\(T)/ (‘~’) (o_o)

[Neyo]

Okay, to expand on the Les Friction thing, their music all sounds the same, which is to say, bland. Most songs blend in with the others in their tone. Their apparently preferred genre is alternative/rock. They have 4 songs that I have found to be significantly different from the rest of their music: Dark Matter, Your World Will Fail, World on Fire, and Who Will Save You Now. Now all of these have some things in common: being loud and bombastic, and using dystopian/doomsday imagery.

Of these, World on Fire is my personal favorite, as the other ones have significant flaws (or in the case of Who Will Save You Now, just not being as good as World on Fire). Dark Matter is weird. The lyrics don't seem to match quite right. The voice singing seems to be some cosmic force, yet also very personal, so there isn't really anything that this would work as a metaphor for. Your World Will Fail is otherwise excellent, but just has an annoyingly slow start and weird pacing, which makes listening to it in either a playlist or on it's own not that impressive. Now, why World on Fire is my favorite song of the four (and thus, the entire band's albums) is that it manages to be both somewhat emotional and grandiose. The lyrics are both personal and fatalistic. And the inclusion of that explosion and guitar riff layered over each other at the end to sound like both a scream and an eruption. Chef's kiss. An excellent song. Who Will Save You Now is essentially an inferior version of the gigachad World on Fire. It's very good, but it isn't really great, as what it does is just worse, except for having a much better chorus.

Okay, so I just looked at their website, and it turns out that their music is following the basic outline of a story. A dystopian, doomsday-y one. This is a cool concept, but since you need to know the context of the story, it weakens the songs by leaning on the presumption that the people listening have an understanding and background info.

I do want to see this band succeed, though. They seem like they could carve out a good niche, if they strengthened the basics of their music. Their website says they're inspired by Bands like Pink Floyd, and I can definitely see that. So...go check them out.

 

[Neyo]

If the Knight from Hollow Knight was in Super Smash Bros.:
The general archetype for this character would fall between the zoner/rushown archetypes, with some decent ledgetrapping capabilities, but be somewhat poor at fighting offstage. They would have a very fast initial dash, but mediocre running speed. Their jump height would be above average, air acceleration would be low, and gravity be low. They would be very light, at about Sheik's weight. Their height is a little shorter than Mario's. Their crouch is similar to Pac-Man's, with virtually no usage towards avoiding moves. They do not have a crawl.

Before moves are discussed, let's note how their main gimmick works, as well as some other quirks:

• The Knight's main mechanic is the Soul meter. You can fill it up by striking enemies with your nail. It takes 9 strikes to completely fill. When the soul meter is completely full, it optionally powers up spells. By using spells, it is decreased by 3 swings. When the powered up spells are used, the meter is decreased by 6. When the meter is empty, spells cannot be used. The Knight starts each stock with 4/9 of the meter full.
• Their midair dash (and normal dash) is much longer than any other character in the roster, and has much less ending lag. This is to help their poor offstage presence. This principle is also true for their upward air dodge and downward as well. Visually, the dash looks like the Mothwing Cloak ability from their home game. Spotdodge is normal.
• Their down air attack would meteor opponents and send the Knight slightly up in the first few frames of having an active hitbox. Using this midair and landing it on an opponent also would also refresh dash and jump, similar to their home game.
• Their nail (sword) has slightly more range than Meta Knights's, with no dedicated sweetspots or sourspots.

Okay, now let's talk about moves:

• Neutral attack: Nail swing. Does about 8%, with low base knockback and scaling. Very quick, launches at
• 50 degree angle. These properties are also shared by forward tilt and forward air. Combos into itself at low percents.
• Dash attack: Fast, running nail swing. Deals about 8.5%, low base knockback, average scaling.
• Down tilt: Quick, low nail swing. Deals about 7%. Trips at low percents, launches at an 87 degree angle above 40%.
• Up tilt: High nail swing. Deals about 9.5%. Low base knockback and scaling. Launches at 90 degree angle.
• Neutral air: Nail spin that covers both the back and front of the Knight with a hitbox. Deals 8%, average base knockback and scaling for a move of its type.
• Down air: As noted earlier, it meteor smashes opponents during the earlier frames. Deals 9%, high base knockback and scaling during earlier frames. Average base knockback and scaling during later frames, and sends opponents slightly upwards. This will be the only move the Knight has that has a sweetspot.
• Back air: Void tendrils extend from the Knight as they quickly transform into their shade form. Deals 15%, has high base knockback and scaling. However, it is the slowest of their aerial moves (but by no means slow). Is one of their only kill options midair. Stalls the Kinght midair for the duration of the attack. Mediocre endlag. Very good range (about 2/3rds of Simon and Richter's whips). Sends at a horizontal angle.
• Up air: Quick, high nail swing. Deals about 9.5%. High base knockback, low scaling. Launches at 90 degree angle.

