My feelings on Miley Cyrus (like most) is pretty mixed. I've found plenty of her music and antics to be not my flavor but, inversely, I think Her Dead Petz is a worthwhile listen and Nothing Breaks Like a Heart is legit good.
Anywho, she recently did a Tiny Desk (Home) Concert and made a literal tiny room to perform from. I generally think of this series as more "reserved" for less mainstream artists but it's admirable to see a higher profile artist doing something different with the format. At the very least, watch the first song of her performing Mazzy Star's "Fade Into You" - which she definitely makes her own.
I promise I'll keep Miley Cyrus posts to a minimum moving forward.
DRKMTTR Radio is a podcast extension of the DIY-inspired music venue DRKMTTR in which they put together a playlist of music that fits the vibe of the venue. Pretty simple and straightforward concept but the thing is, DRKMTTR (the venue) has a superbly eclectic roster of artists that play their space (when venues are open). The podcast reflects that and, I gotta tell ya, I always find something new and great when listening.
There's no shortage of ways to "discover" new music these days. Every streaming platform out there is throwing recommendations at you left and right but there's something about the human curation that Kathryn Edwards brings to the playlist that just fits my taste.
TLDR: I'm a fan of this show, you probably will be too.
This new Louis Prince video for "The Number Thirteen" is checking all the boxes for me right now. The dithered animations by Joel Plosz are perfectly executed and the song makes me think of Luke Temple / Here We Go Magic (two artists that stay in regular rotation).
Not a ton to say here except it's great, enjoy it.
Every week I publish a podcast of local Nashville music caled WOTT Music. The name may not be all that memorable but each and every week it serves as a nice testament to the diversity of sound coming out of Nashville that is decidedly not country music or singer-songwriter based. I'm proud of every episode but some episodes feel extra exemplary in the variety they showcase. This is one of them.
Maybe the start of the year is just ripe with new releases or maybe I was just lucky to catch the right songs at the right time.. I'm not sure. Whatever it is, it's a great playlist that runs the gamut from dark psychedelic rock to gritty soul to hard hitting hip-hop to tranquil ambient and many points in between.
Even if you're not a Nashville resident, give it a listen just to introduce some quality new music into your life.
Inauguration Day for President Joe Biden and VP Kamala Harris felt good, real good. Like, I Can't Believe This Is Happening Good. I look forward to a more positive path ahead and, frankly, intensely hope for days on end where I don't have to think about politics.
For this weeks distraction playlist, I thought I'd do something a little different. I generally scour around for quick blasts of stupid entertainment but with the proliferation of social media, you're likely getting a firehose of that anyway. So, this week I'm going to post a bit more long form content that may lead you down some rabbit holes. I might also add in some stupidity but why not try something a little different.
Enjoy!
The Tiny Doors of the US Capitol - thinking about the Capitol lately comes with a bitter taste, let this be a bit of a salve. Weird little doors everywhere apparently.
Driving Around Lower 9th Ward (NOLA) - this channel is comprised of loads of videos just driving around neighborhoods in various cities. These destinations tend to be lower income and are often noted as "hoods." This could be seen as some sort of racial exploitation but from watching a few, I am confidently positive that is not the authors intent. All told, it's like a ridealong in the Google Street View car.
TMBG on Leno, 1992 - I find myself revisiting lots of old They Might Be Giant performances lately. This Apollo 18 performance on Leno is a remarkably full band playing "The Guitar" and "The Statue Got Me High."
Elizabeth Olsen: "No" Is a Full Sentence - the Off Camera chats are always great. I particularly loved this Elizabeth Olsen chat; especially given her family fame and the context of being part of the MCU.
Why This Chair is On So Many Album Covers - I may have linked this previously but it's worth a revisit. Seven and a half minutes researching why this particular rattan chair has persevered in popularity over decades.
