Shevanel's recent activity
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Comment on What's your video game comfort food? in ~games
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Comment on What is your 'Subway Take'? in ~talk
Shevanel Link ParentOh for sure, I’m right there with you. I was coming more from the approach of “how do we make this take not-so-hot?” I think everyone should at least try an instrument for sure, maybe even a...Oh for sure, I’m right there with you. I was coming more from the approach of “how do we make this take not-so-hot?” I think everyone should at least try an instrument for sure, maybe even a couple if the first one doesn’t stick. So many instruments feel so different. I grew up a percussionist but had to learn all of the wind instruments during school to become a teacher. I tried flute for the first time at 20 years old - turns out I really really like it. In a different life, someone would have convinced me to give it a shot in 5th grade and I would have saved myself a lot of load-in time at gigs ;)
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Comment on What is your 'Subway Take'? in ~talk
Shevanel Link Parent90% agree (but I’m a gigging musician so I’m definitely biased), and think you might get more buy-in if the take was that everyone should have to participate in some form of the arts, or artistic...90% agree (but I’m a gigging musician so I’m definitely biased), and think you might get more buy-in if the take was that everyone should have to participate in some form of the arts, or artistic creation. Lot more broad, potentially a lot more appealing, same end result (IMO).
Mind you, I also used to be a HS band director so I had a very vested interest in everybody playing an instrument lol. I just know that it’s a tall order, and just doesn’t click for some. But I DO think that participating in the arts in some way, shape, or form offers the potential to enrich anyone’s life.
Edit: I share this quote way too often, but Kurt Vonnegut is once again apropos:
"[The arts] are a very human way of making life more bearable. Practicing an art, no matter how well or badly, is a way to make your soul grow, for heaven's sake. Sing in the shower. Dance to the radio. Tell stories. Write a poem to a friend, even a lousy poem. Do it as well as you possibly can. You will get an enormous reward. You will have created something.”
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Comment on What's your favorite hobby? in ~hobbies
Shevanel Link ParentNever have I resonated more strongly with a comment! If I look around my office right now, I can see my hobby home server, my halfway stood up server-turned-router, my repair kit I set up for tech...Never have I resonated more strongly with a comment! If I look around my office right now, I can see my hobby home server, my halfway stood up server-turned-router, my repair kit I set up for tech tinkering, my unfinished drum set restoration project stacked in the corner, and my recording/production setup for my chiptune project. My whiskey inventory is packed up in boxes in the crawlspace because my one-year-old is moving around the house too much, so I’m not holding tastings, cataloguing reviews, or chasing bottles anywhere near as much. And don’t even get me started on all my partially finished hobby apps and sites I’m trying to stand up :)
(Though if any of my pilot testers see this comment, I promise that my work on plots.club is actually still actively ongoing)
I really appreciate your perspective on allowing yourself to see them as trials that you choose to pursue or let go. I’m still in denial - I keep telling myself that one day I’ll get back to them all, as unlikely as that might be…!
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Comment on Suggestion request - My 75 year old mentor has gone blind in ~music
Shevanel Link ParentI’m certainly interested in hearing more myself, including your presentation and notes if you’re willing to share! My specialization in college was jazz education, but I played in my university’s...I’m certainly interested in hearing more myself, including your presentation and notes if you’re willing to share!
My specialization in college was jazz education, but I played in my university’s wind ensemble all through college and always enjoyed it even though I never dug into the literature as much. Our director was huge on Grainger but I always wished we did more Giroux and Mackey especially.
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Comment on Suggestion request - My 75 year old mentor has gone blind in ~music
Shevanel (edited )Link ParentGotta call out 2SAXY whenever Leo P. / Too Many Zooz are mentioned. Their long form “walking” improv sessions around cities are always a joy to watch and listen to!Gotta call out 2SAXY whenever Leo P. / Too Many Zooz are mentioned. Their long form “walking” improv sessions around cities are always a joy to watch and listen to!
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Comment on Suggestion request - My 75 year old mentor has gone blind in ~music
Shevanel Link ParentLove Chris Thile, I didn’t realize he led the Punch Brothers! I’m excited for his upcoming classical release as well; will definitely check this out knowing that he’s involved.Love Chris Thile, I didn’t realize he led the Punch Brothers! I’m excited for his upcoming classical release as well; will definitely check this out knowing that he’s involved.
