“THE Adventurers” Ep. 3: A Speedy Recovery

“THE Adventurers” Ep. 3: A Speedy Recovery

A fire burnt brightly in the fading light, illuminating four tired, battle worn faces. Uthal, Wrenn, and Torment all sat pondering what the next move would be. Ezekiel , having just recovered from his wounds, snored loudly as his Genasi snores filled the camp with the sounds of grinding rocks. Torment spoke first.

“If I’m going to be any use to this team, I need to prepare my spells. I will return,” he stated flatly. Torment then turned and disappeared into the woods, leaving just Wrenn and Uthal.

The gnome and the goliath sat, considering the events, and finally came to at least one decision. “I think it’s clear,” Wrenn spoke up, “that if we are going to go any further than here, we are going to need more than two functioning people.” Uthal Grunted an affirmative, so Wrenn continued “and I don’t exactly know your sentiments, but I’m not going back to that town to find more adventurers without anything to show from our first task.”

“I agree,” Uthal stated, “If only the two of us return, that would not look good, and it certainly wouldn’t fill the townsfolk with any sense  of confidence.”

While the two discussed where exactly to start a search for new members of their team, both failed to notice as a tall imposing figure approached them from the shadows. Then, with a loud thump that startled both Ulthal and Wrenn, the canvas of a two person tent flopped down in front of them.  The pair looked at the tent, and then slowly turned to see the surprisingly healthy figure of Nolan the Paladin looking back at them.

“What the hell!?” they both started jumping up and reaching for weapons.

“Nolan’s back you dweebs!” Nolan laughed! As Wrenn and Uthal slowly recognized him, they became less afraid and more curious. Battered with questions, Nolan related his tale.

“Well, as I died, I felt at piece. I saw all my actions, knowing that my work for good and justice would be recognized in the afterlife. But then before me appeared a god…” Nolan stated, pausing for dramatic effect. Wrenn and Uthal were on the edge of the logs they were using for seats. “She told me to go north, to find a man in a cave. The fate of the world is unbalanced, and our finding him is vital. Welcome to having a quest guys.”

Wrenn and Uthal sat back, wide eyes staring back at Nolan and his tale. “Well Uthal,” Wrenn broke the silence, “It would seem we are doing a really good job. Only five minutes ago we decided to add more members to our ranks and already Nolan returns.”

“We are a fantastic team, It must be said,” Uthal agreed puffing out his chest. “At this rate we will have the people we wanted in no time. I wouldn’t be surprised if someone showed up right now!” The two leaned back looking proud of themselves.

“Hello there!” a gruff voice erupted from behind them. All three jumped again reaching for their weapons a second time. Before them stood a dwarf, short but sturdy, his beard reaching close to the ground, and his shoulders broad. This time, the group did not let their weapons down, being suspicious of the newcomer.

“Who are you, and what business do you have here?” Uthal demanded, his menacing size drwing intimidation.

However the Dwarf seemed unfazed, not as though he wasn’t bothered by Uthal’s size, but rather, as though he hadn’t even noticed. “I say, who are you people, camping out by the road like this?”

Wrenn, Nolan, and Uthal all looked at each other a bit confused. Had he not heard them? “Excuse me, but we just asked you that question,” Uthal reasserted.

The dwarf grinned “Oh so ya have. The name’s Vellen. I’m a Cleric, sent out by my clan to do good in the world. I am meant to assist in those who seek to banish evil, and had hoped you might be a crew who was doing that type of thing.”

There was silence. Or there would have been if not for Ezekiels granite like snores filling the campsite. Wrenn spoke up first, saying “Ah yes, we happen to be that group, however, let us discuss this matter amongst us adventurers for a moment. Excepting new members into our group is no small matter.”

The three all turned into a huddle, looking at each other trying to gage every ones opinion on the newcomer. “I’m not a huge fan. He’s abrasive and socially inept,” Uthal stated. The other two couldn’t really disagree.

Then Wrenn started “Yes that may be true but we were just shown first hand that we need more fighters. And here comes another right out of the darkness. Once again Uthal, we are doing a very good job at finding more team members, even if they seem a bit odd.”

“I have to take that side,” Stated Nolan. “I’m in no mood to die again any time soon, and despite his mannerisms, he seems to be a strong and able warrior.”

“Well I like him. He seems like just the kind of man we need!” another voice piped in. All three looked to find Vellen had joined in their huddle and was aiding in the discussion. Vellen looked around the group, apparently unaware that he had not yet been declared a member of the team. “By the way, who are we talking about?” the dwarf continued. The group looked around, and smiled despite themselves. The dwarf, although misguided in interacting with others, seemed genuine. Now he only needed prove himself in battle.

“Alright,” Uthal stated. “You can join with us for now, but we re4serve the right to send you off should you prove false.”

