Shevanel's recent activity
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Comment on Let's build a playlist! in ~music
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Comment on Let's build a playlist! in ~music
Shevanel Link ParentHaha that’s perfectly put. Have you had a chance to catch him live? Highly recommend it - he leans hard into the “Is it jazz or metal” angle, throwing up some cheeky horns during particularly...Haha that’s perfectly put. Have you had a chance to catch him live? Highly recommend it - he leans hard into the “Is it jazz or metal” angle, throwing up some cheeky horns during particularly heavy parts, and the energy and cohesion with his live trio is stellar.
Really excited about the new album!
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Comment on Let's build a playlist! in ~music
Shevanel Link ParentThe Louis Cole love in this thread warms my heart. And love Igorrr, Hallelujah was unlike anything I had heard when I first came across it. I enjoy that all of his albums sound immensely...The Louis Cole love in this thread warms my heart. And love Igorrr, Hallelujah was unlike anything I had heard when I first came across it. I enjoy that all of his albums sound immensely different, but at the same time, they all sound exactly like Igorrr.
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Comment on Tildes Book Club - How are you doing with Ocean at the End of the Lane? in ~books
Shevanel LinkAppreciate the bump on this thread, @boxer_dogs_dance, I just finished it last night. It was my first Gaiman novel and, somewhat unsurprisingly, it felt a lot like a Discworld novel in that it was...Appreciate the bump on this thread, @boxer_dogs_dance, I just finished it last night. It was my first Gaiman novel and, somewhat unsurprisingly, it felt a lot like a Discworld novel in that it was a very digestible read, and the pages seem to melt away (though it helped that it was a relatively short book too).
Really excited to discuss it with the group when the time comes!
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Comment on Let's build a playlist! in ~music
Shevanel Link ParentSounds like you'll be right at home with TesseracT's long-form stuff. Hope you enjoy, and excited to hear what you think!Sounds like you'll be right at home with TesseracT's long-form stuff. Hope you enjoy, and excited to hear what you think!
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Comment on Let's build a playlist! in ~music
Shevanel Link ParentClownCore was a trip, but I think Knower is a much better introduction to the Louis-Cole-iverse for what it’s worth haha. Their live hallway recordings are so tight, it’s unreal. Would love to...ClownCore was a trip, but I think Knower is a much better introduction to the Louis-Cole-iverse for what it’s worth haha. Their live hallway recordings are so tight, it’s unreal.
Would love to share some TesseracT recommendations!
tl;dr “Of Mind - Nocturne” to hear their sound with former vocalist Ashe, features all clean vocals and is more groove-oriented, otherwise check out “Luminary” to hear their sound with current (and original) vocalist Dan; their most recent and very first albums are the heaviest, middle albums are all more chill and tended towards less harsh vocals throughout.
They don’t really have any weak albums IMO, though their sound has changed over time. You mentioned Mastodon, so I’m assuming you’re not inherently opposed to harsh vocals in the genre? They’ve had two vocalists, three if you count an EP, all with very different sounds. The easiest jumping-in point for the group is definitely the album Altered State, 100% clean vocals but the classic groove-forward djent sound that they’ve really championed. The songs on Altered State all kind of encompass one large movement, so if you have the time, I’d recommend giving the whole album a listen, but the track “Of Mind - Nocturne” is a great embodiment of the whole album. That said, Altered State is the one LP that features a different vocalist, as the rest of their LPs all feature their original (and now-current) vocalist Dan. Rather different approaches, but they’re both stellar in their own right. “Sonder” is probably the most accessible album featuring Dan, and the opening track “Luminary” is great, though it’s really a solid album front to back.
If you don’t mind and/or are looking for a heavier sound, their very first and most recent albums, “One” and “War of Being” respectively, are their heaviest albums by a long shot, with the latter even being a little bit more experimental of a sound (for them, at least). The title track off “War of Being” is my favorite from the album, though I have a hard time recommending it as an introduction to the band because it’s 11 minutes long lol. Oddly enough, with nearly all of their albums, listening to the first track of the album will give you a good snapshot of that whole album’s sound, they’re weirdly consistent in that regard.
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Comment on Let's build a playlist! in ~music
Shevanel LinkLove this idea, thanks for putting it out there @Power0utage ! Entertain Me - Tigran Hamasyan The Brain Dance - Animals as Leaders Stadium Jazz - Donny McCaslin Animal Spirits - Vulfpeck Golden -...Love this idea, thanks for putting it out there @Power0utage !
Entertain Me - Tigran Hamasyan
The Brain Dance - Animals as Leaders
Stadium Jazz - Donny McCaslin
Animal Spirits - Vulfpeck
Golden - Cory Wong, Cody FryJudgment has been exercised to leave any non-instrumental metal off the list. I feel like it can be an audio grenade in these kinds of playlists :) though I’m happy to talk shop if anybody’s interested!
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Comment on Let's build a playlist! in ~music
Shevanel Link ParentAs an aside, Bilmuri is immensely impressive to me in that he somehow made a Kevin James speech blurb into something heavier than a Will Ramos feature lol. I really dig Lorna too, just never could...As an aside, Bilmuri is immensely impressive to me in that he somehow made a Kevin James speech blurb into something heavier than a Will Ramos feature lol. I really dig Lorna too, just never could have expected the NASCAR (NAS-core?) breakdown.
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Comment on Let's build a playlist! in ~music
Shevanel Link ParentJust commenting on this to let you know that I really dig your choices, and our libraries likely have a ton of overlap with the choices you have going on here. In the last year, I’ve caught Dirty...Just commenting on this to let you know that I really dig your choices, and our libraries likely have a ton of overlap with the choices you have going on here. In the last year, I’ve caught Dirty Loops, Clown Core, and TesseracT (closest I could think of to Mastodon haha) when they came through Chicago. Nice to meet a kindred spirit out here!
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Comment on Spotify is no longer just a streaming app, it’s a social network in ~tech
Shevanel Link ParentFrom a “me owning and listening to my purchased music” standpoint, I totally agree with you - hell, I still own and use an iPod Classic for the same reason. I do pay for and enjoy Spotify as well,...From a “me owning and listening to my purchased music” standpoint, I totally agree with you - hell, I still own and use an iPod Classic for the same reason. I do pay for and enjoy Spotify as well, but for the specific use case of discovering new music, or giving a new group a listen before I decide to invest in buying an entire LP / vinyl / tickets to a show when they come through town. Spotify is priceless with that kind of use case in mind.
As a musician, I wish their royalty structure was, ahem, improved, but I won’t get into all that for the time being.
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Comment on Tildes Book Club - 2024 summer schedule in ~books
Shevanel LinkHi @boxer_dogs_dance, would you mind adding my name to the "ping" list when we get around to The Ocean at the End of the Lane, please? I just started reading it out of sheer coincidence and ran...Hi @boxer_dogs_dance, would you mind adding my name to the "ping" list when we get around to The Ocean at the End of the Lane, please? I just started reading it out of sheer coincidence and ran into this thread. I'd love to officially join in on the fun come late July. Thanks!
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Comment on WAYFARER - To Enter My House Justified (2023) in ~music
Shevanel Link ParentThat’s exactly what piqued my curiosity the first time I read about them lol. Hope you enjoy!That’s exactly what piqued my curiosity the first time I read about them lol. Hope you enjoy!
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Comment on WAYFARER - To Enter My House Justified (2023) in ~music
Shevanel (edited )LinkNice, thanks for sharing! I’m surprised I’ve never run into this group, I’m always on the lookout for solid black metal, especially when I can confirm it’s definitely not NSBM. While it’s coming...Nice, thanks for sharing! I’m surprised I’ve never run into this group, I’m always on the lookout for solid black metal, especially when I can confirm it’s definitely not NSBM. While it’s coming from a different direction of “Americana” broadly speaking, wanted to mention Blackbraid in case you weren’t already aware of him. Native American Black Metal, really enjoy his work!
Edit: added a link to Blackbraid's YouTube page
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Comment on The diabolical rise of ‘dine and dash’: ‘It feels like a betrayal’ in ~misc
Shevanel Link ParentTotally agreed, I was just providing an example to the contrary. I think a “sit down” experience with a proper wait staff is something to be enjoyed and celebrated and shouldn’t be totally...Totally agreed, I was just providing an example to the contrary. I think a “sit down” experience with a proper wait staff is something to be enjoyed and celebrated and shouldn’t be totally steamrolled in the name of convenience and avoidance of dine and dash nonsense.
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Comment on What gaming genre could use a renaming? in ~games
Shevanel Link ParentOh, I totally agree that it ought to be specific. I’m saying that, much like the term roguelike, it’s starting to lose all meaning because people use the term to mean “a difficult third-person...Oh, I totally agree that it ought to be specific. I’m saying that, much like the term roguelike, it’s starting to lose all meaning because people use the term to mean “a difficult third-person game” instead of specifically carrying the features you correctly laid out.
