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damndaehyung · 3 years

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the big moments

himym au part 1 included: daniel,tara,mark, tyler, m, jane, minah, sungjae mentioned : oliver, ella, milo, astrid, minjae

2033

To the surprise of many Daniel Choi was a punctual guy, if he was given at least 3 hours notice he would arrive with time to spare. Right now all he could think as he walked into McLaren’s pub, a place that housed some of his fondest memories, was he wished he came late or better yet didn’t come at all because the only two people currently sat at the gang’s booth was Tara Lee and her husband Mark. He briefly contemplated turning around and sprinting down the busy New York street but stopped when Mark called out his name waving him over.

Damn it, Yang.

Swallowing his fear and admittedly his pride he walked over to the booth. It was one thing to deal with Tara and Mark, the disgustingly in love couple with their evil adorable daughter. The poster children for long-distance couples who managed to make it work, Tara a New York-based novelist, her popular young adult series was still in the New York’s Best Seller list despite been released 5 years ago and Mark, a kpop superstar turned music juggernaut, somehow despite their various engagements and time spent apart they couple never wavered. Unlike Daniel’s own marriage which fell apart at the first sign of distance - something, he isn’t bitter about at all, thank you very much.

The worst thing about being stuck with Tara and Mark was that he was stuck with his ex-sister-in-law and her husband who put in any awkward situations turned into a blubbering mess who spilled more words than a dictionary. At this point, Daniel would rather be stuck with his ex-husband then deal with Tara’s knowing eyes and Mark’s idle chit chat.

“A rare Choi spotting in New York? Quick Tara go buy a lotto ticket miracles are happening,” Mark joked as he slid into the seat across from them.

“Rare? His faces on buses Mark,” Tara said with a playful eye roll.

“But a live Daniel Choi in the wilderness? How much did Sungjae pay you to show up?” Mark continued the joke as Daniel waved at the bartender signalling for his usual, Lou who apparently was ageless and still worked here nodded.

“Don’t worry about it Mark you’d never be able to afford me,” Daniel laughed. “But on a serious note where is everyone? Is my watch way too fast or something?” He said looking at his watch with a frown. He was pretty sure it was set correctly and the text said McLaren’s at quarter to two, it was currently twenty to two.

“Interesting choice of wrist attire,” Tara commented. Daniel flushed, the watch was a birthday gift from Tyler of course. If anyone asked he’d feign naivety claiming he just put it on but the truth was he almost always wore it. “And I can’t speak on everyone but Ty’s dropping Oli off at our mothers,” Tara said.

Normally the mere mention of his former mother in law would make Daniel grimace but Tara had said the magic word. Oli. Despite being his ex-husband’s love child with some random woman he did not remember the name of Oliver Lee was a perfect baby who somehow managed to carve out his own space in Daniel’s heart.

“It’s a shame we are meeting here,” Daniel said just as Lou decided to bring his drink over, slamming the glass down with a glare. “BECAUSE CHILDREN AREN'T ALLOWED IN HERE GEEZ!” he yelled out trying to make sure at least his favourite bartender didn’t hate him.

“Do my eyes deceive me or is the same guy who said Milo looked like a shrivelled up prune when he was born now upset about a four-year-old not being here?” Mark said, raising an eyebrow. “I thought you were strictly anti-children,” he teased.

“I am not anti-children, I am not a monster -” Daniel huffed. “I just not particularly child-orientated and don’t bring that up again, Jane, wouldn’t talk to me for a month and when she did talk to me, the things she said,” Daniel paused to shudder. “I couldn’t sleep for months Yang, months!”

“Yeah, most people don’t like it when you insult their children, weird huh?” Tara laughed. “But no Oli won’t be joining us,” Tara said tilting her head. “You know it’s odd how the only time we see you is when it’s related to Oliver, you never came to any of Ella’s birthday parties? Are we all not friends?” Tara asked, taking a sip out of her wine.

Daniel bit his tongue, Daniel wouldn’t know if he would classify them all as friends, not anymore, after the divorce Daniel pretty much removed himself from the group and in Tara’s case after Tyler and himself announced that they were getting divorced Tara, the protective sister, didn’t hold back on what she thought of Daniel. “Ella’s birthday just happens to fall in a busy month,” he said shrugging. “Plus she has so many aunts and uncles my presence is hardly necessary.”

“I’d believe you if you actually showed up for Milo’s or Charlie’s or Astrid’s or Minjae’s -” Mark listed as Tara nodded victoriously beside him. God, he hated loved couples who were always on the same side. “I am beginning to think you might be playing favourites.”

“I have favourites? Never,” Daniel said with an eye roll. “Anyway, what have you two been up to? You know apart from picking on me,” he said.

“But it’s our favourite habit next to picking on Tyler,” Mark said with a laugh. “But Nah I’ve just been working on some new music, this one and her mini-me,” he bumping Tara lightly, “are trying to get me to write a children’s book but i am pretty sure there is only one novelist in this family,” he grinned.

“And I keep telling him that he is being silly,” Tara said with her own eye roll. “I am working on a new novel, i am trying my hand at a crime novel… my google searches have never looked more questionable,” she laughed.

“Don’t worry i am sure it still looks more normal than Tyler’s,” Daniel joked before realizing what he had just said. “I mean -” he trailed, it had just come so natural to him that he forgot he wasn’t supposed to say things like that anymore.

“Maybe in the old days but i am pretty sure his searches are related to how to raise Oli, that suits and Gucci, he has got boring in his old age,” Tara said with an eye roll. “Speaking of the old man,” she said nodding to the entry where Tyler and Jane and M were walking in.

“You were talking about me, I can tell,” Tyler said as they came over to the booth squeezing into the booth next to her. Tara grinned at him, zipping her lips. Tyler glared at her before he turned his attention to Mark. “Yang,” he said nodding before turning to Daniel. “Oh hey Daniel,” he said awkwardly, “I didn’t know you were coming,” he said smoothing out his suit. “How have you been?” he asked.

Daniel opened his mouth to open but was stopped by Jane. “No no we are not just glossing over the fact Daniel showed up,” she said as she slid into the booth beside him, “Squeeze over,” she said poking his side, Daniel sighed moving so he was effectively right up against the wall so M could get into the booth.

“Tara and Mark have gone over that in great detail,” Daniel said. “So maybe we could -”

“Oh hell no,” Jane scoffed. “Mark and Tara might have had their fun but we still have at least five shots to take at you before we can move on,” she said. “What do you think Supreme Fudge?” she asked, nudging M who stroked his chin.

“Hmm well considering he missed our anniversary dinner five seems fair,” he said. Daniel took another long sip of his drink. Showing up to group hangouts were not really for Daniel anymore, all of them were happy and living their best lives, they had their dream jobs, 6 out of the 7 were happily married and all of them had children, single childless Daniel didn’t really fit in anymore

“You might as well wait for Sungjae and Minah to show up so you can all get it over with together,” Daniel spoke. “Speaking of which does anyone know what this is about? Minah’s not pregnant again surely? They just had Minjae -”

“He is two,” M pointed out.

“And no i don’t think so, Minah would have told me by now,” Jane said.

“Maybe they are moving?” Tara suggested.

“Away from New York? After they just enrolled Astrid and Minjae into Constance’s and St Jude’s respectively - i don’t think so,” Tyler said. “Do you know how hard it is, luckily i am a legacy so Oli just gets in like that,” he said with a click.

“You don’t think they are…. You know getting the D word?” M all but whispered.

“Death?” Daniel said, frowning. “I am somehow don’t think they would be planning -”

“He meant divorce,” Mark said. ‘And i doubt it -”

“We could always just ask Minah who is here by herself,” Jane started her voice dropping when she spotted her best friend on her own. The other’s all shared a look as well. Daniel knew Sungjae and Minah were a happily married couple but surely here showing up on her own wasn’t a big deal, maybe she had gone shopping or he was with their children?

“You are all here,” Minah said surprised. “Good, that’s great, really great, great,” she said, nodding sound like she was trying to convince herself.

“Say it one more time and we might believe you,” Tara joked. It was an inside the group shared but Minah just smiled weakly as she dragged a chair over. “Okay,” Tara said uncomfortably. “ is everything -” she started to say as Minah shook her head.

“Please just let me speak,” Minah said, closing her eyes and breathing in deeply before exhaling. “Okay in about 5 minutes Sungjae will be here so when he gets here I would appreciate it if you could all pretend we haven’t already had this conversation -” she said. No one said anything but M did make a noise of protest. “RIght where to start?” she asked herself. “Well recently I’ve been feeling unwell -”

“Oh my god, you are pregnant?” Tyler said. “How did Daniel of all pick it? No offence just -”

“No, i am not pregnant,” Minah cut him off, “I really wish i was or i could be again but no I am just sick,” she said her voice cracking as she spoke. It was like that one statement had just sucked the life out of the room. Everyone stared at Minah waiting for her to continue, beside him Jane was shaking her head muttering no.

“It’s just a flu right Minah,” Jane asked, Daniel had to applaud her dedication to ignoring reality. Minah silence was a loud enough answer for Jane to start sobbing, M pulled her close as Daniel patted her back lightly.

“How bad - “ Mark started to ask but stopped when Minah shook her head.

“And you can’t fight it?” Tyler asked. “Between us all, we can find the best doctors in New York”

“In the world,” Tara added.

“Guys -” She started to speak.

“It’s too late,” Daniel finished for her. Minah looked at him perhaps surprised he guessed it.

“No, it’s not,” Jane snapped. “You and Tyler might be fine with giving up on things when it gets rough but Minah is going to -” she started before looking at Minah who was looking at her sadly. “I can’t be here right now - I need to,” she said standing up pushing past M and running into the women’s bathroom.

“I should -” Tara said, getting up to follow her.

“No let her be,” M said looking at the bathroom door frowning. “I think she just needs to -” he stopped because he didn’t really know what to say. What could you say when someone just found out her best friend was dying.

“Why are we here Minah?” Tara asked as she sat back down. “And why isn’t Sungjae here? Please tell me he knows you can’t keep this from him,” Tara said.

“He knows, “ Minah said. “I know we have our moments when it comes to communication but i would never keep something like this from him,” she said. “I called you here because I want you to promise me to look after them, Astrid, Minjae and especially Sungjae - he is going to need you more than ever,” she said.

“You don’t need us to promise that,” M said. “We would have done it regardless,” he said to Minah reaching out and grabbing her hand. “We will be here for both of you, whatever you need,” he said. A chorus of yeahs,i agrees and of course followed. Daniel nodded but said nothing, he wasn’t sure what help he could offer here, M and Jane were the best friends, Tara and Mark were the reliable ones, hell even Tyler could contribute more but Daniel was an ex-boyfriend of her husband and a person who never really spent time with her.

“So I take it you told them,” Sungjae said as he walked over. Nobody had realized he had even shown up. Minah nodded standing up and getting pulled into a hug. Soon everyone else was up pulling each other into hugs and giving words of assurance to the couple, even Jane had returned face blotchy and eyes red. Daniel stood awkwardly to the side of the group wishing he could go back in time and stop himself from coming. He promised he’d be here for the big things but he wasn’t ready for that.

#story

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sharkfish · 6 years

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Do you know of any long fics? I’m going on vacation tomorrow and I need something to read. Preferably, >100,000 words

i decided to ignore your request and give you fics over 75k xD i trolled through my bookmarks and this is what i found! these are almost all E rated.

(if anyone knows any of the writers that i didn’t tag, feel free to tag in replies, i always like to know when someone is recing me)

Appoggiatura by ceeainthereforthat 121k

Castiel leaves the religious commune of Heaven Farms to study classical piano after winning a full scholarship paid for by the Deanna Campbell Memorial Foundation, and answers an ad in the campus newspaper: 1 bedroom to let. Meals provided. 50mb wifi, quiet odd music student preferred.

A Room Of One’s Own by NorthernSparrow 94k

All Dean wants is a little privacy. Cas doesn’t understand.

a turn of the earth by mishcollin 95k

Dean’s your typical half-orphaned, monster-killing 22-year-old until a trenchcoated stranger crashes into his back windshield one September night, claiming he’s an angel that knows him from the future and that he’s on the run.

Frigging fantastic.

(Or, in which Castiel gets stuck in Dean’s timeline preseries and Dean kind of hates it—until he doesn’t.)

C-S-T-L by komodobits 90k

It’s been nineteen years since the beginning of the Last War, and the Alliance Army is losing land faster than it can supply good men to defend it. Their hope is the synthesis of Android Angeles, a series of humanoid machines designed without the capacity to feel, and thus enabling them to be the perfect super soldiers. In order to check their battle suitability, the first prototypes are sent down with a landing party of the men they will later replace, and Sergeant Dean Winchester is paired with Unit 5284-C-S-T-L for the assignment. Cas, as Dean nicknames him, is easy enough to work with - once you get past the emotional vacancy and blatant disregard for human life, that is - but as the squad’s tour goes on, Dean gets to wondering whether the Android Angeles are really as unfeeling as he’s been told, or if the fear of a reality in which malfunctioning prototypes will be shut down is too great for them to exist any other way.

