Month: November 2021

About a month ago I had to bring my laptop ( top and bottom pictured above) to the Apple store to have the battery replaced. The associate looked at it and informed me that as my beloved little machine was now 8 years old, it was considered “vintage”, meaning they didn’t have the battery needed on hand and would have to order it. It took a month but thankfully they did manage to score one. I was disappointed at not only how lost I felt being without my robot sibling for a mere 24 hours ( pathetic) but at how something so young on paper was now considered “vintage”, like a freakin’ card catalog at the library or a tube television (the latter of which my Mom still proudly employs so she can watch her Judge Judy). Mostly though, if my laptop is the age of a third grader and now regarded as an antique that requires research to fix, well then I am literally a renaissance painting. Time for my nap.

And with that, it’s time for the latest WEEKLY NEW WONDERS PLAYLIST featuring the finest new songs that have come our way over the last handful of days. They are all otherworldly lovely and tied for #1 in our cobwebbed, discolored, vintage hearts. Listen to them on Soundcloud or Spotify below.

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Right now at the Metrograph theater NYC, you can see a gorgeously restored version of the 1980 cult classic film Out Of The Blue (until 11/28 to be precise). I wouldn’t quite call it a coming-of-age film because that seems like too trivial a characterization. It’s more like a wholly disturbing and freakin’ amazing coming-of-realization movie. Dennis Hopper directed and stars in it, but the lynchpin of the film is Linda Manz ( who passed away in 2020 at age 58). Her magnetic presence, persona, and insane charisma are what make Out Of The Blue so worth seeing. She delivers a straight-up “what the f is happening right now” kind of performance, reminding me of one of those kids who would have absolutely terrorized you in school (or anywhere she saw you) or, if she was feeling benevolent that day, made you her pet. Either way, she was the sun and you were the in deference earth. And that’s kind of how it feels watching her, even as the world spirals down around her, she’s the boss ( with the painfully soft, hidden center). And so yes, please go check out Out Of The Blue and/or add it to your “wanna see” list for when this restored version is officially streamable.

And now it’s time for the latest WEEKLY NEW WONDERS PLAYLIST featuring the finest new songs that have crossed our path over recent days. It was an off-the-wall weird kind of week, meaning this new batch is somewhat sonically diverse…but in the best possible way. You can listen below on Soundcloud or Spotify.

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We’re working on some big ‘ol stuff for this here blog right now. Coming soon you will see an immense “Rating the Albums” breakdown on a behemoth, beloved band ! Plus “The Best of 2021″ breakdown ! And hey, there will likely be a new installment of ‘That’s Their Pet Sounds” in there somewhere! It will all be coming your way over the next month (uh oh). As a result I have no lengthy anecdote to offer today (giving you a break, because dammit, you deserve it). Instead I humbly present you with this, your latest dose of the latest WEEKLY NEW WONDERS PLAYLIST featuring the finest songs that have crossed our path over the past seven days. They are all seriously swoon-some and gorgeous, I’m telling you.You can listen on Soundcloud or Spotify below.

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Today is Joni Mitchell’s 78th birthday and I’m going to make a pop music true confession: I was only inspired to buy my first Joni album (Court And Spark) because Prince “told” me to. It was the ’80s, and I loved my Prince and I’d seen an interview where he mentioned how awesome she was and called her a genius or something to that effect. On went the bulb. If the person who made my #1 favorite album at the time (Purple Rain) with my # 1 favorite song (“I Would Die 4 U”) loved her, there had to be a reason and I needed to know what that reason was dammit. I bought the album and by the time I’d finished playing it, like most humans upon exposure to Joni, I’d been transformed into a complete devotee, snarfing up every album in her catalog and playing them endlessly forever to this very day. That Prince, he knew what he was talking about. While every day is the right one to play some Joni, today is a really right day ( I am rocking the “Jericho” hard right now). Happy Birthday to the goddess genius.

And hey, it’s time for the latest WEEKLY NEW WONDERS PLAYLIST featuring the finest new music that has crossed our path over recent days. I always say this but I’m telling you there are some spectacularly gorgeous songs in the mix this week, yup. You can hear them all below on Soundcloud or Spotify.

P.S. And hey, if you want a bit of weird and fun Joni-related ephemera to peruse today, I’ve written a couple of features you can check out over at Cover Me sharing some of the coolest covers from Court And Spark (read here) and her underrated ’80s years (read here).

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“Nina Simone’s Gum” is a new book by Warren Ellis ( of Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds and Dirty Three). While it is about an actual piece of gum Nina discarded in a towel on her piano before her headlining slot at 1999’s Cave curated Meltdown Festival, it’s also about LOVE.

The story of the gum’s journey, from Nina to the towel to Warren who grabbed it when she’d finished as a souvenir, to its evolution from treasured piece of nerdy fandom to artistic muse to spotlit object in a museum 20 years later is a tearjerker ( or at least a mist-inducer). And the emotion the gum inspired in everyone who came into contact with it, the art that was created in its honor and how protective people became when entrusted with it is incredibly moving (descriptions of that last scenario especially got to me). And so, wanted to recommend the book to you all with a big thumbs up.

I’d like to note that when I went to get the book this Halloween weekend, the woman I spoke to at the information desk was dressed as Liza Minnelli (purple sequined jacket, ink black pixie haircut and serious eyelashes). I wish that was how the earth operated every day.

It is now time for some beauteous music. Welcome to the latest WEEKLY NEW WONDERS PLAYLIST featuring the finest new songs that have crossed our path over recent days.They are all gorgeous and currently tied for number one on our hit parade.You can listen on Soundcloud or Spotify below.

Listen on Soundcloud

Listen on Spotify