Okay, now to talk about special moves. Note that up, side, and down special are powered up and have a larger hitbox when the button is held when the soul meter is full.

• Neutral special: Focus. A stationary heal, done by holding down the special button. This uses up 1/3 of the soul meter when used. It takes 1 second to heal, and heals the knight for 7.5%. If the knight is interrupted during this move, then the soul is lost, and they take the full damage. It can be cancelled, but soul will be lost doing so. Cannot be powered up.
• Side special: Vengeful Spirit. A fireball is shot forward. A quick move that has decent range. Low base knockback, but high scaling. Deals 11%. Launches at 45 degree angle. When powered up, it becomes Shade Soul, dealing 17%, gaining high knockback and scaling. Also, when the move is powered up with a full soul meter, Void tendrils extend behind the Knight, similar to back air. These tendrils are merely to prevent horizontal punishes. They deal 4%, with low knockback and scaling. Note: The Knight is completely vulnerable to vertical moves during this move. Best for kills, bad for using for damage.
• Down special: Desolate Dive. A ground pound. Similar to Bowser's down special. However, it has some invincibility frames on start up, but significant endlag, enough to be punished if the player is not careful. When the Knight is descending, they have no hitbox. The hitboxes extend to either side of the Knight, and are capable of 2-framing if timed correctly. Cannot be cancelled. Deals 12%, has medium base knockback and poor scaling. When powered up, the move becomes Descending Dark, and is improved a lot. The hitboxes are shifted to both cover the ground, same as before, but also surround the Knight. The endlag is mostly the same, but during it, the Knight has super armor. When being powered up, it deals 20%, but keeps the same knockback and scaling. This move is mostly designed as a way to get out of combos and as a mostly defensive tool, with some risk attached.
• Up special: Howling Wraiths. A large blot of spirits is produced from the Knight, forming the basic shape of an upside down bell. Strikes 3 times. First strike is 4%, second is 5%, and third is 12%. Has decent base knockback, but very bad scaling. Minimal startup, same as Vengeful Spirit. The 1st and 2nd hits combo into the 3rd automatically. When powered up, the move becomes Abyss Shriek. This has slightly better scaling and knockback, but is still not good for killing opponents. Damage is increased to 7% - 7% - 13%. The hitbox is massively increased. This is designed to be a punishing damage-racking move and anti-air, but NOT to be a kill option.

Smash attacks:

• Up smash: Cyclone Slash. Spinning multihit nail attack. If all attacks land, it does 15%. Has low base knockback, but very good scaling. All of these attributes are shared by down smash, making them indistinguishable. Low startup and endlag, making it their best OOS option. Sends at 30 degree angle.
• Side smash: Great Slash. Large slice that goes slightly above and below the Knight. Has moderate endlag, minimal startup. Deals 11%. Above average base knockback, very high scaling. Sends at 50 degree angle.

Grab: Void tendrils extend from the Knight. A laggy tether grab that can grab ledges. Pummel is average. The Knight's grab options are designed to be not great offsetting most of their

• Back throw: The tendrils throw the opponent behind them. Deals 6% and throws at a 75 degree angle. Low knockback and scaling.
• Up throw: The tendrils throw the opponent up, and the Knight slices them. Launches at 85 degree angle. High base knockback, low scaling.
• Down throw: Tendrils throw opponent on the ground, lashes them repeatedly. Deals 15%, sends at 30 degree angle. Low base knockback, medium scaling.
• Forward throw: Tendrils yeet the opponent forward. Medium base knockback, good scaling. Deals 7%. Really the only killing throw the Knight has.

Final Smash: Gods of Hallownest: Hits up to 3 targets in a forward extending tendril. Similar to Min-Min's. The targets fly past several gods attacking them: Unn, the Pale King, and the Radiance, until finally appearing before the Knight who transforms into the Shade Lord. The screen fades to black and several quick scratches cross the screen. Deals 50%, kills middleweights at 50%.

