Mar 18, 2024
0
Cristina

The Music of Edsel Dope (Edsel Wins Part 2)

Welcome back to our series Edsel Wins! We’re posting support and positivity for Edsel every day until his birthday! It’s my hope with this series, long term admirers and new ones too will celebrate all the reasons why it’s pretty damn awesome to be an Edsel fan. Today’s win focuses on what an incredibly talented musician he is. This is: the music of Edsel Dope.

Many fans of Dope note that their music is very underrated by the musical mainstream. Or, conversely, that they are pegged into one small box and that’s where they have remained. So let’s explore that idea today. Are you ready? I am too, so let’s jump right in!

the music of edsel dope

A Diverse Talent

Sometimes when I mention Edsel, people say something along the lines of “Oh, isn’t he the Die MF Die guy?”. Yes, that would be him, and don’t get me wrong! I like that song, it’s awesome. But it is barely scratching the surface of an intriguing catalogue of music.

With the release of Group Therapy in 2003, Dope fans saw the tracks “Sing” and “Easier” show a more vulnerable and melodic side to the band. Though this was called a departure, I tend to think of it as just another side of a complex artist. Art isn’t linear: there’s always room to explore, evolve and show different sides of yourself. That’s what makes music interesting! Think of how boring music would be if everyone stayed in one narrow lane. Never deviating, never trying new things. How depressing.

Subsequent albums have also run a gamut in terms of tone and style, most notably with Blood Money Part Zer0. From the uncompromising and relentless No Respect, to the EDM tinged Dead World and Lovesong, to the brutal ferocity of Wide, it’s a record that shows how diverse Edsel’s talent really is. It does seem like he can do whatever style he puts his mind to, and show different sides of himself while still remaining authentic to his vision.

Edsel has never been hesitant to take his music in directions people wouldn’t expect. Not only are Dope’s musical releases proof of this, but Drama Club’s as well. Quite simply: Edsel plays the music he loves, and doesn’t worry about unnecessary stuff like labels or fitting into one specific style.

Let it be said, I am no professional reviewer. I’m simply a fan that appreciates when artists I love try new things. Edsel has been a massive inspiration to me creatively, as has his fearless approach to doing what he loves.

Edsel Wins Day Two: Done!

The music of Edsel Dope reflects an artist unafraid to experiment with his sound. And we vibe with that big time here at edseldopefan.org. Stay right with us as we count down Edsel Wins in the leadup to his birthday on the 21st!



Mar 17, 2024
0
Cristina

Edsel Wins Part One: Our Versatile King!

In our continuing celebration of Edsel’s birthday month, I will be doing a short series every day until the 21st called Edsel Wins! Edsel Wins will celebrate everything we love about the amazing Edsel Dope every day until his birthday! You know we adore our versatile king here, but do you realize just how multi talented he actually is? As if being a rock icon isn’t enough, there are so many facets to his legendary career!

edsel wins

An Impressive Resume:

  • Music Legend: Without a doubt, Edsel is best known for being the vocalist for the band Dope. With Dope, he has created seven studio albums and this alone would be enough to cement his place in music history. But he hasn’t stopped there. With Drama Club, he pivoted in an entirely different direction and conquered the EDM world. His music has been everywhere from the WWE, to original compositions for sports programs to appearing on movies and TV. You might have heard his work and not even realized it!
  • Director: Music legend not enough for you? How about the fact that he also directs? Edsel has directed many of Dope’s videos, creating a cinematic style and vision that is almost instantly recognizable. He has also directed videos for Static-X, bringing his talents (and that of Ecco Studios) to the forefront. Everything that Edsel directs has his undeniable polish and attention to detail, making his work absolutely stunning to behold.
  • Media Entrepreneur: All that, AND he’s owner of a media empire? Hell yeah! Edsel is COO and owner of Ecco Studios, a 3D/4D capture stage in Los Angeles. Their client list is a veritable who’s who of glittering names: industry superstars like Industrial Light and Magic, Epic Games (who developed Unreal Engine, by the way), Sony Interactive Entertainment and of course, EA. They’ve also worked with Skydance Media, an American film company known for one of my greatest cinematic Roman Empires, Annihilation. (So many questions and no answers to be found! Gah!) Anyway, I digress. Edsel has the sort of clientele in this business that would make basically any company green with envy. You don’t get that sort of pedigree without a lot of hard work and a LOT of talent.

Edsel Wins Day One: Done!

With that, we bring Day One of Edsel Wins to a close. I hope this has given you some insight into Edsel’s brilliant career and how incredibly diverse it is. Keep coming back every single day until the 21st for more Edsel Wins as we celebrate everything we love about Edsel!



Mar 15, 2024
0
Cristina

Gallery update (Dope – Hold On) and more!

