What Wednesday #13
Today I watch Netflix’s best(ish) show, listen to classical Drake, and chill with Bon Iver, Jr.
What Wednesday is where I talk about what I’m watching, reading, playing, etc, because for some reason I think you’ll find that interesting. If you have recommendations, I’d love to hear them :)
What I’m Watching: Narcos (Netflix)
Two of the three greatest TV shows of all time have drugs at their center: Breaking Bad and The Wire.
While Netflix’s Narcos doesn’t quite reach such rarified air, it’s still pretty darn great. Unlike those other shows, Narcos traffics (giggle) in reality, tracking the rise and fall of Pablo Escobar, the most notorious cartel kingpin in a country full of them. Rather than try to hide its real life , it embraces it. Much of the series has a documentary feel to it, with archival footage and tons of minute detail. As a non-fiction guy myself, I love it.
It’s shot on location in beautiful Columbia, and has superb performances from its entire cast — especially the brilliant Wagner Moura, who, much like Bryan Cranston as Walter White, plays Pablo with such intensity, I find myself simultaneously repelled and enthralled by him, which is the mark of any anti-hero worth his powder. Also like Walter White, he doesn’t cut a traditionally imposing figure:
This season is better than last season in nearly every way: narratively it’s tighter, it has more jaw dropping moments, and we spend a lot more time with Pablo, who is magnetically manevolent on screen. All of which is great news for arguably Netflix’s best show. Well, maybe the best. I won’t be sure until I finish the season — and you can stop yelling Stranger Things at me, I can hear you just fine. Not for the weak at heart because, uh, drug cartel violence, silly.
What I’m Hearing: Music’s Cool with Chilly Gonzales (Beats 1)
I’m a big fan of Apple Music’s Beats 1, its 24/7 radio station (radio? how quaint!). It’s an easy way to find cool new music, in and outside of the mainstream. I especially love the artist hosted shows, from Sir Elton John’s Rocket Hour, to Run The Jewels’ WRTJ (which, like them, is equal parts hilarious, vulgar, and thoughtful).
This weekend I stumbled across a new favorite, Music’s Cool with Chilly Gonzales. Chilly Gonzales is a prolific pianist/MC that’s collaborated with major pop acts, like Daft Punk and Drake, though I prefer his solo piano work. His music is great and his Beats 1 show is even better. The concept is basically music theory 101 using popular bands/artists as study cases. He previously deconstructed hits from Daft Punk and Weezer, and this weekend the focus was on Drake. Hearing Chilly describe chord progressions in Drake’s hit songs, while pecking them out on a piano was so awesome. The whole show deserves a listen, but if you don’t have a few hours to spare, just listen to this Drake piano medley he put together. So dope:
What I’m Also Hearing: James Vincent McMorrow, “Get Low”
James Vincent McMorrow, aka baby Bon Iver*, aka diet James Blake*, released his new album this week, and it’s a goodun. A neo-soul/folk (I think that’s a thing, at least) singer out of Ireland, he’s progressively gotten more and more adventerous with his sound since his 2010 debut, Early in the Morning — which has the beautiful and nearly flawless “If I Had A Boat” — and his new album, We Move, is his most daring yet.
*I realize these facile comparisons are reductive and unfair, but as a blogger writing about pop culture, I’m duty (giggle) bound to make them.
“Get Low” is one of its best tracks, and it has a low, propulsive beat under his haunting vocals. If it sounds vaguely hip-hopish, that’s by design — it’s produced by Nineteen85 and Frank Dukes, producers for Drake and Kanye West, respectively. It’s like indie folk hip-hop, which is exactly what Bon Iver’s new album seems to be going for, too (though the grittier Yeezus variety). Hopefully, Iver’s album won’t overshadow McMorrow’s too much when it comes out in a few weeks, because James deserves to be a lot more known than he is.
