Something New (This Week)
A new old trio, more Tyler, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Philly punks, and a new/GOOD podcast.
Trump guilty, Gwyneth innocent, and art is still good. Let’s get into it.
Gwyneth Paltrow leans in to whisper a message to the man suing her. “new boygenius out tomorrow”, she reportedly said.
A trio of geniuses
boygenius, the gathering of three of my generation’s best singers and songwriters (Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers, and Lucy Dacus), have finally released their first LP after first coming gother for the 2018 self-titled EP and coinciding tour (which I was remarkably blessed to attend). the record is gorgeous and sad and many, many other things, and is one of the best versions of three solo artists coming together that I’ve heard. Their energy is great, and in sync, and in an album all about relationships, theirs seems strong, and getting stronger.
Tyler back
Tyler, The Creator has released a couple of additional tracks for his 2021 album CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST, which I loved. The seven new songs are all in-line with the rest of the project, and inject some additional sonic depth to the already eclectic project.
The GOAT picks the GOATs
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, one of the five best basketball players of all time and my Substack coworker, has entered the “Best Sports Movie(s) of All Time” conversation. And his picks are surprisingly awesome and not obvious! Drive, He Said! Bang the Drum Slowly! Hard Times! Vision Quest! Personal Best! Happy Gilmore! The GOAT knows what he’s talking about.
Philly emo has never missed
rock/pop/emo/hardcore quintet Sweet Pill graced my Discover Weekly playlist this week, and boy howdy am I glad they did. Their most recent record Where The Heart Is, their debut LP, is just a great smattering of tracks, with great depth of sound, and enough range of ideas, to immediately shortlist on my Album of the Year list. Give them a shot!
2023’s First Great Podcast
After the meandering and slightly disappointing new series from one of the more infamous podcasts in the world, I’ve been completely delighted with the fresh, layered, genuine storytelling found in YOU DIDN’T SEE NOTHIN, a new podcast from Invisible Institute, about a 1997 assault of a black teenager in Chicago, and the narrator’s relationship to the event, and those that followed. This show is electric, fun, impactful, and just what I want to spend my time listening to.
I hope you had a good week, and that your Friday is better than mine that has started with the worst cup of coffee I have ever made, and probably ever had. It’s truly world-shattering, and I have no idea how I did this.
If you’ve got time, maybe go see the Dungeons and Dragons movie directed by that kid who starred in Freaks and Geeks, or maybe his previous masterpiece Game Night. If you’ve got time, listen to the radio, or go to your local library. Or, fine, you can just watch basketball. Whatever it is, tell me about it.
TTFN,
B