History Tropers / SheledUmlal

** Phlegmatic/Sanguine: Queshead (eccentric jolly)

Oh yeah, TvTropes is [[FridgeBrilliance Fridging Brilliant]]

!! Die Urbain Diablo

* [[Literature/DieUrbainDiablo Literature]]
** Die Urbain Diablo
*** [[Literature/DieUrbainDiablo Literature]]
** Book 2
*** [[Literature/BookTwo Literature]]
** Plain Spotting
*** [[Literature/PlainSpotting Literature]]
** Heavy Living
*** [[Literature/HeavyLiving Literature]]
** Plane Spotting
*** [[Literature/PlaneSpotting Literature]]
* [[Characters/DieUrbainDiablo Characters]]

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/285051_10150273266162473_526247472_7948936_5172095_n_2604.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Me just about to join [[{{Cardiacs}} the]] [[FanNickname pond]] in 2011]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/img_8054.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Atkin and Iz at the Pheasentry, 2nd July 2022]]

Hi, the name's Dom Powers. My nom-de-tropé means Miserable Skeleton in Hebrew. This is ironic since I'm the happiest enby I know and very much alive (non-smoker, teetotaller, not-pot-head).

!!Fan De Nom

* Master Peanut: ID+TB
* Baby Minnow: TS+Cs
* Dom the Otwat: JO
* Krazy Dom: WWB
* Bonzo Dom: tBDB

*** Their first lyric; Pokémon World, doesn't rhyme. At all. It's more of a rap. It would be 7 years before Powers wrote their next lyric.

* NeoclassicalPunkZydecoRockabilly: Several songs mix Dom's tastes in music often with synergetic results

! Tropes relating to Pi, Mabsy and Queshead

[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/friends_eclectic_9718.png]]

* AuthorAvatar: Although all three represent different parts of their personality, it's Queshead Powers has got the most in common with and what with them looking more like a typical stick-figure.

Hi, the name's Dom Powers. My nom-de-tropé means Miserable Skeleton in Hebrew. This is ironic since I'm the happiest man I know and very much alive (non-smoker, teetotaller, not-pot-head). Yup, this [[NeoclassicalPunkZydecoRockabilly punk]]-[[NinjaPirateZombieRobot hippie]] is as StraightEdge as the surface of a [[TheSeventies vinyl]] [[TheEighties record]]. In my spare time I listen to IanDury, {{Cardiacs}} and [[JohnOtway Otway]] & [[WildWillyBarrett Barrett]], watch {{Digimon}} & {{Pokemon}} and [[{{Oddworld}} play]] [[{{Grandia}} the]] [[{{Tomba}} occasional]] [[{{Spyro}} video]] [[{{Oblivion}} game]]. I love 90s Neon Industria and the noise of machinery. Don't even mention cable trays to me, I'll drool!! I also like walking around suburbia, preferably in warm rain and mixed weather.

! Tropes relevant to Tropers/SheledUmlal and ¢entriPetal Fugitive

* BasedOnADream: His first lyric, Pokémon World, was heard in a dream he had as a kid during the height of his Pokémon fandom.
* {{Bowdlerise}}: Mental Crack got 17 fucks taken out of it but Looking Daggers, due to the nature of the song, was untouched.
* ButtMonkey (and sometimes IronButtmonkey) before he got recognized as cool on his own merits.
* ChekhovsHobby: Music 2000. He played around with it as a kid before writing what became "No Go Disco", "Horror, Paranormal, Erotic", "Chromatic Acid" and "Mental Crack". It was his first writing platform.
* CurbStompBattle: The losing side in "Battle Beaten" suffer one of these...
--> "''Those enemies who had survived were heckled and duly hung''"

** Lyrics. Specifically rhyme schemes when he was learning how to write songs. Also the last 3 are considerably more angry and potentially offensive than the rest of his output.
*** His first lyric; Pokémon World, doesn't rhyme. At all. It's more of a rap. It would be 7 years before Powers wrote his next lyric.
*** His next, Looking Daggers, rhymes half of the time.

*** Mental Crack and Chromatic Acid. He doesn't write atonal music any more.
** Sandbox/DieUrbainDiablo is an unofficial sequel to TheOmen. It has a full cast of characters including Damon Thorn, Damien's son. Lucifer has a big family over the few thousand years he's been conceiving.

* LighterAndSofter: Nice To Know You're My Friend. His first positive bit of writing, it's in a constantly major key for a change.

* {{Keet}}. Has ADHD. Apart from that is quite the brightly sprite, overly optimistic, uses language as if a library had turned to plasma and acutely animated to boot!