Clean Air by anactoria 121k

Centuries after the surface of the earth was devastated by an unknown disaster, the remnants of humanity live in a series of vast underground silos, each unaware of the existence of the others.

For the inhabitants of Silo 34, the silo is the world, and the only world they know. Questions about the outside world are forbidden, and asking them is what got Dean Winchester’s parents killed. He isn’t even sure himself that they weren’t crazy.

That all changes when he hears a voice on the radio – a voice from another world.

Dream of Now by Sass_Master (series) 136k

Dean’s getting some pancakes together for breakfast when Cas saunters in after a run.

He’s trying to focus on whisking batter, unfairly distracted by Cas a few feet away, breathing heavily and shining with perspiration. Dean’s been painfully aware for a long time that Cas is pretty easy on the eyes, but he’s used to seeing Cas buttoned-up and unflappable, looking straight-laced in a stiff oxford and an unflattering trenchcoat.

Now Cas is sweating, Dean’s borrowed t-shirt clinging to his skin, flushed from exertion and Dean really can’t deal with that in his kitchen right now.

For All You Young Hockey Players Out There, Pay Attention bythursdaysfallenangel 143k

Dean Winchester knows two things about hockey, two things his dad made sure he knew. One, hockey is a guy’s sport, and two, hockey is family. Hockey meant Sam and Bobby and Benny and Victor and Gabriel and hell, his entire team. So when Victor gets traded, Russian-star-turned-new-teammate Castiel Krushnic becomes a threat. As much as Dean hates him for that, the longer he sticks around, the more he begins to threaten that first rule too. Dean’s been taught his whole life that those who play hockey should not be captivated by deep accented voices and the way a guy handles his stick, so how the hell is he supposed to justify what he’s starting to think about Cas? All Dean wanted at the beginning of the season was to win, and now all he wants to do is figure out how he feels about Cas and how to deal with it without ruining his career and tearing his family apart.

Grown-Ups Making Grown-Up Choices by Carrieosity @carrieosity 81k

Dean is a grown-ass man - he can take perfectly good care of himself, thank you very much. Except that sometimes the easier or more fun choices aren’t always the right or best ones, and, all right, maybe thinking ahead and working the long game isn’t his strongest suit. It’s fine! He’s fine.

When he meets Castiel, he realizes that flying by the seat of his pants may not be the best way to attract the super-serious (gorgeous, funny, genius) Alpha. Dean’s shrink has been telling him he needs to start making “grown-up choices,” and if that’s what he has to think about in order to make Cas fall for him, then he’ll give it a whirl.

Halflings by Unforth @unforth-ninawaters 103k

Ever since his wife Lisa died, Dean Winchester has been willing to do anything for his son Ben. When Ben decided he wanted to adopt a halfling, Dean said yes without hesitation - provided they did so the right way, by giving whichever half-human they decided to bring home the respect and dignity it deserved. Half-octopi Castiel isn’t exactly what they were looking for in a pet, but, then, they aren’t exactly what Castiel was expecting for owners, either.

I Can Make You Scared by Dangerousnotbroken @dangerousnotbroken 136k

So this is how it goes. Best day of Dean Winchester’s life. Loses his job, finds out he’s been cheated on, gets dumped, all in the course of one fucked up Thursday. Drinking himself into oblivion is the natural response, right? A chance encounter in a dingy dive bar gives Dean a new friend who sees his problems and likes him anyway. Now, as Dean struggles to pick up the pieces of his life, Castiel just might help him put them back together in a way he never expected.

I Wanna Get Outside (Of Me) by emwebb17 142k

Dean is a novice in the dom/sub world asked by his employer as a desperate last resort to be a sub for his recluse of a brother, Castiel. Castiel is a diagnosed OCD suffering from PTSD and agoraphobia, mysophobia, and dystychiphobia. Needless to say—he’s a mess who hasn’t stepped out of his home in literally seven years. The only times Gabriel can see traces of the way his brother used to be is when he feels in control—specifically when he has control over a sub. However, due to his idiosyncrasies and paranoia, keeping a sub around has been impossible. Enter Dean, who’s not a very traditional submissive, to try his hand at subbing for the hermit.

Living in Agony by ChasingRabbits 120k

Dean Winchester’s life is… well, it’s not great. He’s a gym teacher, he’s in his thirties, and he can’t seem to keep any part of his life straight. When the aftermath of a one-night stand goes awry, Dean is dragged kicking and screaming out of his cozy little closet and into the harsh light of reality.

Enter: Castiel Novak, the new history teacher, who knows full well that life gets crappy when you don’t allow yourself to live it in the way it needs to be lived.

Plus One by ceeainthereforthat 90k

Castiel Novak might have to attend three weddings in two months, but he’s not about to let his brother play matchmaker. His family’s Internet streaming company is too important to let a relationship steal his time, but he knows exactly what to do–hire someone to pretend to be his boyfriend.

Dean Winchester has worked five-star hospitality long enough to know how to fit in with Castiel’s crowd, and this job could score him the connections to make his acting career take off. It’s a business deal, no matter how they’re drawn to each other. When the lines of their contract start to blur into real feelings, can they withstand Castiel’s family and jealous fans working to split them up?

Satin and Sawdust by Ltleflrt @ltleflrt 159k

When Castiel moves out of Jimmy’s house and into his own place for the first time, he saves money on buying a home by investing in a Fixer-Upper. He knows nothing about how to fix the many problems the house has, but he figures he’s smart enough to figure it out. Unfortunately it’s not too long before he learns that he’s way in over his head.

Thankfully his new neighbor Dean is a handyman, and agrees to help him out. He knows Dean has a bit of a crush on him, but he’s not taking advantage of it, really. Dean’s a great guy, and quickly becomes a good friend.

Should’ve Just Asked by Annie D (scaramouche)

Despite their age gap and differing social circles, Castiel has struck up a warm friendship with Mary Winchester, a wealthy widowed socialite. When Castiel needs a place to stay, Mary invites him into her house, where there’s loads of spare room. Castiel’s aware that they make an odd pair, but he doesn’t fully realize how things look to outsiders, especially to Mary’s eldest son. All Dean Winchester sees is that his mom has apparently hooked up with a hot young guy (who is totally Dean’s type) and that makes things… weird.

The Last Great Race by wincechesters 82k

There is a race that takes place every year in Alaska called the Iditarod, a thousand mile journey across the Alaskan wilderness by dog sled team that has come to be known as “The Last Great Race on Earth”. It is a test of endurance, of the relationship between dogs and their people, traversing mountain ranges, frozen rivers, forest and tundra.

When writer Castiel Milton is forced to spend two and a half months in Alaska at Winchester Kennels to cover the race preparations and the Iditarod itself, the only person more dismayed than he is Dean Winchester, one of his hosts. Castiel views his assignment as a punishment and is less than impressed by his surly host, and Dean distrusts the sheltered city-born writer who has invaded their home and their lives. But soon, as the Winchesters prepare for their race and Castiel learns about sled dogs and what a musher’s lifestyle is all about, they forget to hate each other and their relationship evolves into something neither of them expected.

ok this is sterek and tagged with watersports and underage but hear me out — i love this fic. stiles gets peed on at the beginning of ch9 if you want to skip it, but it’s really just about as weird in a werewolf verse as you’d imagine, and i still love the fic so.

Sell Your Body to the Night by Dira Sudis (dsudis) 121k

“No,” he repeated impatiently. “I’m not a cop. I’m someone who wants to exchange my money for your sexual services. I was told you were in that line of work.”

“I, uh, yeah, sorry,” Stiles said. He glanced around again and then up–the full moon was almost directly overhead. Just one of those nights, maybe. “Yeah, I am. I do that.”

also sterek, but hear me out – this is the first sterek fic i ever loved, and if it weren’t for this fic, i probably wouldn’t have gotten into it in the first place.

Cornerstone by Vendelin

Suffering from PTSD, ex-Marine Derek Hale moves back to Beacon Hills to open a bookshop and find a calmer life. That’s where he meets Stiles, completely by accident. Stiles is talkative, charming and curious. Somehow, despite the fact that he’s blind, he’s able to read Derek like no one else.

if you read and like any of these, give the writer some comment love!!!

and have a great vacation!!!!

#origin-void #sharkrecs #sharklists #destiel #sterek

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bazypitchandsimonsnow · 6 years

Text

Watford Cove

Chapter 5: not so typical love song

Rating: T

Genre: Fluff/Angst

Word count: 5365

Chapter: 5/13 [All chapters]

Summary: Baz goes to Simon's house to work on the project.

Read on AO3

AN: So as some of you may know/remember, I work at an amusement park. I was supposed to work today but it's literally raining all day so the park is most certainly closed. Which means I can post early! Hooray! This is personally one of my favourite chapters. I enjoyed writing it quite a bit, though I had trouble writing Baz's emotions. The boy is a weird self destructive mess and it's difficult getting that across lol. Finally, we learn a bit more about Simon. Plus some fluff, of course. Hope you all like it!

Tagging: @wayward-son-61 @lunar-lover394

———————————————-

“Where are you going?”

I lazily turn towards Mordelia. She’s standing next to me with her arms behind her back, rocking on her heels. The picture of an adorable, unassuming child. You can hardly tell she's a brat.

“Out,” I reply.

“Mum says you go out too much.”

I do feel a bit bad about that. Daphne does legitimately care about my well being. “Well, you can tell her I’m not going out drinking. She can stop worrying.”

“Drinking what?”

I sigh. Right, she is still seven years old. “Nevermind. I’m just going to do schoolwork at someone’s house. I might be home for supper or not, I don’t know.”

“Okay. When can I ride on your motorbike?”

I smirk and buckle up my helmet. “Let's wait until you can reach the pedals. Then we’ll talk.”

Mordelia pouts pathetically. I ruffle her hair, which only makes her pout become an impressive scowl. I flip down my visor with flare and rev my engine. I give Mordelia a salute before driving off down the country road.

Simon’s house isn’t that far from mine, actually. Maybe a twenty minute ride, the way I break the speeding laws. I zip down the hill at ludicrous speeds, and keep that pace up across the country roads until they become moderately paved. Soon I’m on the sparse outskirts of Watford Cove, not the bloody fucking wilderness like mine. A much nicer place to live in my opinion.

Only a few minutes in, I arrive at the address Simon texted me. The house is actually quite posh. It’s not the terrible extravagance of the Pitch mansion of course, but it’s nice. Red brick, white shutters, some fancy curtains. There's a silver mailbox at the end of the drive with "Salisbury" painted on it in annoyingly bright green letters. The handwriting looks childish, as in a child probably wrote it. The initials "LS" are under the words like an artist's signature. Hm, interesting.

I park my bike in the driveway then make my way to the oak door. The doorbell chimes deep and loud. There’s some steps and soon it swings open. Oh. This is...not Simon. Because Simon is not an older greying-blonde woman.

This woman reminds me of portraits my own grandmother. She was also tall, straight backed, and respectful looking. But my grandmother never showed an ounce of happiness. This woman has a very kind smile on her face though, her wrinkles more from the expression rather than age.

“Hello,” she says kindly. “May I help you?”

“Um, I’m here to see Simon.”

Both her blue eyes and smile widen. “Oh right, Simon said you were coming. Simon! Your friend is here!”

There’s a crashing sound, like someone falling on the ground. Rapid steps come down the stairs until a beaming Simon jumps to the bottom.

“Hi Baz,” he says breathlessly. “Glad you found it.”

“I have Google Maps, Salisbury,” I deadpan, but with a smirk.

“Oh yeah, right, let’s go.” He motions for me to follow him inside. I nod to the woman. She looks up towards the stairs, hands on her hips.

“Simon,” she says with mock accusation, “are you not going to introduce me to your friend?”

Simon freezes halfway up the steps and whips his head around. “Oh right! Sorry, Gran. Um, Gran, this is Baz. Baz, this is my grandmother, Ruth Salisbury.”

I reach out my hand. “Pleasure to meet you, Ms. Salisbury.”

Her brows rise up in surprise. I suppose she didn’t expect politeness from a guy wearing a black Ramones shirt, leather jacket, and ear piercings. But she still takes my hand. “Pleasure to meet you as well, Baz. You two have fun.”

Simon scoffs. “It’s school, Gran. We’re not supposed to have fun.”

“School can be fun if you try, darling. Maths has made me very good at cards.”

“And you fleece Mrs. Jones every week at your games, I know. We gotta go.”

