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It's Thursday, the day we dedicate to Simon's absolute best boy, Sparky the Hellhound.

This week, meet Baba Yaga's chicken hut:

It's the 7th of the month, and that means... CREATURE FEATURE!

Give us fic, give us fanart, give us whatever springs to your mind when you think of our monster of the month:

BABA YAGA

The coffee maker bubbled happily atop the scarred Formica breakfast counter, the little green light on it's front a beacon in the otherwise darkened kitchen. Simon moved as quietly as he could, navigating the large, scorpion-tailed cat who sprawled in front of the oven, stepping around the clutch of tiny chicken-legged houses over by the window, and skirting the amorphous black mass which oozed from beneath the kitchen table and which was only sometimes a dog.

"This would be easier if you guys would stay in your own beds," he murmured, opening the refrigerator and finding a chupacabra dozing inside.

Ongoing Verse: Microwave

( Read more... )

This week, a record made and released by close collaborators Eerie, Indiana and Heart on a Chain received a re-release with a deluxe edition to celebrate its 20th birthday

Though the front cover of Marshall’s Theory of Believably, the joint album by bands Eerie, Indiana and Heart on a Chain names only those two bands, the project was a collaboration between all the members of the Indiana seven. The Indiana Seven were a close group of collaborators who had a close working relationship in the 90s, creating iconic tracks and albums. The cover, which depicts a lone man in a ghost costume was shot by Sara Sue, an artist/photographer who shot most of the Eerie, Indiana’s album covers, and a track labeled ‘we gave this track to Tod’ features the enigmatic artist known as Tod, who also helped on the band’s delayed record Broken Record. The album art is different from the works of both bands, with Eerie, Indiana frequently having a sort of DIY feel to their photoshoots and Heart on a Chain tending to the more abstract kind. These particular photos (remastered for the deluxe edition) depict various band members in the dessert wearing a sheet over their heads with large black eye holes. The cover is Holmes, peering from behind a large unlit bonfire at the viewer. The title is written in the handwriting of Janet Donner, who also features as the figure on the CD itself. Teller features on the back of the album, and the back page of the liner notes, waving goodbye. Inside the liner, there are images of X, with Monroe being absent, apparently due to having a broken leg at the time of the shoot following an incident at a waterpark.

The album features twelve tracks, with many of them focusing on the idea of cryptids and other mysterious entities to make up the metaphors of the song. On the idea for the Album, Donner said: We wanted to talk about love as we knew it. This broad, mysterious concept that so many people in their twenties make love out to be.” On what she thinks of love now, Donner then remarked: Love is being glad the world hasn’t ended yet. I’ll leave you to make of that what you will. On the album, both X and Teller have cited the other as an inspiration behind the tracks, which will not come as a surprise to anyone who frequently listens to Eerie, Indiana as the pairs sometimes tumultuous relationship is often at the center of the most controversial and interesting projects done by the band. But this album is, more than anything else, a happy one.

The first single released from this album was the track ‘Sometimes I Almost Miss You’ in the one-two punch style of Eerie, Indiana the track is titled like a break-up but is a love song. Over an energetic guitar track and drum machine, Monroe sings about the heart transplant she’d had some years before and how she believes that she can still feel the donor even though he’s (according to the lyrics) long gone and sweetly resting. The track is careful to avoid any religious implications, instead suggesting that the donor (who has since been identified as Devon Wilde) instead rests inside her chest. With X on the guitar and Holmes on the drum machine and (of all things) the triangle, Teller is free to singe verses from the perspective of the heart donor, viewing the world from inside Monroe’s chest while Donner provides very beautiful backing harmonies. The overall mood of the track is one of quiet love and happiness, as well as gratefulness to the young boy who gave her the second chance. Those familiar with the work of Heart on a Chain know that the transplant features heavily in their songs and it’s no surprise to see it here.