Aesthetics. A small list of things that would be cute that wouldn't really affect gameplay:

• When rage is active on the Knight, their nail swings turn red, similar to the Fury of the Fallen charm players can equip in Hollow Knight. Furthermore, when the Knight is in their neutral position during rage, play the "1 mask" animation from Hollow Knight.
• When nail swings clank with a sword attack of some kind, play the parry sound effect from Hollow Knight.
• When soul is gained from nail swings, turn the opponent who received the attack white for a few frames after being hit.
• Their helpless animation is from the Abyss falling cutscene.
• When double jumping, Monarch Wings appear behind the Knight. This wouldn't change their hurtboxes.

Thanks for reading this glorified list of desperate wishes!

 

[Neyo]

Tongue twister:
If two witches were watching two watches, which witch watched which watch?

 

[Neyo]

r/HollowKnightMemes is a fever dream of a subreddit. And half of the members are straight up insane. Visit it on any given day, and depending on the mood, you may get cursed shipping, anti-cursed shipping, specific user arguments, sacrificing members of the Hollow Knight community, schizophrenia, in-universe factions, clowns, roleplay, or any other variety of memes you can think of. It is a nightmare.
I chalk it up to the lack of Hollow Knight content since the announcement of Silksong. It is a painful wait.

 

[Neyo]

Ranking Where The Water Tastes Like Wine characters in the most objective way possible: a tier list.

Spoiler

 

[Neyo]

MONOVISION is Ray LaMontagne's weakest album. It's fine, but it being fine is the issue, if you get my meaning. Compare it any of his other albums, and you notice it doesn't really have a defining presence. It just feels like your standard slow, quiet folk music album. Whereas his other albums, most notably Trouble, Gossip in the Grain, and Part of the Light had something going on that was at least mildly interesting. With Trouble, it was the creative usage of reverb and a mild willingness to use a piano in what was otherwise just your standard slow country fare (Now that I think about it, it's pretty much just MONOVISION but more creative). Gossip in the Grain? A wide range of instruments and some hype jams. Part of the Light? Being a rock album with country influences, rather than the other way around.

His other albums are good, but you can definitely see the foundational aspects of the above 3. Come to think of it, there was really only one song I liked in MONOVISION, "Strong Enough", and that was because it was pretty fast and held a passing reference to S. Carolina.

4/10 shmekels

 

[Neyo]

Slight correction to the Ray LaMontagne bit:
Ouroboros is much more fundamental than Part Of The Light. It released before, and you can see how he just went in deeper with the ideas there.

 

[Neyo]

What I can make of Godskin Apostle/Noble lore from Elden Ring (warning: this probably won make much sense if you haven played Elden Ring):
So, the Apostles and Nobles serve the idea of Destined Death, that all is fated to die. (It is unknown how it is connected to the Frenzied Flame, though it is so). In order to serve this ideal, they kill living, sentient creatures and wear theirs skins as clothing. In the case of the Noble, they also take fat present. They likely have some sort of connection to the Divine Towers, but what connection that is is unknown.

Yeah, I don't have a great understanding of the lore.

 

[Neyo]

My argument against My Neighbor Totoro:

The plot is charming, and simple. Less of an overarching story and closer to a series of short ones. It's cute, and has some of the most iconic characters in animation. I like some of the characters and think they're well written. However, there are a couple of notable issues I have with it.
The first is the random fakeout of one of the main characters' death. It serves very little actual purpose other than to shock the audience and regain their attention, and its other purpose could have been done much more subtly.
The second is the weird usage of Totoro, the titular character. He pretty much only appears when the plot desires it. I don't mind him being a deus ex machina, but it doesn't really feel like the problems even need him most of the time.



Mein Gott, looking back at this, I am not writing that well right now. Oh, well. I don't particularly care enough right now to do anything to fix this. Take all of the above issues with a grain of salt.
"Don't half-ass two things, whole-ass one thing" - Ron Swanson

 

[Neyo]

Spoiler

 

[Neyo]

Well, I have a nasty case of the stomach bug. Fun times.

 

[Neyo]

I started writing something this morning to post here, and I immediately realized to was just a rehash of a really bad fanfic from when I was 13. It was essentially just really edgy Percy Jackson, and I stole from so many different intellectual properties. Among them being Tekken, The Inheritance Cycle, Dark Souls, Skylanders(?) and Star Wars. I also literally stole from various cultures, and had no characters with any form of depth, though it did have some neat ideas in theory. I based it where my family lived at the time, and I didn't actually know the area well enough, so I just mad up random details that didn't matter. Looking back at it, it was incredibly cringy, and I'm glad I destroyed it. Thinking back, it was really funny how seriously I took it.
Man, this brings back memories.

