HIGHLY RECOMMENDED W/ SVVN
* Providing the A's to the 5 HIGHLY RECOMMENDED Q's today is SVVN — a music-maker out of Nashville who recently released the beautifully atmospheric single ‘Remnants Of Land’ (which you can also find 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”?
Last year, I traveled to Cannes, France, for the annual film festival. One morning, I was in a cafe eating breakfast, and I heard a song playing through a nearby radio. The production and melody captured my attention immediately, and even though I couldn't understand the language of the lyrics (Portuguese), I was struck by the song's unique style and vibe.
The song was perder, and it comes from the album Dourados by the Brazilian artist, Ruspo. I've been obsessed with the album 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)?
Even though it's not a new series, I'm consistently watching Mad Men. I find that anytime I need an escape or inspiration, I always turn to this series.
The production is beautiful, the story is compelling and surprising, and the performances are second to none.
#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 War of Art has become my daily bible. As an artist, I find myself needing a dose of inspiration, encouragement, and a slap in the face just about every day. This book has done more for my internal journey as a human than all the other books that I have read combined.
It's one of those books you can read front to back, or just flip to a random page. Every line goes down like sweet, sweet honey for the soul.
#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?
Masterclass is one of my favorite recent discoveries. As a self-taught artist, dabbling in both music and filmmaking, this has been an immeasurable source of knowledge and inspiration.
Some of my all-time favorite composers and filmmakers have easy-to-digest classes that provide very practical steps to improve your craft(s). I sit down and watch a class every day before I begin work, regardless of the art form I'm focusing on that day.
#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.
Quit your phone. Delete all the apps that aren't absolute necessities. Just do it. It's not as impossible as it feels. Pick a room in your home where your phone can live from now on (just like a phone in the '90s that hung on the wall in the kitchen, not to be moved from that spot).
Get it out of your pocket. Get it off of your body. Treat it like a house-phone at home, like an iPod and GPS in the car, and a camera in the wild (for memories, not social media). Take a walk every day without headphones. Even if it's only for a few minutes. Listen to the sounds. Smell the smells. Look at the clouds. It seems boring until you do it. You'll be surprised at the number of thoughts you have that need to be processed without digital distractions.
…and if you like what you’re hearing, go do some further svvn-flavoured audio exploring over on the Spotify / Soundcloud.
