HIGHLY RECOMMENDED W/ DEVA GRACE
* Providing the A's to the 5 HIGHLY RECOMMENDED Q's today is Deva Grace— a music-maker out of Brooklyn who recently released a lovely album called ‘Vocivos’ on the always dependable Furious Hooves (and you can catch the title track of that album on the HI54 Mix CD ‘Indie America, USA’)
#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”?
Normally this would be an impossible question, however! I happen to have a current favorite that has been getting me through some of the strangest highs & lows of life: Memories of Cindy by Palmbomen II <3
My friend Misty showed it to me and somehow it always manages to reconnect me to the part of my brain that is inspired by some deeper magic & mystery of life. The perfect album for being on the go in the city or chilling at home with friends, very versatile :)
#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)?
Kamikaze Girls! I only saw it for the first time recently, my sweet friend Kat came over and we watched it on my projector. She said she saw it for the first time when she was 13 or 14 and it made me jealous, I wish I had seen it when I was growing up because I bet I would’ve been obsessed with it.
Maybe it wasn’t meant to enter my life until now… it has the most beautiful quote “humans are cowards in the face of great happiness, you have to have courage to hold on to happiness.” I’ve been thinking about it everyday since I saw it.
#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)?
One of my absolute favorites is Sabat Magazine, actually I’m realizing I never got the first issue so I am ordering it now! It’s a three part collection of stories, interviews, poetry, and beautiful photography from different witches and artists… Whenever I feel misunderstood in the world I feel like I can pull out these books that are so thoughtfully made and get lost in them. If I’m feeling alone it’s a reminder that there are occult & spiritual communities out there who get it.
The detail in them is so lovely, some pages are printed on translucent paper, and there’s even these very cool images printed along the edge of the book where all the pages meet (not the spine the opposite side lol). Just beautiful objects all around… It’s so cool to me when people find ways to take a medium a step further into becoming a work of art in ways you weren’t expecting.
#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 was recently introduced to this “dall-e” AI image generator that is capable of making some of the most beautiful and interesting dream-like visuals. If you word things poetically it will come up with something pretty incredible visuals from the collective subconscious depths of the internet, which is so inspiring!
I’m thinking of trying to write some music and art working backwards from images it comes up with. I think dreaming is one of the most mysterious & fascinating parts of consciousness, and I love art that is able to touch on that abstract magic of our dream worlds where anything is possible.
#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.
Apart from journaling which is my most obvious answer, everyone should journal its so essential to understanding ourselves… my best recommendation is to subscribe for language learning apps! It’s such a good feeling when you aren’t sure what to do with yourself to exercise your brain in that way, language is so mysterious and beautiful. It’s incredible that we have reached this place in technology where we are able to learn whatever we want from anywhere, so much knowledge at our fingertips its overwhelming.
And I believe language especially is our greatest magical evolution as humans, probably because I’ve listened to too much Terence McKenna but it’s so true! Right now I’m trying to learn basic Spanish and Japanese. I’m pretty terrible at both but it’s humbling and fun… it makes me excited to look forwards to future travels and friendships and ways of thinking.
OK folks, there you have it. Things that Deva Grace thinks you should consider incorporating into your day/life. Before you log off and go be honest with a stranger, make sure to follow Deva Grace on the Instagram & Twitter and then give ‘Vocivos’ a listen below…