“Haha!” the dwarf cheered. “I’ll be happy to be of service. To celebrate let’s get a drink at the local tavern!” All four of them nodded. They had been intending to regroup at Blacktree anyway, and started heading back down the road. Night had truly struck now, and they were guided by the light of the moon and the stars. Wrenn sat upon Uthal’s shoulders, helping guide both Uthal and Nolan who had no dark vision to aid them. In this darkness the group failed to notice yet another newcomer emerging from the trees.

“Hello there,” the figure started, giving all four group members a start. “Oh sorry, I didn’t mean to scare any one.”

Standing before them now, was an elf, heavily armed, but not hostile. “Who are you now?” Nolan asked, wondering how many new people he’d have to meet tonight.

“Oh, um yeah, I guess I could start there. Well, um, I guess I’ll just be straight with you guys, I don’t exactly know who I am or where I’m from. But I woke up in the woods without much memory a while back, and have just kind of been living in isolation since then. But, well, when I saw you guys, I thought, you know, maybe I can go about working with others again, and try to help you guys out with any tasks you might be set out upon.”

This story was not what any of the team had been expecting to hear. A ranger with no memory was not something you came across every day, and it was a story that was hard to trust. But at the same time, none of the group members, including Wrenn who had a way with people, could detect any falsehood in his words and ways. Wrenn turned to Uthal and said “Well then, only about an hour or so ago we decide we need to build up our numbers and we make that goal before even getting back to town.  Uthal, we just may be the best recruiters on this side of the realm. Tell us elf, by what name should we call you?”

“Oh! Well,” the elf scratched his head seeming in concentration, “I can’t really bring to mind my actual name at this point, but you guys can go ahead and call me Cartsy.”

And so, The five wandered back towards the town with new faces in tow.

"THE Adventurers" Ep. 2: Not Far from Town

Ep. 2: Not Far from Town

The crowd massing near the bridge out of town had become restless. The trades that depended on this route were being cut off without much of an answer as to why. And although the safety of the town may have been at risk, its economy would begin to suffer soon. As more and more people crowded near the gate, the guards began to feel overwhelmed.

“ADVENTURERS HAVE ARRIVED! WE ARE HERE TO SOLVE ALL OF YOUR PROBLEMS!” a voice boomed over the chaos of the crowd. The mass of people and tradesmen turned to see an interesting sight. A gnome had perched on the shoulder of a goliath’s imposing form and was hollering with a voice that seemed uncharacteristic for such a small frame. Behind them stood a paladin, genasi, and tiefling, all approaching the crowd with purpose.

After having decided to band together at the tavern, THE Adventurers had decided to make a quick pit stop, gathering several items including a map, some rations, and tools. Uthal, with a stroke of luck, managed to get his hands on an unassuming meal sack that appeared to hold more than it could. Nolan, despite the advice of Wren, purchased a two person tent, stating that it was very important to him for getting a good night’s rest. With this gear in tow, the unlikely band headed towards the gate. Wren the bard used his powerful voice to clear a path through the crowd. The many faces looked back at them, splashed with a diverse array of emotions ranging from confusion to hope.

Out of the crowd, one of the tradesmen made eye contact with Ezekiel, and shouted thanks. Ezekiel nodded and told him “You’ll be trading goods again before you know it!”

Upon reaching the guards, Wren hopped down from the shoulders of Uthal and explained “we are THE Adventurers, and we have been contracted by your mayor to clear the area beyond this gate of any evils it may contain.”

The guards nodded, opening the blockade to allow for passage. The adventurers passed through, and started down the road towards their quest. As the woods to the north came closer in their view, the village behind them faded, until it was no longer visible. The road seemed peaceful and quite in comparison to the chaos of the town they had just left behind. The group found peace in this quiet, and took it in before they entered the difficulty of the task at hand. They conversed of many things, a plan, and various kills. Nolan and Wren spent some time arguing over the use of a tent when they each had perfectly fine bedrolls and plenty of shelter. Of course, no time of peace lasts forever.

Uthal and Wren saw it first. Up ahead in the distance, a wagon had been turned on its side, with goods scattered through the road. Uthal equipped his Warhammer, which Wren grabbed onto, and used as a ride to the ground where he readied his bow. As this happened, the rest of the crew became alert, and looked around for anything suspicious. Readying weapons and spells, the groups cautiously approached the wagon.

Ezekiel broke the silence. As he observed his surroundings, he saw either a bug or bird fly out of the woods. Following its path lead Ezekiel to look directly into the sun, from which he cried out in pain. Suddenly, two Goblins became alert and appeared from behind the wagon. “So much for stealth!” Nolan muttered as the brawl began.