* {{Pun}}. Particularly fond of them, he uses them even in the most serious way, although this may come out as word-play

* SequelGap. Pokémon World + Looking Daggers. Somewhat subverted by his Music 2000 experiments in 2006

* UncommonTime: The middle 8 ("I used to be a fishie...") of Chromatic Acid is in 5/4. This is an interesting example since it was written on Music 2000 which only measures 4/4. It can be explained like this: 4-1/3-2/2-3/1-4; where each block (divided using forward slahes) contains remainders (connected using hyphens). You essentially fit 4 bars of 5/4 into 5 bars of 4/4. Needless to say, it took him a bit of time; composing was the easy bit. This was before he'd come into contact with Cardiacs and Pronk.
* WriteWhoYouKnow: Several of his lyrics are about people close to him or stuff he's read. Only a handful are about him personally.

* AuthorAvatar: Although all three represent different parts of his personality, it's Queshead Powers has got the most in common with and what with him looking more like a typical stick-figure.

* CharacterDevelopment: Pi used to have an eye but Mabsy scarred him. His outward appearance wasn't the only thing that changed; he became even more resentful as a result.

* {{Expy}}: Pi of π. He was born in a maths lesson so this is hardly surprising.

** Choleric: Mabsy (his angry folly)

* ItIsPronouncedTroPAY: Queshead doesn't mind but his name is phoneticised as KES-hed.

* NiceGuy: Queshead. Pi when he's not being a scarred emo.

** Queshead: The mage of the ¢'''P'''F logo. He wields the staff.

** Pi: The soldier of the '''¢'''PF logo. He wears the helmet.

[[folder:!! Some of my favourite albums (full reviews to come. Might migrate to review pages for the artist)]]

'''I Warned You''' (1978) - Ferre Grignard

One of the best albums ever recorded and definitely up there with Led Zep (II) when it comes to blues. This is one of tose albums where my favourite isn't necessarily the best.

'''Cold Static''' (2006) - Juan Mutant

Juan proves yet again that he knows what he's doing. He also proves that 75 mins isn't too long (!) for an album. It ends as it begins. Sudden, angry and EPIC!

I'm going to review my favourite songs and then the album as a whole.

"Let the Ignorance of Desire Grow Part 1" starts innocently enough with a percussion barrage. This continues for 15 seconds then the song's intentions show. The percussion breaks down into the song proper. "LET THE ARROGANCE GROW" these lyrics pull no punches, they are as aggressive as the song. Usually, it's nice to have an aggressive backing track and nice lyrics or vice versa, but this works so well that I wanted the song to drive on. I imagined even more aggression in my mind. Like "Reasons to be Cheerful" there is no "Part 2" but would you want a sequel which could disappoint? The Deliriant Mutant version may be better but this one is more of an album opener than a single and it has its own charms.

"Battlefield" is less than 2 minutes long but it's one of my favourites. If you thought "Ignorance" was angry, you're in for an electric shock. Get ready for the battlefield of music to take place on your head. The album sets up its 2nd plan; the elimination of traditional song-writing, melody presentation and arrangement. "Ignorance" has a structure. "Battlefield" is an angry, constant assault with a deliciously simple bassline, excellently executed harmonics. The distorted drums will cut across your ears and if you're not careful you might actually like it.


There are 3 versions of "Follow the Dollar" and although this isn't the best one, the album wouldn't quite be the same without the Deliriant Mutant classic. It's the most jampacked version in any case and the high production does it dividends; it ''almost'' has a full string and brass section on it!! Actually, I can imagine a fully orchestrated "Follow the Dollar" with timpanis and everything. Once you're well into the song, you realise how good Juan is at getting the most out of the genre. None of the songs sound like each other and considering "Follow the Dollar" is the type to be guilty of that it's amazing. Remember we're not even 1/4 into the album. The distorted drums return at the end, even better than before and it ends very well.

"Tomorrow Never Comes" may well be one of the most well written songs I've heard. The intro is sparse but when that opening chord comes in . It also does well to shift between a major and minor key in the same passage. To me this creates a longing and, again it abandons traditional song-writing etiquette of sticking to the same mode all the way through. But hang on, Blues and Folk music does the same thing and sounds great for it. I get a lot of pleasure when the guitar goes to a diminished opposite[note1]. Once you're accustomed to the verse conditions, the chorus smashes into you and you get a lovely symbiosis between the guitar and vocals. After the 3rd chorus, there's more loviliness. Is that a Middle 8 I hear?

