HIGHLY RECOMMENDED W/ JP LANCASTER
* Providing the A's to the 5 HIGHLY RECOMMENDED Q's today is JP Lancaster — a record-labeling music-maker out of Kamloops, BC who also recently dropped by my town to drop off his new LP ‘Around Town’, which you can get yourself over on the Bandcamp (a track from which you can hear on the latest The Mix Tape Radio Mix CDs episode).
#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”?
In addition to my own music, I also run a label called Factotum. I just put out the sophomore EP for Jared Jackel's Bad Vibrations titled "Mal Casual".
Jared's music has haunting and dark qualities juxtaposed against true beauty and introspection. Kind of a blend of the rural creepiness of Timber Timbre with King Krule's jazz sensibilities.
#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 honestly don't watch a ton of TV or film anymore. My all-time favourite movie is a French film called "La Haine" by Mathieu Kassovitz and starring a young Vincent Cassel.
It's the story of three friends from a poor immigrant neighbourhood in the Parisian suburbs. It was a commentary on the integration of French citizens from former colonies at that time, but I think the overall message has become far more poignant and relevant in the 21st century.
#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 best contemporary book I have read is "Shuggie Bain" by Douglas Stuart. Set in Scotland across a few time periods from the '80s onward, it has an interesting plot laid out in a non-linear timeline.
It is brutal, harsh, and tragic yet simultaneously beautiful. It seems like all my suggestions so far follow that trend...
#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?
How would I express indifference, irony or futility without:
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
#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.
Take a month off whatever your vice or choice is. The mental/physical reset and exercise in discipline is wonderful.
OK folks, there you have it. Things that JP Lancaster thinks you should consider incorporating into your day/life. Before you log off and go take a month off from a vice of your choice, make sure to follow JP on the Instagram (as well as record label Factotumco on the Insta) and then also give ‘Around Town’ a listen below…
…and if you like what you’re hearing, go do some further factotumco-flavoured audio exploring over on the Bandcamp AND more jp-lancaster-flavoured audio exploring over on the Spotify.