“Yes yes, go do your schoolwork. Don’t break anything.”

Simon and Ms. Salisbury smile good naturedly at each other as we go upstairs. He runs at a breakneck pace, nearly tripping over the green carpet. I follow more slowly, looking over the walls. Unlike my house, there are many personalised things. Landscape art, funny knick knacks, and some pictures. There’s one of Ms. Salisbury with an older man, who I assume to be her husband. Next to that, there’s the couple again but in their younger years. A boy and girl stand in the foreground, both as blonde as Ms. Salisbury. The last one at the top of the stairs is obviously the two kids as teenagers, grinning with arms around each other. The woman looks weirdly familiar. Her freckles, they remind me of...stars.

“Baz, c’mon!” Simon yells.

“Yes, yes, I’m coming. You’re quite bossy today, darling,” I say teasingly. I hear his gasp, then fall into a coughing fit.

“I-I just want to start working.” His voice is still a bit hoarse.

“Alright.”

I saunter down to the hall Simon went down. I step into his room, and...well, I’m not sure what else I expected. The bed and desk look old, but everything else is new. The floral blanket, the multicoloured rug, the IKEA shelf filled with comics, all quite fresh. The walls are bright blue and covered in posters. Troye Sivan, Lana del Ray, Hayley Kiyoko, and assorted pastel coloured art. Equally pastel clothes are spread out across the floor. The whole room is so...bright. It sort of hurts my eyes. I’d prefer everything a bit darker. I guess I like Simon’s colour palette in small doses, just not all in one room.

I look up. Simon’s at his desk. I finally notice that he’s wearing a new shirt. It’s like the sunflower one, but pink and with bright red rosebuds instead. It works with the copper undertones of his hair. He looks perfect in it.

“Pretty,” I whisper.

“What?” Simon asks sweetly.

Fuck, I hope my face isn’t as red as his shirt right now. “Um, nothing.”

He looks confused for only a moment then shrugs. “Okay. I woke up late and forgot breakfast, so I'm starving. Want some of this? For brain food and stuff.” He holds up a mint aero bar. My smile is instantaneous.

“Sure. Mint aeros are my favourite.”

He grins to his ears. “Mine too!

I sit in the chair next to him. He breaks off a large piece for me. We eat the chocolate at the same time, but Simon gets some around his mouth. (Of course he's a messy eater.) I want to slowly lick it off his cheek then kiss him so hard we run out of breath. I quickly look away to resist temptation. “So, you got the project up?”

“Oh yeah!” He turns back to his laptop. I see that the desk is covered in scribbly note paper, candy wrappers, and nail polish bottles. He’s got almost every colour in his preferred pastel shade. He’s actually wearing the pink one right now. It matches his shirt. I have to keep myself from making an out loud comment again.

“So I’ve started making the powerpoint,” Simon says, bringing up the application. “And I think we should start with Watership Down. The actual place. Cause it’s like, the most important setting right?”

I bite my tongue, because I...disagree. Strongly. Watership Down should be in the middle, because it is the end of their first journey and the beginning of the next. It’s important to illustrate that, I think. But he doesn’t know I would think that.

“Sure, cool,” I mutter.

“O-Okay. Then, uh, for characters, we should start with General Woundwort.”

Wrong, very wrong. He’s important, sure, but others should be discussed first. Maybe Hazel, Bigwig, or Fiver. Fuck, Bluebell should come before Woundwort.

“Yeah, that’s fine.” I hope there isn’t a strain in my voice.

“Awesome! And I thought for analysis, we could talk about the archetypes and shit.”

No! Archetypes are Jungian! We’re supposed to do Freudian! Oh, fuck it.

“Give me that,” I hiss, snatching the laptop away. Simon blinks at me confused. I type furiously, barely thinking really, just spouting out the knowledge I have onto the slides. Some of the stuff is very smart but not well put, so I redo the wording. Not good with words, just like Simon said. I don’t know how long it takes, but when I’m done, I put the laptop back on the desk with my arms crossed.

“There,” I say curtly.

Simon looks through it, jaw falling open wider and wider with every slide. I shift away. Christ, this is embarrassing.

“Holy shit,” Simon whispers. I wait for him to start laughing, or yelling because I change his work. But he just turns to me with big awe filled eyes. “You’re...really smart.”

My cheeks must be as red as tomatoes now. I scoff and look at the Hayley Kiyoko poster. “Yeah, whatever.”

“No, no, I mean it, Baz. This is bloody brilliant! You’re super smart!” His brow furrows. “Why do you never show up to class? You could be getting As in like, everything.”

I press my lips together, digging my nails into my bicep. “I don’t care about school or grades. That’s all.”

“Really? You just, don’t care?”

“No, I don’t.”

Simon sighs, and I hate how close to pity it sounds. I don’t need his pity or anyone else’s. I made my choice a long time ago, and I don’t regret it. Well, I mostly don’t regret it. Certainly don’t regret because of where I’m going when term is done. Not at all...

“So, uh,” Simon says rapidly, obviously trying to break the forming tension, “I'm also mostly done the drawings. I’ll scan them later and put them in the presentation if you like them.”

He pulls out a sketchbook from his desk and flips through the pages. He shoves it in my face once he’s found the right one, making me jolt back in my chair. I snatch it from him.

“Christ, Salisbury, let me actually look,” I chuckle.

“Oh, sorry, sorry.”

I look at the picture, and it’s my turn to be awestruck. It’s...amazing. Rough, raw, a bit messy, but amazing. He’s captured Watership Down in just pencil. Sure, it’s just a hill, but Simon has drawn it from the perspective of the rabbits, so it looks looming and majestic. There are little shapes at the top, and I realise it’s a few of the rabbits looking out into the distance. A cute and perfect addition.

“Wow, this is incredible,” I say with absolute reverence.

Simon blinks at me. He seems genuinely surprised. “R-Really?”

“Yes. You’re very talented, Simon.”

“Oh, uh, well, thanks. I’m...really glad you think so.” He fiddles with his fingers nervously. “There’s a-a couple more if you want to see them. Three pages after.”

I flip through a few more pages. There are a lot of rough, abstract sketches. They look more like feelings than specific things. Waves of smoke, angry scribbles of pencil, over and over. He must do that a lot. Eventually, I land on what I think I'm supposed to see. It's obviously Fiver, based on the photo he showed me. But it's not an exact replica. It's a gorgeous interpretation. He's emphasized Fiver's large, sad, all knowing eyes. You can almost see everything terrifying and wonderful happening in them. To say I’m impressed doesn’t really cover it.

I go to the next page, and I immediately recognise it as a scene from the animated movie. When El Ahrairah, the first rabbit, was given physical gifts to survive predators from their fictitious god Frith. This one is in colour, and somehow even more stylised than the movie. El Ahrairah himself is a deep rich brown with grey loops, the sun is swirl of orange and yellow, and the sky is ripples of vibrant blue. The same colour as his eyes.

“These,” I say, “are perfect, Simon.”

Simon chuckles nervously, fiddling with his fingers. “I’m glad you think so. Think Miss Possibelf will approve?”

“If she doesn’t, she’s completely incompetent. And I don’t think that’s true.” I absentmindedly turn to the next page. It’s the start of another unfinished drawing. It’s of someone’s face. Someone with sharp cheekbones and dark wavy hair. Wait, is that-

Simon snatches the book and quickly flips it closed. He hides half his scarlet face behind the leather cover for a long moment, until he nervously coughs and lowers it. “Okay, good,” he stutters. “Glad you think so. I, uh, guess we’re done now. Man, we really could just do most of this over text.” Mother of God, must he keep doing that hair tuck? It’s torture.

“I suppose that's true," I chuckle.

"Wanna hang out?" He asks very quickly, gripping his sketchbook with ghost white knuckles.

I shouldn't. Fuck, I really shouldn't. I should go home, avoid him, keep my toxic self far away from Simon. But fucking hell, I'm weak for this boy, and just weak in general.

"Sure." My voice stays impressively neutral. "Any ideas?"

Simon twists his lips, looking around the brightly coloured room. His eyes drift down to my hands and he smiles mischievously. “I could redo your nails.”

I look down at my hands. Well, my nails are definitely chipped. I forgot to repaint them a few days ago. I look back at him with a raised brow. “I doubt you have a bottle of my ‘Chanel Le Vernis in Gris Obscur’, Salisbury.”

“Nah, definitely no Chanel. But I got some pretty good stuff from the drugstore.” He lifts up some obviously cheap but pretty nail varnish bottles. They’re all his pastels colours though.

“Not really my style.”

He shrugs. “Maybe you’d like to try something new?”

I bite the corner of my mouth. The colours hurt my eyes a bit. But he looks so adorable with that hopeful grin and glint in his eyes. I sigh, and put my left hand out. “Very well. I want your darkest shade though.”

Simon literally bounces with excitement. “Awesome! So, uh, how about...” He messes around with the bottles, almost dropping a few. Eventually he settles on a pale blue. “This one, and,” he holds up a unused looking dark grey, “this one? We can alternate.”

“Hm, sure. That grey doesn’t really match your style, though.”

He shrugs. “Eh, came with the set. Glad it did. It, uh, matches your eyes.” He looks pointedly at the desk instead of my face. That’s good though. I don’t want him to see the blush that’s spread across my cheeks. “Now gimme your right hand.”

I do as he says, placing it on the desk. He puts down some paper towel then pick up his nail polish remover and cotton balls. I have the exact same supplies at home. He reaches towards my hand, but quickly hesitates. He’s shaking actually. I can’t blame him. Every time we’ve touched, it’s been accidental or very quickly. This is different. This isn't a shoulder pat or playful shove. This is long and sustained and purposeful. And I may not be showing it, but I’m just as nervous.

“I can take it off myself,” I say quickly, reaching for the bottle. But Simon pulls it away.

“No no, I’m good. Just sit there and look...badass, alright?”

My lip twitches up. He’s so sweet. I leave my hand where it is. “Very well.”

Slowly, shakily, he slips his finger under mine. His skin is callused but still much smoother than my rough palms. It feels weird, but very nice. Almost electric. He dabs the cotton ball on the nail, rubbing off all my high end black nail polish. Huh, they look odd. it’s been awhile since my nails have been clean. After wiping them dry, he starts on with the blue. It’s a nice colour. Not something I would pick, but I can see the appeal. Simon drags the brush against my nail slowly but surely, making sure the coat is even.

“Hm,” I say, “you’re good at this.”

“Thanks,” he chuckles. “Self taught. A lot of trial and error, y’know? Took me ages to figure out how to do my right hand.”

“I learned from YouTube videos. Those makeup gurus know their shit.”

“Huh, smart. Oh, y’know what.” He stops painting and spins in his chair. Even with his back to me, I now he’s fiddling with his phone. Suddenly, the honeyed voice of Lana Del Rey is resonating through the room. He spins back with a grin.

“Your weird music is necessary?” I raise an eyebrow for sarcastic emphasis. Simon chuckles.

“Yeah, helps me concentrate. And it’s part of my continuing effort to convert you to good music.”

“Oh, is that your grand mission?”

“Yup! Slowly pull you away from all those screamy boys with bad haircuts and towards the beauty of Troye and Lana.”

I scoff. “You keep trying that, darling.”

He gives me a shy but sort of playful look from under his long eyelashes. “I certainly will...darling.”

Oh shit. I hope my complexion hides my blush enough. I smile back and try to look calm, hiding the storm in my chest.

We switch between chatting and companionable silence. Though Simon is never truly quiet. He hums along with the song, or makes noises of contemplation and frustration while trying to get my nails right. His hands slowly get less shaky, which helps. When we’re not talking, I take the opportunity to just watch his expression. How he sticks his tongue out in concentration, and his brow pulls together, and his face adorable pinches together when he gets something wrong. He always tries his best to fix it though, even with his clumsy fingers. It’s really sweet. Just like him.

I'm so unbelievably fucked.

“And...there!” He pulls back with a flourish. “Topcoat and everything. What do you think?”

I examine my hands. Huh, the blue is actually nice on me. And he’s right, the grey matches my eyes. It’s very well done. Maybe black isn’t the only colour I should use. I look up. Simon is staring at me wide eyed, chewing on his lip, leg jittering.

“It’s wonderful,” I say. “You did a marvelous job, Salisbury. Maybe you have a future as a nail artist.”

His nervous expression breaks, thankfully. I’ve found I prefer his grin to his genuine agitation. Blushing smile? Adorable. Wide eyed leg jittering? Not so much. “T-Thanks. Maybe...you could do mine sometime?”

Our eyes meet, and there’s no deception there. He’s always so genuine. It’s amazing. “Sure," I say before thinking. "If you can learn to like black.”

She shrugs. “Well, if you can learn to like blue, I guess I can try black.”

