#Retro L.A. | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

heavyhitterheaux · 2 years

Text

I Thought I Was Never Going to See You Again

First Lady of Private Garden Fic

AN: This takes place before First Lady’s debut album was released in October 2020. Keep in mind her and Neelam did not become close until 2021 and they did not reveal that were married until 2022.

Synopsis: After promising to meet Jack at a certain time and you don't show up, he immediately panics once he finds out why.

Pairing: Husband!Jack Harlow x Wife!Reader

Requested by: one of my beautiful anons 🥰

Warnings: mention of car accident

"You sure you'll be okay going out by yourself?" Your husband asked you, looking a little worried as you were getting dressed.

He was due to be in the studio in the next two hours while you just simply wanted to have a day for yourself and get some me time before your album was released. You literally only had another two months to go and you were taking advantage of your days off while you still could. You and Jack were planning a huge Halloween party and you still had many things on your list to get and 2fo would be helping you to finish getting everything together.

You were going to get your nails done, get a pedicure, and then meet up with 2fo to get whatever you all still needed for the party.

"I'll be fine, smush. I go out by myself all the time." You said while slipping on your white crop top along with your tan cargo pants.

"Not lately, you haven't. You’re starting to get recognized more than before since your album is about to come out. I just…"

"I won't be too long and besides I'm meeting up with 2fo later on anyway and when I’m finished I'm coming to the studio to be with you."

Jack still looked unsure, but he knew that you probably weren't going to change your mind and the last thing he wanted to do was start an argument.

The two of you hardly ever had arguments or disagreements and he wanted for it to stay that way.

You two had learned to compromise early on in your marriage and only wanted the best for each other.

"Why do you keep looking at me like that?" You curiously asked while sliding on your retro Jordans that Urban had gotten you for your birthday the year before. You could probably count on one hand how many times you had worn them.

"Babe, the paps have started following you a lot more lately and we're in L.A. They're everywhere. You remember what happened the other day?!"

"I promise to take extra precautions and to be safe. And besides I was with Saweetie, they were probably focusing on her more than me anyway." You said while reaching up to kiss him. He eagerly kissed you back before finally giving in.

"Fine, but no detours. Go straight there and come straight to the studio."

"Okay, dad." You replied while rolling your eyes and poking his cheek.

"Y/N, baby I'm serious. You know I want you safe and truth be told I want you to be within my sight at all times. More people are starting to recognize the both of us and the last thing I want is something happening to my girl."

"I know smush, but you worry too much. You’re not about to have any more hair when you turn 30. I promise to let you know when I get there."

“With you as my wife, I can definitely see that happening. All you tend to do is terrorize me.”

“I’m going to ignore that, but gimme kisses! I love you.”

“I love you too and make sure your phone isn’t on silent today!”

“Sorry, my bad! I didn’t realize that I had turned it down.”

The other day, Jack just about had a panic attack when you didn’t answer your phone and he had been calling you for over an hour.

You didn’t realize you had actually put your phone on silent.

“Mmm hmm, so you say.” Jack replied while bringing you in for another hug and kissing your temple.

“I didn’t know!”

You- I'm safe and sound smush 💕

Jack- Okay. Be safe. I love you.

You- Love you more big head 😘

Jack- I'll show you a big head 🙄

You- You so nasty!!

Jack- I know you not talkin 😒

You- I am. I'll let you know when I meet up with 2fo

Jack- I can't wait to have you screaming later.

You- Bye Jackman

Jack had been in the studio for about three hours and was now wondering where you were. There were a few songs he wanted your help with and he couldn’t help but to get a little nervous.

You should have been here at least an hour ago.

And now the panic was beginning to set in.

He couldn’t put his finger on it, but he had a gut feeling that something was wrong because the two of you always checked in on each other no matter what.

He checked his phone to see that there weren't any missed calls or texts from you and for some strange reason he couldn’t see your location.

Even Urban was asking for his other best friend and was wondering where you were so that let Jack know that you hadn’t called or sent a text to him either.

Liked by jackandy/naremyparents, urbanandjack24, jackharlowsource, allthingsy/n, thegardenstillprivate, and 2,294,985 others.

He went to Instagram to see if you had posted something when he instead saw something else that was the last thing he expected.

theshaderoom: we have breaking news coming out of L.A. Y/N Y/L/N who is known as the First Lady of Private Garden and Jack Harlow’s longtime girlfriend has been in a serious car accident resulting from her trying to flee from paparazzi this afternoon. Her condition is unknown at this time and it is believed that she was in the car by herself.

Jack lost it right then and there.

He read it over and over again to make sure he was seeing it correctly and his eyes immediately began to water.

Her condition is unknown at this time

The pictures of your newly purchased range rover made him even more nervous because it didn’t look like anyone should have been able to walk away from that.

But, he couldn’t think like that.

My wife is fine

He had to say it over and over again in his head to convince himself of the truth, he couldn’t think negatively and needed to stay strong for you.

He immediately hopped up and was frantically looking around for his keys when Urban was trying to figure out what was going on with his best friend noticing his change in demeanor.

“Jack, what the… where are you going? What’s wrong?”

“Just, come on.”

Urban, still confused, followed Jack out into the parking lot all to have him shove his phone towards him and his jaw instantly dropped looking at the instagram post.

He then immediately started trying to call you but it was going straight to voicemail. He muttered a quiet ‘fuck’ under his breath before looking back over at Jack who was in the driver’s seat trying not to lose his shit.

Just then Jack got a call on his phone from 2fo.

“Please tell me she’s okay, I cannot deal with this right now.” Jack almost whispered, feeling defeated.

“They aren’t letting us back there and they aren’t telling us anything. We told them that you’re her boyfriend however, they aren’t about to let you back to see her either unless you uhh…. come clean about the status of your relationship since technically you’re the next of kin and her parents and everyone else is back in Kentucky and in Atlanta.”

“What hospital did they take her to?”

“She’s at Cedars-Sinai and the only reason why I’m here before everyone else is we were going to meet up to get some shit for the halloween party and I saw the shit happen. I wad literally a few cars behind her."

“I have Urb with me, we’re coming.”

“I knew it. I fucking knew it.”

“Knew what?!”

“That I shouldn’t have let her go out today by herself. I had a bad feeling about it this morning and now look.”

Urban quickly pulled up the directions to the hospital and he just knew Jack was about to get a speeding ticket on the way there how he was dodging the L.A. traffic. Even though it was rush hour, that would not stop him from getting to his wife.

2fo has sent Urban a text saying how everyone was there waiting for them and even the last person that he would have expected,

Neelam.

It was no secret that the two of you didn't get along in the past because of her opinions about you.

However, Jack quickly shut that down when he found out, and Neelam had actually been trying to get to know you better, but you just weren't budging.

She showed her true colors and that's all you needed to let you know to stay away from her.

She had really hurt your feelings when all you were trying to do was be a good wife and support your husband in order to make his dream a reality. Nothing was going to get in your way in making sure that your husband was successful.

Once Jack and Urban made their way into the emergency room, they saw All of PG, Neelam, Brandi, and Saweetie who had actually been in L.A. shooting one of her videos.

She immediately left the set when she heard about her best friend possibly being hurt. She had tried to call you as well, but of course got no answer.

Jack made his way to the front desk to ask about you and they still weren't budging and letting him see you.

He knew how your anxiety was and the fact that you had probably already had several panic attacks and he was nowhere near you to help you through it.

He didn't want to reveal that the two of you were married in order to be able to see you, but he was getting desperate at this point.

"Look, the rest of her family isn't here as in they’re across the country and I'm her emergency contact anyway. I need to get back there to see her."

"But.. "

"My wife is back there and I know she is scared shitless so can you please let me back?"

"I thought they said…"

"There are only a handful of people that know we're married and I'd like to keep it that way." Jack said while whispering and eyeing her at the same time.

"Okay, she's in room 24. You can go in two at a time."

"Thank you."

It was agreed upon that Jack would go in first by himself and then everyone else would be able to see you.

Once Jack finally reached you, you were simply laying on the stretcher in the room with your eyes closed and the lights off silently crying.

"Baby girl?" Jack said and your eyes immediately opened to follow the sound of his voice.

"Babe!"

Jack immediately came over to embrace you and you immediately started to cry harder.

"What even happened?" Jack asked as he was rubbing your back attempting to soothe you.

"When I left, I noticed a few of them at our apartment complex. I dodged them but when I was on the phone with 2fo, I thought someone was following me and I tried to get away from them and I…. I don't know… I just…. then I remember someone hitting me and me losing control of the car and crashing into the guardrail. I should have listened to you and not gone out by myself."

"No, stop. It's not your fault people are assholes. You should be able to go out and not worry about people harassing you."

"I messed up my new car!"

"Baby! That is the last thing I'm worried about. All that matters is that my wife is safe and that she's alive. We can get it fixed."

"I just have a concussion so that's why the lights are off. My head hit the steering wheel and the force from me moving forward at such a fast rate has my upper body sore.”

“Babe, when I saw the picture of the car…”

“I know, it’s bad. Like really bad.”

“Just… you aren’t allowed to go anywhere by yourself ever again.”

“But!”

“But nothing! We aren’t doing this again and if I can be with you, it’s going to give me some peace of mind knowing that you aren’t by yourself.” Jack said while trying to wipe away your tears.

“Baby, you have got to stop crying because it’s only going to cause you to get a headache and you already have a concussion.”

“I’m trying. I just got so scared and my first thought was that I was never going to see you again.” You confessed while hugging him tighter and Jack immediately tried to stop himself from shedding tears.

You meant the absolute world to him and vice versa.

The fact that was your first thought made him feel some type of way.

He couldn’t imagine being in this life without you and never wanted for that to ever happen.

Just then there was a knock at the door, and Neelam poked her head in to see the two of you embracing and Jack waved for her to come in.

You looked up to see that it was her and was immediately confused as to why she was here.

“Um, hey Y/N, I just wanted to check on you. Something came up so I have to go but I wanted to see you and make sure you were okay first.”

You simply peeked out from your comfortable spot on Jack’s chest and simply eyed her not saying anything.

Jack simply pinched you in order to respond and to tell you to be nice.

He knew you were still holding grudges against people who you went to elementary school with in Atlanta.

“Thanks.” You muttered before turning back towards Jack.

“I also got this.”

You looked back up to see her handing you a stuffed animal which just so happened to be a pig.

Which just so happened to be your favorite animal.

“I overheard you talking to Quiiso the other day and you mentioned how you loved pigs and couldn’t wait to get one someday so I saw this in the gift shop and thought of you.”

You took the pig from her to examine it and you had to admit it was really cute.

You had no idea that she had been paying attention to that conversation between you and Quiiso.

Just because she got you a little gift, still didn’t mean she earned herself a spot on your good side.

She had to do a lot more in order to get there.

“Thank you, I appreciate this and I’ll be okay.��

“Good, I’ll check on you two later.”

Without another word, Neelam left, leaving the two of you alone again.

“That was nice of her, baby.” Jack piped up, but you instantly rolled your eyes.

“It was, still don’t like her.”

“She’s trying, cut her some slack.”

“Hmph.” You responded as you rolled your eyes once more, but cuddled your new animal closer to your chest.

Jack looked down at his phone to see multiple missed calls from both of your parents.

He knew he had to answer them because they would be on the first flight out here if he didn’t.

He sent them a quick text letting them know that you were okay and that he was at the hospital with you.

“Baby?” You asked, trying to get Jack’s attention and stroking his curly hair.

“Yes, mamas?”

“I’m hungry and I’m horny and you need to fix both of those issues.”

“Babe… can’t you wait until we get home?! And no! Only thing you’re doing is resting.”

“I have a vibrator.”

“And I will hide it.”

“You don’t even know where it is.”

“Are you sure about that?”

“Jackmannnnnnn!”

“No. Final answer.”

“But your wife just survived a near death experience. The least you can do is give her what she wants.”

“Why are you talking about yourself in third person?”

“Stop changing the subject.”

Just then there was another knock on the door and Urban stuck his head in.

“Yall have clothes on right? I just never know anymore.”

“I’m trying not to, but your best friend isn’t giving in!”

“Y/N!”

“Yeah, she’s feeling better if she’s asking for your dick.”

“What can I say? It’s the best medicine out there.”

Taglist:

@harlowsbby

@babyharleezy

@hoodharlow

@stefansalvatoresgf

@jackiehollanderr

@primadxna-girl

@dessmxsworld

@cockslutslurper3000

@raelorns21

@variety-fangirl

@gbaabyyyy

@kamorsstuff

@harlowthot

@sinsandsuccubus

@curlyhairclub

@bootlegroach

@haylexo10

@thinkingaboutjharlow

@fluidsentiment

@charli123456789

@moody4world

@yourstrulymayah

@yana4life

@beanbagbitch

@alinadolans

@carma-fanficaddict

@minaxcarter

@arination99

@xjup1t3r

@venusvinc

@jacksmoviestar

@jackharloww

@midnight-star47

@minkookie95

@inluvwithladybug

@tynesharandolph8633-blog

@exoticr0ses

@jharlowsangels

@jackierose902109

@jackmansbabymama

@cmalass

@megawhoree

@softtcurse

@sia2raw

@miniaturehideoutmentality

@hoya122

#jack harlow #jack harlow x reader #jack harlow x black reader #jack harlow fic #jack harlow fanfic #jack harlow fluff #jack harlow angst #jack harlow x you

381 notes · View notes

htfphoto · 2 years

Photo

retro coffee shop.

east hollywood, l.a., ca.

#vintage #art and design #warm lights #coffee shop #food #architecture #los angeles #east hollywood #light #lifestyle and culture

334 notes · View notes

savage-kult-of-gorthaur · 1 year

Text

SHOGO KUBO -- ALL THE STYLE IN THE KNOWN UNIVERSE: IN MEMORIAM.

PIC(S) INFO: Mega spotlight on the masterful (yet reportedly extremely humble) original Z-boy, Shogo Kubo, poolriding in and around Los Angeles, Santa Monica, Venice, Beverly Hills, and pretty much the Westside in general, c. late '70s. Glen E. Friedman more than likely snapped all of these as well, dude was @$!#*&% prolific in them early years!

“For me, style is everything. Style either makes you look good or bad. You can do the same trick on a skateboard or surfing, but if you’ve got style, you’re gonna look a whole hell of a lot better than the guy next to you who does not have style.” – SHOGO KUBO (1959-2014) in an interview with JAY ADAMS (1961-2014), c. 2002

Source: https://juicemagazine.com/home/shogo-kubo-surf-skate-style.

9 notes · View notes

coulsons-fullmetal-cellist · 1 year

Text

Breakfast at Dieter's

Words: 858

Summary: Dieter just finished doing night shoots and invites you out for breakfast

Warnings: it’s mostly lots of fluff, does Dieter being insanely adorable count?

Check out masterlist here

Have you had breakfast yet?

That was the first thing you read that morning. Your phone pinged almost as soon as it was turned on. It had been like that the past five days. Dieter had been doing night shoots and would send you random messages while he was bored between scenes. You’d get them in the morning and replied to every one of them, so he’d have something to read when he woke up. It felt like a strange time loop style film but in the romantic genre, not horror. You smiled at every message you received and imagined him doing the same.

Nope, just got up. Why are you asking?

You had a day off, thankfully not doing night shoots. Medical dramas had normal working hours. They also like how medically accurate you were as a lot of medical students had communicated in the past how bad the on-screen diseases were depicted. They have since given praise on the new look of the sick characters. So, they definitely kept you on as makeup artist.

I just finished my last night of shooting and want to celebrate with breakfast. Would you maybe like to join me if you don’t have plans?

This was followed by a GIF of a kitten looking at the screen with big eyes. Most of the messages you’d gotten were mostly silly pictures which were strangely so much like Dieter. It made you miss his silly adorable face.

Well, I had planned on having a smoothie, so you’d have to tempt me.

You and Dieter were at that cute flirting and teases era of your relationship. Now that you were past the should-I-kiss-them stage, it was just being sickeningly cute and comfortable with each other.

Well, I’ve got a huge appetite so I’m going to order heaps with possible leftovers.

He’d been subjected to an action movie diet. He had to possibly eat less that his female co-stars to keep that stereotypical action man physique, even though he didn’t have to go shirtless. You were constantly bombarded with pictures of his measly meals with woeful commentary. You would then tease him with your much happier looking meals making him ever more woeful. All texts read out of context would sound almost sinful and confusing.

Well, I do like your leftovers…

He really did like his food as much as you did. The only problem was you still were not used to American portion sizes. Usually, you’d only manage half and feeling bad for not cleaning your plate. That problem was solved as soon as Dieter came along. It took a little experimentation to figure out how much to order between the two of you, but you found a way to order enough to share.

I’m going to my favourite diner if you’d like to join me?

He told you about this place he’d go to after shooting sometimes. Dieter loved old Hollywood and one day promised you a history tour of old L.A. His favourite was Googie architecture mainly because it had a funny name but also for the retro style. He loved this diner because it was reminiscent of old films. You hadn’t been yet, waiting to go with Dieter so he could go into history teacher mode. You could watch him lecture for hours. You found the address and made your way over.

It was just like he described it, straight out of a vintage Hollywood film. A waitress who herself looked like she just stepped out of a retro film came sauntering over.

“Can I help you doll?” she even had the accent.

“Uh, yeah I’m looking for Dieter?”

She pointed to the furthest booth, so you wandered over. It was quiet that time of the morning, the hour not quite ready for anything yet. Dieter was naturally napping away. It felt almost cruel to wake him, but you gently shook his knee. He startled and rubbed his eyes which lit up as soon as he saw you. He got up and embraced you, enveloping you in his warmth.

“You came?”

“I said I would.”

“Is it too early to kiss you?” he blushed like a man still unused to not being rejected.

“Never!”

He smiled then gave you a kiss as soft and welcoming as the sunrise. He shuffled back into the booth and snuggled you close, not wanting to let go of you now that you were here.

“I like that you’re here.”

“I like that I’m here.”

Noses were nudging at this point, but they sadly separated when the waitress brought in Dieter’s breakfast.

“Here you go doll, eggs, bacon, toast, home fries and pancakes along with apple juice. Anything else I can get for you?”

“Could I possibly get some hot tea?” you asked.

“Sure thing” she turned to Dieter, “Is this the girl you’re always talking about?”

He proudly nodded as she looked back to you, “Hon, this man does not shut up about you. That’s a sign of being in love if I ever saw it.”

She shuffled off leaving you to look at him, “You told her about me?”

“How could I not?”

Lovingly tagging @boliv-jenta @simpingcowboy @ellenmunn @o-sacra-virgo-laudes-tibi @brilliantopposite187 @chaithetics @myloveistoolittle @cevans-is-classic

#pedro pascal #jose pedro balmaceda pascal #dieter x honey cakes #dieter bravo fanfic #dieter bravo fanfiction #dieter fanfic #dieter x f!reader #dieter bravo #love of horror fanfic #love of horror #the bubble netflix #the bubble

40 notes · View notes

paperlovesadness · 1 year

Text

"Shavambacu" - Miles Kane song theory

Back at it again! I truly didn't expect the positive feedback I'd gotten from my previous (Star Treatment) theory - so encouraged by it all I'm giving this another go. Join me as I unleash my crazy thoughts! Disclaimer: Some of these little interpretations are a little bit out there. But this is all in the name of good fun. And I'm not at all claiming that I believe this is actually true. It's just what I feel when I listen to it.

Ghost eyes fall upon my baby doll Ghost eyes love to watch me too Ghost eyes don't say much but they see it all, yeah

Alright - let's start at the basis of this little theory. The way I interpret the "ghost eyes". Ghost eyes - someone observing you, while remaining unseen. They're in a way present in your life, but not literally. And you can only feel/assume their presence. Along with the other lyrics (I'll expand on this below) of this song I see these eyes as belonging to a woman, who is currently involved with someone Miles was involved with / there was a period they were involved with them at the same time (so implied cheating)

Maybe this is getting to specific - but I also feel this may involve social media? I'll explain later. So, overall: Miles is involved with someone - his "baby doll". A few observations - the term isn't gendered. Doll - puppet? (it's a stretch). Doll/baby doll is also kind of a retro term of enderament. Personally it kind of transports me to like a US 1950s/greaser era (there's even a 1956 movie titled "Baby doll"). And the greaser persona brings to mind one person, doesn't it? (yes, Alex Turner) The woman sees and knows everythings that's going on/went on, but is silent about it, chooses to ignore.

Ghost eyes sleep beside my baby doll All night when I'm in bed with you

Okay, so either this is just again emphasizing that this is some sort of affair/non-monogamous deal: Miles spends the night with the person, but it's the woman who falls asleep next to them on a daily basis. Or, again: Miles is sleeping with this person, but the woman keeps her thoughts on them through it all. Knows everything. Maybe also quite literally - Miles is in bed with "baby doll", and beside them, on the bedside table lays the phone, that's 'home' to the ghost eyes. (This sounds super complicated, I'm sorry! Hope it's understandable)

Sunrise never sets on baby doll

Baby doll isn't just an anonymous person. They're known - people observe them, talk about them all over the world. Thus - the sun never sets on baby doll. Someone is always writing, talking, thinking about or listening to them. (Heartthrob frontman of a famous band? *wink wink*)

Her ghost tears, some call it rain Well I'm crying for just one name

This hurts the woman. But Miles also only cares about baby doll - it's the only name that truly matters to him.

I made it up in a dream I had My French is bad, some say "Je t'aime beaucoup" I say, my darling "Shavambacu"

So the story from an interview goes: Miles took "shavambacu" from his mum, who used it as a term of enderament - learning it from his grandma. Turned out she just misheard "Je t'aime beaucoup" in a song she loved. ANYWAY - it's a family-derived term of enderment Miles said he used it with the ex, who inspired the CDG album. Seems like a big deal honestly, to use such a significant term with someone. Had to be someone super special. (both shavambacu and little darling aren't gendered either)

Also, if we're talking Alex (that's how I see it) - I've thought a lot about how Miles may be using french phrases and references in his songs when talking about him? Because of how special France was to them (french countryside; recording their first TLSP album together). See: Coup de Grace, TLSP's Everything you've come to expect and how they chose to cover Paris Summer (I really feel there was more? My mind went blank though). Alex is also kind of obsessed with France/french cinema/old french music etc.

I can't stand to see another day I'm not in L.A. to have my way with you My little darling shavambacu, oh honey I love you

First off - this is so tender, I could cry. Also: person lives in LA (checks out for that time period) Honey - still no gendered terms. They're apart - either just because Miles isn't the main partner - but more probable - they're not continuing with the romantic part of their relationship (cause you know. This is a breakup album after all)

Her ghost eyes float around my empty room They're your eyes, but I can't tell it's you

Guys, I know this might sound ridiculous - it's just what my mind automatically went to when I first heard this song. So I'll just share: This part is why my mind went to social media. The woman follows Miles and watches him closely - everything he posts. BUT - this could also be her boyfriend - who uses her account (anonimity? doesn't have social media himself?) to see what he's up to now, as they're apart. But he couldn't tell, he just sees it's her account.

Well I try, but I can't see for baby doll Her ghost tears, some call it rain Well I'm crying for just one name

It's either continuing on the last thing - he can't know who it is keeping tabs on him. Or: he tries but can't care about anybody besides this one person, loves them too much. And then we have the dadada's / chorus bits for the outro. What do you guys think? I feel like if I tried I could have many more interpretations of the "ghost eyes". Like this one: Maybe it's not the girl at all? Maybe it's the audience - the fans, media: everyone who is involved in their lives due to them being famous. No matter how much they hide their relationship someone might be there to see it. They do - there's theories about them being together floating all over the internet already. They see it all. So it's hard to stay together if they wanted it to be anonymous. Eyes are always on them. These are my main ones: just stuff I felt/popped into my mind back when I was listening to the album for the first time. I'd be super happy if you shared any of your own theories on this song! Hope to do more MK/TLSP/AM theories soon. Peace & love!

#Miles Kane #Miles Kane song theory #Miles Kane lyric interpretations #song theories #lyric interpretations #Coup de grace album #Shavambacu #my posts

35 notes · View notes

luuurien · 8 months

Text

Avalon Emerson - & the Charm

(Indietronica, Dream Pop, Downtempo)

Trading techno for lush indietronica, Avalon Emerson’s debut album embraces pop song structures, explosive shoegaze, misty balearic beat, and atmospheric alt-dance with existential lyricism and an eye for ‘80s and ‘90s retro charm. Gentle, inventive, and full of personality, & the Charm is exactly what its title promises.

☆☆☆☆☆

By the time Avalon Emerson and her wife, guitarist Hunter Lombard, moved out to San Francisco in February 2020, they already had to change all their plans. Initially heading there to branch out as a producer and spend a few months around L.A., where she could escape the constant touring and international DJ gigs that had subsumed her life after becoming one of the most in-demand performers with her energetic but sensitive take on techno, the 15-month lockdown that went into place took away both her inspiration to DJ and her ability to collaborate in the city. So, Emerson and Lombard took a lengthy 2,700 mile drive across the U.S. to New York City (where Lombard had family) and set up camp there, holed up in a small Brooklyn studio and inspired by the ethereal ‘90s pop of The Magnetic Fields and Cocteau Twins, the resulting album a collection of misty indie pop with an eye for ‘80s and ‘90s retro charm. Techno breakbeats and her signature synth work are still present, but they’re wrapped around pop song structures with warm chord progressions and lush chamber instrumentation; Emerson still knows her way around a hypnotic beat, but it’s no longer the sole focus of her songs. & the Charm constructs itself around the warm, crisp sound of old downtempo and dream pop bands, but Emerson makes it her own with writing focused on her anxieties as an artist and an individual, the breeziness of these nine songs helping to cushion those fears with some of the prettiest production this year. It’s a softspoken album where much of the magic comes from how subtly Emerson and her team let these songs bloom into gorgeous, heartfelt indie pop.

The album’s debut single, Sandrail Silhouette, makes it immediately clear the album is a dive into new waters for Emerson, jangly guitar chords from Lombard accentuated with a rich string section and soft synth swells, imagery of deserts and travel and technology letting Emerson drift into the sunset even as her worries follow her (“Any conversation will do, really / Or we don’t have to talk at all / …Hot dunes, an oasis / More ancient than the rocks between us”). The following eight tracks keep in lockstep by way of swirling ambient pop (Entombed in Ice, The Stone), bubbly dance pop (A Vision, Hot Evening), and surprise stylistic detours (Dreamliner, A Dam Will Always Divide), Emerson using her time working as a detail-oriented DJ with unusual sample sources and from Coil to Alicia Keys to stay in touch with her influences and imparting bits of herself onto them along the way. She makes it easy to fall into & the Charm’s ebb and flow, keeping a steady stream of groovy pop tunes going in between the quieter, experimental sections: The Stone makes use of Keivon Hobeheidar’s gorgeous cello tone to split the album in two, placed between the synthpop jam Astrology Poisoning and moody house highlight Dreamliner, and the penultimate Karaoke Song makes for a final moment of reminiscence between Hot Evening’s romantic 2-step and the nine minute shoegaze closer A Dam Will Always Divide. Making these songs provided her with a sense of balance and drive throughout her hectic time in lockdown, and the renewed spirit in her music is evident in every track and how they connect back to the same core ideals.

Club artists going pop isn’t an especially new thing in recent years - Everything But the Girl returned after an over 20 year stint with the dark alt-R&B of Fuse and Alison Goldfrapp’s May release The Love Invention went full on electropop - but unlike those older artists making a return to the music scene, Avalon’s only been around since the mid-2010s, her creative stream uninterrupted and only changing its course here. Entombed in Ice, for how minimal it is up until the drums pick up in its second half with a smooth electric guitar solo, is bursting with exciting musical ideas, the soft digital hand drums reminiscent of old balearic beat, and even the straightforward pop structure of Karaoke Song is outfitted with light vocal filters and crunchy synth patches, Emerson still toying with texture and atmosphere even with her eye turned towards more conventional music styles. In this effort to keep the music light and easy to listen to, the little things are all the more meaningful: the prominent bassline in A Vision lends the song a playfulness found nowhere else on the album, letting the phaser-covered drums guide A Dam Will Always Divide into its vast expanse of fuzzy synths and chugging guitars (it bears some resemblance to her remix of Slowdive’s Sugar for the Pill, but trades breakbeats and synth pads for a hypnotic rock beat and intricate arrangement work). & the Charm comes right after the many years Emerson’s spent touring and playing live sets, and you can hear her excitement at getting to sit down and really dig into the meaty bits of song composition, the album’s gorgeous textures and incredible ear for detail a direct result of Emerson slowing down and letting her music truly breathe for the first time.

There couldn’t have been a better time for Emerson to make an album like & the Charm. Had she not been stuck in lockdown, she might have kept up with her plans in Los Angeles, working behind the scenes for other musicians and learning how to work around the ideas of others and bending her production skills for them. Instead, she was given the opportunity to define her music as an individual outside of her idiosyncratic DJ sets, keeping her love of different genres and soft, ethereal music and making it for herself. It’s as creative, ambitious and full of life as any of her best techno work - it’s easy to find similarities between tracks like Dreamliner and One More Fluorescent Rush - and works to all her strengths while stretching out into new territory she’s never gone before. She always allows her music to speak for itself, & the Charm accepting of the future she never got to explore, but it’s also creating her a new future, one of moody pop choruses and strummed guitars and earthy synth tones. & the Charm is exactly what its title promises, and revels in bringing Emerson’s music to a whole new dimension.

2 notes · View notes

makotoscoffee · 2 years

Text

fav mylène lyrics

"Et pour un empire, je ne veux me dévêtir" (and for an empire, I won't undress)

"Ce soir, j'ai de la peine Il s'est pendu Dans un jardin de Vienne" (tonight, I'm in pain. he hanged himself in a garden in Vienna)

"Et si c'est un Homme, si c'est un Homme Lui parler d'amour à volonté, d'amour à volonté" (And if it's a man, talk to him about love at will)

"J'veux plus grandir Plus grandir Pour pas mourir Pas souffrir" (I don't want to grow (up) more, grow more- as not to die, not to suffer)

"Who's that angel, who comes and falls to crucify all my desires? No place to hide J'ai si mal, I'm lost in time I've learned to cry"

"C'est sexy le ciel de Californie Sous ma peau j'ai L.A. en overdose So sexy, le spleen d'un roadmovie Dans l'rétro ma vie qui s'anamorphose" (California skies are sexy, under my skin I have L.A. in overdose. So sexy, the spleen of a road movie, in the retro my life which anamorphoses)

"C'est une belle journée, je vais me coucher Une si belle journée, souveraine, donne l'envie d'aimer Voir des anges à mes pieds, mais je vais me coucher M'faire la belle" (It's a beautiful day, I'm going to bed. Such a beautiful day, sovereign, makes you want to love. See angels at my feet, but I'm going to bed. Make me beautiful)

#so far :)#Mylène Farmer #mylene farmer #lyrics

5 notes · View notes

dankusner · 8 days

Text

Daniel Kusner visits Thanks-Giving Square at noon while listening to St. Vincent’s “ New York ,” admiring how perfectly the song blends with the bells above the Ring of Truth.