The second track released in the work was ‘Me and My Jackalope’ and fueled rumors about a relationship between Teller and his bandmate, Dash X. At the time, both were closeted at the request of the label to avoid scandal. “Being in the closest literally almost killed me.” Teller would reflect later, interviewing for a project he did, releasing tracks for an LGBT themed album in the 2000s.”The funny thing is, I don’t think anyone who listened to us gave a damn. We’d go on stage, and we used to stand so close our knuckles were almost touching getting up in each other’s face and people would just go crazy.” Me and My Jackalope is, as you may have guessed, a song about impossible love. A love that the singer, in this case, mostly Teller, keeps hidden under his bed, only bringing it out to play when he’s alone. It’s a slow, sad track with Teller crooning to his animal “If they saw you, then they’d send you away.” Both Holmes and Monroe are credited as writers on the track, with the usual Eerie, Indiana flavor of complicated guitar playing set aside in favor of Donner and a violin and Holmes playing an assortment of other instruments.

The third and final promotional single was meant to be Skylines, which lyrics from are also featured on the inside booklet of the album however at the last minute it was swapped out to the Meatloaf cover in the center of the album, Midnight at the Lost and Found due to ‘label meddling’ after it was decided they needed another upbeat track after Me and my Jackalope. The track is nothing special, a seemingly typical Eerie, Indiana cover. Eerie, Indiana frequently covered Meatloaf and Jim Stienman tracks, hoping to work with one or the other someday. Sadly, this collaboration never came to be. But it’s a fun song, much like the original version from the 1983 album by Meatloaf. Somewhat of a deep cut by today’s standards, but it’s fun. Which I think was probably the mission statement of this album if Dash X is to be believed (Yes, that’s his stage name, no I do not know his real name). ‘We were a bunch of 20 something friends given a studio and a year or two to do whatever we wanted. So we did whatever we wanted, which was being weird.’

Skylines and it’s reprise is a group effort, with every member of the group joining in with the writing process to produce something that could have gone astray but managed to come together into something coherent. Skylines covers the re-treaded ground of many bands, it’s a song set about missing people while on tour. Set against New York’s bright, iconic skyline the track is mostly led by Donner as she wonders what her lover is doing right now. Her lover, played by Teller wonders about if his lover will stay in New York, swept up by the bright skylines, and pleading for them to simply be theirs. The track has backing vocals from all of the members involved, including Holmes who mostly shies away from singing parts. ‘It’s not that I don’t love to sing.” He explains, “I’m just not very good at it. Marshall was always the singer, I’m much happier playing the drums, or a cello or something.”

The final track on the album, clocking in at nine minutes, is Cryptids (I Still Believe in You and Me). This track shows off the impressive guitar skills of Teller and X, this time paired with the violin playing from Donner who shows she can keep up with the boys by playing speedy, intense sections with precision. This Dash X penned track also has extensive work by Holmes on the drums and a solo from a very jazz saxophone in the third act. Ultimately, the song doesn’t quite come together, feeling disjointed and a little over-complicated. But...Maybe that’s how it’s meant to feel. Dash was never brought into Eerie, Indiana as a writer, he was brought on to foil with Marshall on stage and because he was the only person the label could find that could play the punishingly difficult riffs Teller produces. On his Instagram speaking about pride X has suggested that a lot of his music was changed during production because it was too overtly about men, while Donner and Teller both proficiently changed pronouns in there songs, or stuck to calling their love interests you.

The album has three tracks that feel like filler, the intermission track which is not unusual on the cinematic, large scale Eerie, Indiana albums, a seemingly ‘story’ track called ‘Lost in Time’ which is a piece of Holmes poetry performed by Donner and an odd little track called ‘We Gave This One To Tod’ While the enigmatic Tod was often credited on Eerie, Indiana albums and opened for them at live shows he never quite reached the level of recognition his peers did. However, seeing the bizarre and experimental nature of his work, and his goth and punk leanings I think it’s safe to assume he was happier underground than his friends were blinded by the lights of showbiz. This piece features heavy synths and a drum machine. It doesn’t hit for me, but perhaps for a fan of Tod, it could be a holy grail.

On this version of the album, known as the deluxe edition, we’re given three additional tracks. A demo version of Elvis and the Mothman, which is lyrically the same slowed all the way down with the shouting chorus replaced with a mouth against the mic crooner style. The released, upbeat anthem style track is a far better fit for the album. Baba Yaga in Heels is a Heart on a Chain only track, perhaps why it was discarded. It features a techno style dance beat, with the lyrics being about a night out with Baba Yaga, a Banshee, and a harpy. Ultimately, the lyrics are not that impactful but they don’t need to be. The final listed track is a cover of Meatloaf’s Bat out of Hell, which lyrically and sonically is almost identical to the original.

