The Western Isles Popular Culture (TWI Only)

[Lesva]

This thread is dedicated to presenting and celebrating the popular culture from the variety of countries we have around TWI. Even if we are in the 2020's IC, your country may still present something retro and present it as something that was made in this day and age. The thread should contain news from your country related to mass culture, arts, fashion and entertainment (film, music, video games, sports, internet culture, celebrity gossip, etc.).

Example video for inspiration (cheesy): Waiting For A Star To Fall: A Tribute to 80's Entertainment

There is no specific format for individual posts. It can be a news post, it can be a tweet or general social media post.

[Lesva]

Ministry of Information and Ideology to regulate film, television shows, music and art

Ministry of Information and Ideology of the Throngist Republic of Lesva tasked to regulate film, television shows, music and art

For national security and ideological mobilization purposes, the Throngist Movement Party of Lesva has tasked the Ministry of Information and Ideology of the Throngist Republic of Lesva with regulating film, television shows, music and art in the Throngist Republic of Lesva. The regulations include everything produced in Lesva and everything coming into Lesva from abroad. Whatever could not be regulated would not be allowed into Lesva. Today, Minister of Information and Ideology of the Throngist Republic of Lesva Iner Scleda was invited into the Supreme National Carto to speak before Members of the Party to commit to the task given to the Ministry of Information and Ideology of the Throngist Republic of Lesva. Prior to the current moment, since the Saela Spring during the Transitional Period, there already has been ideological regulation being practiced in Lesva of film, television shows, music and art, but now, it has been officially authorized by the Throngist Movement Party of Lesva and to be carried out by the Ministry of Information and Ideology of the Throngist Republic of Lesva.

Minister of Information and Ideology of the Throngist Republic of Lesva Iner Scleda stated at the podium in the Supreme National Carto:

“The Ministry of Information and Ideology of the Throngist Republic of Lesva will commit to the task given to us by the Throngist Movement Party of Lesva for national security, against the plagues of rotten ideas, whether from the inside or the outside. Lesvans from now on and for future generations will be brought up in the ideals of Throngism against alternative “realities.” Throngism will be our life, our lifestyle and we will build Throngism in the real plane, in our environment, as the ideas of Throngism grow and prosper in our minds, hearts and souls through our art, our film, our television and our music. The Ministry of Information and Ideology of the Throngist Republic of Lesva will make sure of that.”

[Lesva]

Lesvan-Ahnslen musical act Violet Lightning tops charts in Ainslie with the song "Heartbeat"

Song and music video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGGXBbst5Lo

Lesvan diaspora and dissident community in Ainslie is not just preoccupied with ringing the bells of freedom for their historic homeland from the liberty in Ainslie. Lesvan-Ahnslens are also making their way into the pop culture of Ainslie. This week, Lesvan-Ahnslen musical act Violet Lightning have topped the musical charts in Ainslie with their song "Heartbeat" debuting at number 1 and being projected to stay at the top for a prolonged period. An accompanying music video was released a day later. "Heartbeat" is a 70's disco-inspired electronic track, which is not unusual for Violet Lightning, as the band does usually dabble in the retro sound, mostly from the 1970's to the 1980's. "Heartbeat" is no exception. The accompanying music video also had 1970's elements in it, although the story is set primarily in the early 1980's, which was a period, where the 1970's cultural influence was still big and it was just slowly transitioning out, before the new trends of the 1980's eventually hit. Violet Lightning say the song is a promotional single for an upcoming debut album, the title of which has yet to be revealed. Although Violet Lightning had already made a name for themselves with several songs under their belt and their signature retro sound already being known, they had only released EPs so far, but no album. The upcoming album will be the first and will be a debut. With the first successful chart-topper, the band has potential to finally break out into the mainstream.

[Lesva]

Lesvan-Ahnslen band The Crow in collaboration with Charbagnian singer XeX reach Top 20 in Ainslie with the song "Best Day of My Life"

Lesvan-Ahnslen band The Crow (top, from left to right and vice versa) and Charbagnian singer XeX (bottom, center).

