Jukebox Fest 2023!
Apr. 18th, 2023 08:22 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
measured_wordsIt's time again! This is one of my favourite exchanges of the year - thank you for creating something for me!
I am really excited for this fest, possibly more than is rational. I have a longstanding love of folk music and other forms of ballads and song-stories, and I like thinking about what we don't know as much as what we do. The canons we have to work with here are mostly pretty loose, and I'm excited to see where people go with them. I recognize that this is a lot closer to original work than most fandom-fests, and I appreciate that it can be harder to make things up whole cloth, so really, thank you! Write/Draw/Record what you want, what inspires you, and hopefully what is below has some good ideas if you're feeling lost!
I want to say first of all that if you have a strong idea about what you want to write, please feel free to run with it! I have tried to give some general ideas of things that I think might be cool for the fanworks, but for the most part I'm pretty open to interpretations. I'm okay with any rating, I don't have any real squicks or triggers. I like things that are scary and creepy and straight up horrific, but I also like things that are cute or funny or fluffy or sexy. I don't need happy endings in stories, but I do enjoy them. If you have different ideas though, lemme have 'em! I like character introspection, I like world building, I like plot. I like porn, but I prefer plot to go with it. If you think any of these lend themselves to porn, lemme have it! Really, go wild! I'm pretty easy to please! Also, I am super into the idea of crossovers between any of the songs I'm requesting - I think some of them could go together pretty interestingly, so if there's an idea that strikes you along those lines please have at.
It you are a podficer or a podfic team - I'm super excited! I think writing a story you know is destined for an aural medium is a cool challenge, and I know the recording of a podfic can be pretty challenging itself, so major props for offering! In this case, since the canon is also aural I think it is an especially interesting pairing! I am a big fan of podcasted/podficed short fiction, but I don't know if I can give any specific likes/dislikes /o\
If you are an artist - I actually really enjoy pieces that have more abstract or symbolic elements to them, so if you want to play with themes and atmosphere rather than create something strictly representational from any of the songs I have requested, please feel free! I don't know if that makes things easier or not, but I appreciate you putting your talents to use for me, in whatever medium!
I am requesting Fanfic, Fanart, or Podfic for all requests (but treats are enabled and would be a delight in any media).
On to the requests!
The Seer Returns - Swans (Song)
Behind the veil of silver scars
There is a special inverted star
He's a greasy beast
Heaving in a field of sticky black mud
I'm down here naked
There's a hole in my chest
Both my arms are broken
Pointing east and west
Your life pours into my mouth
My light pours out of my mouth
On Spotify
This is just a really evocative song to me. It's got a lot of really striking visuals, but I would love to know about the context. Is this person (sacrifice) meant to be seeking a vision? Are they meant to survive? What is the ultimate goal of this ritual? Is the sex that's happening around them incidental or part of it? Or part of some bigger celebration (no sure if it is necessarily celebratory). The ritual describe certainly has its own weird (or weirdly violent) sexual undertones as well. I'd really love to see (or hear!) anything about this!
Sax Rohmer #1 - The Mountain Goats (Song)
Ships loosed from their moorings capsize and then they’re gone
Sailors with no captains watch awhile and then move on
And an agent crests the shadows and I head in her direction
All roads lead toward the same blocked intersection
I am coming home to you
With my own blood in my mouth
And I am coming home to you
If it’s the last thing that I do
On Spotify
I. Uh. Who *else*'s blood might be in your mouth there, friend? Coul it be... a Spy :o I looked up the song because the title was vaguely familiar and sw it was a pulp novel writer (probably pen name) and that makes SO MUCH sense for the atmosphere and vibes of this song. I do love pulps if you want to take that tone, but I'm happy to see this explored in other ways, too!
Hard Road - Johnny Flynn (Song)
She knows how and she knows when
She's born to die and live and again
She goes from moor to build a nest
She knows the dance that burns her best
From the ashes, fair to share
The purest sounds to leaden heads
Sung from her best and bends the old trees
Wingèd wind songs sung so holy
On Spotify
This is another really evocative song. I want to know who the traveller is, what his relationship is with this woman, why he is taking this hard road, and what both their responsibilities are that make it seem that they can't really be together. She sounds like a priestess, or maybe some kind of fae creature, or some other kind of mystical creature (or cryptid). Is he travelling to find her? To flee her? Do they serve some kind of...metaphysical function, like the Green Man and the May Queen, that keeps them paired in some way, but apart? Again, I think there's some really interesting visuals to play with here as well!
