![]() This is in particular the case when developing raw images. In case of a single low-dynamic-range (LDR) photograph, which often is missing details in highlights or shadows, the tone mapping of easyHDR may be used to increase contrast and refresh colors. layers (masking with brushes and gradient tool).image alignment (manual and automatic), compensating for shift, rotation, scale and perspective,.The functionality of easyHDR with respect to HDR image processing includes The images will then be sent to the computer. The small end of the cable goes into the port in the camera or into the port in the multi-output stand supplied with the camera. On the camera, press the Playback button. To this end, the user may save custom presets for tone mapping. Connect the camera to the computer using the supplied USB cable. Lens correction ( distortion and chromatic aberration) is addressed based on the LensFun database.ĮasyHDR allows for batch processing. To transfer photos from your digital camera, the first step is to choose how you want the computer to be able to access your picture files. Via dcraw and LibRaw, easyHDR supports the handling of raw image files. With a single photograph, easyHDR can be used to increase contrast and refresh colors (LDR enhancement mode).ĮasyHDR is designed for use under macOS and Microsoft Windows. EasyHDR can also tone map already created HDR images saved in Radiance RGBE (.hdr) format or 48-bit and even 96-bit TIFF. EasyHDR is a High Dynamic Range (HDR) image processing software that merges differently exposed photographs into HDR radiance map and tone maps them. EasyHDR is an image processing software that produces and tonemapps High Dynamic Range images from photo sequences taken with a normal digital camera.
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Mesh Data Transfer adds a panel for transferring an object’s shape, UVs, vertex groups, and shape keys to another object, regardless of whether or not they share similar topology or vertex count. Mesh Data Transfer (Optional Donation)īlender’s Data Transfer modifier is great for most cases where you want to copy information from one object to another, even if their topologies are different, but it doesn’t cover every use case that some artists are used to using in other programs. Bend Face makes it extremely easy to rotate a mesh or mesh selection around any edge without the need for custom orientations or messing with the 3d cursor. This neat little tool makes the pivot point for rotating parts of your mesh totally interactive. In addition to the regular move, rotate, and scale, you can also enable buttons for quick access to orientation and snapping settings as well as set any operator (like extrude or duplicate) to be what happens when you hold shift and drag on the move arrows. If you’re like me, you may want to look at Gizmo Pro, which implements a Zbrush style all-in-one gizmo, a transpose tool, and an optional circular quick actions palette. I’ll admit that I like to use gizmos in the 3D view, even though many Blender pros swear by always having them off. That said, let's explore what's out there! The Best Modeling Add-ons Gizmo Pro ($15) If that doesn't work for you, there are tons of free add-ons to choose from as well. If you see a heart ❤️ on a Blender Market product, you know that a portion of sales are going back to the Blender Foundation. As of February 2022, the creators on the Blender Market alone have donated well over $350,000 to the Blender Development Fundjust through product sales. Most add-on developers donate a portion of their income back to the Blender foundation. It's important to realize that paying for add-ons does not distract from core Blender development. While many simple add-ons are free (thanks to generous creators who donate their time) many complex add-ons take substantial time to develop and would not exist or continue to be supported without the incentive to update and maintain them. it’s time to power up □ Should you pay for add-ons?īlender is all about being free, so it may seem counterintuitive or frustrating to pay for additional features. They’ll help you work faster but not necessarily better. It’s similar to how strapping a rocket booster to a car probably wouldn’t be all that helpful if you’re still learning to drive. If you’re brand new to Blender, we recommend starting out without the use of add-ons and only exploring them once you’re comfortable with the default features. Pick and choose which ones make the most sense to you. You definitely shouldn't install them all. This list is designed to show you what’s out there and what other people find useful. However, the best add-ons make your life much easier. ![]() You can learn how to get started making your own add-on by following this other guide.