He grins, and I grin back. There’s a stretch of silence. It builds between us, making the air thicker and thicker. I’m torn between what I want to say and what I should. That I want more from this, more than just winks and smiles and “darlings”. But I know it can’t work. Simon should know that. I should tell him, all of it. But...he'll hate me. For not telling him about Switzerland, for using him like a plaything, for being an utterly stupid reckless prick. Can I handle him truly hating me?

“Simon, love! It’s nearly supper! Are you and Baz done your work?” Ms. Salisbury’s voice carries quite well. It jolts me from my depressive pit. Simon sighs and leans out towards the door.

“Yeah! Be down in a minute, Gran.” He looks at me, and I swear I see genuine sadness. “Looks like it’s time to say goodbye.”

I try to hide my own disappointment. “Yeah, looks like it.”

He bounces out of his chair, then offers his hand. I inhale sharply. Did not expect that. But after only a second of hesitation, I take it. He pulls me to my feet with ease. I’m still disturbed by how much his strength excites me.

“C’mon, let’s get you back on your motorbike, Pitch.”

“Should get you on it one day,” I say under my breath.

“What?”

I straighten up, hands in my jacket pockets. “Nothing, Salisbury.”

We walk down the stairs quickly. Well, Simon more jumps down them. He’s a never ending ball of energy. Ms. Salisbury is at the bottom.

“How was the work, you two?” she asks sweetly.

“Wonderful!” Simon chirps. “Talked about bunnies and stuff, and Baz let me do his nails.”

My brow shoots up to my hairline. I can’t believe he’s so open about this. If I told my father or Daphne the same, they would not say anything at best and lecture me at worst. But Ms. Salisbury looks positively elated by Simon’s words. “Oh, marvellous. Finally you can practice on someone other than me, love.”

Simon rolls his eye. “Yeah, like you don’t like it.”

“Of course. But it’s good you have another guinea pig. May I see your work?”

Simon looks at me in silent question. I shrug in response, then hold out my hand for his grandmother. She flips the glasses down from her head. “Amazing job, Simon. You’ve gotten so much better. And it looks great on you, Baz.”

“Thank you, Ms. Salisbury.”

She pulls away, waving dismissively. “Please, call me Ruth. Now, Baz, will you be staying for dinner?”

“Uh.” I turn to Simon. “Am I staying for dinner, Simon?”

Simon’s face turns red. “Oh, sure, if you want.”

I shrug. “I’m certainly in no rush to get home, and if it’s no trouble.”

“Oh it’s none at all,” Ms. Salis- Ruth says, waving her hand dismissively.

“Then I guess I’ll stay for supper.”

Ruth claps her hand once loudly. “Wonderful! Let me put out another setting.”

She saunters off to the kitchen. I decide to actually take off my jacket and boots and stay awhile. Simon leans in close to my ear, making my pulse spike.

“Hope you like roast beef,” he whispers. “It’s the only thing Gran knows how to cook well. Grandpa was a chef, and she’s been on her own since he died, so she’s never had to cook anything else. But she’s been learning more since I’ve got here.”

I shrug like he does. “I think I’ll live.”

“Good to hear.”

Simon leads me to the small dining room table. When I go to the left side, Simon grabs my hand and drags me to the right. I jolt slightly. Wow, that’s bold for him. Not that I’m complaining. I sit next to him as Ruth brings out a platter of delicious smelling meat and mash potatoes. Simon immediately shovels the food on his plate, licking his lips like a starving animal. I on the other hand take only a few slices delicately just like my mother taught me. But Ruth gives me an odd look.

“Are you not hungry, Baz?” she asks.

“Um, no, I am,” I reply slowly.

“Then please, take as much as you like. I always make a lot because of Simon’s endless appetite.”

Simon rolls his eyes, speaking with a mouth full of roast beef. “I’m a growing boy!”

“Growing monster more like it,” Ruth chuckles.

Huh, okay. I decide to be polite and take some more. Dinner proper starts, and it's...weird. My family is never this talkative at supper. We’re mostly silent and sullen. But the Salisburies are the exact opposite. Ruth and Simon chat, though Simon has trouble responding through all the the food in his mouth. (The boy has zero manners. It’s adorable.)

“So, Baz,” Ruth asks, facing me, “how’s school for you? I’ve only ever heard about it from Simon and Miss Penelope.”

No one’s ever asked my opinion of school either. I shrug. “It’s alright. Not my favourite place to be, of course. I think English is my favourite subject.” I tap Simon’s foot under the table. His breath hitches slightly, and he flashes me only a small smile. But it’s enough.

“Glad to hear so. Simon loves English too. He’s always eager to get to first period for Miss Possibelf’s class every morning.”

I flick my eyes over to Simon. His cheeks are flushed as he bites into his roast beef.

“Hm, glad to hear I’m not the only one who loves literature.” I let my voice drawl a bit, hopefully enough for Simon to notice but not Ruth. He doesn’t look up from his food, but I feel his toe tap my foot. And once again, it’s enough. Everything Simon does seems to be enough for me.

“I’m just glad Simon’s adjusting to Watford,” Ruth sighs. “It’s not easy moving schools most of the way through the year.”

Simon sighs in return. They sound almost exactly alike. Though Simon is more exasperated. “I told you, Gran, I’m fine. My grades are much better than last term.”

“There’s a good reason for that.” Ruth aggressively stabs her beef, and Simon looks sad as he nods slightly. This is the only crack in Ruth's kind demeanour I’ve seen all day. It’s strange, and the curious brainiac in me wants to know more. But the sensible part knows to just keep eating my food.

“Hey,” Simon chirps, “did I tell you about the kid who gave himself a wedgie in gum class yet?”

Ruth’s playful smile immediately returns. “No, I don’t believe you have.”

“Oh man, it was hilarious! Baz you’ll love this too.”

I lean my cheek into my palm. “I’m sure I will.”

Simon launches into the rambling anecdote, using mostly weird noises and illustrative hand gestures instead of words. Ruth and I both laugh along genuinely. This is the first time I’ve enjoyed a family meal in ages. It may be unusual, but it’s certainly not unenjoyable.

Soon enough, dinner is over, and Ruth brings out dessert. They’re sour cherry scones from Pritchard Bakery. Simon takes three immediately and starts slathering butter all over them.

“You like scones?” I ask mockingly.

Simon nods, scone crumbs all around his mouth. “Uh-huh. Gran got me some my first day here. They’re absolutely incredible.”

“My cousin owns the bakery, you know.”

His eyes go impossibly wide. “Really?! Could you get me some free samples?”

I shrug, a playful smile on my face. “Maybe.”

“Simon, you eat enough, you don’t need any more,” Ruth kindly berates. Simon frowns.

“There’s never enough scones, Gran.”

Ruth and I exchange an understanding look. Maybe I will bring him to see Cousin Pritchard before I go though. Something to make him happy before I’m gone.

Soon enough, Simon’s eaten all the scones, the dishes are done, and it’s my time to go. I’m a gentleman, I know when to take my leave. Simon and Ruth walk me out of the house.

“It was lovely having you, Baz,” Ruth says. And I have to admit, I’m a bit taken aback. Most parents and/or guardians aren’t this friendly to me. Dev and Niall’s parents barely acknowledge my existence nowadays, and they’ve known me since I was a baby. It’s a warm feeling I never thought I’d miss.

“Thank you for having me, Ruth,” I reply, smiling graciously.

“Anytime. Simon, feel free to invite him over again.”

Simon smiles sweetly at me, cheeks unabashedly scarlet. “Yeah, okay. Maybe we should meet up before the presentation on Wednesday?”

I nod, hoping my cheeks aren’t as bright. “I think I’d like that.”

Because I would. I regretfully very much would.

“Awesome! See you later!”

My lip twitches up without thinking. “See you.”

I get my helmet on. I don’t rev my engine as loud as usual to be respectful. Simon waves with his entire arm, while Ruth’s looks more like the queen. I salute in return. (That seems to be my thing now. I’ve embraced it.)

As I drive back towards my home, my mind stays with the Salisburies. With nail polish, roast beef, and a sense of peaceful happiness that lingers in me long after the house is in the distance.

I get to the Pitch hill and just sit there, looking up at the looming little bastard. I know what I’m supposed to do. Go back to all the misery there. But fuck that. I turn to the left, not back towards Simon’s, but at least somewhere my father isn’t. Somewhere I can keep this feeling for a little longer. And maybe get really pissed.

———————————————-

“Basilton! Where have you been?!”

If I didn’t already have a migraine, I’d assume my father’s voice had just given me one. Going on a two day bender will do that to you. I stop walking but don’t turn around. Honestly, I look like a wreck right now, and I don’t want him to see it.

“Away,” I say curtly.

“Away where?! We haven’t seen you in days! No calls, no mail. We’ve been worried sick!”

I groan and turn on my heels finally. To my utter surprise, he looks genuinely concerned. His eyes are wide and his hair is disheveled, like he’s been running his hands through it. Huh. Actually worried about where I’ve been. That’s a first.

“Well, I’m home now,” I sigh. “Happy?”

“Certainly not.” He puts his hands on his hips like a pissed off school teacher. “I’ve been getting calls from your school. You’ve missed almost all of your classes, including tests and projects. I thought we had an agreement.”

I whip around, scowling with as much menace as I can muster with a hangover. “No, you gave me an ultimatum. And I refuse to be threatened into doing what you want, Father dearest.”

I start stomping away again, but we Grimms refuse to not have the last word. “Are you sure you haven’t just been...distracted, Basilton?”

I stop halfway up the stairs. The tone of his voice could imply many things, but I have a sinking feeling I know what he means. I chuckle, shaking my head. “Daphne told you about Tuesday, I suppose.”

“That you brought a boy over to our house without our knowledge? Yes. And I find it a bit disrespectful that-”

“That I what?!” I yell, probably louder than I should, considering it’s late at night and I have four younger siblings. “Dare to be gay?! Sorry it’s harder to ignore my sexuality when I’m actually acting on it.”

My father takes a deep breath, something he always does when he’s trying to keep his slipping composure. “Basilton, that is not what I meant.”

“Oh really? So you’re actually okay with me bringing guys around? Maybe I’ll start having big gay nightclub parties in the receiving room.”

I can see my father losing his cool. Bit by bit, his perfect British man composure is slipping. It’s the effect I certainly have these days. “That would not be appropriate, Basil. And I merely meant that maybe this ‘Simon’ is distracting you from your studies and causing your poor grades.”

For a second, I don’t know whether to laugh or be furious. Fire bubbles in my gut, my fingers curling on the bannister. Yup, let’s go with righteous fury. I stomp down the stairs and push my face into his.

“No,” I growl, “Simon is not at fault. You are. You are the catalyst for all the things I’m doing now, Your bullheadedness, your pride, your prejudi-”

“Oh for God’s sake, Basil!” He roars. “For once in your life take some goddamn responsibility for your own actions!”

I step back a bit. I haven’t seen him this outwardly angry in a year, but he’s practically seething. If he was the kind of man to throw a punch, he would have just clocked me. But instead he just stares me down in an attempt to intimidate. That won’t work.

“Fuck you,” I mutter, turning on my heels and stomping towards the door.

“Where are you going?” he calls after me.

“Out!” I turn to glare at him. “And I’ll be back when I feel like it!”

I make sure to slam the door very loudly, hoping my message is clear. I know exactly where I want to go. And who I want to see.

———————————————-

AN: Is Baz being a total brat here? Yes. Is his bratiness sorta justified? Also yes. Things are complicated. And finally we meet Ruth! I loved reading everyone's comments speculating about Simon's home life cause this was planned from the start lol. But why is Simon living with Ruth? Well, that will be explained shortly. Tune in next time for answers :)

Chapter title is from "Alfie's Song" by Bleachers.

#carry on #snowbaz #simon snow #baz pitch #ruth salisbury #fluff #angst #punk/pastel #mysnowbazfanfic

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tectum-atlas · 6 years

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ESCRITOS-G “A DEVICE FOR CONTEMPLATION”

Posted in ESCRITOS-G by ARQUITECTURA-G on junio 21, 2018

Conversation between Kersten Geers, David Van Severen, Moisés Puente and ARQUITECTURA-G about Solo House designed by Office KGDVS.

Published in Apartamento Magazine #20

Photography by Adrià Cañameras

We’ve always been interested in the relationship between biographies and architecture. In previous issues we’ve talked about several houses intimately bound up with their owners—the architects that built these houses for themselves. Likewise, in this issue we want to talk about a house that is strongly tied to the character and careers of the architects who’ve built it. There is one major difference though: this house is for nobody. The house was designed by Kersten Geers and David Van Severen, from Office KGDVS, and it forms part of the collection of ‘Solo Houses’ developed by Frenchman Christian Bourdais. The Solo Houses are a set of secondary residences and a hotel designed by contemporary architects. The architects were provided with a sort of carte blanche brief, rather than responding to an actual client with specific needs. Given this unusual condition, we believe the house by Office KGDVS could be seen as a manifesto, of sorts, of their architecture. The collection of houses is surrounded by 100ha of unspoiled wilderness located in the Spanish region of Matarraña, itself an area of sublime landscape located between Zaragoza, Valencia, and Barcelona. Along with Moisés Puente, architect and editor, we went to Brussels to meet Kersten and David for lunch, to talk about wilderness, devices, and the background for living.

