Holding a String

Posted on March 25, 2020 by Stupidity Hole

I was going to have more stuff up today but I didn’t finish one of the reviews I’m working on and then the customer service job required commencement.

Anyway, here’s a photo.

This was taken during Jo Quail’s support set for MONO.

I feel as though this is an interesting shot. It feels very still, but it’s quite clearly showing movement.

Maybe it’s the difference between the hand and the bow, or maybe it’s their lining up. I’m not sure.

This is my submission into Leanne Cole‘s “Monochrome Madness” for this week.
I suggest checking out Leanne’s photography, as well as checking out what other people submit.

A lot of what people are submitting will likely end up here.

I hope you enjoy.

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The Lulu Raes: All our Parents are Divorced Review

Posted on March 24, 2020 by Stupidity Hole

Another review far too short.

This one really reads too much like a long blurb, I think.

There are quite a few of these reviews I wrote for Cool Try where I can’t remember the sound of the release I was reviewing, which might say more about either its quality, or the amount of things I listen to. Not sure if one or both of those.

A lot of those old reviews are worse than my current standard, but it’s ones like these that really make me glad I’ve gotten better.

This just doesn’t say enough. Very few people can give an album a succinct, informative write-up in a small amount of words and I’m not one of them. I often can’t with significantly more words either, but I digress.

This review is as it was.

Along with most of my review and interview work, this review is also on Culture Eater.
My colleague and I set up a Patreon to further develop Culture Eater as a source of good quality arts coverage from both ourselves and our contributors.

We’re looking at what we can give to supporters as we don’t want to set up a one way relationship, so suggestions are welcome. Podcast Eater is one of the things we’ve got going. We’ve recently switch to weekly releases and soon will be giving the patrons a bit more.

Please consider supporting, or at least sharing the Patreon page with others. Please also check out what our wonderful contributors are contributing.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy.

—

All our Parents are Divorced is fun.
It’s a small collection of airy pop songs that borrow heavily from past eras of music.
It’s rather upbeat in sound, and it feels designed quite consciously for the purposes of getting people to dance.
Along with feeling upbeat, it also feels like summer music with a sleek and polished sound.

This might be a big weakness for it though.
Being released at a time when it’s unlikely that similar-sounding music from other bands will be coming out makes it stand out more, which is good. However, it might end up disappearing from people’s conscious much faster.

Another big weakness would be the vocals. They sound confident but undeveloped. Aside from moments on “Change My Tune” (the most overtly energetic song on the album and also the closest to guitar pop), the songs also seem to demand a deeper, stronger voice. This may be an unfair criticism as they might be better in a live situation. However, the vocals do need more development.

With that being said, All our Parents are Divorced is enjoyable. It might not be amazing by any measure, but it still makes for a nice collection of pop that you can dance to, and that’s a lot more than can be said for a lot of artists.

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Five-Hundred Word Challenge 639: Right now not now

Posted on March 24, 2020 by Stupidity Hole

Another day spent inside and another day where I’m going to try and do a lot of writing, or something. Really not sure as to how it will pan out, but there is only one way to find out.

It’s been cold this morning. Wait; not it hasn’t been. Well, it was, but only for a short while. Right now the temperature is a bit warmer than cold, but it isn’t warm either.

Anyway, I had to head out this morning to do more shopping and when I reached a nearby suburb, it felt like a central area in a big country town. Of this I’m kind of a fan as I prefer being in areas less busy than what the city provides but it was kind of odd.

The supermarket was (unsurprisingly) much busier than the world outside of its being. Once more a whole bunch of things were out of stock whilst other things remained completely untouched.

And once more home was the destination after what was deemed necessary was obtained and acquired, and now I’ve been home for a few hours sitting here trying to work things out and get things done and get things out of the way as there is much to be done and as always there is little time in which it can be done.

Maybe that’s a good thing. Maybe that’s a bad thing. I’m really not sure at this point. The only certainty that I can think of is the current niceness of sitting here and wasting my time, but of course that leads to unpleasantness and stress over trying to play massive amounts of catch up. Always a fun thing, let me tell you.

I think I’ve hit the limit for today. I need to be working on reviews. I need to be working on a lot of things. Maybe that is what I need to do. I need to put this down and find a way to turn all this energy into something more productive, or something.

I need to find a way to find a lot of things, I think.

Perhaps I can find something more inspiring than writing about the experience of life in a dull, flat way. That would be good to find. There would be a lot of good things to find, to be honest. It would also be good to try and find the time to be a better person, but of course that is a journey of which I don’t want to bother with right now; at least, not until I’ve got enough of the current pile out of the way so that I can then focus on other pursuits such as that.

It would also be nice to get a hand on a car of my own so that I can not drive it, as right now the itch to cycle is much, much stronger.

That is an itch I need to scratch, but right now not now. Other things currently await.

The time it took to write five-hundred words: 06:38:85

This is a bit too rambling and static.

I’ve got a bit of energy in me right now but it’s not focused.

Written at home.