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Comment on The diabolical rise of ‘dine and dash’: ‘It feels like a betrayal’ in ~misc
Shevanel Link ParentThere are plenty of “fast casual” restaurants in the US (Panera comes to mind) that have you order up front before sitting down with a buzzer or an order number on a placard so the servers know...There are plenty of “fast casual” restaurants in the US (Panera comes to mind) that have you order up front before sitting down with a buzzer or an order number on a placard so the servers know where to drop off your food. But I agree that it’s hardly ubiquitous, and I think a ticket system could help curb issues like this even more.
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Comment on What gaming genre could use a renaming? in ~games
Shevanel Link ParentHi, it’s me, I’m guilty of treating roguelikes exactly how you described in this thread. You’re spot on, though, eventually enough people use these catch-all terms to describe new games, which can...Hi, it’s me, I’m guilty of treating roguelikes exactly how you described in this thread. You’re spot on, though, eventually enough people use these catch-all terms to describe new games, which can be helpful in the moment to help explain a new game, but in time it just serves to muddy the waters of a game even more.
I don’t know that I have a great solution to it. My hackneyed answer is to just use more descriptors, but then we get to a point where we have to ask why we even have these wide sweeping genre names when games are all so varied that you wouldn’t recommend, per your post, Caves of Qud to someone looking for The Binding of Isaac?
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Comment on What gaming genre could use a renaming? in ~games
Shevanel Link ParentThat’s a great callout - I know I’m just as guilty of it, especially with roguelikes (whatever that term means at this point). I suppose the spirit of my question still remains the same - instead...That’s a great callout - I know I’m just as guilty of it, especially with roguelikes (whatever that term means at this point). I suppose the spirit of my question still remains the same - instead of using a blanket term like “roguelike,” we should try to focus more on the individual pieces that help define the subgenres, per Wes’s point on tagging. Another one that comes to mind in a similar vein is “soulslike,” which at this point basically just means “a difficult third person game.” FromSoftware’s games in this vein are some of my very favorite games, period, yet at this point I won’t touch a new game labeled as a “soulslike” until I have definitive proof that it actually hits the same gameplay points that FromSoft’s entries focus on.
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Comment on What gaming genre could use a renaming? in ~games
Shevanel Link ParentI think your summary is the closest anyone has gotten to my general feelings on the topic. I actually do like a lot of the genre names we have out there, especially subgenres, when used correctly....I think your summary is the closest anyone has gotten to my general feelings on the topic. I actually do like a lot of the genre names we have out there, especially subgenres, when used correctly. Roguelike/lite tells me a lot about a game, but it’s not descriptive enough to tell me everything, and I think that’s okay. But you say “roguelike card game” and I immediately think “okay, like Slay the Spire.” Or you say “roguelike top-down shooter” and I might think, “got it, sort of like Enter the Gungeon.” I don’t think we ought to force ourselves to distill every game into a single-word genre. It’s an exercise in futility because, per your point, there’s just too much variety, which is an awesome problem to have. I’d say your idea of tagging as a solution works much in the same way as encouraging deliberate use of subgenres when possible instead of trying to shoehorn everything into these big picture categories.
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Comment on What gaming genre could use a renaming? in ~games
Shevanel Link ParentI think the term “boomer” here is a tongue-in-cheek reference to the fact that the games were originally made popular by and due to gamers who are relatively old (compared the the average gamer’s...I think the term “boomer” here is a tongue-in-cheek reference to the fact that the games were originally made popular by and due to gamers who are relatively old (compared the the average gamer’s age now). And kids these days call anybody older than them a boomer, hence the popularity of the phrase “okay, boomer.” Couple that with the fact that it’s also just fun to say and I’m fine with it as it is. But the fact that it requires this long of an explanation is the entire reason I think we ought to come up with something else!
I appreciate the thought of “arena shooter,” but it can be argued that arena shooters are their own subgenres wherein the players deal with waves of enemies in bespoke arenas. There is often a greater multiplayer focus in these games as well. You mentioned a few entries that fit the bill, Painkiller is another big one in this realm. But the original Quake, for example, doesn’t really fit at all. Not many “arenas” anywhere in the game to speak of. Lots of linear playing, very few instances of anything close to what I’d call arena gameplay. Which is why I landed on retro FPS, which, trust me, I feel the same way about how it ages me :)
Tigran is a unique beast for sure - there are a few acts that scratch the same itch for me but most of them lean a little bit more into the jazz side. If you use Spotify, there’s an entire playlist on there titled “Prog Jazz” that does a pretty good job riding that line. I’ll list a few of the most fitting examples below but I’m sure you’ll find some that speak to you on that playlist too
Plenty of others but I’ll let you explore the playlist. Feel free to let me know if any speak to you and I’ll try to share more in that given direction!