https://www.late2theparty.net/late-2-the-party-blog daily 0.75 2026-10-22 https://www.late2theparty.net/late-2-the-party-blog/listening-2-in-october monthly 0.5 2026-10-22 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66ae8dbc264e8107ef3c9672/f337d135-85e5-4917-afd3-d82ead46b0f7/Spiritinthedarkcover.jpeg Late2theParty - Listening 2: Sounds of October - I recently wrote about the connections between the late great divas Dolly Parton, Whitney Houston, and Aretha Franklin. As with any music essay, I listened to copious amounts of their songs to familiarize myself with the totality of their discographies. Of the many stand-outs was 1970's Spirit in the Dark, an eclectic album comprised of Aretha's standard output of energized covers and original music (five of the twelve tracks were written by Franklin herself). After the pop success of I Ain't Never Loved A Man The Way I Loved You and Lady Soul the record shows Aretha fully at home in her gospel and blues roots. Spirit employs a cast of savvy collaborators including Duane Allman on guitar for "When the Battle is Over." Album highlights include opener "Don't Play that Song," a piano-forward ballad that recalls Sam Cooke's cover of "Frankie & Johnny" and the uplifting gospel title track. Track highlights: "Don't Play that Song;" "Spirit in the Sky;" "Pullin" https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66ae8dbc264e8107ef3c9672/2036e116-0959-49e5-b3ff-bb0b4642858e/Who_Loves_the_Sun_%28Chat_Pile_album%29.jpeg Late2theParty - Listening 2: Sounds of October https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66ae8dbc264e8107ef3c9672/0a7dcba8-14b3-4148-8800-c0409a60592f/Tinashe_-_Popstar.png Late2theParty - Listening 2: Sounds of October - Like many people, my understanding of Tinashe's brilliance was belated. And like even more people I have been in the practice of uplifting the singer after the release of her eighth album, Popstar. An unstudied ear could assume that Tinashe is following pop trends with club and dance music made friendly for streaming waves. In actuality, its her influence that can be heard on recent and popular artists including PinkPantheress, Charli XCX, and Addison Rae. With Popstar, Tinashe announces her rightful claim to the title. She's discussed the issue of being marketed solely as R&B, owing to the racial history of the genre marker that often silos black artists. It's an ironic predicament since the category of pop" owes its foundations to rock and R&B, pioneered by black musicians. Much can be (and has been) said about the marginalization that black artists—women especially—endure as they wait for the world to catch up. Right now it may suffice to just dance and say "thank you Tinashe for your patience." Track highlights: "Sunglasses;" "Cloud 9;" "Flashbacks." https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66ae8dbc264e8107ef3c9672/8f8b7dff-a5aa-40bc-b3d8-023968b5e78a/Ibeyi+offering.png Late2theParty - Listening 2: Sounds of October https://www.late2theparty.net/late-2-the-party-blog/on-dolly-amp-divas monthly 0.5 2026-09-20 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66ae8dbc264e8107ef3c9672/084208e4-770d-40be-ad0b-cda28b4be704/Porter_Wagoner_and_Dolly_Parton_1969.jpeg Late2theParty - DOLLY, DIVAS, & DIVINITY - Dolly and Porter Wagoner in 1969. Credit: Moeller Talent, Inc. via Wikimedia Commons https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66ae8dbc264e8107ef3c9672/4d1c9dd0-1c1a-4a82-9abb-57136c3244e9/Whitney_Houston_-_How_Will_I_Know.png Late2theParty - DOLLY, DIVAS, & DIVINITY - Make it stand out Credit: Steve Prezant, 1985, via Wikimedia Commons https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66ae8dbc264e8107ef3c9672/e14ee8db-37a9-4e66-b58e-de7436d7c114/500px-Aretha_Franklin_1968.jpg Late2theParty - DOLLY, DIVAS, & DIVINITY - Aretha in 1968, a year after the release of I’ve Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You. Credit: Atlantic Records via Wikimedia Commons https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66ae8dbc264e8107ef3c9672/da71bd86-028b-4538-8d78-892407235c1d/Dolly_Parton_performing_at_Cordell_Hull_Dam_dedication%2C_1973_%28cropped%29.jpg Late2theParty - DOLLY, DIVAS, & DIVINITY - Make it stand out Dolly Parton performing at the dedication of Cordell Hull Dam in Carthage, Tennessee, on October 13, 1973. Sourced via Wikimedia Commons