the aforementioned “Battlefields”, and, to be fair, I gave it a listen since I don’t like to base my opinion of a band’s music on just one song. 

It’s more of the same generic but listenable music. Lyrically, it’s mediocre and at times downright cliche. It felt like Within Reason were trying to make a big statement with this album but forgot to include passion or, you know, actually say anything meaningful. 

The only two songs that I didn’t immediately feel like skipping were “No Home”, track four, and album closer “The Roses” and even that one has a cringeworthy last line: “if yesterday’s history/today’s a mystery.” That sounds like one of those terrible “inspirational” posters you’d see on social media. 

“Gotta Let It Die” is a re-issue of a song from 2009′s “Bloodshot Life”, which is never acknowledged anywhere, not even on the band’s YouTube channel, although there is a tour video featuring the old version. 

This band confuses me.  

“The Other Side” has every hard rock lyrical cliche possible crammed into the first 51 seconds of the song. Never mind that the opening riff sounds suspiciously like 3 Doors Down’s “When I’m Gone”. Ready? Let’s dive in.

Cliche #1: I’m standing on the front line/got the feeling for the first time/could this be the end?

Cliche #2: I’ll keep the faith/another 200 miles just to see your face.

Cliche #3: So hold me/hold me tonight/I’m on my knees begging for life and I won’t stop until I reach the other side. 

So not only is this yet ANOTHER song about being on tour and missing someone, it’s a completely unoriginal one. Then there’s the unbelievably vanilla guitar solo. The one thing it has going for it is that it’s not as bad as the next song on the album.

“In The Middle” continues this cliche ridden theme with its opening line: I’m not sinking into quicksand/I’m the key with the rust on the metal tonight.

It continues: Go smarter than the rest can/the roadmap leads to a dead end street in life/I feel it coming/I feel it running. 

It doesn’t get much better by the pre chorus/chorus either: Chasing dreams is a race to the bottom so fight/tonight/I’ll fight/It’s my life/always give 110/a heart attack/and never taste heaven/I dream of that/I’ve been through hell/But I’ll come back strong/... I’ll come back for more. 

So what he's saying is he’s a masochist? That’s healthy (note the extreme sarcasm...). 

And no, I have zero idea what you mean when you say you’re in the middle, my guy. 

As the album ended, Spotify kicked over to their first album, “Bloodshot Life” and the song “No Secret”. I was about to reach over and switch it to something that wouldn’t make me scrunch my face up in disgust or annoyance, but this song had more depth than all 9 of “Battlefield”’s songs and it makes me wonder what happened in the years between 2009 and now. Were they rushed into making an album? Just get tired? If anyone knows, hit me up here or on Twitter or Insta @ writergirlfl.

Interview

USA April 1984

She's the hottest, shrewdest be-bop darling on the pop charts - a crossover dream with a powerful, girlie-sweet voice and the best dancer/performer since Michael Jackson: hip enough for the attitude of the Lower East Side, hep enough for the thousands of East Coast fans in the nightclubs who've seen her show or the "Burnin' Up" video. Although there are plans to form a band, Madonna (her given name) currently performs to a pre-recorded rhythm track, with three back-up dancers who mimic her lead in a sort of Raggedy Ann, "Solid Gold-gone-berserk" choreography: a very happy dance. A product of Detroit, Madonna is endowed with a geniune dose of Motown. Good grades and great dancing earned her a scholarship to the University of Michigan's dance program, and from there she headed to New York, where she danced and starved in the Alvin Ailey School and the Pear Lang Dance Company. Next she became a back-up singer/dancer for a European tour of Patrick Hernandez whose manager recognized her potential immediately and sent her off to Paris, "where we make big star." Things became a little too comfortable, and after a great deal of ennui and money spent, Madonna returned to the East Village with the idea of joining a new wave band. Making a demo of original material, Madonna hustled the tape until Mark Kamins, the disc jockey at Danceteria, finally played and then produced it. The song, "Everynody," became a club favorite and her first single, followed by "Holiday," "Physical Attraction," "Burnin' Up," and most recently, "Borderline." Her album, "Madonna," (Warner/Sire) was released last summer. Currently managed by Fred DeMann (Michael Jackson's ex-manager), Madonna will make her film debut in Jon Peters' "Visionquest" this August.

I met with Madonna in the Sigma Sound Recording Studio on West 50th Street where her beau, John “Jellybean” Benitez (Fun House DJ and NY’s most sought after mixer) was just leaving. Madonna: I'm remixing "Borderline," the next single we're releasing. We're doing a seven-inch and a dance mix... It's been a really long day: if it looks like I haven't slept in three days it's because I haven't. Glenn Albin: Tell me about your film Visionquest. M: We shot it in Spokane, Washington. It was very cold, lonely and boring. I do three new songs, two that I wrote and one other that's a ballad. Jon (Peters) and I met for another movie that he's producing, and when it came time for Vision Quest, they didn't want to get an actress to pretend she's a singer. They wanted someone with a lot of style already.