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Comment on Suggestion request - My 75 year old mentor has gone blind in ~music
Shevanel (edited )LinkThis is hardly exhaustive, and quite vague, because I'm just going off of the broad fact that he likes jazz, but I figured I could at least share a list of somewhat more modern jazz acts, i.e....- Exemplary
This is hardly exhaustive, and quite vague, because I'm just going off of the broad fact that he likes jazz, but I figured I could at least share a list of somewhat more modern jazz acts, i.e. perhaps musical acts that a 75-year-old might have missed if he stopped regularly seeking out new artists in his 20s-30s. Some of these cats were putting stuff out in the 1980s and 1990s, though, so he's likely heard of some of them, but hopefully this might help him find a few new discoveries in here.
You'll get plenty of musical results back just plugging any of these names into Spotify, YouTube, Apple Music, etc...
Caveat for other commenters: I'm specifically aiming for musical acts that aren't quite modern, but are not so old/"classic" in the jazz sense that it'd be a no-brainer for a 75-year-old jazz fan to know of them. Hence why you'll see a name like Chris Potter but not John Coltrane (both world-famous saxophonists, but one is a lot more of a "household name," and I'm assuming @boxer_dogs_dance's mentor would have heard of them). Jazz is, very thankfully, somewhat healthy and alive today, though the jazz of today feels a heck of a lot different than what one might think of as "jazz," so I'm trying to bridge the gap here and find things are modern and still accessible, but not so old-school that they'd sound trite to your mentor. I hope this helps!
Individual musicians
(lots of these names will appear with others in collaborative albums, but searching for one name will bring up lots of albums of which they were a part)
Brad Mehldau
Keith Jarrett
Joshua Redman
Chris Potter
Kenny Garrett
Dave Douglas
Kenny Wheeler
John Scofield
Pat Metheny (he's probably heard of Metheny at the very least but I'd be remiss not to mention him)
Kurt Rosenwinkel
Avishai Cohen (there are two of them - bass and trumpet players, both stellar)Ensembles
Brian Blade & the Fellowship Band
Maria Schneider Orchestra
Steps AheadMore modern stuff
Caveat that he may not like any of this because it's a far cry from a lot of traditional-sounding jazz, but I would be remiss not to mention it because every step of jazz's evolution has been spectacular to witness IMO!
Tigran Hamasyan
Esperanza Spalding
GoGo Penguin
Donny McCaslin
Yussef Dayes
BADBADNOTGOOD
Nate Smith
fox capture plan
The Bad Plus
Waldo's Gift
T.R.A.M.
Jacob Collier
Snarky Puppy... Not jazz
The crop of musicians that have orbited around Vulfpeck and its affiliates are an absolute joy in the world of modern music (i.e. still actively putting records out today and showing no signs of stopping). I wouldn't call any of it jazz, but many of the musicians grew up in the study of jazz, or at the very least went to school for music before their paths diverged. I'll share a smattering of musicians in this vein, again with the caveat that these are all a lot closer to funk/pop, but I would hope that anyone who appreciates jazz might appreciate what these acts are putting out.
Vulfpeck
Cory Wong
The Fearless Flyers
Mark Lettieri
Vulfmon
Theo Katzman
Louis Cole (Louis is very weird - if he really likes this direction, you can try this one, but maybe shy away if this is getting too modern for him)This is truly just scratching the surface -- if you happen to share any of this with him and he likes any of it, please let me know and I'll try to recommend more in that vein. I'm sorry that he has lost his eyesight, and I hope that some of this might bring him some comfort!
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Comment on Saros | Gameplay reveal trailer in ~games
Shevanel Link ParentI felt similarly at first watch but the more I think about it, I would be okay with this playing like (a hopefully very well fleshed-out) Returnal DLC on a new planet(?) with a new main character,...I felt similarly at first watch but the more I think about it, I would be okay with this playing like (a hopefully very well fleshed-out) Returnal DLC on a new planet(?) with a new main character, different progression systems, etc… because my favorite part of Returnal was that incredible story told via the gameplay mechanics and the world itself. Once I got to the true “end” of Selene’s story (in both the main game & the Tower), I basically felt like I could put the game down. Having a reason to re-enter that world, even if it feels same-y, doesn’t bug me too much.
Returnal mid-game spoiler
I still think about the buildup and reveal of the Hyperion fight to this day. Anything even coming close to that would be a real treat.