https://www.late2theparty.net/late-2-the-party-blog/one-discourse-after-another monthly 0.5 2026-09-02 https://www.late2theparty.net/late-2-the-party-blog/sentimental-ruminations monthly 0.5 2026-09-02 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66ae8dbc264e8107ef3c9672/1764908043936-UOKANPUR7MUQ1LC8WJI3/20251129_143016.jpg Late2theParty - SENTIMENTAL RUMINATIONS https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66ae8dbc264e8107ef3c9672/1764908053455-KWAAWYACEUK2S22ZY5DO/20251129_143108.jpg Late2theParty - SENTIMENTAL RUMINATIONS https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66ae8dbc264e8107ef3c9672/1764908058908-2W6EUHBWH8D063QCM4IF/20251129_143112.jpg Late2theParty - SENTIMENTAL RUMINATIONS https://www.late2theparty.net/late-2-the-party-blog/as-if monthly 0.5 2025-11-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66ae8dbc264e8107ef3c9672/47450645-cd53-4a35-b76f-297667aeef0f/usa-stacey-dash-and-alicia-silverstone-in-a-scene-from-paramount-pictures-film-clueless-1995-plot-shallow-rich-and-socially-successful-cher-is-at-the-top-of-her-beverly-hills-high-schools-pecking-scale-seeing-her.jpg Late2theParty - UGH, AS IF! - This is how I prefer to remember Stacey Dash: waist length braids covered by a white church hat that holds a patent red flower bow in its center. The hat’s vinyl brim matches the shiny lapels of her black and white plaid jacket and accompanying skirt. Though she is not Stacey Dash in this memory but Dionne, best friend to Cher Horowitz (Alicia Silverstone). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66ae8dbc264e8107ef3c9672/8900797d-b59d-427b-8ef5-716b08b95d64/Clueless_%281995_film%29_logo.svg.png Late2theParty - UGH, AS IF! - Make it stand out The film’s official logo. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66ae8dbc264e8107ef3c9672/a4658650-3b22-45a0-b202-81da3e53d3b3/8715164184_aafe024f7f_b.jpg Late2theParty - UGH, AS IF! - Make it stand out Photo credit: Bob Jagendorf via Flickr https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66ae8dbc264e8107ef3c9672/4474dbb5-48b3-45c7-a6c8-ad953b164c54/nowhere-eine-reise-am-abgrund-usa-1997-regie-gregg-araki-darsteller-J0K4GM.jpg Late2theParty - UGH, AS IF! - Nowhere In a conversation with Senses of Cinema Araki said, “I’m not so interested in plain old reality… Reality to me is boring. What’s interesting is taking that reality and creating this hyper-reality. That’s where my films exist, in this controlled and created world.” His remarks echo Hecklering's, who did not seek to create a “real Beverly Hills,” but a hyperbolic adolescent experience. The straightforward tale of a straight kid becoming more open-minded may seem juvenile in comparison to the themes of homophobia, the AIDS crisis, and sexuality that frequent Araki’s work. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66ae8dbc264e8107ef3c9672/b447b978-fcf5-4cb0-a338-16d19d18d491/5090755871_619c534638_z.jpg Late2theParty - UGH, AS IF! Doom Generation. Photo credit: chewohin's watchlist via Flickr https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66ae8dbc264e8107ef3c9672/8f0c8ad3-46d6-4d2d-aff5-20f05bae14bf/6675031185_018dd439be_c.jpg Late2theParty - UGH, AS IF! - Make it stand out Photo credit: VentureBeats via Flickr https://www.late2theparty.net/late-2-the-party-blog/the-gospel-according-to-flo-milli monthly 0.5 2026-01-10 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66ae8dbc264e8107ef3c9672/6339f5f7-988b-41ba-b422-5aa0aef65cf0/Nicki+credit+Madonna+live+at+San+Siro%2C+Milan+in+2012+during+her+MDNA+Tour..jpg Late2theParty - THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO FLO MILLI Photo Credit: Aristotele Strobbe, “Madonna live at San Siro, Milan in 2012 during her MDNA Tour.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66ae8dbc264e8107ef3c9672/13a402a4-8f19-4d5e-a58b-de1cad0934d1/VH1_2003_logo.svg.png Late2theParty - THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO FLO MILLI - Make it stand out Credit: Viacom Media Networks https://www.late2theparty.net/late-2-the-party-blog/celebrity-skins monthly 0.5 2026-09-18 https://www.late2theparty.net/late-2-the-party-blog/the-first-hot-day-in-new-york-city monthly 0.5 2025-09-11 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66ae8dbc264e8107ef3c9672/2683887f-c495-49b8-bea9-dcdf78be824b/The_Replacements_-_Let_It_Be_cover.jpg Late2theParty - THE FIRST HOT DAY IN NEW YORK (CITY) - With their