~notes~ (Vol. 5)
Cool Gould & power to the packrats
Mad’s Music Mix
-The Juan MacLean, “A Simple Design” MacLean is a vet of boogie giant DFA Records, and just dropped this swirling disco track. These days, I gravitate heavily toward synthpop and other genres of music that utilize electronica because of the catchy, calculated beats. Many would argue (and I would have blindly said the same thing six years ago, deep in the throes of my Jimi Hendrix/’60s rock god obsession) that electronic music lacks a human quality and is merely robotic. But over the years — and with songs like “A Simple Design” — I have learned that electronic music is nothing but human connection: The musician considers what fellow listeners are drawn to and orchestrates a soundscape that resonates, leaving us wanting more. The amount of thought behind the production of “A Simple Design” ain’t nothing simple.
The Spinners, “It’s a Shame” I thank my parents for a super solid musical upbringing. Long drives up the Pacific Coast took place over a soundtrack of the Grateful Dead, Joe Jackson, the Talking Heads, and Elvis Costello. My mom (Hi Momeah!) digs Motown and funk, and even had a radio show in college where she DJ’d as “Cool Gould.” With a name like that, how could I not trust her taste in music?! “It’s a Shame” always got the party started at my house growing up. That guitar riff comes on and you have no choice but to shake it. Driving around this past weekend with her in Martha’s Vineyard reminded me of that time, so this one goes out to the legendary Cool Gould.
Raury, “Cigarette Song” This 17-year-old troubadour has recently appeared on the music radar. Donning a signature floppy straw hat, this kid makes high schoolers look cool. Raury elevates the acoustic singer-songwriter genre with R&B inflections. Think of an Andre 3000/Kid Cudi combination with six strings.
Lemaitre, “High Tide” These Norwegian discodudes have a soul/indie/pop vibe going. It’s Justice + Billy Joel and makes for a very fun listen.
Music Vid Pick: The Afghan Whigs, “Matamoros” My first subway voyage to Brooklyn when I moved to Manhattan a year ago included a b-boy performance with pole swinging and hat flipping. I haven’t come across any performances like it since, but this video serves as a good substitute. For an even better taste of that life, check out Saturday Night Live’s Matchbox 3 skit, where we learn how a subway dance troupe adapts to a crowded car.
Jeff’s Journo Jems
All Power to the Pack Rats [Jacobin Magazine] In theory, Apple’s minimalist utopia — where we have a few objects that can take on all of the tasks and responsibilities we need — sounds appealing to me. I’ve obsessed over streamlining my life and ridding excesses, but after reading this story, I’m not so sure a hoarder-free future is a great idea either. Will our outdated possessions turn into symbols of poverty? And what is lost when everything can be swiped rather than felt?
Puzzle Trouble: Women and Crosswords in the Age of Autofill [The American Reader] For years I’ve been a poser cruciverbalist (h/t to Madaline for introducing me to that term!). I’m working on getting out of the Monday-Tuesday “ghetto” of the NYT crossword, but I still find crossword culture fascinating. I first came across Anna Schetman, the assistant to The New York Times puzzle master Will Shortz, in an article in Fast Company a few months ago. Now, she’s penned an incredible piece in The American Reader about crosswords’ gender problem — at least when it comes to crossword creators.
The Rise of Beefcake Yoga [NYT Magazine] For me, the quirkier the better when it comes to storytelling. This story is full of morally questionable characters, who you end up rooting for in the end — which is probably an apt description for most of the ‘80s professional wresting set. In an era of hot yoga, pre-natal yoga, and yoga for toddlers, it was only a matter of time before someone invented a yoga for wrestlers. And keeping with the signature testosterone-filled wrestler stereotype, this yoga is low on namaste and includes poses with names like broken airplane, hood ornament, and space shuttle.
At 18, Tavi Gevinson Is a Fashion Veteran — and a Broadway Rookie [NYMag] I’ve been a Tavi fanboy for years, so it pretty much goes without saying that I read every profile on her. To catch the uninitiated up to speed: Tavi became famous for Style Rookie, a fashion blog she started as an 11 year old. Yes, you read that right. The gray hair and granny-chic outfits she sported as a preteen titillated the inner circles at fashion weeks from New York to Paris. Tavi 2.0 was the introduction of Rookie, an online zine for teen girls that is positive and feminist and deals with adolescent issues better than anything else I’ve come across on the Internet today. This profile focuses on Tavi 3.0: the Broadway actress who stares in the coming-of-age show, “This Is Our Youth.”
Throwback: A Life-or-Death Situation [NYT Mag]: As a journalist, I’m always looking for the perfect anecdotal lede: sources or situations that present a relatable microcosm of a much larger (and often harder-to-understand) situation. These anecdotes personalize big, faceless issues and get readers invested. This story is the holy grail when it comes to sources: a bioethicist, who has fought for patients right to die in physician assisted suicides, and her husband, who was severely injured in a cycling accident and is contemplating physician assisted suicide. I get chills every time I read this story. Making things personal muddies any simple black-and-white feelings you have on an issue.
