#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”?

"Shenandoah (for Johnny Smith)" by Bill Frisell. Bill Frisell is the best musician that I have ever seen play music.

There is something really nostalgic about this song for me, despite the fact that I heard it for the first time only a couple years ago. It feels like its always been there. It tugs at my heart in a really lovely way and I think everyone can benefit from a little more Bill Frisell in their life. He has a really gentle and loving presence and I think all of that radiates through this song.

#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)?

‘Place Beyond the Pines’. This film didn't get a lot of love when it came out a few years ago (as far as I recall), but I really thought it was wonderful.

It's all about fathers and sons and memory and growing. I thought the performances were unreal (this was the first thing I saw Mahershala Ali in) and the story hits on a lot of levels, especially as I am getting older. It's really ambitious (maybe to a fault), but I usually appreciate stuff that takes a risk.

#3. I (AND BY “I” I MEAN “THE PERSON THAT IS READING THIS”) AM GOING TO THE BOOK STORE (OK, PROBABLY AMAZON) 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 Last Good Kiss" by James Crumley. To be honest I probably don't read as much as I should, but my brother gave me this book a few months ago and it was incredible.

It's a story about a private detective going around the new West of the 70s looking for a missing person. It gets kinda transcendental in places and the characters are all fascinating. I have a pretty horrible attention span at this point, but I found myself completely transfixed.

#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?

"Maybe" Alasnoaxis on YouTube. There was an older version of this song that did get taken down from youtube for some reason and I did find myself pretty bummed about it, luckily this performance is just as good as that original one. Jim Black, the drummer here, is one of the most important musicians for me and this video is one of my favorite live recordings by him. The build/falling apart/climax of this song is perfect.

I recognize that this is just a sneaky second music pic, but whatever.

#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.

I think everyone should take some time every day to do nothing. Just like sit and stare at a wall or close your eyes and just exist for a bit.

There's a lot of stuff going on all the time and it's really important to just be for a little while. These moments can also be really good times to check in with yourself, if you're feeling up for that. If not, don't worry about it and just sit quietly and breathe.

OK folks, there you have it. Things that Swim Camp thinks you should consider incorporating into your day/life. Before you log off and go do nothing, make sure to follow Swim Camp on the Facebook / Instagram / Twitter and then also give ‘Pretty Bird’ a listen below…

…and if you like what you’re hearing, go do some further swim-camp-flavoured audio exploring over on the Bandcamp / Spotify.