ĭo you need to use add-ons? Not at all! Blender is plenty powerful out of the box. ![]() ![]() Learn how to install add-ons by following this guide. Regardless of what you call them, any code-savvy Blender user can harness the power of Python to create new Blender features, from simple time saving scripts to complex algorithms that do what Blender can't on its own. The prices are up to date as of early 2022 and none of the links are affiliate links.įeatured artwork by Aleksandre Lortkipanidze. We chose the add-ons by asking the Blender community and referencing our own CG Cookie team's experience. This guide is not a complete list but will help you cut through the noise and find something new that's useful for you. Now, the number of quality Blender add-ons has exploded and so has the fanfare around them. There were also fewer add-ons to sort through, so the process of picking the most useful was relatively straightforward. When I first wrote this article a few years ago, there weren't many helpful lists of Blender add-ons and several hidden gems remained undiscovered. ![]() ![]() The play then evolved into a story about a boy and his beloved grandfather who becomes suddenly withdrawn because, as we learn later, the grandfather is dying. It sprouted out of a childhood obsession with astronomy-I grew up in the space age. I worked on the boy who stole the stars when I was in my early 20’s. Bill Bender was also in the original 1979 production while Colin Somers played the character of the boy in the original production. Will Applegate and Bill Bender in the 1981 production. The show also featured traditional Lowcountry spirituals and beautiful soprano Rosa Lampkin in the lead role. The original drawings for Heyward and Brown’s book are kept at the Gibbes Museum of Art. The Country Bunny and the Little Gold Shoes was published in 1939 and featured the artwork of Marjorie Wise Brown, best known for the classic illustrations in Goodnight Moon. I adapted The Country Bunny from the children’s book DuBose Heyward wrote for his daughter, Jennifer. CaroliniAntics was later renamed Beneath the Sweetgrass Moon and produced in 20. In the lobby at The Garden Theatre on King Street where this production took place, Jenny arranged demonstrations of sweetgrass basket making and shrimp net weaving by local professional artisans, and the ironwork of Philips Simmons. My wife, Jenny, had learned a number of Sea Island African American games, which she used in her kindergarten classroom. Helena Island during the Reconstruction period. Many of these Gullah folktales were collected with the 1930’s WPA writer’s project, and songs were collected by the Freedman’s Bureau on St. I based CaroliniAntics (which no one could pronounce) on African American folktales and songs spread throughout South Carolina. These two adaptations began Charleston Stage’s long tradition of producing works that celebrate the rich heritage of the South Carolina Lowcountry. Rosa Lampin as the Country Bunny in The Country Bunny ( 1982).ĬAROLINIANTICS (1979) AND THE COUNTRY BUNNY (1982) Jerry Lee Rhodan as Foxxy Fox and Evie McGee (later wife of Steven Colbert) as Ramblin Rabbit in CaroliniAntics ( 1979). And when snow fell at the end of the show, it was (as it always is) a magical moment-Scrooge had been reborn and a new theatre company had taken flight. While we’ve produced over 20 productions of A Christmas Carol over the years, each growing more and more elaborate with spirits flying through the air and now a live orchestra, that first production had its own magic. I was able to lure the legendary Bill Bender, then in his early 70’s and perhaps the best-known Charleston community actor, to play Scrooge. Doraine and my Mom fashioned over 30 live wreaths that hung from the sconces in the theatre, and my Dad and Luther helped put up two 12-foot live trees in the lobby. I remember “Christmas Past” was played by a little boy hidden in the canopy of Scrooge’s bed who plopped down to scare poor ol’ Ebenezer! A few days before the show opened, my Mom, Dad and some family friends, Doraine and Luther Wannamaker, arrived from the farm where I had grown up with a huge truckload of greens. The spirits were played by kids-a rather odd casting choice, but I had started the company as a youth theatre (we were then known as the Young Charleston Theatre Company, modeled somewhat on London’s Young Vic). Thanks to Ben, we had some glorious carols. We had a minimal set of a London street scene represented only by a few street signs, and most of