new beginnings are close enough to embrace
but I still mention jason schwartzman
I needed an opening song for the week and "The Shining" by Badly Drawn Boy is a perfect mixtape opener and I feel like some of these newsletters will turn into just that - a mixtape. I first heard it driving with my uncle and the ocean was parallel to us and it was a perfect serene moment and for 5 minutes and 18 seconds all I see is that drive every time I listen to it. It’s also a good song to represent August. Summer vibes and yet it’s cozy and should be played at the local coffee shop and the yearn for Autumn is in the air and new beginnings are close enough to embrace.
I was gifted a Trots and Bonnie collection for my birthday (thanks, Scott!) and I admit to my unfamiliarity with these comic strips by Shary Flenniken. It follows the lives and adventures of Bonnie, a naive teenager, and her witty dog Trots. It ran in the National Lampoon magazine from 1972-1990, which says everything about the type of comic it is.
As I dug deeper, it seems a good amount of strips are missing. Flenniken purposely decided to exclude these from the collection because they were even raunchier and more provocative and would more than likely be abhorred in today’s society. So it goes. But I recommend the book. It’s a taste of something slightly off but boldly smart.
Do you remember Phantom Planet? Several may only know them because twenty years ago (holy toledo, time flies) California was the theme song of the popular tv show The O.C. But they had other great jams as well.
I lost track of them over the years because my main squeeze Jason Schwartzman (their drummer) left the band and created Coconut Records, so naturally I followed his career, leaving Phantom Planet behind. But I recently re-discovered them and was happy to see they had come out with a new album two years ago. It’s fantastic. Seriously. “Torture me” and “Waiting for the lights to change” have been on repeat for a few hot minutes.
A hidden gem lives amongst Olivia Rodrigo’s mainstream vibes. I am by no means hating on her and/or her music, it’s simply not normally my cup o’ tea. But "brutal" takes me back to the riot grrrl scene twenty plus years ago and could be amongst bands like Le Tigre, Bikini Kill, Sleater-Kinney, and The Violents.
The first words are “I want it to be, like, messy,” and that’s what it is - messy. That’s the style. It’s like a catchy guitar riff but in the voice. A riff of the voice. A catchy guitar riffed voice. I no doubt assume it’s just obnoxious to certain ears, but to other ears, these kind of songs can be addictive.
It’s a gentle reminder that I need stop dismissing artists solely based on which songs make the radio mainstream playlists. For shame.
The internet is for curiosity and research and I’m not condoning staying online longer than need be because we all know the internet, as useful as it can be, is a tumultuous party that never ends. But going for a walk in the forest once in a while can satisfy unknown curiosities and boredom. Every time you “go for a walk,” a new adventure awaits. New adventures can also be added by anyone, just “plant a tree.” Obviously, going for a walk in a real forest would be a greater satisfaction, but we’re all currently online at this very moment and this is a pretty cool website and it’s better than the endless scroll.
Thank you for browsing. Hope you found something worthwhile.
Phantom Planet’s ‘California’ being 20 years old makes me feel very old! Amazing how quickly time flies.