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Drifting Night Clouds

Posted on March 24, 2020 by Stupidity Hole

Last night I headed on out to a field near where I live.
It had been a while since I’d done anything with a lengthy long exposure. It had also been a while since I’d last spent a lot of time taking photos outside during the night.

I think I was outside for only forty minutes last night which wasn’t as long as I’d have liked, but I wasn’t using a remote and it was getting a bit too cold for me to stay outside in sandals, shorts and a shirt.

I’ve done better with this kind of photography, but I do like how this turned out.

The sense of motion is apparent and the light pollution helped to give the clouds clarity.

This kind of feels big and small to me.

This is my submission into Leanne Cole‘s TPM photo challenge for this week.

The theme for this challenge is “The Night Sky”, which is what got me out and shooting the night sky once more.

I suggest checking out Leanne’s photography, as well as checking out what other people submit into the challenge.

You can find the challenges here.

I hope you enjoy.

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Taka

Posted on March 23, 2020 by Stupidity Hole

Of MONO.

A really lucky shot.

I’m not sure what to make of his expression. It seems as though he’s quite firmly within the moment.

I feel as though this is a pretty expressive photo, both in body language and expression.

I hope you enjoy.

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Five-Hundred Word Challenge 638: Two Hours Beyond Work

Posted on March 23, 2020 by Stupidity Hole

It’s been a long day and I don’t feel like writing, but at the same time I do so I’m going to do my best.

People have started the panic buying of alcohol and of course it has created a situation most undesirable. That was what I can only describe as a long, arduous slog that left no sense of happiness once it was over. I felt drained and I still feel drained.

This was almost two hours ago. Still, afterward I got to head out and go for a walk and take some photos which was nice, but I’m not feeling great. It’s making me think about what the next few months are going to be like as the calls have been pretty relentless since the start of the year. I doubt they’re going to abate for a while, but strange things do happen from time to time.

Once more I find myself bewildered by the way people are acting, but that’s about all I want to write about that. I’d rather relax a little at this stage. I want to relax and forget about the day, but I cannot. It was too long and too distinctive.

I need to find a way, or maybe I don’t and just need to let it all wash away. Perhaps the grip is too tight. I know tomorrow is also a work day, but I also know that it is not a work day that involves my getting paid. Instead it is a day in which I’ll be working on reviews and other things, and that’s something I consider to be a good thing as it’ll be enjoyable. Well, hopefully. It’s one of those “only time will tell” things. Maybe the day will be horrible, but so long as I try to make the most of it, I’ll be fine.

I guess the issue I have is that making the most out of my paid job is still unsatisfying and just leaves me feeling horrible. Once more I’ll state that I’m glad I’m earning money right now, but that doesn’t mean I need to enjoy the job or feel good about it.

Oh well.

It is the evening and I am soon approaching a state in which I will need to sleep. That will be appreciable enough I suppose. Tomorrow is a new day. Tomorrow is a day in which there will be the doing of things, but right now it is the time of the soon approaching need to rest my eyes and move onto another plane of being, or something like that. I don’t feel like being too fancy or whimsical or anything. I just kind of want to cut to the chase, but there is no running; well, not in this place of residence anyway, and that’s kind of how I like it right now.

Need a bit more of a slow pace as it means I can work harder and faster and get all the things done sooner.

The time it took to write five-hundred words: 06:56:60

I think the fatigue is coming through.

On a side note, writing is much easier now.

Written at home.

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Wild Honey: Wild Honey Review

Posted on March 22, 2020 by Stupidity Hole

Another review from the Cool Try days.

This one is too short. I touched on things I wanted to, but those things needed significant expanding upon. Once more this is a review that reads far too much like dot points.

Admittedly that kind of format isn’t necessarily bad, but here it is as I think it’s clear that I was trying to present this as something more fully formed.

I can’t remember what this release sounds like, but I can remember that, outside of one song I found the EP to be weak.

Maybe I should listen to it again sometime down the track.

This one is as it was.

Along with most of my review and interview work, this review is also on Culture Eater.
My colleague and I set up a Patreon to further develop Culture Eater as a source of good quality arts coverage from both ourselves and our contributors.

We’re looking at what we can give to supporters as we don’t want to set up a one way relationship, so suggestions are welcome. Podcast Eater is one of the things we’ve got going. We’ve recently switch to weekly releases and soon will be giving the patrons a bit more.

Please consider supporting, or at least sharing the Patreon page with others. Please also check out what our wonderful contributors are contributing.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy.

—

Wild Honey are a band recently formed by Thom Moore of Mercy Arms.
Here’s their first release, Wild Honey.

The songs presented here sound like they are influenced by surf music, psychedelia, and pop.
The aim seems to have been to invoke images of being on beaches, or driving whilst a summer breeze blows around you.
It’s safe to say they’ve achieved this.

All of it is quite happy, relaxed and fun, and would work both as background music and something being listened to more actively.

With all this being said, these songs aren’t strong.
They don’t feel as though much thought or interest were put into them, coming off as soulless and uninspired rather than solid and memorable.
The airy, laid-back vocals work, but they don’t sound as confident as they should be, adding very little to the songs.

