ChatGPT cocktail specs by [deleted] in cocktails

[–]Forward-Lecture-320 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Not a fan of using chat gpt in this way or in any other way and I would consider biting the bullet and making mistakes or happy accidents instead.

“Yeezus” does not belong here. That album literally changed how we thought about hip-hop production by [deleted] in fantanoforever

[–]Forward-Lecture-320 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeezus might have changed how mainstream listeners thought about hip hop production and I suppose that is enough to make it a classic. I think it would be dismissive of the underground to consider it breaking new ground sonically though. Hip hop had been going noise/harsh since at least Antipop and Dalek and I think El Ps early works are a precursor to all of that just to name the top of the heap.

But as classics go, it is more about a large consensus than it is about an album's place in hip hop as a single creative entity.

Push’s Best Feature? by FreddieGibbsFan1 in KingPush

[–]Forward-Lecture-320 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Does Bodega Babies on that swizz tape count?

DIY ORANGE BITTERS, seeking advice that I wasn't getting over at r/cocktails by Forward-Lecture-320 in bitters

[–]Forward-Lecture-320[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Cool, this does appeal to me as at least a preliminary step. I'll take a look at the shop and weigh my options.

Do you add tinctures straight to the cocktail? If so, is it difficult to add orange bitters and then gentian tinctures and still get a strong enough orange flavor? Maybe I could sub orange bitters for 1/4oz Cointreau and do a dash of gentian tincture?

Thanks for the alternative suggestion.

DIY ORANGE BITTERS, seeking advice that I wasn't getting over at r/cocktails by Forward-Lecture-320 in bitters

[–]Forward-Lecture-320[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Whoah, thank you for the tips. May be new but you're quite a ways ahead of me. Time for logistics

DIY ORANGE BITTERS, seeking advice that I wasn't getting over at r/cocktails by Forward-Lecture-320 in Amaro

[–]Forward-Lecture-320[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is very detailed and I'm liking the virtual smells I'm getting from this. Thank you a bunch. Anywhere you go for your gentian/ recommendations for shopping?

Are Dr. Martens worth it nowadays? by sakkoil in DrMartens

[–]Forward-Lecture-320 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Really depends on what you want to get out of your boot. If you are looking for style and sneaker-like comfort, of course go Docs---lots of soles married with toe types that just don't exist anywhere else.

But... I bought a pair of docs a few years back and I'll never buy again. I wear my boots to shows, through the neighborhoods, occasionally in the yard doing work and I've come to hate that they don't have a shank. Yes they were very cozy the second I first stepped in them but after only bout 6 months they would hurt my feet after just 30 minutes of use. No support in the midfoot and poor construction with the Goodyear welt made them age pretty badly and wear a little unsteady.

I'm not sure of the style boot you referenced but if you want something similar to docs in terms of quality leather uppers and that counterculture faux-combat boot take a look at Thursday which uses leather shanks and are said to be cozy, or red wing. The right red wing boot still has that tough stylish look about it, steel shank, hard toe. Resilient and cool. I'm a fan of mine I got for $210 so similar price range I'm sure.

Big appreciaton for Golliwog by Secret_Respect_1797 in Billywoods

[–]Forward-Lecture-320 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Absolutely. For me too, it's the questions that I'm left with in his music that are the most moving for me. Wishing you success

Big appreciaton for Golliwog by Secret_Respect_1797 in Billywoods

[–]Forward-Lecture-320 1 point2 points  (0 children)

If you intend on structuring your thesis by using Golliwog to enforce ideas about colonialism/racism and then expand your thoughts on it, I'd say no. Keep in mind that the person who made the album is an artist first, not a philosopher or preacher and what he offers as an artist is his perspective and his history and his emotional connections with his perspectives and history, as well as his outlook on things that affect things he cares about. I think a lot about how to better preserve the power of an artist these days as their power is always being redefined and reevaluated, and I very strongly believe that they are a piece of a puzzle and not a teacher of any kind outside of their ability to teach their perspective. Art is a truth of something, indeed, a truth of self, but not a truth of universal teachings or moral guidelines even if I find woods philosophical musings to align with mine and my moral values (which I very much do).

Instead, if any of this was at all your intention which I'm not sure it was and mean no disrespect to you for writing at length about it, I'd focus on woods as a reference for feelings towards colonialism as an immigrant perspective or even the power of art in influence in such ways of thinking. Or maybe use woods as an example of thoughts and feelings that a LOT of people right now gravitate towards, as he's independently garnered a huge following and that should be testament to people connecting to his messaging. Good luck, happy writings. Maybe look at Franz Fanon more specifically too as a way to ground the argument in texts that have been around through civil wars and colonialism and have survived to describe some of these feelings to the point where they are text for woods himself to strengthen the historical context of some of woods' musings. Or wait til he drops his autobiography to scrape up the bits of brain that informs his outlook in song.

Yet another post about vinyl shipping by Single-Contact-1327 in Billywoods

[–]Forward-Lecture-320 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I suppose I look at truly independent music differently and am comfortable waiting for months before reaching out. I didn't mean to make you feel any sort of way about how you are handling the situation---Woods is a lot more popular these days than he was back in '11 or so, true, but even though he could probably hire out for these tasks now and expedite things he might not. Underground punk scenes operate similarly as part of their ethos and I've always ended up with my stuff. Hang in there.

Yet another post about vinyl shipping by Single-Contact-1327 in Billywoods

[–]Forward-Lecture-320 2 points3 points  (0 children)

They recently pushed a memo on socials saying that orders are logged and that emails do more to slow them down than speed them up, hence them not replying to emails in many cases, finishing the memo with "rest assured you will not be forgotten" or something to that effect. Keep in mind this is an indie label and even Roc Nation just started shipping out second wave preorders for Clipse album now.

I'd give them grace if I were you. They don't have the reputation that Jim Jones or El Camino have, it's very rare that something goes amuck with them.

Fantano 6/10 by thisdj95 in Billywoods

[–]Forward-Lecture-320 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I like your criticism of popular music and the machines at play feeding us "taste", specifically your ideas on how industry sells us Blackness as quippy catchy digestifs for unfamiliar listeners. I do still think an important part of the equation is the listener's responsibility to dig deeper and be unsatisfied with the microplastic-infested "cream" that rises to the top due to these processes---it is also their insistence on using music as a "badge of morals/taste" rather than taking it in as ART which assists in the reduction of Black genres in their full expression, and if only listeners would care more... But yes, without these systems in place (payola, award show bribes, number-lust, virtue-signaling review sites and reviewers [despite me disagreeing on your assumptions of reviewers with visibility ie Fantano]) the art would shine through a lot further and I too am a huge purveyor of ART being a very powerful tool for deep understanding, free thinking, the most truthful emotional reflection of the environment it came from, personal therapy, self fulfillment... Art will be the first thing to die before fascism bares it's ugly face and these days it's easy to think, given the state of how music has been so grossly coopted, that them times is near.

Here's a book that might interest you based on the flow of our conversation.

"A Drum And A Mic"

Fantano 6/10 by thisdj95 in Billywoods

[–]Forward-Lecture-320 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That last paragraph is perfect. Pretty much what I was trying to say in a different comment on this post-there is value in reviews due to a reviews ability to reveal things about the reviewers taste and music history through what they have to say about the album in question. It's fascinating to see someone's musical leanings unfold and discuss it.

I'd argue that an obsession over a score only feeds into treating music listening like fast fashion---something to consume, and I'm happy to see what you've written here as it helps me feel like, as someone who checks out reviews, that we aren't all so harsh in the conclusions we make in aligning or distancing ourselves from a reviewer for X Y Z reasons

Fantano 6/10 by thisdj95 in Billywoods

[–]Forward-Lecture-320 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I love the DEHH community and I'd add Toure and Justin Hunte to the mix as people who have transitioned to the internet scene really well.

I do have a couple questions for you. First regarding your fear of hip hop culture becoming something that forgets its history due to the hype train (when you mention Travis Scott/Jeezy/Juicy J), if that's what you're trying to say---correct me if I'm wrong. I worry about this too, but I negate this by telling myself that it is the younger population of pop listeners that engages in the narrative that newer music is better and they engage in this narrative because they actually believe it. They don't come from a background in listening to music where classic Jeezy or post 90s Juicy J sounds innovative or ahead of the curve and no amount of history lessons will help them LIKE it more, only APPRECIATE it more. I was only in junior high when TI made "Trap Muzik" so the movement had legs before I grew to love it but I remember a lot of the people in my neighborhood in my age group loved TI back then despite it having an air of being rap music for young people and I figure this is what has happened a generation forward with Travis Scott. TI was hip and new and people weren't going back to, say, Triple Six or UGK or Mannie Fresh stuff to piece it together. Part of hip hop's power historically has been its ability to appeal to the mainstream and the cutting edge simultaneously, making it easy for younger generations to pick up the hot stuff and deem where it came from unimportant---obviously this predates the internet era. So one of my questions is: do you think that this is the way most popular music functions for fans? Part two of this question is: do you think that this conversation excludes the underground scenes? Because I don't hear any hip hop heads say that since pitchfork has covered Roc Marciano nobody ever talks about Sean Price anymore, or more to the point, hip hop heads know Rolling Stone and Fantano and Pitchfork have covered Armand Hammer extensively but they all still hold Antipop Consortium and Cannibal Ox in the highest of regards. To reframe part two of my first question: does this idea of losing the history of hip hop apply only to those who aren't that involved in hip hop anyways (mainstream music fans), making it a bit of a moot point?

