Excellent Things: 08
I have been to Tulum once. In 2010. To escape a snowy New York winter. It was incredible, and this El Buho playlist, has a subtle way of transporting me back there.
It was a good few months for music.
New Nicolas Jaar under his A.A.L pseudonym.
New Nils Frahm.
New (old) Keith Jarrett, but especially Part I — Live at Teatro Comunale, Modena / 1996.
The War on Drugs played live in Melbourne. It was magical.
Despite the backlash, YouTube’s recommendation algorithm is a marvel of the modern internet. It’s Alice in Wonderland’s rabbit hole for music fans. Finding fan recorded live clips in this era of everyone holding an HD recording device in their pocket is a personal favourite pastime.
Frank Ocean’s ‘I Miss You’ is the apex.
Bon Iver’s ‘Creeks’ renditions are equally striking. This one in Paris where he has multiple false starts soars (he figures it all out at 1:15).
On second thoughts, live in Denver might be even better.
Or ‘Woods’, live in Seoul.
Now we’re down here, let me show you around.
First Aid Kit covering Fleet Foxes ‘Tiger Mountain Peasant Song’ in 2008.
Bon Iver on the Take Away Show in 2008.
That same song, sung by the Chant Claire Chamber Choir.
And just for good measure, Daniel Johns covering ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’.
“And every father’s pain
Casts a shadow over a broken son
You’ll be whole again
And I’ll be whole again
All those years I was hurting to feel
Something more than life”— Silverchair ‘After All These Years’
Film company A24 is five years into its life, and what a life it’s been. This GQ article captures it perfectly.
Having trawled almost the entire A24 catalogue, here are my favourites:
- Moonlight
- The Florida Project & American Honey & Spring Breakers
- Oasis: Supersonic & Amy
- Ladybird & 20th Century Women
I also loved the first two films A24 tried unsuccessfully to win the rights to when they were starting out:
- A Place Among The Pines & Frances Ha
There are moments in time when certain firms capture the zeitgeist — A24 from launch to now, Union Square Ventures 2004–2007, John Doerr & Kleiner in the late-1990s, Sub-Pop in the early 1990s.
It’s fascinating to observe a moment like that. It’s even more fascinating to watch as the moment slips away.
Constantly varied functional movements performed at high intensity.
I completed my first Crossfit Games in a (dis)respectable 202,520th place worldwide (out of 227,590 participants).
The main outsider criticisms of Crossfit seem to be: people who do it are insufferable because they talk about it all the time (similar to vegans), kipping pull-ups aren’t real pull-ups (fair), and it’s an injury-inducing endeavour (too many reps piled on to unprepared bodies).
But the Crossfit Games is truly a marvel. A wholly distributed, global competition with 500,000+ participants — it’s simply breathtaking if you view it through the prism of community building.
Anyway, enough. I’ll do better next year.
Today worried you yesterday and all is well.
What’s something you’ve worked on that should’ve been bigger?
What the fuck are you talking about? I’ve never had that problem. They were all big.
— Quincy Jones: In Conversation
“Some people don’t realise that when you are in it it’s basically impossible to please the critics. They will always expect more. You can’t win every single match, so you have to find a way to be okay with that.”
— Nick Kyrgios: Talent to Burn
A new favourite podcast: ‘Invest Like The Best’.
The two best recent episodes: Savneet Singh & Josh Wolfe (transcribed below).
“Don’t tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass.”
― Anton Chekhov
Why didn’t I fully comprehend the brutality of NFL concussions until I watched them backwards?
You can never watch this enough times.
Sporting miracles are the best.
“What day is it?”
It’s today,” squeaked Piglet.
My favorite day,” said Pooh.”
― A.A. Milne
One of the things (the best things) you have to believe about the world if you’re an investor is that more greatness is always around the corner.
It’s utterly renewing to find something great for the first time. It reinforces that its OK to be blindly optimistic about what’s coming. To constantly believe that more great people will emerge.
When we get a date night, Jules and I go to Longplay, our favourite bar in Melbourne.
In conversation with one of the bartenders last week, she revealed unassumingly that she was a pianist.
We went home and listened to her first album. It was so good.
“It only ends once.
Anything that happens before that is just progress.”
For past editions of this series, see:
