can you believe that 10 years ago today fall out boy did the unbelievable. they did what bands can normally never do, at least not successfully, and absolutely not as successfully as they did. 10 years ago today fall out boy came off of their break, they came off of their hiatus and came back together with an entirely new attitude, new music, a new spring in their step and even more heart and passion and determination for what they were doing- making music that They loved for the people that needed it. they were so unsure, they didn't know if people would show up, if people still cared about fall out boy. they didn't know if this new album, this comeback album, would really be their last one- what if they did this, and no one cared? but 10 years ago today they announced that they were back, and got to see Just how many people cared. So Many people cared So Much that fall out boy was back in an invigorated, modern, Happy form. their shot in the dark comeback album, full of every ounce of passion and care they could possibly infuse into it in it, hit number one. sold thousands in its first week. was certified platinum. in those ten years? they've had two more number one albums, countless successful tours, a grammy nomination. and what about exactly 10 years later? they're selling out stadiums. releasing a highly anticipated eighth studio album. making music still infused with every ounce of passion and care that they could possibly infuse in it. for themselves, for us. because they still care, and we have proved that we do too. like a phoenix they rose from the ashes and are still rising!! we don't know when to quit, and they don't either 🥺

i've got so much respect for what coldplay do

welcome back!! Gives you a little welcome back kissy

THANK YOUUU I AM HAPPY TO SEE YOU BACK IN MY INBOX FOR MY RETURN!! It was raining when you sent this so I drew my classic "I'm having emotions and need to frolic in puddles" gear, I was running around at 2 AM in the flooded streets because I had a bad day yesterday lmaooo

I'll have to make a long post about my trip when I get a chance because it was a rollercoaster at times, there were record highs and record lows truly. I've literally never left the midwest once in my entire life or even been on a plane, but TL;DR I got put on the guest list for one of my favorite bands (glass beach!) cause I got sick and the drummer saw my reddit post giving my tickets away. Which is still INSANE to me, nothing cool ever happens to me so that's a core memory for sure. So me and my bff went to las vegas, los angeles, san francisco and minneapolis in the span of less than a week and I'm STILL kinda overwhelmed tbh. Our home lives ended up falling apart the second we got back so I'm glad we at least had an epic cali vacay before it had to go south again.

I hadn't left my bedroom for more than a few minutes at a time for like a month prior so it was weird going from "iowa town of ~3,000 people" straight to CALIFORNIA?? I'll stop writing here and save it for the Trip Post but MAN WHAT A WEEK. AN EXPENSIVE WEEK. CALI IS EXPENSIVE. I AM UNBELIEVABLY BROKE NOW

Not ED related, but yesterday in the beginning of my shift I heard about Reita of The GazettE's passing. It's hit me hard. I got home and had some vodka and binged for the first time in months. I probably had closer to a maintanence level, all things considered. But the truth is, emotionally, I am devastated. I am so unbelievably sad. A band I have loved for almost two decades having lost such an important, key member has just torn me to pieces. I loved Reita and Ruki the most. I am worried for Ruki and Uruha so deeply. They were the closest with him. Not that the other band members are not mourning, I just worry how deeply this will break the other two. They started it together. Those three. I went to bed crying, listening to their music. And I woke up this morning with an emotional tummy ache. The kind of tummy ache I know isn't from what I ate last night or drank last night, but the fact the world lost someone so special. I never knew them. I never will know them. But they have been such a big part of my life for the last 17 years. I have loved their music deeply. I have adored watching interviews and concerts with the hopes of one day traveling to see them. My heart hurts. My tummy hurts. My first thought this morning was about this situation and it seems so silly. I have no one else in my life who even knows this band beyond the opening of Black Butler 2. And that's if even. I don't scream them from the mountain tops like I once did as a middle schooler, but they're still so deeply in my heart. They always have been. And while I will not know the pain as deeply as his loved ones, I am still devastated. Devastated beyond what this means for the band, but for his loved ones and the outpouring of sadness and mourning in the community. I am crying with everyone. I am crying for those who can't. Music is so connecting. It transcends most forms of communication and builds a level of love between musician and listener. They speak and we listen. My boyfriend always jokes that "no one cares about the bassist." And I say, "Ive always loved a bassist." It started with Reita. It started when I branched out and found music and bands and artists on my own. The GazettE was the first band to introduce me to japanese rock and visual kei fashion. I fell in love. Beyond anime, their music took hold of me and I decided "I love this. I love them. I want to see them some day. This is one of my favourite bands." They got me through some rough times as a young child and adult. When I want to feel, they're who I turn to. When Im angry or sad or bubbly, I feel touched by them. Like so many people the world over, I am sad. I am so so sad. Reita, I hope you are resting peacefully. Regardless of intentional or not, as we are not owed this information, he knows how deeply the world is mourning for his loss. That he touched the lives of many. I hope his loved ones are taking care of each other. I hope he knows he was so so loved. They took the visual kei community by storm for 22 years and their legacy will continue on regardless of whatever choice they make with the band. Rest easy, rest peacefully. You are so deeply loved and missed, Reita. Gone too soon, but never ever forgotten.

Late 2019 I tore my soul in half and gave each half to a man I had never even met. Those men were Sakurai Atsushi and Fujisaki Issay. For four years they have owned those pieces of me, and in return they have blessed me with beautiful music and performances. Their work quickly took over my life, and now almost everything I do is related to them. They had given me a reason to live, something to always look forward to, something to love. Never before had I loved somebody nor their work so deeply, and I don't think I will ever love like this again.

I would have never expected them to die at such young ages. Issay, 61. Atsushi, 57. Neither would I have ever guessed they would die the same year, let alone so closely after each other. August 5th and October 19th. My soul is still divided, they each took their half of my soul to their grave with them, just like I am left with their works, now no longer in their hands.

I would do everything to return them to our world, even if they would then decide to retire. It is not only their work that was of importance to me, it was their lifes, knowing that they were doing well, happy, and having fun. I know death is inevitable and that it would have come for them eventually no matter what, but the time is not right. In ten or twenty years, maybe... Maybe then I could have accepted it, but not now, not while they were still so young, despite officially having been old.

Issay and Atsushi, both such inspirations. Issay, an openly gay man who felt like he did not necessarily have a gender. And Atsushi, a man who was not afraid to show his feminine side and affection to other men. The both of them were not afraid to show their emotions and speak their minds. They were truly people to respect and look up to. In a strange way, they were like parental figures to me, despite me also looking at them very... "respectfully".

Two men both beautiful in every way imaginable. Beautiful voices, beautiful faces, beautiful personalities/souls and for as far as I have been able to see, even beautiful bodies. Atsushi also had the best thighs I had ever seen on a man. Age had never taken that beauty from them, and they were both so kind and caring. Despite having been 57 and 61 years old they were both unbelievably stunning, not only on the outside, but on the inside too. In fact, I believe that their inner beauty shined through, and with every passing day it turned them more and more beautiful.

They have left us with so much to remember them by. Both BUCK-TICK as well as Der Zibet have such great discographies. BUCK-TICK, 23 albums, 46 singles, over 60 recorded tours and over 80 music videos. How many bands can achieve this? And if only Atsushi had lived longer, I am sure they would have done so much more. Der Zibet, 19 albums. Maybe they did not have as many singles, music videos and recorded tours, but their discography of music was surely not small. Besides that, Issay had so many projects on the side. PhI, Hamlet Machine, his solo album, ISSAY meets DOLLY, KA.F.KA.

And it was not only music that had become Issay's career, his life, it was pantomime too. His love for pantomime was undeniable as he often used it for performances with his band as well. I will always remember those little mime acts he would put up as they played the song Der Rhein. He also often talked about his love for pantomime. We may have only been able to see one performance of it, yet even through just one show you could see his passion. His mime career had started even earlier than his music career, and he actively worked on both until the day he died.

Sakurai Atsushi too had more than just BUCK-TICK. He had a solo album, SCHWEIN and The Mortal, growing his discography even further. Besides that, his special skill, that not many singers possess, was his ability to sing most of his songs even better live. And not only was he an incredible live vocalist, he too possessed a mesmerizing stage performance, gifting us either very magical, elegant and gothic performances, or something that could only be described as purely sexual. His moans will never leave my mind, and this is not a complaint. I only have to think about it and I can already see him ride a stage in thigh high stockings as he moans to either Sapphire, Mudai, or any of his other songs.

Something else I will never forget, for both Atsushi and Issay, is their smiles, their laughs and even how beautiful their voices were if they simply talked. They were both so cute with everything they did, truly adorable. Atsushi with his cats, they were his biggest love, his babies. Issay too was so cute with pets. Besides that they were both also funny, always able to make me laugh. They were just everything that was good.

Sakurai Atsushi and Fujisaki Issay, two very unique personalities that will not easily be found again, especially not in combination with their beauty, voices and skills. With their deaths, I have lost most of myself, and I feel empty. I hope the work they have left us with will be enough for me to fill this void that has grown inside of me, despite the fact that I want more, especially from BUCK-TICK as no other band will ever reach such perfection. It may be selfish and unrealistic, but I wanted them both to live and create forever.

That could have never been reality, but I would still have appreciated it if death could have waited 20 more years before it took the two most important people to me. It still feels unreal, how could they both die so soon? One of them was already difficult, yet both? It is as if I am a side character in somebody's horror fiction that Atsushi and Issay were the main characters of. It is worse than a nightmare, as a nightmare I could have woken up from.

BUCK-TICK's last album was Izora, an album with a cover art that symbolizes infinity. Their last music video was Mugen Loop, a video that truly was a loop, something that just went on forever. Despite the fact that BUCK-TICK will now most likely end, their music will exist for eternity, Atsushi’s voice will never disappear. The same counts for Issay.

I wish I could just tell them one thing, cause I want them to know how much they have meant to me. I know they can't hear me, but I'll still say the words and hope the wind carries them to wherever they are. All I would tell them is "thank you for everything you have done, for everything you have created." And I would tell them that the world misses them, and that I personally promise to always love them, even if I were to grow out of their music... which I am pretty sure will never happen. They will forever be my favorites, and their work will for always be part of my everyday life.

Sakurai Atsushi and Fujisaki Issay, thank you. I hope you both rest peacefully and without regrets. You have been perfect. I hope you two will take care of each other, wherever you are.

New Thanos series against a new Illuminati formation launching in November.

"This November, Earth will once again tremble before the power of Marvel Comics’ most feared supervillain in an all-new THANOS solo series!

From Chris Cantwell, the writer who brought Marvel’s other big bad to Eisner-nominated heights in DOCTOR DOOM, and Luca Pizzari, the acclaimed artist known for his recent work on X-MEN: BEFORE THE FALL - HERALDS OF APOCALYPSE #1, comes a four-issue limited series that presents a riveting fresh take on the Mad Titan. 