"Prisons". Yes, PRISONS. Its sparse nature does well in the middle of the album and offers a welcome relief. This is one of the only songs on the album where you can actually hear the vocals. The guitar provides a lovely drone and the percussion isn't overdone or unnecessary. Then every thing changes and you're left hanging on a line. This is one of the ones where you don't have a traditional structure, but it's better for it. The only complaint I have is that sometimes this doesn't come across well and there's a loss of coherency.

If you want to hear the backing tracts of over half of these songs, check out the "boxset" "Iconoclasta" or sift through "The End of Deliriant Mutant". If you want a more raw experience check out "Follow the Dollar"

[note1] Where two tones appear to clash or sound "wrong" played after each other. It's okay to use any kind of diminished transition in music, it's just the way Juan does this is frowned on in traditional song-writing.

'''Toy World''' (1981) - Cardiacs

The only reason I don't generally like >1988 Cardiacs, is that their early/mid 80s stuff is actually better. Tou World & The Seaside are proof of this. Recorded on a tight budget and 'live' (higher ratio of band recording : overdubs), they are at the top of the post-punk game and it shows. Where the sound quality lacks, it makes up for it with raw power, song-writing like you've never experienced and a sense of urgency which is heard from "Aukamacic" to "A Time for Rejoicing". More importantly, when was the last time you've heard punk in 5/4?

Engineered by Mark Cawthra who has given more to the Cardiacs sound than any other member, it's a masterpiece of mid-fi which considering it was recorded 8track is quite a feat for '81. Mark manages to squeeze the very best out of each signal and nothing sounds overpowerful. Maybe the vocals peak a little too often but it was a valuable lesson used in The Seaside (whose vocal mixing is some of the best I have heard).

Some songs are better than others.

Dead Mouse has a wonderful phased guitar intro which really rips into your ears and when the drums and bass come in and you know you've got a rather special pop song on your ears. I call it the 1st proper Emo song for a reason. The lyrics are considerably more darker than those of their contemporaries. One of the few 4/4 Cardiacs songs - possibly their best - it goes along like one of those miniature trains but then evolves into a freight train which is something very few songs I've heard has achieved. It's with this song they invent shoegazing, emo, 90s music. Mark thought it hit gold for a reason. Isn't it an awful shame they didn't record it for The Seaside.

As Cold as Can Be in An English Sea is a classic 7-minute epic which crashes through its length and you emerge from the sea wondering why they didn't record it properly on a later release. Did the ABC silence all their best stuff? Maybe. But it's here for you to enjoy in crappy mid-fi. The intro passage is great. Jim's basslines are awesome. Mark's drumming in the verses is jazzy, VERY inventive and fresh. The several sections are better than the last. Then you get to the codas and they invent shoegazing AGAIN!! It was my first Cardiacs songs and it will always have a special place in my heart, but it sets up the next two songs perfectly.

"Verses/Is This The Life/Nurses Whispering Verses" suite.

Although all three versions of Is This The Life are excellent, this is my favourite; the guitar at the beginning is nice too, a nice break from their chord bashery and played so well it's one of my favourite bits of the album.

Yeah, the pond knows the intro of Nurses sounds like the intro of "Pictures of Matchstick Men", but when it comes down to it they've both very different very well written songs.

These songs were recorded for The Seaside in reverse order and "Verses" was dropped. [note: Verses is "Nurses" reversed] It was often played at the start of Cardiacs gigs of the time - arranged to play forward!! - and of course better live. It sets up the two succeeding songs.

There's a reason I keep on mentioning The Seaside. Toy World and The Seaside are very similar albums which are in stark contrast the rest of their material. They show the band in a transition period and feature the bands' best songs. I always felt that Toy World was The Seaside's older (seemingly younger) less mature brother.

Fiendishly impossible to get under £300, you'll have to rely on [=MP3s=] in varying qualities ranging from crap to the area round granny's greenhouse. It's worth it though. Also get Obviosu Identity and you're well on the way to enjoying some of the best early 80s music ever conceived, recorded and copied to washing up sponges.