Overall, what Marshall’s theory of Believability tries to do is ambitious. It’s an album between two experiential groups of friends trying to make something that they enjoy. But it’s not the best work of either group, which is a shame because it could have been something very special if they were given a little more time to work out some of the kinks and if they pruned some of the tracks that are superfluous to the story of the album. I’m happy to have a copy in my collection, but honestly, I’d rather listen to something the group produced independently anyway.

"She'd be a lot better if she could be treated locally," said the Mayor, his tone as pointed as his words, and both of them as pointy as movable walls covered in many extremely pointy things.

"You've seen the clinic," said Simon. "I can just about fit a single Rawbones in there, if I move all the furniture into the corridor first and take care not to look at it directly enough times to cause full corporeality. There's no way I could treat a whole building."

"Your testimonial from Baba Yaga says otherwise," Chisel pointed out, pointedly.

"That's a single-room hut with a slight case of internal avian biology," Simon objected. "You're talking about what amounts to a living, breathing palace. We're not equipped for a job that big."

"Besides," said Mars. "Don't you have an entire staff of murderous janitors on payroll? You're telling me they can't deal with a few damp-gremlins getting into the secret passages?"

Chisel's scowl deepened, an expression almost akin to embarrassment creeping into the lines of his face. He muttered something, almost too low to hear.

Dash laughed.

"Your own building is afraid of your garbage-truck riding hit squad," he said. "That's too good."

Ongoing Verse: Microwave

( Read more... )

Ongoing Verse: The Powers That Be

( Read more... )

Tweedle-Tweep was waiting for them when they emerged. For once, his song held a note of uncertainty, a tremor that ran through all seven bars.

Simon knelt on the rotting concrete step, hand open, palm up, and the little cockatrice climbed into it. He fluffed his void-black feathers, spiny tail thrashing as he peeped an interrogatory towards the now-closed front door.

"It's okay," Simon assured him, gently transferring him to his left hand as his right slung the too-small bookbag over his shoulder. He glanced back at the house and repeated, softer, "It'll be okay."

"I'll see if Dash can get that magical fox to cover the rest of his shift at the Order," said Marshall. "We can pick him up, swing by Eerie Video, rent whichever movie the Wilson Twins gave the most fingers to this week."

Simon gave his best friend a smile. At twenty-two, he no longer had to look up to do it, but the gesture still held some of that element.

"Thanks," he said. "I do still need to drop that feed 'round for Baba Yaga before the chupacabras go stir-crazy though."

"It can wait 'til tomorrow," said Marshall. "It can all wait for tomorrow."

Ongoing Verse: Holmes Brothers

( Read more... )

Ongoing Verse: Microwave

( Read more... )

"You're kidding me," said Simon.

He was knee-deep in carefully-weighed bags of chicken feed, on his way to curry favour with Baba Yaga - or at least her house - in return for a ride in her flying mortar. The chupacabras were getting antsy from being cooped up, and it was dangerous for them to travel on the roads.

Marshall shook his head.

"I'm not sure what Harley's end-game is," he said, "Or even if he has one, besides 'sow as much chaos as possible', but I know him scaring the lake denizens up onto dry land can't be a good sign."

Ongoing Verse: Holmes Brothers

( Read more... )

Ongoing Verse: Janet

( Read more... )

Ongoing Verse: Microwave

( Read more... )

It's the 7th of the month, and that means... CREATURE FEATURE!

Give us fic, give us fanart, give us whatever springs to your mind when you think of our monster of the month:

BABA YAGA

y tho pic.twitter.com/E9evfiKBcJ
— Ben (@cinemashoebox) January 30, 2019

@Hosmeriana I tried to draw it from memory during a meeting. Not sure if the result is weirder or less weird. pic.twitter.com/5E14eHzwo6
— Sarah Mead Leonard ❄️ (@smeadleonard) January 30, 2019

It looks like something from the episode of Eerie Indiana with the magic pencils that might come to real life and be nightmarish
— Dr Melissa Gustin 🌷🌷 (@Hosmeriana) January 30, 2019

Further update. pic.twitter.com/gxI1N6zdBr
— Sarah Mead Leonard ❄️ (@smeadleonard) January 30, 2019

Ooh, they have Baba Yaga this year!

Click here to see one of Simon's favourite patients in all her chicken-legged glory.

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