God is Alive Magic is Afoot - Buffy Sainte-Marie (Song)
But magic would not tarry, it moves from arm to arm
It would not stay with them, magic is afoot
It cannot come to harm, it rests in an empty palm
It spawns in an empty mind, but magic is no instrument
Magic is the end
on Spotify
Okay this song was written by Leonard Cohen but this rendition is delightfully trippy and esoteric. I recognize that there is a lot meant to tie into more real-world religion and spiritual beliefs going on here, but I'd rather see something that take a more fantastic approach to the concepts. What is this god and what is magic here, and how are they both being used, and by who? What does this look like? What are the relationships of power here?
Badtimes - Laika (Song)
If you receive an e-mail with a subject of "Badtimes", delete it immediately without reading it. This is the most dangerous e-mail virus yet
On Spotify
Note: contains a slur against little people, but its not really essential to whatever is going on here.
What *is* going on here? What is this virus? Is it real or a hoax? It is all exaggeration? is it technological or alien or sentient AI or what? Smart home gone very wrong? Who is this happening to? Are they someone who is just always unlucky? The kind of person who calls IT because the coffee holder is broken? Someone who just likes to complain about everything? This was written in 2000 which was quite a different digital landscape from the 2020s - I think this could go quite a lot of ways, either completely cracky, crack played straight, digital dystopic horror. the tone of the song is both completely chill and matter of fact, while clearly the contents are quite glib and nonsensical, so feel free to play with that also. Visually, I think there's some interesting imagery to play with in the lyrics, but I do love creative depictions as well. I guess I hope you like mauve ;)
System - Archive (Song)
This system is too much
It breaks me down and makes you suck
Fuck, now I am twisted
This system makes me hurt you
On Spotify
What is the system here? Is this some place where these two lovers work? Something like a conflict that has them at odds and second guessing each other's loyalties? I saw a suggestion that this is a reference to social systems, so something broader could also work. But is the singer right> Are they blaming something else for something that could be in their control? Are they unable to break past the system, or unwilling? If the latter, what makes them cling to that lie? Feel free to take this somewhere rather dark if that's your inclination.
I am really excited for this fest, possibly more than is rational. I have a longstanding love of folk music and other forms of ballads and song-stories, and I like thinking about what we don't know as much as what we do. The canons we have to work with here are mostly pretty loose, and I'm excited to see where people go with them. I recognize that this is a lot closer to original work than most fandom-fests, and I appreciate that it can be harder to make things up whole cloth, so really, thank you! Write/Draw/Record what you want, what inspires you, and hopefully what is below has some good ideas if you're feeling lost!
I want to say first of all that if you have a strong idea about what you want to write, please feel free to run with it! I have tried to give some general ideas of things that I think might be cool for the fanworks, but for the most part I'm pretty open to interpretations. I'm okay with any rating, I don't have any real squicks or triggers. I like things that are scary and creepy and straight up horrific, but I also like things that are cute or funny or fluffy or sexy. I don't need happy endings in stories, but I do enjoy them. If you have different ideas though, lemme have 'em! I like character introspection, I like world building, I like plot. I like porn, but I prefer plot to go with it. If you think any of these lend themselves to porn, lemme have it! Really, go wild! I'm pretty easy to please! Also, I am super into the idea of crossovers between any of the songs I'm requesting - I think some of them could go together pretty interestingly, so if there's an idea that strikes you along those lines please have at.
It you are a podficer or a podfic team - I'm super excited! I think writing a story you know is destined for an aural medium is a cool challenge, and I know the recording of a podfic can be pretty challenging itself, so major props for offering! In this case, since the canon is also aural I think it is an especially interesting pairing! I am a big fan of podcasted/podficed short fiction, but I don't know if I can give any specific likes/dislikes /o\
If you are an artist - I actually really enjoy pieces that have more abstract or symbolic elements to them, so if you want to play with themes and atmosphere rather than create something strictly representational from any of the songs I have requested, please feel free! I don't know if that makes things easier or not, but I appreciate you putting your talents to use for me, in whatever medium!
I am requesting Fanfic, Fanart, or Podfic for all requests (but treats are enabled and would be a delight in any media).
On to the requests!