Wren struck first, calling insults out at the Goblins,  “Only thing uglier than that goblin is his friend!” Although they seemed like meaningless words, they were potent with magic that stung the goblins minds. Ultal and Nolan took this opportunity to charge and attack. The goblins swords clashed with the Warhammer as Uthal swung down, creating mighty craters in the ground with every miss. Nolan sparred with the other goblin, swords clashing with the sounds of battle. Ezekiel began to cast his spells, and fire along with the sound of thunder erupted from his staff.

While all this was happening, Torment was searching through the ground for sticks. Picking a stick up of the ground, he observed it, deemed it unsatisfactory, and tossed it aside. He needed a very specific stick for what he was trying to accomplish. “Hey! Any help you can offer would be much appreciated!” Nolan called out from the fray.

As Nolan shouted, three more Goblins emerged from the bushes along the roadside. It was an ambush! Wren saw them and adjusted the aim of his bow, throwing more stinging insults towards them as he loosed an arrow. The arrow zipped by the shortest goblins head, nicking his ear. One of the goblins caught up with the sparing match between Nolan and his foe. Nolan was surrounded, and took a devastating blow to the gut. He crumpled to the ground unconscious.

Uthal let loose a mighty roar and swung his hammer true flattening his foe and immediately turning to deal with the vermin who had just struck down his newfound friend. But another goblin managed to reach Ezekiel, who although powerful with magic, was having a hard time dealing with direct combat.

Wren saw the state of the fight, and decided they were not going to win this by direct means. “Torment! Get over here!”

Torment looked up from the stick he was observing and saw the current state of the fight. He ran over to Wren who grabbed him and pulled him close. “Listen, Goblins are cowards. If we can’t fight of their numbers-”

“We can scare them off!” Torment exclaimed! Wren breathed a relieved breath. Regardless of the tiefling’s origins, it seemed that in this fight, he was on their side.

“Can you shake the earth?” Wren asked. Torment smiled and began his incantation. Wren thought of the most terrifying beast from his childhood in the forest. An owlbear would be enough to scare these pests off. He cast his spell, but made a mistake. The sound of the biggest owl any of them had ever heard began roaring from the woods. Torment looked at Wren confused, and Wren just shrugged as he readied another arrow.

Another crunch of bone was heard from the impact of Uthal’s Hammer against a goblins head. But as Uthal turned to assist Ezekiel, he saw the wizard fall from a wound in his side. As this happened the earth shook, and the sound of whatever creature was in the woods began to frighten some of the goblins off. Uthal turned towards the woods to see one last goblin still willing to fight. But before the Goblin could reach him, an arrow landed in his chest, and he fell to the ground.

The three still standing looked around. Torment ran over to heal Ezekiel but upon seeing the amount of blood, began to panic. Wren ran over, and was able to stop the bleeding, and stabilize the wizard. Nolan however, was lost.

They gathered around as Nolan uttered his final breath. Uthal was the only one to hear him. Wren looked up at Uthal who was lost for words. “What did he say Uthal?” Wren pleaded.

“He… he told me that we should wrap him up in his two person tent, and lay him to rest in that ditch over there,” Uthal said with a confused expression. They all stared at him, and at each other.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Wren said flatly. “You only get so many dying words and he had to waste them on that stupid two person tent.”

They all chuckled, saddened by the loss, but appreciative of the humor. They did as Nolan requested, and looked at the wagon. Uthal tried to lift it back up onto its wheels, but the battle had taken its toll on his strength. Not sure what to do next, they all decide to set up camp, only one mile from where they had started. “Well this has been a trip” Torment muttered.

Wren played a song on his dulcimer, spun from the memories of his lost friend. Creatures of the forest gathered to listen, and the mood of the group seemed soothed. They settled in to rest off the wounds of battle, tend to the wizard, and plan for the next day.

What none of them saw was a dark mysterious figure, looming at them from the woods, that had arrived midway through Wrens song. It stayed there, and watched. After a long while, the figure backed away, disappearing into the shadows behind, and vanishing from sight.

"The Adventurers" Ep. 1: Luck of the Dice

Ep. 1: Luck of the Dice

As promised in last weeks "Spotify Me," I have recently played some D&D. So instead of an article on music this week, I will start turning the campaign into a story told as the game is played. Before the story gets started, a few words on the 5th edition of D&D: it's good! Just by looking at the character sheet you can already tell that this edition has switched the focus back on the roll play. With two pages on attacks, abilities, and spells, the new character sheet offers an additional 3 pages on character backstory and personality alone. Additionally, the Players Handbook offers more guidance on developing a backstory and personality than the 4th edition ever did. It does this through the use of a "Background" mechanic that sets up a series of suggested equipment and personality traits for players who are new to this aspect of the game. t has me more excited then I have ever been to create the more in depth aspects of my character that I have over looked in the past. So, with all that said, here is the first episode of "The Adventurers".