 

[Neyo]

So I recently tried out BTS (the kpop band). A friend of mine is really into them, so I was curious what their music was like. The result? I was kind of disappointed. Their music sounds really bland. But this may simply be because...I don't like pop music that much (and I also have really weird music taste). I understand its place, and I can appreciate the mass appeal. That's difficult to do, and (most) of the artists that make very popular music are very talented.

However, a lot of the appeal of pop music is its generality. Once one develops more specific music tastes, then pop loses a lot of its appeal (unless that taste is pop itself). Which is why pop more or less requires a constantly growing base. As such, one way is to make it more explicit.

Pop music over the years has gotten a little bit less censored when played on radio, as far as I can tell. A bit more prone to phrases with a wink. I don't know how much this affects the growth of pop music as a whole. Oh, well. Such is capitalism.

...thanks for reading what is essentially me getting on a giant soapbox.

 

[Neyo]

I'm not a pop fan at all but I have listened to some of the JPop groups my IRL best friend likes and it has broadened my horizons a bit lol

Wholesome ending achieved.

 

[Neyo]

Let's attach every character in Where the Water Tastes Like Wine to their respective song, since the wiki for the game absolutely sucks. Let's get to it! I'll also be explaining why, as well as occasionally offering my opinions on the music itself if I think it's particularly noteworthy. Spoiler free, too.

Althea: Soulsucker Blues (and it's accompanying piano version, which are both bangers, by the way). She quite literally sings this to describe her life. Best song in the game, and that is in no small part because the singer is amazing. Another possibility is Tear it Down, because she also sings it, but it seems a bit too...unrelated. Besides, Soulsucker Blues fits her better.

Quinn: Howl. They have dogs. There really isn't a better way to explain it.

Little Ben: Breathe the Black. He was a coal miner turned union organizer. The song is amazing guitar work.

Fidelina: Curandera, because she is one. A curandera is essentially a healer using folk remedies. The specific connotations of a curandera are more present in traditional or older communities, where they often have spiritual/religious connections. I pretty much only know this because of Rudolfo Anaya's novel Bless Me, Ultima. And I pretty much only remember that book because it had weirdly horny children in it.

Mason: This Trench Was Dug For Me. There are two soldiers in this game, Mason and August. August is a sailor, so I doubt he would be in trenches.

August: Shining Isles of Ivory. Honestly, this is one of the weirder pieces of music in the soundtrack, and I don't actually remember hearing it during my playthrough. I just picked it because it was kind of like a pirate song.

Dupree: Read 'Em and Weep. Easy. She's a gambler, and a fast talker. I would actually like to note how good this song is. It's tied for my 2nd favorite song in the game, next to Noodle It Out. I'm actually listening to it right now as I type this.

Franklin: Miles of Smiles. Kind of just the title that gives me this. Franklin is a passenger car worker, all smiles on his face, but in misery over the ingrained racism that put him in this situation. This song is pretty good, but not quite as much as the two above.

Ray: White Rider. He's the only character with a horse, and can be found in the Southwestern portion of the U.S. It's actually not that bad of a song. The singer and tone remind me of Johnny Cash, bless his soul.

Jimmy: Dust to Dust. He's a pastor traveling, giving eulogies and sermons. Dust to dust is a line in traditional Christian eulogies. Another alternative is Tear it Down, but feels too...angry.

Dehaaya: The Road Remembers. You can definitely tell it's her song just by listening to it. Which makes me sad. Ryan Ike (the composer) was definitely trying to make a "Native American" song, but it just feels generically non-European (or generically non-Eastern American). I feel like if this was a traditional Native American song, then it could easily be one of the best in the soundtrack, but...it's frustrating. The song itself, without any context if fine, I guess.

Rocio: Root and Rise. The chord progression sounds like generic Mexican guitar music. It's good, but the character's story is far better than the music.

Bertha: From This Field I Wish To Rise, I guess? I'm scarping the bottom of the barrel here. Bertha just might not get a song. She's really generic anyways.

Shaw: Tear It Down. This is sung by Althea, but both Shaw and Althea were written by the same person (Gita Jackson), so maybe there's a connection here? I don't really have any convincing connection there other than that. These three of Bertha, Shaw, and Cassady are all really difficult to determine.

Cassady: He's the easiest of the hard ones, as I call the trio. Probably Rail Hoppin' and/or From This Field I Wish To Rise. Rail Hoppin' because of his history travelling across the country, but also This Field I Wish To Rise, because of its reflective properties? Both of these songs are really good, by the way.