St. Vincent would rather be in Dallas

Annie Clark — a.k.a. singer-guitarist St. Vincent — has lived in L.A. and New York City for most of her adult life.

But she still loves to wax nostalgic about growing up as a music nerd in Lake Highlands, going to rock shows in Deep Ellum and haunting records stores all around Dallas.

“I spent all my allowance at CD World on Greenville, that’s for sure,” she says with a laugh. “I’m in Los Angeles right now, but I wish I were in Dallas is the truth of it.”

Clark’s been coast-hopping lately while “doing press for this bad boy,” as she calls All Born Screaming, her seventh solo album since she debuted in 2007.

The album is out Friday.

One listen and you’ll hear why she yearns for the comfort of her extended Dallas family.

All Born Screaming is the sound of an artist teetering on the edge of chaos as she thinks about life, death and a dozen shades of terror in between.

In Clark’s typically witty fashion, she’s dubbed it “post-plague pop.”

It’s her darkest album yet, but also one of her best, defined as always by her uniquely St. Vincent blend of styles.

She’s an old-school torch singer with an avant-garde heart and a music historian’s brain, inspired by everyone from Billie Holiday to Jimi Hendrix to Nirvana (whose drummer, Dave Grohl, guest-stars on “Broken Man” and “Flea”).

"All Born Screaming" is St. Vincent's darkest album yet, but it also ranks as one of her best, defined by a unique blend of styles.(Nasty Little Man)

Clearly, she didn’t spend all that time at CD World just sifting through the Backstreet Boys bin.

When Clark was 13, the jazz duo Tuck & Patti, who happen to be her uncle and aunt, sat her down and asked her to listen to John Coltrane’s masterpiece A Love Supreme.

youtube

“I started crying,” she told me in ‘07. “Hearing something like that, at that age, was mind-blowing.”

Today, her jazz-minded songs are probably too off-kilter for most Taylor Swift fans.

But against all odds, Clark racked up her first No. 1 pop hit as a songwriter last fall when Swift’s “Cruel Summer” spent a month atop the Billboard charts, four years after Swift first released it.

youtube

Clark co-wrote the tune with Swift and their mutual producer Jack Antonoff.

“I’ve never seen anything like it,” Clark, 41, says. “It’s a testament to how dedicated Taylor’s fans are. They took a song from a few records back that wasn’t even a single at the time and said ‘No, we love this song. This is the hit.’ And they marched it up the charts by just sheer enthusiasm.”

My conversation with Clark has been edited for clarity:

All your albums have been different, both musically and lyrically. What were you aiming for on All Born Screaming?

I wanted to make something that felt as raw and human as possible. It’s a record that goes from “Life is impossible … ” and then the second half is “but we get to live it and it’s really short, so buckle up and let’s go. We don’t have any time to waste.”

This is the first album you’ve produced totally alone. What were the pros and cons of that?

The pros are that it’s really an exact rendering of the sounds in my head. This is my singular vision. The cons are that it takes a lot longer. It’s a more painful process because it requires a long look in the mirror, which is not always the most comfortable thing to do. There’s nobody else in the room who’s gonna pat you on the head and say, “Great job, let’s move on.” It requires a reckoning with yourself.

There are lots of great retro-sounding synthesizers on the album, played by you and others. What drew you to these old synths?

Analog synthesizers have such a soul to them. You’re moving electricity through unique circuitry, and I know that doesn’t sound necessarily like the sexiest, most human thing, but you’re like a god of lightning. These analog synths are inherently chaotic. It’s like, “I’m gonna take these beasts and find the parts that are the most alive, and manipulate some of that chaos into music.” When you get something that’s really exciting, it’s more of a victory.

Several tunes have an industrial rock feel and recall Nine Inch Nails. I noticed the word “nail” in the lyrics of multiple songs. Have I found your Easter eggs? Or am I reading too much into that?

No! Read however you want to read it. I love Nine Inch Nails. You can put The Downward Spiral next to anything out there today and it will hold up as relevant and exciting. That’s the kind of record I’m ultimately trying to make, stuff you’ll wanna listen to in 30 years and go, “Oh yeah … this is good. It has a level of excellence and craft and refinement and obsessive attention to detail.”

“Violent Times” has a memorable phrase that, in a sense, sums up the whole album for me: “The ashes of Pompeii lovers, discovered in an embrace for all eternity.” When did you first see that image from Pompeii?

youtube

I was in New Zealand and had a day off and that exhibit was going around, so I walked over to the exhibit and was just struck by that image.

“OK, doom is imminent. You can flee, or you can just hold one another one last time.”

And I just thought it was so deeply romantic.

