#consuming

Gather ‘round ye mongrels of media as we attempt to satisfy our primal urge to consume!

TV

I started watching Steven Universe and these tasty 10 -12 minute episodes are like candy for my soul. Fun and light and happy.

Warrior Nun - Three episodes in and it’s a bit slow paced and I’m not a fan at all of the narration, but the action is very well done and it seems to be getting better.  I do love how seriously they’re taking a seriously ridiculous concept.

Game of Thrones is on rewatch. Not sure if I’m doing this to try to gain a new respect for some of the show’s lowest moments or just to relive the dragon fights and bastard fights and girl fights and wight fights and Tormund making goofy lusty eyes at Brienne. Also, can we get a GOT X-Files type of spin off with these two please? The first episode can be them figuring out whatever happened to Daario Naharis.

MOVIES

Take Shelter - This is an oldie that I was recently reminded about. Directed by Jeff Nichols and starring Michael Shannon and Jessica Chastain Take Shelter is a lazy snake that you’re not quite sure if it’s poisonous or not. Nothing in this film happens fast and everything feels cramped. Whenever Shannon’s Curtis LaForche is on screen he feels ill fit to the world around him. Like he’s wearing clothes that are too big for him and indeed in some scenes he looks that way as well. Chastain as Samantha, displays a weary tension throughout, but has a steady mid-western constitution that allows her to maintain her sanity when things get weird. Watch it, but not if you’re the least bit sleepy.

Life of Pi - In one of my bouts of insomnia I decided to rewatch this. It was as good as I remember and I even teared up. After it was over I found my blessed pillow and drifted of to a dreamland filled with tigers and boats and monkeys.

MUSIC

Crushing - Julie Jacklin (2019)- If you believe a song can have a hauntingly danceable groove look for me at the edge of the dance floor hoping Julia Jacklin will pick me. Body, the opening song to her album Crushing is like walking the hallways of your high school at 2am in the morning. Everything is stuffed with an adult melancholy that the kids only mime in broken hearted text messages. The soft plodding bass and spare drums plucked at my emo heart strings so deftly that my first listen turned into a second third and a then a fourth when I watched the video. Now I’m off to listen to the rest of the album.

Oh My God - Kevin Morby (2019)- Oh my god indeed. I recently stumbled across Kevin Morby and I’m so glad I did. There’s a yearning religiousness that runs through this album, but don’t let that burden you. The music here is haunting, beautiful and vividly illustrative of those parts of America that feel sleepy, dark and a few years behind.

To Pimp A Butterfly - Kendrick Lamar (2015) - When this album dropped I remember being slightly disappointed as I was expecting something more in the realm of good kid, m.A.A.d city. After several listens I realized it is very much in the same realm. It’s just that the realm is Kendrick Lamar’s and he roams large. I’ve returned to this album lately as a salve for what’s happening now. It’s a salve and also a guiding light. How can it not be with songs like, Alright and the self realization of Momma and I?

The simple fact is Kendrick is a storyteller from a different time, the future perhaps, or maybe the past. Alternate dimensions are not out of the question. In a time where we are careening wildly from fear to hopelessness to hate to the unknown, Kendrick’s lyrics are the guideposts leading us home.

Tobe Nwigwe - I mentioned him in a WIC recently and was pleasantly surprised when a friend posted a video of him on a track with a guest verse by Paul Wall. The track Juice is a banger through and through with my favorite verse being when Paul calls Tobe, “Too real. True and real. Trill.”

Love What Survives - Mount Kimbie (2017)- Sometimes an album digs deep into your ear like Dig Dig and you can’t shake it no matter what. This is a good good thing. I’d heard a couple of songs from this album (Blue Train Lines with King Krule and Marilyn with Michau), but never gave it a full listen. I finally did and it’s like a lazy drive with the windows down on a cool day that ends with a sweet makeout session at night in a parking lot. Soft, electronic music with a deep soulfulness.

COMICS/BOOKS

Silver Surfer - Parable - This old classic by Stan Lee and Moebius is an interesting ride. It moves at a brisk pace and some of the story feels a bit dated, but it’s always a joy to see work by Moebius.

I re-read Jupiter’s Legacy Part 2 recently and was just as immediately enthralled as I was in my first read. The art from Frank Quitley is as gorgeous as ever and while the story by Mark Millar rushes a bit too fast to the end it’s still a great read.

The History of the Marvel Universe - This plucks all my Marvel nerd boy heart chords. The art is beautiful and while the writing feels a bit cramped as it struggles to fit in all the bits and pieces it’s a must have for any Marvel fan. (Add artist and writer names)

GAMES- I’m still driving with Mario Kart. It’s just too good.

RANDOM NOTES

I have re-discovered candy from my childhood. Obleas Mini Wafers and Gloria’s Goats Milk! I used to get these when I was a kid when my mom went to Mexico and brought them back for me. The Obleas are like tiny tortillas, about the size of a silver dollar, with a caramel filing in the middle. The outside is this super thin wafer that always reminded me of the wafers you get when you take communion. You can eat these without having to admit your sins so that’s great!

The Glorias are like mini sausages, but have nothing to do with meat. They’re made from goats milk and often come with pecans. As a kid I used to eat these by the handful, but now I savor them and take a half a bite and then come back later for the other half. Andalé!