Moisés Puente:

How did such an unusual commission come about? How did everything start?

Kersten Geers:

The Solo House stems from our friendship with the Chilean architects Mauricio Pezo and Sofía von Ellrichshausen. We were all at the 2010 Venice Architecture Biennale. At the time they were already in talks with Christian Bourdais. I think that’s the very first moment we met Christian, but we still didn’t really have a proper conversation with him. In 2012, we were involved in the Biennale again, with San Rocco magazine, and we spent some time with Christian. It was certainly through Pezo von Ellrichshausen that he ended up commissioning a house from us, that’s for sure. He started a conversation with us, but we still didn’t really know what he was doing, apart from the fact that the project was called Solo. Then he came to our office and talked a little about his idea of carte blanche.

David Van Severen:

The opening of the house was in April 2017, and I remember the very first time we visited the site was exactly five years before, in April 2012. It’s quite a thing to get there. We met at Barcelona airport, then he took us in his car. Suddenly you end up in this magnificently beautiful spot, after almost three hours’ driving. The sun had already almost set, and we went straight to our spot; he just said, ‘This is your spot’. He chose this plateau in the middle of the wilderness, with mountains, trees, and a river down the hill. The whole experience was a beautiful thing.

Arquitectura-G:

So there was no brief at all.

Kersten:

No. Well, there was a very small brief. Christian was extremely proud of his decision to give us carte blanche, because as an architect you never have that kind of commission. The program is always very restrictive, in many different ways. His idea for the Solo House was to have a two- or three-bedroom house, and a living room. I remember us replying that that’s the kind of commission we always have; our clients usually say, ‘This is roughly the budget, this is the site, and this is the amount of rooms I need’. I mean, where is the element of carte blanche here? So there was a little bit of provocation from our side. In retrospect, it became almost an investigation for us—an attempt to find out how little house you need to make to still make a house. The challenge was then to invent another constraint for ourselves. I think the main constraint was twofold. On the one hand, despite the fact that Pezo von Ellrichshausen had very much pushed for us to be part of the group of chosen architects, they were building a house which looked very similar to the architecture we were building, with a central core and several rooms around it. They developed the plans totally on their own, individually, don’t get me wrong. In many respects though, it was like an ideal version of our own architecture. We’d made several plans with a set of rooms around a central core for projects that had never been built, like the one we did for Ordos, China, in 2008–2010, so if somebody had come to us saying we could do whatever we wanted, that might have been our first answer. But then the Pezo von Ellrichshausen house was already under construction, so that was an interesting problem for us. The second challenge had to do with the other houses by Didier Faustino, Sou Fujimoto, MOS Architects, etc. They were very expressive, almost sculptural. And even the Pezo von Ellrichshausen house is sculptural in a way. Given the site was so beautiful, we thought, ‘Fuck! Are we just going to make another sculpture?’ Maybe it wasn’t a good idea.

David: I think the biggest influence that Christian had on us was that he chose a spot for us. The site is almost 100ha, but when we started the design it was only like 70ha or something. He gave us this plateau—a weird choice, in our opinion—but in the end it was really the instigator for the design. There’s a beehive in the middle of the plateau, so we couldn’t really approach the centre. Then, somehow, you naturally gravitate towards the edge of the plateau because there’s nothing in the centre. We were stepping out towards the edge until it gets really steep, just for the idea of the view.

Kersten:

Yes, we were maybe a little bit disappointed because we had just visited the construction site for Pezo von Ellrichshausen’s house, which was really spectacular, given the huge views over the landscape. On the plateau, you were standing there and had absolutely nothing to see. At first we thought of an empty central core and a set of rooms around it that negotiated with the landscape. But all of a sudden, it made no sense to have a self-contained form that was independent from the site—because of the Pezo von Ellrichshausen house nearby and because of the site. We had to create a different strategy, to find the edge and to formalise it, rather than bringing something in ourselves to negotiate and redefine where the edge is.

David:

We like the fact that a house is somehow a background for life and form, and in this case it was more explicit because of the carte blanche idea. We had to ask ourselves, ‘What is our architecture?’ It’s like the house architectureends up fitting in with your portrait series, because in a way all architects build all houses for themselves—but without the client’s constraints, this house was us, all by ourselves. At some point we even wanted to make the surrounding nature disappear entirely be-cause it’s so overwhelming, almost paralysing. Understanding how much we wanted to dive into that nature was a really important moment in the design phase; we came up with the idea of having a roof that just gives basic shelter and represents the edge of the plateau in its size and shape. That was the beginning of a five-year process of designing and building the house.

The Solo House, a preconstruction impression collage by Office KGDVS.

Arquitectura-G:

You wanted to propose a house that was as little ‘house-like’ as possible. To do that, you first need to know what a house is.

Kersten:

Yes. Architecture is a strange profession, at least that’s how we approach it. You never know anything in architecture. And the moment you do know, you’d better stop doing it. I think our work is developed through approximations or general attempts to get somewhere. A key project for us was one that we did early on for the photographer Dirk Braeckman. It was a house made from a set of rooms. We might not have meant to say, ‘A house for us is a set of rooms’, but that’s the concept that emerged. The ‘room’ was there before, but the set, the sequence of rooms was new for us, and then it appeared in many other projects. In our world, a house has become a number of rooms of equal size, and it’s become a defiance of functionalism, inasmuch as we don’t believe that a kitchen has different proportions to the bathroom, which has different proportions to the bedroom, which has different proportions to the living room. That became a train of thought, which we connected to a kind of old city mansion and to a sense of extreme flexibility through extreme rigour. If you ask us what a house is—well, that’s what a house became for us. Maybe it isn’t a house for everybody, but that’s our house. Perhaps the whole idea of a house is already somehow undermined by that fact. David: Our main challenge was when we discovered the circle as a plan. We had to work out how thick the circle should be in order to live there. The first version had a 40m diameter with a 4m ring. But after measuring everything better onsite, the second version had a 45m diameter and a 4.5m ring. It was all related to the site; we really wanted to look for the edge, and at the same time define the width of the house we wanted to live in.

Arquitectura-G:

And how did you deal with the question of comfort in a second home?

Kersten:

A ‘real’ house is supposed to give you comfort so you survive and live well. A temporary home is much less interested in comfort. Of course there’s a minimum of required comfort, but the issue is more about trying to minimise the layers between you and the place where you are. In a city house, the idea of protection, of comfort, of being present and spending hours and days there is important. But in a temporary home, it’s about having shelter when necessary and having nothing when necessary. This kind of ambiguity—about being in a beautiful place and trying to be as close as possible to it—is like going to the zoo and wishing you could touch the tiger. I mean, you’d like to touch the tiger, and you’re always somehow disappointed that there are too many fences. In such a beautiful piece of wilderness, the challenge is to get rid of any fences. Our office is really interested in thresholds, borders, and perimeters; and in this case we had to redefine the idea of threshold and border. For us, they had often been quite heavy, but here they had to be as light as possible.

Moisés:

Does it have something to do with the climate? Is that the first time you’ve built in a Southern European country with hot summers, but where you’re also in a mountainous area, meaning it can be cold in winter?

David:

What’s important is not only the fact of building in a Southern European country, but the presence of the wilderness. Being in the middle of the wilderness is very special for us, as Belgians. You feel like the real wilderness in Belgium has been stolen; there’s nothing left untouched. Everywhere is mainly urban, a built environment. We’ve always had some kind of dream of what ‘wilderness’ is, what it could be. Then there’s the architectural ‘box’, but ultimately the box becomes just the design of its skin. The design of this thin line that defines what’s inside and what’s outside was a major part of the whole thought process for Solo House.

Kersten:

I’m thinking also of how David Hockney depicts hedonistic lifestyles. He’s always been fascinated by that, and in many projects it was more like the mise en scène of an interior, where you cut away an area of freedom in the middle of a bourgeois society. In a weekend house, you cut out a space, and you can do whatever you want there; it can be really exotic, there can be lions behind those walls. There can be a certain hedonism. I think that many of our projects introduce the perimeter like that, like a place to cut away, a place of freedom. A house doesn’t usually have these kinds of surroundings, so you have to build everything. But with the Solo House, everything was already there. We just had to make a frame for that universe and change a few parameters so the wilderness would never fade away. The result was to produce something like a bubble or a device that helps you survive, and the project became much more about that than any other we’d done before.

David:

We’re interested in the idea of measuring as well, not only the thickness of the perimeter but the idea of how big or small things are, how thick or thin, how you ultimately negotiate with the threshold and whether that’s also thick or thin. The circle plan gave us the challenge of how to hold up a circular room. We went through a few versions of structural research. One version involved a circle with four columns and a roof that was quite stable because of its own shape, with cables making it look pretty high-tech. We weren’t convinced though; we didn’t think we could just put up lines of columns for support. Then, suddenly, with the lines from the four columns, we came to the idea of a square inside the circle. In a weird way, this immediately gave a second layer to the project, and suddenly we had new challenges. How could the roof be continuous, without being interrupted as a form of shelter, but still be very comfortable? The site is at an altitude of 800m. It can be hot in summer and cold in winter; it’s a mountain climate. We also wanted to build a house that could survive on its own in the wilderness.

Arquitectura-G:

In an autonomous way?

David:

Yes, absolutely. There’s no gas, no electricity, no water, nothing. The whole house is a machine built for survival. We not only had to design the threshold that people will ultimately find there, but also make the machine work. The circular roof has a beam that actually services the whole house with a series of technical necessities: water tanks, batteries, a filter, boiler, solar panels. We didn’t hide these services, and decided to show the fact that you’re in the middle of a place that’s almost like an experiment. They’re almost sculptures.

Arquitectura-G:

Building an autonomous house in the middle of nowhere is a challenge precisely because you have to introduce lots of devices and technology, but you don’t want it to look like high-tech architecture. You have these transparent views cutting through the house towards the landscape, then you have the roof, and in order not to disturb these views, you took all the devices and put them on top of the roof. You gave the objects some presence and almost make them protagonists. You also invited an artist to paint the tanks. What is your relationship now with the world of devices? Has this house changed your vision?

Kersten:

It all depends on how conscious or unconscious you want to appear. We are very conscious of everything. Of course you can pretend that you’re not so conscious, but it’s not really true. There’s a history of architecture, and there’s this unfinished hightech argument which is very interesting and has been picked up from Buckminster Fuller, Reyner Banham, James Stirling. At the same time, there’s also Le Corbusier’s desire to formalise certain equipment on buildings, and this endless ambiguity around what a machine looks like and what you want it to look like. The machines are machines, but they are designed machines. You see it also on the Centre Pompidou. They’re not just simple tubes on the outside, but a designed version of tubes. Plus, devices don’t have the same lifespan as architecture, and for us this is an interesting problem. Regarding the Solo House, the moment you accept a water tank as a machine, you design it, you ask an artist to collaborate on it, and you know the water tank will be seen for the next 20 or 30 years, you’re going into that ambiguity. It’s sculptural detail on the smallest level, almost like a caryatide on a Greek temple. The artist Pieter Vermeersch only painted two of the objects, but it changes the way you look at all of them. If he’d painted more, or all of them, you’d have almost started to think, ‘You didn’t like the objects, so you had to mask them’. And if you don’t paint any of it, maybe they were just machines.

Moisés:

This also happens with the objects inside the house.

David:

Yes, exactly. It’s a real house with real needs; you need a kitchen, you need a bathroom, you need a bedroom. Each fixed piece of furniture was carefully designed. Also, the architecture itself organises the spaces, with the rows of columns marking the glass line. Each piece of fixed furniture is glued to a column. We like this rhythm of columns, but we also like the idea of organising life with a minimum of comfort machines. And each column allows the technical elements, like pipes and wires, to descend into the house from the roof, where all these supplies come from.

Arquitectura-G:

The warm climate allows well for this kind of radical approach—and your approach to the site and building material is really radical. But in the end the result is still in keeping with the average, bourgeois house, with bedrooms, a kitchen, and living areas.

