HIGHLY RECOMMENDED W/ LEWIN
* Providing the A's to the 5 HIGHLY RECOMMENDED Q's today is Lewin — a singer-songer project from Holland who has a lovely new single out called ‘Sorrow’ (and you can also catch 2019’s ‘Don’t You Dare’ over in the HI54 Mix CD ‘CENTRAL EUROPE RADIO’) // Photo credit: Mcklin Fotografie
#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”?
Like a lot of people, I recently discovered Adrienne Lenker of Big Thief. I had never heard of her, then a friend took me to a solo concert in Amsterdam and she had me in tears at the first song. Her album abysskiss is magical - inspiring in so many ways.
I’m also listening to Phoebe Bridgers, Andy Shauf - and my friend Genevieve Dawson is releasing her album soon. The first single ‘Mountain’ is a beautiful mix of modal jazz and folky melodies, poetic lyrics.
#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)?
It’s not super well-known in Holland, where I'm from, which I think is weird, for the Netflix series ‘Please Like Me’ is quirky, original, thoughtful and uplifting. The theme-song is also incredibly catchy.
For films; I recently saw The Art Of Self Defence, which is a very surprising and funny film starring Jesse Eisenberg as the awkward kid he often plays - needing to learn karate to get over a trauma.
#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’m all over Sally Rooney’s books right now. Conversations With Friends and Normal People are books I have been underlining phrases in, folding pages and going back to some thoughts again and again.
Another recommendation would be NW by Zadie Smith - it’s my favorite of all of her books, with the opening page full of sensuous descriptions that call up a summery scene in full color, sound and smell.
#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 think for me that would be Tim Urban’s www.waitbutwhy.com
His explanations of the Fermi paradox and AI have fired up neurons in my brain that now won’t stop chattering. I haven’t read his latest blog post - but he is a blogger who basically writes whole books, posts of 50 pages or more in different parts, going all the way to the very beginning of things he wants to figure out and taking the reader along on his discoveries. He explains the most difficult theories in his own straightforward and humorous way, illustrated with stick figures.
#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 carry around a little notebook, sit down every now and then and take the time to write down their thoughts. It’s helped me calm down, reflect, find new perspectives on things and has been an inspiration for many songs.
Taking a moment for reflection and writing for your future self and no-one else; it seems healthy to me in a time where everything needs to be shared online and things are so fleeting. I also would love if that reflection involved some kind of thinking about our relation to our world and environment; trying to live more sustainably, etc. But let’s start with reflection.
…and if you like what you’re hearing, go do some further lewin-flavoured audio exploring over on the Soundcloud / Spotify.