What I’ve Been Consuming 04/06/20

In these times that seem like some prologue to an upcoming dystopian blockbuster movie release what is it that we are all spending our last days doing? Consuming mass amounts of media no doubt. Join me once again as I detail all the things I’ve read, watched, played, listened to or simply mused about.

Games

I downloaded Donkey Kong Tropical Freeze and it is fun! Other than that it’s still mainly Mario Kart, but I did get back to Mario Odyssey for a bit.  Also, I dusted off my PS3, literally, and played some Black Ops online with some friends. Nothings changed, I’m still terrible at it, but it was fun to hang with some friends via the PS network.

Books/Comics

Continuing my binge of all things Emily St. John Mandel I finished the Lola Quartet. This is the third of her five books. It is as enthralling as her previous books that I’ve read and though I know the hook in her writing; disparate people seemingly unconnected eventually all connect in someway, her stories are no less enjoyable. Her characters are drawn as if pulled from one of your mother’s best recipes and they feel no less real and familiar. 

I have also finished a couple of books from Marvel comics, Black Bolt TPB 1 and 2. The writing by Detroit born Saladin Ahmed is a solid tale on a character I found intriguing, but knew little about. Ahmed delivers a bingeable tale about a king that is broken down and built up again and learns the perils of those he rules over. The art by Christian Ward is solid and fluid, but suffers from an overly dark color pallet throughout. Also, he draws an absolutely hilarious Lockjaw. The first trade is a good series highly worth the read, while the follow up isn’t as revelatory as the first it is still quite interesting and adds more layers to the Black Bolt the Midnight King.

Music

In these time I’ve been falling back on many an old favorite, but some new faves have filled my ears as well. Bat For Lashes album “Lost Girls” delivers Natasha Khan’s familiar sound and shows some growth in the addition of a bit of pop to her dark mythical tales. This isn’t to say she’s abandoned what got her to the dance, but she has perhaps returned to her high school reunion older and wiser and more worldly. The opening track, “Kids in the Dark” would fit nicely in a Stranger Things montage and this song softly welcomed me tothe rest of the album. The closing track, “Mountains” starts out as an 8-bit game soundtrack before opening into a sprawling meditative anthem on lost love. 

Having said that I recently gave her 2009 album “Two Suns” a listen and found it more of a comfort to me in these times. “Daniel” was a standout track on this album for me. A pulsing driving tone permeates the track and the lyrics declare a fairy tale of love and loss.

As I said earlier I’ve fallen back on some old favorites so I’ve had the Hamilton soundtrack on many a spin on my hard drive. Its songs give a kick to some of the monotony while also pushing me to get busy on some of new piece of art. “I’m not throwing away my shot!”

“Ill Communication” by the Beastie Boys has also brought me much joy lately. 

Other standout tracks for me: Broken Arrow from Tori Amos’  “Native Invader” drips in with a trippy wah wah opening riff that sticks in your ear, “State of the Art (A.E.I.O.U.) by Jim James is a song that I just can’t get enough of and it gets a listen at least twice a day lately, another quite fine opening track is Finona Apple’s “Every Single Night”.

I also grabbed the two new Nine Inch Nails free albums, but haven’t spent much time with them.

Movies/TV

The bingeing commences at consistent pace? Perhaps. Maybe. In actuality I haven’t spent much more time watching tv than normal. Maybe. Regardless here’s what has numbed my brain and tickled my fancy. 

Still keeping up with Claire Danes’ Carrie Mathison of Homeland. It’s amazing how season three of this series makes Carrie an absolute monster so far (I’m halfway through) when she’s already proven to be batshit crazy. 

Better Call Saul is still enthralling in every single way. If you’re not watching it, you’re not even playing.

Tiger King. I watched the first episode and it was a great intro for absolute berserker ludicrousness, but I just don’t need to see it. Shoulder shrug emoji.

I have fallen off of Counterpart as it was moving at a pace that felt like I was sleepwalking. I want to get back to it, but I’m not sure if I will.

Started watching Devs and I am very very into it! Bring on Nick Offerman’s weird hair and an absolutely sinister killer Zach Grenier (Ed Norton’s boss in Fight Club).

Re-watchedWorld War Z  under the guise of “research”. I still really dig this movie.

Dived into the Clone Wars animated series as a recommendation from a friend. It’s good background tv with great animation. Growing up with the movies makes it easy to keep up with what’s going on. Episodes are a little over 20 minutes so after a couple of hours I feel like I’ve really accomplished a lot!

Absolutely gobbled up Netflix’s Next In Fashion. If you’re a Project Runway fan then you’ll be down with this new fashion series with Tan France from Queer Eye.  Or maybe you’ll never be able to let go of the OG’s Heidi Klum and Tim Gunn. Agh! It seems you’ll miss them even more since some quick googling revealed to me that the most recent season doesn’t feature either of them. Ah, perhaps the end of days are truly upon us. Ah well, it seems we must all “Carry on”.

Westworld Season Three so far is fire! Also, I hate Aaron Paul’s hair.

Random bits. I’ve been super motivated lately and have finished two paintings in the past three weeks. I haven’t done that since college! Speaking of things not done since college, I ran 3.5 miles recently. Twice. Phew!

That’s all for now.

Please, please be safe out there. Tell your friends and family you love them. Then, tell them again. Hug your pets, wash your hands and stay 6 feet the hell away from me.