So much of modern existence, and certainly existence on the internet, is designed to commodify our brain space and pit neighbor against neighbor, and it’s just, well, frankly, it’s a drag.

Love is all we have, and I don’t mean that in a “Kumbaya” corny way. I mean, life will bring you to your knees, no matter who you are. And the only thing we really have is the people we love.

A lot of songs on the new album — and throughout your career — have a scary, almost cinematic quality to them. Did you grow up loving horror films or scary books?

No. Not at all. I detest horror and violence and gore. I can’t watch it. But as far as going to musically dark places, I think that’s the miraculous thing about music. To misquote Brian Eno, “Art is the car you can crash over and over again and then walk away safely.” [Music] is the place I get to go to explore my internal violence and my everything — ego, desire, all of it. I’m a child of the ‘90s, in the sense that the anthems of my heroes were “I’m a creep/I’m a loser.” They were exploring the baseness and basement of their psyches, and that’s always resonated with me.

“Big Time Nothing” sounds like a companion piece to 2020′s The Nowhere Inn, your mockumentary-thriller about fame and how it affects an artist’s sanity.

[Songwriting for me] is always like, “OK, tune into the depression and anxiety frequencies in your head, write down those thoughts, and what do they tell you?” I’ve had to learn how to manage and quiet [those frequencies] as I’ve grown. All the songs on this album are very lived experiences, dealing with life and death and love. In records past, I certainly was dealing with the idea of persona and deconstructing persona. And you know, that makes a lot of sense in that I’m queer. I’ve been aware that gender was a performance since I was a child. So of course, playing with characters is … it’s all just, you know, ripe for exploration. On this record, however, I’m just not dealing with character or transformation in the same way. I’ve heard people say, “OK, so Broken Man is your take on toxic masculinity.” I’m like, “No. That’s just how I feel.” Sometimes, it’s not external cultural commentary. It’s, like, life.

Congratulations on your first number one single for co-writing Taylor Swift’s “Cruel Summer.” Hypothetically, how would you handle performing for 60,000 people in football stadiums every night like Swift does?

My brain immediately went to “Oh. I’d really need to spend a lot of money on production.” But that’s the very pragmatic part of me. Um, that would be amazing. I don’t see that necessarily happening and I feel really OK with that. I like to say I have the “free appetizer level” of fame, you know, where occasionally you [meet a restaurant worker] who’s a big fan and you get that shrimp cocktail. But I don’t have an unmanageable level of fame. I can walk down the street anywhere and be fine and not need security. I can just exist in the world in a relatively normal way. The way I got to my level of success was a sort of slow and steady climb up the mountain, without big peaks and valleys.

When we spoke at the start of your career, you said that joining the Polyphonic Spree after struggling to launch your career was “literally redemption in a robe.” What did you learn in your two years with the Spree in the mid-2000s?

I loved it. I had the time of my life. Some of my fondest memories of touring were those early, early days of just not knowing what in the world I was doing, getting up on stage every night and putting on this wild manic show with these exuberant songs. I [learned how to be] a Texas freak, right? And I say “freak” with all the love and admiration in the world. If you’re a Texas freak, you had to earn it. You had to walk through fire. There’s some real grit to the Texas freaks. Like, those are my people, you know?

A few years ago, the news site Central Track posted a bunch of yearbook photos of you from Lake Highlands High School, where you were super active in performing groups. Did you already know back then you wanted a career onstage?

I was very obsessed with theater. I’d go see a lot of local productions at Kitchen Dog Theater and I was a stage manager over at Kitchen Dog. I loved it, but I was really scared to get up onstage with my high school band, or be in a play. But I also knew I had to do it. Even though that performative tension was very, very nerve-wracking, I was compelled to do it. Dallas public education really just lit a fire and a love for theater, you know?

You’ve acted in Portlandia and other places, and you co-wrote The Nowhere Inn. Would you like to do more acting and filmmaking?

I would drop everything if a director I really adored, like Pedro Almodovar, said, “I’m dying to have you in my next film.” I would happily act or be a performer in someone else’s work, depending on the project, because you go in, you do your work and you walk away. A director of a film, like, that’s three years of your life on one thing. I just don’t have the bandwidth to direct a film. But what I do as a musician, for this record, let’s just say, is akin to writing, starring in and directing your own film. Directing? I already do that in music. Directing a film would take me away from things I’m actually good at.

You started playing guitar at 12, before the internet became huge. Do you think the internet and YouTube opened the doors for more diversity among guitarists? Are there more female lead guitarists today than when you began?

There totally are. I see so many young women playing guitar and it’s not treated as some sort of novelty. It’s like, “Yeah, duh! Of course I play guitar.” It’s so cool to see the shift. I mean, I had Riot Grrrl. But for the most part, there weren’t that many female guitar players in the mass culture.

I’m a measured optimist. I don’t believe that everything is getting worse. Certain things in life are definitely worse than they were a hundred years ago, and a lot of things are a whole lot better. We wouldn’t be having this conversation 80 years ago about me having a career as an artist like this. Women didn’t get to do things like this. So I think it’s only getting better in terms of more women playing, more women just feeling empowered and saying, “I’m gonna pick up whatever [instrument] I want to and play.” There’s way less stigma and eyebrow-raising than there was when I started, you know? That’s great. I think that is genuine progress.

#Youtube

0 notes