HIGHLY RECOMMENDED W/ STRAWBERRY GENERATION
* Providing the A's to the 5 HIGHLY RECOMMENDED Q's today is Strawberry Generation — a group of music-makers out of Rhode Island who recently dropped a lovely new album called ‘Afloat’ (and you can catch the track ‘When You Were Here And I Was Sad’ 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”?
Luk (vocals, guitar): I often think about bloodthirsty butchers and how they never got their due recognition as one of the very best indie rock bands of Japan (and the world).
Their existence was tragically cut short when lead vocalist and songwriter Hideki Yoshimura died of a sudden heart attack in 2013 at the age of 46, but they left behind a discography of over 10 albums that has everything I love about music in it: walls of guitar fuzz, pounding rhythms, and lots of spirit and yearning.
#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)?
Dan (guitar): Hell or High Water - it's a movie I wish I could see again for the first time.
There's something so moving about the way it tells the story of two brothers who'll do anything for their family, all set against this really bleak, but beautiful, western backdrop that doesn't seem to care if they live or die.
#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)?
Max (bass): If you’re looking for a wry read that explores the line between the believable and the bizarre, I’d recommend The Wanting Seed by Anthony Burgess.
Burgess establishes a consistent internal logic to the novel that allows him to push characters and circumstances to the fringes of reality, written in his characteristic style of sumptuous prose and myriad allusions. Sardonic humor, dystopian governments, and cannibals: need I say more?
#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?
Alejandro (drums): I would consider the website Letterboxd to be indispensable - it’s like goodreads, but for movies. You can keep watchlists and follow your cool film aficionado friends to see what movies they’re watching.
#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.
Valerie (vocals, saxophone, keyboards): I'd recommend journaling. Get one of those one-dollar composition notebooks for school or keep a folder on your computer for unfiltered thoughts when you’re feeling frustrated or inspired or confused.
You can decide if you want to come back to these later or burn them.
OK folks, there you have it. Things that Strawberry Generation thinks you should consider incorporating into your day/life. Before you log off and go start writing in a journal that you may or may not light on fire later, make sure to follow Strawberry Generation on the Facebook / Instagram / Twitter and then also give ‘When You Were Here And I Was Sad’ a listen below…