The saga will follow Thanos as he rockets to Earth from the darkest depths of the cosmos to undertake his most ambitious conquest yet. The only ones that can quell his passionate fury is a new Illuminati. Mr. Fantastic, Doctor Strange, and Iron Man have reunited to guide the superhuman world from the shadows, and joining this new incarnation are Emma Frost and Blue Marvel. This cabal composed of Marvel’s greatest minds has wasted no time in sharing a secret that will shatter the heavens and provoke Thanos’ deadly wrath like never before! 

Thanos vs. the Illuminati! The Mad Titan descends upon Earth to retrieve something he has lost. And the Illuminati must band together to stop him, because they’re the ones who hid it from him!

"I’ve had the honor and joy of writing some of Marvel’s greatest villains, so you can imagine how excited I am to not only tackle the Mad Titan himself, but pit him against some of the most powerful brains and fists out there—this latest lineup of the Illuminati," Cantwell said. "But I think folks will find the backdrop of this story quite unexpected, mischievously funny, and heartbreakingly human, for what has drawn Thanos back screaming into the universe is a singular pain and desire for connection that he believes only one essence in existence (and non-existence) can give him… while this being is in turn grappling with some deeper questions about what they are, and what they want to be. Plus, Thanos hot-wires a pickup truck."

"I could tell right from reading the first panel description that this book was gonna be something else," Pizzari shared. "I never even met Chris before and yet it’s like he wrote this book reading my mind; there are a lot of characters I’ve always wanted to try my hand on. Thanos himself is, of course, unbelievably fun to draw, I’m constantly telling myself to make him bigger and bigger!"

[Source]

Homage variant cover by Phil Noto.

--

Now, my opinions? Cantwell is controversial AF. Tony stans know that, and I'm sure they're not happy to see him back at writing the character. I like his Doom run, except for the ending when he goes full genocide (even with the excuse that he wasn't aware of that because of his clouded emotions). As to Stephen... I'll wait and see. Maybe the run will be more focused on Thanos than the other characters. I don't know. I'm happy to see the doctor trio and Hulk, but also... I dread a little bit.

i’m not one to tear down a successful queen ever, but there are moments throughout 3below where aja genuinely needed to get off the screen and let krel actually exist as one of the co-protagonists of the show, and allow me to drop some helpful examples:

the fight with halcon (1x07)

not saying that aja should be erased from this completely, but something that always pissed me off about this is that instead of letting krel help and fight alongside aja, he just gets knocked unconscious. which, okay, sure, stun him for a second like halcon did to varvatos, but when he comes to he can help! but then when he DOES wake up, he’s… instantly knocked out again, like literally instantly. what the fuck. not to mention, when halcon first attacks, it’s on krel (and ricky) alone (one of the rare moments that krel’s part of something without aja involved), so you’d think they’d give krel some stake in the final fight against halcon. and i’m not saying he needed to be the one to get the dramatic final blow on her either, in fact i love how varvatos just wakes up and one-shot blasts her to pieces in the sky. i’m just saying i think krel should’ve been an active part of the fight.

the battle of the bands (1x12)

this one’s not really as major, but it only slightly annoys me because i’ve always felt like most people were cheering because of aja’s vocals/dancing rather than krel’s music (save for eli and seamus who directly compliment him, they’re real ones) especially when krel literally has to clarify that HE’S the main act when someone in the audience cheers for aja. again, not the biggest deal, just a silly music competition, but it feels weird for the show to frame it as krel’s major legacy moment when moments earlier he was still being sidelined by people in favor of his sister.

rescuing varvatos (2x02)

this is by far the one that pisses me off the most. as we see in both 1x12 and 2x01, krel is VISIBLY more emotional and affected by varvatos’ betrayal being revealed. to the point where tears ROLL down his face, and he ALMOST EXECUTES varvatos on the spot, and his emotion in the season 2 premiere coming out in apathetic anger, but then we see him curl up and break into more tears when finally confronting his feelings on what happened. it’s literally HIS IDEA to go to the moon to save varvatos anyway. only, when the plan gets enacted, it’s… aja who gets to free varvatos from his cell. so where’s krel? playing dress up in the space tavern’s main room and getting hot-potatoed between dozens of bounty hunters. this makes me unbelievably upset. you show that krel is massively more affected by the events than aja is, but then he’s not even granted the courtesy of the 1-on-1 that aja and varvatos get as she frees him? say what you want about anything else i’ve mentioned, but this is a moment that 110% should’ve belonged to krel and not aja. also the fact that krel doesn’t even really speak directly to varvatos for the remainder of the episode once he’s freed. if anything, they kind of just gloss over krel’s internal conflict of being angry at him vs wanting to rescue him, another flaw in the usage of krel as a character.

also keep in mind that this is in no way meant to come across as anti-aja or anything like that, especially when she’s my 2nd favorite protagonist and 3below is my favorite show in the trilogy by a long shot. i mainly am just trying to criticize the show’s handling of its one and only dark-skinned protagonist and how him going severely underused in his own show and look at things through nuance, because there were plenty of moments krel could’ve been a part of things where he wasn’t, and it sucks that in both canon and fan spaces he goes so criminally underlooked. this has just been my two cents. this is longest tumblr post i’ve made in a while actually.

TADvent Day 31 - Sparkles and Glitter

@theamazingdevildiscord

It's NYE, and I made it! 31 days straight of TADposting! That in itself feels worth a celebration to me, so I'm raising a virtual glass to myself and to all of you. I started this challenge expecting to drop out within the first week, so honestly this is unbelievable haha, who knew I had this many thoughts about one band? Everybody knew, lets be real I never stop thinking about them but that's beside the point.