GA: You met Barbra Streisand through Jon Peters. How was your meeting with her? M: Oh, it was great. I had dinner at her house and she was genuinely ineterested in an exchange as one singer to another. I had this rag tied in my hair the way I do, and she wanted to know everything about the way I dressed, the jewelry I wore, the way I sang, about how I grew up in Detroit. GA: What do you think of people comparing you to Frances Farmer, and the new Monroe? But the best one I heard today - Baby Dietrich. M: That's what Scuvallo called me. I was lying on the floor posing for photographs and he's going, "Lower your eyelids," and so I did that and he's saying, "Oh my God, it's Baby Dietrich." I couldn't stop laughing. Everyone gets compared. GA: So what about the kids you grew up with, the black kids in Detroit? I mean, you come from a house with eight kids and a housekeeper.

M: Housekeeper meaning a big, fat black maid that made dinner for us, not this hoity-toity girl in a little white apron. GA: The point is that you come from a different part of town than these kids who were your friends M: No, they lived right down the street. I grew up in Pontiac, and it was during the riots and all the black people, the black families were coming into the neighbroughood, and all the white families were freaking out and moving out. That was during the '60s when all the looting and stuff was going on. We were one of the families that didn't move.

GA: So this is where your "soul" came from, from Pontiac? Just living in Detroit you obviously have pride for Motown, but it's got to be more. M: Well, you see, I went to the Catholic school there. I had to get bused there from the neighborhood I lived in, and most of the kids that lived down the block went to the local public school. So, I'd come home in my uniform, but I didn't hang out with the girls in my school. GA: And you sat on their stoop and you did stuff together? M: Yeah, and they were always playing records, those little portable old 45s that you could carry together like a suitcase; they just stuck them out on their front porch or in their driveways. GA: And that was your first place to dance? M: Yeah. And they didn't have to go in to eat dinner or anything. I thought that was great. I envied them. They didn't have any rules. GA: When was the last time you were back? M: This Thanksgiving. I called my father from Washington where we were shooting the movie and said, "Jellybean's with me and we're coming to Detroit, so be ready." I came home with black pants, a black T-shirt, no jewelry at all and my hair just sort of not combed - that's pretty conservative. No boots or spiked or anything, and my father spent most of the time looking at me, going, "You always dress like that? Is that a costume?" GA: What's your music about? M: It's all about escapism. To make people forget about the problems of the world. It's just to cheer people up. People go out to dance to get away and forget about their problems, like a holiday, and that's what the music's about - to get together and forget. GA: The East Village today is the scene like Greenwich Village was in the '50s, but it seems to be much more fashion-oriented. M: It is. It's fashionable to "slum." To live with five people in an apartment and to wear the same outfit every day, to never comb your hair and to live on jellybeans - no pun intended. You know, half the people I hung out with from the downtown area have totally snubbed me. They think that I'm selling out and stuff. If I go back to clubs they won't talk to me. Nasty little digs like, "Little Madonna, now she's a big star and she can't talk to us." That's why I don't feel a real unity with all those people, becuase half of them have totally ousted me anyway. They say like, "Oh, she never really hung out anyway, she's not really downtown." GA: But you obviously still go out. M: When I'm around weekends and I'm not too tired. Saturday night at the Roxy are great now. I go to the Fun House, too. GA: What gives you confidence, which you seem to have in abundance? M: Well, I grew up in a really big family and in an environment where you had to get over it to be heard. I was like the she-devil. GA: I suppose you were the loudest? M: Yeah. My father used to pay us money for the grades we got on our report cards, and he geared me up for being competitive when I was really young. My mother died when I was really young so I didn't have this image of what feminine girls do or anything. And my father never brought me up to get married and have kids, he atually braught me up to be very goal-orianted, to be a lawyer or doctor and study, study, study. We didn't get allowances, but we definitely got rewards for achieving. And I have all these brothers and sisters so, of course, I sought out the opportunity to be number one all the time. I got the best grades, straight A's. Subsequently, all my brothers and sisters hated me. GA: Did you fight with them? M: All the time. I was the tattletale of the family. I was the rat-fink. I had my father wrapped around my finger. No, no, I mean I was the oldest girl. I had two older brothers, but they would skip classes all the time. They were really bad boys. GA: What sort of music did you listen to when you were growing up? M: When I was growing up, my older brothers were into hard rock and I hated it. And they would purposely scratch the needle across my pop records, like my Incense and Peppermints record, and my Gary Pucket Young Girl Get Out of My Mind record, and they would tell me it was trash, and say, "Get that sh*t out of here." Then they'd put on something like Mahavishnu Orchestra. GA: What's "Boy Toy" on your belt buckle? M: It's my tag name. It's what I am when I write graffiti... I like nicknames. I think Jellybean's got the best one though. The name of my publishing company is "Webo Girl." It's actually a direct translation: "Webo" means "Ball shaker" in Spanish. But it's the name of a dance... like the Smurf. It's the way everybody was dancing awhile ago, and I named my publishing company that because me and this girl Debbie and this girl Claudia were the only white girls that could Webo at the Roxy. And Kano, the graffiti artist, painted on the back of our jackets, one of the painting, one of his pieces and it said, "Webo Gals." And that was the name of our group. GA: Do you envision a time when they'll be marketing the Madonna Doll? M: The doll who's hair you don't have to comb. GA: With little rubber bracelets and a drawstring in the back. M: And the only thong she says is, "Stop pulling my hair." "Leave me alone," "How much money do you make?" or "Come here, little boy."

Photo Credit: George Holz