the furniture, beds, and tables actually came from my apartment! Music, accompanied by a single piano, was put together by the late Ben Hutto, a choral instructor at Porter Gaud who would later become the music director at the National Cathedral in Washington. As I remember, they were sewing right up until the final rehearsal. Family and friends helped make the first costumes-including my wife-to-be, Jenny. We opened our very first show in December of 1978 with an adaptation of Charles Dickens’ classic A Christmas Carol by the Minneapolis Children’s Theatre Company. The cast of our first production of A Christmas Carol (1978). But the following selected shows made a difference in some way to Charleston Stage’s evolution, were especially imaginative and important to us as artists, or were special touchstones in Charleston Stage forty-five year history. Many shows not mentioned here are just as fondly remembered by our artists and patrons. It’s been difficult to include just a few in this retrospective. There are so many amazing shows and imaginative moments that are memorable to our company’s history. Personal recollections by founder julian wilesĬharleston Stage has produced 320 shows in our first 45 seasons. ![]() West Ashley Theatre Center and Space Rentalįrom charleston stage's first forty-five years. ![]() Directions to West Ashley Theatre Center. ![]() ![]() I feel like I should submit this to Google Answers or something. A thought just crossed my mind, however: why does no one talk about eating penguins? We'll eat darn near any other decent-sized fatty bird, yet I've never even once seen a recipe for a penguin salad sandwich or sphenisciformes a la king. You also get a bonus, and in the form of a bucket of fried chicken, if you kill all the enemies fast enough. Congratulations, SunA, you've managed to blaze trails that only the platforming classic Boogerman ever dared to explore. For one, you can charge up a super bubble that can encapsulate multiple enemies, and also gives a significant point bonus. But it does have a couple unique twists on the basics. You put enemies in bubbles, and then burst them. Anyway, it's such a blatant rip-off of a popular game, from a fly-by-night company that had absolutely no ties with Taito, using character designs by Famitsu artist Susumu Matsushita, which, given this situation, may or may not be bootlegged.Īctually, that's a bit unfair. It has enemies that capitalized on the then-megahot trend of wearing basketball goggles. Aaaand it's Bubble Bobble, except done like Parodius, right down to the penguin-as-a-main-character motif (they even look identical) and the rampant use of "classical" music from the public domain. Conclusion: Dentists are total pussies.Īnyway, on to the game. Then again, they probably wouldn't suggest letting them beat people up with robots, either. Most pediatric dentists do not recommend letting your baby chew gum. Unfortunately for us, homicidal infants remain the turf of Captain Commando's crime-fighting superpal Baby Head, the world's only robot-driving infant: Where's the baby? He's the only child I've ever approved of. ![]() We get a brief visit from the bad dude in the intro. This is going to be my ultimate challenge.Īs the intro fades, we are immediately thrust into the game. The bar has already been set so high that even Sergei Bubka could not claim to be able to vault it. Even Bernie Mac combined with the powers of Steve Harvey could not claim to "got jokes" when it comes to this game. I can tell already that this is a game that I can't even try and make jokes about. This is the most uniqud thing I've ever seen. Upon doing so, we are shown the following: Would it be yet another digital version of filling a clown's mouth with water at a carnival? Perhaps it's a clone of Balloon Fight, which itself being a clone of Joust would almost surely create a universe-crippling paradox? The game's title screen does little to clarify, so one is forced to put in at least one credit. An inspired title to be sure, developed by an odd Korean company called SunA, yet I had no idea what to expect going in. ![]() Raydiant is listed as a premium partner, among several CMS software firms that have integrated or reached some sort of deal with DS Menu. They can also create and schedule menu playlists, setting the menu board to automatically transition to a new menu at a certain time. Users can modify templates to fit their brand, adding logos and other branded content. The DS Menu app can be accessed and managed from Raydiant’s dashboard. “ High-visual digital menu boards are quickly taking the place of paper and chalk menu boards, and it’s exciting to see