SOUNDTRACK: AILBHE REDDY-“Distrust” (2016).
I found this song from, of all things, a redbull website listing up and coming Irish bands. It says that this song has been streamed over 3 million times.
This song opens with otherworldy “oohs” before a jagged, slapped guitar melody enters the song. The guitar feels like it ends too abruptly. It ‘s a very cool hook. Especially for a song that is a total kiss-off song like this one.
Over the course of three and a half minutes more and more is added to the song–an insistent bass, drums, more backing vocals and even a violin. But that persistent guitar runs through the whole song. As does Ailbhe Reddy’s voice which is clean and piercing. She speak-sings in the beginning, but when the chorus comes in, her voice is in full power.
The song soars by the end, as does her voice.
In the video, she stands absolutely still and strong as the room she is in falls apart around her.
Reddy has a full album coming out next month. This song isn’t on it, but her new song “Looking Happy” is a real rocker (with a cool video).
[READ: September 19, 2020] No Country for Old Gnomes
I really enjoyed the first book in the series–Kill the Farm Boy. I was really looking forward to reading the continuing efforts of the heroes of Pell.
So I was a little surprised to learn that this book has almost nothing to do with the first one. It’s set in the same place (with the same map up front) and the world remains the same, but this book follows the exploits of a completely different band of accidental warriors.
That was a little disappointing at first (I miss Fia and Agrabella) but Dawson & Hearne have created a brand new band of travelers who are just as interesting and compelling as the first bunch. All of the characters from the first book make cameos, but they are brief. The only characters from the first book that have any regular work are King Gustave and Grinda the Sand Witch.
But this book is exciting and funny and in the same vein as the first while being very different as well. It is full of puns and jokes and twists on fantasy novels all while fleshing out the world that was created in book one (and making great use of the map that’s on the first page).
The book opens with three witches (not Grinda) and a cauldron. I love a spoof of this scene and this one is especially good. Two of the witches are casting a spell to help the Bruding Boars win their jousting competition. But they needed a third so they put an ad on Ye Olde Meet-Up Bulletin Boarde. This third with (who looked quite different from her picture) had a very different spell in mind.
The third witch disappeared after casting a spell full of blood and seeming to be against gnomes. But, really, who cared about gnomes.
Neither noticed the surfeit of portent in the air, wafting from the coppery-smelling cave, probably because the second witch smelled so strongly of cat urine.
But the portent was there nonetheless.
The book shifts to the Numminen family of gnomes. Gnomes are generally smöl (ha!) and cheerful. The two sons Onni and Offi are fighting about Offi’s lack of gnomeric behavior. Offi likes wearing cardigans that are black and covered in bats (gnome cardigans should be bright and cheerful). So, yes, Offi is a goth gnome. Whereas Onni is a perfect gnome who wins award for his gnomeric behavior. (more…)
I Just Read About That... 