'''Organic Bondage''' (1986) - Barrett & Two-Names

I once said to Dad when discussing best albums that Organic Bondage by my favourite musician/CoolOldGuy was THE best because of a number of factors.
* Production. Most of this album was recorded live and with the intent to produce something unique, there are hardly any influences. Barrett thus achieved something which musician's strive to do but few pull off.
* There is no drumkit. So how does it sound so fucking powerful? Have you ever tried miking up wood, compressing it to hell and putting DECENT amount of reverb on it? Nope. This is the first time someone had successfully made a powerful record without a traditional drumkit. There is no reverb cloud, no peak which makes you cringe. This is the definition of a perfect kit sound.
* The live show/tour. How do you play this stuff live. Properly. With only two men. With difficulty, but Barrett & Two-names did it. And somehow it's even more ballsier and better [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4TUd6Np8nEM live]]. God knows how they'd sound with a full band behind them. Also, check out that stage set. When was the last time you saw [[{{Muse}} a]] [[{{Queen}} rock]] [[{{Spinal Tap}} band]] with a far too large stage set for 4 sweaty blokes? This stage set fit into pubs and is eye (and ear!) candy. It is also part of the sound. That's right. All inclusive. No frills. Yours for only ~£2000.
* Deal 'em Down/Moose Loose Kicking. When you think OB has offered the best possible rock of the 80s these two give your ears what a good pie gives your tongue. Meat. And good meat; lots of it. Barrett's spoken introduction of D'eD is always funny and fresh and the way he builds it up is in stark contrast to other rock which is assult 'em early. Barrett had already done that on side 1 so surely, this gives it even more genius? Whilst your soul makes the deal with the Devil Barretthazar, he pulls out another card. It's not a joker. We saw that on Call of the Wild. It's the Moose Loose KICKIN' CARD!! And boy, it's a hard card to play. It may sound a bit quiet at the start but Barrett again uses the build-up and within the first minute we're well away. It sounded good live, right? Barrett does a very good version on "Open Toed and Flapping" but it doesn't feature Two-names' insanely good bassing or Barrett's inanely devillish woodwork, does it? Then to finish it all off, The Late Show provides a moments restbite and really kicks it home. You don't know? You will!
* The cover/sleeve. It is essential here to understand Barrett's ethic. He'd much rather make something than get a complete stranger to do it. He'd been influenced by the Gnomes who made the stage set he used between 83-87. So he decided to make some wooden sleeves when he couldn't get the money together to get bits of cardboard printed. There was also a a 'wooden record player' available with flip lid and wooden record. Also that illustration by Johnathan Purcell is as much part of the epicness of the album as the music contained on it. If you want a unique album, get a unique cover. 3rd time right.
* The song-writing. I've already said on Barrett's page that Eddie Stanton is criminally under (tick all that apply) represented/heard-of/respected. Who else could have written songs like "Please Don't Throw Me To the Christians" and "Fokker Wulf"? That's right. Stanton's songs are *ahem* CO?-written with Barrett (although he only heavily arranged them and added his own stuff) and it's a shame Willy didn't do a follow-up album again with Stanton's material. I would love to hear and Organic Bondagesque "Young and the Free" and "Focke Wolf". Ah well, guess the single's gonna have to do.
* THE HITCH-HIKER AND THE PUNK SINGLE!!! It's in the top three of his best singles, but after repeated listening on my 1st day I almost cried. It may be more difficult to follow than OB but it's a vast improvement to Stanton's ham-handed chord bash. The b-side is all right (it's on the album too), but it doesn't measure up; it's a shame he didn't use the A on the album instead. OR BOTH!!

There is, however a negative of Organic Bondage. It's not mind-numbingly huge and it doesn't stop Organic Bondage being one the best things ever recorded. It just means you have to skip it if you want to listen to pure organic bondage.

* The only negative is the inclusion of Jack O'Diamonds. It sticks out like a sore thumb. Not only is it in 3/4 (the base signature of the rest is 4/4) it doesn't even feature Two-names and is essentially a violin piece. It's a great bit of folk, I'd even say of his best, but it doesn't ''really'' fit here, does it? I suppose Barrett included it here as a well-meant contrast. It wasn't even recorded with the rest of the album and that makes it feel even more like the Elephant in the Raj. He did well to place it relatively early on instead of in the middle of the two rockers.

'''Laughter''' (1980) - Ian Dury & The Blockheads

The only reason I didn't choose "Apples" or "Bus Drivers' Prayer" is because they don't work that well as albums.


'''The Beatles''' (1968) - The Beatles



'''Ima Ani Lo Rotze Lehigamel''' (1981) - The Clique

You know you've got a seriously good album on your hands when one song is borderline filler and the other 11 are, well written, well played and well programmed. From beginning to end the debut album by Israel's own The Clique is a fast ride of songs which you may not understand but you will love the little melodies and Dani Dothan's voice which sounds like it should be in an anime.
[[/folder]]

!! Assorted

* Sandbox/DieUrbainDiablo. (Own project - page in progress.)
* Game/SapphireYours

* EarWorm: Try and get the chorus of TvS On Television out of your head
* {{FilkSong}}: The album and its songs are based on Alicia L. Wright's VampiresDontBelongInFairytales characters and their universe
* {{Funk}}: TvS On Television. It's a pop song with a whole ton of swing and chicken scratch guitar

** Yuki Ondo goes from funk in the verses, rap in the prechoruses, downtempo in the choruses finishing off with reggae in the coda

** Stranded In Calypso to early songs by ThePolice
** The bassline in the chorus of "Stranded In Calypso" is based on Ray Shulman's bassline on "Just The Same"

* UnreliableNarrator: TvS On Television is told as if from Fairyland's media point of view. No institution like that is present in canon and the closest is the rumours from the mouths of nobility, courtiers and townsfolk

** The coda at the end of TvS On Television

** Chromatic Acid to Horror Rock by The Jon Entwistle Band's "Music from Van-Pires" and MindlessSelfIndulgence

** Sum Of All Fears to JoeCartoon

* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: The Anger Angel

!!Contributions

* Sandbox/DieUrbainDiablo. Own project. Page in progress.

* Alicia L. Wright's VDBIF:
** Vampires Don't Belong In Fairytales:
*** [[Webcomic/VampiresDontBelongInFairytales Webcomic]]
*** [[Characters/VampiresDontBelongInFairytales Characters]]
*** [[Awesome/VampiresDontBelongInFairytales Awesome]]
*** [[Heartwarming/VampiresDontBelongInFairytales Heartwarming]]
** Miss Prince:
*** [[Literature/MissPrince Literature]]
*** [[Awesome/MissPrince Awesome]]
*** [[Heartwarming/MissPrince Heartwarming]]

!! Tropes relevant to Tropers/SheledUmlal and ¢entriPetal Fugitive

!! Tropes relating to Pi, Mabsy and Queshead

** Vampires Don't Belong In Fairy Tales:

*** [[Webcomic/VampiresDontBelongInFairyTales Webcomic]]
*** [[Characters/VampiresDontBelongInFairyTales Characters]]
*** [[Awesome/VampiresDontBelongInFairyTales Awesome]]
*** [[Heartwarming/VampiresDontBelongInFairyTales Heartwarming]]

** Sandbox/DieUrbainDiablo was an unofficial sequel to TheOmen. It has a full cast of characters including Damon Thorn; Damien's son, Lucifer has a big family over the few thousand years he's been conceiving. Yup, it's weird but good.

* DoubleMeaning/DualMeaningChorus: You may think that Takeaway, Love is all about a couple eating takeout in their flat on a sentimental Friday but you'd be only half right. [[spoiler:Nyotaimori is only the flesh of it!!]]

* {{Cardiacs}}
* JohnOtway
* WildWillyBarrett
* FerreGrignard
* JuanMutant

** Ego: Queshead

** Pi was born on the pages of a maths book whilst studying geometry
** Mabsy started off as "'''M'''odern '''A'''rt '''B'''oy" and ended with an "-sy" suffixed on

** Pi: The defensive of the '''¢'''PF logo. He wears the helmet.

** Mabsy: TheLancer
** Pi: TheBigGuy / TheChick

* {{Bishonen}}: Queshead is ''very'' goodlooking by stickfigure standards.

* {{Expy}}: Pi. He was born in a maths lesson so this is hardly surprising.

* [[FiveManBand Three Stick Band]]:
** Queshead: TheHero / TheLeader
** Mabsy: TheLancer
** Pi: TheBigGuy / TheChick

** Phlegmatic/Sanguine: Queshead (eccentric jolly) The mage of the ¢'''P'''F logo. He wields the staff.
** Choleric: Mabsy (his angry folly) The gunman of the ¢P'''F''' logo. He holds the rifle.
** Melancholic: Pi (the melancholy) The defensive of the '''¢'''PF logo. He wears the helmet.
* FreudianTrio:

*** [[Book/MissPrince Book]]

* TEMP!!!
** Sandbox/VampiresDontBelongInFairyTales
** Characters/VampiresDontBelongInFairyTales
** Sandbox/MissPrince
* VDBIF/Miss Prince

* Sandbox/VampiresDontBelongInFairyTales Characters/MissPrince Sandbox/MissPrince
* Webcomic/VampiresDontBelongInFairyTales Characters/MissPrince Book/MissPrince

* Sandbox/VampiresDontBelongInFairyTales