I'm so excited for what 2024 is going to bring. There's a new album to come, with all the emotions and inevitable posting on this account that it will bring, and I'm hoping to have the Entity List™️ finished and ready to post at some point soon. I am tempted to wait for the new album though, so that I can include any new additions to the lore, but it's really going to depend on how quickly I get the current draft finished. I'm sure I'll have lots of other TAD thoughts to unload onto this website in the meantime (I've been having FEELINGS about Secret Worlds recently!)

In the meantime, I want to wish anyone who's read even one of my posts a very happy and healthy new year - may your 2024 be filled with joy, peace, and the people who bring you those things. I'll see you all next year, Dearhearts 💜💜💜

is it weird that at this point if there are future seasons of SaB, I am sort of hoping they go even *more* completely off rails and bizarre compared to the books, because I feel like..if they really do just start telling a fully different story, maybe that will further justify the creation of a proper SoC adaptation some day in the future? 'cause now that they speed-ran CK major emotional beats, I don't want this one to try to get better. it's too late even if they wanted to, they can't just do those scenes again. None of the crows are in the same desperately-in-need-of-money situation they were in in the books. So even if they have Kaz say he only wants money, his lack of clear need for it (what with Pekka already confronted and punished) makes that excuse obviously unbelievable to the audience. so it seems like Kaz's new motivation for taking his friends somewhere as dangerous as the ice court must just be..altruism? he is now very concerned about the state of the world ig? the crows are a band of edgy super heroes employed by the ravkan government??? idk. whatever, at this point! now the og hope is gone, I want chaos. I want it to just get weirder and weirder with the writing decisions until nothing resembling the books remains. Like watching a car crash. If you aren't going to tell the story at least be bad in a way that's amusing in it's absurdity, yknow??

BJkbdkjvskabk that's the spirit!! Def more fun to enjoy the car crash than to cry over it the way I do

ok ok ok this is going to be too long and overly sappy but im mostly writing this for posterity because this is a genuinely huge moment in my life. i will be quippy and fun more tomorrow. holy shit. i could go back through my blog and make a collage of all the times i tried and failed to predict new mcr music (and might, that would be pretty funny). but every single one of those times i was focused on the mystery, for lack of a better word. i was trying to puzzle out the unknown and enjoying that, because that’s who i am. and while i’ve believe mostly whole heartedly that they would give us this the whole time, i had never, and maybe wasn’t capable of, predicting what i would feel like in the after. the emotional roller coaster of it all ... brian pops up, and as usual i jump in the chat being like hey guys maybe THIS is it, and then somebody makes a solid point as to why this time ISN’T it, and i conceded, but still stuck around a little to see what happened. and then brian went all cryptic, or even more cryptic, and my little alarm bells rang, but they ring when the wind blows whatever way, so it didn’t matter. and then i refreshed the page and it happened. it was real. i had to close out of twitter and reopen it to make sure i wasn’t fucking seeing things, or day dreaming real bad. im distantly aware of how lame this is but i don’t think i’ve ever felt like that. i broke out into a full body sweat. i started laughing in a Truly Hysterical Manner. i scrambled for my headphones and had to sit on the fucking floor because i couldn’t handle the new music while sitting on my bed. i kept jumping between trying to talk to people about it and just sitting there ... listening. they wrote us a song. it is so good. it sounds just like i dreamt it would and it sounds like nothing i could have ever imagined. i think i damaged my ears a little from how loud i listened to it. it is unbelievable. i believed with my whole little heart for so long and yet i still haven’t accepted it. they are my band. im never going to love another band like this. and i waited. i’ve been waiting since i was 13 years old and they broke up on me. i waited for the chance to love them without feeling like i was poking an irritable corpse and i waited 2 and a half years on top of that. i waited and it paid off. they are my band and they are going on tour and they gave us music. im so fucking happy. i am a little ecstatic in the traditional sense, honestly. my chemical romance is an american rock band from new jersey and nobody is ever going to match them. how could they? 

since you guys did the voice casts for the front nine, which singer(s) would fit jack and eric?

Pearl I am so sorry, you sent this 100 years ago lol so forgive me for the delay. As it turns out, shockingly, trying to vocally match older men is a lot harder than the young adults of our main cast LOL. Still, I want to do them justice so I've done the same as I did previously in this post, along with a couple others who have since emerged as more common singers in our ensemble:

ERIC | Eric is the one of the two of them that does have an actual musical theater background, so I do think that makes a difference. His voice would without a doubt be more trained, have a broader range, and probably have more inflection in terms of emotion and emphatic delivery (that's the theater kid edge). I also think that Eric's voice would be deeper than maybe one would assume off the cuff, at least when singing. So as requested, a couple of comps:

Hugh Jackman – This might be partially because we had him perform "A Million Dreams" in Season 2, but I think it fits. Jackman has voice that's like, sturdy and baritone, but it's not overbearing. It doesn't eat up all the oxygen in the room or feel like it's so deep it's coming from the pits of hell. Additionally, I like that he does have a decent range -- see him going for Valjean songs in Les Mis -- so I think that point is important. Example track: A Million Dreams

Christopher Jackson -- Whoop! Didn't see this one coming did we, especially since Jack tends to be the one singing Washington songs from Hamilton... but I do think this tone of voice fits Eric better. Again, it has that rounded, well-balanced, sturdy vocal quality and can emote without a doubt. Example track: History Has Its Eyes On You