In town called Black Tree, near the Sword Coast, a mayor was in a crisis. The northern bridge out of town had been blockaded in order to prevent dangers from the north from invading and pillaging his small town. With guards spread thin, and trade with most other towns becoming difficult, the people of Black Tree would start to feel like prisoners in their own homes. The mayor felt he had but one last hope: four adventurers had recently been attracted to his town. The Mayor didn't necessarily trust any of them to compete the mission on their own, as all of them seemed fairly green, but perhaps together they would be able to complete a common goal.

Meanwhile, a wizard by the name of Ezekiel had wandered into town upon noticing the commotion. A family in desperate need of selling their wears in a nearby town flagged him down. Upon further discussion, Ezekiel found himself headed in the direction of the Mayors house. Upon reaching the house though, a Goliath figure ducked out of the doorway, and began lumbering towards the nearby tavern. Interested in this outlander, Ezekiel fell into the shadows, and tailed the small giant.

Uthal the Goliath wandered in the direction of the tavern. The mayor had informed him that in that tavern he would find two well known adventurers in the town. They were panning on heading north soon, but were looking for more muscle to add to their team. As Uthal entered the tavern, he came upon a somewhat depressing scene. Patrons who hadn't made it home from the previous nights revelry were strewn through out the bar. One in particular drew his attention, a man sitting casually playing with what appeared to be a set of dice. As he approached, he noticed that the trinket was in fact a peanut still in this shell.

"OH! Did you wan to play with my peanuts?!" the man yelled in a drunken slur. As Ulthal backed away he heard another sound.

"Hey! You're probably looking for us!" Ulthal turned to see a small child and a paladin sitting in a booth near the corner of the room. "The mayor send ya?" the child yelled. As Ulthal approached the table he found the child to actually be a small man with fey features on his face, a gnome. The Paladin was a human, tall and plain looking. He was heavily armored and, but looked nervous as more attention was drawn to him. Ulthal chose to focus on the gnome.

"I'm Wrenn Mola," the gnome stated "and this here is Nolan. We're the two looking to head north and investigate the crime spree. Mayor seems to think we need extra muscle, and you look like you fit the bill. You think you're up for a trip?"

Ultal stared at the two. They were a strange pair, but the gnome seemed confident, and the Paladin at leased looked the part. Ulthal nodded an affirmative. "All right then. We should supply up and head out quickly. How about a drink for the road?"

"Sounds good to me," the gnome smiled, looking over at his companion.

"Sure, sounds good to you. We aren't all hauling entertainer money" the Nolan muttered.

"Fine then, I'm buying" Wrenn stated with a smile as he stood up to walk to the bar. Halfway across the room though he made a sudden change of direction and made a b-line for a small performance area in the corner of the room. Seeing this, Nolan suddenly stood up with a look of panic and made for the exit. Instead of making it all the way, Nolan bumped into a table, right on the most sensitive spot, and sent the table flying. All eyes in the tavern were on Nolan as he grunted in pain. Suddenly, a the strum of a Dulcimer broke the silence. Heads turned to find Wrenn's small figure standing on a bar stool just as he erupted into song.

Let me introduce you all,
To Nolan the clumsy Kinght!
And though he's not that dexterous,
He'll not run from a fight!

A great many a year ago,
His country was at war!
And so Nolan did his duty,
And took to the fields of Gore.

One evening in the campsite,
Nolan answered natures call
And wandered in the darkness
Beyond his armies wall.

But in the still of darkness,
Nolan didn't bring a lamp,
And taking a few wrong turns,
Wandered to the enemy camp!

Nolan stumbled into the site
And tripped upon a tent wire!
And knocking down a lantern
Started up a fire!

The enemy camp went up in flames!
The battle had been won
By Nolan's late night bathroom break
Before the fighting had begun!

The tavern erupted in applause, refilled with an energy seemingly out of nowhere. The barkeep became so distracted meeting the sudden demand for drinks he forgot about the broken table. As Nolan, red faced and flustered, slunk back to the table, Wrenn collected a complimentary beverage and two more for his friends. As he reached the table, a cold rush of air filled the room, as the dark imposing shape of a Tiefling filled the doorway. The happy atmosphere created by the song drained as people hid from the demonic figure. The adventurers stared at the newcomer with suspicion.

"Where are the adventurers heading north?" the Tiefling demanded, glaring around the room. His eyes landed on the strange looking trio at their booth. While the Uthal glared and Nolan stared with suspicion, Wrenn waved the stranger over to their table. Before the Tiefling arrived, he noticed a shadowy figure in the other corner of the room. "You there! Who are you?"