Fruit Bats - Hummer - did you know Fruit Bats covered the entirety of Siamese Dream? You can find 2 or 3 tracks floating around on YouTube but the full record is a vinyl only release (at this time). Pretty swell.
I've been enjoying the variety of works offered from the Hashimoto Contemporary Gallery. They've been sharing these works from Penny, a UK artist that, according to their bio, gave up a career as a neurosurgeon to give chase to the worthy pursuit of cutting holes in paper.
Self-deprecation aside, I love this kind of manipulation. It does a great job of waffling between absurdist fun and meaningful reflections on the corrupt power of capitalism. All that and is amazingly intricate. Give the full body of work a gander.
A fantastic, lengthy, read from a Game Designer on how QAnon embraces the principles of an ARG but flips them completely to create an unescapable spiral of misinformation. Do read.
Other Record Labels is a podcast by Scott Orr in which he gets to know record labels of all sizes - tiny indies, large indies, major labels, etc. and discusses with them their history and their marketing techniques. Additionally, he provides a number of resources for anyone looking to start a label on their own (or just improve what they're already doing). Obviously this is pertinent to me but there's a lot of great advice about creative endeavors in general that make it a worthwhile listen for any audience.
One recent episode is with Totally Real Records, aka Subinev aka Bryan Bruchman, aka very longtime friend of myself. The episode has a ton of insight into overcoming imposter syndrome and how a "fake" idea can mature into a real one without one even noticing.
It was great to hear Bryan's story of how the label started and I'm really excited for what he's bringing to the table in terms of releases. He has been - and continues to be - an unparalleled champion of a mind boggling amount of music. So I am confident that his own label will be a satisfyingly diverse undertaking.
We're five days out from the inauguration of Joe Biden. I can't begin to express my excited anticipation for a new era of politics. There may be absolute mayhem leading up to it. There may be intense fallout and stumbling once he's actually in office. I don't look forward to those things but I am incredibly optimistic that we're on the path to something far more stable and less chaotic than usual. Can't. Wait.
Obama 2011 White House Correspondents Dinner - the top comment here says "this is the moment walter white became heisenberg" in regards to Trump. Tho I'd venture to say Trump has always been Heisenberg, it's a good comment.
Reno 911: Terry's Tacos - Paige reminded me of this gem. I never watched this show regularly but I always loved Terry.
The season finale of Memento Stori just went out and it's one of my favorites from the series. I'm obviously biased towards the work because the host, Rebecca Delius, is my fiance but her writing and interview style are undeniable; even if she isn't your betrothed.
In this episode, filmmaker Dycee Wildman talks about her high school friend Jordan; a songwriter and spitfire performer that passed away tragically in a car wreck. Wildman unearthed the CD of her works and listens to it for the first time since high school on the show.
It's remarkable to note her tension and trepidation up to hearing the music - a feeling a lot of us can relate to. What if your memory of a close friend was undermined by hearing their creative work at a later point in life? I was friends with so many bands in high school and I imagine if I went back and listened to it now, even my strongest nostalgia vibes might not be able to overcome reality. Wildman is in that exact position.
It's a great listen and I think the show, as a whole, is a remarkable look at nostalgia, death and the complex feelings that we get wrapped in. It's on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google and everywhere else you prefer a podcast.
If you showed me a thumbnail of the Free Tours by Foot channel, I'd likely give significant pause in terms of my interest. The idea of a tour guide walking me through a neighborhood sounds quite entertaining but the possibility of the guide being unbearable seems more likely than not.
I'm happy to report that is, decidedly, not the case. At least with the episodes I've watched. This 25 tour of the New Orleans Garden District is informative, entertainment and just flat out pleasant.
There are plenty other videos on the channel that cover other neighborhoods - DUMBO Brooklyn, the San Francisco Wharf, Prague Castles - that could certainly be worth your while. I'm partial to the New Orleans content as I am itching for a trip back down there but they certainly cover a great deal of locations.