We’re getting closer and closer to Edsel’s birthday! And we’re not slowing down even a little bit with the celebrations. We’re starting off strong with the addition of a new gallery (Dope – Hold On) and moving right into updates to the Graphic Archive. Let’s hop right into it!

dope hold on

VIEW PHOTOS | VIEW VIDEO @DOPETHEBAND

  • 54 screencaps added to the gallery for Dope – Hold On. Major oversight on my part for not adding this gallery sooner. I actually really like this video, it portrays Edsel in a bit of a different way than other releases. You know we love our versatile king!

Graphic Archive Updates

  • One new wallpaper added. I’ve been refreshing the Graphic Archive a bit, and what better time to do it really? To view the other wallpapers click here! (This wallpaper will save as full size, should you save it)

Assorted GIFs Added

No previews for this one – just head straight for the galleries. All GIFs are bundled so that they display one at a time. No yeeting your computer out the window due to slow loading times today! To save, simply scroll until you find the one you want. Then press the Download button at the top of the gallery.

In tour news – the Machine Killer Tour returns April 26th as Dope joins the almighty Static-X and Sevendust! Have you gotten your tickets yet?! Click here for info and how to purchase. You do NOT want to miss this tour! This is essentially a dream team, and I can attest this show is absolutely incredible. Don’t think about it – if they’re coming to your town, just go! Honestly, I would have seen this show twenty more times if that was an option.

That’s about it for this update! I hope you’re enjoying these mega updates as much as I am. There’s still a lot of March left, so there’s more to come.



Mar 13, 2024
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Cristina

Edsel’s birthday month needs celebrations with Drama (Club)!

edseldopefan.org is continuing our celebrations of Edsel’s birthday month all throughout March! And what better way to celebrate our idol with some Drama… Club! That’s the only kind of drama I want around here, personally.

Today’s update sees not one, not three, but FIVE galleries added to the Interview Directory! These are the first galleries for Drama Club interviews, and I’m very excited for you to see them. While you’re there, I encourage you to check out each interview – I have them linked here and also in the Directory. Please support these content creators – I hadn’t heard of some of them before, and ended up really enjoying them!

edsel's birthday

What’s part of this massive update? Let’s go over what you’ll find in EDF Photo:

Gallery Updates:

  • 2014 Interview with Clubhead.tv: 30 images from a 2014 interview with Clubhead TV added. Of note are the guys talking about living in a fantasy land which is basically how I live every day. They also speak about the general DJ culture and how they value the performance aspect of what it is they do. Watch the interview: here.
  • 2015 Austin Underground Interview: 24 images from a 2015 interview with Austin Underground added. This interview was done during the Vans Warped tour! It’s very enjoyable to hear them talk about their songwriting process, because you really do feel their sincerity. No rules, just feeling, and you know what? I vibe with that hard. Watch the interview: here.
  • 2015 Jackie Cular Interview: 27 images from a 2015 interview with Jackie Cular added. I ended up really liking this content creator, she seems very natural and laid back. Makes for a very enjoyable interviewer when you have an engaging personality like that. Watch the interview: here.
  • 2015 Dark City Interviews: 49 images from a 2015 interview with Dark City Interviews added. Speaking of engaging personalities, this one starts with Edsel showing his off. I love how they both sound so thankful and grateful for everything they experience, it’s so refreshing. No surly bad energy here. We love to see it. Watch the interview: here.
  • 2015 Alternative Press Interview: 29 images from a 2015 interview with Alternative Press added. Long time visitors to the site are familiar with this interview – it’s got Andy Black (aka Andy Biersack from Black Veil Brides). He makes an offhand remark about them being born with those faces and I hate admitting I laughed about that for about five minutes. Watch the interview: here.

But Wait! There’s More!

At nearly 2000 pictures and counting, EDF Photo is the largest and most continuously updated gallery dedicated to the amazing Edsel Dope. I really hope you enjoy this massive update, and the interviews that accompany it! We’re celebrating Edsel’s birthday all March long, and you better believe we’re doing it in a big way. Don’t miss out!



Mar 10, 2024
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Cristina

Edsel Dope Graphics: Whole Lotta Edsel pt. 2

I come bearing a nice update: Edsel Dope graphics! You heard right, it’s Edsel’s birthday month, and YOU get the presents. Hell yeah! I’ve been re-doing the Graphic Archive and putting a lot more goodies in there to celebrate Edsel’s birthday! This is the first of several big updates I have planned to celebrate Edsel this month. Well… we always celebrate Edsel, but you get the point.

Interested in all the Edsel Dope graphics you get with this update? Read on!

20 100×100 Icons

edsel dope graphics
  • 20 100×100 icons have been added. These look great on Discord, forums, wherever you want to show your support for Edsel! Plus, a rock icon for your icon? How meta(l). Yes, I reused that joke. I have no regrets… okay, you can send me to joke jail for that one. Girlbossed too close to the sun.