The Seer Returns - Swans (Song)
Behind the veil of silver scars
There is a special inverted star
He's a greasy beast
Heaving in a field of sticky black mud
I'm down here naked
There's a hole in my chest
Both my arms are broken
Pointing east and west
Your life pours into my mouth
My light pours out of my mouth
On Spotify
This is just a really evocative song to me. It's got a lot of really striking visuals, but I would love to know about the context. Is this person (sacrifice) meant to be seeking a vision? Are they meant to survive? What is the ultimate goal of this ritual? Is the sex that's happening around them incidental or part of it? Or part of some bigger celebration (no sure if it is necessarily celebratory). The ritual describe certainly has its own weird (or weirdly violent) sexual undertones as well. I'd really love to see (or hear!) anything about this!
Sax Rohmer #1 - The Mountain Goats (Song)
Ships loosed from their moorings capsize and then they’re gone
Sailors with no captains watch awhile and then move on
And an agent crests the shadows and I head in her direction
All roads lead toward the same blocked intersection
I am coming home to you
With my own blood in my mouth
And I am coming home to you
If it’s the last thing that I do
On Spotify
I. Uh. Who *else*'s blood might be in your mouth there, friend? Coul it be... a Spy :o I looked up the song because the title was vaguely familiar and sw it was a pulp novel writer (probably pen name) and that makes SO MUCH sense for the atmosphere and vibes of this song. I do love pulps if you want to take that tone, but I'm happy to see this explored in other ways, too!
Hard Road - Johnny Flynn (Song)
She knows how and she knows when
She's born to die and live and again
She goes from moor to build a nest
She knows the dance that burns her best
From the ashes, fair to share
The purest sounds to leaden heads
Sung from her best and bends the old trees
Wingèd wind songs sung so holy
On Spotify
This is another really evocative song. I want to know who the traveller is, what his relationship is with this woman, why he is taking this hard road, and what both their responsibilities are that make it seem that they can't really be together. She sounds like a priestess, or maybe some kind of fae creature, or some other kind of mystical creature (or cryptid). Is he travelling to find her? To flee her? Do they serve some kind of...metaphysical function, like the Green Man and the May Queen, that keeps them paired in some way, but apart? Again, I think there's some really interesting visuals to play with here as well!
God is Alive Magic is Afoot - Buffy Sainte-Marie (Song)
But magic would not tarry, it moves from arm to arm
It would not stay with them, magic is afoot
It cannot come to harm, it rests in an empty palm
It spawns in an empty mind, but magic is no instrument
Magic is the end
on Spotify
Okay this song was written by Leonard Cohen but this rendition is delightfully trippy and esoteric. I recognize that there is a lot meant to tie into more real-world religion and spiritual beliefs going on here, but I'd rather see something that take a more fantastic approach to the concepts. What is this god and what is magic here, and how are they both being used, and by who? What does this look like? What are the relationships of power here?
Badtimes - Laika (Song)
If you receive an e-mail with a subject of "Badtimes", delete it immediately without reading it. This is the most dangerous e-mail virus yet
On Spotify
Note: contains a slur against little people, but its not really essential to whatever is going on here.
What *is* going on here? What is this virus? Is it real or a hoax? It is all exaggeration? is it technological or alien or sentient AI or what? Smart home gone very wrong? Who is this happening to? Are they someone who is just always unlucky? The kind of person who calls IT because the coffee holder is broken? Someone who just likes to complain about everything? This was written in 2000 which was quite a different digital landscape from the 2020s - I think this could go quite a lot of ways, either completely cracky, crack played straight, digital dystopic horror. the tone of the song is both completely chill and matter of fact, while clearly the contents are quite glib and nonsensical, so feel free to play with that also. Visually, I think there's some interesting imagery to play with in the lyrics, but I do love creative depictions as well. I guess I hope you like mauve ;)
System - Archive (Song)
This system is too much
It breaks me down and makes you suck
Fuck, now I am twisted
This system makes me hurt you
On Spotify
What is the system here? Is this some place where these two lovers work? Something like a conflict that has them at odds and second guessing each other's loyalties? I saw a suggestion that this is a reference to social systems, so something broader could also work. But is the singer right> Are they blaming something else for something that could be in their control? Are they unable to break past the system, or unwilling? If the latter, what makes them cling to that lie? Feel free to take this somewhere rather dark if that's your inclination.
