HIGHLY RECOMMENDED W/ CHUCK
* This Q&A with CHUCK is being re-broadcast from September 2016, but don't worry: top notch recommendations have a long shelf life.
#1 - WHAT IS THE ONE ALBUM (OR EP OR SONG) THAT YOU THINK SHOULD BE THE VERY NEXT MUSICAL THING THAT EVERYONE PRESSES PLAY ON THE NEXT TIME THEY FIND THEMSELVES THINKING “WHAT SHOULD I LISTEN TO NOW”?
I'm really following the masses here, but I've been listening to Frank Ocean's Blonde for the last week, and it's super inspiring. I don't remember having the same adoration for Channel Orange as the rest of the internet, so I was skeptical when people started freaking out about his new stuff. I have to say, this Blonde album is legitimately special.
He's got this Cody ChestnuTT and Jeff Buckley vibe, but very modern. Some of his vocal performances are jaw dropping, like on "Solo" and he does a lot of pitched up vocal stuff which has a weirdly emotional effect, like on "Self-Control". Great lyrics and production choices across the board. Some amazing rapping too. I suggest you get your hands on this.
#2 - WHAT IS THE ONE MOVIE OR TV SHOW THAT YOU THINK SHOULD BE NEXT IN EVERYBODY’S NETFLIX QUEUE (OK, DOESN’T HAVE TO BE NETFLIX, WE’RE ALL INTERNET ADULTS HERE AND KNOW HOW TO FIND ANYTHING ONLINE, ONE WAY OR ANOTHER)?
My favorite thing of the year so far was probably Louis C.K.'s Horace and Pete.
I don't even know where to begin. I stammer and stutter like a nervous teenager asking someone to prom when I start recommending this. It makes me weak in the knees. It is brutal and hilarious and heartbreaking and will make you want to be a better person. I spent many days after finishing the series walking around and thinking about the characters.
It just gets to you. It gets in you. Louis is a true artist in an industry of producers, writers and actors who eventually turn into boring brands. I heard him say on a podcast that he captures mundane life and people so well because he's just a normal guy. It must be true because this whole series feels so true and real and raw.I watched it twice and will watch it again at some point. Necessary viewing for people who want to write or act.
For lighter fare, I just saw the 1978 film Magic starring Anthony Hopkins and it was sick.
#3 - I (AND BY “I” I MEAN “THE PERSON THAT IS READING THIS”) AM GOING TO THE BOOK STORE (OK, PROBABLY AMAZON) TO FIND THE VERY NEXT BOOK THAT I WILL BE PUTTING SOME EXTREMELY VALUABLE ‘ME-TIME' ASIDE FOR. WHICH BOOK WOULD YOU GET, IF YOU WERE ME (AND, I SUPPOSE, YOU HADN’T ALREADY READ WHAT YOU’RE ABOUT TO SUGGEST)?
This is tough. I gotta be honest, I don't read as many books as I should. I'm more of a newspaper, magazine, short stories, comic books kind of person just because those fit into my life a little better. My favorite author who wows me whenever I read her though, is Mary Gaitskill. I would suggest you buy her first book Bad Behavior.
I had a few revelations while reading it. I think it was one of the first times I felt something while reading, but couldn't really explain what or why. There are stories where people doing things that you don't understand, but that still make sense somehow. When she's really good, her stories reveal yourself to you. Concept.
#4 - WHAT IS THE ONE WEBSITE (OR JUST ANY OLD INTERNET THING: APP, GIF, SERVICE, WHATEVER) THAT YOU WOULD GET REALLY DOWN IN THE DUMPS ABOUT IF IT WERE TO SUDDENLY GO AWAY?
I'm really into this group of friends that make videos, they are called Million Dollar Extreme. They just got a show on Adult Swim you should go watch it. The de facto leader is this guy Sam Hyde and I think he's probably the most exciting person in comedy right now. Mostly because he's not really in comedy. He's just a regular guy on the internet who makes a ton of stuff.
It's hard to describe why he's funny, because I think the actual reason is very dark. He sort of scratches a part of your brain that you don't want to scratch. He's a human troll, and he says and does things that most people would label offensive. I actually don't have anyone I can talk to about his work, because I'm kinda ashamed of myself for liking it so much.
But my first interaction with him was a video that I think works as a great introduction, and is an amazing performance piece. He somehow scammed his way into a Ted Talk by claiming to be a humanitarian artist of some sort, and gave a free flowing, jazz-like talk about all sorts of crazy shit. If this video went away, I would be really down in the dumps. Kids in college should be writing papers about Sam and Million Dollar Extreme. Their internet footprint is scary.
#5 - AND FINALLY… PLEASE GIVE ONE COMPLETELY UNAIDED RECOMMENDATION THAT YOU THINK EVERYONE SHOULD START DOING / USING / WATCHING / EATING / THINKING / QUITING / ETC-ING TO MAKE THEIR LIVES A LITTLE BIT MORE BETTER AND/OR BEARABLE.
I really like these water bottles. Everyone always has a comment about mine, whether it's a joke or an inquiry as to where I got it.
You can sneak it into movies and concerts and fill it up at the water fountain. Save the environment dawg.
OK folks, there you have it. Things that CHUCK thinks you should consider incorporating into your day/life. Before you go sneak a water bottle into a late night screening of Magic, follow CHUCK on Twitter and go spend some time with his Bandcamp.
