HIGHLY RECOMMENDED W/ SWAY WILD
* Providing the A's to the 5 HIGHLY RECOMMENDED Q's today is Sway Wild — a newly named musical project out of Washington state whose lovely self-title debut is available on Bandcamp right now (and you can find the track ‘Chimney Fire’ on the HI54 Mix CD ‘MOUNTOWN LIFE’) // Photo by Laura Totten
#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”?
Mandy: Musas by Natalia Lafourcade. I first discovered Natalia on NPR Tiny Desk Concerts and cried while watching her sing and play with her amazing band.
Lackmuspapper by Anna Ahnlund - I recently discovered Anna's music on Spotify and fell in love with this record, the production, all of it. She is from Sweden and is awesome.
Twin Solitude by Leif Vollebekk - this album is good anytime, anywhere. I've never had the chance to see Leif live, but heard great things.
Thom: The album I've had on repeat most recently is One Go Around, by Jeffrey Martin. Jeffrey is one of the most talented songwriters out there. There’s plenty of melancholy in his songs, but also so much insight, compassion, and even humor. Almost every line comes across like a punch in the gut, but somehow in a good way. I can’t get enough of it.
#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)?
Mandy: Honestly we don't watch many shows or movies right now. But every time I see Planet Earth series my mind is blown.
Thom: The most imaginative thing I’ve seen lately is Good Omens, an adaptation of the novel about Armageddon by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman. I haven’t read the book yet, so I can’t speak to how well it was adapted, but the series itself is byzantine, irreverent, and hilarious.
#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)?
Mandy: The Women Who Run With The Wolves by Clarissa Estés. I read that book while doing a good chunk of the writing for our last record and it was mind-altering and so dense and awakening.
Dave: I've read about 25 of roughly 40 books by Jim Harrison. No other writer has ever compelled me to physically get off the couch, grab a pen and paper and write like he has. His collection of poetry The Shape of the Journey: New and Collected Poems is one of my most cherished possessions. We share a love of birds; Harrison writes 'Birds are poems I haven't caught yet.'
Thom: I have to stick with a new release, because I could never choose just one book otherwise. I’ve loved everything I’ve ever read by David Sedaris, and his newest collection, Calypso, didn’t disappoint. The subject matter is a little heavier than in some of his previous books, but he is still the only writer that can make me laugh out loud so consistently.
#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?
Mandy: Weather.gov.
Thom: For the bass players out there, aspiring or expert, I can’t recommend Scott’s Bass Lessons enough. Scott Devine is an incredible musician and teacher himself, but he also regularly brings in some of the best bass players in the world for seminars on particular topics. There’s such a wealth of information on that site—I learn something every single time I visit.
#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.
Mandy: Meditation. Eat more kale.
Dave: Pay more attention to birds. Birds are gateways to presence and presence is happiness.
Thom: I don’t presume to know what works for other people, but I do know that I tend to be happier when I force myself to take regular breaks from the virtual world. Social media and the constant stream of global news can be good tools for staying informed and connected, but they can also quickly become addictive and overwhelming. We all kinda know this, but it can still be hard to put the phone down and go for a walk. Anytime I can make that happen, I’m better off for it.
OK folks, there you have it. Things that Sway Wild think you should consider incorporating into your day/life. Before you put your phone away and go eat some kale with the birds, make sure to follow Sway Wild on the Facebook / Instagram / Twitter and then also give ‘Chimney Fire’ a listen below…
