HIGHLY RECOMMENDED W/ B.J. FISHER
* Providing the A's to the 5 HIGHLY RECOMMENDED Q's today is B.J. Fisher — a music-maker out of Milwaukee, Wisconsin who recently dropped a lovely first single called ‘Nothing At All’ (which you can also catch in the all-day-shuffle HI54 jukebox that is ‘420 ≠ ALL DAY @ THE HI54LOFI’) // Artist photo by Erika Ehley
#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”?
The first song that came to mind was “Rides Through the Morning” by Michael Nau.
Gosh, I’ve been a big fan of his work for at least 12 years. He’s always fresh and the music keeps on coming. I love the way he writes. It tickles me into wonder. I feel like I’m inside this song when I hear it. I gotta get up and dance or at least do a little shake in my chair. I feel the spirit behind it, and as a songwriter, it reminds me of the feeling I get when writing something that speaks to where I’m at in the moment. This song is alive; it breathes. I love the production. Go take a ride through the morning!
#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)?
I don’t really watch TV or much of anything right now, BUT there’s one bad ass show I’ve been revisiting lately called Little House on the Prairie. I’ve been watching it with my wife and children. For real, I have, and it’s been a blast. I enjoy the stories and I’ve teared up at least 4 times in 11 episodes. We just finished the episode about the pet raccoon; it was pretty intense :)
Michael Landon and his team always deliver! Having a family makes it spark a bit more than it might if I was a bachelor, I assume, but those 45 minute liturgies often leave me wanting to love deeper, get outside and live in the moment.
#3. I (AND BY “I” I MEAN “THE PERSON THAT IS READING THIS”) AM GOING TO THE LOCAL BOOK STORE (OK, MAYBE THE LOCAL LIBRARY FIRST) 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)?
The book I’d recommend is Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky.
When I listened to this, I was working a delivery job while listening to audio books from the local library. I looked forward to driving during this book more than any other. I was wrapped up in this story so deeply that I weeped near the end. It is a profound book and well worth reading or listening to.
#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?
This may seem broad, but I’d say YouTube. It’s the new folk. I’ve learned so much from YouTube. For example, years ago I saved a few thousand dollars on car repair by watching some basic repair videos; granted, it sat in my grandparents driveway for a while while I figured it out, but I did eventually finish it.
I’m a visual learner so YouTube has been an amazing resource for me.
#5 - AND FINALLY… PLEASE GIVE ONE COMPLETELY UNAIDED RECOMMENDATION THAT YOU THINK EVERYONE SHOULD START DOING / USING / WATCHING / EATING / THINKING / QUITTING / ETC-ING TO MAKE THEIR LIVES A LITTLE BIT MORE BETTER AND/OR BEARABLE.
This answer ties in a lyric from the song in the first question, “Put down your sorrow and dance!” I like to think of dancing as a spiritual discipline. I’ve never been a big dancer and, in fact, I’m more of a contemplative person if you spend time with me; however, I’ve always carried a love for true practices that spark me to live more freely. So, I paint the air and dance like a wild man sometimes.
Good music and dance pushes me off the dusty shelf and into the hands of the ones I love.
OK folks, there you have it. Things that B.J. Fisher thinks you should consider incorporating into your day/life. Before you log off and go bust a move on the nearest makeshift dancefloor, make sure to follow B.J. on the Facebook / Instagram and then also give ‘Nothing at All’ a listen below…
