BRING YOUR OWN BUDS

Artists need time. They need space. Sometimes they need a tropical locale to get their creative vapors billowing. The Purple Nebula's prodigal son Schmog (born Cloud Schmogisborg), at the insistence of his manager/cousin, left home and headed for the sandy shores of Gins Knot, a half-beach-half-ski-resort located in the center of a cosmic heat rift protected by so much dark matter that it flubbed about like gelatin. Besides the aforementioned flub, Gins Knot was famous for being a choice destination for other Mystics, such as Schmog, and their dozens of offspring to prattle about. In essence, the world's largest Mystic convention and, for all intents and purposes, a cheap destination resort. Bummed by the lack of privacy and angry at his cousin Fhlunk for suggesting this intergalactic hellhole, Schmog realized that those around him did not have his best interests at heart (and, later, his money). Booked for a month's stay, he attempted to make the most of the situation, listening to the waves, the crunch of the snow, and the melodies around him. Once the initial shuttle lag wore off, he realized that there was a slow, chilling rhythm that would overtake the resort. This slight turn of musicality from electric riffs to dopey synth was not necessarily an evolution but a friendly reminder of his people's roots. Just Me & My Buds was an ode to Mystics everywhere, no matter their shape and size (and there were many). The lead single, Bring Your Own Buds, was a dig at Fhlunk, but also a testament to Schmog's maturity that your fate is what you make it, and maybe his buds in the future would have to get used to him being confident and independent.