Song and music video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mj0e1DvUFk8

Lesvan-Ahnslens continue moving forward and leaving the mark of the Lesvan diaspora on Ainslie's culture and in the world. After the recent success and rise to fame by a Lesvan-Ahnslen musical project Violet Lightning, who had the big break with the chart-topping single "Heartbeat", which charted in other countries and ended up being performed by VIolet Lightning in an international music festival in Uprea, Lesvan-Ahnslens keep moving forward and continue to impress in the musical world. This time, with a slightly more modest, but no less impressive or note-worthy success, the world of rock is being shuck by Lesvan-Ahnslen artists. Lesvan-Ahnslen rock band The Crow released the song "Best Day of My Life" this week, which has reached Top 20 in Ainslie. The rock song, emulating the style of past eras of rock music with a slight electronic update to it, contains lyrics in English and German languages. Specifically there is one German verse in the song, which is mostly and English-language one and that verse has been performed by the Charbagnian singer XeX, who has been invited by members of The Crow to collaborate with them on the song. Reportedly, XeX did not just perform a verse given to him by The Crow, but the singer, instead, wrote and performed the verse himself, integrating the lyrical content into the overall story that the lyrics are trying to tell. Moving further away from the dark themes of angst that The Crow had explored in their earlier work, the happily-named yet loud and vocally growly "Best Day of My Life" explores the themes of overcoming troubles, trying to improve and sincerely believing in a better tomorrow, while remembering the need to take action to achieve it. The are also lyrics containing attacks against a consumerist lifestyle, including in XeX's. Analysts of the lyrics have been searching to also find political messages in the song, with possible attacks against the Throngist dictatorship in Lesva, where The Crow and their ancestors came from. Some claim to have detected such messages, but the band members have not given any confirmation, opting to suggest that anyone can interpret the lyrics in their own way and there are no definite answers. The song received positive reviews from critics. The Crow declared the song to be a single, which would not officially be part of any upcoming EP or album. However, at the same time the band members suggested that the next EP and album will likely follow this kind of sound. "Best Day of My Life" is set to be included in the band's set during their tours and concerts as their latest single. The Crow said they would be interested to do more songs with XeX in the future and the artist himself also replied with an identical attituded, saying he would love to feature on more songs by The Crow if the band will reach out to him. XeX also expressed his liking for genre-blending, which this single is an example of according to him. An accompanying music video was released 2 days later.

[San Jimenez]

The Avenues photographed in 1960. From right to left, Armando Chavez, Dylan Wallace (top left), Lewis Morgan, Christopher Jones (top right), and Nicolas Bonner.

---

|Humble Beginnings|
The group had its origin in the small and rural suburb of Gran Teran known as Florelades. During the late 1950s, the community was mostly comprised of Jimenos but was home to a distinct minority of Townsider immigrants. In 1958, four teenagers from Jose Z. Saavedra High School and sons of Townsider immigrants formed "The Townies." Lewis Morgan emerged as the lead singer, Dylan Wallace as the baritone, Christopher Jones as bass, and Nicolas Bonner as the tenor. That group, with the later addition of Armando Chavez, would ascend among the best of mid-era shoo-bop due to their street vocal harmony and their simple sweet lyrics.

Downtown Florelades circa 1956.

|The Avenues|
The Townies stumbled for the first initial years of their career. The group mostly recorded with amateur labels and found little to no success in Florelades and neighboring Gran Teran. Among their difficulties, getting radio time and struggling to write songs were the greatest. At that point, most radiowaves in Florelades had been dominated by Jimeno music and no stations gave an indication of changing that blunt reality. Things would change in 1959 with the late addition of Armando Chavez as a second tenor. Chavez's talent as a songwriter would soon become evident and change the course of The Townies.

After reviewing potential song lyrics that had been given to the group by a cousin of Lewis Morgan, Chavez recognized stark similarities between those lyrics and that of a song sung by a popular Jimeno group of the time called El Viento del Norte. The Jimeno song was titled Solitario. El Viento del Norte's rendition of the song was slow and focused on painful memories of lost love. Chavez rewrote the lyrics into English and readjusted the lyrics in an effort to place a focus on the reclamation of lost love rather than simply mourning it. After rewriting, he gave the lyrics a much faster tempo. The song "Try Me Again" emerged as a result.

The group would record the song in June 1960. The song was the first success of the group and had climbed among the top 20 of the Beat Today Charts by the end of the year. To the surprise of the Townies, the song was especially a hit among the youth of Florelades. The upbeat sound and familiar lyrics enabled young Jimenos to welcome the genre. With the addition of Chavez, the Townies were able to reach a previously unreachable audience. Young Jimenos. In October 1960, the group renamed itself The Avenues to better adopt this new identity of being a crossroads for Jimenos and Jimenean Townsiders.