Kersten:

This goes back to what we were saying about the carte blanche idea that wasn’t really carte blanche. Anyway, in the end a house is a house. You can decide to party in it every day or sleep in the living room or eat in the bedroom, but that’s about all the difference you can make. We’ve never thought that you have to challenge the way an office is designed, and we don’t have to challenge how people live. We feel that architecture is relatively disconnected from the way people use things. This house could be used by a family with two kids, with parents sleeping on one side and with the kids in their own wing, or by 30 people sleeping wherever they want. Who cares? We don’t think this is related to architecture so much.

David:

It’s not necessary to question every program again and again. It’s more about how you accommodate them. In this case, the kitchen stands at an exact distance between the columns, the cupboards are two columns further back, and there’s a fireplace another column back. This is how we think it works. Then of course we checked that the distances were fine and that they worked, but it wasn’t about questioning the kitchen as such. In the end, a kitchen is a kitchen, and you’d better make a good one. That’s how we think. We also had an opportunity to test the house. Kersten went with his girlfriend, and I went with my wife. We were very curious to see if after five years of working on it, the house would function. I’d say it was better than what we’d thought! When we went there and experienced it, everything worked as we’d dreamt. The walls that move around the house—it’s something you do all day. The sun rotates, and you live with this movement, and the morning is very different from midday or the evening.

Moisés:

I think the swimming pool pavilion is one of the most special places in this house. It’s the exception to the rule, a fourth room without walls that allows another kind of life.

David:

That’s a very important room. It’s like building a parameter that suddenly changes. Like the Notary’s Office we built in Antwerp, where we created a room and then immediately tried to dismantle it or make it explode by using the perimeter, its edges, and understanding that it’s suddenly not a room anymore. For the Solo House, the pool room is the largest open space, and all the guests tend to stay there instead of staying in the living room or the in-between areas.

Arquitectura-G:

You’re kind of obsessed with pools, and somehow we are, too. After the form, layout, and understanding of the site, the pool is the key to the house. It relates to the hedonistic approach you mentioned before, and the house probably wouldn’t be the same without it.

Kersten:

No, it wouldn’t. We’re very pragmatic architects. If you have a house in Matarraña and you want to stay there for longer than three days, you need the pool. Otherwise you don’t want to be there. We didn’t want a small tublike pool, but one that’s large enough to have a sense of freedom, the ability to swim in it. A pool is a place where things can happen. In an earlier version, the pool had a different orientation and occupied more of the central space, with a lake-like shape. But we didn’t like it because it took over the centre of the building all of a sudden. We realised that although we hadn’t thought about it too much beforehand, we couldn’t inhabit the central space, whether it was because of the bees or some other philosophical idea. We definitely felt that the pool was too present; it became a house around a pool, whereas later, in the final version, the pool is on the edge. It has a far more interesting relationship with the house this way, and leaves the wilderness of the courtyard more intact and thus more similar to the outside.

Arquitectura-G:

For us, as visitors, one of the key elements of the house is the size of the ring. Everything is far away from where you are. It doesn’t really matter, because it’s a secondary residence and a project where walking doesn’t bother you. The main thing about the size of the ring is that the central core is an enclosed courtyard, but it’s large enough to feel like a part of the landscape you see around the house, rather than a patio. We really liked the contrast between the enormous size of the ring’s diameter and the 4.5m width of the roof, which brings a domestic scale to the project. When you’re between the line of columns and the sliding doors of the façade, you feel like the dimensions are something you can control. You’re not in the middle of an infinite landscape, but in a house.

Moisés:

I feel the swimming pool is very important to defining the interior character of the courtyard, making it more of a garden than a landscape.

Kersten:

It’s maybe a word that we use a bit too often, but I think it’s ambiguous. We were always looking for that ambiguity. As we said, at the beginning the pool was in the wrong spot, so after we moved it to its current position, the landscape in the middle was somehow safe. Regarding the diameter of the circle, as David said, we realised the 40m diameter was too small, and we had to make it 45m to touch the real border of the plateau. We walked around the base, and in the very beginning before the building was actually erected I think we all felt it was right. Also, when you sit on one side of the circle, you’re pretty close to the other side in that it’s right in front of you on the opposite side of the courtyard. But then it’s not really too close.

Arquitectura-G:

So instead of doing a set of rooms, you did a set of distant rooms.

David:

It’s crucial. We introduced distance as an answer to the lack of walls. Distance be-comes your privacy; you can see things, but you’re not with them. Even when you were visiting, we had about 40 or 50 people there, and weirdly enough it was still OK.

Arquitectura-G:

Talking about privacy, out of curiosity, why are the toilets closed? Everything is really hedonistic; everything is open to both sides of the ring, to the landscape. Why is the toilet the only room that’s closed off?

Kersten:

I think we’re pragmatic. We believe in that moment when you don’t want to be seen. My favourite toilet is the outside one, by the pool house. You can leave the door open because nobody will ever pass by, and you’re in the middle of nature.

David:

There’s another answer to that question. In a way, we use very normal tools and devices to organise the house. The house has four segments: three of them closed sometimes, and one of them open. The bathrooms are closed, but one of them is open, so you provide a set of possibilities for life.

Kersten:

Just providing possibility is maybe the greatest thing we can do, and it’s not so necessary to twist everything upside down.

#office kgdvs

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biglittlecrane · 3 years

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I was looking for pictures of bighorn sheep, having never seen one. I found lots and lots of hunting photos and dead examples of what I was looking for.

I can’t help but realize, as I look at their little hunter (beaming) faces, that they are inevitably the type with weird, shrill little dogs, whom they claim to love. I should mention that I’m pro 2nd amendment. Hunters belong to Democrats, because they’re thieves, too. Thanks for ruining my morning by being you. Hopefully, I have returned the favor.

I should also point out that this is what search platforms like YouTube (in this case, Bing) do. They know that people who click on a picturesque photo of a bighorn sheep with a tagline like, “Attention rock-climbing enthusiasts...” are NOT looking for pictures of hunters. YouTube knows that people searching for “funny animals” are not looking for animals being tortured. If you google “beautiful sunrise”, you’re not looking for a guy in a thong gazing at a “sunrise”. “Funny signs” is probably not an old “Jackass” video, and “gene wilder” is not “Ellen” or “Jimmy Fallon”. Those platforms do this to manipulate you into getting angry at whoever fits their narrative. & yes, this is me, falling for it.

So, dear hunters, I don’t really like you, especially those of you who hunt something I’d have to travel for days to even see. Dear hunters, I know a lot of you (on an individual level) are people that I usually like, until you stick a photo of your grisly, unnatural weird little heathen ritual in my face, and I realize there’s a path of destruction behind you. I also know a lot of Dems that are nice, respectable, seemingly normal people. I just don’t know WTF is wrong with you. I’m not even getting into the weirdness of enjoying the suffering of a little critter, or enjoying the suffering of some nice little person who liked the creature. I’ll simply say this: I’m not a protestor. I’m not a liberal. I eat meat and wear shoes. I’m a Christian who absolutely believe in minding my own business, honoring the free will and choices God gave you, and being able to practice my 2nd amendment rights. (Despite the fact I don’t shoot every day, despite the fact that my eyesight’s not the best, I can absolutely hit whatever I’m shooting at. It’s kind of eerie. I’m a great shot, even when I’m not at my best, and therefore, I actually like shooting.)

So, just a little reminder, (especially to those western PA idiots with their “willful ignorance”, pet crap, feral cats, and bags of garbage) that if you’re on my farm with a loaded weapon, I’m going to happily assume you’re an attacking Socialist, and thereby resume my thermite practice. I’ll feel very badly if you turn out to be a nice, seemingly normal average hunter person, in the throes of their Sam Hain ritual sacrifice, lying in the icy mud in my backyard (in what is easily the least likable section of my property) waiting for an eternity for some poor stupid pet of mine to walk by, having “accidentally” wandered onto my land. I’ll feel bad.

P.S., to the rest of my beloved countrymen, PLEASE STOP PLAYING DEVIL’S ADVOCATE-JUST BE GOOD PEOPLE. Socialists love that devil’s advocate shit. I am never going to like hunting as a sport. I am never going to like people who desperately want my attention. I am never going to sympathize with trespassers.

#propaganda #the media is the enemy #The Swamp #saynotothemob

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sinceileftyoublog · 4 years

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Ghost Liotta Interview: Soft Synths, Hard Decisions

BY JORDAN MAINZER

It takes quite the level of trust for musicians to hand over their art to someone and give them free reign, usually the type of relationship a band might have with a longtime producer. For Ghost Liotta, it happened with first-time collaborators. Using vintage modular synths, live drums, and steel guitar, the trio of drummer James McAlister (The National, Sufjan Stevens), multi-instrumentalist Christopher Wray (Butch Walker), and multi-instrumentalist Zac Rae (Death Cab for Cutie), recorded material at Rae’s studio a few years back after each person was finished with a tour. Before finishing the material, a fire permanently closed Rae’s studio. A few years later, rediscovered, instead of looking back themselves, the band handed the hard drives over to producer John Spiker (Tenacious D) to see what he could come up with. The results weren’t what the band could have imagined at any point in the creation of the songs; yet, they were perfect. From dark, industrial, beat-centric tracks (“when we sleep”, “nonlinear b”) to ambient atmospheric drones (“back to dust”, “life cycle”), their self-titled debut album, released in August, flows seamlessly, never trying too hard, yet always surprising you.

A few months ago, I spoke to the band over Skype from their respective homes and studios in California. (They’d been able to see each other during the pandemic for a photo shoot but were otherwise busy doing sessions for other projects, so the interview was as much of a catchup session for them as it was an introduction to myself.) Read on as they talk about how they made the record, its aesthetic, whether they’ll follow the same creative process in the future, and how in the hell they came up with the band name.

Since I Left You: Why did you decide to make this record self-titled?

Zac Rae: It was a long discussion about the titling of this record and the names of the songs. Everything at one point was untitled because they existed as numbers on a hard drive, like “Untitled No. 6″ and “Untitled No. 9.” We initially kept that as an artistic choice--it wasn’t linear. It was like, “3, 2, 7, 9″ in the sequence we’d come up with. We realized it would be confusing for the whole world, so we titled everything but left the album title as the project.

Christopher Wray: The way we made the album, Zac, myself, and James were in Zac’s studio. We basically told the engineer to hit record and we’d start making music. Those jams would sometimes go for 20 minutes and sometimes an hour and 20 minutes. We’d pretty much stop at some point and go into the control room and drop markers on ideas we thought were cool. After doing that for three days, the whole saga of the studio burning and the hard drives, we gave the files to Spiker as a form of torture and he just started sending back these amazing arrangements. We just couldn’t believe it. We had all the raw material Spiker coalesced into an album.

SILY: The album definitely has a cohesiveness to it you don’t often get with raw improvisation.

ZR: That was a choice. There were times where we debated whether to leave something as a rolling, 10-minute amorphous thing or put it into a form that somebody listening cold can hear the development of the idea. We chose to make it a little more focused.

SILY: With the sequencing of the tracks, did you want to present them as mini suites? Or were you trying to change things up from track to track?

James McAlister: I don’t know that there was a super conscious thing, that we were making a record and had to have 10 songs that were three minutes long each. The way the songs were created was super unstructured. We let those dictate what each thing was. It wasn’t some endgame where we had to make a certain number of songs out of the material. What’s on the record is the best of what we pulled from those sessions, so there wasn’t forethought on the form of anything. That was the fun of it: Taking those moments and letting them be.

CW: That’s very much the spirit of the album too. James, I don’t know if you remember this, but going way back, I guess 6-7 years ago, the impetus for me reaching out to Zac before Zac and I had ever met was a project like this, if not this project. Zac’s been in the scene for a long time, and we have a lot of mutual friends and worked with the same people. I love what he does in the studio. I remember asking James since you were buds before, “Can you introduce me to Zac Rae? I want to do something that’s just for us, not for a particular artist or project.” We got breakfast at Kitchen 24 in Hollywood, and that was the early bird of this project.

JM: The way it came together is one decision leading to another, which is my favorite way to make everything. We even talked about having vocalists to collaborate, and the more we got down the road, we just liked what it was. We didn’t know what to call it, and that’s a good sign: When you make something you like and you’re happy at the end of it. I feel like I was constantly surprised by how great every decision came out, like, “Oh, wow, this is better than I thought, even.” All four of us make a lot of music, so it’s refreshing to be pleasantly surprised by something you do. We can go into work mode, get it done and get it right, but this felt more special than your average thing.

SILY: Would you say the record has a distinct mood?

JM: I think that’s what its strongest trait is.

ZR: When we were putting together the final sequencing and edits, we were all in a space thinking whether you could put it on with headphones and listen to it all the way through, or by yourself or in your car or biking in the wilderness or in an airplane. It sustains the space really well for the length of the record. We thought consciously about that and made some final decisions based on, “This piece doesn’t really fit in this flow,” and making one body.

