You need to hear this! XP Baby Metal

About a year ago, I was researching the topic of kitsune, and I found this.

           

If you haven't heard of Baby Metal, you've probably been living under a rock, like me. Or you have four very active kids who drive you nuts in a good way, like me. Or maybe you work full time at a soul-sucking job with lovable co-workers, like me. Or you are just old, and can't keep up with the new memes and the new slang and the new music, like me. Or maybe you are writing a novel and giving every spare minute and ounce of your life force to it, like me. 

So I just gave you five completely plausible outs right there. But no more excuses! You need to hear this shit.

Baby Metal is described as "kawaii metal." What does that mean, people? It's a combination of Japanese pop and, well, metal. The "Kami band" was originally fronted by three idols--adorable girls who dance and sing. You might not think a fusion of polar opposites could work, but music has no limits, people. And in this case, it more than works. It smacks. I mean, it's lit. At least, I think so, and apparently, I'm not the only one. Their top songs have millions of views on YouTube. And even critics can be counted as fans.

On the 2019 release of Metal Galaxy:

"It’s well-documented on this site that I love me some Babymetal, but even I’m surprised at their longevity. For a group still considered a gimmick band by many, they remain incredibly popular, and not just in their native Japan. They sold out a headlining show at the Los Angeles Forum on their current tour — a venue where Metallica and the Foo Fighters play. Even with the core vocal trio reduced to a duo after Yuimetal (aka Yui Mizuno)’s departure last year, the idol metal band doesn’t appear to be going anywhere anytime soon." -Jeff Trippel, Metalsucks.net

So yeah. After watching about three videos, I became an instant fan. Baby Metal currently has three albums--the self-titled debut (2014), Metal Resistance (2016), and Metal Galaxy. If you poke around on YouTube, you'll find live performances from all over the world. 

I like all kinds of metal in small doses, but I prefer fast metal. Admittedly, I may have been predisposed to liking Baby Metal from various anime intros and outros, like those in Death Note. "Distortion" is by far my favorite song, but the video, reminiscent of Shadow of the Colossus, lends itself to the song's impact. "Karate" also stands out. 

There seems to be a theme around me lately of songs about stars, as in, suns. For a week or more, Bad Suns song "Starjumper" is running in my head. And I love it. And after listening to Metal Galaxy, I have to say "Starlight" is my most favoritest song. It's the perfect song to write a seventh revision to.

J. L. Dodd

Sources:

https://www.metalsucks.net/2019/10/09/album-review-babymetal-conquer-the-metal-galaxy/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Babymetal

Mystic Truth Tour

My obsession come to life… Bad Suns 10/11/19

It was a small venue so I got pretty good pics.

I was fortunate enough to attend a Bad Suns show last Friday in downtown Phoenix with my family. Tons of energy. Great music. I enjoyed the shit out of it. Really. And surprisingly, so did my kids. (I just love the word surprisingly. I use it profusely. And every time I do I think of Stephen King's hate of adverbs. Sadly, I just can't help myself.)

You may or may not recall my Bad Suns obsession. Admittedly, back in 2017, it was fairly fleeting, but surprisingly and awesomely, their new album rocks. Okay, not rocks per se, but it's great and stuff.

Seriously, I really like Mystic Truth. There really isn't even a single song I don't like. Especially "The World and I" and "Hold Your Fire." And really, how could you not? And I noticed something. Bizarrely, even though I listened to Mystic Truth ceaselessly for two months preceding the show (as is my custom to familiarize myself with my charge), I realized at the concert that I still didn’t know many of the words to their songs. Which indicates to me that the strong guitar hooks and simple melodies are the selling point (and that I really am losing it).

Truthfully, generally, the lyrics are a bit trite for my taste. Too many are about lurve, I guess. But after seeing them live, and hearing a wide selection of their old and new songs together, there's something so freaking wholesome and good about them. A week later, I’m still waking up with their music in my head. I suspect I’m hearing it in my dreams.

Never mind that I was the second oldest person in the room. Who cares, friend! Surprisingly, I had no qualms about it. Contrarily, it felt good to be an adult, having a good time watching my kids having a good time.

Surprisingly sincere,

J. L. Dodd

Review XP Black House

Although I still haven't forgiven him (No you don't, Peter Straub), I picked up a used copy of Black House, a collaboration between Straub and Stephen King, and was immediately drawn in.


Maybe because I have a particular fondness for all manner of crime TV, and maybe because I wish I was a P.I. (I literally have, in the last six months, looked into the requirements to become one), and maybe because I love sick, twisted characters (to a point), and maybe because the parallels in this book to the Dark Tower series are not simply parallels but direct intersections … I suppose I could go on and on but the point is I enjoyed this book. In fact, I enjoyed it much more than its predecessor, The Talisman. Even stopping 100 pages in to locate and read The Talisman, which took months (perhaps unnecessary, but I feel it was the right choice), I stayed immersed in the story.