Justin Vernon (Bon Iver) -- For a non-Broadway or film take, Justin Vernon of Bon Iver is a fitting enough comp range and tone wise. Example track: exile (with Taylor Swift)

JACK | I think Jack, much like his not-son Lucas, has an edge to his voice that is distinctly unpolished and rough. Even though he's an appreciator of the arts, and works at an arts school, a big part of Jack's whole thing is that he isn't from this world instinctively, and he for sure wasn't honing his range or vocal ability all through his youth. So his early 40s man voice is not Broadway ready, but there's a charm to that as well. I also imagining him having a bit of a husky, Southern quality to the edges of his singing voice because of his upbringing in Virginia. As such, comps to go around:

The Avett Brothers -- Obviously this is a bit unspecific because... there are three brothers in this band and only one Jack, LOL, but you can kind of get the vibe of the like slightly rustic quality, emotive without necessarily being good at channeling emotion, etc. I think this also fits that I picture Jack's singing voice a bit higher in tone than Eric's, and that register works here. Example track: I And Love And You

George Harrison -- I know my Beatles nerd is showing, but I stand by this. George was never the standout vocalist of the Beatles (not that I think any of them were tbh lol, they were much more about music composition and arrangement than like being the best singers ever), but his almost soft-spoken delivery just hits right for Jack to me. Example track: Something

James Taylor -- This is veering almost too much into the twangy territory, but I think it helps serve what I mean by sounding a bit more unpolished and husky while still being more in the baritenor range. James Taylor has had a long career, so there's option abound for sampling, but I went with a cover song from his latest album because he is. Well. Older lol. Example track: God Bless the Child

YINDRA | I would argue Yindra is the most defined singer in our new crop of elevated mains, so she needs a section here. When it comes to her, I want you simply to think of the most talented vocalist you know -- that artist you think is just unbelievably talented and you can't believe they have a range like that. You wonder how they're not a huge star already if they aren't well known. That's Yindra. I feel like there are genuinely so many talented female vocalists that could make this comp list, but since I'm keeping it concise, a top-of-my-head sampling:

SZA -- I think sometimes people think of SZA more as a rap-adjacent vocalist (i.e. more about rhythm and delivery than vocal range, to a degree, which is an equally impressive skill), but I love her voice from a tonal perspective too. Have you heard her jump the octave in tracks from ctrl? An immediately slay. In this case, I will reference one of my favorite tracks from that album and that I think lets her vocals really shine due to the stripped nature of the track. Example track: 20 Something

Tess Henley -- If I haven't made it clear yet by how I slip her songs into the series here and there, I love Tess Henley. She is severely underrated. Why I bring her up for Yindra is two-fold: she has an incredible belt range, and also has a somewhat scratchy quality to her voice in certain octaves that I think is such a unique sound and makes her sound so... authentic and evocative. I think Yindra would have qualities like this too. Yindra's vocal talent is raw, untamed, a force to be reckoned that is bursting out of her -- it wouldn't be polished to pop perfection like Maya. It's just against her nature. Example track: Boomerang

Alicia Keys -- Okay is this a basic answer. Maybe. But I think Alicia's vocal talent speaks for itself, and so does Yindra's. Not to mention, her range alone is blockbuster. Case in point, example track, we all know it's coming: Girl On Fire

NIGEL | Nigel doesn't sing as much as some of the other characters (he's an actor at his core), but he's picked up enough performances this season to warrant mention here. I think of his voice as a gentle, somewhat level tonal tenor, and while I don't have much to say beyond that, a few comps nonetheless:

HONNE -- I can't tell the two members apart so don't ask that of me please lol but the vibes are there. Example track: Location Unknown - Brooklyn Session

Hippo Campus -- Again, don't know who is actually singing here LOL but again, the sound will tell you what you need to know. Example track: Golden

JOSH | Same goes for the above for Josh -- he's not a singer in the explicit sense of the word, so to a degree, his vocals would just sound like some guy. But he's a guy who has a deep, intrinsic understanding of music, and I do think that colors his vocal delivery. He's no Farkle, or even Charlie, but it doesn't hurt your ears to hear him chime in on a tune every now and then (especially when he's splitting with someone like Maya). Comps:

AJR -- AJR are basically just some guys, but some guys who know how to craft a good song, so they're kind of my go-to sound comp for Josh. I also think they sing pretty well about both young adulthood what-am-I-doing-with-my-life angst, and the battles of the industry, so their emotion shines through in that way. Example track: The DJ Is Crying For Help

Glass Animals -- Same sentiments. Example track: Solar Power - Spotify Singles

VANESSA | Unlike Zay, Vanessa is less of a triple-threat than she is more consumed with dance, but we know she can carry a tune competitively. And unfortunately, unless you're going into ballet, it helps to be able to sing to get more performing opportunities that include dance (see: Broadway), so she has most certainly honed those skills. In terms of skill vocally, I would plot her somewhere on the scale between Maya and Riley -- she's more polished than Riley, from all her training and overworking competitiveness, but she lacks Maya's raw natural vocal charisma. But that doesn't mean her voice can't be a showstopper when the moment calls for it. Comps:

Jasmine Cephas-Jones -- The oft overlooked third Schuyler sister of Hamilton, Jasmine has vocals that can cut right through you. I love how much energy and power you can feel in her delivery. Vanessa definitely has that quality. Example track: Little Bird

Normani -- Goes without saying, since we gave her the bop of all bops with "Motivation." And also unfortunate how Normani despite being talented got kind of celebrity eclipsed by a fellow former bandmate (Camila), which is something I'm sure Vanessa would relate to. Example track: Motivation

Billie Eilish -- This one is a bit out of left field, but something about the somewhat flat inflection and lower range (definitely alto) that Billie's voice encompasses has always struck me as a bit Vanessa-like. So I'm including her. Example track: Getting Older

-- Maggie

OKAY- I finally have time to fanboy about the concert that I just got back from LMAO so keep reading for a ride

So last Saturday my friend took me to the Freaks on Parade tour in Iowa for my birthday (which is on the 14th for anyone wondering :) ) BUT IT WAS SO GOOD??? Mudvayne, Powerman 5000, Rob Zombie, and Static-X were all there and I have to rate + share some of the photos I got from the concert :) it was so much fun.