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Comment on <deleted topic> in ~books
Shevanel (edited )Link ParentFor writing that is really quite tame, I’m always taken out when Jordan makes it a point to call out an item (medallion / necklace / whatever) that’s hanging between a female character’s breasts....For writing that is really quite tame, I’m always taken out when Jordan makes it a point to call out an item (medallion / necklace / whatever) that’s hanging between a female character’s breasts. It’s such a specific thing, and the rest of his writing is so un-sexualized, that it surprises me every time it comes up, which is weirdly often. I feel like said item “hugging her chest” or “close to her bosom” would have been way less tonally jarring and conveyed the same point, but again, this is so anatomically specific that the entire premise of it always throws me a bit.
One other totally unrelated thing: Jordan often starts new chapters or paragraphs with “He” or “She” or “They” referring to a character from a previous chapter as if it was a contiguous passage. If you’re reading the sections in one sitting, it’s not a big deal, but it’s always felt like a bad practice to me and I’ve had to flip back a page more than once to remember who “he/she/they” is in context.
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Comment on What's a setting that you'd recommend? in ~tech
Shevanel Link ParentAgreed. I went with a hatchback and have nothing but good things to say about it. It fits my whole drum set in it better than half of the subcompact SUVs we tried out. Big fan!Agreed. I went with a hatchback and have nothing but good things to say about it. It fits my whole drum set in it better than half of the subcompact SUVs we tried out. Big fan!
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Comment on What's a setting that you'd recommend? in ~tech
Shevanel Link ParentThat’s great to know - I think my Civic is the same “generation” as yours so it’ll hopefully be easy to find. Appreciate the insight!That’s great to know - I think my Civic is the same “generation” as yours so it’ll hopefully be easy to find. Appreciate the insight!
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Comment on Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor | Official version 1.0 launch trailer in ~games
Shevanel Link ParentSo I tried this out in its very first live demo, which must have been a year ago? Or at least felt like it. It’s been a minute, at any rate. I adore DRG, and I really like some survivor games...So I tried this out in its very first live demo, which must have been a year ago? Or at least felt like it. It’s been a minute, at any rate. I adore DRG, and I really like some survivor games (Vampire Survivors is still one of my faves). But that very first demo just didn’t grab me. It wasn’t bad, it just felt tedious. Would you recommend that I give the game another shot? GSG has my fervent support so I’m more than happy to spend the money, I’m just hoping to hear from someone that there has been a noticeable boost to the gameplay loop since that first demo. Thoughts?
Edit: tagging @terr in the parent comment since they weighed in as well!
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Comment on What's a setting that you'd recommend? in ~tech
Shevanel LinkThis one is kind of obtuse to explain, and I definitely can’t help folks find it on a case-by-case basis, but both my wife’s and my car have door unlock default settings wherein, when your car is...This one is kind of obtuse to explain, and I definitely can’t help folks find it on a case-by-case basis, but both my wife’s and my car have door unlock default settings wherein, when your car is locked and you have the keyless remote in your pocket, touching the driver door handle unlocked only the driver’s door, but touching the passenger side door handle unlocked every car door. This is nice in theory for individuals who want to only unlock their door when getting in to drive, but in a couples / family context, it’s super annoying. The driver gets to the car first, unlocks the door, gets in, then manually has to unlock the rest of the doors for their passengers.
So, my setting tip is that if you find yourself in a similar situation, look into your car’s system settings (usually buried several screens deep in whatever UI it has) and see if you can toggle your car to unlock every door no matter where the touch comes from. We were able to do this on my wife’s 2014 Toyota, and haven’t tried with my car yet but I intend to look for it this week. Game-changer!
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Comment on Does anyone here enjoy a whisk(e)y ? in ~food
Shevanel LinkI’m a big fan of Redbreast 12 Year. It’s a single pot still and manages to provide some nice complexity while still maintaining the well-rounded profile I’ve come to appreciate in Irish offerings....I’m a big fan of Redbreast 12 Year. It’s a single pot still and manages to provide some nice complexity while still maintaining the well-rounded profile I’ve come to appreciate in Irish offerings.
That said, I’m also providing this parent comment as an outlet for folks who may prefer offerings from across the pond—I’m a pretty big bourbon hound and would love to talk shop about American (or American-styled) whiskey and rye offerings!
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Comment on Playing tricks with web browser tabs in ~comp
Shevanel LinkIt’s a cool article, thanks for sharing @xk3! But TBH I’m even more appreciative of the share because I’ve never come across sizeof.cat before, and I really enjoyed exploring their site after...It’s a cool article, thanks for sharing @xk3! But TBH I’m even more appreciative of the share because I’ve never come across sizeof.cat before, and I really enjoyed exploring their site after reading the linked article. What a gem of a place. Gives me the Internet Warm Fuzzies.
