HIGHLY RECOMMENDED W/ LAURENT BOURQUE
* Providing the A's to the 5 HIGHLY RECOMMENDED Q's today is Laurent Borque— a singer-songer out of Toronto, whose lovely album ‘Blue Hour’ is out now on all the usual places (and you can catch the track ‘Wait & See’ on the HI54 Mix CD ‘EH CANADA’) // photo by Nathan Cyprys
#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”?
Definitely, BAJA. Especially if you are in a chill mood. Her songs are some of the most beautiful I have come across in a long time.
She only has a few tunes up on Spotify and I’m not even certain she’s ever played live before. She is a friend of a friend who lives in LA that I’ve never personally met. But my friend in question showed me her music and I have had it on repeat ever since.
#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 have been watching so much Queer Eye in the past couple of months. What a show. I don't want to admit how many times its made me cry but let's just say less than 40 but definitely more than 20 ;-)
I also love the show Abstract on Netflix. It highlights a different artist from a different discipline on every episode. It's very fascinating to learn about a different medium and realize all the similarities to what I do and what my art making process is like. There is so much that all artists have in common.
The main things being the quest for growth, the struggle to find new ideas and the occasional misalignment of the industry/business side of things with what the artist wants to ultimately achieve.
#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)?
On my recent European tour I brought ‘A Moveable Feast’ by Hemingway with me. It's a classic for me. I've read it multiple times and going back to it feels like going to see an old lover. It can feel comforting but also unnerving. It can make you realize that you are so extremely different from the person you once were. You are the same body, with maybe a few more greys and wrinkles, but are a completely different mind.
I also recently started reading ‘The Sellout’ by Paul Beatty, which I found in my girlfriends nightstand one morning when I awoke far too early due to a European jet lag slumber. I'm only a few chapters in but it's hilarious and yet very real. It's a style of writing that I haven't read much of in my life, which feels refreshing.
#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?
That's easy. That would be the performance video from Moldova's 2010 Eurovision song contest submission:
This is one of the best live performances I have ever seen. It has everything... but most notably a dancing sax player who is absolutely crushing it. The outfits are crazy, the lyrics make no sense, the showmanship is over the top.... it's beautiful.
Every time I watch this video I find new things that make me laugh. Go watch it now!
#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.
Interesting question. I suppose the biggest thing people are being force-fed these days is meditation. Which is amazing when you think about how cigarettes were being pushed onto you only a few decades ago. I can't say that meditation has ever worked for me, I'd always prefer playing a sport like tennis or basketball to get my mind and body to relax.
What I can definitely recommend is eating a peach during peach season - Have you ever had one straight from a tree under the early august sun? It's the best thing on earth and will definitely improve your life.
OK folks, there you have it. Things that Laurent Bourque thinks you should consider incorporating into your day/life. Before you log off and go find out when peak peach season is, make sure to follow Laurent on the Facebook / Instagram / Twitter and then also give ‘Wait & See’ a listen below…