SILY: When I first read that the album would have so many different types of synths, live drums, and steel guitar, I expected to be able to hear those instruments more. “I Am Thoughts” was a track where I could consciously hear drums, but otherwise, it was a pretty consistent aesthetic.

CW: The most conscious aspect of that was having the room in the recordings itself; in a genre that’s more traditionally direct, we wanted to be able to hear the room, hear amps. To me, I think that’s what gives the album its depth and uniqueness. Hearing chairs squeak. I can’t remember the name of the track, but one of the first ones we kind of organized into a vibe, the Overstayer on it was interacting with a really weird way where the reverb coming out of my amp was in another room. The overhead mics from the drum kit were catching the reverbs of my amp that were in another room which was creating this weird vibe. Very room-centric.

ZR: Things like James hitting the pad, generating an electronic sound, but you’re hearing the sound of the stick on the rudder, so it’s thudding and being sort of distorted, not like an electronic snare or a drum but somewhere between the two. I’m really proud of how that landed in the vinyl version.

JM: There’s nothing worse than, “Here’s an electronic beat we’re gonna record a drum kit over!” If I hear that one more time I’m gonna hang it up. [laughs] We got into this weird sort of in between space that’s hard to do based on the situation we have.

SILY: What’s the story behind the band name?

CW: I was on a session for another artist, and we were on break, and I was on a couch and two different conversations were happening at one time, and in one conversation, somebody said “ghost” and in the other conversation somebody said “liotta” and all my brain heard was that phrase. I thought, “That sounds like our band.”

SILY: I assume somebody was talking about Ray Liotta?

CW: I’m not sure. I don’t know how else that word gets thrown out.

JM: This whole thing is a sublet nod to Ray Liotta. I’m still hoping we can get successful enough that he can be in a video for us.

ZR: Ray Liotta as a ghost in space.

CW: In between his Chantix commercials. [laughs]

JM: We could figure out some kind of narrative where this is actually Ray Liotta’s band. All instruments by Ray Liotta. If you’re curious, confirmed: Ray Liotta did all of this.

SILY: Why are all the titles lowercase?

CW: Thank you! They are. On Spotify, when I uploaded tracks, it [wasn’t working.] When I emailed them, because I’ve seen other artists do that, I tried to get some sort of permission to do all lowercase. But I can’t figure out for the life of me how to do that on the streaming platforms, and I was sent a “No.”

I don’t know if it’s a visual thing, but artistically, it’s what felt right to all of us.

JM: I was pushing for everything being untitled, so I had to settle for lowercase letters.

SILY: What’s the story behind the album art?

CW: We were looking at different artists and options, and an artist in Southern California...we saw this beautiful painting that he did, it looked like the world our album lived in. We reached out, he was super cool and said, “Go for it.”

SILY: What else is next for you?

ZR: We’re excited about making this music. It’s been three years since we created this. We’re excited about repeating this process and seeing what new influences we’re bringing to the table. I think later this year we’ll do that.

SILY: Do you think you’ll follow the same process, where Christopher, James, and Zac will make and give it to John to arrange?

John Spiker: I think that remains to be seen. In one sense, there was something beautiful that I knew nothing when I stepped into this stuff. When I first heard the music, I had no memories of the session or what I was searching for. It was this void where I could needle drop around it and let fate lead the way. It was a positive for my workflow. I don’t think it was the key to why it worked, but it was interesting and a first for me. This fresh exciting thing for me to jump into and discover moments in a different way rather than sitting into the control room listening to the guys playing. I think if I had that in my mind, I might want to think of it more structured of the way it was created. Since I didn’t have that, it was, “It could be anything.”

CW: If you’re okay with it, Spiker, it would be cool to recreate that and keep you in the dark! I would be stoked if we sent you an hour of music and nothing we recorded made the cut.

JS: This is like working backwards. This is usually year 10, album 5 for a band where it’s like, “No, you don’t need to come. Don’t come, actually, we’d rather you not be there.”

CW: The one thing I want to make sure we do even if the concept changes is being in the same room while we’re making it. James and Zac are not interested in making music in a silo. We all do that on other things. The magic that happens is being in the room vibing off of each other and making decisions. We didn’t use a single soft synth on the album. It’s all hardware. Because of that, we’re making decisions that are internal. You can’t go in and change a preset and dial something back. I like the permanence of making those decisions together in the moment.

SILY: Was that experience on the flipside for the three of you also unique where you made it and sent it off and had no idea how it would come back?

CW: Yeah, and it was due to complete trust. Spiker has been one of my best buds for a long time. I met him before I moved to L.A. He was the only person in the world I would have trusted to send all this stuff and say, “Do what you want with this.” We just said, “Do your thing.” If we had given it to anybody else, I don’t know if the passion would have been there. Anybody else would have required some direction or some kind of an idea of what they should be doing. Spiker just dove in and made shit happen.

ZR: Other projects in my life I have such a high degree of control over. It’s my band, I’m mixing it and controlling it and have control over every stage of the process. It’s so gratifying for Spiker to come in and handle that side of it and to be surprised almost like somebody was doing a remix of your record. It was really lovely for me to have that weight removed.

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noblecrumpet-dorkvision · 7 years

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Barbarian Week: Fleshing out the Barbarian

Many times when making a character whose main focus is just being angry and hitting things (barbarian is as barbarian does), we tend to forget about what makes the character unique. We fall back on tropes like “Grog the barbarian likes his grog” and “Axenar has an ancestral axe that she carries with her” and “Buhbarry-An is a barbarian who likes sex, gambling, drinking, and killing.” Unfortunately, this is extremely boring and cliche to build an entire character around. Your character can enjoy those things, yes, but so can literally everyone else in the party! So I will try and offer some thoughts on how to make your barbarian truly a diamond in the rough... or at least a gold piece in a pile of bloodied corpses.

I plan to go more in-depth on characters and story over the next few weeks. Therefore I will go into the more superficial characteristics.

Outfit

Just because your barbarian doesn’t wear armor doesn’t mean they are naked all the time! Although...

I guess nudity does have its merits.

Try to come up with an outfit that speaks to who your character is; what they like, how they act, what they are afraid of... show the character’s history through what they wear. Here are some examples.

You wear a thick leather vest. It used to have arms but one was damaged in a previous battle, so you tore the other one off to match.

Wolf leather shirt studded with polished wolf bones. You made it from the first creature you killed after your rite of passage into adulthood. You believe its power runs through you.

You cover yourself with a patchwork cloak made from creatures you have killed. During every battle that matters, you dramatically toss your cloak to your feet to bare your chest at your foes.

You have a high metal collar from a set of full plate that you wear over your leather armor. You were once struck a near-fatal wound to the neck, and are always wary to avoid another such blow.

You wear metal bracers padded with feathers from a Peryton that you saved a traveler from. You wear them as a reminder of what you’re fighting for.

You have a necklace of large scales were given by your parents, to remind you to return to your fishing village one day once you have enough wealth to save them all.

A helmet you wear is covered in spines of a manticore. You are afraid of manticores after one attacked your tribe when you were young. You wear the spines hoping to strike the same fear into your enemies.

You wear the fancy clothes of nobles you’ve killed to mock the ruling class, and the idea of society as a whole.

After befriending some dwarves and saving them from bandits, you were rewarded with lots of gemstones. You fitted your armor with them so the items appear magical.

You wear a pelt of a creature that was killed for sport by some stranger and left to die. You made use of the entire creature so its life wouldn’t be wasted.

You wear a ring left behind by a one-night-stand whom you fancied, but left who before you awoke. Should you ever find them again, you can give it back to them.

Your boots are in constant state of half-repair as you refuse to get new ones. Your constant travel by foot keeps wearing them out so you strap or tie new leather to them.

These are just a few ideas but you can start to see how they hint at the rest of the character. Some show their fears, their flaws, their traits, their ideals, their bonds, and their story. Keep this in mind while describing your character.

Quirks

Barbarians, like everyone, have quirks. They aren’t just piles of muscle for the party to use as a tool for lifting rocks and absorbing damage. Think hard about your quirks. You can try turning the barbarian trope on its head with an ironic quirk or else highlight your background and personality.

You collect a trophy from every kill, provided you dealt the killing blow.

You have no respect for the dead, and find the idea of memorials or burials ridiculous.

You have tremendous respect for the dead, especially those fallen in battle. You will bury and say a few words for anyone you have slain.

Despite being a barbarian, you have a mature concept of honor and will not fight in a one-sided fight, sometimes ending your rage early if someone isn’t putting up a good fight or lost their weapon.

Unlike most barbarians, you enjoy the idea of observing your enemy before rushing into combat. It gets your blood pumping and you share a kinship with rogues and assassins this way.

You have a comically small pet that you care for and will viciously protect from harm.

You leave a signature marking on every kill, drawn in the victim’s blood.

You are very hygenic, often stopping mid-adventure to clean off your weapon, hands, and face.

Your character has a thing for big ole’ cigars. You hold that cigar in your teeth until you meet a challenging foe, then you dramatically spit it out and tighten the grip on your weapon.

You love trying new things, especially exotic or weird food, even if it seems gross.

You keep a journal despite being unable to read/write. You instead doodle little images to remind you of what things happened that day. Your drawing skills are actually improving.

You thrive for excitement and danger. If there’s a choice between stairs and a ledge, you hop the ledge. You grab the Gorgon by the horns.

Fears/Flaws

People often forget that even big strong burly barbarians have fears. Those fears and flaws should guide the way you roleplay and interact with other characters.

You have a gentle side that you keep hidden from others. You are afraid if others discovered this, you would lose your powerful presence.

Your race does not have darkvision and after living alone in the wilderness for so long, you have a cautious fear of the dark.

You have an irrational fear of a harmless and adorable creature.

You have a completely rational fear of a terrifying and deadly creature.

You do not trust magic, even magical forms of healing. You claim it’s because only weaklings use magic.

You dislike a particular race and have trouble interacting with them. You didn’t have the best upbringing. Through your adventures, though, you are learning to tolerate them.

You are afraid of harm befalling your friends. You lost someone once and don’t want it to happen again. This also makes it hard for you to get close to anyone.

You have a fear of not being remembered. You often take steps to preserve your memory and are nice to others so they will tell your tale.

You reject responsibility. You know that you have duties to fulfill, but you often avoid or run away from them. Your life of adventure started by running away from your old life. It often haunts you.

You are wary of religion or whatever higher power is out there. You respect clerics and clergy if only to save your soul. This sometimes affects how you make decisions even when no one is watching.

You have trouble talking to people you are attracted to, despite your great strength and combat ability.

You don’t trust society and assume the worst from people in authority positions. You often spin tall tales of conspiracy based on shreds of evidence.

So make your barbarian something special! I hope you all enjoyed barbarian week and took something away from it. Those Magic Items will always be an interesting add to any campaign, if anything. Next month I will assume the correct alphabetical order and do a Cleric week! Expect new deities/domains, more new items, and ways to use fantastic religions in your game!

#barbarian #character #D&D #DnD #dungeons and dragons #dungeons & dragons #character development #backstory #fears #flaws #quirks #outfit #gear #story #storytelling #player character #character options

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jaketheaudiophile · 7 years

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Best Albums of 2016

So first off, holy crap: I started this blog over 5 years ago.

I’m sorry that I haven’t really kept it up other than the general “best of (insert year) activities. Maybe 2017 will be the year that I revamp this old thing? Depends on time and such.

Either way, here are my top 15 albums of 2016. Feel free to send me your favorite releases of the year as well. And, as always, this is just my opinion.

HONORABLE MENTION

Car Seat Headrest: “Teens of Denial”

(released May 20 on Matador Records)

I kept hearing a lot of good things about this release so I picked it up with no prior knowledge of the band. It’s certainly a very good record, but I feel it is a bit overlong and meandering to really garner my adoration. Some songs drag on a bit too long and there are odd production choices, like songs featuring with 4 minutes of noise or a refrain being repeated into oblivion. Also, vocalist/songwriter Will Toledo’s vocal delivery is super mellow and laid-back, which isn’t always the most awe-inspiring or memorable despite his brilliant and shockingly honest lyrics. Regardless, the good songs shine pretty brightly (particularly “Drunk Drivers / Killer Whales” and “Destroyed by Hippie Powers”) and it’s certainly worthy of the high praise I’ve seen it receive this year.

#15

Look Mexico: “Uniola”

(released June 24 on Tiny Engines)

Look Mexico is what I call a “Principle Band”. This means that every time they put out a record, I’ll buy it on principle even though I’m not the biggest fan of them as a whole. They’ve always been a quality indie/math rock group, but albums as a whole just don’t grab my full attention like other similar artists’ do. Their latest still avoids my full embrace, but it’s still a pretty solid record. I’ve always loved their use of recorded speeches or dialogue to use as fodder over musical passages, which is done expertly in “My Superman Seat-Grab Barrel Roll? I’m Still Working On It” and “That Was The Flame Thrower. Use the Rockets”. Furthermore, the production on this album is dynamite, particularly on the drums and guitar effects, and it’s always fun to see what Vin Diesel quotes they use for their song titles.