Rose: At both last and least, we have Rainbow on Wheels. A terrible song for a terrible character. It's an electric guitar in the 1930s-40s. What the heck, Ryan.

 

[Neyo]

Should I be scared about how easy the PSAT was?

 

[Neyo]

Why I Dislike Improv Jazz (or any forms of musical improv):

Improv jazz is the antithesis of order, which I like in music. I like being able to have an understanding of what I am witnessing. However, the spontaneity of the subgenre does not promote this order. It's the same principle with video games, movies, books, et cetera. When you read a mystery, you aren't expecting it to turn into a fantasy novel midway through. However, the core element of improv is that it is transformative. I just don't really like it.

However, that spontaneous randomness is very difficult to properly achieve. No person is free from biases. Thus, it is impossible for improv jazz to be completely free of those biases, too. Thus, the ideal of improv jazz is virtually unachievable.

Yes, I am that annoying elitist. And my issues are mostly theoretical or in principle. So I think I'm a Twitter user now.

 

[Neyo]

The Crane Wives are a four person indie band with some fun music. Their overall genre is probably closest to folk. The two primary singers, Emilee Petersmark and Kate Pillsbury, are very good. There's also a male singer named Dan Rickabus. He exists. And a male bassist, Ben Zito, is here.

Anyways, this isn't analysis. This is just me gushing over a band I like. Their music is very...peppy. For the most part, it's fast-paced and fun. Amazingly good vocal performances. Give it a try. The topic material is a little heavy, but it's good.

This is not an advertisement, I'm not being paid by anybody. But I'm open to being paid by people! Starting price...15,000 shmekels

 

[Neyo]

Prediction for Gen 9 starters:
Fuecoco: turns into a flaming crocodile/chili pepper (Fire/Grass)
Quaxly: Sailor inspired by Don Quixote (Water/Fighting)
Sprigatito: Furry Likely a swordfighter and/or a dancer. We all know it's going to be bipedal, so at least give us a good one. (Grass/Steel)

 

[Neyo]

You wake up in a swamp. You don't know where this swamp is, nor who you are, why you're here, or any sort of memories. Save one. A wolf-no, fox, holding a deck of cards. It has a necklace of pearls around its throat. A small cigar sits in its mouth. All normal enough. But the eyes-a human's. One shockingly bright blue, the other deep brown, almost black. It smiles and laughs.

You get up, look around. Deathly silence. You wade deeper into the water, and feel blades of grass prick your feet. Looking under the water, you see a freshly mowed lawn at your feet. When you look above the water, you see endless suburban housing, not a drop of water in sight. Wandering into a house, you find that it is completely empty. When you see a dead rat curled up in a corner, you're filled with a terrible sense of dread. You collapse on the floor.

Awakening to the sound of a choir chanting, you find yourself in a church pew. The choir is dressed completely in black, faces covered, hands clapping in unison as the chant. Turning around, you see a figure dressed in furs with a gun enter the church. No, those furs are writhing. As it walks through, it is visible that this is not human. It has a changing face, clothes (or skin?), height. A wolf, a mink, a deer...ever changing. The figure raises the gun to the choir. Every clap, gunshot sounds in unison, and a member of the choir collapses, until none are left. The figure caws, as a crow would. They leave, flames arising from their steps as they walk away. Flames the color of blood. As the church is consumed in flames with you inside, you hear the choir still singing. Blistering, burning, blazing, you scream, tearing at your skin.

You find yourself in the swamp again, blessedly cool. Still deathly silent. You see the fox, a blur of red, dart amongst the trees, and in a desperate frenzy, you give chase. The water resists your efforts, and you look down and see a brilliant, dizzying array of colors swirling at your feet. The water surge upwards. You are enveloped in the blinding, radiant, murderous colors, too many to think or see.

In a field, you arise. Born anew. Blue skies. White clouds. The world is glorious. Angelic. Magnificent. Impossible.

A wave of heat hits your back. When you blink, you are in a desert, burning sun above, indiscriminate in its hate. Looking around, you see an old woman cradling a body. Walking towards her, the body she is cradling is not human, but a fox. Blue eye agape, its bloodied mouth twisted in a smile, it is the same fox as before. Dead, like a rock. The old woman looks up. She smiles, and the smile seems to get wider and wider over time, until her skin is rotted away, just bones are left. And you sink into the sand once more.