how our platforms work together to attract customers and bring in more sales.” “We’re pleased to partner with Raydiant, as both our brands focus on building better in-location experiences,” says DS Menu CEO Probir Kumar Sarkar. It was the perfect match, partnership-wise.” And all this functionality is offered on an easy-to-use platform, just like ours. “DS Menu caught our attention because of the wide spectrum of unique and dynamic templates they offer, and their ability to provide easy, turnkey menu boards that can also be customized to fit our customer’s needs and wants. “We’re always looking to add exciting tools to our app marketplace that help our brick-and-mortar customers improve their customer experience,” says Raydiant CEO Bobby Marhamat. Templates can be displayed as is for turnkey digital menu boards or customized to the business’s brand and aesthetic. The integration offers more than 1,000 of DS Menu’s stunning visual and audio-visual templates, all created by professional designers. The Silicon Valley-area digital signage CMS Raydiant pushed out a press release that notes how it has added an Indian company – DS Menu – to its app marketplace – providing access to thousands of pre-designed portrait and landscape menus that can be tweaked and then out as flat image files or dynamic HTML5. ![]() A safe deposit box is strictly a storage space provided by the bank.” BMO Harris Bank “The FDIC only insures deposits in deposit accounts at insured institutions. ![]() “We will not be responsible for any of your losses from fire or other natural causes, or from theft, embezzlement or any other cause, unless we fail to use reasonable care in preventing these occurrences.” M&T Bank “Items in a safe deposit box are not covered by FDIC insurance, so if you’re keeping valuables like jewelry or other items in your box-get those items insured!” The Huntington National Bank You should consult your insurance agent.” Capital One “Key and FDIC do not insure the contents of the safe deposit boxes. “(1) The contents of your safe deposit box are not protected against loss under the insurance coverage maintained by the bank (2) For your protection you may wish to secure your own insurance through an insurance company of your choice…” Key Bank “Lessee(s) acknowledges that the safe deposit box is not a deposit account and not insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.” “In performing its duties hereunder, the Bank shall not be liable to any party for damages, losses, or expenses, except for gross negligence, willful misconduct nor under any circumstances for consequential, special, punitive, or indirect losses or damages in connection with this Lease, even if the Bank knew or should have known of the possibility of such losses or damages.” TD Bank The Bank is not required to take any note of property thus deposited, as the person who rents a Box is, for the term of the Lease the owner.” In no event, and to the maximum extent allowed by applicable law, the Bank shall not be liable for any loss of jewelry, diamonds, gold, bank notes, bonds, notes or other valuables by theft, robbery, fire or other cause, the Bank not being an insurer of the safety of the property, nor in any manner liable therefore. “…You expressly agree that the use of the Box shall be at Your sole risk, and You hereby assume any and all risks incidental to or arising out of the use thereof. Therefore, when considering whether to rent a safe deposit box, please check with your personal insurance carrier to determine whether safe deposit box contents are covered under your existing policy or if you will require additional insurance.” Regions Bank Safe deposit boxes are considered storage space provided by the bank and do not fall under these insurance laws. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) insures deposits in deposit accounts. “Safe deposit boxes and their contents are not covered by FDIC-Insurance or U.S. You should keep a complete list and description of all property stored in your safe deposit box, as well as the appraised value and proof of ownership.” U.S. For your protection, you should secure your own insurance through an insurance company of your choice. “The contents of your safe deposit box are not protected against loss under insurance coverage maintained by the Bank. Boxes are not designed to withstand fire, explosion, intense heat, smoke, water, building collapse, mold, or similar perils, and you assume the entire loss to the Box contents from such risks.” “A Box does not provide protection against every possibility of physical loss and we do not provide insurance coverage for the contents. “You agree and represent that the aggregate value of the contents of the box will not exceed $25,000 at any time.” You understand and agree that safe deposit boxes and vaults are not fireproof, burglarproof or waterproof.” You may want to secure your own insurance. “The contents of your box are not protected against loss or damage under insurance coverage maintained by the Bank or Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. ![]() Valuables in safe deposit boxes are NOT insured by any financial institution or federal agency. Banks vaults are infinitely more secure than your home, and boxes cost a fraction of what is often spent on a home safe and/or additional homeowners insurance.