Ezekiel the wizard removed his hood, revealing a green Genasi face, and approached the table. "I am Ezikiel, and I am also here to investigate the north. Who are you demon?" the Genasi requested.

The Tiefling took no notice of the intended insult and responded "My common name is Torment. I am a druid of these woods, and also have investment in their protection. I wish to join you on your mission."

The five looked at each other. It was a strange alliance, but it had a common purpose. "Very well," Uthal the goliath stated. "We shall work together on this."

"And what then," Wrenn announced with a mischievous grin, "Shall we call ourselves? Every group needs a name after all." The gnome, always looking for his next story, placed his hand in the center of the table, inviting others to place theirs with his. One by one their hands met his. Even the Tiefling found he was unable to resist the Gnomes instance.

"The adventurers?" Uthal suggested, a bit confused.

Nolan started up "Thats a really stup-"

"The Adventurers!" Wrenn shouted, lifting his hand in the air, leading the others to do the same. The group stood up and took to the door of the tavern, exiting the dark room and stepping into the mid-day light.

So that is about half of our first session. The next half is soon to arrive I hope. But the introductions seemed like a good place to round up the first chapter. This will update as we play, so hopefully we set up a good adventure for you. Hope you keep reading so that I keep writing!

-Mark

Spotify Me Part 21: 2 Play 2 List

Spotify Me Part 21: 2 Play 2 List

Mark’s Discover Weekly Playlist for the week of 1/18/2016

Well you win some you lose some. Just as last week’s Playlists was one of the best I’ve ever had, this was one of the worst. A lot of video game music, and a bunch of songs I just didn’t find very interesting. Out of the whole thing I could really only find the following 2 songs that I actually wanted to talk about. And with that, there comes into the idea of what I actually want to write about. This is ok because I kind of needed a break anyway.

When Me and Lizz started this blog, we didn’t want to get trapped inside a theme. And soon, as the weather gets nicer, I will start making the “Spotify Me” article less often. I plan on using the You Tube channel associated with this account to make some videos about diving and the friends I have made though that activity. Also, me and my brothers are picking our D&D campaign back up, so maybe I’ll write about that as well. But in the meantime, enjoy the paragraphs

Quantum Mechanics EP
B Story

Back Then – B Story

Remembering past relationships can be a hard thing to do. On one hand these are happy memories about a person you cared about. But the hurt from separation can often ruin the positive aspect of that memory. Thinking back on how things have changed in any given situation, let alone a romantic one, can be surreal for most people. It is in this vein of emotions that this song finds it inspiration. The energy in this song, if I’m honest, kind of brings me down a notch. But at the same time, so does thinking of an ex. It’s not a song I would listen to every day, as I tend to be more interested in louder faster songs. But every once in a while, you can get into an odd nostalgic mood, and look for slower, quieter, and softer music. It’s with those songs that this song will find a home.

Ukulele Anthem
Single by Amanda Palmer

Ukulele Anthem – Amanda Palmer

Amanda Palmer has a certain humor that although I don’t entirely understand, I can appreciate. In this anthem, she invites all those who are odd, or strange to embrace their true nature, and be proud to be themselves in a tongue and cheek way that fans of hers have come to love. Like many anthems, the song is rude and unapologetic. Unlike many anthems, it focuses on a very minimalistic soundscape, relying heavily on the humor in the lyrics to carry the main meat of the song. It’s a fun song to listen to when hanging out with a small group of people, or just alone when you feel like you can’t be yourself. As odd as the song is, it does manage to be inspiring on a strange level.

Spotify Me Part 20: Playlist Harder

Spotify Me Part 20: Playlist Harder

Mark’s Discover Weekly Playlist for the week of 1/11/2016

This was a really good week for my playlist. I must have like half the songs this week, and it was because I genuinely wanted to listen to them over and over again. At the same time I finally broke down and bought Spotify premium, and have to say I love it so far. I don’t want to go too much into it because Spotify isn’t paying me to talk about them. So instead I’m going to tell you about the Google Cardboard I bought: it’s not here yet. I also bought a dry suit: it’s also not here.

Have you ever bought a gadget and then had to wait for it? It’s really hard. I love going to stores because then I have the gadget right away but right now, I’m sitting here waiting for mail to arrive and its horrible. It’s hard to imagine you used to have to order things through the mail. You send in a letter, wit for that letter to arrive, and then they mail the gadget to you. That’s too long to wait. That’s why I love Spotify, where I don’t have to wait. All my favorite songs are – you see I almost did it right there. That’s what I’m talking about.