The Avenues performing in Gran Teran at Trinity Theatre circa 1961.

|Solstice Records and The Avenues' Rise to Fame|
At the start of 1961, the group continued its success with new songs and a greater reach of performances. After incredible performances in Gran Teran, the surrounding area, and hit after hit on the Beat Today Top 50 Charts, a record label on the south coast of the country sought to sign The Avenues and extend their music to the entire country. The fast-paced music that The Avenues could deliver was exactly what Solstice Records was looking for. Solstice Records, based in San Deangelo, had been at the forefront of early shoo-bop music and was aspiring to carry its momentum into the 1960s. The opportunity to audition for Solstice Records illustrated the incredible potential of The Avenues in the music genre and was a vital turning point in The Avenues' career.

The Avenues, gambling more money than they had, made the trip across the country to audition for a chance at nationwide success. Despite the distance and bassman Christopher Jones falling ill shortly beforehand, The Avenues proved their talent. The group would sign with Solstice Records soon after. Then record executive and founder Christopher Walsh described the group as "fine young men" with voices as "smooth as silk." Solstice Records would take previously unrefined talent and manufacture a group whose neatness in musical style and appearance would come to captivate the nation's youth.

Crowds of Jimenean youth fill a record store in Contigo circa 1962.

|"A Date With An Angel"|
In late 1961, The Avenues would record songs for the release of their first album with Solstice Records. The music recorded would include a variety of songs, most notably "A Date With An Angel" and "Sólo Tu." Sólo Tu would be one of the first Spanish shoo-bops to be produced and would feature Armando Chavez as lead singer as he was the only group member that could speak the language fluently. Despite the song's comparatively low success, it created a formula for other Spanish-speaking groups to replicate in an effort to break into the shoo-bop genre.

The album proved their biggest hit and would skyrocket to the #1 spot of Beat Today's Top 10 Albums before the year came to a close. The song "A Date With An Angel" would remain on the top of Beat Today's Top 10 Songs despite the album later waning overall.

With nationwide success, a prestigious label, and what felt like unlimited exposure, the group emerged as one of the frontrunners of 60s shoo-bop.

|Premature End|
With the additional release of two singles, "Oh, Ava Dear" and "Teenage Paradise", The Avenues enjoyed a wave of fame throughout 1962. Songs that had been released by amateur labels before The Avenues signed with Solstice had begun picking up airtime prompting Solstice to purchase sole rights to the released music by the aforementioned amateur labels. For most of the year, The Avenues maintained public interest through heavy touring and exposure to music-performance television programs.

1963 seemed like it would have the same potential as the previous year for The Avenues. With no indication of taking their feet off the brakes, The Avenues would continue their rigorous touring and also began to work on recording a possible second album to be released by the end of the year.

On February 14, 1963, however, the country was left in shock after news circulated over radio and television about the road accident that had occurred earlier that night. The tour bus of the Avenues had been involved in a deadly accident after harsh weather had produced over most of the island. Two of the five members of the Avenues, Dylan Wallace and Christopher Jones would be pronounced dead at the site of the accident. Lewis Morgan, lead singer of the group, would die hours later at Saint John's Regional Hospital.

Armando Chavez and Nicolas Bonner would sustain minor injuries as a result of the accident. In the months following, The Avenues, with Chavez and Banner, would have a revolving door of new members until the group officially disbanded in 1964.

The Avenues were inducted into the Shoo-Bop Hall of Fame in 1989.

|Legacy|
Although The Avenues' potential was cut shorter than anyone could expect, the group remains one of the most consequential of the shoo-bop genre. Their brand of shoo-bop was much faster than that of their predecessors in the 1950s and had set a tone for how new music would be arranged. The Avenues had further captivated the youth of the country towards the genre and opened the floodgates for new artists to emerge.

Armando Chavez would go on to form a Spanish shoo-bop group called La Ventura which further cemented his influence among the Jimenean Spanish-speaking population. Nicolas Banner would move from group to group before eventually finding success with another group called The Bourbons.

The Avenues' impact on shoo-bop, Jimenean pop culture, and the national music industry as a whole cannot be denied. In 1989, The Avenues were inducted into the Shoo-Bop Hall of Fame and later inducted into the Neo-Record Hall of Fame in 1991. Sixty years later, we remember the legacy of The Avenues and their sweet San Jimenez sound.