The namesake doesn’t come into play until the climax, but it doesn’t disappoint. And the characters were freakin’ fantastic. I loved Henry and Dale from the get-go, and I grew to love Beezer and Doc. Jack was a mixed bag. He’s changed quite a bit as he’s aged, but as much as you may miss the 12-year-old golden child, his demeanor only makes sense given his chosen profession. The nod to Poe in the form of the madness-inducing, evil raven was an odd, but nice touch. I found myself taken with Gorg, in fact.

When I stop to think about it, the authors used an excessive amount of plot devices. The bat. The honey. The bees. D’yamba. The nearly omnipotent Big Bad who practically rolls over. Who cares. They honestly didn’t bother me all that much. I want my happy ending, for everybody. I want all the peripheral characters to live, damn it! (Thank you, gentlemen, for bucking the norm and keeping Doc alive. Much appreciated.) Never mind the actual ending, and the fact that Parkus should have easily prevented what transpired. But whatevs.

Disclaimer: There were certainly a few elements I found off-putting enough to take me out of the narrative. These included a few (not unexpected) erections, in conjunction with Burn-Burn’s recollections of child murder and cannibalism. As much as I would have preferred to stay out of his head, his POV was absolutely necessary to the story. Thus, I was able to continue. This stuff is impossible to unread, and as a parent, it stuck with me, so be warned. I’m totally blaming Straub for this element.

Goodreads 4/5 stars

J.L. Dodd

Sunday Morning Playlist

So, I’ve got some work to do. I’ve been ignoring my blog. I can’t even say why, really, except that writing this is different than working on a book. It comes from a different place, a place that is sometimes hard to tap in to. That inner voice that doesn’t always want to speak. 


That said, let’s make this easy for me, no? My first blog entry of 2019 will be about music.

I’ve moved away from rock some, since Chester died. And I OD’d on Twenty-One Pilots. I still love them to death but literally that’s all I’ve listened to since last October when “Trench” was released. So here I am, on a quiet Sunday morning, and this is my playlist.

Greek Tragedy – The Wombats
Cigarette Daydream – Cage the Elephant
Silver Tongue – Young the Giant
Talk Too Much – Coin
Pieces – Andrew Belle
Sun – Two Door Cinema Club
Chocolate – The 1975
Avalanche – Walk the Moon
Off She Goes – Bad Suns
Different Colors – Walk the Moon
Dreaming – Smallpools
Electric Love – BØRNS
Happy Hour – Weezer
Flashed Junk Mind – Milky Chance
Run – Coin
What You Know – Two Door Cinema Club
Sit Next to Me – Foster the People
Dancing on Quicksand – Bad Suns
Breezeblocks – Alt J
Oceans – Coasts
Fun – Sir Sly
I Would Do Anything for You – Foster the People

And finally,

Superposition – Young the Giant

J. L. Dodd



I love these lyrics ya’ll. 

“Superposition”

I don't believe in fate

No psychic vision
But when things fall into place, superposition
In any universe you are my dark star

I want you to want me

Why don't we rely on chemistry?
Why don't we collide the spaces that divide us?
I want you to want me
Superstition aims with imprecision
But when things can't be explained, superposition, oh
In any universe you are my dark star
I want you to want me
Why don't we rely on chemistry?
Why don't we collide the spaces that divide us?
I want you to want me
I want you to want me
No matter what we do
I'll be there with you!
I want you to want me
Why don't we rely on chemistry?
Why don't we collide the spaces that divide us?
I want you to want me

RANDOM AF! Profanity

I can't say why, but when I write, I have a tendency to use more profanity that usual. But really, isn't profanity mostly about emphasis? I think so. I use it in place of "very", not because I'm a sailor or a delinquent but because I want to get your attention. "Clean up your shitty-ass shit!" or "Use the mother fucking turning lane stupid ass!"

I also think it's funny. As opposed to using profanity in anger, when you use it for emphasis, it's hilarious. Even SpongeBob has a potty mouth. There's that episode where him and Patrick keep cussing and its bleeped out with dolphin noises. Plus he's always saying "barnacles!" Which is the literary equivalent of "fucking a!" My kids think it's funny too, although I'm sure I won't be laughing when they do it.

That being said, there's a time and a place people. I'm always amazed that my automatic filter kicks in when I'm around my mom, even though I'm much too old to worry about it. But yeah.

It's really hard to give my characters, especially Maiki, a filter. She's an extension of me to some degree, and then again she isn't. Would she say this or that? Does she think profanity is hilarious? Would her friend Marcus get mad at her? These are all questions I've asked myself. At this point, I'm don't have all the answers. I haven't taken any profanity out of my book while editing although it's certainly not YA appropriate as is. But I don't really give a fuck. Haha.

J. L. Dodd

“If you go home with somebody, and they don't have books, don't fuck 'em!”
― John Waters