Single
Kniles

Modify – Kniles 

Another frustrating game of “I know I’ve heard this song” was played this week. I kept listening to this song though out the week, because it’s a good song. But I could not shake the feeling that I knew it from somewhere. The hunt had no effect on how much I liked the song. It makes you want to move around, if not break into actual dance. It’s a “good times” kind of song that you might hear at a casual party, or in a 70’s teen movie trailer. I have always stated that I wish my generation had more of a chance with disco, and so this type of music usually wins me over. And what really makes the song stand out to me is ironically that it doesn’t fight for your attention. The song is perfectly content to just groove in and create the atmosphere. It’s a great song to listen to to cheer up or have a good time. Oh, and I did figure out where I had heard it before.It was in the Game of Thrones BLR video, which shouldn’t have surprised me.

In the Morning
Jayne Trimble

Meet You at the Gate – Jayne Trimble

One of my favorite albums to listen to is the soundtrack to the movie “O Brother Where Art Thou.” Due to the nature of the film, the soundtrack became a collection of bluegrass and American folk music performed by some of the greatest voices in the genre. Sometimes I listen to that type of music and feel a bit sad that I messed out on that part of American culture, the passing of songs through the generations. Even though that culture isn’t as relevant as it used to be, that style of music is still being written and recorded today, this song being a great example. It’s a quiet slow song, which is as soothing as it is beautiful. The singer has a soft voice that flows so well with the rhythm of the song, and has just enough power to put emotion into the song, but not break the songs tranquil nature. And the sudden rhythm at the end of the chorus is what really reminds me of that classic American folk sound. So, even though this isn’t the song your mother sings to you, because her mother sang it to her, it certainly calls to mind the idea of a time when she may have. And it’s these kinds of images that make me love this song.

Gizmodgery
maximum10

Trunk Fulla Amps [explicit] – Self

Loud, rude, rude and proud, the band Self Gives a very focused description on the exact content of their trunk. Exaggerated distortion floods the speakers as the lead singer boasts away about his clear and apparent abundance of amps. The in your face style of the song makes it as fun as it is obnoxious. The lyrics are fairly simple, allowing the instruments to do the heavy lifting with distorted guitar, thumping drums, and loud builds. The song contains the mood of a teenage rebellion, and the creation of noise for noises sake. But at the same time the song is extremely catchy, and can really become stuck in your head, which is ok as the lyrics aren’t that hard to learn. As we all know, the only thing worse than having a bad song stuck in your head, is having only half of a good song stuck in your head. This is a great song to have running in your pumping you up for your day. However, be warned that language is heavily used, so becarful about singing it to yourself in your cubicle.

Dead Zone Boys
Asthmatic Kitty

You Cried Me – Jookabox

With fast plucky strings and a wailing chorus, Jookabox howls into this week’s playlist. The song takes you for a fast paced ride where the vintage car is constantly veering in and out of control. The style reflects on a youth that is constantly in chase of new adventures and experiences regardless of the consequences. It feels like you have to keep driving with no opportunity to brake or pause. Any delay can result in missing out on what’s going on. The lyrics are simple in their idea. A man tries to warn a girl of the dangers of joining him on this self-destructive journey, and is ultimately unsuccessful as she refuses to leave his side. It’s easy to identify with this type of song, either due to the idea of pushing love away or convincing someone they are worth being loved. The tune and instruments do a great job of matching the raw nerves that can be so exposed, and the risk of chasing the one you love.

F Note
Too Many Zooz

To the Top – Too Many Zooz

So if you sit back for a minute and imagine that a saxophone were an animal, much like a dog or cat, and now consider the noise that animal would make if it were abused horribly. Now add a trumpet to the mix and this song roughly captures that experience. Based out of the New York subway that brought you Moon Hooch, comes Too Many Zooz, a loud an unapologetic Brasshouse (a mixture of jazz, rock and dance) band that is testing the distinction between sound and noise in a pretty incredible way. By using their instruments in all the ways your middle school band teacher told you not to, they create an intense sound, filing every inch of their soundscape with the energy of just three instruments. The band isn’t afraid to experiment to get every possible sound they can out of the instrument and use it in some form or another to make music. All of this adds up to a loud, rough, and chaotic style that somehow works. I would love to see them play live, especially in the subway where they first started to play.

Spotify Me part 19: This Naming Convention is Running Thin

Spotify Me part 19: This Naming Convention is Running Thin

Mark’s Discover Weekly Playlist for the week of 1/4/16

They new year has arrived, and with it, true winter weather. It's cold outside and the snow is thin, blowing easily in the howling winter wind. Last night, as me and my friends sat on a back porch, with only a small lamp illuminating our small world, I felt as though I was in the antarctic tundra, with the wind howling, and the shadows hiding the common look of modern suburbia. With only our small area illuminated, and the darkness hiding reality, I was able to escape into a world of harsh yet calmin isolation. It was incredible. 