3 Discord Profile Banners

edsel dope graphics
  • A new addition to the Graphic Archive is Discord profile banners. You do need Nitro to add banners to your Discord profile, but these would probably work just as well as forum signatures too.

4 Gifs Added

  • I added four gifs from the Drama Club “Maniac” video! Since I don’t hate you or your net connection, I’ll direct you to check ’em out here!

On a side note, today marks 14 years since Dope’s iconic album No Regrets was released. What’s your favourite track from this epic album? I have to say mine varies, but lately it’s Scorn. I made a video for EDF’s Tiktok to celebrate the occasion!

@edseldopefanorg

March 10th. 2009 saw the release of Dope’s iconic album No Regrets. Featuring tracks like My Funeral, Addiction, Best for Me, and of course the title track, No Regrets remains an eternal classic. What’s your fave song on the album?#metal #dope #dopetheband #edseldope #dopearmy #dopeband #music #trending

♬ No Regrets – Dope


Mar 7, 2024
0
Cristina

edseldopefan.org/EDF Photo new looks!

Just a short acknowledgement of the fact that edseldopefan.org and EDF Photo have new looks! This is a big month for Edsel – it’s his birthday month! And you better believe we’re celebrating by bringing our best for him. He certainly deserves it.

This isn’t the only thing we have up our sleeves to honour Edsel this month – be on the lookout for more surprises all throughout March as we celebrate our idol and muse! I can’t wait to show you what I have planned.

edseldopefan.org

Along with our new look, I’ve been revamping a lot of the site – making it easier to navigate, more concise, and of course more informative. This work is ongoing, and I hope you appreciate all that’s been going on. I’m constantly working on making edseldopefan.org the best it can be for you, Edsel’s amazing fans! As always, you can contact me at any time with questions or suggestions. I love hearing from you!

On a side note – real life caused me to take a short hiatus from EDF.org’s social media. I hated doing that, because social media is one of my passions and I love interacting with fellow fans. EDF.org’s social media is a great creative outlet for me that also brings old fans and new to Edsel’s music. But you know how life be, so I put my priority on updating EDF.org if I wasn’t able to do both. Now that my load has been lightened a bit, I have time to do EDF.org and social media! That being said, I would prefer you follow Dope’s social media rather than mine (links in the sidebar). I’m looking forward to getting back to creating more content for Dope fans! I love anything that brings our community together.

That’s about it for this update, I know it’s a bit rambly and a lot of tldr. I just want you to know I am genuinely glad you’ve come to support Edsel, and I thank you for every visit. Edsel really means a lot to me, and I know he means a lot to all of you as well. I’ve said it before, but it really is my pleasure to bring you only the best. It’s almost a year of edseldopefan.org, and I’m looking forward to everything to come. Take care of yourselves!



Mar 3, 2024
0
Cristina

Dope Merch Roundup – Sale Special!

It’s been a hot minute since I did a Merch Roundup, so let’s do something a bit different. I’ve been browsing the Sale Items on the Dope merch shop, and I thought I’d highlight a few items that have caught my eye. These items are on sale as of this writing – if you’re reading this in the future, I can’t guarantee they’re still on sale.

Before we get into it, as always we have a big fat DISCLAIMER: None of these are affiliate links. I’m not getting money if you buy any of the merchandise showcased here. These are just my own opinions of what I personally like in the Dope merch shop.

Now that’s out of the way, let’s hop right into it.

dope merch

Edsel Hand Shirt

This is the second of two shirts that have this famous picture of Edsel. It’s kind of iconic, you have to admit. And both are on sale! I think both are pretty rad, but my personal preference is this version.

Fuck Tomorrow Shirt

I might be slightly biased here, because I happen to have this shirt! Trust me, it rocks.

Null Shirt

Yes, I know this has been on a past Roundup, but I do genuinely like this iteration of the Dope Null logo. There is also a null shirt without the Dope logo on it, if you prefer!

Two Face Shirt

This is from the Rise of the Machine Tour, and I have to say the artwork on this is … er… dope. Hey, the jokes can’t all be good. What’s no joke however is how cool this shirt is. I have the Machine Killer variant and seeing this one makes me wanna kick myself for missing out on Rise of the Machine. Ah well! Got my chance to see Dope in the end!

A Merch Roundup WITHOUT A MUG? Guys, it’s finally happened. I should feature one just for the principle of the thing, but I think I’ll spare your already overloaded cabinets this time. Just this one time, though.

Looking for past Merch Roundups? Click here!



