HIGHLY RECOMMENDED W/ MICHAEL A. MULLER
* Providing the A's to the 5 HIGHLY RECOMMENDED Q's today is Michael A. Muller — a muisc-maker out of Austin, Texas, and a founding member of Balmorhea, who recently released a lovely new solo EP on Western Vinyl called ‘Blue Canyon’ (and you can catch the opening track on the HI54 Mix CD ‘Stop Talking… I’m Trying to Think’)
#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”?
This is a somewhat newer group (to me, at least) that has been slowly and quietly self-releasing gem after gem. The Middle of Nowhere is their 4th proper full-length amid an array of singles and EPs over the last few years. Cut from a similar cloth of the hushed vocals of American Analog Set and the less-is-more arrangements of Bedhead coupled with the quieter moments of Slowdive, Yo La Tengo or Codeine, perhaps. Staccato rhythms, sparse bass and haunting, repetitive guitar and synth lines weave throughout the breathy vocals that undulate in the music. This is music that could've been birthed in 2001 as much as today. But somehow now, in 2020, it feels even more apropos and intentional than ever. The timbral pendulum softly sways between a subtle directness and a dreamy lightness that could befit both a sun ray on a clear morning as well as the shifting moon on a deep, brooding night. The vinyl version was recently released (and as of today - December 1, 2020) there are still a handful available via the artist's Bandcamp page.
#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)?
Concurrent with the heaviness that is all prevailing this year, I've grown accustomed to seeking out extreme levity in the visual realm of entertainment. Most of this lightness for me seems to be found stemming from the brain of Tim Heidecker. Starting with the Tim & Eric worlds and moving through to his Office Hours Podcast, Dekkar, Tim's Kitchen Tips, and now with the new Showtime series Moonbase 8 (starring Heidecker, John C. Reilly and Fred Armisen).
I can understand if Tim's sense of humor isn't your cup of tea. If that's the case, I feel sorry for you. In either case, we must honor and respect him as a true comic genius of our age. His ability to so precisely nail the deeply niche, subtle and sometimes disturbing humor in our world is both uncanny and highly praise-worthy.
#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)?
Please read Sam Shepard's various short stories. He has a few collections available that I can easily deem as masterpieces of modern short fiction. I'd start with 'Great Dream of Heaven' as an ideal entry point. There is a beautifully absurd quickness in which he renders a scene and its inherent emotion with visceral touchstones.
This stroke occurs broadly in every story; a sharp and witty blade cutting to the heart of the matter. Lonesome and poetic stories coursing through circuitous journeys of love, loss, and amazement of the human condition.There is a deep and true art in how he makes even the simplest scene relatable and wholly engrossing. It’s nothing short of spell-binding. Sensorial colors are painted in every sentence which culminate with each story's conclusion as an ornately detailed masterwork. It's interesting to note that writing for theater and film was his main gig, aside from acting, almost more so than his fictional literary works. Shepard wrote the renowned screenplay for Wim Winders’ classic film 'Paris, Texas’ among many others. Highly recommended. RIP Sam.
#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 an audiophile, vinylphile and possess a deep love of music-related gear. If there's ever a dull spell, be certain there's always a YouTube video to watch of someone talking about, demoing or reviewing an instrument, effect pedal, turntable or audiophile jazz vinyl reissue.
YouTube is the best research tool in this modern age. Everything is everywhere at all times and within reach for anyone and everyone - all pervasive and omnipresent.
#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.
One of, if not the best pieces of advice I've ever been given (and one that has become an inner mantra) is to "remain teachable."
This is simple in essence but seemingly more difficult in a practical sense. At our core we become complacent and arrogant, even, when we have 'mastered' something; a task, an idea, a mode of operation. This is ok and it works well within an echo chamber. But once in a broader world and confronted with new information and challenges of interacting with people, thoughts and actions that are outside of our comfort zone, we panic or don't know how to properly or wisely react in most cases. The key, and I implore you to investigate, is to always be curious about learning something new, or seeing something from a new perspective. It's much easier (and much more boring/lazy) to just say, 'oh, that doesn't align with my identity or views,' than it is to ask why, how and give yourself an opportunity to grow your brain and your heart.
More times than not this attitude becomes a whetstone and a step from which to go upward and forward, rather than a horizontal diversion from which you can and must only go sideways, if not backward.
OK folks, there you have it. Things that Michael A. Muller thinks you should consider incorporating into your day/life. Before you log off and go work on your inner teachability, make sure to follow Michael on the Instagram and then also give ‘Blue Canyon’ a listen below…