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Comment on What have you been listening to this week? in ~music
Shevanel Link ParentIt is :) I use it as my username whenever I’m able, but I usually show up to sites too late and it’s taken. But not this time!!It is :) I use it as my username whenever I’m able, but I usually show up to sites too late and it’s taken. But not this time!!
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Comment on What have you been listening to this week? in ~music
Shevanel (edited )Link ParentI’m so happy to help you discover that! But also oh jeez, that’s a near-impossible question to answer haha. I haven’t listened to the back half of “The Blue Nowhere” album, so I can’t tell you for...I’m so happy to help you discover that! But also oh jeez, that’s a near-impossible question to answer haha. I haven’t listened to the back half of “The Blue Nowhere” album, so I can’t tell you for sure either way on that one yet. Really enjoyed what I’ve heard so far, and I’m sure you’d appreciate its progginess either way.
I’ve been listening along with their discography in real time since ~2005 when I was still in HS so my journey with them is somewhat hard to emulate retroactively! I will say that their sound has gotten less metal and more proggy over time, but it certainly wasn’t an Opeth-level pivot. It was like they used to be 60-40 and now they’re 40-60 if that makes sense. So, if you’re excited about their sound being more progressive sounding, probably the newer the better.
If I was forced to rank their albums, I’d probably go as follows—do note that this is VERY much gut, as I haven’t listened to their full discography in years, and also acknowledging that I definitely prefer a more metal sound than straight prog:
- Parallax II
- Colors
- Parallax I
- Coma Ecliptic
- Alaska
- Colors II
- The Great Misdirect
- Automata I/II
- Automata I/II (no particular order between the Automata albums)
- The Silent Circus
- Self-titled
(Not ranking TBN yet)
I love all of their albums, to be clear—calling an album “their worst” is like acknowledging the slowest Olympian in an event. Silent Circus and their ST album are their two oldest, and the band’s lineup was different. They were almost grindcore-adjacent at that time (but still proggy).
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Comment on What have you been listening to this week? in ~music
Shevanel (edited )LinkHaven’t had time to listen all the way through it yet, but I’ve been enjoying Between the Buried and Me’s newest album, “The Blue Nowhere,” which dropped today. It’s just more BTBAM, and I mean...Haven’t had time to listen all the way through it yet, but I’ve been enjoying Between the Buried and Me’s newest album, “The Blue Nowhere,” which dropped today. It’s just more BTBAM, and I mean that in a good way!
Edit: figured I’d tag on some extra info - I’d ostensibly describe Between the Buried and Me as “progressive death metal” but that’s really reductive. They pull from whatever genre suits their needs for any given tune. It’s still firmly rooted in a proggy sound, but it’s entirely in the realm of possibility for a song to segue from a crushing breakdown straight into a blues jam, twangy strings and everything, then into something that sounds like a pop anthem, and right back into some nasty crunchy metal to top it off. It’s never too disparate though, IMO—there’s still a sense of cohesion through all their material, it doesn’t feel random.
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Comment on Looking for some video game suggestions based off some specific parameters in ~games
Shevanel Link ParentNice! I hear you on not wanting to use a controller with FPSes. Some folks swear by FPSes on the Deck by using gyroscopic aim; I was never able to get into it but it seems pretty popular with the...Nice! I hear you on not wanting to use a controller with FPSes. Some folks swear by FPSes on the Deck by using gyroscopic aim; I was never able to get into it but it seems pretty popular with the folks who do enjoy it.
Quake 1 and 2 came out after DOOM did, and they’re fully 3D. They feel a lot more like DUSK—I believe Quake was the biggest influence on DUSK. Unfortunately, that means you’ll probably feel the same way about them as you do with other 3D FPSes on controller.
The one exception I can think of is Nightdive’s recent remaster of Rise of the Triad. It was built in the id1 (Wolfenstein) engine and feels pretty comfortable to play with controller /on Deck.
+1 for DOOM. I’ve downloaded a ton of Cacoward-winning WADs from the last 20 years and, if I don’t know what to do or play, I’ll just pop one on and work through a couple levels. Great fun to pick up and play, and the natural momentum break of a level system encourages breaks which I really appreciate.* The map modding community, especially the efforts highlighted by the Cacowards, are phenomenal, and match (if not exceed) the quality of the original game most of the time.
*can’t tell you how many times the “endless” gameplay loop of open world games has caused me to burn 4 hours because it never feels like there’s a good place to stop.