#14

You Blew It!: “Abendrot”

(released November 11 on Triple Crown Records)

For the months leading up to this record’s release, every bit of press stated it would be the big change in form or style for these Florida emo kids. Rather than the heart on the sleeve emo throwback the band has become known for, the band promised the album to be darker, moodier and more mature. What that ended up meaning was that it contained a general melancholy hanging over it like a blanket thrown over a lampshade. In a lot of ways, the album feels unfinished, with some songs being nothing more than vocalist Tanner Jones and keyboard noises. What’s really puzzling is the best songs on the album, namely “Hue” and “Canary” are the YBI! of old with quality layered guitars and hooks. I still very much enjoy this release, but the massive shifts in style that were promised were poorly executed.

#13

Little Tybee: “(self-titled)”

(self released by the band and Kickstarter on June 3)

After a successful Kickstarter campaign and various versions of most of these songs floating around the internet in concerts or promotional / studio videos, Atlanta’s Little Tybee finally released their fourth, self-titled record to much appreciation. What’s most impressive about this release to me is the ample space each musician has to show off their incredible skills: Previous albums were basically vehicles to display 8-string wunderkind guitarist Josh Martin (to no complaints from me; the dude is fucking amazing), whereas all 6 Tybee-ers are given turns in the spotlight and shine brilliantly on this release, particularly drummer Pat Brooks. The album gets a bit thin and noodly at 54 minutes, and some moments or directions that songs go are either forced or odd. Also, I do love vocalist Brock Scott’s lyrics and melodies, and his more-or-less constant falsetto vocals are generally very pleasant, but there are moments where they get very grating on recordings (particularly in “More Like Jason”). Otherwise, this is varied, musically ambitious release, and brought the band a whole bunch of well-deserved attention.

#12

Animals As Leaders: “The Madness of Many”

(released on November 11 on Sumerian Records)

Fans of Animals As Leaders know what they’re getting with each of the band’s releases: A myriad of crazy guitar leads, complicated song arrangements, and killer drum rhythms. The slight curveball of this year’s release was the two mainly acoustic-lead songs that concluded the album, “The Brain Dance” and “Aperophobia”, which were fun variations. Otherwise, it’s more of the same old, sweet same old from these dudes. Probably the most “for fans only” release of the year, but those fans were pretty damn happy.

#11

Enemies: “Valuables”

(released on December 9 on Topshelf Records)

Enemies was one of the 3 bands I listened to the most in 2016. I frequently put their entire catalog on shuffle to have as background music while I worked, drove or exercised. Because of this, I was incredibly sad upon learning that this very-recently-released album would be the band’s final recording. After playing a show in their native Ireland on December 18, Enemies officially called it quits. I am also sad to admit that this is probably my least favorite album in the band’s career. It’s a bit more experimental than previous tight-knit instrumental rock-laden records; a greater emphasis is placed on electronic noises and layered vocals than the tight arrangements or brilliant riffs of previous releases. It’s clear there were some creative differences going on among the band members, which may explain why they’ve decided to put this band to rest. It’s a slightly disappointing wrap on the band’s career, but was still a welcome release and a reminder of how brilliant these gents were.

#10

Explosions in the Sky: “The Wilderness”

(released on April 1 on Temporary Residence Ltd)

I was initially very underwhelmed by this record. Explosions in the Sky have long been the standard bearers for emotional instrumental rock music, but this album seemed more subdued and reserved than any of their previous releases. However, it’s an album that grows on you through repeat plays and concentration. There’s not the soaring dynamics or swells from older records, but the arrangements and moods generated in these near-simplified songs are beautiful in a much different way. It’s definitely not the best EitS record, but anything they do is still certainly worthy of admiration.

Somos: “First Day Back”

(released on February 19 on Hopeless Records)

Somos’ first record, 2014’s “Temple of Plenty”, was a near-perfect pop-punk record. Because of that, this year’s release by these Boston gentlemen was perhaps my most anticipated album of this year. They definitely lived up to that hype with more of the same contagious songwriting and hooks with a much more glossy, clean production. However, what knocks the album down a few pegs for me is the fact that there are 4 short interlude-like tracks which are not much more than vocalist Michael Fiorentino singing a half-verse over either a simple guitar part or random noise. The 4 songs kind of fit together on their own, but are otherwise forgettable and skippable when listening to the album as a whole. Still, though, this is a solid second album for a band with a hell of a bright future.

Every Time I Die: “Low Teens”

(released on September 23 by Epitaph Records)

Every Time I Die is a confusing yet awesome band for me. Throughout their career, I find that I enjoy every other one of their albums. As such, because I adored 2014’s “From Parts Unknown”, I figured this release would be underwhelming, but ETID finally bucked this weird, personal trend with this brutal, brilliant album. Vocalist Keith Buckley pulled a majority of his lyrical inspiration from sitting in a hospital waiting room while his wife nearly died giving birth to their child, and that frenetic, hopeless, breakneck fear is present throughout every song (“Petal”, “1977”). When the band slows down, though, on songs like “Two Summers” and “It Remembers”, nothing is lost, which is even more impressive. All in all, it’s a welcome reminder of why these guys have been mainstays in heavy music for two decades and can’t slow down.

Touche Amore: “Stage Four”

(released on September 16 on Epitaph Records)

This record was by far the hardest to rank on this list for me. This is a beautifully constructed, heartbreakingly honest, tremendously sad, and incredibly hard to listen to album. The album centers around vocalist Jeremy Bolm’s mother, who passed away after a long battle with cancer. His lyrics are his reactions to his sadness from this, the fact that he feels like he wasn’t there for her in her final days, his reconciling with having accept that his life will never be the same, and how he reconciles with why he has to rely on religion, memories and other placebos to fill the void she left in his world. Bolm has always been a particularly brilliant lyricist, and as such, his words cut immediately to the heart as he bares his sadness for all to see. Adding even more to this is his vocal style, which truly emphasizes his depression and grief with his throaty yelps and cries. However, Bolm also employs traditional vocal melodies throughout the record, which are a first for the band and somehow even more haunting and heavy than his normal delivery. Adding to all of this are the usual sublime performances by the band, who seem to dip into 90s-era rock riffs to create memorable hooks and passages, which is even more impressive considering most of the songs barely hit the 2 minute mark.

So, with all of these kind words and respect for this record, why is this ranked at 7 instead of, say, 1 or 2 for me? There are two main reasons for this. The first is that I truly dislike the album’s final song, “Skyscraper”. The band decided to feature a four minute meandering album closer with repetitive, blank lyrics, and vocals by guest vocalist Julian Baker that are, frankly, awful. It seems like an odd choice and I find myself always turning off the album before its conclusion instead of playing it in its entirety. I felt I couldn’t in good conscious rate this album above any other album I loved as a whole, which was the case for all 6 of the albums ranked ahead of this one. The second reason is a bit more personal, but still relevant: Since the album is so damn sad and taxing to the emotions, I find I’m rarely in the mood to put it on casually or repeatedly as it truly does affect my mood for the rest of the day. This is actually both a positive and negative affect; it’s stunning that a group could put something together that would always affect me so strongly, but it also works against it that it's so successfully, if that makes sense. All said, this is a gargantuan album and one that cements Touche Amore as one of my favorite artists.

Into It. Over It.: “Standards”

(released on March 11 on Triple Crown Records)

I utterly, completely trust and admire Evan Weiss. I’ve admired basically every release and/or project he’s worked on, and still geek out every time I see him at shows or around Chicago. For his 3rd record under the Into It. Over It. moniker, Weiss decided to hole himself up in a cabin with drummer Joshua Sparks to devote themselves to the album writing process. They emerged with another solid emo record, but one that feels more mature and well rounded than previous releases. There are some odd production choices here and there (such as the bizarre drums in the verses in “Bible Black” and the meandering chords in the bridge in “Adult Contempt”) but other than that not a moment really feels wasted throughout. What was most surprising to me were the inclusion of 2 slower, mainly acoustic tracks right in the middle of the record (“Your Lasting Image” and “Old Lace & Ivory”), and how they didn’t take away from the mood of the record as a whole. Josh Sparks also considerable killed it throughout the record, particularly on “No EQ” and the aforementioned “Adult Contempt”. All in all, I will continue to throw my love and money at Evan Weiss until proven otherwise.

Direct Hit!: “Wasted Mind”

(released on June 24 on Fat Wreck Chords)

I became extremely obsessed with two pop-punk bands from Wisconsin this year. The first, Masked Intruder, were a group whose catalog I frequently put on shuffle and who released my favorite EP of this year. The second, Direct Hit!, took a bit longer to germinate, but then seeped into my brain like a disease. Largely an album about drug taking, partying and the lack of memories, “Wasted Mind” is like the soundtrack to the most fucked-up Disney movie adaptation of “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas”. The songs are memorable and infinitely catchy, but what really stands out to me are the oddball orchestral instrumentation that the band adds to their sound, including bell and chime embellishments and saxophone solos. This album knows exactly what it is: A raucous, irrelevant celebration of the nights we can’t remember anything about except how much fun was had.

TTNG: “Disappointment Island”

(released July 8 on Sargent House)

The fine gentlemen who got me into Direct Hit! (and several other amazing bands), David Tony Moore, told me earlier this year that “Wasted Mind” was his album of the year mainly because of the fact that he always found himself in the mood to have it on in the background no matter what he was doing. Rather than try to put on something random or nostalgic, DTM generally always ended up putting on the record while cooking, cleaning, etc (much to the eventual dismay of his wife Sheila) because he just always wanted to hear it. That sentiment completely applies to the latest opus from these British math rock veterans to me. This may be a bit expected as I’ve been a tad biased towards them since their formation, but it wasn’t something I was expecting at all upon hearing the album. This is by far the band’s most subdued record, with guitarist extraordinaire Tim Collis sharing the spotlight a bit with the band as a whole. Whereas their latest release, 2013’s “13.0.0.0.0” was largely a vehicle to introduce new bassist/guitarist/vocalist Henry Tremain, this record is more a combined group effort that really emphasizes Tremain’s skills as a vocalist. It’s an album that seems bright and fun at first, but rewards the listener with complex, subtle brilliance in arrangement, riffs, vocals and moods. All in all, a surprisingly infectious listen.

The Hotelier: “Goodness”

(released on May 27 on Tiny Engines)

This album is like walking through the woods on a crisp summer day. You’re looking through trees as leaves crinkle beneath your feet as you come to a clearing. You scan across the meadow as you see rays of sunshine poke through the clouds and emphasize bits of grass and prairie as deer and other animals scatter away from your presence. Maybe a flower blooms, or a the sun warms you up, but you’re left with a general sense of peace and calm. Leaving behind the more schizophrenic genre-swapping of their last record, 2014’s “Home Like NoPlace is There”, The Hotelier focused solely on a gripping, stripped down emo sound and the results are extraordinary. I was sort of lukewarm on this at first, but man did it spread its roots and make itself essential to me as the year went on. Simple, earnest, heartfelt and true.

Tiny Moving Parts: “Celebrate”

(released on May 20 on Triple Crown Records)

I’ve been a fan of this family band for a few years now, but have only liked songs as opposed to albums so far throughout their career. That changes exponentially with this release: This album is streamlined awesome from start to finish, and vocalist / guitarist Dylan Mathteison has created one of the better guitar albums ever in the process. His riffs are technical (“Good Enough”, the bridge in “Headache”), creative (the delay-choked intro to “Breathe Deep”) and downright joy-inducing (“Birdhouse”) throughout, and his backing band of his cousins more than hold up their share of the load. The album clocks in at just under 35 minutes, ensuring that not a single minute is wasted. In summary, the album is perfectly titled; completely infectious, memorable and, well, celebratory.

Weezer: “[self-titled (The White Album)]”

(released on April 1 on Atlantic Records)

The fact that this album came out on April Fool’s Day sort of encapsulates just how surprised I was upon hearing it. As one of the many millions of kids who discovered Weezer in junior high and still have the words (and guitar parts) to the Blue Album and “Pinkerton” memorized, I was stunned at how much of a throwback to those sounds and songs this record was considering it is well over 20 years later. Rivers Cuomo somehow sounds more mature and equally creative at the same time, as his years of songwriting have given him a sort of elder statesmen status while simultaneously he sounds simplistically approaching emotions and ideas that his life presents him. Maybe it’s the fact that this album caught me completely off guard and then lived in my head for months, or perhaps it’s because I’m immensely happy a band from my youth proved they are still one of the best bands in the world, but I can’t think of any album I’d be able to list as my album of the year.

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