The first band that played was call The Tale Untold, that band was AWESOME. They're a small band that formed in Omaha, Nebraska but oh my fucking god. The lead vocalist is a female and they sound so fucking metal?? Like ong my friends mom thought that she was a guy with how deep her voice got. It was hot as fuck and I loved them. They definitely give off Jinjer and Otep vibes, so if you like either of those bands. I definitely suggest them!

I cannot remember the next band that played, I was too busy socializing with my stepmom, friend, and their mom. Along with showing off my awesome vest that my cousin designed for me 😌💙💚

Once Powerman 5000 started up though, I drug my stepmom into the pit so we could watch them. Plus so we could find my dad since he was down there the whole time. I probably would have been as well, but it was 104 degrees Fahrenheit so I was melting in denim jeans and a denim vest.

(This was our view)

We didn't get clear up to the stage because we couldn't find my dad, but we were right in behind the mosh pit which was honestly amazing! I would have joined but 1) I didn't know if my stepmom would have let me. 2) this dude in the pit was mean mugging me and I 100% believe they would have fought me the moment I step foot in the mosh.

Powerman 5000 was tbh a stellar band to see. Not as lively as they used to be, but they're still one of my favorite bands and I honestly love Spider so <3 That's okay.

Static-x... Oh my GOD GUYS THEY WERE SO GOOD??? It may not have been Wayne, but jesus christ xer0 does such a good job! It's uncanny how much he sounds like Wayne! The songs that they played were awesome and just seeing them in concert was phenomenal. They are definitely a band you have to hear live. The vocals are beautiful and the guitar is just unbelievable when listening to them live. I was so thrown back by there music I kind of forgot to record and take more than two pictures. Which I greatly regret now. After they were done performing the drummer tossed his drum stick out into the crowd and my dad and I nearly caught it but this tall ass mf in front of us barely even reached up and grabbed it. Like sir??? That was coming straight at me. That was obviously mine.

I am definitely gonna try and see them again next year if they're back in the area!

Mudvayne isn't really a band favorite of mine, but they were such a fun band to see in person :) Chad was very lively and SUPER hilarious. He even got in the crowd to sing some of the songs. He wasn't entirely in the crowd, but he was on a platform off the stage sitting on the fence and like giving people high fives and shit. I was aggressively headbanging when he did this and was mad confused when people started pushing me to the side. Like why was everyone running to the left?? Then I raised my phone because I couldn't see of the crowd and I saw that Chad was in the crowd lmao. What a Chad.

Now Rob Zombie... My beloved... This concert was AMAZING. The colors, the set, the vocals, JOHN 5??? Amazing. My favorite part was when they did a tribute for Joey Jordison. Rob told the crowd how he used to play with them and how Joey's favorite song to play was Scum of The Earth so they played that for him. I got a little emotional when they did ngl.

ALSO JOHN 5??? DID I MENTION JOHN??? Oh my god, so I got up to the front of the stage because the crowd was trying to get to the front and instead pushed me into the barricade. John leaned agaisnt part of the stage and like looked at me and nodded his head??? Like sir??? I have a photo of him leaning, but he looked away when I got the photo.

Then he went to toss me a pick towards the end of the concert and I nearly caught it BUT this dick bag beside me shoved me out of the way and stole it from me. John GLARED at this mf and like ran his finger over his throat while looking at them. Then John looked back at me and gave me a thumbs up as if to ask if I was okay and I just nodded and smiled like a dumbass because HOLY FUCK JOHN 5 NOT ONLY ACKNOLEDGED ME AND TRIED TO GIVE ME A PICK, BUT ALSO THREATENED A MAN IN MY HONOR??? I am fr living the dream.

My other favorite part was when they played House of 1000 corpses. It was just so pretty and the fake snow was so cool. Plus they put on cowboy hats so that was hot. The song started and I just SCREAMED and then I screamed "I LOVE YOU SHERI" At a photo of sheri on the big screen and like 8 people screamed "WE LOVE YOU TOO" LMAOOO It was so silly. It was so fun to dance to and headbang ugh I am excited to see him again in September hopefully. Plus, Otis showed up on screen and I was all >:o the whole time and nearly screamed "I LOVE YOU OTIS" but restrained the monster fucker in me 💪💀

Overall a good beginner festival to go to! It was so fun seeing all the metalhead there and just people who like the same music as me! I saw a bunch of people with Knotfest shirts as well so I didn't feel as bad since I had my cousin make my vest Slipknot-themed lmao. Hope you enjoyed my rambling. I'll post some of the other photos and videos later!

also, if you look at it in a very cynical way, Ian Curtis committing suicide was a great career move. almost like mishima, art becomes life, he's immortal. I mean joy division is forever untouchable despite Peter hooks recent efforts to ruin the legacy.

if you compare Ian Curtis to the guy from The Sound (the fact that I don't remember his name proves my point) it's sort of theatre versus the real thing. if Ian Curtis had continued to live he would have become very successful, he had a lot to live for and even if he was genuinely severely depressed, he had marital problems and seizures and all this, I think it is sort of a young man's suicide. he really should have thought about it more. this was at the height of the bands popularity and they were only going to get bigger. so to leave the world waiting is, again, a great career move.