Then you have to go and drive in it which is miserable and ruins the magic entirely. Your car slides every where and brakes do less and less as the mess piles up. You arrive home and cant go to sleep in case it warms up casting a thick sheet of ice over your drive way. At least I have music while I'm driving. Seriously, it's poetic, but also a nightmare.

Port Entropy
P-Vine Records

Rum Hee – Shugo Tokumaru

This is not the first time this song has appeared on the playlist, and it still catches me off guard every time. The only reason I hadn’t written about it yet is because the last time I heard it was before I started writing this article. I’m not hyper aware of music styles and trends in Japan, but this is never what I expect form a Japanese artist. It actually reminds me of the band Jónsi, a band I am aware of purely because I am an adult who enjoys kid’s movies about dragons. This song matches the aloof, innocent, and adventurous nature of these types of kid’s movies, and could see it being associated with a Miyazaki film, specifically one of the lighter films, more aimed at children. I bring Miyazaki up because of the Japanese affiliation, however any what really is important is the sense of childlike adventure the song carries. There are no sad notes, no worries, and the beat is colorful and alive. I can’t rally speak for the lyrics, as I do not speak Japanese, but I can say the light signing matches the style of the song well, adding to the carefree nature of the tune. The many features of the song work well together, making it a joy to listen to every time.

Letters in the Dirt
Red House Records

Bill & Annie – Chuck Brodsky

I don’t know if Spotify has a data base of songs that have appeared on Welcome to Night Vale, or if the guy who runs their music selection just has similar taste in music to me. Regardless of the reasoning behind it, the Podcasts weather section gets another mention here on our blog. However, the artist himself should also be mentioned, as the song is his hard work and labor, and sometimes I think these “Weather Songs” don’t get that kind of proper recognition. I want to make sure that isn’t the case here as Chuck Brodsky deserves the recognition for this song. The tune is light, and just sad enough for the story that is told. The song is all about timing, and how important it is to falling in love. The characters in this song are in love, and maybe even meant for each other. However, their timing is never perfect, and they sacrifice their chance at love so they can do right by the others in their lives. The song leaves a good deal of questions unanswered though. For example, the singer introduces himself as Chuck and introduces his wife Annie. While to me it seems that the name Annie simply reminds Bill of his past life, it is possible that Chucks wife Annie may be the very same he fell in love with. The other question that isn’t answered is whither it was right for Bill to value his commitments over his love, though it seems Bill knows the answer to the question. We the listeners are left to think about the answer for ourselves.

Trilogy
No Quarter

Escape From Midwich Valley – Carpenter Brut

Ok, so, this is a song from a movie. But I didn’t know that, and as was revealed by way to much research, neither do most of the people who have heard it. From what I can tell, the song was also used in a trailer for the video game Hot Line Miami 2. This, and the limited material available on the short film that the song is from, made it almost impossible to figure out if the song was actually in the movie, or just inspired by it. Which was possible as the song is released as a part of an album separate from the short film and was released in the following year. However, Carpenter Brut is listed as the composer for the film, and I went ahead and watched a bit of the movie to make sure, and yes, the song is in the film in bits and pieces. This version of the song may be a conglomerate of all the sounds he composed for the short film. But before I knew any of that, it was, to me, just an eerie and cool electronic song. It sent me on a journey both while I was listening to it, and while I was researching it. Its sound is reminiscent of 80’s electronic sounds and styles, but also reflective of horror and thriller films. And the song is apparently versatile, having been used in a horror film, and a crime noir video game. The song is all about the experience of the sounds, and the sounds are great. Not only that, but I now know about a Lovecraft inspired film that I have to watch, as the film Escape from Midwich Valley is inspired by the book The Shadow over Innsmouth. And that is one of my favorite books.

Volcanology - Single
Industry of Cool

Volcanology – Brooklyn

Music like this doesn’t seem like anything new. Young artists see issues as they become old enough to understand them, put them into a song or some other form of media, and send it out over the internet. I should know, I post a weekly blog. But what has allowed this kind of band to exist for so long? There are, probably, so many studies that go to show why this type of music is timeless, and why it remains popular. But the point of it all is that this is a very over saturated genre, and it takes a lot of work and talent to make it while playing this type of music. And Brooklyn has all of that. Small things in this song make it better than average. The tune is happy, even though the lyrics contain a hint of youth angst and rebellion. This conflict of attitude puts an ironic twist on the song, making it both the voice of a youthful concern as well as a joyful anthem. And their talent has been recognized, as this song was featured in one of the Saint’s Row games. Teenage rebellion will never go away, and so long as it’s here, this music will be too. This music is important, and I like it.