īut no vault is impenetrable-in the past 5 years more than $2 billion in property has been impacted by natural disasters, catastrophes and theft. Storing valuables and important documents in a safe deposit box is one of the smartest decisions you can make. ![]() doi:10.1016/j.psc.2010.04.005Īpplebaum AJ, Stein EM, Lord-Bessen J, Pessin H, Rosenfeld B, Breitbart W. ![]() Cognitive behavioral therapy for mood disorders: Efficacy, moderators and mediators. The development and prediction of athletic performance in freestyle swimming. Stanula A, Maszczyk A, Roczniok R, et al. Optimism and its impact on mental and physical well-being. doi:10.2196/11290Ĭonversano C, Rotondo A, Lensi E, Della vista O, Arpone F, Reda MA. Online positive affect journaling in the improvement of mental distress and well-being in general medical patients with elevated anxiety symptoms: A preliminary randomized controlled trial. Smyth JM, Johnson JA, Auer BJ, Lehman E, Talamo G, Sciamanna CN. Expressive writing: Improving optimism, purpose, and resilience writing and gratitude. The neural basis of optimism and pessimism. Changes in optimism and pessimism in response to life events: Evidence from three large panel studies. ![]() Optimism, pessimism and mental health: A twin/adoption analysis. Plomin R, Scheier MF, Bergeman CS, Pedersen NL, Nesselroade JR, McClearn GE. One study found that expressive writing focused on positive emotions was linked to decreased mental distress and improved mental well-being.
![]() Robert Caulfield, President of Kidsafe Victoria, said, "A recent coroner's report in Victoria has reinforced the need for awareness on driveway run overs and pedestrian safety among children as a high priority." Minister Lovell said,"The innovative and unique campaign led by Grover, a Road Safety Ambassador as part of the UN's Decade of Action for Road Safety, and the lovable monster Elmo, not only relates to children but also to many parents who have grown up with Sesame Street over the past forty three years." The Victorian Minister for Children and Early Childhood Development, the Hon Wendy Lovell, with the help of Grover, Elmo and 20 children from the QV Early Learning Centre, will use the big screen at Federation Square this morning to launch the community service announcement and educational material. Supported by a Community Service Announcement on television and social networks, the aim of the project is to educate children, parents, and teachers on the importance of simple road safety practices by harnessing the power of the Sesame Street characters. ![]() The campaign, developed by partners Sesame Workshop (the nonprofit educational organisation behind Sesame Street), Kidsafe, the TAC, RACV and Holden, will initially be delivered to Family Day Care Services throughout Victoria, with a view to a national roll out. A further 14 children under six years of age were killed and 73 were seriously injured as a result of a driveway run over between January 2000 and September 2012. In the three year period from 2006-2008, there were 6 deaths and 430 seriously injured pedestrians aged 0-14 years in Victoria. Spearheaded by Sesame Street's Elmo and Grover, the campaign was launched this morning at Federation Square in Melbourne. As recently as a 2005 appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live, Grover stated that his best friend on the Street is Kermit.Pedestrian and driveway incidents, major causes of serious injury and death in young children, will be targeted in a new major road safety campaign as part of the UN's Decade of Action for Road Safety. (Grover himself receives a tribute of his own in 2004's A Celebration of Me, Grover). In 1998, Grover hosted a tribute show for Kermit in The Best of Kermit on Sesame Street, presenting him with an award for Frog of the Year. ![]() Grover has also come to Kermit's home on many occasions, usually to provide a home service to Kermit (most frequently as a salesmonster). Grover often assisted Kermit in his lectures, often doing the more difficult demonstrations. The green-furred puppet would be used again as Grover's mother in a sketch in which Grover is afraid of the dark, and has trouble sleeping.