Overall, Wild Honey by Wild Honey is a nice, fun selection of songs.
It’s difficult to say much else about it though.
There’s nothing wrong with a bit of summer music, but it should less weak than this.
However, as a debut, it does show potential and indicates that the next release could be better.

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King Street in the Evening

Posted on March 22, 2020 by Stupidity Hole

Somewhere in Newtown.

I feel that most of the lights in this shot are too bright for this level of evening darkness, but I still think that they work.

There’s a good sense of space and size in the photo. I think I managed to do a good job of framing the shot and capture a sense of stillness whilst also capturing a sense of business.

The area isn’t exactly buzzing, but there’s still a things going on.

I hope you enjoy.

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Five-Hundred Word Challenge 637: Writing About an Album

Posted on March 22, 2020 by Stupidity Hole

This has a strong rising feel this particular song, but ultimately it doesn’t seem to go anywhere. It’s just a nice break, I guess. Maybe it’s meant to mean or represent something, but it doesn’t really go anywhere. Maybe it’s meant to feel large and somewhat-ominous, though maybe not. Perhaps the ambiguity is meant to be at the forefront. I don’t know and I don’t care. It comes off a little too much like filler and on an album that’s demanding that I pay attention to it, filler is entirely unwelcome.

That may be a little harsh, but I’m struggling to be kind regarding what it is that I’m hearing. Maybe that’s my problem. Maybe I’m an asshole. I don’t know. I just…

I don’t expect much out of this band. They’re one that are more than capable of delivering, but that seems more and more unlikely with each release. There are always a few good songs on each album. Some are mostly good, some are completely good, but most are mostly okay and forgettable. This is an issue as often there are hints of greatness but the band don’t know when to reign it in and when to really release.

That also seems unfair to say as it comes off as though I’m telling the band how to make their music, but perhaps they really need someone on the outside to put their foot down and really work the band hard. That couldn’t be me as I imagine my suggestions would not be strong enough. I couldn’t make a strong argument for what I think should be done. They need someone who isn’t going to mince words; that’s the very least that anyone can do.

Still, this quiet section isn’t too bad. Most of this isn’t too bad, but the overall whole drags far too much. It’s a tiring listen. It needed a few songs cut off and maybe put out on the next release. Maybe. Don’t really know.

I do know that I am enjoying a lot of this album despite its issues. Individually a lot of the songs are great. It’s just a bit of an ask to sit through all of this.

This new quiet section isn’t too bad either. There’s a nice build and it’s becoming something a bit louder, but fuller and more vibrant in a sense. Seems hopeful. Seems like the message is strong. Is the message strong? I don’t know. Often the vocals seem to just weakly wash over. Once more, hard to tell if there is a message or not, but either way this is a song that might just be worth hearing on repeat for a while.

So overall I don’t quite know what to think of what I’m listening to, though this closing track is great. Strong build, carries a strong sense of drama and grandeur and feels much more warranted than a number of the preceding tracks.

Maybe the album will improve upon many more listens. Maybe not.

The time it took to write five-hundred words: 07:50:44

Once more I’m struggling on writing a review, so I decided to try and use this format to get some stuff out of the way, regardless of if I can justify it or not.

Maybe a bit too ambiguous and repetitive, but hopefully it helped.

Written at home.

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Departing From Killara Station

Posted on March 22, 2020 by Stupidity Hole

Taken last weekend.

I “experimented” a bit when processing this photo as I’ve been sticking to adjusting less things than I’d like. On the plus side it means that I’ve likely been getting a better feel for how to adjust those things for each photo, but I feel a need to incorporate more tools into my approach.

I think this photo turned out okay. Everything appears to be a bit more striking without necessarily being overbearing as the shadows are balanced quite well.

I like the slight blur on the train as it kind of gives a sense of its departing as well as contrasts with the sense of stillness in the rest of the photo.

This is also my submission into the eighty-ninth Lens-Artists Photo Challenge.

The theme for this one is “A River Runs Through It“.

I have some recent shots of The Cooks River that I haven’t shared and likely won’t share as they didn’t turn out as well as I thought they would.

I should probably go and take shots of other rivers running through Sydney as well as other parts of NSW more often. At the moment Cooks River is the easiest for me to capture when it comes to time efficiency, but I digress.

Instead of a river I’m using this shot as, whilst it’s a stretch, a rail network can be analogous to a river.

Railways often run along set paths, though when able to will branch out, and trains will flow along those paths. Like the water in a river, a train often is heading somewhere along the railway.

There’s probably other stuff that I can’t think of right now, but you get the idea.

The challenge is hosted by four people and cycles weekly:

Week 1 – Patti

Week 2 – Ann-Christine aka Leya

Week 3 – Amy

Week 4 – Tina

This one is hosted by Amy. The next will be hosted by Tina.

I recommend giving the challenges a go and seeing how you interpret each theme. I also recommend checking out what other people are doing to meet the challenges.

I hope you enjoy.

 

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