[Lesva]

Violet Lightning releases two new songs, one of which is interpretated to have political undertones

Violet Lightning, a Lesvan-Ahnslen musical act based in Arborai, has released two new songs and their accompanying music videos. The songs are "No One Replacing You" and "We Can Rise", which have both been released as promotional singles from an upcoming second studio album. Both singles have become topics of discussion among music fans and pop culture enthusiasts, especially among the Lesvan diaspora. However, "We Can Rise" has attracted more attention in comparison to "No One Replacing You" because of its' alleged subject matter and themes. While "No One Replacing You" seems to be an upbeat love tune, with a music video that mimics 80's movies aesthetic, or specifically early 80's and possibly even 70's, as vintage is part of Violet Lightning's brand, "We Can Rise" is interpreted as having deeper meanings, specifically in the lyrics.

The talk is that the lyrics of "We Can Rise" could be seen as political with undertones of social activism. In fact, the lyrics and the name of the song suggest that people are called upon to "rise." When thinking about this, interpreters of the lyrics believe this is not so much addressed to the Lesvan diaspora, including the Lesvan community in Arborai or Ainslie overall, but more to Lesvans still inside Throngist Lesva under the fascist dictatorship there. Even though chances are very low if not non-existent that the song could somehow be heard by Lesvans in Lesva itself, there are still instances of smuggling outside material into the country, which managed to slip past the Throngist Party's sight and their requirement to pre-approve everything, thus Lesvans abroad have already expressed hope that their compatriots, that are still inside the fascist dictatorship's jurisdiction, will be able to hear the song and maybe make some sort of conclusions.

However, Lesvan diaspora are also applying the lyrics to themselves, including those dissident expats that live in free countries today. They interpret the lyrics as a call to the Lesvan diaspora as well. The call is to not only help and participate in the activist cause of freeing their compatriots from the Throngist regime and bring about a free Lesva, but to create civil societies and activist movements that would work on solving the issues of the countries that the diaspora lives in, as well as help in international issues.

[Lesva]

Amid ongoing crackdown, Throngist regime arrests members of the Saela-based garage band Chain for their self-released new "anti-Throngist" single "Everyone's The Same"

Frontman, lead singer of Chain (Identity hidden).

Protests continue in Throngist Lesva over the Throngist dictatorship's ongoing arrests of students, teachers and faculty across the country's universities over alleged anti-ideological activities and supposed collaboration with terrorist and militant organizations. The protests are being carried out not just by students themselves, but also by citizens in general, with slogans against student arrests, in support of political prisoners and against repressions. Even though the regime is intensifying its' crackdown with police, militia and keeping the military on stand-by, with hopes that it would forcefully brrak and end the protests before they could grow, the effect is the opposite. Instead of backing down or fearing to join, people are fighting back more intensely and the geography of protests is growing, as more people are joining, more cities are joining and more parts of the country are becoming more affected by the regime's repressions.

In the midst of all these events, the regime has hit yet another new low. Police and regime-loyal Carmineshirts militia in Saela, the capital, have arrested members of an independent garage band Chain. The band is comprised of young people in their late teens and early 20's. They were arrested after the police and the militia raided a regular garage, where the band were holding one of their rehearsals. The arrest happened after the band self-released their new single "Everyone's The Same", which also became their first political song with lyrics critical of the system and society. The song's release and lyrics coincided with the current events and supposedly the lyrics and the release were not even a coincidence, because in one verse the band supposedly references fellow students that were arrested.

In other news

---

• Great Altera becomes the first country to condemn the current crackdown by the Throngist regime against protesters in Lesva.

[Lesva]

Foreign-based Lesvan dissident band Rigel releases music video for their song "Returning", which symbolizes a comeback of Lesvan expats home

A scene from the music video depicting returning refugees, expats and soldiers of the fictional Gaeltic country of Volnovia, who are acting as stand-ins for Lesvans.