įor many years, because of the consistency with which they would appear in skits together, Grover and Kermit the Frog had been considered to be close friends, despite the annoyance of "Froggy Baby" (as Grover would call him, followed by a slap on the back). By Season 2 of Sesame Street, Grover's voice and personality began to change to what we know today. A 1970 appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show marked the first use of Grover's current design with blue fur and a pink nose. ![]() In Episode 0125, the character was named Grover. He also appeared in the Sesame Street Pitch Reel in the boardroom sequences, clad in a necktie.ĭuring the first season of Sesame Street, this darker-furred monster made several appearances, like many of the puppets recycled from earlier productions. He made early cameos in The Muppets On Puppets (1968) with the Rock and Roll Monster, and in Muppet Puppet Plays (1969). He appeared as Gleep, one of the monsters who plot to steal toys from Santa's workshop. He who would eventually become Grover was first seen on The Ed Sullivan Show in a Christmas Eve appearance in 1967. One such trait is tilting his head to the side at certain times. Oz has also stated that certain aspects of Grover were inspired by his dog, Fred. Grover, along with Elmo, is one of the more popular characters created during the show's run, partially for his silly manner of speaking, as well as his many imaginary adventures that children can easily identify with.Īt a Museum of Television and Radio seminar in 1992, Frank Oz described his personal affection for the character.Īlthough Grover typically speaks without using contractions, there are some exceptions, such as in certain song lyrics ("Accidents Happen" from the Elmo's Potty Time home video) and on Twitter. I worked on Cookie Monster, I worked on Bert. If there's apostrophes in the script I get, I make the separation, because he doesn't say 'can't'. But also he tries very hard to help people, and do things right, to the extent that he doesn't use contractions in his words. ![]() ![]() Man圜am for PC offers 4K video resolution, which means sharper and clearer images. Does Man圜am offer any additional features? Moreover, you can add multiple layers, move these around, and preview them before going live. This feature lets users project information as a layer over videos or presentations. One of the best features available on Man圜am for PC is the Picture-in-Picture option. Man圜am download also offers 3D masks, props, filters and effects that make video calling a lot more fun! In case, you’re looking for a board to draw or add text on, Man圜am provides that too. When you’re on a video call, you can drop GIFs and images onto your call and change their size while live. With Man圜am, you can go one step ahead and stream videos from different sources such as your gaming console, camera, or mobile app. These days, screen sharing is quite common and available in almost all video calling applications. You can integrate with social media sites like Facebook and YouTube to broadcast live from anywhere. Whether you wish to broadcast your gameplay over the internet or host a live session, you can do so using Man圜am. The program also offers additional features with which you can blur the background or change an image without a green screen. When attending meetings using Man圜am, you don’t need to worry about broadcasting from your room or house, and can change the background to any image of your choice. The app supports streaming from multiple sources, virtual background function, live streaming, Pic-in-Pic, and more. Nowadays, there are many applications that offer video calling functionality, however, Man圜am stands apart from them owing to its unique features. While most of these features are self-explanatory, you can hover over them for more information. These include audio, presets, sketches, effects, and watermarks, among others. The section adjacent to the main screen consists of various features that you can use to customize your live-stream. You can use this section to switch to full screen, mute the microphone, and upload songs. The primary screen of the software lets you select the source of the video or add another if needed. Man圜am download comes with a clean and simple layout with many features neatly organized. Rateliff and the Night Sweats performing in Colorado in August 2015īeginning in 2013, while still performing and recording with earlier solo and group projects, Rateliff embarked on a more upbeat, soulful sound with longtime collaborator Joseph Pope III and other collaborators in shows around Denver and Boulder. 