HIGHLY RECOMMENDED W/ ZINNIA
* Providing the A's to the 5 HIGHLY RECOMMENDED Q's today is ZINNIA — a Toronto-based synthpop project from Rachael Cardiello, who has dropped a couple lovely singles this year that you should definitely go give some ear time to (and you can also find the single ‘Lupins’ hanging out with fellow Canadians on the HI54 mix cd ‘EH CANADA’). [Photo by Michael Cardiello]
#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”?
Sharon Van Etten's ‘Comeback Kid’ is the current theme of my heart. That entire album has swept me off my feet and I'm so thankful for it.
Another song I've been particularly struck by is Kansas Lee's ‘Do This To Myself’. We crossed paths rather briefly this summer while I was touring out West, and she recently put out this video which just stopped me in my tracks.
#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)?
I've been blown away by Killer Mike's ‘Trigger Warning’. It somehow totes the line between radical insight and hilarity.
Killer Mike is a brilliant host and allows the documentary to wander off down often-unpursued and definitely unexpected routes. He has this impressive quality to put everyone he interacts with at ease - bringing out really sincere and honest conversations and new ways of looking at situations that I'd not considered.
#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)?
I'm forever a huge Toni Morrison fan - something in her writing makes time stand still. I most recently read ‘Sula’ - her books have brought me through many Toronto winters.
Right now I'm reading a novel by Amitava Kumar called ‘Immigrant, Montana’ that has me smitten with its meandering, casual yet bitingly smart writing style. It was bought for me by a friend based entirely on having my home state of Montana in its title but is more a reflection on the modern experience of immigrating to America and searching for sex, love and an escape from assumptions.
#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 would get very sad if the "Never say no to Panda" commercials were to disappear.
And I'd definitely miss dancing Nana as well.
#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 grew up making homemade pasta with my family. We had quite the assembly-line work force between myself and my three brothers. We hadn't really mastered the dough since my dad passed away but recently I got the hang of it again. It's been so fun bringing the tradition of pasta making back into my life and bringing friends and friends' kids into the tradition. I find the intricacies of the ritual really beautiful - the volcano well of semolina flour with the eggs at the center, the different settings on the crank, laying the pasta threads out to dry over every chair in the house. And of course, it's so ridiculously delicious.
Here's some Italian Nonne making pasta.
OK folks, there you have it. Things that ZINNIA thinks you should consider incorporating into your day/life. Before you log off and go find an Italian Nonna to teach you how to make DIY pasta, make sure to follow ZINNIA on the Facebook / Instagram / Twitter and then I highly recommend you give ‘Lupins’ a little bit of headphone time…