Music video and song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zISVceb3LE

Lesvan dissident electronic musical act Rigel, which is obviously based outside of Throngist Lesva's borders, has released a music video to accompany its' one of its' recent singles - "Returning." The song's lyrics are about the return of all Lesvan expats home to Lesva after the collapse of the totalitarian fascist Throngist regime. The music video follows the same theme, but instead of blatantly filming a story about Lesvans, the directors decided to create a story that would act as a metaphor for real life events. The music video depicts a fictional Gaeltic country of Volnovia that is supposedly geographically located somewhere close to Balnik and to Lesva. Volnovia is depicted as a Slavic country, predominantly Christian Orthodox, which is ruled by a dictatorship and is also in a middle of a war. Although Volnovia is as different from Lesva as it can be, the plight of the characters is meant to symbolize the plight of Lesvan expats that will eventually return home either to fight against the regime or come back after the historic inevitabilities cause the regime's collapse in one way or another. Many of the actors playing the fictional Volnovians in the video are said to be decedents of people who themselves have fled dictatorship or war from across the Isles and relocated to democratic countries of Isles. The music video was filmed in several cities from several countries with Lesvan communities that had been behind the project creatively.

[Lesva]

Violet Lightning: "We know we will perform in a Free Lesva again"

Prototype cover of an upcoming album of Violet Lightning. Title of the album has not yet been revealed.

Violet Lightning, the musical act from Arborai, Ainslie, that was formed by Lesvan expats, has given a new interview on the occasion of the release of their new song - "Wet Pavement", as well as on the occasion of promoting a new upcoming album that does not yet have a title, but which has a prototype album cover that Violet Lightning has shared with the public. During many interviews, members of the musical act have primarily stuck with the topic of music, their singles and the upcoming album, but more and more Violet Lightning has recently been touching on political topics.

The politics going around the minds of the musicians the most have been the topics of questions relating to the largest Lesvan community in Ainslie and Lesvan communities in other countries, as well as news coming out of Throngist Lesva, where the regime controls what information comes in and out of the country especially at times of crises, and international issues concerning all people from all countries. Violet Lightning shared that the band hopes there are underground pirate flows that somehow allow their music to reach fellow Lesvans inside Throngist Lesva, seeing to how the regime tries to prevent outside content, which has not been screened for anti-Throngist messages, to reach citizens in Throngist Lesva. More and more, Violet Lightning has been trying to write new songs that could be upbeat like most of the act's nu disco and retro-pop creations, but which also contain messages in the lyrics that promote hope, a fight against tyranny, pursuit of liberty and even calls for resistance and uprising. Violet Lightning are aware that with more songs containing such messages, their new creations would reach Lesvans in Throngist Lesva even harder, whereas previously the regime might have permitted Violet Lightning's songs, that do not contain political messages, to be played in Throngist Lesva, despite them being create by anti-regime Lesvan expats.

Violet Lightning has also been more optimistic lately that even though the regime appears to stay firm despite its' recent economic troubles, the band would still eventually and hopefully in the near future perform in a Free Lesva, with Violet Lightning aiming to be the first in line to join a line-up that would play in a first musical festival in a liberated Lesva, whether it would be in the capital Saela or in some other Lesvan city or several. In fact, Violet Lightning even dreams of its' own show in a liberated Lesva, where the musical act could play the entire set from start to finish.

Violet Lightning's new single "Wet Pavement": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UgYSUYamucI

[Lesva]

December 5

Lesvan diaspora perceives Throngist Lesva's participation in the Islesvision Song Contest as a PR stunt and propaganda strategy for the regime

Logo of this year's Islesvision Song Contest.

Lesvan diaspora is sceptical of the legitimacy of Throngist Lesva's participation in the Islesvision Song Contest after the Throngist regime decided to partake in the international musical competition. After the recent end of radical Jarren Prica's hardliner reign in Throngist Lesva, the current head of the regime Cebra Tolar has started a moderate era with attempts of changing policy and moving Throngist Lesva in a different direction than the one where Prica and other predecessors moved the country in. This is indicated by unprecedented mass releases of political prisoners, amnesties, rehabilitation of the repressed, as well as a reversal of Prica's radical sponsorship of multiple Throngist rebellions abroad for the cause of spreading Throngism. The Throngist regime under Tolar instead seems to be focused on efforts to move away from the radical and militaristic image of predecessors towards a softer, more human and more moderate reputation and that is where the Islesvision Song Contest may be coming into play.