The Sound guy also suffered from serious mental health problems, arguably worse, he was schizophrenic as well. he tried and tried for years to get somewhere with music and The Sound I mean post punk people like them but they were never anywhere close to Joy Division. and their career declined, the band breaks up, he continues to try to make music and then as a middle aged man he commits suicide. this is the real thing. failure. nothingness. and I think the music represents his suicide versus Ian Curtis' suicide representing the music.

it was an odd thing for me to turn 24 a couple of months ago. it was a sad day like every birthday but especially so because I outlived Ian Curtis. when I was in high school I always figured he was part of thr 27 club and looked it up one day and when I saw he was 23 I couldn't stop crying because thats so young, even to me then, in high school, that seems so young and it's just so heartbreaking. and I still think about this, he released this untouchable body of work and then died, most people live to be three or even four times older than he did and contribute nothing to the world, and I am afraid of being one of these people. and just to think, he was so young making these albums it's unbelievable to me.

there's a bootleg live recording where he changes the lyrics to new dawn fades. "I've walked on water, danced through fire can't seem to take it anymore." when I heard that, again, I could not stop crying. it's just. idk. I've really never related to a band so much and being a male JD obsessive I would agree is a red flag lol. and the Ian Curtis cult of personality I fall into this trap. nothing else really captures this feeling of just total bleak nothingness. unknown pleasures is a sad album, closer is a suicidal album, clearly. everything they did, every song is so perfect. loneliness, mental illness etc. and even the way he dressed and looked. he's just like me. I mean I really feel for him. and it will always make me emotional thinking about him.

Day 21: Brighton Rock from Sheer Heart Attack

I am so excited to start Sheer Heart Attack. It’s one of my favorites. I know I say that about all of them, but really…

I remember the first time I listened to this album in its entirety, on vinyl, and Brighton Rock came on first. I was amused at first, with the carnival beginning. It is just so unique, and I’m always fascinated with what songs Queen chooses to go in what order on their albums. Think about it: back when vinyl was king, a lot of actual thought went into the song order, because you played a record seamlessly, versus track by track. In Queen 2, the band showed they could merge songs beautifully, and in this album, we see it again on several of the songs. 

Anyway, back to Brighton Rock. We start out at this carnival, with all the background noise and music that makes me think I’m at some seaside carnival. Then, that noise gives way to some very fast guitar, getting louder and louder, adding drums. Now, they have our attention.

Another surprise: Freddie in falsetto, telling a story. 

“Happy little day, Jimmy went away. Met his little Jenny on a public holiday.” 

Okay so they’re telling us a story with this one. 

I love, love, love, how Freddie’s voice continues in falsetto until he hits: “It’s good to know there’s still a little magic in the air.” Halfway through the word magic, he transforms his voice, just like that, flawlessly, into another pitch. 

Brian’s ever present guitar punctuates the whole thing.

Freddie’s back, but this time he’s playing each character. 

First, he’s Jimmy, and his voice is deeper: “Jenny will you stay, tarry with me, pray?”

Next, he plays Jenny (in falsetto again): “Oh no, I must away, to my Mum in disarray…”

I have to say, “Oh, rock of ages, do not crumble, love is breathing still” is a beautiful lyric, but I’m not sure I quite understand. Rock of ages is a Biblical term, or at least traditionally? Anyway, sometimes it’s best not to overthink pretty lyrics, but to enjoy them. What follows is very whimsical anyway: “Oh, lady moonshine down, a little people magic if you will.” 

Something about this makes me think Brian wrote it. I probably already knew that, but that lady moonshine part makes me think of him. 

Also, the guitar solo to come is of course Brian…and it’s fucking epic. 

Not enough can be said about the guitar in this. I never want it to end…which is amazing because it truly goes on for a long time. But it’s not just a guitar. It’s a story being told through the instrument. It’s emotion and narrative, all coming from Brian’s strings. Genius. Utter genius. 

Of course, during the guitar solo of this song, during live shows to follow, the band would always use this opportunity to make costume changes (namely Freddie of course) and any set alterations that needed to be done. 

Don’t mistake though: this song is anything but filler. It’s a rock fest. It’s an ear-gasm. 

Seriously, there are so many layers to this. It’s unbelievable. BRIAN, you glorious bastard! 

(Also, Freddie’s giggle at the end is just outrageous!)

OH ALSO-

MEDICINE and LION with Strum perhaps? 👉👈

-@fictionallyinparadise

Hiii bestieeeeee!! I'm. LATE AF but here I am and I hope this lengthy teeth-rotting insight of my mind is worth the wait <;3c

MEDICINE - How do you and your f/o take care of each other when you're not feeling well? This could apply to a physical illness (whether it be the common cold or a chronic illness) or mental illness.

Silvia is constantly wearing her nurse outfit (and not the sexy one, she ain't build like that sdfghj) with Sturm being...,., well,.. Sturm.

I mean, that man literally charges through fucking walls head first, he gets into fights with the other Soldaten, his engine tends to overheat leaving burn marks where the metal connects to his body and not to mention the state his arms are, like... Unacceptable. Embarrassing even.