Feb 26, 2024
0
Cristina

Drama Club video galleries + Graphic Archive Update

Hello there! I’m back with another update. This time, I’m bringing you an update to the Drama Club video galleries, and a small update to the Graphic Archive. Read on to find out what’s new!

drama club video galleries

WATCH VIDEO | VIEW SCREENCAPS (EDF PHOTO)

I’ve added 45 screencaps to the “Maniac” gallery. Drama Club is a new-ish video category on EDF Photo, and I hope it becomes one of your favourites. We don’t only cover Dope here on EDF.org, because we are an Edsel Dope fansite. We cover ALL aspects of Edsel’s career here! I find too few people have seen the video for Maniac – if that sounds like you, you know how to fix that, yeah? I’ve provided the link to the video right above. And while you’re at it, sub to Drama Club’s Youtube channel. Might as well, you’re going there anyway to watch the video!

VIEW VIDEO | VIEW SCREENCAPS (EDF PHOTO)

57 screencaps from They Don’t Need to Understand have been added! This is a remix of a song by Andy Black (aka Andy Biersack of Black Veil Brides). Recently, it occurred to me that I’d never heard the original, so I looked it up. If you’re curious as well, you can listen to the original here. Having heard both… I have to say I do prefer the remix by Drama Club. Don’t get me wrong – both are awesome! You put either on and I’m stoked, no question. The Drama Club remix just has that bit of extra edge that I like. I do hope you listen to both though!

Graphic Archive Update

Along with the Drama Club video galleries, I’ve added four gifs of the Maniac video to the Graphic Archive. Since I don’t hate your connection, I’ve bundled my gifs so they load one at a time. Simply choose the download option at the top of the gallery and you’re set!



Feb 22, 2024
0
Cristina

Edsel Dope/Dope fanlistings

After a bit of work, I’m happy to announce that the Edsel Dope/Dope fanlistings are now OPEN!

Edsel Dope/Dope fanlistings

Visit Blood Money, the Dope fanlisting

Visit No Regrets, the Edsel Dope fanlisting

If you’re not sure what a fanlisting is, here’s the description from thefanlistings.org:

A fanlisting is simply an online listing of fans of a subject, such as a TV show, actor, or musician, that is created by an individual and open for fans from around the world to join. There are no costs, and the only requirements to join a fanlisting are your name and country. Fanlistings do not have to be large sites (although some are). They are just a place where you can have your name listed along with other fans of the same subject. TheFanlistings.org is the original (but not only) web directory for fanlistings, dedicated to uniting fans across the globe.

Basically: if you’re a fan of that subject, you join. There is no cost, and it’s a way for you to display your support for the fanlisting’s subject. The idea is that you might find people with similar interests to yours, as thefanlistings.org is an entire network based on sites following this concept. In fact, many people who have websites have small collectives that showcase all the fanlistings they have joined.

EDF.org is excited to be part of The Fanlistings Network. My entire purpose for this site is to bring Edsel’s fans together, so hosting the Edsel Dope/Dope fanlistings is really a perfect fit. You can find this and other fanlistings on their website.

In site news, I’m doing a tidy up of the Graphic Archive. New additions are in the pipeline as well. EDF Photo has also been in the process of a revamp. I’ve cleaned it up a bit so that it is easier to navigate, and it will be getting a new look soon. (As will EDF itself, to commemorate something big that’s happening next month!)



Feb 16, 2024
0
Cristina

Edsel Dope Fanlisting: SOON[tm] (Plus Dope’s too)

Hello everybody. I recently found out that fanlistings are a thing. So naturally, when I discovered that they are indeed a thing, I said to myself: well, I know what I must do. I have to have Edsel’s and also Dope’s fanlisting. So I applied for both at the Fanlistings website and got both. Which really was great news… can you imagine edseldopefan.org not having the Edsel Dope fanlisting? That would be cringe. I wanted Dope’s as well because these two go hand in hand.

While I don’t have the full site up, here’s a preview of the Edsel Dope fanlisting to pique your interest. I haven’t started work on Dope’s just yet, but I’ll be sure to pop a preview of that as well in my next update.

edsel dope fanlisting

Now you might be wondering: “Cristina, what exactly is a fanlisting? I’ve never heard of this before.” Here’s the explanation given on the TFL.org website:

  • A fanlisting is simply an online list of fans of a subject, such as a TV show, actor, or musician, that is created by an individual and open for fans from around the world to join. There are no costs, and the only requirements to join a fanlisting are your name and country. Fanlistings do not have to be large sites (although some are), they are just a place where you can sign up with other fans.

Basically, if you’re a fan, you join. And as an added bonus, you have the chance to connect with other fans. It’s a great way to bring fans together. These fanlistings are both a natural fit for EDF.org, and I’m very excited to host them. I expect the Edsel Dope fanlisting and the Dope fanlisting to be up within a couple weeks at the latest.

I’m excited to open this fanlisting for you all, and looking forward to you joining. I’ll be back soon with another update as well.