Although the Lesvan diaspora is happy for whichever artist or artists will get to represent Lesva at an international song and musical competition and they will be even more happy in proud of that artist's victory, the Lesvan diaspora is sceptical of Throngist Lesva's participation and its' legitimacy, believing that it could play into the regime's hands as a PR stunt and a win for the regime's propaganda strategy. In case of Lesvan victory, which would cause internal patriotic joy among the anti-Throngist Lesvan diaspora, the concern would be that the Throngist regime could claim it as its' own victory. Some Lesvan organizations abroad are consiferingnwriting to the organizers of the contest with a request to ban Throngist Lesva from participating, however, there is doubt that the non-poltical competition would agree to ban a coubtry from participating for political reasons and also, there is not much support for the initiative among the Lesvan diaspora, because it would deprive a fellow Lesvan or multiple Lesvan artists from participating. Ultimately, ylthe ban would hurt the artists and not the regime.

[Lesva]

December 19

Lesvan diaspora still divided on whether to support or not support Gavi Sarar in the Islevision Song Contest

Logo of this year's Islesvision Song Contest.

Lesvan diaspora remains divided on the question what stance to take on Throngist Lesva's participation in the Islesvision Song Contest and specifically on the representative of Throngist Lesva in the contest - Gavi Sarar. The debate continues on whether this would be the regime participating and promoting itself in an international cultural event or the country of Lesva, which the diaspora still loves, and the artist representing Lesva, or rather representing the regime. Gavi Sarar and his back-up on stage are dawning dark clothing typical of the totalitarian Throngist regime, and are also wearing the pins of the national flag of Throngist Lesva and also the flag of the Throngist Movement Party. These external attributes make it look like Sarar associates with the system and aesthetically is there to definitely represent the regime. At the same time, it is not clear how much free will Sarar has and whether he is dawning these attributes because he is being genuine and has simply been brainwashed by the Throngist system or whether those pins are mandatory. From an artistic perspective, most of the diaspora seems to perceive Sarar as talented and him being Lesvan still instinctually provokes the wish to support him and the homeland he represents. At the same time, it all goes back to the fact that Sarar is not a representative of "normal Lesva", but of Throngist Lesva and despite artistic endeavors, willingly or not willingly, knowingly or not knowingly, Sarar acts as a representative of the regime, despite being part of its' cultural and not political wing. These contradictions keep the diaspora from having a clear stance on Sarar.

[Lesva]

National Live-Action and Animated Film Festival to begin in Saela, starting January 12th

On Friday, 12 January, National Capital of the Throngist Republic of Lesva, the Glorious City of Saela, will host the National Live-Action and Animated Film Festival

Glorious City of Saela, the National Capital of the Throngist Republic of Lesva, never ceases to be the location of grand events. Stepping away from politics and towards culture, starting Friday, January 12th and lasting until Sunday, January 14th, the Glorious City of Saela, the National Capital of the Throngist Republic of Lesva, will host the First Official National Live-Action and Animated Film Festival. This Cultural Event will gather last year's and the current year's, which is into its' first month, pictures of live-action and animated variety, which were all produced at and by the Lesvan Throngist Republic exclusively, and showcase them in a marathon-fashion, celebrating the arts of film and awarding them in the end, while also interacting with the creative teams and film enthusiasts gathered at the Festival. Over the course of the existence of the Throngist Republic of Lesva in the modern age, there have been hundreds of pictures produced of live-action and animated variety by the finest creators and artists that Our Country has brought out and instead of their creations being reduced to the category of entertainment for the people and nothing more, their creations will be celebrated as art and appreciated to the fullest at this Festival, with the Throngist filmmaker associations from across the Country gathering and relishing their common success at this Festival and also receiving the highest appreciation from the Throngist Movement Party of Lesva.

[Lesva]

Foreign-based Lesvan dissident musicians continue informational war against dictatorship through music

Lesvan dissident musicians based in other countries outside of Lesva have reactivated their struggle against dictatorship in Lesva through art. Lesvan musicians abroad were very active during the Throngist period with anti-dictatorship music that could be interpreted as being against all forms of tyranny, but it could not be denied that at the time it was specifically directed at the Throngist regime. However, during the Lesvan Revolution and in the immediate period after it, the activity of Lesvan dissident musicians quieted down, being interpreted as musicians themselves picking sides and wishing to see what the Revolution results in. Since it is now clear that the Revolution replaced the collectivist Throngist dictatorship with the personalist Scadi dictatorship disguising itself as a direct democracy, Lesvan dissident musicians abroad, old ones and new ones, are once again creating new musical works, this time largely aimed at giving a soundtrack to a struggle against the new Scadi dictatorship in Lesva.