association of my east coast friends I assumed The Replacements were from somewhere in New England, likely Boston like their peers Mission of Burma. Yet learning they are from Minneapolis is intelligible when listening to Let It Be, with songs reflecting a small town malaise found even in mid-size cities of the midwest. This restlessness can be heard in Cleveland natives Bone Thugs-n-Harmony’s “1st of tha Month” which rejoices the arrival of public assistance checks, though as Wish Bone reminds, for most people, the money will have to stretch uncomfortably to the fifteenth of the month. And in Cloud Nothings’ (also from Cleveland) “Wasted Days” with Dylan Baldi lamenting how he thought there’d be more to the stretches of days. There are ways things could be worse but the sense that something could be better unsettles the mind. https://www.late2theparty.net/late-2-the-party-blog/dead-on-arrival monthly 0.5 2025-04-27 https://www.late2theparty.net/first-drafts daily 0.75 2025-08-04 https://www.late2theparty.net/first-drafts/i-was-never-really-here monthly 0.5 2025-03-23 https://www.late2theparty.net/first-drafts/syndicated monthly 0.5 2025-03-22 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66ae8dbc264e8107ef3c9672/b1453b1f-d7d4-43fa-a80d-2b270df77c01/Screenshot+2023-06-24+174916.png First Drafts - SYNDICATED - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66ae8dbc264e8107ef3c9672/cd03235e-29d2-48d0-b5a2-563872c9c93b/Screenshot+2023-06-24+175351.png First Drafts - SYNDICATED - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66ae8dbc264e8107ef3c9672/1723171324660-SAIAFXUI3MKSZ71CCRK3/angela+bmw+1.jpg First Drafts - SYNDICATED https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66ae8dbc264e8107ef3c9672/1723171324662-2611Q7F9G3FMYLOWGU2C/angela+bmw+2.jpg First Drafts - SYNDICATED https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66ae8dbc264e8107ef3c9672/1723171325290-4F52C317LODBEL7U9JV8/angela+bmw+3.jpg First Drafts - SYNDICATED https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66ae8dbc264e8107ef3c9672/1723171325395-PY7OWLOFUP4JYFK7PUNK/angela+bmw+4.jpg First Drafts - SYNDICATED https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66ae8dbc264e8107ef3c9672/1723171652070-7CPVGOZXQFTIZ4YOBDE5/trina+1.jpg First Drafts - SYNDICATED https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66ae8dbc264e8107ef3c9672/1723171652080-B9QPGWI593Y30C4B7Z59/trina+2.jpg First Drafts - SYNDICATED https://www.late2theparty.net/first-drafts/dirty-with-a-twist monthly 0.5 2025-03-22 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66ae8dbc264e8107ef3c9672/a70dc509-242d-4651-9c80-28098d7e6222/1000005892.gif First Drafts - Dirty with a twist - Make it stand out Animation by John Irving https://www.late2theparty.net/first-drafts/doll-parts monthly 0.5 2025-03-22 https://www.late2theparty.net/first-drafts/category/Televison monthly 0.5 https://www.late2theparty.net/first-drafts/category/First+Drafts monthly 0.5 https://www.late2theparty.net/first-drafts/tag/blackness monthly 0.5 https://www.late2theparty.net/first-drafts/tag/race monthly 0.5 https://www.late2theparty.net/first-drafts/tag/surburbs monthly 0.5 https://www.late2theparty.net/first-drafts/tag/televison monthly 0.5 https://www.late2theparty.net/first-drafts/tag/culture monthly 0.5 https://www.late2theparty.net/first-drafts/tag/boy+meets+world monthly 0.5 https://www.late2theparty.net/first-drafts/tag/90s monthly 0.5 https://www.late2theparty.net/first-drafts/tag/class monthly 0.5 https://www.late2theparty.net/home daily 1.0 2025-12-21 https://www.late2theparty.net/work daily 0.75 2026-07-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66ae8dbc264e8107ef3c9672/74bdcd81-66c2-4fa5-8264-c0da9dc48e05/martini+2.gif https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66ae8dbc264e8107ef3c9672/d220402b-d1d2-4a69-8d3f-6aada526b6c4/1000005890.gif https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66ae8dbc264e8107ef3c9672/23e6ea51-90a2-4c68-a101-ecc5f27b6888/1000005891.gif https://www.late2theparty.net/contact daily 0.75 2026-05-18 https://www.late2theparty.net/about daily 0.75 2025-06-02 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66ae8dbc264e8107ef3c9672/f4341415-d733-4e61-be08-d7105ed7b25f/20241021_175842.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66ae8dbc264e8107ef3c9672/304fa21c-0788-4571-9e32-2303725b1ddc/tv2+%281%29.gif