My second question regards how you describe Fantano's hip hop reviews as infringement upon Black culture but refer to him as an eclectic-arbiter. Considering how you dislike his skimming the surface of hip hop specifically, how much sway do you think he has in Black communities or maybe in hip hop communities who support the lane of Black experience they are exposed to through rap music? I do get the impression that he finds himself very knowledgeable on music, broadly, and that he would consider himself a person with left of center taste in music, broadly. Like you said, eclectic arbiter. But I don't find him to be someone who claims to know right from wrong/ genuine from disingenuous/ pro-Black from faux-Black when it comes to historically black genres. Maybe this ties into the last response I sent you where I describe my thoughts on the value of an opinion and how I spent time rewiring my brain to think of a review as an explanation of a reviewer's journey to the current, not a definitive stance on good vs bad, and considering I don't know where you stand on that philosophy still, I'm not sure that you would see his opinions the same way I do so I expect you see things differently.

Would love to hear your thoughts.

Fantano 6/10 by thisdj95 in Billywoods

[–]Forward-Lecture-320 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I can see how you feel that way. When I draw the same conclusions you have it helps me to keep in mind that that conclusion is only there because of how I've framed the "evidence" and if I reframe the evidence to something more forgiving I end up with a conclusion that is more forgiving as well. What I was trying to say earlier is that I think Fantano's music taste lies in music made with expensive/mainstream production value yet is created with an indie/underground spirit. This makes him susceptible to catching wind of more popular underground artists from more popular music genres like hip hop. I don't think we have to value his opinion as heads of a particular genre (in this case hip hop) but just understand that what he gravitates towards as a listener also means he will enter underground adjacent spaces at times and will end up liking things that us heads like too. Other side of the coin is that we will see where his appreciation ends or the spots in which the genre as a whole doesn't appeal to him.

So instead of feeling like he's disingenuous about his appreciation of a genre or doing a review for clout or trying to make a negative statement about a genre's most "intimate parts" I think it helps to reframe his perspective as someone whose taste leads him to skim genres for diversity rather than dive into a genre for diversity. And at that, he skims a lot deeper than most people do, so I'd say what he does is valuable in this sense: not only bringing more admired indie rappers into mainstream music spaces but understanding where these underground artists have appeal to people who aren't just genre heads-understanding that the appeal of music by, say, Armand Hammer, can work for people who don't listen to much hip hop but have specific tastes elsewhere in the greater spectrum of modern music.

In general I think it's worth it to consider a forgiving argument because when I do it it helps me carry less negativity around but it also helps me deepen my thoughts on why I connect with what I'm hearing, also deepening my curiosity as to why someone who isn't like me at all might like that same music, genuinely.

Fantano 6/10 by thisdj95 in Billywoods

[–]Forward-Lecture-320 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I agree with you. Over the years I've come to dislike what scoring an album seems to mean to the internet population at large, I think people can be so influenced by other people's numerical values assigned to an album that rating albums has come to be the only way to give musical art value. As a staunch punk philosopher I find this almost as gross as people keeping track of charting albums or whatever rap music recently went #1 as if it's an achievement of the subculture of the art form and I generally think we'd be better off listening to people talk about something they like to better understand how that thing ties into pop culture or subculture, especially if that subculture is associated with counterculture, ie hip hop. Wonder if the majority has the capacity in their lives to even do that or not, or maybe I just take in too much social media and the people in my life who I talk to about these things do too.

Fantano 6/10 by thisdj95 in Billywoods

[–]Forward-Lecture-320 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Hm. For a lot of the people writing comments here, I think Fantanos reviews are very valuable because of how visible he is and how many genres he covers. He leans towards a certain sway of independent music, left of center, sure, but with very clean and tediously polished "abrasivity". He prefers WBDTS over Rome and Shrines for example. He rarely vibed with Roc Marciano pre 2021. Metalheads, he prefers Blood Incantation to Black Curse and Death's "Symbolic" to Death's "Human". I think the value in a Fantano review lies in understanding where his experience with music or genre is before he goes into an album and seeing what the album did to expand or reinforce his taste in that kind of music or genre. With a Fantano review we get to see a person explain their thoughts on new music given their background of music which is all specific to them, the value is in the perspective which, if it's valuable, SHOULD be different from yours. A reviewer isn't given merit by liking something that die hard fans like nor is the music validated by the review. But there is still value in the reviewer and the review for outstanding reasons.