The Crow, Violet Lightning and Rigel, which are all musicians, musical acts or musical bands from the Lesvan diaspora abroad outside of Lesva, have recently released new music with lyrics clearly aimed against the new regime of Marshal Iuna Scadi in Lesva. Atma Iaca released a song "Animals", with the lyrics criticizing the dictatorship in Lesva, but also starting out with a bleak condemnation of humanity as a whole for tyranny, war and strife. Nevertheless, the song closes out with optimism for humanity as a species with a capacity for good, reflecting on liberty struggles against tyranny, diplomacy, cooperation, a pursuit to help one and other and to aspire for positive social change. Lesvan dissident nu-metal band Survival Instinct likewise released a new song "Primal Scream", which like Atma Iaca's song starts off with somewhat dark themes as well, making it seem like endless tyranny in Lesva will never end, as it results in one tyranny falling and being replaced by a new, thus destroying hope that the struggle can ever result in domination of liberty and true justice. Nevertheless, the song resuscitates hope for a better future with angrier lyrics about being "fed up" and being ready to carry on the fight for the cause of eventually receiving that long awaited liberty.

In Lesva itself, protest music and dissent among musicians likewise exists, but this type of resistance and criticism of the dictatorship through music is much more dangerous because of problems with freedom of speech and the regime going after those, who disagree. Nevertheless, a musical underground against the system still exists. Chain, a band that faced arrest under the former Throngist regime in Lesva for songs with lyrics criticizing that system at the time, continues to be active in the underground scene, trying to release music with criticism at the system, although it is more subtle, so it is not as easy for the regime to accuse Chain of dissenting. Despite the risk, other musicians and bands against the system likewise continue to appear in the local underground, as artists refuse to submit to fear of repression.

[Lesva]

Sila Vacarin synth-pop track "Back in Saela" becomes a hit among the Lesvan diaspora

Cover of Sila Vacarin's upcoming album "Back in Saela" named after the single.

The song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXSw8DGjf5E

In more news related to music and pop-culture, Sila Vacarin, an up and coming Lesvan dissident expat musician, has released a new song "Back in Saela", which falls into the synth-pop genre. The song's lyrics are about an expat, who misses Saela and wants to go back, where he "left an old version of himself", so with Saela being in the lyrics, the song is clearly not just about any expat, but specifically a Lesvan one, since that the Lesvan people's capital. The reason why the titular character of the song is unable to go back is not stated specifically in the song itself, but given the real life political situation, there is not much needed to know why Lesva is currently a country, which Lesvans miss, but cannot go back to. That reason being dictatorship, whether the previous Throngist one that has survived by taking control of Lesva's island of Cane Islo, or the current Scadi dictatorship, not to mention the de jure and de facto openly fascist regime controlling a militant-occupied portion of the region of Acean in the south-west. The song has become a hit among the international Lesvan diaspora, but it is unknown whether Lesvans in Lesva itself will be able to hear it. The former Throngist Lesva had tough ideological censorship and isolation from outside information coming into the country, so Lesvans had to gain access to it through underground channels. The censorship in Lesva under the Scadi regime is more vague, so it is unclear whether the song will be blocked from accessing listeners in Lesva. At the same time, even if the Scadi regime permits the song, a lot of it could be cut up or censored, reducing it to an unrecognizable version of itself. Or the Scadi regime could decide to ban the song all-together because of it being made by an anti-regime dissident expat outside of Lesva. But music critics believe that whatever happens, the Throngist past has given Lesvans experience how to combat censorship and use underground channels to access prohibited information outside of the regime's sight.

[Lesva]

20 Lesvan films from the Throngist Period:

1. Shadows of the Forgotten

2. The Lost Horizon

3. Beyond the Veil

4. Echoes of Eternity

5. The Midnight Serenade

6. Whispers in the Darkness

7. The Enigma Chronicles

8. A Dance with the Stars

9. The Forgotten City

10. Tales of the Unknown

11. Journey to the Forgotten Kingdom

12. The Last Voyage of the Starlight

13. Secrets of the Hidden Realm

14. The Midnight Masquerade

15. Echoes of the Ancients

16. Destiny's Eclipse

17. The Wandering Swordsman

18. Realm of the Eternal Flames

19. Shadows of the Enchanted Forest

20. The Crystal Guardians