HIGHLY RECOMMENDED W/ CLEA ANAÏS
* Providing the A's to the 5 HIGHLY RECOMMENDED Q's today is Clea Anaïs (and her bandmate Jarret Mayo) — a Canadian music-maker who has a lovely new album out called ‘Circle Zero’ out on Factotum Co (and you can find the track ‘Hazy Days’ on the HI54 Mix CD ‘EH, CANADA’) // Artist photo by Heather Saitz
#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’ve been listening to Moses Sumney’s album græ on very heavy rotation for the last few months, it’s a masterpiece. Every element is considered and exciting, from the production to the songwriting, and of course the insane vocal treatments.
He also released a live concert film shot in the Blue Ridge Mountains called BLACKALACHIA and it’s a great watch, especially to see how such dense and layered arrangements are translated live.
#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 had the chance to catch up on some TV recommendations during a recent bout with covid, and one recommendation that I would pass on is Severance. The word Orwellian gets tossed around a little too often these days but it definitely applies to this show.
Without giving too much away, it’s about a company that partitions its employee’s memories so that they have no recollection of their work once they leave. The subject matter is intense but it is handled with humanity, humour, and absurdity, and Adam Scott is in top form as the lead.
#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)?
I was recently gifted a copy of Warren Ellis’ book Nina Simone’s Gum, and being a fan of his music I was eager to check out his writing. The book is very unique, it’s like a series of autobiographical tangents that take off from the central story, of a piece of gum that Nina Simone left stuck to the piano after her final UK performance, which was then taken by Warren Ellis and secreted away for many years as a sort of talisman or religious artifact. Warren’s genuine reverence for music, and for his musical heroes, really shines through, and I think it’s a very heartening read.
Also, I saw JP Lancaster recently recommended Shuggie Bain, and I second that recommendation (haven’t finished it at time of writing, but I’m hooked).
#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 am a frequent visitor to the Minimalist Baker online cookbook, when I was a new vegetarian it was a lifesaver for learning new daily staples that didn’t involve meat. There are recipes for regular meals, there’s homemade snack bars and smoothies, and lots of good baking recipes of course.
I still revisit any time I need some culinary inspiration or want to try something out of my wheelhouse.
#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.
I think everyone should learn to care for something, a plant, a pet, or another human being.. something to help you look outside yourself and get perspective on your placement in life.
Pro tip: convince your friend to get a dog, then offer your services as a fun dog aunt/uncle, low risk, very high reward.
OK folks, there you have it. Things that Clea Anaïs thinks you should consider incorporating into your day/life. Before you log off and go borrow your friend’s dog, make sure to follow Clea on the Facebook / Instagram / Twitter and then also give ‘Hazy Days’ a listen below…