2013–present: Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats On the same day he set out on a tour with The Lumineers and Dr. On September 17, 2013, Rateliff released Falling Faster Than You Can Run on Mod y Vi Records. In Memory of Loss was recorded with producer Brian Deck ( Iron & Wine). Nathaniel Rateliff then released In Memory of Loss in the USA on Rounder Records in May 2010, and then in the UK on Decca in March 2011. Shortly after the breakup of Born in the Flood, Rateliff released Desire and Dissolving Men on Public Service Records. The project expanded with more live performances, adding Julie Davis (upright bass/vocals), Carrie Beeder (organ/violin), James Han (keys/vibes), and Ben Desoto (drums/flute). In 2007, while still performing with Born in the Flood, Rateliff began recording and performing more personal, somber content both solo and with BitF bandmate and lifetime collaborator Joseph Pope III (bass/guitar/vibes/organ/harmonica). Rateliff performing in Colorado in May 2010 2007–2014: Nathaniel Rateliff & the Wheel Despite increasing success with Born in the Flood, Rateliff turned down an offer from Roadrunner Records, and shifted his focus to a more stripped-down, solo effort, playing somber, singer-songwriter content under his name and "Nathaniel Rateliff & the Wheel". In February 2007, Born in the Flood released their first full-length album If This Thing Should Spill. In 2002, Rateliff formed Born in the Flood, quickly garnering a large following in Denver and headlining local festivals like the Westword Music Showcase. As a teenager he taught himself guitar, began writing songs and, at eighteen, moved to Denver. ![]() He grew up in Hermann, Missouri, learning to play the drums at age seven. He has released three solo albums, two solo EPs, and one album as Nathaniel Rateliff & the Wheel. Rateliff has performed with a backing band called the Night Sweats for an R&B side project he formed in 2013. The frustrated souls who recognize the two voices of the lyrics arguing in their heads will probably recognize this feeling, too.Nathaniel David Rateliff (born October 7, 1978) is an American singer and songwriter based in Denver, Colorado, whose influences are described as folk, Americana and vintage rhythm & blues. But the overall sense is of an experience which simply does not stop, is impatient with pauses, is relentless. The moments when the forward movement is interrupted - for pedestrians, for traffic signals which hold things up for a moment - provide some relief. It’s “just” a black-and-white film, not quite all in one take (although it feels like it), of a driver’s-eye view through the windshield of a car in almost non-stop traffic. But pretty much anyone who’s tried (and tried hard) to succeed at one art form or another may see in it an interior dialogue, too: between the self-pitying voice that says, I may as well give up, and the loving but sterner one that says, Who are you trying to kid? You haven’t started working yet! The visuals which accompany the song seem to encourage a non-literal understanding of what it’s about. But his mother’s simply not having it:īetter start acting like this here’s a race…Īs I say, the literal interpretation works just fine. The guy feels sorry for himself, how hard he works, how little reward he’s gotten for it all, and so on. “Hey Mama,” the single whose video I’ve featured here, can be interpreted literally - as a dialogue between a young man and his mother. (It doesn’t hurt that the label behind them is the legendary Stax Records, described by Wikipedia as “a major factor in the creation of Southern soul and Memphis soul music.”) But yeah: in the spirit of the music and the sense of the lyrics you’ll find plenty of soul. And the lead instrumental voices are those of rock, principally guitar, bass, and drums. Rateliff’s powerful voice won’t make you think Sam Cooke has been reincarnated. How to characterize their music…? The sound is country-ish, Americana-ish, sorta-kinda Southern rock, but the label which seems most often and most strikingly mentioned alongside the band’s name is soul. ![]() Suddenly they’re again on everyone’s radar - including mine, this time around - for the release of their second album, Tearing at the Seams. ![]() But that notion, apparently, makes sense only because I’d never paid attention to various email notifications I’d received about them in recent years. ? I thought I’d never even heard of this band before this week. |