So, as you can image, she's been tending to his wounds since after the day they met, stitching up gashes, changing bandages, removing shards of various materials (mostly glass and metal) from his flesh and so on. Sometimes it's more about ordinary things, like putting a band-aid on a scratch (the kind kids would wear ofc) or rubbing some of that First Aid Med on a cut, what matters to her is to take care of her sweet mechanical teddy bear at the best of her skills. And to have her hands constantly on him too, ofc sdfghj.

Not that he minds that, actually he's become known inside the Factory for pawing at her door at almost every hour of the day for the most insignificant of reasons to have a chance to have her hands anywhere near and/or on his body (i will not apologize for the phrasing sdfghk) <;3c

When it comes to turn the tables though, Sturm is Silvia's emotional support undead: as much as unbelievable y'all might find it, Sturm has learnt to recognize tune shifts and other subtle variations in Silvia's voice in order to understand her state of mind, same thing for her gait. It takes the smallest of changes for him to pick up something is wrong™ with her and come to her aid.

He will get as close to her as possible without hurting her and just. Stays there. He's a surprisingly good listener and he won't leave until Silvia has assured him everything is ok or until she's finished venting. Or crying. Mostly the latter, and while perhaps Sturm isn't exactly built for finding comforting words, he sure gives the best hugs and he's there for her whenever she needs it, and she doesn't even have to ask. Not that she's actually able to do that without eating her own heart out first, but when it happens it usually leads to a very fluffy-touchy-mushy cuddle pile that is indeed a cure for all ills....

Come on, don't look at me like that, it ain't my fault we want each other in the way of flesh wanting to knit itself together over a wound, ya know??? [from These Violent Delights by Micah Nemerever]

LION - Was it hard to get close to your f/o? Did they have a difficult time opening up to you?

Honestly? Easiest thing ever for Sturm.

He literally started following Silvia around like a lost puppy looking for much coveted attention the moment she treated him with the same kindness she's shown to all the other Soldaten <3c (← lies and slander, Sturm def got waaaaaaaaay more pats and cuddles than the others jhgfasdsfdgh).

On the other hand though? It's been an absolute challenge for her.

Like between the danger of being torn to shreds for standing too close to his blades, the unabating efforts to find a way of communication, her own issues with showing vulnerability as she could no longer deny the feelings she has for him and most of all having such feeling be reciprocated, Silvia has been faced with an inner conflict the size of the whole village.

Fortunately, with the help of her adoptive father, Donna (and Angie too I guess asdfghj) and the Duke (who might or might not have pulled some strings to make certain things happen *wink wink*), she has finally felt comfortable letting down her guard and allow herself to trust again.

Call that the power of love or whatever, but now Silvia is ready to throw hands with Ethan, the whole BSAA and even Mother Miranda herself if they were ever to hurt her lover uwu

ooh, 27 & 30 for the wrap?

27. What do you listen to when writing?

this year as i was driving around imagining stories, i'd put on two playlists: the princess luz playlist, which is about being unbelievably sad, and my devin and nova playlist, which is all songs about having a HORRIFICALLY dysfunctional relationship.

when ACTUALLY writing, i gravitate toward instrumentals. i have still-very-much-in-progress instrumental playlists collecting music for each of the OCs, but they arent curated enough to link. if i'm writing a scene with a specific mood, i'll go on youtube and type "[x mood] epic orchestral mix."

if you've never done this for writing, it's a GODSEND. my most common searches are shit like "horror orchestral music," "drama/suspense epic orchestra mix," "devastation orchestral music mix," "powerful and emotional orchestral music mix"

there are too many bands and production companies i like to list them all here -- a LOT of musicians make electronic and orchestral scores that would fit intense movies. i've heard people say they use these mixes for setting the mood in TTRPGs, it's just as effective for writing.

as for specific instrumentals, i HAVE to recommend any and all of within temptation's. the instrumental versions of their songs showcase INCREDIBLE violin, piano, guitar, and general musical craftsmanship that usually gets lost under the vocals. they are fucking STUNNING.

my favorite one always fluctuates depending on my mood but for now i'll suggest trying shot in the dark to see if you like it. it's a pretty good preview of what their stuff sounds like.

30. Biggest surprise when writing this year?

honestly, i was surprised to rediscover how much i love horror writing, and equally surprised that so many people could get invested in my horror writing.

i know i'm a Good writer obviously. but i often think about fandom in terms of interaction with other people. i write a lot of dark shit in my own time that's just for me, but i'd sorta gotten used to thinking of fandom as being somewhere that i should write easy-to-read stuff. i didn't expect anybody to want to read anything else

(this isn't a Totally unfounded belief -- in my fandom immediately preceding this one, i was extremely invested in a main character with the darkest storyline in the books. at one point i wrote a novella about her and the people surrounding her that she killed/drove to suicide/emotionally destroyed, and unsurprisingly it's almost exclusively been read by like. tumblr mutuals. like ~12 kudos on each installment. which is still more than most writers would get!)

i started writing the longer luz fic bc horror has always been the easiest thing for me to write & i was in a lot of pain that needed venting. i didn't expect there to be an audience for it, i actually had braced myself for pushback bc sometimes certain toh circles can have...... interesting opinions about what is or isn't OK to do to a blorbo.

i really didn't think anyone would like reading my writing if it wasn't funny enough. and it's 100% true that the princess AU has a fraction of the kudos-based readership of wwaitsoatl. but the investment of that small readership is WILD.

i am. so grateful. aha