Spotify Me Part 18: Auld Lang Playlist

Spotify Me Part 18: Auld Lang Playlist

Mark’s Discover Weekly Playlist for the week of 12/28/15

During this week we saw an old year go and a new year arrives, and we all know what that means. It means a solid month of writing the date wrong because we all keep forgetting that 2015 is over. Lizz, the mythical cowriter of this blog, and I had a wonderful New Year’s Eve celeb ration with friends where we sang traditional songs, listened to vinyl, watched good films, and more. It was a good time had by all. My New Year’s resolution was keep being awesome as it always is. I don’t know what Elizabeth’s resolution was, but maybe, if I believe hard enough…

But this week’s playlist did allow me to look back in a way, at the music I have discovered this year thanks to the starting of this blog. Some bands make reappearance, some look at genres that I have come to love, and one band helps me remember there is nothing like coming home to your favorite sounds. So as we enter this New Year, filled with new albums and artists, let’s take a minute to look back at 2015.

Glean
Idlewild Records

Under Water Woman – They Might Be Giants

It really was only a matter of time before my favorite band popped up on the playlist. I waited in Gleeful anticipation for the maters of my teenage years found their way onto the pages of my blog. They have just released s new album called Why? and I’m working on a review for it, but this song comes from another recent album called Glean. Glean heavily features songs that have been uploaded into They Might be Giants re-launch of dial a song, which I have on speed dial. The song Underwater Woman is one of my favorite songs on this album, and shines with the bands sense of humor and talent for oddly poetic lyrics. Although I wouldn’t describe the song as catchy, it does stick in my memory. The song may not before every one. They Might be Giants is, in many ways, an invitation to the weird party, and it’s up to you to accept that invitation.  This song is a great example of that invitation. The melody is odd, the rhythm is not typical, and the lyrics barely make sense at best. It’s very much up to the listener to decide what the meaning of the song actually is, and most would come up with a different answer. But in the end, the song is what They Might be Giants have been, which is different and fun.

Marvin's Marvelous
Mechanical Museum
Quack!Media

Mucka Blucka (Bonus Track) – Tally Hall

We have talked about Tally Hall before on this blog, as well as Rob Cantor’s solo career that followed the bands Hiatus. Tally Hall runs in the same vein as They Might be Giants, continuing the trend of making listeners work to find meaning in the songs, as well as exploration of typically untouched sounds and melodies. And although they are typically more down to earth than TMBG, they do venture into a very strange territory from time to time, as is seen here in this bonus track from their first album. When you first start listening to this song, you might think, “Hey is this just going to be rhythmic clucking?” and then you find out that yes, it is going to be just rhythmic clucking. It might seem like a gimmick, and my uptight world music teacher from college would say it isn’t really music. But to me it feels like the band was just having fun, sharing a bit of themselves with the listener on an extra track. It’s just good fun, and music from time to time should be just that: fun. So tell the PhD music professors of the world to get over themselves, because this is music, and I like it.

2nite EP
Independant

Prismatic Core – TWRP

We have talked about this band as well as this album before on the blog. They to a good job of the 80’s power band style, and this song is no exception. Now, usually, I wouldn’t talk about a song of this nature since it is a clear and present reference to a video game called Prismatic Core, even taking the time to ask you to construct additional pylons. However, I’ve never played that game before, and only know the quote from memes. If not for that line, the song would seem like any other slow 80’s rock song to me. And because it is able to stand alone as its own song, I really enjoy it. It doesn’t just stand alone, but it relies more heavily on instrumental elements than it does on the game reference, whereas most songs of this nature tend to be a series of jokes about the game and then not much else. This song then becomes a song that people who enjoy the game will find fun, but also a song that other people can find enjoyment in as well. I don’t really want to get to much into the marketing of music as I really know nothing about it, but it seems logical that if you write music that only a small niche audience can enjoy, you are only limiting how popular and widespread your music can become. However, what this song has achieved is creating a song with references as a side dish rather than the main course, allowing it to break out of that limited circle and into a more open atmosphere.

The Electric Swing Circus
Ragtime Records

Bella Belle – Electric Swing Circus

One genre that has made its presence known to me this year is electro swing. When the band Caravan Palace released their robot face album this year, they made a statement for the genre that allowed this style of music to gain prominence in my listening preferences. I haven’t listened to much Electric Swing Circus yet, but my hope is that they are just as good. This song is a strong argument in the positive direction. What sets this song apart from some other electro swing that I have heard is that it has original melody and lyrics, when sometimes all you get are sampled clips of older swing songs with electronic elements mixed in. Bella Belle manages to accomplish the task of bringing swing music itself into the modern age, rather than just brining one old song. And on top of all of that, it’s a good song with a catchy melody and fun beat. You can see people dancing to this kind of song at a modern party, rather than a “20’s theme” event. Similar to the song above, that manages to open swing to a wider audience than a specific niche. If we are lucky, this style of music may bring partner dancing back in a big way.